Breathe (The Destiny Series: Book 1) Read online

  “Father! What are you doing?” Dearra said. She stepped between the sword and Darius in an effort to shield him from her father’s wrath.

  “Step aside, girl!” her father commanded.

  Dearra didn’t know what else to do. She would never act against her father, but she had to do something, so she pulled out her sword, and aimed it—if only casually—in her father’s direction. The look of pain on his face tore at Dearra’s heart, but she couldn’t yield.

  Carly stared in horror at the situation, too shocked even to move.

  “Dearra, drop your weapon,” Hugh said calmly.

  “No.”

  “Please, Dearra. This isn’t going to help anything,” Darius whispered.

  “No,” she said, again.

  Hugh straightened to his full height, and said, his voice commanding, “Dearra! You are a citizen of Maj! I am your lord. Drop! Your! Sword!”

  The “no” that passed her lips came out as no more than a puff of air.

  Okay! That’s it! I want no part of this.

  Dearra didn’t have time to process the meaning of Brin’s words before she felt the flash of searing heat on her hand. She dropped the sword and yelped in pain. Darius reached for her injured hand, his concern for her plain, but before he even touched her, Hugh’s sword was pressing into his side, just piercing the shirt he wore, and pressing into his skin. She saw the trickle of blood that seeped through his shirt from the tiny wound it made.

  Carly found her feet and tore from the room as fast as she could go.

  “Outside, Darius,” Hugh said after he’d gained control again. He followed behind Darius, sword held firmly to the Breken’s back the whole way.

  Hugh led them to the large tree in the bailey, the one that dropped sweet nuts in the fall. A crowd of people began to gather. Hugh continued with what he had to do and ignored their frightened faces.

  Just then, Carly came racing out the doors of the keep, followed by William and Daniel.

  “Daniel,” Hugh said, still sounding quite in control. “Bring me a rope.”

  “Lord, perhaps we should discuss this. Maybe there has been some misunderstanding.”

  “You’re right, Daniel. A Lord of Maj should never act in haste. Darius, is this your vest?”

  Darius nodded.

  “And is it possible you removed it and forgot it was there while you were in my daughter’s room?”

  Darius’s held his mouth firmly shut and nodded again.

  “Good, then; no mistake. Daniel, get the rope.”

  More people filled the yard, joining the warriors from both the men’s and women’s barracks already there.

  Royce and Reo came upon the scene. Reo smelled his master’s blood. It was little more than a scratch, really, but it was enough to bring out the now almost fully grown wolf’s protective side. The wolf knew no ranking system other than that of the pack, and Darius was his alpha. He growled and bared his teeth at the man threatening the leader of his pack.

  Daniel thought quickly and stepped forward. “Darius, have you dishonored Dearra?” His question was blunt, and everyone there knew what he meant, but the people reacted not at all as they stood watching the scene unfold.

  “No! Never!” Darius kept his answer brief, biting back the long explanation he would have liked.

  Daniel nodded, hoping his question would settle Lord Hugh.

  Hugh gave no indication he’d heard either question or response. Instead, he looked at his daughter, his delicate, tiny child, and the giant beside her; the image was too much to bear.

  Hugh pressed the blade of his sword deeper. It was hard, and against his instinct for self-preservation, but the young Breken did not move a muscle in response.

  “Daniel, bring me the rope.”

  Daniel ignored the request, not knowing what else to do.

  Dearra’s voice shook with emotion. “Father, please,” she begged.

  “Fine. Go ahead and kiss him goodbye, then.

  “William, bring me the rope.”

  “No, Lord,” William said.

  Hugh would never have imagined loyal to a fault William refusing his lord, not even for a man he presumed to call “brother”. Daniel and Hugh were old friends, so it was not surprising Daniel would challenge him, but William? Never!

