The Silken Cord (21 page)

“Let him go. You cannot win.” Ariana’s voice
wobbled.

Edwin gave a chilling laugh, his face and
eyes hollow in the shadows. His gaze skimmed her body and he
wrinkled his nose with disgust when he saw her mannish garb. “This
boy will make me a wealthy man. Your people will obey my every
whim, as long as I have you or him in my control. Do you think I’m
daft?”

A laugh burst from her throat. “Do you
really want me to answer that? I think you’re a selfish blackguard
who cares about nothing but himself.”

His upper lip curled in a snarl and he moved
to the middle of the room, pushing Dafydd with him. Markus cowered
by the door, next to the sacks of grain.

“You should be very careful what you say to
me, princess. I can make your life a living hell,” Edwin said.

She snorted. “Why, sir, you’ve already done
that.”

His face darkened with rage and he tightened
his grip on Dafydd’s arm. The boy whimpered.

She shouldn’t bait Edwin. Not now. Not when
he could punish Dafydd for her sharp words.

Markus shifted next to his father, his
forehead furrowed, his eyes crinkled in a frown. “Father, let him
g…go. He’s a little boy. This isn’t r…right.”

Edwin spared his son no more than a
disgusted glance. Without warning, he lashed out at Markus,
striking the boy across the face.

Markus gasped and staggered back, clasping a
hand to his cheek where a red welt now appeared. His eyes stared
with incredulity.

“Shut up, you half-wit. I’ll deal with you
later.” Edwin’s tone sounded low and threatening, his eyes filled
with pure loathing.

Poor Markus. He’d shown valor, yet his
father didn’t appreciate his courage.

Brutally handsome, Edwin’s hair fell across
his brow, the color of a raven’s wing, his eyes dark as deepest
night. Aye, he was pleasant to look upon but it was an illusion.
His wide shoulders and strong arms were something to admire, but
Ariana recognized the coldness in his eyes, the harsh lines of his
jaw, and the fiendish smile.

Edwin of Carlinham was an evil man.

“If you want your brother to live, you’ll
cooperate with me.” Edwin’s icy gaze swept her.

Pulling Dafydd with him, he took a step
closer, and Ariana took two steps back. Shivers tingled up her
spine. She must free Dafydd, but how?

He spoke softly, his voice slaying and
cruel. “You’ve been very devious, my dear. I don’t know how you and
Wulfgar de Conteville brought your men into Cynan, but it won’t
save you.”

“You would kill me?”

“No, I will wed you.”

“I will never agree.”

“Even to save your brother’s life?”

Ariana jutted her chin. “Wulfgar has all but
taken control of the castle. It’s only a matter of time before he
comes for you.”

His cackling laughter filled the room. “How
long do you think he’ll hold Cynan before King William arrives and
beheads him alongside Lord Huntingdon? There will be no one to
challenge my ownership of Cynan. I’m the Earl of Glyndwr. It’d be
in your best interest to make an alliance with me, princess. If you
make it worth my while, I can be very generous.”

Ariana stared in horror. Think, think. Maybe
she could buy some time.

“My people would never accept you as my
husband,” she said.

He chuckled. “They would to protect you.
Give yourself to me and I’ll no longer trouble your people. I’ll
let your brother go unharmed.”

The liar. She didn’t believe him.

“Once you’re my wife, you’ll provide me with
an heir to rule over the Welsh. With such an army, I’d be able to
defeat William and rule all of England.”

Was he mad? In order for her child to rule,
it would mean Dafydd was…

Dead.

The thought almost suffocated her. Cold fear
clutched at her heart. Edwin would kill Dafydd and force her into
marriage, to produce a puppet king for him to rule.

Heat rose in her cheeks when she considered
how this despicable man planned to use her. “You’re already
married. That’s one of the many reasons my father refused your
proposals. Where is your wife?”

Dafydd struggled to be free and Edwin
squeezed the boy harder with his arm. “Sybil died over a month ago.
A very unfortunate accident, I’m sorry to say. I’m free to take
another wife.”

Markus moaned, his eyes filled with misery.
Something in Edwin’s demeanor and the wintry tone of his voice made
her believe he’d had something to do with his wife’s death. Ariana
had no doubt he would have murdered the poor woman to obtain his
own selfish desires.

