Kiss of the Rose (23 page)

She tried not to look at Christopher as he moved with efficient grace around the cramped space, but it was impossible not to admire him. He was tall and elegant but as strong and well muscled as Rhys, and moved with the grace of a cat.

Rhys held out his hand to her and she took it gratefully.

“I’ll escort you to bed, my lady.”

Sir Christopher bowed to them both. “And I’ll keep watch and ensure that the king remains in good health.”

Rosalind was torn between annoyance at his abrupt departure and relief that he wouldn’t be following her back to her bed. She wasn’t sure if she would be strong enough to keep him out.

She and Rhys walked in silence back to the other wing of the palace, past the posted guards and the occasional hurrying courtier, past the deserted and trampled garden where the Maypole was being dismantled.

“Rosalind…”

At the door to the queen’s apartments, Rosalind turned to Rhys and her faint smile died. “What is it?”

He regarded her for a long moment. “My men just told me they saw you at the Beltaine festival last night.”

“So?”

His smile was bittersweet. “They thought you were beautiful and that you made a fitting sacrifice to the gods.”

She held his gaze. “Thank you.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“I’m not ashamed of being the Chosen.”

“I’m sure you’re not. It is an honor.” He shifted his stance so that his shoulder leaned against the doorjamb, blocking her way. “The question is, why did you not share that honor with me?”

Rosalind considered him carefully. “You were not there.”

“That is one answer, yes.”

“And there is another?”

He reached out and brushed his fingertips over her cheek. “Did you fear to tell me because you thought I would no longer want you?”

“That was part of the reason.”

His expression softened. “It is an honor to mate with one of the gods’ chosen. You know that.”

“Then you would still marry me?”

“Of course.” He paused. “Rosalind, is there something else you need to tell me?”

She summoned all her courage. “I always thought that if I was Chosen, it would be with you, Rhys, but it wasn’t. I’m so sorry.”

“I was delayed by that snake, Elias Warner.” He swallowed hard. “So, who was it, the male? Anyone I know?”

Rosalind looked down.

Rhys slowly straightened as stricken comprehension dawned on his face. “The blood link with Sir Christopher. He was
allowed
into the sacred circle?”

“Yes.”

“And he took your maidenhead?”

“He had no choice—you know that.The gods are allpowerful.”

“The Druid slayer took advantage of you.” Rhys slammed one gloved fist into the other and started to pace. “He thinks to bind you to him. I will make certain he never comes near you again.”

“Rhys, I didn’t stop him. I am equally to blame.”

“You are an innocent compared to him.”

Rosalind grabbed his arm and made him face her. He deserved the truth— even if she knew it would just make things worse. “No, I am not. I do not regret what happened. Do you understand me?”

He blinked slowly and took a step backward, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “It seems you have made your choice. Good night, my lady.”

Rosalind swallowed back a desire to cry. “Rhys— ”

He held up his hand.“I need to think on this. I’ll be at the stables at dawn tomorrow.”

She could do nothing but watch him walk away from her. She had no ability to change either what had happened or the effect it would have on them all. But, for a moment, she wished with all her heart that she hadn’t had to hurt her best friend in the world.

Chapter 16

F
or the first time in a long while, Rosalind found herself reluctant to get dressed and meet her fellow Vampire hunters. Seeing Christopher was difficult enough, but now she was at odds with Rhys. She feared that despite what he believed, he would never come to terms with what had happened to her within the stone circle.

Perhaps she could delay meeting with them for at least a while. She did have a duty to the queen. As she left her room, Rosalind smoothed down her embroidered blue kirtle and settled the lace at her bodice. Her cross of amber and gold, her favorite, nestled between her breasts. It had been her mother’s. A wise woman, courageous even in death. The least Rosalind could do to honor her memory was pretend she was capable of the same.

Queen Katherine sat surrounded by a circle of her ladies, all of their heads bent industriously as they sewed a long altar cloth for the chapel.The queen looked up as Rosalind curtsied to her.

“Ah, Rosalind. Have you come to join us?”

