Her heart pounded in her chest and her trembling hands grew icy cold. What had she done? Had she carelessly betrayed both men?
“I warn you, Mary, to be truthful with me, for you will suffer at my hand.” He glared at her accusingly.
She placed her cold hands between her knees for warmth and to stop them from trembling. She raised her chin feigning confidence, though she felt none.
“The Dark One confided nothing in me.”
His fist pounded the arm of the chair. “What of help? No one helped him?”
Mary recalled the people in the small village who were so generous. She would never betray them even if it meant her suffering. She attempted to appease him.
“I saw no one, though there were times he left me alone.”
Decimus leaned forward interested in the bit of useless information. “Where did he leave you alone and for how long?”
“We traveled mostly at night so I could not say where it was exactly he left me, or how long he was gone. During his absence I slept heavily, exhausted from our walking.”
“He must have people who help him, and I intend to find them and make them pay for aiding a sinner.” Decimus leaned back in his chair as though worn out from battle. He folded his hands and rested them near his mouth, his eyes focused on the flames in the hearth.
Mary was glad his interrogation of her was done. She had erred enough with Roarke. She did not wish to cause further problems for anyone. And what of Roarke? Good lord, she prayed she would not be the cause of him suffering.
A knock sounded at the door.
She remained where she was, her heart beating madly and her stomach churning.
Decimus looked at her as if to let her know her time had come.
He stood and called out, “Enter.”
The door opened and the man who had stood guard entered alone.
Mary wanted to jump for joy. He had not located Roarke, perhaps there was still time for her to find him.
“Where is he?” Decimus asked sharply.
“I have been informed that the man Roarke has continued on his journey.”
“When did he leave?” Decimus asked.
The man appeared nervous when he answered, “I do not know.”
Decimus looked ready to choke the man. “Did you not think to ask?”
The man hesitated. “I will find out,” he said and was about to leave when Decimus set a glare on him that would chill a man down to his soul.
“You dare to leave my presence without permission?”
The man shivered and quickly sank to his knee in front of Decimus. “Forgive me, my lord, in my haste to correct my error I insulted you.”
“I will not tolerate such a hideous mistake again.”
The man kept his head bowed in submission.
“Stand,” Decimus ordered.
The man quickly got to his feet.
“You will take one other man with you, and you will go find this Roarke and return him to me.”
Mary could only hope they would not find Roarke and she prayed for his safety.
The man hurried to the door and stopped when Decimus said, “Do not return without him, or you shall suffer for your failure.”
The young man squared his shoulders. “I shall not fail you, my lord.”
Found or not, someone would suffer. Would it be Roarke or this young man? Mary knew then and there that there would be peace for no one until Decimus was dead.
You will be the demise of Decimus.
Mary finally believed the seer’s prediction.Chapter 22Mary woke early the next morning annoyed that she had fallen asleep before she could warn Roarke. After leaving her bedchamber, Decimus had lingered outside her door. He was speaking with someone, and while she waited she had fallen asleep. Exhausted from her travel and her first night with Decimus, she had slept straight through until morning.
She hurried to find Magnus; he would know Roarke’s whereabouts.
The keep was just waking and she was afraid Magnus might still be abed, but as she entered the great hall he was walking to the open front doors. Sunshine streamed in, flooding the hall with light.
“Magnus,” she called out.
He turned and greeted her with a smile.
She hurried over to him. “We need to talk.”
“I walk the small rise just outside the village almost every morning. Would you care to join me?” He offered her his arm.
She took it and they left the keep.
The village was a buzz of activity yet all took time to bid good morning to their liege lord.
They passed the last cottage and were near the small rise when Magnus said, “I am sorry to make you walk a distance after all the traveling you have done, but I felt privacy was called for.”
“You are right,” she said, glad they were away from the keep and away from prying eyes and ears. “It would be best that no one heard our discussion.”