Her fingers tightened and the cold hilt of
her dagger bit into her palm.

He stepped nearer, crunching wheat berries
beneath his feet. “Your father’s warriors will be no threat against
William’s army.”

Ariana didn’t speak for fear she’d scream
with rage. She looked at his muscled body, his lean torso and full
mouth, and felt revulsion so strong it almost made her sick. She’d
kill herself before giving him a child.

She shuddered. “Wulfgar will hold Cynan and
you’ll be dead.”

His eyes narrowed with contempt. “You are
wrong, my dear. If I thought Wulfgar cared for you, I’d offer you
in exchange for Cynan. But he’ll try to hold his castle. It’s all
he cares about.”

His words twisted her heart. She resisted
the urge to panic. Edwin took another step, squeezing her brother’s
neck in a vice. The boy gasped, his face turning red.

“Stop.” Ariana’s voice shook as she lifted
the dagger and stabbed the air.

His grip tightened and Dafydd’s eyes bulged,
his face turning blue.

“All right. If you release Dafydd, I’ll go
with you.”

He released the pressure on Dafydd’s neck
and his brows lifted. “I knew you would listen to reason.”

She held her breath.

A wicked smile spread its way across Edwin’s
face and a feral gleam filled his eyes. He chuckled, seeming
pleased with himself. “Good. I knew you’d listen to reason.”

Releasing Dafydd, he thrust the boy toward
the door leading out to the bailey. Ariana breathed with relief as
Dafydd leaned against the door and coughed, rubbing his throat.
Markus tried to help the boy, but Edwin drew back his hand to
strike his son again.

“Stay where you are,” Edwin snarled.

Markus met his father’s gaze without
flinching, but he stood very still. He was young and didn’t have
the strength to stand up to a cruel man like his father.

“Run, Dafydd,” Ariana urged. “Find Evan.
He’ll know what to do.”

Dafydd lifted the latch and fled. Edwin
closed the door, locking her in. Tendrils of fear coiled in
Ariana’s stomach. There was danger outside in the bailey. If Evan
was dead, would Wulfgar and his men help the boy return to his
people?

Could she trust Wulfgar? Oh, she prayed
so.

The sounds of battle were more subdued. A
shrill call filled the night air, deep and chilling. The cry of a
wolf.

Wulfgar’s war cry.

So he had won his castle. Could she stall
Edwin until Wulfgar came for her?

Doubt filled her mind. Wulfgar might not
come. He might be too preoccupied with his victory. Doubt assailed
her mind. They both had met their desires. There were no more
agreements between them and Wulfgar owed her no loyalty.

Somehow she wanted more between them. Much,
much more.

Edwin stepped near and she lifted her
dagger, intending to stab him. Now that Dafydd was free, she’d
fight Edwin tooth and nail.

With lightning speed, he knocked the weapon
from her hand. She fell against the bags of grain, no match for his
strength and reflexes.

He picked up her dagger and gave a guttural
laugh. “You’re a fool, Ariana. Now that your father is dead,
there’s no one to come to your aid.”

She stilled. How did he know King Rhys was
dead? Someone must have told him. Perhaps no more than a slip of
the tongue. It was inevitable.

He paused, but she didn’t answer and he
taunted her further. “Come, you’re so quiet. Have you nothing to
say?”

“I loathe you.” Her heart constricted with
hatred and she feared God would never forgive her for it.

“You’ll bow before me,” he roared so
suddenly that Ariana flinched.

A spray of spit came from his mouth and she
drew away with disgust. She felt the blood drain from her face, but
was determined not to show him any weakness. Jutting her chin, she
met his gaze.

“Never,” she whispered vehemently.

“Beware of insolence, Ariana. I can easily
find and kill your brother. Don’t give me cause. If only my
previous wife were still alive, she could warn you about me. Alas,
she lost her usefulness and no longer pleased me. I was forced to
wring her neck before I threw her down the stairs.”

Markus inhaled a sharp breath, his eyes
filled with loathing as he stared at his father. He breathed in
deep, harsh breaths, his hands clenched.

How cruel. Did Edwin have no mercy?

Nay! Not one bit. Ariana could expect none
from him either.

She gaped at him with horror. She had heard
Edwin’s wife was a gentlewoman, soft spoken and pleasant to look
upon. But the fact that Edwin had murdered the woman, and freely
confessed it to her now in front of his own son, sickened
Ariana.

