Only at dawn when she walked out of her chamber to the edge of the water did she realize that the sounds were not in her dreams. The same voices whispered to her from the water there, like the sirens of legend luring her to enter their world.
Northeast Coast of Scotland
Lord Hugh de Gifford strode toward the tent erected there for his use. Surrounded by lackeys and followers, he considered his next move. His plans, the goddess’s plans, had stumbled in the first battle with those of the fire and war bloodlines, but he was engaged in a war.
One battle, though it would have been sweetly satisfying, did not matter. There were four gateways. Four possible places for Chaela to reenter the human world and take control.
And destroy her enemies.
He would savor that scene. As he would savor watching those who had stood against him grovel at his feet, begging for mercy. A mercy that did not exist. If the daughter of his flesh thought she would be spared, if any of them did, they were mistaken. Waiting here for passage north had given him time to plan their executions. Once the goddess was freed, his own powers would soar and he could easily destroy the other Fireblood. And he would. But for now, he had to wait for these damn storms to pass. If he did not know better, he would suspect that the Stormblood was controlling them. He did know better though, for he could and would feel each bloodline as it arose and no more had . . . yet. Or was he so far from his source of power that his own was lessening?
“My lord?” Hugh whirled around to face Eudes, his commander, who’d managed to come upon him without warning. “I have found enough boats to carry us north.”
Time was critical now and he must get to Orkney and find the stone circle there. It was a more difficult task, considering the number of islands and places it could be. And he must discover the identities of the two warriors who would determine the outcome of this battle and possibly the entire war. It was the easier of the two tasks, but finding them would not guarantee success. He clenched his fists, trying not to strike out at the man before him. Hugh needed him for now.
“When do we leave, Eudes? When?”
“Once the weather clears, my lord. The man said they’ve never seen a storm like this before.”
Hugh glanced up at the sky, watching the storm clouds spinning, dumping torrents of rain down on them. Searching to the west, there was no break in those clouds and the sun was completely blocked. It would not be this day, he knew.
“As soon as there is any break in this weather, send that message north to the earl.”
“Aye, my lord.” Eudes did not move away so there must be something else.
“What is it, Eudes?”
“Should I continue to train the men?”
Hugh’s answer to the impertinent question was a gauntleted hand across his half-brother’s face, a blow heavy enough to send the hulk of a man to his knees and to tear open his cheek. “Do not question my orders again.”
The first battle had not been won or lost by the soldiers on the field but by those of the bloodlines with the powers of the ancient gods. Very few who’d witnessed the event understood what they’d seen. Even Eudes, who had seen many strange and inconceivable things while serving Hugh, was no more prepared for what would come than the others.
Hugh crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Eudes to rise. This time Eudes was smart enough not to meet his gaze or to say anything at all. Eudes backed away with bowed head, not daring to touch the new wound in his sight.
If Eudes questioned Hugh, Hugh’s authority would be undermined and his control would waver. Hugh could not allow that. A show of power was called for and he smiled as he contemplated how best to do it. His blood raced and heat built within him as he thought on how and whom to offer up to his goddess to continue in her favor.
His cock rose as his flesh roused at the very idea of burning someone for Chaela. Their encounters always had that result—pleasure of the painful and fleshly kind. How better to worship her than with a sacrifice of the same kind? And in view of all, so that no one would dare question him or his power without remembering the cost of such an offense.
“Eudes!” he called out. The man stopped and returned immediately.
“I require a virgin. Search out the farms we passed,” Hugh ordered. “And a large, flat stone to be placed”—he looked over the area where his troops occupied—“there.” He pointed to the center of the encampment. Eudes lost all color in his face and Hugh smiled again. The man understood what would happen. “Now Eudes.”
His commander nodded and bowed and walked swiftly away to carry out his orders. Small groups went riding off down the roads to the south and west in search of the necessary virgin while others looked for the stone. Though this whole area was filled with large collections of ordinary stones and boulders, they’d passed a hillside covered in an arrangement of stones some miles south that had shimmered with power.
The obedience he’d expected resulted in the arrival of everything he needed and his blood rose in eagerness to shed the virgin’s blood on the stone altar before burning her in honor of his goddess. The disappointment of the last few days was dimmed by the anticipation and excitement he always experienced before and after such an act.
How would it feel when he sacrificed the rest of the Warriors of the Stone Circles? If a simple human sacrifice gained him this much vitality, how much more would be given to him then? He chortled and went to gather what he needed before striding to the center of his soldiers.
Hugh ordered everyone to gather and watch as he proceeded to first sanctify the stone chosen with his own blood before placing the screaming woman there. With the eyes of hundreds on him, he carried out the ceremony slowly, savoring every scream of terror and pain and every drop of blood spilt. He relished every moment of her agony when his seed exploded into her as he became the fire that burned her to ash beneath him. Not even the incessant rain that fell could quench his flames.
Though the rain and storms continued for three more days and into a fourth, not a question was raised about his plans. And there was never even a moment’s hesitation in following his every order.
Power displayed was power proved. Though the delay in sailing did not make him happy, Hugh de Gifford was very pleased with the results of his display of power.
Three
Three daysafter his grandfather was buried, Soren knew he could not ignore the parchment any longer. There had been little time to examine it before, so Soren had put it out of his thoughts and had seen to the tasks needed to ready his lands for spring planting. Those who worked the fields with and for him were in preparations, and soon the fields would be plowed and sown and ready, God willing, to be fertile in the short growing season here.