  William took advantage of Hugh’s shock and continued. “They are in love, Lord Hugh. I have seen the way he looks on her and her eyes as they have looked on him. Theirs is a love that is pure and cannot be denied. Kill him, and you will destroy her. I will not help you do that.” William fell silent, and stepped in front of Darius to shield the Breken with his body.

  Flustered, Hugh turned to a woman nearby and said, “Serah, bring me the rope.”

  But Serah only curtsied low to Lord Hugh, showing her deep respect, and then stepped in front of Dearra and Darius saying, “They are in love.”

  One by one, those assembled in the bailey stepped forward, either bowed or curtsied low to show their loyalty, and then joined the others standing in front of the young couple.

  What was a father to do? Surely it was his right to defend the honor of his only daughter, but his people had surrounded the Breken in a show of unity. He could hardly attack his own people.

  His fingers gripped the cold steel of his sword until his hands shook, and a look of pain and betrayal flashed across his face, and Hugh, threw his sword to the ground and walked slowly back into the keep.

  The crowd of people who had stood as one silently dispersed. No one felt a sense of victory. There was some small sense of satisfaction they had averted an injustice Hugh would later regret, but they were certain the cost would prove very high indeed.

  Daniel and William led Darius back to the keep. Dearra nodded to him as he went, knowing they were taking him to Daniel’s quarters for the time being. Dearra picked up her father’s sword, and she went to make amends, her feet moving even slower than his had been.

  ***

  Hugh sat alone in the Great Hall. No one dared get too close to the emotionally wounded Lord of Maj. Dearra felt a deep ache in her soul when she saw him. She took a deep, steadying breath, and knelt before her father, her head hung low. She placed his sword at his feet. She didn’t look up until she heard the scrape of metal on stone as her father sheathed his sword.

  When Dearra finally looked at her father, she saw the agony in his careworn eyes. She threw herself into his lap and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she had done when she was a little girl.

  “What do you want from me, Dearra? Does a father have no rights at all? Am I to let him do with my daughter whatever he pleases?”

  “Your fears are misplaced, Father. He would never dishonor me so.”

  “I’m not sure if I can take that chance, Dearra. My son has already been taken from me by those monsters, and now this one wants my daughter.”

  Dearra pressed her cheek to Hugh’s and whispered, “I love him.”

  Hugh closed his eyes and hugged Dearra fiercely. He could never hurt her. She was too precious to him. “He moves to a bedroom near my own.”

  A small smile flitted across Dearra’s face. “Yes, Father.”

  “Today!” he said, more firmly.

  Dearra’s smile grew wider still. “Yes, Father.”

  “And, Dearra?”

  “Yes, Father?”

  “If ever again you hold a weapon at me, I will tear the skin from your bottom.”

  Dearra spread happy butterfly kisses on Hugh’s cheek before saying, “Yes, Father.”

  She snuggled into her father’s arms, and the two sat together for a long time, mending the wounds the day had caused.

  The people of Maj breathed a collective sigh of relief, and everyone avoided the Great Hall, giving father and daughter the space they needed to attend their wounds.

  Chapter 28

  The next few weeks were not easy on Darius. His room had been moved to a chamber not just near to Hugh’s, but adjoining to his. It was the room that ha
d once been used by Dearra’s mother as her place of quiet and refuge. Alanna’s things had been removed long ago, and the room had remained unused and empty until now.

  Hugh had claimed it was the most logical place to put him. Only Darius’s large bed would need to be moved to his new room. Darius was not fooled; he knew that, had it been possible, Hugh would have tied Darius to the foot of his own bed so that he could watch him constantly. Darius didn’t blame him. He knew he and Dearra had been tempting fate, and that it was only been a matter of time before the fire they felt, burned them both. All he could do was bide his time and hope that he would be able to regain the trust he had lost.

  ***

  Carly sat alone. The practice fields were still a bit muddy and wet to be of much use, though there were dry patches here and there. Spring had not arrived yet, but it was plain she was on her way.

  Carly’s anxiety grew. Pip’s rescue loomed before her, and she knew she would be leaving soon. Once the grand adventure of her dreams, the thought had become a nightmare, one that came to her night after night.

