Page 2 of Heart of the Raven
Once Jorge and the seven other men traveling with us finished loading the wagons, we set off. I noticed one of the dark-haired youths staring at me, lust gleaming in his eye. I winked at him and then rode ahead, wondering if we would have some fun later. There was no harm in it, stolen kisses in the dark, heavy groping over clothes, something that added a bit of fun to the journey and excitement when darkness fell. Sleeping alone in the dark made me feel uneasy, even though there was a bed wagon for the women to sleep in.
We set off at a quick pace, moving through the village while onlookers threw flowers at us, and wished us good luck. It was like a celebration, and a pang struck my heart as we left it behind. Even though Whispering Vine was overshadowed by the enchanted wildwood, it was also protected. The forest frightened me, but I’d come to accept the fact there was nowhere I could go to escape from it. It was vast, bordering a multitude of villages and unknown lands. I'd heard it reached as far as the great sea, where people live on islands, wore clothes made of grass and lived in huts made of straw and mud. I'd also heard it reached as far as the mountains, where firedrakes came down from their holes and great worms rose out of the ground to consume the tribes who dwelt there. Still, I shuddered at the looming trees for an aura of destiny hung about them. My cousin’s dark magic stemmed from the wood, and I turned away, trying to ignore what gift the wildwood might have for me.
“How many trade routes have you been on?” I asked Mari as we left Whispering Vine.
“Too many to count.” She beamed. “It's always the same, the excitement of packing up and leaving, the thrill of the first few days. And then it turns into a countdown until we arrive at the next village. There's constantly something to look forward to. One time, we camped in some rolling hills and built a great bonfire. A band of ruffians found us, and instead of robbing us blind, they joined us for food and song. We were so frightened.” Mari giggled. “But it was all for naught.”
I shivered, hoping that ruffians would stay away from us. The last thing I wanted was to run into a group of outlaws on the road, although I was aware it happened from time to time. But it wasn't the fear of what they might do to us, it was what might come out of me.
Chapter Three
The first daywas quiet with the mellow beauty of early spring. I rode Lotus until my thighs ached and that space between them was sore. When I dismounted, my feet were numb and stung the ground with a sharp reminder that I hated traveling. Even the scent of wildflowers on either side of the path, and the song of the thrush in the meadow, did nothing to lighten my mood.
The men were busy tying up the horses and feeding them when Mari grabbed my arm. “You look angry.” She smiled. “Food will make you feel better.”
“I can never get used to the road,” I grumbled, handing my horse’s lead to the young man who’d winked at me.
“It’s only for a little while.” Mari shrugged, sitting down on a fallen log before a bundle of firewood.
I joined her, surprised at how quickly the men worked. We sat in a circle with the wagons on the outside, the horses on the inside and then the men, weaving in and out as they finished the chore of setting up camp.
Mari lit the fire, leaning on her knees and blowing on it as she watched it catch fire. “I’m always happier out in the wild,” she declared, feeding sticks into the flame to keep it burning. “I believe I’m a child of nature, born to live off the land.”
“Like the Druids and gypsies,” I answered, twisting my hands in my lap instead of helping.
“Not quite, they have magic, and I have none.” Mari shook her head.
“I was born to live in a house, with a roof over my head, keeping out the elements,” I told her. “And although I don’t mind a stroll through nature, I always long to return to a bed of feathers in a room.”
Mari’s dark eyes laughed at me. “Aye, and every pleasant thing at your fingertips.” She lowered her voice. “Tell me then, why are you doing this? Was marriage so bad?”
I reached for a twig and fed it into the fire, glad to be doing something after all. “If it were anyone else, perhaps I might have considered it.” Even thoughts of his dark aura made a steady rhythm pulse under my skin. My thoughts flickered back to the day everything changed.
* * *
“Lady Sasha,”Lord Brecken’s tone was cold, as though he were about to scold a maid for dropping his afternoon tea.
A lump formed in my throat as he stood and disgust snaked down my back. Deep-set eyes that flashed with malice set in the middle of his perfect face. Too perfect. His hair was swept back from his forehead, giving him a severe appearance and the way his nose jutted out, sharp and slightly curved, made him look hawkish. My insides quivered at the very thought of marrying that man, belonging to him, and allowing him to touch me. My stomach twisted, and I thought I’d be sick as he crowded my personal space. The dark mystery of his aura surrounded me and my head throbbed with the need to escape from him. I cursed my slow reaction for allowing myself to be caught in the room alone with him.
“Soon you will be my wife, wealth and power will be ours.” He strode across the room toward me.
His gait was stiff, and he wore the uniform of an army commander, with his sword. That sword never left his side and my eyes were drawn to it. I’d heard bone-chilling tales of how he used it. Sometimes beating servants who displeased him with the flat blade, other times, running an animal through, for no reason at all. When he lost his temper, he was not a man to cross swords with.
I rose, my eyes darting toward the door. Escape.
“Come, have a taste with what life with me will be like,” he said as he stood in front of me.
I swallowed my fear and raised my chin. He wasn’t much taller than me, and our eyes were almost level. “My lord, we are not married and it would be inappropriate to do anything that might tarnish our reputations, before we say our vows.”
His lips twisted into a hideous sneer. “Why should you wait for propriety, when you are already mine?”
Mine. I detested that word coming from his lips and he must have seen my muscles twitch when I failed to keep my expression blank. A black cloud covered his face as he sensed my imprudence. “You will soon learn I expect obedience in all things,” he growled through clenched teeth. “I am a kind lord.” Ha. What a lie! “And you will experience my love, as long as you obey.”
My stomach twisted again, and I thought I might hurl on his boots. “My lord, I am feeling poorly from the meal. If you will excuse me, we can continue this conversation at a later time.”
Eyes narrowed, he settled his hand on my throat, lightly applying pressure. My eyes went wide, and a mortified squeak came from my lips. He pressed harder and then roughly crushed his lips against mine. I was too startled to react, and nausea churned in my belly. One of his hands dipped down to pinch my bottom through my thick skirts.
Somehow I wrestled out of his grasp and pressed a fist to my mouth.
