The Beast of Renald (The Northern Knights) (32 page)

Caroline’s horrified gasp filled the room and she lowered her hand from her mouth. His eyes followed her hand as she instinctively moved it to her belly. His intent gleamed in his sharp eyes.

‘Aye, I know you are with child. My spies were very thorough.’

Aghast at his meaning, she said faintly, ‘He will not believe it.’

‘You think not?  My dear you truly do not know the beast you have married. He lost his mind when I took Adelay. He is not so different than me although he pretends to be otherwise and has fooled many these past years. I know him like a second skin. He was born a hair’s breadth earlier than I, we are connected. Trust me in this. I am as sure of this as I am of my last breath he already believes it. To be a maggot inside his skull right now. Ah!’ Raven waved his hand, brows arched and a big smile of satisfaction on his face as he turned around on his heel with his arms outstretched. ‘Do you see him here?’

He was playing on her doubts and she would not allow him that.  Yet she could not deny her heart pinched at his words for she was unsure. Blood pounded in her ears almost making him sound far away.

Nay, his words held no truth. Darc was nothing like him! Yet her heart and breath said otherwise. Still she managed to mutter, ‘You are wrong. He is not like you. It stops at your looks for even there the similarities stop. He is not as mad at the world nor blames everyone else for what has gone wrong in his life. Nay, he is naught like you at all.’

Raven’s burst of outrage was a deep wail and it turned heads outside the room. His reddening neck showed his rage, knowing her meaning.

The malice in his eyes pinned her where she stood and Caroline tightened her grip in her skirts so he would not see how badly they shook. His mad pacing stopped and he faced her, his expression calm once more.

Caroline narrowed her gaze on him, asking, ‘What do you hope to gain bringing innocents into this? What is the point? Does your vengeance know no bounds? He will not believe your lies.’

She could feel the evil coming off him though he remained by the door. ‘We were all innocents at one time in our lives.’

Caroline turned away from him and said more to herself than to him under her breath.  ‘Why am I asking for reason from a man whom thought naught of killing his own mother?’

His merry tone came at her back. ‘So the bastard told you that!’ Caroline whirled back around to find him inches from her.

‘When she asked me why, I told her I did not know. It just seemed necessary at the time.’

Caroline shivered at the cold laughter that erupted from him. Barbaric monster were the words that came to her mind. With a flick of his wrist above the table against the wall next to her, the small axe shot down from his hand and the sharp point embedded itself in the wood. The sound of the wood splintering shook her to the core.

‘His son belongs to me and I do not talk of the one you might carry.’

‘How...’ Caroline clamped her mouth shut. He knew about Cal. She need not ask how. She knew. Gan. Horror filled her.

His mouth curled in amusement seeing the realization in her eyes and he said pointedly, ‘Aye, I am very much aware that the boy is not dead. And that he is not mine. Of that I am certain. Despite what my brother might think, I did not lay with my beautiful Adelay until after she had borne his brat.’

What did he want with the child then other than to harm it? Caroline wanted to scratch the smugness from his face. ‘You will never get close to him.’ She spat.

Without warning Raven reached out and tore her gown at the throat. He had reached the door before she could strike back. The quick distance he’d put between them and the look on his face bespoke as much. He’d know she would have attacked him.

Caroline screamed her rage at his retreating back not caring her breasts were exposed as his burly men did his bidding and restrained her with rope.

Her blood still pounding in her ears where she lay on the pallet bound with rope, Caroline heard the rattle of the keys in the lock. She almost sighed with relief from the aches and sharp pains shooting through her body. She had tried to free herself during the time that had passed, which seemed like hours after Raven and his men had left her. She angled her head to see the devil himself walk in.

Raven stood proudly just insider the cell door, dressed finally in clothes that did not reek so badly. With an arched brow his eyes fell on her powerless position and he chortled. A tall guard stayed outside in the corridor.

Where had fat Gan gone? She wondered. Caroline swallowed back her groan of despair as two other mean looking Normans entered instead.

