Page 38

“G reetings, Maudie,” Declan said. “I’d hoped tae find ye here.”

Maude had just watched her son and a man she didn’t know enter the Black Cock and head straight for her. Astria, however, recognized both men, but she didn’t run. She simply sat there as they entered the tavern with about twenty men behind them, all of them armed.

Patrons, and servants, scattered.

“Declan,” Maude said evenly. “Where have ye been? We’ve been looking for ye.”

“And you, my dearest mother,” Arnaldo said, overlapping Maude as he focused on Astria with glittering eyes. “I’ve been so worried about you. Are you well? You’ve not been injured, have you?”

He was practically standing over her, and Astria didn’t like the position she found herself in. Without answering him, she stood up and moved to the side of the table where Maude was sitting. At least there was a table between them now, so she felt a little better, but not much.

Frankly, seeing Arnaldo come in through the entry door had sent bolts of fear coursing through her body.

That was not a sight she had wanted to see anytime soon, if ever, and the fact that he was with Declan made no sense at all, but she could tell just by looking at them that they had colluded.

Somehow, someway, the pair had found one another and undoubtedly discussed their mutual troubles.

Something very bad was about to happen.

“You are far from home, Arnaldo,” she said steadily. “And if you’ve come to rescue me from Bloody Maude, I’m afraid you are too late. My circumstances have changed and I no longer require your assistance.”

Arnaldo grinned, a handsome gesture had the man not had such a black soul. “It is not assistance I’ve come to offer,” he said. “You’ve been very naughty and it is time you face your punishment.”

Astria snorted. “And who is to deal out the punishment?” she said. “You? I do not think you will survive such an attempt, so for your own sake, it would be better if you left. I do not need you and, quite honestly, I do not want to see you, so go back where you came from. This is no place for you.”

Arnaldo started to move around the table in a clear attempt to get to her, but Declan grasped him by the arm. “Nay,” he said, his eyes on his mother. “Dunna do it. That’s Bloody Maude sitting next tae her and she’ll not let ye take her prize. Ye’ll lose what ye treasure most dearly if ye try.”

He meant the man’s privates, and he even looked at his crotch, gesturing.

That threat alone cooled Arnaldo, but only slightly.

He was still edgy, still wanting to move.

But Maude stood up, unsheathing a wicked-looking dagger from her belt, and that took the conversation to a different level when she handed the blade over to Astria.

“The lass knows how tae use it,” she told Declan and Arnaldo.

Then she reached behind her and unsheathed another dirk, bigger and broader than the one she’d handed to Astria.

“And I know how tae use this. If ye think tae take us, ye can try. But know that they dunna call me Bloody Maude without reason.”

Arnaldo wouldn’t be called off. Even the threat of castration couldn’t hold him back now.

Furious, he motioned to his men, who began to walk around both sides of the table.

The intention was clear. One man came close to Maude and she kicked him in the kneecap.

When he faltered, she used her dirk and stabbed him straight in the crotch, cutting through his manhood and into his bowels.

Screaming, the man fell away.

Meanwhile, the man who came at Astria had a longer way around the table, but she was ready for him.

He reached out to grab her but she fell to her knees, underneath his grasp, and then used the dirk to stab the man in the lower belly.

When he fell over onto the table, she leapt to her feet and stabbed him in the back, where both lungs were.

He collapsed on the floor, unable to breathe.

Two men down in as many seconds, both of them more than likely mortally wounded. The tense meeting between family members had just turned deadly.

And it was only going to get worse.

“Now,” Astria said, feeling the thrill of battle pulse through her veins, “if you think you can take me, go ahead, but I’ll not make it easy.”

Arnaldo almost ordered more men to rush her, but he knew she’d use that dirk, and he further knew that Bloody Maude would help her. Puzzled, he looked at Declan.

“I thought you said they hated one another?” he said. “They are allies!”

Declan didn’t like being made a liar. “I dunna know what has happened in the past week, but they were not allies when I left them last,” he said, turning that confusion on his mother. “Have ye failed at this, too? She is a captive!”

Maude was cool. So very cool. She’d just stabbed a man, but she hadn’t even broken a sweat. Not a hint of stress or perspiration. Even if her attention was on her son, she had eyes everywhere, watching the men behind Declan, watching Arnaldo in particular.

