Champion of the Heart (28 page)

To his surprise, the hearth was lit, which set his nerves on end, and a man sat in a chair before the fire. He was bent over, his face in his hands.

A trap? Fox wondered. His gaze again scanned the room. But he couldn’t see any trace of others. Not soldiers, not his friends.

Fox took a silent step into the room toward the man. Suddenly, he heard a whimper and whirled, lifting his sword. Near the wall, he spied Doom, bloodied and lying on his side. The dog whimpered again and moved to lift his head, but it dropped back to the floor.

Fox moved to his hound, a well of grief opening up inside him. He kept one eye on the man near the hearth and stroked the wounded dog with his other hand. His palm came away from the dog’s fur thick with blood. Fox’s body shook with anger. What kind of barbarian curs would hurt an animal? What kind of barbarian had Vaughn turned into?

He marched across the room toward the man near the hearth. If it was Vaughn and this was some kind of trap, Fox would still kill him before his men could be upon him.

But as Fox approached, the man lifted his head.

Fox faltered and lowered his sword. His father gazed at him, torment painfully evident in his old eyes.

“I couldn’t stop them,” Frederick said softly. “I couldn’t stop them, Son.”

Fox sheathed his sword. “Where are the others, Father?” he demanded, his jaw tight.

“They took them. They took all of them,” Frederick answered. “I ordered them to stop. I called my men. But they never came.”

“Your men are gone, Father,” Fox said. “Who took them?”

“Gone? Good heavens, where could they all have gone? Were they defeated? He did bring an army of men. Perhaps...”

“No, Father,” Fox said firmly. “They left a long time ago. When we couldn’t pay them anymore.”

“Couldn’t pay them? We have coffers full of gold! Of course we could pay them!”

Fox’s jaw tightened. “Where is Beau, Father? And Pick? And Michael? Where are the others?”

“They left because we couldn’t pay them?” Frederick seemed confused for a moment as he turned toward the fire.

Fox grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. “Your castle is crumbling around you! Your armies are gone! There are no nobles who come to visit!”

“What about Lady Jordan?” Frederick asked him, seemingly unaffected by Fox’s outburst.

Fox released him with an aggravated sigh and his father fell back into his chair. “I kidnapped her. I wanted to get a title, our lands... your life back for you.”

“My life back,” his father echoed dully.

Fox knew that was what he himself wanted. He wanted his life back. He wanted his title back. He wanted Jordan back. And now he had lost all of that and more. “What happened, Father?” Fox asked, a sudden feeling of defeat draining him and making him feel exhausted.

“They surprised us, boy,” his father said softly. “They came in and demanded to know where you were.”

Fox groaned softly. “Who was it?”

“Evan,” Frederick said. “It was Evan.”

Fox shook his head, grinding his teeth. He clenched his fists, forcing his anger under control. Then he looked at his father. “What does he want?”

“He wants you,” Frederick answered. “He left me here to relay the message that if you didn’t bring Jordan to Castle Vaughn by sunset five days from now, he would start killing them.”

Fox cursed silently and ran his hands through his hair. “Did they hurt anyone?”

Frederick shook his head. “I don’t think so. Our men couldn’t do much when Evan’s men had a sword to Scout’s throat.”

Fox looked at the fire for a moment collecting his thoughts. But that didn’t take long. He already knew what he had to do. He turned back to his father. “Will you be all right, Father?” Fox asked.

Frederick nodded.

“Take care of Doom. He needs you to clean his wound and feed him. Can you do that?”

Again, Frederick nodded. He glanced at the dog, then back to his son. “You’re going after him, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Fox said.

Frederick nodded. “Be careful, Son.”

Fox exited the Keep, moving quickly. He had to get to Castle Vaughn and free his men. He prayed his horse hadn’t strayed too far. He was certain the animal was lingering near the castle somewhere. He hoped it might have even moved into the outer courtyard of its own volition.

Suddenly, he stopped as he heard a soft sound. He lifted his gaze, scanning the inner ward. It sounded like... crying. Soft crying. Fox crossed the inner ward, listening. It sounded as though it were coming from the stables.

That was where Mary Kate had been told to hide if the castle was ever invaded.

His brisk walk turned into a run as he bolted for the door of the stables. It had long since fallen from its hinges, and was now just a piece of rotting wood dangling askew in the doorway. He brushed past the door and moved inside.

He saw her immediately. She was kneeling on the ground with her back to him, her small shoulders shaking as she sobbed. “Mary Kate?”

But Mary Kate didn’t move.

Fox walked up to her and peered over her shoulder, seeing she was kneeling beside the pregnant dog. It was lying on its side, not moving. It wasn’t until he bent down further toward her that Fox saw why Mary Kate was crying. The dog had been gutted, from her throat to her tail. The puppies were dead. All of them.

Fox grabbed Mary Kate and pulled her away from the sight. She threw her arms around Fox and hugged him desperately. “Why, Fox? Why did they do it? Why did they kill those babies?”

Fox picked her up and carried her outside into the inner ward, wordlessly soothing her with gentle strokes on her hair. He held her tightly as she sobbed. Jordan is right, he thought. Mary Kate doesn’t belong here. She doesn’t deserve this. She’s suffered enough for five lifetimes, let alone for a child of only four years.

You will pay for this, Evan Vaughn, Fox vowed as he carried Mary Kate from the castle. You will pay.

J
ordan scooped some water from the stream with a bucket. Some of the cold water spilled over her fingers, chilling her skin. She took a moment to study her reflection in the slow moving current. The bright moon in the sky above illuminated the water with a soft shimmering light. She looked tired. Tired with the weight of three worlds on her shoulders.

She had the children she needed to look after. She had a future husband she should have contacted the moment Fox had freed her, but had not. And then there was Fox himself. Her childhood friend. Her kidnapper. Her lover.

