Turning the horse around, he headed back to Wybren.
He had a brother he needed to find.
*
“He is ina bad way,” Alexander said quietly. “What in the hell happened, Sean?”
Sean was standing in the doorway of the solar in the keep of Wybren, watching his brother literally drink cup after cup of that strong pear cider. He was downing cup after cup of it as Sean, Alexander, and Gareth stood and watched.
No one was sure what to do.
All anyone knew was that Lady de Lara had run off, but after putting the pieces of the puzzle together, the knights that knew about the situation with the lady’s father figured out that she had gone into the vault below the keep, hunting for provisions, and had found the body of her father in one of the small vault chambers.
Whispers of Lady de Lara’s hysterical flight were flying around.
Sean grunted at the sight of his despondent brother. “God,” he muttered. “We need to get that drink away from him before he kills himself.”
Alexander didn’t say anything. He was looking at Sean, who felt his stare. When Sean looked at him, he realized the man deserved some kind of explanation so he pushed him away from the door so Kevin wouldn’t hear him.
“As we suspected, the lady found her father in the vault,” he said quietly. “It was an ugly scene, Sherry. She was screaming at him as he begged forgiveness. I spoke with her a little, as much as she would allow, but I am worried about Kevin more than I am worried about her.”
Alexander sighed heavily at the turn of events. “Where is she?”
“I followed her home, so she is safe for the moment.”
Alexander nodded, feeling a great deal of sorrow for the situation. “Truly tragic,” he muttered. “They seemed so happy.”
“I know.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Sean pointed in the general direction of the outer bailey. “Wherever Gareth and Bannon are, find them and tell them what has happened,” he said. “Tell them that Gareth has the command until further notice. I am going to try to keep my brother from killing himself, but when you are finished, return to me.”
Alexander nodded. “I will.”
“And try to quell the rumors that are flying around. I am sure people are talking.”
Alexander simply rolled his eyes and headed from the keep. As he stepped out into the sunshine beyond, Sean went into the solar.
Kevin was almost finished with an entire pitcher of the potent pear cider. He was sitting in a leather-bound chair, facing the lancet windows that overlooked the inner bailey and the outer bailey beyond. The noise and the dust from the baileys floated in through the windows as Sean faced his brother.
“Kevin,” he said. “I spoke to Juliandra after you left. You must stop drinking or you will not understand what I am about to tell you.”
Kevin was staring at the window. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About how I have become what I have judged all of these years.”
“What do you mean?”
He looked at his brother, the dark blue eyes swirling with mayhem. “I have become a liar, a deceiver, and a cheat, all in the name of my own personal goals,” he said. “I have finally become a true Executioner Knight. The darkness has touched me.”
Sean pulled up a chair. “You know that is not what the Executioner Knights stand for,” he said. “You have been one for many years.”
“Fifteen.”
“And you know that the Executioner Knights are not simply liars, deceivers, and cheats. That is unfair.”
