Tethered (The Avenlore Series) (21 page)

Brigitte’s earsplitting laugh sounded close by
, shattering my thoughts.  “Oh, Princess!  I am so glad you could join us!” 

I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard Nikolas groan quietly.

I added the way Brigitte talked to me like I was some guest or an outsider to the list of reasons why I wanted to slap her.  A nod was all I could conjure up in response.  With a conscious effort, I kept my eyes from Nikolas, avoiding him like the plague, but his eyes were on me.  I could feel it and my skin heated beneath his stare.

To my great horror, Brigitte sat almost right across from me, to the right of my mother’s seat.  To Brigitte’s great horror, Nikolas sat to the left of mine.  My mother, father, and the Belmont’s joined us at the table within minutes.  It came as a great relief to me since I’d spent the interim folding a napkin across my lap repeatedly.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, Brigitte filled what could’ve been awkward silence with a detailed account of her dress fitting for the ball.

I spent the meal in silence, the majority of the conversation being ruled by Lady Belmont and Brigitte.
  They moved on from the dress fitting and discussed travel, Brigitte’s massive family estate, and of course wedding plans.  When that subject was broached, Nikolas shifted uncomfortably in his seat and I felt like someone had taken a potato peeler to my heart. 

Despite much poking and prodding about his opinion of the wedding plans by his mother and Brigitte, Nikolas remained remarkably tight-lipped when questioned, limiting his answers to generic responses like, “Um hmm.”  And, “Uhhhh.”

My parents and even Lord Belmont offered little to the conversation, seemingly fascinated by the courses presented before them.  Not that they’d have gotten a word in if they’d tried.

I’d had enough and was on the verge of excusing myself and escaping to my bedroom, or just anywhere that wasn’t here.  But then, a figure flew into the room, panting and gasping for breath.  My head jerked up and I recognized
the silky golden mane of Sir Landon, the man that had practically raised Nikolas.

My father was on his feet almost instantly, but not before Nikolas
, who was already striding toward his mentor.  “Luther?  What trouble is there?”

Luther was doubled over, hands propped on his knees as he tried to breathe evenly. 
Through labored breaths, Luther formed a reply.  “That’s, that’s just it, Sir Belmont…not sure there is trouble.”  He paused to take deep breaths.  “It is just so unbelievable.”

My father
clapped a hand onto Sir Landon’s shoulder.  “Well, come then, tell us man.”

Breaths finally slowing, Sir Landon stood, eyes wide and flicker
ing between Nikolas and my father.  “The Connolly girl…the one that was taken, she’s here.  She says her name is—“

The legs of a chair screeched across the floor as my mother rose and cut off Sir Landon.  “Annette.  Her Name was Annette.”  Sir Landon nodded
and my mother gasped placing fingertips to her lips.  “Take me to her.”

Sir Landon nodded once.  Nikolas and my father stood there looking lost or like they were both trying to divide 317,562 by 1,745 in their heads.

I was on my feet as well, without realizing I’d stood.  “Me too.”

That snapped Nikolas out of
contemplating his math problem.  “Wait, we do not even know how that is possible.”

I tilted my head, imploring him with my eyes.  “Please, I need to see her.  She was taken because of me.”

Nikolas’ eyes sparked.  “We do not even know if it is her.”

My father chimed in.  “He has the right of it, sweet girl.”

I curled my hands into fists.  “Please, Dad.” 

My father glanced to my mother who nodded
.

Nikolas pinned me with a glare.  “You will stay behind me.”  He looked to my mother.  If I tell you to go, you must both obey.”  His words were kind, but the way he delivered them left no room for argument.  Glancing over at the table where his parents and Brigitte remained seated, Nikolas spoke.  “My apologies for having to cut dinner short.  I bid you all a goodnight.”  With that he began to walk toward the door, Sir Landon by his side, my parents and me following behind.

A strange sound, like a mix between a huff and a squeal pierced the still air.  “You. Are. Leaving?”  Brigitte spit out the words one by one.

Nikolas never even checked up, he didn’t so much as turn his head.  “Yes.”  He said flatly as he led us out of the doorway
.  I couldn’t help but smile when Brigitte made some kind of noise that sounded like a cat being strangled.

As we trekked down the hallway, Sir Landon talked
, hands flying animatedly as he spoke to Nikolas and my father, who had moved up to flank him.  “There she was, walking along the bridge.  She hasn’t spoken a word aside from her name and she looks at you as though she does not recognize you, not just as someone she knows, but as anything at all.  She appears as though she does not even see you.  Obviously, she’s had a rough go of it, but I cannot see any outward signs of injury.”

“And she just appeared there, no one was with her?”  Nikolas questioned intently.
  I could feel his apprehension floating through the air around us.

“Not a soul, Sir.”  Luther replied severely.  “I cannot fathom how one in her condition,” he glanced to my father, “Sire, she is so frail, how is it possible that she has escaped?  I cannot understand.”

“Nor I.”  Nikolas agreed, sending a glance over his shoulder at me as though he thought I’d up and disappear.  “I do not like this.  It’s too much of a coincidence.  She shows up here after all these years, immediately after Dani’s return?” 

“Aye.  It seems extraordinarily unlikely.”
  My father allowed.  “But then, no one can verify that she has been kept at Castle Knox, can they?  Do you recall seeing her when you were held captive?”

Luther shook his head emphatically.  “No, Sire.  I have never seen her
, but then I did not have the run of the place either.”  He stated.  “But, I have spent time in their clutches.  It would require some measure of humanity to release a prisoner…and they have none.” 