“I’d be honored, Your Majesty.” Rosalind drew up a stool and found a space between two of the queen’s waiting women. She focused her attention on the gold border of the altar cloth and fashioned her stitches to fit the chain that had already been outlined.

When Rosalind looked up, the queen’s hands had fallen idle, and she was studying a painted miniature that hung at her waist. It was an image of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child held on her lap. Was the queen thinking about her own child, Mary, whom the king had forbidden her to see?

The king’s cruelty no longer surprised Rosalind, but it still hurt to see the queen separated from her child and unable to please her husband. For a fierce moment, Rosalind wished her loyalty did not lie with the king, but with his estranged wife instead. The queen deserved to be free of her husband.

Soon Rosalind’s neck was aching from staring so critically at her work and she fought a yawn. She’d much rather be wielding a dagger than a needle. The queen glanced at her.

“Did you not sleep well, my dear?”

Rosalind felt herself blush as some of the other women tittered and looked up at her as well. For an awful moment, she wondered if everyone knew what she had done on Beltaine night. “I apologize, Your Majesty. I had a restless night.” Suddenly she beheld in her mind’s eye an image of Christopher searching for her. She struggled not to look startled.

The queen’s smile was sympathetic. “When I cannot sleep, I take up my rosary and pray to Our Lady. I find it helps me enormously.”

“I shall try that, Your Majesty,” Rosalind murmured, ever more distracted as the tantalizing scent of orange blossom now reached her nose.

“Perhaps Lady Rosalind might care to promenade in the gardens with me,Your Majesty, and blow away those cobwebs?”

Rosalind didn’t need to turn around to know that Christopher had found her. The queen smiled at him and then at Rosalind.

“I think that is an excellent idea, Sir Christopher. Please take your time.”

Christopher stepped forward and bowed. He had the audacity to wink at the queen, who chuckled. “Do not fear, Your Majesty. I shall treat Lady Rosalind as a precious jewel who needs to be sheltered and protected from every element, foul or fair.”

Even as she rose to her feet and curtsied to the queen, Rosalind scanned the faces around her, trying to determine which one of the dozen or so ladies smelled like dried orange blossom. Christopher took her arm and led her gently, but inexorably, toward the door.

The moment they left the queen’s sight, she shook off his hand. “Why did you have to arrive at exactly that moment?”

He glanced down at her, his black hair whipping across his face in the breeze. The weather had turned as uncertain as her mood. “Because you are supposed to be meeting with me, Rhys, and Elias. We were concerned when you didn’t arrive.”

“I was attending the queen as is my duty, and if you had left me alone for another moment, I might have worked out which of the women seated around that altar cloth was the Vampire.”

“You sensed the Vampire?” He frowned.“One of the reasons I came to find you so quickly was that I felt a threat to you. I wonder if it was her.”

Rosalind stared at the ground and stamped her cold feet. “We’ll never know now, will we?”

Christopher started walking again, reclaimed her hand, and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. “But don’t you think it is interesting? There might be a way to use the link between us to find the Vampire.”

“Well, we certainly failed to do so this time,” Rosalind muttered.

“That’s because we weren’t aware of the possibilities. Now that we are, perhaps we can share our sense of the Vampire’s presence with each other.”

“I suppose that could work.”

Christopher opened the door into the chapel and glanced down at her as she passed under his arm. “Did you not sleep well, my lady? You seem a little out of sorts.”

She found herself glaring up at him. “I wonder why.”

His eyebrows rose. “You are not happy?”

“Why would I be? You are being far too pleasant to me this morning.”

His smile disappeared and he regarded her levelly. “You told me plainly you wished our relations to return to how they were before. I am simply trying to do as you bid me.”

She continued to glower at him, aware that she was being unreasonable, but unwilling to admit it. “I
wish
you would leave me alone.”

“And that is not possible until we catch this Vampire.” He bowed and closed the chapel door with such force that all the candles flickered. “So perhaps you might turn your considerable skills to aiding the capture of the Vampire rather than sulking.”

“I am not sulking!”

Christopher didn’t answer her, his attention on Rhys and an obviously disgruntled Elias Warner, who stood near the door to the bell tower at the very rear of the chapel. Elias gave an elegant shudder and huddled deeper into his fur-lined cloak as Rosalind approached.

