Page 61 of Seized to Sacrifice
A long moment passed before the iron gate began to lift.
They rode into a small courtyard, thick with mud and a portly woman opened the main door as their horses were taken. They were ushered inside without preamble and the woman brought them to the main hall where a man sat by the hearth.
Elle stayed behind the others, not sure what to make of this place nor where she would stand with these other Brothers.
She peered out from behind Nyx, watching as Rye strode forward and greeted the man in front of them with an embrace. They must be good friends. The man greeted Thorne and then Nyx similarly.
‘It's been long time, Brothers,’ he said, and then he caught sight of her. ‘And who is this you bring with you?’
‘This is Elle,’ growled Rye, his tone cold and his eyes narrowing at his friend. ‘She’sours.’
The man in front of them let out a loud laugh that echoed through the hall. He raised his hands up in placation.
‘One female is enough for me these days, my friend,’ he said, giving Elle a friendly smile. ‘You’re very welcome here, Elle. I’m Mace.’
He let out another, smaller laugh. ‘Come. Let me show you how much things have changed since the last time you came this way.’
He led them from the hall and down a corridor, taking them up a staircase of well-worn steps to a landing.
‘They’ve been spending most of their time in here over the colder months,’ Mace said as they walked.
‘Lucien and Kade?’ Nyx asked and Mace chuckled.
‘See for yourself.’
He opened a door and took them into a small library. As Elle and the men crowded in, Elle noticed books lining the walls and a large table on one side of the room with a number of high-backed chairs around it. Another man, this one blonde, stood from a comfortable chair by the hearth as they entered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he surveyed them. He glanced at something on the floor in the middle of the room and Elle realized there was a small child in the middle of the thick rug.
She was blonde like the second man was with blue eyes and she was playing with a doll made of cloth.
The men were silent, all of them looking surprised.
‘Yours, Lucien?’ asked Rye.
‘Ourdaughter,’ Mace said as the other man nodded.
Rye gave them a grin. ‘We hadn't heard,’ he said, coming forward and clasping Lucien’s wrist. The other man visibly relaxed.
‘What's this little one's name?’ Rye asked as he crouched down in front of her. The little girl looked up at him, unafraid.
Lucien picked her up and hoisted her into his arms. She giggled and pulled at his long hair.
‘This is Ana,’ he said. ‘Anaelyn.’
The door opened behind them, and someone entered. Elle turned, finding a woman about her height, looking at her curiously. Her long hair was dark and plaited down to her waist.
She gave Elle and the others a careful smile. ‘I thought I heard voices,’ she said as she closed the door gently and made her way over to Mace who gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.
‘This is our Fourth, Kora,’ Mace announced.
Elle smiled at her tentatively. She'd not met any other women save the cruel servants of Rye and the others’ keep, so her guard was up, and she wasn't yet sure what to make of Kora.
‘I see you’ve met the little one,’ Kora said, plucking the girl from Lucien’s arms and cuddling her.
Lucien, so ferocious only moments ago, smiled easily at his Fourth, stealing the child back from her immediately. ‘Elle looks as if she could use some dry clothes,’ he said quietly and Kora turned to look at her, her eyes widening.
‘Of course! Come,’ she said ushering Elle to the door. ‘You can borrow whatever you need. We’re of a similar size.’
Elle looked back at Nyx, who nodded encouragingly, and she tried to relax. If Nyx thought she was safe here, then she trusted his judgement, so she followed Kora out of the library to a room down the hallway that was clearly her chamber. There were dried flowers arranged in a vase on a small table and a low, child’s bed close to the bigger one.
