Page 46 of While Angels Slept (de Lohr Dynasty #1)

“Swear it?”

Cantia nodded, running her fingers across his lips and watching him eagerly kiss her flesh. “They did not harm us,” she stressed, becoming increasingly aware of the screams and shouts going on around them. “Please call your men off, Tevin. These people have not been cruel in the least.”

He was confused, suspicious. “But they abducted you and killed two of my knights,” he said. “How can you say they have not been cruel?”

Cantia’s features paled. He could see it even in the moonlight. “Dear God,” she breathed. “Val…?”

He shook his head. “Val is alive,” he assured her. “I was referring to Dagan and Gavril. Val made it back to Rochester to tell us what happened. She is injured but she will survive.”

Cantia breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Praise God,” she said sincerely. “I was so worried about her. Dagan hit her very hard.”

Tevin’s brow furrowed. “ Dagan hit her?” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

Cantia’s features hardened with anger and disgust. “Exactly that,” she said.

“It was Dagan who betrayed us, Tevin. He hit Val on the head and then killed his own cousin so they could not interfere with his plans. It would seem that Charles promised the knight my hand in marriage. He was planning on taking me to the nearest church to be married and then he was going to ransom Arabel to you in exchange for Charles’ freedom.

He had all manner of grand and terrible plans to marry me and become a wealthy man, all thanks to Charles’ scheming. ”

Tevin stared at her. “What madness is this?” he could hardly believe what he was hearing. “You are certain that is what Dagan told you?”

Cantia nodded. “He threatened to hurt Hunt if I did not comply,” she said, thinking back on that horrible moment in time.

“Just as he was preparing to take us away, Gillywiss and his people came out of the woods and put an arrow in him. Then they spirited us away so, in a sense, they really saved us. You owe them much.”

Tevin was furious, confused and overwhelmed by the entire story.

After a moment’s hesitation, he turned to a couple of soldiers standing nearby and barked orders for them to cease the raid.

Those two men disbursed, calling out commands to the group as a whole, and the entire force began to wind down their assault.

Tevin watched his men for a moment to make sure they were obeying before returning his attention to Cantia.

“Who is Gillywiss?” he asked. “Is he the leader?”

Cantia nodded. “These people are all homeless, as you can see,” she gestured to the upended camp.

“Some are outlaws, but some have simply been displaced. They live here because they have nowhere else to go and they were indeed following us with the intention of robbing us as we rode south to Darland. When Dagan attacked, they killed him and took Hunt, Arabel and I back to their settlement. Even if they are thieves, they saved us that day. They truly did.”

Tevin was astonished. He stared at Cantia for several long moments, digesting her story, before feeling the familiar fury again. Only this time, it was at Charles.

“Penden,” he growled. “Damn him… I can only imagine what tales he fed Sutton. But I simply cannot believe the man was fool enough to believe him.”

Cantia sighed faintly, squeezing his hand. “He can be rather persuasive,” she said quietly. “Who knows why men do what they do? Perhaps Dagan saw an easy way to riches. Charles has a great deal of personal wealth as the Steward of Rochester. He must have promised Dagan a great deal.”

Tevin shook his head, frustrated. “Sutton and de Reigate were bachelor knights when they came to me, but they had served the Earl of Essex for some time prior and the man gave them a strong recommendation.” His thoughts lingered on the rogue knight a moment.

“It would seem that Charles Penden and I have much to discuss upon my return to Rochester. In fact, it makes me wonder who else the man has poisoned with his lies. I do not want to spend my time at Rochester looking over my shoulder or worrying over your safety.”

Cantia watched him carefully. “What do you intend to do?”

Tevin merely lifted an eyebrow but he would not look at her. His gaze moved out over the compound, now settling into a brittle and harsh state of existence now that his men had backed off from their raid.

“I would speak with de Lohr and see what his thoughts are on the matter,” he replied. “He knows Penden as well as anyone. I will speak with Myles and make my decision.”

Cantia wasn’t sure what more she could say.

She was afraid of what Charles was capable of, too, so she wrapped her arms around Tevin’s waist and hugged him tightly.

Tevin swallowed her up in his big arms, his face buried in the top of her head as he relished the feel of her.