Immediately she knew something was wrong. An evil smile of satisfaction spread upon Raven’s lips, his eyes never leaving hers. ‘Tie the hellcat’s mouth and bring her.’

She had no chance to do aught but scream which was cut off as the two men grabbed her bound arms and tied a coarse cloth over her mouth. Her struggles did nothing more than bring more pain before they gave her a hard enough shake to jar her teeth and snap her neck back. Darkness quickly claimed her.

CHAPTER FORTY

Caroline had disappeared without a trace and so had Gan. It did not take Darc long to know how and why. He was just angry that he’d not moved faster on Rourke’s reaffirming his own instincts in getting rid of Gan.

The man was a good fighter, but had always been untrustworthy.  But so had a lot of his men, but Gan even more so.  Greed led many already evil astray and to make the wrong decisions.

All he knew was that he was going to kill the man.
There was only one place Raven would have taken her, he knew.

It was where he’d gone plenty of times before. The place was nothing more than ruins and stone. The dungeon Raven had kept him in. The manor in which Adelay and Raven had carried out their passions for one another.

Where the two had given him his scars down in that dungeon.

Darc had torn it down to nothing.

After Adelay’s death and Raven’s brief imprisonment his brother the animal that he was knew every hole and cavern in England. He would not take Caroline far nor did Darc suspect he would kill her. Not yet anyway.

But with Raven one could not be so sure.

Darc’s heart raced, pounding within his chest like it would burst. He kept the images of what his Raven might be doing to her at bay. If he let his mind dwell on them he would not be able to focus.

His brother wanted him to come to him and for that reason alone Darc would not. Raven would have to come back for him to see his vengeance fulfilled. And for that Darc knew Raven would keep Caroline alive.

He’d gone after a wife once and it had all been for nothing. Ending up in lies, butchering of a friend and death. What Caroline might be feeling, her fear and disappointment Darc shoved aside.

How did he know for sure if she had not left of her own free will with his brother?

Bitterness and disgust roiled in his knotted gut. Three days gone.

Three days for Raven to do as he wished with her. Sex. Torture.  Pain. Three days for her to fall under the sick charm his brother seemed to have over women.

Sickened and not second guessing his hardened instincts, Darc strode toward the stables. A ride would not ease what ate at him, but he took Gray’s reins from the stable hand nonetheless.

The pounding of the horse’s hooves and jarring effects it was having on her body had Caroline clenching her teeth so hard her jaw began to hurt. The uncomfortable position Raven had her in seated in front of him was unbearable and Caroline gasped in horror at the same time she felt a bit of relief when the sight of Renald Castle came into view.

The devil man had brought her back.

A dark sound came from his mouth above her head. Caroline stiffened and he held her tighter against him. The bright sun was going down and orange and blue hues filled the sky.

The well-armed men that usually guarded the gatehouse were nowhere in sight as they passed it. An ominous feeling wrapped itself around her as she noticed several posts were not guarded inside the bailey. Something was amiss.

Raven seemed oblivious to it however as his wild and crazy rambling was going on nonstop as he yelled to the men who followed him where to go.

Twenty men rode with him, their swords already unsheathed. Caroline was surprised to see even this small number loyal at his side. She watched warily the people gathering inside the ward.

‘I return your sweet meat, brother. Know that when you share her bed again, that it was I whom shared her sweet charms for these past days.’

Caroline bit her lip so hard she drew blood as he dipped his dark head to make a move to kiss her. He nuzzled his face in her hair and whispered hotly next to her ear. ‘Wherever he is, I want him to have a good look.’

‘Nay.’ Caroline struggled against him, the ropes loosening around her hands as she shoved back against his chest. She turned her head away.

He laughed and ordered. ‘Stop it or I will drop you to the ground.’

Caroline struggled even more. He released her, but not before giving her a hard shake.

Caroline felt herself falling to the ground and tried to brace herself. But ‘twas difficult with the rope still tangled around her waist and wrists and she landed hard. Dizziness made her head spin.

