Breathe (The Destiny Series: Book 1) Read online

  Hugh, Daniel and Darius stood with their backs pressed against the wall, trying and failing to stay out of the way. One woman ran to get hot water while another started a fire, and a third tore linen into thin strips with a practiced hand.

  Darius felt as if the room was closing in around him and tight bands were constricting around his chest making it harder and harder for him to breathe. A tiny mewing noise escaped from Dearra, and the vice already crushing him tightened three notches at once. He felt completely useless.

  Slipping silently from the room he headed back out into the night air, hoping some distance would help him breathe again.

  Darius removed the pack Daniel had loaned him from his shoulder and lifted out the tiny pup. He deposited the wriggling puppy on the ground before him and watched as the little wolf squatted where he stood, unable to wait a moment longer.

  “Poor little pup. I sensed your need, my friend, but speed was of the essence. I greatly appreciate your self-control. I must say, I expected a wet back more than once.”

  The wolf pup cocked its head at the sound of Darius’s voice, then, with all the puppy enthusiasm he could muster, pounced in attack at Darius’s boots. His little teeth clamped down on the leather and mock growls erupted from him. Darius scooped the pup in his arms and walked him to the well in the bailey. The puppy was not put off by the sudden change of position and switched his attack to the cuff of Darius’s shirt. With one arm still holding the rambunctious baby, Darius awkwardly drew water from the well and poured a bit into a small bowl that lay forgotten on the ground. He lowered the little wolf to the bowl and watched as the puppy lapped the water greedily.

  “I always feel a bit useless when the healers are about, myself.” Hugh’s voice came in the still quiet of the night.

  Darius didn’t speak, but he nodded in agreement. Darius waited to see what Hugh would say about his infraction of the rules, seeing as, strictly speaking, he didn’t belong out here alone. To his surprise, Hugh walked over to where Darius stood and tossed a meat covered bone to the pup. Finding the bone vastly superior to the dirty leather boots Darius wore, the puppy pounced on the new prize, growling and waving his little rump in the air as it gnawed the rich treat.

  “Cute little thing. Are you planning on keeping him?” Hugh asked with genuine interest.

  “I had intended to, Lord. It seemed the right thing to do after we killed its parents. I believe I got him young enough to raise him properly. My people often capture wild dog pups and train them into service.”

  Hugh paused in thought. “You’ve seen these wolves, Darius, they get a lot bigger a lot faster than your average wolf. If there was ever a chance the animal was going to be a danger to anyone…” He let the statement trail off to see how Darius would respond.

  “This is a wild animal, sir, and I couldn’t promise that he would never pose a threat, but I have a…a way with animals. As long as I keep him close I would know to act before he got himself into too much trouble.”

  Darius’s honesty about the possible dangers of the wolf puppy went a long way to comfort Hugh’s immediate worries about the addition of the predator to his household. Had Darius denied any threat to the people of Maj, Hugh would have considered him arrogant and reckless, and he would have immediately demanded the animal be destroyed for everyone’s safety. The fact he had admitted there was risk, but that he would be responsible for the wolf’s actions was enough for now. He could afford to wait and watch a while before making a decision. Hugh nodded and turned back toward the keep.

  Darius knew it would be smarter to keep his mouth shut and enjoy the unexpected freedom he seemed to have been granted, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Shall I return to my room, then, sir?”

  Hugh turned and eyed the Breken who stood before him before speaking. “I think now is the time for fresh starts, Darius. You were alone with my daughter for twenty-four hours. You could have harmed her or run away at any time, and yet the only injury she returns to me with is one she caused herself. If not for you, the male wolf would have had her. You are now a guest in this place, free to come and go as you choose. However, I still hold you to your promise to help in the rescue of my son. After that, you can stay or go from the island like any other free man.” It was as close to an apology as Hugh was ever going to come, and even that much strained the man’s pride.

  Darius couldn’t believe his change in fortune. Only a few days ago he was sitting prisoner in the lower level of the keep, and now he was a guest of the lord. He would have been ecstatic if not for the thought of Dearra suffering in the tower above him.

