“I have a few questions for Flora about demons,” Cree said, “but I will keep them to a nod or a shake of her head.”
Flora nodded, eager to help.
“Can demons be caught alive?”
Flora smiled and shook her head.
“You find that question amusing?” Cree asked, annoyed.
“Sorry,” Flora whispered and held up her hand in front of Tavia when she went to warn her about her voice.
“You will not keep her from talking. She never stops talking,” Newlin complained and refilled his tankard with ale.
Flora kept her exasperation with her uncle to herself, though she was sure Lord Cree caught the quick roll of her eyes. He was an astute man. “Demons cannae be caught alive since they are already dead.”
“Then how does one return a demon to hell?” Cree asked.
“With great difficulty,” Flora said.
Dawn laid snuggled against her husband in bed more than content, their lovemaking having left her extremely satisfied. She actually still tingled from the aftermath since his fingers faintly caressed her arm. She let herself linger in the pleasure, knowing her husband’s thoughts were wandering and she could not blame him.
“I am going to assign another warrior to follow you when outside and you will keep Beast with you at all times,” Cree said.
She tapped his chest once, one tap meaning aye and two taps nay. With all he had to concern himself with, she did not want to add to it by causing him worry. She would do as he said.
“You will take no chances,” he ordered.
She tapped his chest once again.
“I believe I have fought many demons in battle, men that were so cruel and vicious they had to be demons. But if I am to believe Flora, that a demon is already dead, then I am yet to battle a demon. Do you believe a demon is responsible for what happened here?”
She shrugged, not sure what to believe.
“What continues to trouble me is the people that are missing. I cannot understand why anyone would abduct an old person beyond their useful years. The young women, aye, since they can be sold or traded, but that makes no sense, snatching two young lasses from here. Usually, a whole village would suffer the attack, men, women, and children taken to foreign shores and sold. The clans have wisely joined together to curtail such attacks and they do not occur as often, though they have not entirely been eradicated.”
Dawn made no gesture, leaving her husband to talk and sort things out.
“It puzzles me that we have found not one sign of those abducted or this so-called demon. Of course, the snow does not help, covering any tracks that could help.”
Dawn held her hand up, the fire’s glow allowing her husband to see it. She tapped the top of each finger with a finger from her other hand, then tapped the top of one from that hand, six in all. She kept her hand raised to let him know she was not finished.
“You refer to the six people who have gone missing?”
She tapped his chest once to reply aye, then spread her fingers wide and ran a finger between the space between each finger.
Cree thought a moment, then quickly said, “You wonder how long between each abduction?” She nodded and he went right on talking. “A good question. Is there specific timing to these abductions? And could we use it to set a trap?”
Dawn had not meant that and tapped his chest twice for nay. When Cree looked at her, she jabbed his chest, then gestured shoveling food into her mouth, scrunched her face and pretended to spit out whatever she had eaten, then shook her head.
“Are you suggesting the demon would not like the taste of me?” he said, feigning insult.
She grinned and nodded and tapped her chest, pretended to shovel food into her mouth, then rubbed her stomach in satisfaction.
“The demon would find you tastier?” he asked and before she could answer he rolled her on her back, pinning her to the bed with a hand to her shoulder. “The demon would find a fist in his face and a boot up his arse, if he tried to snatch you away.” Her laughter felt good against his naked chest. “We will find a way to catch whoever is responsible without losing any more of the clan.”
Dawn nodded, agreeing, and was pleased when he laid his head on her chest and wrapped his arms around her waist as best as they would fit over her rounded stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair enjoying the simple pleasure.
“You need to put your nightdress on though not yet,” Cree said, enjoying not only the way she leisurely stroked his hair but the feel of her naked against him and even more so that she was round with child. He was in awe every time he felt the bairn kick beneath his hand or move around. He hugged her snug against him, the scent of their lovemaking still on them both and he closed his eyes, content. He would keep hold of her a few minutes more then he would help her into her nightdress.