Black Moon Draw(64)

Pink spread across her features once again, a sign she was thinking about the kiss. “It was an awful plan,” she told him. “I still don’t know how to use this thing.” She patted the medallion.

“I do.”

She waited.

“It involves kissing you each time I want it to work.”

Anger sparked in her eyes. She whirled and started up the beach.

He watched, amused and grateful she was angry again. Her emotions were too delicate for him to predict entirely. But he knew anger and that it would help them get to where they needed to be as well as encourage her to maintain her distance from him. It was growing more difficult for him not to take an afternoon to slake his desire for her shapely form.

“I’ll tell you this once, Atreyu,” she called over her shoulder.

He jerked, not accustomed to hearing his name aloud.

“If you kiss me again or put us in danger to manipulate my magic, I’ll sell off your name to the battle-witch of Brown Sun Lake.”

“Brown Sun Lake has no battle-witch.”

“Then to some other kingdom.”

He trailed her up the beach. It was a threat by a woman who had no knowledge of his world. Every kingdom but the Red Knight’s, including Brown Sun Lake, had a battle-witch. It was far too easy to dismiss the hollow threat from someone who had proven for a second time she was not about to let him die, let alone betray him to an enemy.

“You should not use my name,” he said, trotting to catch up and drawing abreast of her. “Someone may overhear it.”

“That’s your problem,” she said tartly. “I don’t believe this nonsense about names being dangerous.” She glared at him defiantly.

He did not look at her, gaze on the cliff separating him from the hills that rolled between them and his keep at Black Moon Draw. “You have shown me you will do naught to harm me or my war.”

She was breathing hard from the march across the beach of loose sand. He motioned for her to start walking, eyes on the sky. It was midmorning – and his time was nearly up. He had given orders for the attack on Brown Sun Lake to start this evening, even if he was not present for it. However, he did not plan on missing the great victory.

They walked quietly up the narrow trail leading from the beach to the top of the cliff. She went ahead of him, setting the pace, while he cast occasional glances over his shoulder out of instinct rather than belief they were in danger. This was his land; there was no danger to him here.

Near the top of the cliff, the battle-witch paused and rested a hand against the rocky granite wall on one side of them, panting.

“I can’t believe that,” she said, twisting to look back the way they’d come. Several more prisons hung in the sky. “How are they suspended like that?”

“Magic,” he replied, unconcerned. “They have been used by battle-witches serving Shadow Knights for two eras.”

“Wait, those are your dungeons?”

“Aye.”

“So the Red Knight put you in your own prison.”

“Aye.”

“Um, isn’t that the biggest insult possible? To trap you in your own dungeon?” she asked, puzzled. “Why aren’t you mad?”

“’Twas better than being placed in his dungeon,” he pointed out.

“I really don’t get this world,” she muttered.

He glanced at her, eyes sliding from her plump lips to the medallion. “Mayhap, if you ceased fighting your fate, ‘twould not be so vexing,” he advised with some impatience.

She shook her head.

“I never had the luxury of avoiding mine,” he added. “My father, his father, all the way back to the curse, we have fought to win the kingdoms before all was lost.”

“I understand why you’re doing it.” Her voice softened. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for you.” Her gaze was torn, her blue eyes searching his features for he knew not what.

She was expressive, unlike the controlled emotions of his betrothed, a woman raised from birth to manage a court and rule alongside a powerful Knight.

“I fight. There has never been a choice, and I have never questioned my fate. You need to accept yours at my side.”

She was watching him, expression growing more troubled. “It’s not that easy to give up everything I’ve known.”

“Nay, ‘tis not,” he agreed. “But I think, should we succeed in saving the kingdoms, you will find Black Moon Draw a good home.”

She said nothing.

“You view it out of fear. If you saw it the way I did, as worth saving, you may find it looks differently.”

There was a long pause. When she caught her breath, he nudged her to start walking, aware of how little time they had.

“You’re right.” She sighed finally. “I am afraid. I’m afraid I won’t make it home. Afraid I will and end up miserable. Afraid this really is my fate.”

“Why would that be undesirable?” he asked, bristling. “Black Moon Draw has the most beautiful lands of any kingdom and a warrior-knight worthy of any woman in any world, not to mention coffers of gold and gems.”

“I don’t really care about gold or power or whatever,” she replied. “When you conquer the world, you’ll just sell me anyway. I’m not really looking forward to that.”