  Daniel was in danger, threatened by an enormous Breken warrior. He lay unconscious and bleeding, and she was his only hope. The dream was different each time after that. Sometimes, she was frozen in terror and could only watch as the Breken killed him before her eyes. Other times she acted, only to find the knife she held had morphed into a useless feather. Always, though, Daniel was in danger, and she was useless. Because of her, he would die. She was so little; what had she been thinking when she hoped for this?

  Daniel saw Carly sitting alone at the edge of the practice field and started to make his way over to her. He knew he would be better off turning around and finding something else to do, but his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and so, he continued on. She seemed to not be aware of his presence, even when he was only a few feet from her.

  She was so small, so delicate, and so…young. It was the latter that was always the problem. He would argue with himself that in only another month she would be eighteen, a woman grown, but then another side would ask what that had to do with anything. She was still only a child, and he would soon be thirty-six. True, with their long life spans, the difference in age wouldn’t matter so much, but he had lived enough to know what he wanted and the course he would take, while Carly was only just beginning, and she needed time to know what she really wanted out of life. It would be selfish for him to act on his feelings.

  “Daydreaming?” Daniel said at last, his strong voice interrupting her thoughts.

  She whirled around to face him. “Just thinking.”

  “Where’s your practice partner? I haven’t seen the two of you working to further your skills in a while now.”

  “She has a lot on her mind. Besides, I’m getting better than her now, and it annoys her.”

  “Are you? Are you really better than Dearra? Now that’s progress to be proud of.”

  “She never uses a dagger. It’s hardly a fair comparison.”

  “Come, then. Test your skill on me.” Daniel pulled his dagger from his boot and stood back a ways, giving Carly room to prepare.

  Carly frowned. “You want to use real weapons? I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “I won’t hurt you, Carly. I promise to be careful with you.”

  Carly’s concern had not been for herself but for Daniel. She really had been improving, and while she didn’t think she was great, she knew she was still good enough to be a danger.

  And Daniel stood there, cocky smile on his face, promising not to hurt her! She would teach him to so casually dismiss her.

  Carly’s face twisted into an angry glare, and she moved to attack.

  Daniel was surprised. He wondered what he had said to so irritate her so. She came straight in with the blade, and as he made to block her, she sidestepped, and he found himself off balance and facing the wrong way, but he quickly turned and managed to cover his mistake.

  Carly danced circles around him, and he had to struggle to keep up with her fluid style. She seemed to be one place, but when he reached out to tag her with the flat of his blade, she was gone. They spun faster and faster until he was finally able to anticipate her movements for just a moment, and his hand shot out to touch her side with the harmless butt of the knife.

  Carly’s mind didn’t have much time to process. All she knew was that she had failed again. She wasn’t good enough. In a flurry of anger and frustration she spun away from the handle at her side and sliced upwards in a motion faster than she had ever attempted before, and felt the knife make contact with her target.

  A wave of victory washed over her. She continued around her opponent in a full circle before planting her feet wide to face him again.

  Daniel stood completely motionless, his arms held wide in a gesture of surrender. Carly’s eyes blazed from the fight. He had seen Maj warriors when they were overtaken by the heat of battle. Carly had that look, and he knew enough to give her the moment she needed to collect herself.

  An unexpected wind flurried around them sending a shiver through Daniel. It whipped Carly’s hair about wildly, and seemed to coax her eyes back into focus.

  Carly’s heart slowed a bit and her breathing began to steady. The wind stilled as suddenly as it arrived. That was when she saw it, a think line of blood trickling from the jaw of the weapons master. “Oh, no. Oh, Daniel,” she said. “What did I do?” Here Carly had been afraid she would not be able to save him when he needed her most, and instead she’d been the one to almost kill him. Her hand shook at the realization.

  “Peace, Carly. All is well.”

  “All is well? Have you lost your mind? You’re bleeding!”