  “But, Darius,” Hugh began again, “some of the Maj people will not be as comfortable as I with the notion of a Breken warrior left to roam unattended. Like your wolf pup, they are not always predictable. I would exercise a little caution with your new found freedom if I were you. Let them get to know you slowly.”

  “I understand, Lord.

  “So, I am able to go anywhere I choose, then?” Darius asked, with a trace of expectation in his voice, as if he awaited some stipulation or another from Hugh.

  “So long as you don’t leave the island, yes.”

  “I have your word, sir?”

  That was a strange way of putting it, but Hugh saw no reason to refuse and so said, “You have my word.”

  Darius nodded and made his way back into the keep holding the now sleeping puppy gently in his arms.

  ***

  Hugh could do nothing but shake his head at the sight of the giant warrior and the wolf pup. What a mystery this man was.

  Hugh hated mysteries.

  Hugh made his way around to one of the side entrances of the keep and followed the hall leading to Daniel’s room.

  The burly weapons master sat in one of the tall backed chairs waiting patiently as though he had expected Hugh’s arrival, though the two men had made no plans to find one another. Hugh lowered himself to the chair next to Daniel, leaned his head back against the wall, and closed his eyes. He couldn’t remember ever being as tired as he was at that moment.

  “You told him, then?” Daniel inquired.

  “Yes. I said he was free to go wherever he chose, so long as he didn’t leave the island. He even went as far as to make me give my word, like I was trying to trick him.”

  Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Did he?”

  “This is a bad business, Daniel. We had him completely under control, and now honor demands I extend him this courtesy. It’s all too much.”

  “Well, Lord Hugh, we did try to kill him, painfully so, and with very little proof.”

  Hugh grumbled, “How was I supposed to know? All the evidence pointed to—”

  “The evidence, Lord, could just as easily have pointed to Dearra being Dearra. We saw what we expected to see, nothing more.”

  Hugh folded his arms across his chest as he pondered Daniel’s statement. Why did the man have to be right most of the time? It was annoying.

  “When will you be returning the lads sword?” Daniel asked.

  “What? Have you lost your mind?”

  “You said he was a guest here. You gave your word. What guest of Maj is denied the protection of his own sword?”

  “Yes, but…Daniel, really? Do you think that is wise?”

  “Probably not, Lord, but I wasn’t the one who gave my word.”

  If looks could kill, Daniel would have found himself stretched out on his burial pyre in that moment. Hugh’s next statement came out in a growl. “When she’s well-rested and feeling better that girl of mine is going to have a few things to answer for.”

  Daniel looked at Hugh with confusion. Was it possible he really didn’t understand the depth of Dearra’s injury? “Lord Hugh, I don’t think Dearra will be in any condition for your wrath any time soon.”

  “What are you talking about, Daniel? The girl is exhausted, certainly, and the cut she received has probably sapped what little is left of her strength, but all will be well after she’s had a good night’s sl
eep.” Hugh’s statement lost more and more of its bluster the longer he watched the concerned look on Daniel’s face. “Daniel?”

  “Lord, she has a fever, and…well…didn’t you see the angry red line on her arm? I think she has…well…I think she has—”

  The strangled whisper came from Hugh as the severity of the situation sank in. “Blood poisoning.” He jumped to his feet and pounded down the halls to the passageway leading to Dearra’s room. He took the steps two at a time and burst through the chamber door. Dearra had been stripped of the dirt-caked clothing she had been wearing. A soft, clean gown had been put on her after she had been washed. Her wet hair was fanned around her head in an effort to help it dry more quickly. Her face was bright with fever. Her closed lids had a bruised look about them. The cut on her hand had been cleaned and bandaged, but a second cut had been made in her arm above the wrist in an effort to drain some of the poison.

  Ann had taken charge of Dearra’s care. She saw Hugh standing in the open doorway looking lost and confused, and felt a moment of sympathy for the father who could do nothing for his little girl. She dried her hands on the apron tied around her waist and rose from her place at Dearra’s side. She saw the frightened look on Hugh’s face and tried to offer some comfort without raising his hopes too high.