The Sea God.

She knew exactly who he was and what he wanted.

“Declan,” she said, “I dunna know where ye’ve been, but wherever it was, ye’ve collected some unsavory companions. It would be better if ye left now. Before yer brother gets here.”

That seemed to bring some enlightenment to Declan. With his having been gone a week, things had evidently changed and he was struggling to figure out what, exactly, had happened between his mother and Astria. They were allies. That made absolutely no sense to him, but the mention of Payne did.

“Of course,” he said. “The husband of yer captive. Dunna tell me that he cares what happens tae her. He only married her because ye forced him tae.”

“That is true,” Maude said. “But she is still his wife. And a husband protects a wife.”

She deliberately didn’t tell him what everyone at Blackchurch and in the Medusa’s Disciples encampment seemed to know, and that was the fact that Payne and Astria were evidently growing fond of one another.

Nay, she didn’t want Declan to know that at all because if he did, he could use it against Payne.

Maude wouldn’t give him the ammunition.

Declan sighed heavily. “He would do better tae turn her over tae Tarragona,” he said, gesturing to Arnaldo. “She’s stolen from him and must be punished.”

“She is no longer any concern of his,” Maude said, her gaze shifting to Arnaldo.

“The duchess is now the wife of my son, the Earl of Lismore. She is his property now. Any offense against her, by ye, will incur his wrath and more than likely the entire wrath of the Blackchurch Guild, where he is a valued trainer. Ye may be able tae take on Medusa’s Disciples, but ye canna take on Blackchurch and win. ”

Arnaldo knew that Astria had been married to Bloody Maude’s eldest, thanks to Declan, who had freely told him everything he knew, but it never occurred to him that Blackchurch, on the whole, would be involved.

Even he wasn’t stupid enough to tangle with the premier training guild of warriors in the known world.

That would be suicide.

“She has greatly sinned against me,” he said, his anger rising. “I have a right for justice.”

“What justice?” Astria said, unable to keep silent. “If anyone should seek justice, it should be me for your sins against my husband and your father.”

Arnaldo stiffened. “What sins?”

Astria held the dagger up, a menacing gesture.

“You know what sins,” she hissed. “You’ve avoided me and the tribunal in Tarragona for an entire year.

Ever since your father died after he had supped with you.

Alone. Everyone knows you poisoned him, Arnaldo.

You wanted the empire. You wanted the money.

So you took your father, who was already old and ill, and poisoned his food. ”

Arnaldo’s eyes widened dramatically. “You make slanderous accusations!”

“I speak the truth!” Astria shot back. “The apothecary that Armand received his usual willow potion from swore to the magistrate after your father’s death that you had told him to include arsenic in the compound, and you paid him five gold crowns for it.

We have all the proof we need that you murdered your father, and if there is any justice in the world, someday, I’ll see you hanged for your crime.

You killed a kind old man who loved you, Arnaldo. You are a beast!”

Dramatic accusations were flying. Even Maude and Declan seemed to be caught off guard by them.

Arnaldo was preparing to fly across the table at Astria to shut her up, but he was distracted when a great commotion could be heard.

The entry door to the tavern was open and they could see a clash happening outside.

Very quickly, it began to move inside. Men were fighting, tables breaking, and chairs shattering.

In the midst of it all, Medusa’s Disciples were moving through the common room, calling Maude’s name.

That was all it took for chaos to reign.

The Black Cock descended into madness.

As the fight started, Astria bolted from around the table, rushing into the next chamber, where there was an enormous hearth with big iron implements.

She picked up an iron rod with a pointed end, like a spear, and turned around to see that Arnaldo had followed her.

He was nearly on top of her. She was able to dodge sideways, and he flew into the wall next to the hearth.

As he fell past her, she lifted the dagger and stabbed him in the right shoulder.

The blade stuck, driven into the bone as it was.

Arnaldo howled.

Lifting the iron rod, Astria struck him, twice, before he managed to get a grip on it.

Bleeding, with a dagger sticking out of his right shoulder blade, he was still stronger than she was.

He yanked on the rod, tossing her around as she held on for dear life, before finally managing to get it free.

Astria tumbled to the floor, immediately ducking under the heavy table as Arnaldo beat on it with the rod.