Dark Lord of Kismera: Knights of Kismera (15 page)

TWO DAYS LATER, the Lady Ki Lionblade of the ancient Clan of Lionblade bonded with Lord Drace MacKinnon of the ancient Clan Mac- Kinnon. The ceremony took place amongst the many flowers of Vashti’s garden behind her home.

A priest of one of the Elvin gods conducted the ceremony in Elvish. Cearan and Ka’Ril stood by Drace and Vashti with Ki. They were all dressed in the clothes they had worn to the Liege’s dinner. Drace had his hair plaited to homage Werren males. He looked handsome and fierce, and stood proudly, smiling at Ki. Even Zol and Tren attended.

Drace did not understand much of the ceremony, but responded at the correct moments with well-practiced answers in Elvish, having been coached by Ka’Ril in private. Ki had raised an eyebrow at his first response and smiled warmly, then answered in kind. She, herself, spoke fluent Elvish, some dwarfish, and the ancient language of her people was second nature.

The kiss Drace gave her at the end of the ceremony spoke of many promises.

With the help of her kitchen staff, Vashti had prepared a formal meal for that evening.

All but Drace’s sword and daggers were completed so the group was preparing to leave in two days time. The group spent a relaxed evening, knowing they had one more day to rest. With harvest to do, everyone knew to take advantage of the free time.

With well wishes sent their way, Drace and Ki retired to their room. They spent a passionate, loving night together and fell asleep exhausted in each other’s arms.

D
race was running, sword raised, and screaming a battle cry as his ancient Highland warrior ancestors.

The red dragon raised its head, mouth open in a roar. It turned to strike, hissing angrily, wings flared.

Drace’s sword flashed as he ran on to meet the dragon and Drace screamed his challenge once more. The dragon snapped at him, massive jaws clicking together, just missing him.

Drace yelled again with an overhead swing of his sword as he attacked, his fist colliding with part of the dragon. He swung with his left hand and hit the dragon again. When he swung his sword again he missed, the dragon moved away with a scream. His chest heaved with exertion as he fought for air.

Ki knelt on the floor, hair wild around her, trying to identify her enemy. She touched at the blood that trickled from the corner of her mouth. She woke enough to realize that Drace was in the throes of a violent nightmare.

Footsteps ran down the hall. Cearan burst through the door, naked except for the sword in his hand, eyes blazing. Vashti and Ka’Ril followed, armed with daggers and little better dressed: Vashti in a dressing gown and Ka’ Ril in his breeches.

Drace was still caught in the grips of the dream when Cearan flew into the room, and Drace leapt off the bed and attacked the new danger. Cearan went down hard with one of Drace’s hands on his throat, and the other hand, a fist that landed on Cearan’s jaw.

Drace bellowed in fury and slammed his fist again into Cearan’s face. Cearan roared an angry lions’ roar, which to Drace was the dragon’s challenge. He gave full and serious intent to kill his enemy.

Vashti put a restraining hand to Ka’Ril’s chest and shouted for everyone to stand back, and then muttered a quick spell. A blinding light swirled through the room and lifted Drace, slamming him against the wall.

Ki had gotten over her painful awakening and now voiced concern as Drace slid down the wall and landed crumpled and dazed. She quickly donned her dressing gown then snatched a quilt from the bed, and rushed to Drace.

Cearan dropped his sword and rolled up on his knees. Blood trickled from one nostril, the corner of his mouth, and one eye was starting to swell. He growled low in his throat.

Vashti dropped to her knees next to him as Ka’Ril went to Ki and
Drace.

“What happened?” Ka’Ril asked Ki, as Drace slowly came around.

Ki looked up at Ka’Ril and shook her head, “I do not know exactly. We were asleep, I heard him yelling and before I knew what was wrong, he struck me. I rolled to the floor and then everyone rushed in, and Drace seemed to be attacking Cearan.”

“Seemed to be?” Cearan’s voice dripped sarcasm as he wiped blood from his nose then muttered a vile curse in Werren.

Drace came to his senses, lying up against a wall with the room filled with people; his chest hurt. His head was still filled with the dragon’s image, but he was awake now, his heart slowing it’s frantic pace.

Cearan rose to his feet, and squatted down to eye level. He laid a hand on Drace’s shoulder. “Brother, what happened?”

Drace looked at him. “What the hell happened to you?” His hand still felt as if he held a sword. He grabbed a fistful of the blanket Ki had laid over his lap to counter it.

Surprisingly, Cearan laughed. He returned Drace’s gaze and said, “You did, brother.”

Drace thought frantically. He laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Suddenly, his head throbbed. He covered his face with a large hand. “Oh shit,” he whispered. He kept his hand over his face. “Man, I’m sorry, I was having a dream, I guess.” He stopped to take a deep shuddering breath then told them of the dragon and its attack, the dragon that haunted him. “It’s the second time I’ve dreamed about it.”

Drace moved his hand and squinted against the candlelight. He noticed Cearan’s sword on the floor and everyone else’s weapons. “That bad, huh?”

Cearan nodded in answer. He slapped Drace lightly on his knee then stood. “Go back to bed. We will talk in the morning when you have had time to clear your head.”