  “I’ve cut myself worse shaving. I was over confident, and I paid the price. You really have gotten very, very good, Carly. I’m proud of you.

  “Now, if you would just keep the blade up a bit higher, you would have been ready for my attack, and you could have used your blade hand to divert my strike.”

  “Stupid, stupid man! I cut you, and you’re going to stand there and give me training tips?” Carly pulled a soft cloth from her pocket, and reaching up, held it to Daniel’s jaw. The bleeding had already slowed, but that did little to lessen her guilt. Tears rimmed her soft, brown eyes, and she didn’t even try to hold them back.

  “Please don’t cry, Carly. Really, it’s nothing. Look, it’s stopping already.”

  “Why must you always argue with me? I am a woman now, Daniel, though you will never see it. I swear I could strip naked and run through the Great Hall, and you would still see just a little girl. I don’t think I will ever understand—”

  Her words were cut short as Daniel lowered his mouth to hers. Once he had committed to it, he was determined to do it right. There was no going back now, and he took his time. She seemed to have gone completely limp in his arms, and his mind wondered for a moment if she were upset by his actions. A moment later he felt her tongue trace his lower lip, and his worry disappeared.

  He crushed her to him, kissed her deeply, and shuddered as her fingers twisted in his hair, and pulled him closer still. He lifted her slight form from the ground and as one hand held her firmly against him, his other roamed to her hips and down the leg she had wrapped around his thigh.

  When she remembered herself, and where they were, she released her tight grip on Daniel, but reluctantly so, and he allowed her to slowly slide back to her feet.

  Daniel felt like the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Every reason for his worry and doubt evaporated as he stared at Carly, whose cheeks blushed brightly. “I suppose I should speak to your father as soon as possible. It should be an interesting conversation, as I imagine having me for a son wasn’t one of his goals in life.”

  Carly shook her head at Daniel, a sad smile on her face.

  He felt his stomach twist painfully. Was she refusing him? Would she not join with him?

  Of course she wouldn’t. What had he been thinking? She was young; she d
idn’t want to be tied to an old man like him. “You will not have me, then?” he asked, trying to conceal the pain he felt. “I understand. We will say nothing of this moment. I apologize for my actions, Carly, and can only ask your forgiveness.” He expected her to be angry, or perhaps pitying. Nothing prepared him for her laughter.

  “Silly man. Of course I will have you. I’ve only been waiting for you to notice me since I was nine.”

  Daniel smiled and pulled Carly into his arms. “But why, then? Why won’t you let me go to your father? I must seek his permission for us to be joined. Not that he would be fool enough to deny me, but still, I must ask.”

  “Well, two reasons. One, I couldn’t hurt Dearra that way. She can barely get a moment to even speak to Darius and you would have me flaunt our relationship.”

  “I hardly think we should base our whole lives on the feelings of—”

  “And second,” Carly said, speaking over him, “I think it would be best to wait until we get back from Parsaia. Now is not the time for celebrations.”

  “We? Until we get back from Parsaia. You’re not going anywhere. I agreed to allow you along to make you happy, but I’ll be damned if I will risk losing you now!

  Daniel shook his head. “I won’t have it. It’s too dangerous! That’s my final word on it, Carly!”

  Carly knew she could never win a contest of strength with Daniel, but Dearra had shared some of the secrets she used to control her Breken love, and she tried them now on Daniel. “Well, Daniel,” she said, “if you think that’s best.” She leaned into Daniel, reached up, and let her fingers slip through his thick hair. “It’s just that I would be so very lonely here without you. I suppose Shawn could entertain me well enough, or maybe Martin, but I don’t think it will be the same.” Carly stood on tiptoe and brushed her silky lips against Daniel’s clenched jaw. “I just don’t know what I will do when the memory of your kiss grows dim and I ache to have that feeling again.” Carly sighed and rested her head against his chest. “But, as I said, I’m sure the lads will do all they can to keep my spirits up.”