Legendary Warrior (Warrior 1)

Magnus turned angry eyes on her. “Do not say what I think you intend to say.”

“But I can end this simply by producing a map that in the end will be his downfall.”

“How is that?” Thomas asked.

“Do not encourage her,” Magnus said, his anger mounting.

Reena ignored him and explained. “Magnus remarked that his father’s map was crude, as it should be, since it was done many years ago. I would map as I map today, detailing the land that has changed since Magnus’s father possessed it. Once the two maps were shown to the king, he would realize the difference.”

Thomas turned to Magnus. “She makes sense.”

Magnus tempered his anger. “She would need to spend time alone with Kilkern.”

Reena was quick to interrupt. “Kilkern is not interested in me.”

“So say you,” Magnus said, “but I am not willing to take that chance.”

“I agree,” Thomas said. “Kilkern cannot be trusted.”

“Then we wait for what?” Reena asked, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“We wait for Kilkern to grow as impatient as you,” Magnus said with a playful tug of her hair. “Then he will make a mistake and I will be there to correct him.”

“You are certain?” she asked, his confidence truly that of a strong warrior.

“Aye, are you that certain?” Thomas asked. “I will not see her suffer in any way.”

“Nothing will happen to Brigid,” Magnus said adamantly.

“She needs to know,” Reena said. “This concerns her, and she has a right to know and be prepared for whatever may happen.”

Magnus turned to Thomas. “I will leave the decision to you. She is your woman, and the choice should be yours.”

“I will think on it.”

It was over an hour later that Reena finally returned to her room to map. Brigid had been busy with Maura, talking of her wedding celebration, and she had flung herself at Reena when she’d entered the kitchen. Reena had not seen Brigid that happy in a long time, and she thought about what Thomas had said. She realized he was right: Brigid should not be deprived of her happiness.

Reena made no mention of Magnus and her intention to wed; she did not feel it an appropriate time. She had much too much on her mind to spare talk on flowers, wedding finery and such, and she longed for the solitude of her bedchamber and the peace of mind she received from her mapping.

Unfortunately, her mind would not allow her peace. Her thoughts continued to drift to the secret room and the writing on the stone wall. Had she seen it clearly? Had she translated it correctly? But then with Magnus’s obvious hatred of the Kilkerns, he must know the truth.

Tormented by uncertainty, Reena decided the only way to settle it was to read the passage again. With torch in hand she climbed the stairs to the tower room and entered. Surprisingly, a fire was burning in the hearth, chasing the chill from the room. Reena shivered anyway, perhaps from the shadow of memories that haunted the place or from her own misgivings about what she had read.

She walked into the cell-sized room and kneeled on the wooden floor, positioning the torch so that the light was sufficient for her to read the troublesome passage. She brushed at the stone to make certain the lettering was clear, and she read the words etched there.

Time and again she read it, and time and again it read the same. She was not wrong; what she had read was correct.

“I like you as you are, but not here in this room.”

Magnus so startled her that she fell on her backside as she scrambled to stand. He went quickly to her side, helping her up and taking the torch from her hand to place it in the lone metal sconce in the room.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his arms circling her small waist.

“I did not expect you.” She sighed as if in relief.

“And I did not expect to find you here. I thought you to be in your bedchamber, mapping.”

“My intentions,” she admitted, “but I wished to read more of what your mother wrote.”

“I do not speak Latin. Someday you will tell me some of what she wrote, but not now.” He leaned down and captured her lips in a heartwarming kiss. “Now I want to make love to you. I have wanted to make love to you since this morning, when I woke to feel you warm and soft beside me, but you had little interest in loving.”

“Not true.” She moved her body against his, her need for him turning to a pleasurable ache. “You stirred my passion, but my body and mind wanted nothing more than to sleep.”

Magnus enjoyed the feel of her against him, his thoughts on the lovemaking they would soon share. “I promise you will have no trouble sleeping tonight.”