Drace mumbled a reply and everyone left the room but Ki. She still knelt beside him with concern.

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” he asked, worried he might have struck her as he had Cearan. She shook her head but he could tell something was wrong. He looked at her closer and swore silently, his hand shook violently as he touched her face. “God, Ki. Jesus, I did that, didn’t I?”

Ki lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes. “You did not mean it. I know you did not. It was the dream. You were fighting the dragon.”

Drace felt devastated and humiliated and his expression reflected those emotions. When Ki stood, he looked up at her at a loss of what to say. Her gaze was calm now, and he couldn’t face those cool amber eyes so he lowered his head once more He ran a hand through his tousled hair with a shaking hand, and felt a choking lump in his throat. “Ki, I don’t…I’m so sorry.”

“Do not apologize, my love. It is over now. Will you come lay with me?” she asked concerned.

“You go back to bed, Ki,” Drace said quietly.

“Are you coming?” She moved to their bed and removed her dressing gown.

“Not yet,” he answered while shakily gaining his feet. “Really. Please, go on now, I’m fine. I’m just a bit ashamed of myself and need to regroup. Besides, it’s you I’m worried about.”

Drace moved to the washbasin and splashed water on his face, then draped the quilt around his shoulders. He went and stood by the window that overlooked the rear courtyard. He felt Ki’s gaze on him and he turned his head toward her. “Sleep, hon. I’ll be okay. I just need some time.”

Drace could almost feel her relax from across the room and her breath indicated she was finally asleep. He stood and looked out the window for a long time, the shame of laying hands in anger on the one person he held most dear kept him from being able to relax. He finally moved away from the window, bumping a chair in his search for clothes.

Ki murmured something sleepily from their bed and he shushed her with a soft word. Emotion tore at him as he pulled on a pair of breeches, grabbed his boots and stockings, and then left the room. As she lay there, she heard the back door open and close, then the stable doors open. The sound of Pride’s hooves came next, along with the jingle of his bit chains.

Ki let Drace go, knowing she could do nothing more that night to ease him.

Drace had ridden for a couple of hours in the dark in an exercise paddock behind Vashti’s stable, until he felt Pride begin to tire. After cooling and rubbing down the big stallion, dawn found him mucking stalls, sweat running down his bare back.

When he finished, he rinsed in a water trough, finishing by dunking his head then pushing his hair back. He stood for a moment, dreading going into the house. Finally, the chilly air drove him inside.

He came in the back way through the kitchen, startling the cook
who paused with a knife in her hand, and a kitchen maid who dropped a melon she had been preparing, a squeak of surprise escaping her lips. Drace heard the others in the dining room so he went silently up the stairs to change.

When he came back down, he was in brown breeches, boots, and a loose white shirt. He had pulled his hair back in a doubled up ponytail, the ends of his hair hidden underneath. He hadn’t bothered to shave, as his hands were none too steady and he thought he might accidentally slit his throat.

Drace quietly went into the dining room and went directly to the sideboard. He filled his plate, although he wasn’t all that hungry. He sat next to Ki who leaned over to kiss his cheek good morning, and lovingly laid a hand on his arm. He stiffened under her touch and she released his arm. After his first glimpse of the bruise on her cheek, he wanted to slide under the table and then he had caught one look at Cearan’s battered face and was unable to meet his gaze, keeping his eyes on his plate. Drace swallowed a mouthful of eggs past a lump that had formed in his throat.

Cearan laid his fork next to his plate and looked thoughtfully at Drace for a moment. “If you fight as well awake as you do asleep we will need no other warriors to defeat the southern armies,” he teased and smiled carefully around the cut at the corner of his mouth.

Drace gave a half-hearted chuckle and felt a sense of relief that Cearan apparently held no hard feelings from last night’s happenings.

After everyone finished eating, Ki requested Drace to accompany her to Jaron’s shop to check on his sword. Drace nodded mutely, and left with her when she was ready.

As they left the house, Ki looked up at him. “Drace.”

“Mmmm?” was all he offered as he kept walking.

They had walked almost half way when she persisted, “Drace?”

He stopped and looked at her fully for the first time since the night before. “Yes?”

“Cearan does not blame you for last night if that is what troubles you.”

Drace hung his head, shame staining his high cheeks. “I know he doesn’t. But for laying a hand on you he would probably like to kill me. I would if someone did that to my aunt, Cerise.”

“Is that what you are worried about?” she asked in disbelief. “You did not strike in anger against me. It was an accident, a dream, it is nothing.”

Drace groaned out loud. He turned and continued walking, his jaw working as he clenched his teeth. “I’m pissed, okay? Just plain pissed. I have had this dream twice and I don’t understand it. I know what I did last night was an accident, but I could have really hurt you, Ki,” he ground out. “I’m sorry if I’m someone who gives a shit.”

Ki hurried to keep up with his longer strides. “Drace,” she pleaded, “Drace!”

Drace stopped; his back to her.

“Drace,” she came around to face him, ignoring curious passersby. “Drace, is it forgiveness you want? I forgive you. You did not mean to hurt me. You know this and I know this.” She cut him off when he started to protest. “Please?” She took hold of his arm and this time he did not resist her touch.