She was safe, and alive, and he was deeply thankful, but the information regarding Charles and Dagan had him gravely concerned.

His thoughts were still lingering on Penden when Cantia lifted her head and caught sight of Arabel upon her father’s charger.

She smiled thankfully at the young woman, who smiled timidly in return, and then glanced around as if looking for something more.

It didn’t take a great intellect to figure out what she was searching for.

“Where is Hunt?” she asked.

Tevin passed a glance at his daughter before replying. “My men are looking for him,” he said evenly. “In fact, Myles is searching for him personally. We will find him.”

Cantia’s brow furrowed. “But I left him with Arabel,” she said, looking to the young woman. “He was with you, was he not?”

Arabel’s features fell, feeling some panic and sorrow, but Tevin spoke before she could spill her fears and terrify Cantia with tales of her missing son.

“Hunt apparently decided to leave and go find help,” he told her as carefully as he could. “He cannot have gone far. I have dozens of men searching for him right now, so do not worry overly. We will find him.”

Cantia was confused, now with a creeping sense of fear. “ Leave to find help?” she repeated. “But why would he do that? He would not even know where to go.”

Tevin could feel her panic. He sought to soothe her before she could veer out of control.

“Sweetheart, perhaps he got scared and ran off,” he said, not wanting to incriminate his daughter as having a hand in Hunt’s departure.

“He is a young boy and young boys often do unpredictable things. What matters now is that I have many men searching for him and we will find him. I do not want you to worry.”

Cantia would not be soothed. She looked up at Arabel. “Where did he go?” she wanted to know. “Did he say anything to you?”

Arabel was tongue-tied, looking to her father for help.

Tevin opened his mouth to answer for her when the thunder of chargers caught their attention.

De Lohr was riding towards them at breakneck speed, pulling his excited charger to a halt several feet from Tevin’s horse, which began to get excited as well.

Arabel shrieked as the horse danced and Tevin ably calmed the excitable beast.

“What goes on, Myles?” Tevin demanded. “Where is Hunt?”

Myles was edgy. He yanked off his helm in a frustrated gesture, propping it on the saddle in front of him.

“We are expanding the search,” he said, seeing Cantia and nodding his head in her direction. “My lady, it is good to see you safe and whole”

Cantia ignored the greeting. “Where is my son?”

Myles sighed heavily, hesitance in his manner. “I do not know… yet,” he said, trying not to sound too discouraged. “But rest assured, Lady Penden, that I will find him.”

Cantia had tears pooling in her eyes by the time he was finished, realizing that her son was still missing and no one seemed to know where he was.

Tevin could see how frightened she was and he rubbed her back soothingly, trying to ease her as the search went on for her son.

Upon the saddle, Arabel watched Cantia and tried not to feel too guilty. She was verging on tears as well.

Myles wiped the sweat off his brow and plopped his helm on again, turning his charger towards the south with the intention of resuming his search when a shout filled the air.

It was very loud, causing them all to look towards the source.

Out of the darkness of the trees to the east came several figures, one of them carrying a squirming little boy.

Cantia gasped when she realized it was Hunt in the arms of Gillywiss.

With a cry of joy, she broke free from Tevin and started to run towards her son, but that joy turned to horror when she realized that Gillywiss had a dirk pressed up against Hunt’s pale little neck. She came to a halt, her eyes wide.

“What are you doing?” she asked as calmly as she could. “Why do you hold my son?”

Cantia could hear broadswords unsheathing around her and she held out a quelling hand to Tevin and Myles, silently asking them to be still. She kept her focus on Gillywiss, whose eyes had that familiar wild look about them. She didn’t like it in the least.

“I was rushing to see what the trouble was and what do you think I found?” Gillywiss was being rather grandiose, like he had been the night they had been brought into the camp and he had made a big show for his people.

“Someone had caught this little boy trying to escape from camp. But, it seems that an escaping prisoner was the least of my worries.”

Cantia sighed heavily, trying not to look at her son as he struggled against Gillywiss’ grip. She knew what the man meant without even asking.

“Please,” she begged softly. “You must understand they did not know what they would find when they came here. For all they knew, we were being held in horrible conditions, or worse. They did not know that you have not been cruel to us, but I have explained the situation and they will withdraw, I swear.”