“Lady Rosalind, I’m so glad you have finally joined us. I’m not at my most comfortable in this accursed place, as your companions well know.”

She could understand Elias’s reluctance. Most Vampires avoided sanctified Christian spaces. Only a very few could tolerate being inside a chapel, and Elias was obviously uneasy. She had to admire Christopher’s cunning, though. Meeting Elias at the chapel would hopefully undermine his normally impenetrable defenses.

“We wanted to ask you a few questions, Elias,” Christopher said. “It won’t take long.”

“I should hope not,” Elias answered. The alabaster cast of his skin made him look as pale as one of the statues adorning the chapel. Rosalind wondered when he had last fed.

“Last night we were attacked by four Vampires in the king’s apartments,” Christopher said. “You told us that no Vampire would interfere with our mission.”

Elias blinked slowly.“You were attacked? That is not possible.”

“Are we to believe you did not know?” Rhys challenged him.

“I was not in this realm last night. I was with the Vampire Council discussing your lack of progress.” His flat golden gaze searched their faces. “Now, as you are all present and still breathing, I assume you defeated these Vampires.”

“We did, but that isn’t the point. You told us no one would hinder our cause.”

Elias tilted his head thoughtfully. “Obviously this rogue Vampire is stronger than I imagined. She took advantage of my disappearance and used her powers to bend some weaker beings to her will.”

“How could she do that?” Rosalind asked.

“The Vampires who attacked you were probably ones she had made. They are more susceptible to their creator’s power.”

Christopher frowned.“This is not very welcome news. How can we focus on killing her if we have to worry about being attacked on all sides?”

Elias straightened his fur cloak. “I will speak to the Council about this matter and seek their guidance.”

“And in the meantime?” Rosalind said. “We are at risk. I cannot truly believe that one Vampire is more powerful than all of the rest of you.”

Elias threw her an angry smile. “Believe it. Focus on slaughtering the Vampire. You have all the necessary tools now.”

Rhys cleared his throat and Rosalind was forced to look at him for the first time. He looked exhausted, his mouth a hard line, his gaze dangerous, as if he had made some hard decisions and was determined to see them through. “Are you talking about the link between Lady Rosalind and Sir Christopher?”

Elias gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’m talking about all the links between us. We are all involved in this mess.”

Rhys persisted. “That is not exactly helpful, Elias. In what way are you and I involved?”

“We are involved, Master Williams. I can promise you that. We are part of the whole.” He glanced at Rosalind. “She is the center. She has bound us all to her cause, can’t you see that?”

Rhys grimaced. “I suppose she has. She has certainly ‘become one’ with her enemy.”

Rosalind flinched at his harsh tone. Christopher stepped closer and took her hand. She was suddenly grateful for both his touch and his solid presence.

“What else can we do to ensure the Vampire’s death?” Christopher asked.

“Work together. Stop bickering amongst yourselves.” Elias shoved past Christopher, almost knocking him into the wall. “Now I must bid you all good day!”

As he strode out of the chapel, Rosalind stared after him, almost wishing she could follow along behind.Anything would be better than having to face the two men beside her.

Rhys leaned up against the door, his arms folded over his chest.“He’s right, you know.We do need to work together.” He glared at Christopher. “We must put our individual feelings aside until we have defeated our foe.”

“I’m not sure I believe you.” Christopher let go of Rosalind’s hand and strode toward Rhys. “From the look on your face, and the disparaging way you just spoke of my lady, you are not at peace at all.”

Rhys met Christopher’s gaze, his hazel eyes full of fire. “If I had my way, Druid killer, I would challenge you to a swordfight for what you did to
my
lady.”

“Challenge me, then.”

“Christopher… Rhys!” Rosalind remonstrated, but she was unable to get between the two men. “Stop this!”

“You only say that,” Rhys said, sneering,“because you know I cannot oblige you. We both have our orders.”

“Still, I’ll fight you, if your honor demands it.” Christopher paused. “And if the lady wishes it.”