  She approached Hugh and said, plainly and firmly, “It’s not good, Lord, but I think we have a chance to pull her through this.” She didn’t want him to despair of all hope, but she also didn’t want him to misunderstand the serious nature of Dearra’s injuries. “We’ll do everything we can, Lord, and Dearra is a strong girl. She can fight this.”

  Hugh lifted Ann’s hand and gave it a little squeeze in thanks. He saw her wince and looked down at the hand he held, turning it over in his own. Angry blisters had formed on the tips of her fingers. Along the edges of the burn the skin was blackened. “Ann? What happened?”

  Ann shrugged her shoulders and cocked her head to the corner of the room where Dearra’s sword leaned against the wall. “The sword has one owner, Lord; I was careless.” She gave a small reassuring smile, and said, “Now please, Lord. There’s nothing for you to do here, and it’s already so crowded. Please, go and get some rest. We will send for you immediately if anything changes.

  “And could you please take him with you?”

  Hugh followed Ann’s gaze to see Darius sitting silently in the darkened space furthest from the fire and activity of the room. His eyes watched Dearra, and his hand absently stroked the sleeping puppy in his lap.

  Hugh strode over to Darius who did not seem to notice he was there. “Darius?” he said. “What is the meaning of this? What are you doing in my daughter’s sick room?”

  “Your word, Lord: anywhere I choose,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

  Darius’s eyes met Hugh’s and seemed to bore straight into him, challenging him to go back on his word, as if he were daring Hugh to try and remove him from Dearra’s side. He never looked more Breken than he did at that moment.

  Hugh sighed and shrugged. “Leave the boy be, Ann. He will stay out of the way. If he doesn’t, I’ll remove him myself, promise or no promise.” Hugh stalked from Dearra’s room to seek the solitude of his chamber.

  Chapter 15

  “It’s not seemly, Lord,” Jacob said, his voice petulant and whining. “Two weeks it’s been, and he rarely leaves her side! They say he stays while they bathe her! It’s enough! You need to put a stop to it, now!”

  “Do I? Do I really?” Hugh’s voice was like ice. He may have agreed with Jacob, but he was not going to be dictated to by anyone, especially where his daughter was concerned.

  Realizing his error, Jacob took an involuntary step backwards and began again in what he hoped was a more respectful tone. “I only worry for the reputation of Lady Dearra, my lord. Surely the presence of the Breken dog taints her.”

  “My daughter lies unconscious, surrounded by no less than three Maj healers at any one time. She has yet to open her eyes. What do you suppose anyone could accuse her of?

  “As for the Breken, I have said he is a guest here now, and that should be good enough for any man, leastways you, Jacob.”

  “Of course, Lord Hugh.” Jacob said, and he swept from the Great Hall.

  Daniel was not fond of Jacob and had never taken any pains to hide how he felt. “That one’s going to be trouble, Lord Hugh,” he said. “You mark my words.”

  “He’s just…concerned, Daniel. It is all a bit off. Why does Darius hover so? He hardly knows the girl. The healers do all they can.

  “I thought to at least get him out of the room to take care of the pup, but now he has young Royce tending to the animal’s physical needs. The child fairly trips over himself in his delight at being given responsibility for the puppy. Royce looks at Darius as if he were some young god come among us.

  “And the healers! They give any news to Darius first, and then to me!”

  “Jealous?”

  “Not funny, Daniel. I would think you would be on my side in this. I am second in my own home!”

  Daniel would have laughed at the pout on Hugh’s face, but he had enough sense to keep that impulse under control. “Not second, Hugh,” he said. “Of course Darius hears the news first; he sits not three feet from them day and night.

  “As for Royce, can you truly blame the boy? The Breken is fascinating to him, and what child can resist a puppy?”

  “Still, I would think—”

  Ann burst into the hall. “Lord! Lord! Come quickly!”

  “What is it? Is it Dearra?” He quickly stood, feeling cold terror clench at his heart.

  “Yes, Lord. We think she’s waking up.”