Bracing her feet, she stood her ground.
Horror crowded into her heart but she refused to show this vile man
just how much his words affected her. Instead, she laughed, as if
she found him hilarious.

“What a horrid man you are, Edwin,” she
exclaimed in a delighted tone. “Surely you must have many enemies.
It’s you who should beware lest you find a slim knife pressed
between your ribs. Do you really think the townsfolk of Cynan will
have you back? They gladly fight below to take the castle so they
can be rid of you. They hate you and are sworn to kill you if they
can.”

His face reddened. “Enough. It’s time to
go.”

Jerking on her hands, he tied them together
with a coarse piece of rope, then dragged her over to the sally
port. She fought him, trying to claw his face, but his strength
overcame her.

Looking at Markus, Edwin jutted his chin
toward the ladder. “You go down first.”

Markus slid down the ladder, but his eyes
were filled with loathing for his father. Surely the boy had cared
for his mother. He must be deeply upset by what his father had
done.

Edwin nudged Ariana toward the top rung,
winding one end of the rope around his own hand so she couldn’t
flee. “Don’t try anything stupid or you’ll fall and break your
neck. I’ll be right above you.”

With her hands tied, she could do little
damage and struggled to keep her footing on the rungs. Mid-way, she
lost her balance and slid down several steps before regaining her
balance. Markus waited at the bottom, standing in the tall grass at
the base of the stonewall only a few feet from the moat.

Edwin was almost on top of her, following
close at her head. When his feet touched the ground, he gave a hard
shove and knocked the ladder down so Wulfgar wouldn’t be able to
follow this way.

Ariana’s heart toppled with it.

Edwin wasted no time sneaking along the edge
of the town wall. Tugging on her tied hands, he pulled her along as
he raced across the clearing toward the town. Markus trotted to
keep up.

A terrible screech filled the air as the
portcullis began to rise.

Watching carefully, Edwin dragged Ariana
behind as he stole his way along the castle walls to the palisade
surrounding the town. He showed a wicked smile when they cleared
the gate and made their way down a deserted alley. The first corral
they passed contained two shaggy horses munching hay.

“Saddle those nags,” Edwin ordered Markus
while he stood watch over Ariana.

Markus hurried to do his father’s bidding
but he was young and small and took too long to suit Edwin.

“Worthless whelp,” Edwin growled as he
knocked the boy aside and took the saddle from his hands. He tossed
it onto the animal’s back.

As he pushed the railings off the gate so
they could depart, Markus threw a furious glower at Edwin.

“Your father isn’t kind to you,” Ariana
observed.

“I hate him.” The boy didn’t stutter this
time.

She wasn’t surprised Markus hated Edwin.
“Many people detest your father.”

“I would leave him if I could,” Markus
confided.

“Why don’t you go?”

“Father would kill me if I tried.”

What kind of man would kill his own son?

She remembered her own father, a fierce and
powerful ruler who also knew how to show mercy and gratitude. She
had hated angering him, but he was quick to forgive, hugging her to
him as he kissed her forehead. Never would she forget his kind
smile.

“Sometimes to be a man, you have to conquer
your greatest fears,” she told Markus.

The boy’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped
open as he stared at her. She had no opportunity to say more before
Edwin came to take her by the arm. Because her hands were still
tied, Edwin lifted her into the saddle. Hoping to escape, she
kicked her heels against the horse.

Run! Run!

The animal reared, throwing her to the
ground. She lay in the straw, stunned, gasping for breath, her body
aching.

Edwin leaned over her and pressed the point
of his knife against her throat. “Do that again, and I’ll kill you.
There are other ways for me to bring the Welsh to heel besides
wedding you.”

She swallowed as he yanked her to her feet.
Again, he placed her in the saddle, holding the reins taut as he
followed her up, sitting directly behind her.

He wrapped an arm around her. Her skin
crawled and she hunched away from him. Without waiting to see if
Markus was ready, Edwin kicked his mount into a run across the
flowered fields.

Giving the gelding full rein, Edwin dug his
heels into the horse’s flanks. They bounded away as the rising sun
blazed red and gold across the land. Riding over the crest of a
hill, they came up short at the site that greeted their eyes.