Nikolas exhaled slowly as we rounded the corner toward the guards’ post near the main entrance.  “There is at least one who does.”  His words emerged from his lips grudgingly.  “Summon Liam.”

“He is there, Sir.  He was on duty at the main gate, seems to have gotten in a tiff, broken nose, and eyes beginning to black.”  Luther gestured to his own nose and eyes.  Apparently, Liam had not divulged the finer points of his injury.

I tried to keep my face impassive, but no one was looking at me just then anyway.

“He what?”  My father asked, obviously not expecting his newest knight to have found trouble so easily.

Sir Landon was studying Nikolas, reading him like a book.  Then, he looked over hi
s shoulder at me and my cheeks burned with heat.  I thought I saw one side of Luther’s mouth curve right before he faced forward again, answering my father.  “Not to worry, Sire.  These young boys still get into such nonsense.”

My
father nodded once.  “I suppose.  I was young and always ready for a fight once as well.”

Nikolas seemed nearly unaware of the conversation, eyes focused as he stalked through the hallways.

We’d come upon the door to the guard tower and all conversation halted. 

Sir Landon looked to my father, who nodded onc
e and the door was pushed open.

No less than eight men stood in a circle around the girl I couldn’t yet see.  I could hear Liam murmuring to her softly, though I couldn’t see him either.  The rest of the men seemed to be standing and staring in awe, offering no real constructive solutions or suggestions for the situation
, just looking on like they couldn’t avert their eyes.  Expressions ranged from horror to anger to sadness, but each one was emotional.  Some even looked to be on the verge of tears.  I stepped forward, straining to get a better look, something in my gut writhing unsteadily. 

Nikolas caught me by the wrist, halting my progress.  He gazed at me with unbelievable blue eyes and rooted me to the spot with a silent plea and a gentle squeeze of his hand.

I moved no further. 

Nikolas let go of my wrist and walked slowly forward, followed by my father and Sir Landon.  The men in the circle parted like the red sea before them, revealing Liam kneeling before a frail girl. 

A girl about my age, sandy blonde hair hanging limply around her face.  A face that was hollow, eyes that were sunken and empty. 

Oh no.

This was the face I’d seen, this was my vision.

Danger.  Danger.  Danger.

She was just as Luther described, unseeing…but then her eyes focused and instantly changed, recognition flashing in them.  She’d seen no one else in the room.

No one else but me.

Chapter 24

My breath stalled. 

The look she pinned me with was unsettling, off, predatory. 

Danger.  Danger. 

In a flash her eyes grew empty again
, the flat affect returning to her face.  I was sure no one noticed, then my gaze found a pair of electric blue eyes and I knew at least Nikolas had by the way his brow furrowed in confusion and alarm as he gazed from me to her and back again. 

My mother marched forward
, tears welling in her eyes as she took the hollow face of the girl in her hands.  “You are safe now, child.”

The girl turned lifeless eyes to my mother, looking right through her
as a single tear crawled down her face. 

A
chill tiptoed down my spine. 

I was probably just being paranoid.  Who wouldn’t be creeped out? 

Right?

Danger.

I wanted to tell them all to get away from her, that she couldn’t be trusted, that she wasn’t safe.  But what reason did I have?  She didn’t seem like someone you would need protection from, she seemed like the someone who needed protection.

Nikolas studied her warily.  Maybe
his gut was whispering the same thing as mine. 

Danger.

I found Sir Landon in the small crowd, he too looked uneasy. 

Murmured questions rose in the air.  What to do with her?  How did she escape?  Where were her parents living now?

My father settled the question of her parents by sending word to the census keeper that he was to track down the family Annette Connolly and a party be sent to retrieve them immediately upon the discovery of their location.

My mother insisted on having the girl house
d in the guest corridor and having the physician tend to her at once.  She also sent for Soleil in order to inspect the girl for traces of black magic. 

How she escaped?  That was a question with no answer.  Not from the girl, not from anyone.

I looked at Sir Landon…strong, able, a trained fighter.  I could fathom his escape.  I looked at the girl…frail, damaged, empty.  I could not fathom her escape.

Liam approached me at my post by the door, his nose was set, but the bruising and swelling was more than evident on his face.  Somehow, even with all that, he was still beautiful.  “What troubles you, Dani?”

I shook my head, taking in his swollen nose and black eyes before answering.  “I can’t see how she escaped.”

Liam looked back to the girl.  She hadn’t moved an inch.  “Nor I.  I cannot recall ever seeing her in the castle, perhaps she was set free years ago.”

I set my teeth into my bottom lip while I turned that over in my mind.  “Do you believe that’s what happened?”

Liam looked back to me, eyes roaming over my face.  “No.”  He drug a hand through his hair.  “But I cannot imagine that she escaped.  No one escapes Castle Knox.” 

I tilted my head in Sir Landon’s direction.  “He did.”

Liam was quiet for a moment, watching the man who’d held a knife to his throat.  “He did not escape on his own.”

“How do you know that?”  I asked.

Liam considered me for a moment.  “Because I drugged his guards.  I carried his unconscious body to the hidden tunnels.”  He lifted his black eyelashes to watch me from beneath them.  “From there he made his own way once he regained his consciousness.”

“Why was I not told that part of the story?”  I asked, bothered that Nikolas had left that out.

Liam shrugged.  “I doubt he remembers quite everything that happened.  He had been brutally beaten…repeatedly
and was still out cold when I retrieved him.  That does not make for ideal circumstance when you are trying to recollect an event.”

My harm warmed toward Liam, undoing most of the damage done with his jealous fit.  “You should tell him!  He should know that!”