Page 41 of Bride of Fire
Then, before Jenefer could clout Feiyan with her free hand, Feiyan squeezed the knuckle of Jenefer’s little finger. Jenefer gasped as the sharp twinge brought her to her knees.
Miles had begun to cry in earnest now. His wails came in through the open shutters as Jenefer knelt in pain and frustration, at Feiyan’s mercy.
But Feiyan’s cunning tricks were no match for Jenefer’s might. Ignoring the agony in her finger, bent to its breaking point, she heaved her weight forward and bowled Feiyan over onto the bed.
Then she sprang up, shaking the ache from her abused finger, and glared down in triumph at her cousin.
Feiyan, not to be outdone, propelled her feet forward with great speed and force into Jenefer’s belly.
Jenefer, folded in half by the blow, staggered back. She clutched her aching stomach, fearing for a moment she might lose the breakfast she’d just eaten.
Then, driven mad with frustration that she couldn’t vanquish her pesky mite of a cousin, she barreled forward, intending to flatten Feiyan on the pallet.
But as she lunged forward, Feiyan rolled aside and Jenefer got a face full of fleece. And while she lay on her belly, Feiyan pinioned Jenefer’s arm behind her.
Jenefer grimaced in pain as her shoulder began to throb. Levering up on her free hand, with one great heave, she pushed Feiyan off of her, then scrambled to pin her to the pallet, holding her there by the throat.
While Feiyan’s eyes went wide, Jenefer cocked back her fist, threatening to plow it into Feiyan’s bonnie face.
A knock at the door made them both freeze.
Chapter 22
The babe was wailing just outside the door now.
The knock came again.
Once interrupted, their quarrel was quickly forgotten. She and Feiyan hopped up from the bed.
Feiyan smoothed back her hair.
Jenefer straightened her skirts.
Cracking the door open an inch, Jenefer spied Bethac standing outside with red-faced Miles, who was screaming as if someone had dipped him in boiling oil.
Beyond them was the lanky lad Morgan had apparently set to guard the door. He looked uneasy about the door being opened on his watch. But he looked more uneasy about the screaming infant.
“Please, Miss,” Bethac said, struggling to be heard above the din. “Do ye think ye could hold the wee one just for a bit? He’s cryin’ like his heart’s about to burst, and he seems to like ye.”
Jenefer glanced at the young guard. The maidservant’s authority apparently exceeded his, for he looked away, disinterested.
Jenefer frowned in consternation. Just because she’d been able to stop the babe’s cries a few times before didn’t mean she had magical, infant-soothing powers. She wasn’t even that fond of the wee, helpless creatures.
Nonetheless, she’d try. It was better than listening to the earsplitting sound all day long. And it was better than continuing the ugly, pointless battle with Feiyan.
She opened the door wider.
The maidservant gave a nod of greeting to Feiyan, who closed the door behind her. Then she handed the wailing babe to Jenefer.
Jenefer held Miles up before her, studying his misery-distorted face.
“What is itnow,lad?” she asked. “Did a spider bite you? Did you have a nightmare? Drink sour milk?”
Miles seemed to recognize her voice. His crying softened, and he blinked his eyes.
“Or did your laird force you to come here when you’d rather be in the Highlands where you belong?”
Bethac made a moue of disapproval. But the babe stared at Jenefer, fascinated.