She quickly looked away from her reflection, part of her feeling ambivalent for what she had done. She was betrothed. Women had been hanged or burned for less. But another part of her felt no shame at all. It was the part of her that felt breathless at the mere thought of Fox taking her in his arms and holding her and kissing her.

She turned from the stream and marched through the high stalks of grass toward the house. Her eyes again swung to the road. Fox was over a day late, and she was worried about him. She had decided to remain at the house and await Mary Kate’s arrival before moving on to Castle Ruvane. She wanted to make sure the child was safely situated at the house and felt comfortable with Abagail and all of the other children.

Jordan scowled, turning to stare down the road again. Where was Fox? Why was he taking so long? Maybe Mary Kate hadn’t wanted to come live with her. Or had something else happened, something far worse? Jordan shook her head, refusing to imagine the worst.

Instead, she turned her thoughts to how heavy the bucket was. She had filled it to the top, and the cold water sloshed over the sides onto her dress. Her dirty white dress. The hem was ripped and the frayed edges were black. It was way past time to get to Castle Ruvane and get some fresh clothes. She brushed a lock of her dark hair away from her eyes as she neared the house.

She was almost to the door when a hand clamped down firmly over her mouth and she was pulled roughly back. She struggled, dropping the bucket, the water splashing along the dirt, and quickly reached for the dagger at her thigh.

But a firm hand grabbed her before she could reach the dagger and pressed her fingers tightly into her thigh, forcing her hand to be still. “It’s me, Jordan.”

Fox. She’d recognize his strong voice anywhere.

Relief sagged Jordan’s shoulders and she ceased her struggles. She allowed Fox to lead her into the darkness beside the house, into the shadowy part even the moon’s bright light didn’t reach.

Fox released her, but held her close. “Vaughn took my men.”

“What?” Jordan gasped.

Fox nodded, his dark hair fanning his shoulders. “He attacked the castle while you and I were here.”

Jordan opened her mouth to reply, but just then a small hand slipped into hers. She looked down to see Mary Kate standing beside her. Jordan smiled down at her and picked the girl up. “Have you come to stay with us?”

Mary Kate looked at Fox, and Fox nodded. The girl turned back to Jordan. “Yes. I think so.”

Fox ruffled the knotted curls in the little girl’s hair. “Mary Kate stayed hidden while Vaughn was in the castle.”

“Good girl,” Jordan whispered, hugging her tightly.

“They killed the puppies,” Mary Kate told Jordan. “The bad men killed the mommy dog.”

Jordan glanced at Fox over her shoulder.

He nodded glumly.

“Let me take her inside,” Jordan whispered. “Will you wait?”

Fox nodded, his gaze scanning the surrounding trees with urgency. “Hurry.”

“Who’s there?”

Jordan turned to see Abagail stepping outside, her eyes scrunched tight as she scanned the darkness. “It’s me, Abagail. Mary Kate is here.”

Abagail smiled brightly at them as she approached. Behind Abagail, five sets of small eyes stared from a gap in the doorway. Jordan could hear a few giggles.

“Hello, Mary Kate. We have your bed all ready for you. You must be very tired.”

Again, Mary Kate looked to Fox for reassurance and he nodded for her to go with Abagail. Mary Kate took Abagail’s offered hand and the two of them moved into the house, leaving Jordan and Fox alone in the night.

Jordan watched the door close and then turned to Fox, squeezing his hands. “What will you do?” she asked.

“I have to free them,” he said softly.

“But how?” Jordan gasped, appalled that he could and would endanger his life. “Evan will kill you.”

Fox nodded. “I’m sure he would like to.” Fox again glanced over his shoulder. “He had some men watching the castle. They came after me as I was leaving to come here. They’re looking for you.”

Again guilt surged in Jordan’s breast. “I was waiting for Mary Kate,” she told him. “I should have –”

Fox pressed a finger to her lips. “You don’t have to explain.” He ran his finger along her lips.

She lifted her eyes to his. In the darkness, she could barely see them. She could only feel his breathing, the press of his chest against hers, the way his breath caressed her lips before vanishing. It was as if they were one.

“I need time to think. I can’t go back to Castle Mercer, and I don’t think I should stay here much longer. Vaughn is bound to come looking for me here.”

She lifted her hands to touch his face. His cheeks were rough with stubble. She wanted to tell him to stay, but she knew he had to go. Loyalty was one of his best attributes. “Let me help you.”

“No.” The word came quickly.

She tried to pull away, but he held her tight against him. “You cannot be involved in this. If it goes wrong… you can still live your life.”

Jordan panicked. “No, Fox. You can’t ask that of me. I won’t sit by while you risk your life to...”

His lips pressed hotly against hers, silencing the cry of despair on them. A sob escaped the heated embrace as his mouth pressed to hers. When he pulled back slightly, he pressed his cheek to her temple. “You mean more to me than all of the world. I won’t risk your life.”

Fox tried to pull back even more but Jordan held him closely. “Please, Fox,” she whispered tearfully. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“No one captures the Black Fox,” Fox whispered against her ear, his cheek pressed against hers. “No one except you.”

Jordan pulled back, startled. She could feel his touch on her lower back, his body pressed intimately to hers. She wanted another kiss. She licked her lips, running her tongue along the path his lips had taken. Then she tentatively lifted her lips to his, pressing a chaste kiss there.

Fox’s response was immediate, his passion igniting into a blazing brand. He pulled her tight against him, holding the nape of her neck so she could not escape his kiss. Trapped, Jordan could do nothing but let Fox kiss her thoroughly, tantalizing her lips with hot caresses, until she had to gasp from want and need. Then he plundered her mouth, sweeping his tongue into the recesses of her sweetness, tasting her.