No one came to help her or to the great doors. She heard Raven’s pleased cackle above her and she reached to untangle the rope when she heard the boots behind her.

Two of his men jerked her to her feet.

Caroline wondered with an aching heart where Darc was. He would shame her further with his proof of not caring and not wanting her by not coming out to face his brother. She looked up toward the castle windows with a prayer that Kelbie was not near one.

Angry that no one heeded his taunting shouts, Raven dismounted and grabbed her again, pulling her by her tangled hair back against his side.

His black scowl gave his face the look of the devil even more with the fall of night coming down around them. He spat. ‘Mayhap I erred in his feelings for you. This is your fault he remains hidden.’

‘I am not the blame for that!’ her own anger, hurt and shame that his words struck close to the truth caused her to lash out. Tears burned her eyes as she yelled back, ‘He is a Norman unfeeling dog like you. Are you not connected as you said? You should know why he has not shown himself.’ Caroline choked on her words and beat hard at his hands.

He stared at her in surprise before giving her hair a blistering yank. Just then a craggy voice called over the wall. Caroline swiped at a tear.

‘Who goes there?’ a guard called over the wall.

‘Raven Renald, you fool. Where is your beastly master?’

The guard leaned over further, ‘My god, my lady! Release her at once!’

Raven chuckled and gestured to one of his own men. ‘I want that fool’s head. Kill him!’

An arrow whizzed past them toward the wall. It missed and Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. She heard movement and the castle guards shouting above.

 ‘Halt! My lady is below!’

That voice she recognized as the bailiff. At least his men cared about her. Her heart growing heavier by the second, Caroline struggled not to show how she really felt to Raven.

Soon he started to yell at the top of his lungs for Darc as he paced, dragging her by the front of her gown and ignoring her struggles. His nails scratched her chest and the pain drove her mad. She struck out.

This time, her fist caught the side of his neck. Stunned for a second, he quickly cuffed her knocking her to the ground. Caroline felt her face swell. At least he had released her.

One of his men called out to him.

‘Lord Raven. Someone comes over the rise.’

Caroline caught her breath and looked in the direction as everyone else.

A score of men were coming over the rise

Her heart lurched at the sight and tears blurred her vision. Still, she would know his large frame anywhere.

Darc rode at the front.

The deadly quiet from Raven told her he knew too. And was even more evident when his hoarse strangled remark came above her. ‘The cheeky bastard set a trap.’

Relief flooded her. Indeed he had, Caroline thought as even more men poured out from all sides and headed for the castle. Raven was cornered and largely outnumbered and he’d realized it too late. Caroline took pleasure at the grim expression that crossed his face. 

There was no escape. And he knew it.

She rose to her feet shakily seeing now that she was forgotten as Raven stepped away from her.

Darc was almost upon them. She watched as he rode in fast and dismounted right at the gatehouse.

He was dressed to fight, no cloak, just a mail tunic over his gambeson and his sword in hand. His hair loose and blowing in the light wind as he strode forward without a pause in his step straight for his brother. He looked larger than life.

And Raven must have thought the same for the noises he made beside her.

He erupted into a frenzied and wild madman. An ear-splitting bellow of fury burst from him as he struck out wildly at his brother.

Caroline backed away, terror in her heart as the battle commenced so close to her. Darc did not look at her once. His men worked their way through Raven’s small army quickly and swiftly.  

She could not take her eyes off him.

He fought with one arm deflecting Raven's crazy jabs and swings. His expression was as dark as Raven’s but he controlled it better.

Raven taunted him in Norman-French and Caroline was too far away to catch any words. Whatever he said seemed to cause angry jabs from Darc. A heavy weight filled Caroline’s gut. Then she told herself ‘twas only her imagination.

They were almost an even match. Raven’s sword slid past the links in Darc’s mail through to his gambeson a few times and seemed not to faze him. Whereas his blows aimed for Raven’s neck, almost teasingly laying open wounds around his brother’s broad shoulders and arms.