  The words had hardly passed her lips, before Hugh had rushed past her and to his daughter’s side. He slowed as he neared the room and pushed the door open gently so as not to startle Dearra.

  ***

  Dearra was pale and frail looking. Her cheeks had a sunken appearance. She had eaten nothing for two weeks, surviving only on the water they were able to force between her lips.

  Darius stood in his usual spot, his jaw clenched, while Dearra moved restlessly in her bed, her lids fluttering in her struggle to come back to them.

  Hugh knelt beside his daughter’s bed, took her hand in his own, and said, “Dearra? Dearra, love? Open your eyes.”

  Dearra heard her father’s voice calling to her and struggled to answer him. The weight of the heavy blankets seemed to press down on her, holding her in darkness. Her throat burned as she struggled to speak. “Father?” she said, her voice a faint whisper to her ears. She felt her father’s hand close more tightly around hers, so she knew he had heard. With a final effort, she pulled herself from the blackness and opened her eyes.

  “Oh, thank Cyrus,” Hugh said, his voice cracking with emotion, and he stroked his daughter’s hair.

  “Father?” Dearra said, her voice a little stronger, now. “Father, I…Where…I want…”

  “What is it, Dearra? What do you want?” In that moment, Hugh would have wrapped the world with a bow and given it to her if she had asked for it. Anything she desired would be hers; she had only to name it.

  “Darius. Where’s Darius?”

  “I’m here, Dearra,” Darius answered.

  The hand not in her father’s embrace fluttered from the top of the blankets as she reached out for him. Darius took her hand and cradled it in his own.

  Dearra smiled a little, closed her eyes, and fell into an easy sleep.

  Hugh returned Dearra’s hand to the bed and walked from the room, a frown on his face.

  Darius remained, still holding Dearra’s hand, his thumb gently caressing the treasure he held.

  Distracted as he was, Hugh almost ran into Daniel as he exited the room.

  “Is she awake, then? How is she? Is everything alright now?”

  Hugh shook his head. “No, Daniel. Nothing is alright. I’ve lost her.”

  Daniel’s face went white. Dearra was gone? It couldn’t
be! The look on Hugh’s face said it all. Only Dearra’s death could cause him such pain. If Dearra were dead, Daniel had to see it for himself, to be given a chance to say goodbye to his sweet Dearra. He pushed the door open and looked on with wonder.

  Healers in the room scurried about tidying, each of them smiling and speaking in happy, excited whispers. Dearra lay with her eyes closed, just as she had for days, but there was a blush of pink on her cheeks, and the steady rise and fall of her chest told Daniel she was breathing strongly and evenly in sleep. Darius stood over Dearra, holding her hand and staring at her with rapt attention. Daniel shut the door as soundlessly as he had opened it, turned to Hugh, and said, “Oh,” a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

  “I’m warning you; not one word, Daniel, not one word.” Hugh walked away, head shaking the whole way, saying, “Should have killed him when I had the chance,” under his breath.

  Wise or no, Daniel couldn’t suppress the hearty chuckle from bubbling out. Fortunately for Daniel, Hugh was out of hearing range.

  If Darius were devoted before, he redoubled his attention during Dearra’s recovery. The first night the healers tried to keep him in his normal place, but Dearra thrashed and tossed so much in her sleep they finally gave in when he said he could help her. Wrapping a scrap of leather the puppy had been chewing on around his hand, Darius took hold of Dearra’s sword’s hilt and lowered it to the bed beside her. He lifted her hand, rested it on the weapon, and she calmed almost immediately.

  Ann clucked in disapproval, but she made no attempt to remove the sword; she didn’t trust her fingers to be safe from the moody blade, even if it were wrapped in thick leather.

  Still more weeks passed before Dearra, looking far better, the result of days of good food and rest, was able to throw the covers off and rise from her prison of sheets and heavy blankets.

  Ann moved to intercept her, but Darius was faster. He swept her into his arms, lowered her back to the bed, and demanded, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m getting up. I’ve had enough of bed and nurses. I feel like a dirty rag. I want a bath.”