Page 5 of Staff of Nightfall

“We were going to look for you.” Father rubbed her shoulder, his laugh lines crinkling into a familiar smile that warmed her very soul. “And Minerva did send word, but her messenger was followed very shortly by someone else.” His smile wavered as his brows knit together. “I must admit...I am confused you agreed to a marriage before I’d even met the young man in question.”

Her stomach fell like a rock.No. Etiros, please. No, no, no...

“Hello, love.” The world swayed as she turned from her father toward Nolan’s voice. Nolan smiled broadly, looking relieved as he swept her into an embrace. Her whole body went stiff as one of her throwing knives, her arms plastered to her sides.

“Get the hellawayfrom her!” Boots pounded dirt as Regulus ran up behind Adelaide. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, shoving Nolan’s shoulder with his free hand as he drew her in close. “You don’t touch her.”

“Hargreaves.” Nolan’s eyes narrowed. “I’m very interested to hear how you ended up wandering aroundalonewithmybetrothed. Seize him.”

Panic turned her limbs to stone. Had Nolan already turned Father against Regulus? But Father’s knights made no move to dismount.

“I give the orders here, Sir Carrick.” Father held his left hand out to her, his right grasping his sheathed sword. “Adelaide, what’s going on?”

She reached for his hand, like a little girl who wanted her father to keep her safe.No. Wait.Father needed to know she trusted Regulus, not Nolan. She shook her head and pressed against Regulus’ chest.

“This is my betrothed, Lord Regulus Hargreaves.”

Regulus gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Ha!” Nolan drew his sword. “I had my suspicions. The Black Knight rode a large, black horse. That’s what that witless Sir Hostland said.” He pointed the sword at Sieger. “You have a large, black horse. You were missing when Adelaide went missing. And you tried to challenge me to a duel when you learned of our engagement.You’rethe Black Knight who kidnappedmybetrothed.”

“You and I are not engaged, Nolan!” Adelaide glared as she wound her fingers between Regulus’. She glanced at the knights, waiting in the road a little behind Father. She recognized all of them, although Sir Ruddard and others were absent. Sir Charing looked relieved and happy to see her. Most watched impassively.

She couldn’t admit Nolan had forced her into agreeing to his marriage proposal, not in front of knights who knew she always had a blade on her. So many had mocked the Khastallander tradition behind her back, but her training had earned begrudging respect from most of them. She wouldn’t appear weak and afraid, or give them reason to think they were right to doubt her.

“Adelaide, love.” Nolan’s look of pity and tenderness made bile rise in her throat. “Whatever this mercenary did, whatever threats he made, you’re safe now. I don’t care what happened. I still love you.” He pointed his sword at Regulus. “But if you kidnapped and despoiled her to try to force her into marrying you, I’ll have your head.”

“Enough!” Father’s authoritative bellow rang out like a command on a battlefield. Nolan actually shrank back. Father’s iron grip latched onto Adelaide’s arm, and he led her away. With reluctance, she let her hand slip out of Regulus’. She felt the tension in Father’s body as he put his arm around her and led her several paces from Regulus, Nolan, and the knights. His eyes flashed as he turned toward her. Crimson flooded his strained face.

“Did this man...harm you?” Fury laced Father’s clipped whisper.

“No! He saved me.”

“Is that the truth?” Father cradled the side of her face in his hand. “It wouldn’t be your fault. You should know that. No one will ever know. Sir Nolan seems sincere, and I would hold him to his word. But if this...Hargreaves hurt you, if he touched you—”

“Father, no.” She pulled his hand down and held it between hers. She shuffled her feet and glanced toward Nolan and Regulus. They glared at each other, Nolan in chainmail and still holding his sword at the ready while Regulus stood unarmed and without armor. She gulped. The knights looked down at them from their horses. Would they be able to stop Nolan in time if he attacked? She couldn’t risk provoking him. “I promise we will explain everything. But for now, trust that Regulus isn’t a threat. He would never hurt me.”

Father sighed, then looked over her shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I agree that you have a lot to explain, Lord Hargreaves.” He looked at Nolan. “You all do.”

After sending a knight to the Drummonds to inform them of Adelaide’s safe return, they headed home. Father insisted he ride next to her as they returned to his castle. She didn’t mind. She’d missed him more than she had realized. To her relief, Father also insisted Regulus and Nolan ride on opposite sides of the group where neither could harm the other.

It was almost midnight when they arrived at the castle. Even in the dark, with hardly any moonlight thanks to the clouds, she recognized every angle and curve of the immense crenellated walls and towers. The northern part of the wall to the left of the main gate was whole again after being knocked down to accommodate adding a one-level expansion of five rooms and a second hall for Father’s eldest, Landon, and his wife and infant. In the dim light, she made out the shadowy outline of scaffolding and piles of unfinished stone.

Father left the men with instructions to keep Regulus and Nolan separate and to tell the steward to put them in guest rooms. He led her to his own suite, but Mother greeted them in the hall before they even neared the door. Her black hair hung over her shoulder in a loose braid. The light of Father’s candle reflected off Mother’s tears, making her brown skin glisten. Her silk robes swished as she ran to Adelaide, sobbing.

“I couldn’t sleep. Then when I saw your father had returned, I thought...” She cried into Adelaide’s shoulder and squeezed so tight, Adelaide could hardly breathe. “Meana sohka keh ton ner suche oh, mareh piahry ledekah.”I thought you were dead, my darling girl.

“I’m all right.” It was only half true, and her voice broke on a sob. “I’m alive.”

Mother finally pulled back and looked her over. She wiped away Adelaide’s tears and then her own. “What’s this?” She brushed her fingertips against Adelaide’s bandaged arm. “Are you hurt?”

“Just some scratches.” She shrugged. “We were attacked by kanadosi.”

Mother looked around, then lowered her voice. “You didn’t heal it? I don’t want you using your abilities, but this doesn’t look good.”

“I can’t.” Adelaide looked at her feet sinking into the plush red carpet in the hallway and held her arm against her chest. She took a deep breath to steady herself. The words lodged in her throat. Father placed a comforting hand on her back. “I don’t have my magic anymore.”

Mother gasped and Father’s fingers tightened against her back.

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