Edward shrugged, not particularly caring if the woman joined their meal or not. Thankfully, Alec quickly hustled the woman to the door.
“Do you know the story of the Trojan horse, Alec?” Jubil whispered.
“Aye,” he said shortly, interested in returning the woman to her chamber.
Jubil was nearly dead weight in his arms, leaning against him. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Beware of the threat from within.”
Alec heard her words, but he wasn’t listening. He half-carried her up the stairs, only to be met by Toby. The young knight, having recently returned from seeing to the king’s troops, had just finished changing into a clean tunic to join the festivities.
But Alec had other plans for his brother. He thrust Jubil at him. “Take her. Return her to her chamber and post a guard. I do not want her near the dining hall in her condition.”
Toby took the woman upon him and, as always, was awed by the woman’s mysterious powers. He gazed at her, the delicate face and faded blue eyes, as she smiled up at him.
“Darling Toby. You love your brothers terribly, all but one. You hate him with a vengeance.”
Toby’s brow furrowed as Alec waved his hand at the two of them as if to resign Jubil to the care of the angels; he had no time or desire to deal with her. As his brother retreated down the stairs, Toby assisted Jubil back to her chamber. The older woman kept her empty gaze on him, making him nervous and curious at the same time.
“’Tis a terrible thing to be a bastard,” Jubil whispered as Toby dumped her onto the mattress. “How fortunate that Lord Brian should accept you so.”
Toby did not reply. He did not like to be reminded of his roots and he moved for the door, trying his best to ignore the woman who held such a peculiar fascination for him.
“Do you hate your natural father as well as his son?” she asked, her eyes half-lidded.
Toby stopped, his irritation rising. “I do not know my natural father. Go to sleep, my lady.”
Jubil’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Have you no clues as to who has fathered you?”
There was something in her voice that made Toby nervous. He paused in the half-open door, eyeing Jubil as if she were about to spout forth curses damning him to eternal hell. His common sense told him to leave before it was too late, but the urge of a fatherless boy demanded to hear her through.
“What is it that you know?”
Jubil propped herself up on an elbow, her gaze clouded. “Have you never asked your mother, sweetheart?”
Toby shook his head, his only answer. Jubil smiled a drug-relaxed gesture and patted the bed beside her, motioning for him to sit. With the greatest hesitation, he did as he was asked.
“Your mother loves you,” she said softly, running a finger up his broad arm seductively. “So does Lord Brian, in spite of your shaming circumstances. Look into your heart, sweet Toby. Do you truly have no clue as to who your natural father is?”
Toby gazed at her with veiled terror. Slowly, he shook his head. Jubil smiled faintly, her warm hand caressing his shoulder. “So strong. So young. So unlike your cursed family roots.”
Toby felt the heat from her massaging hand like a roaring blaze. He wanted to pull away, but it was as if he lacked the strength. He could do naught but sit and stare at the woman. His mouth worked nervously as he tried to respond and when he spoke, it was forced and breathless.
“Who, Jubil? Damnation, tell me what you know!”
Jubil tore her gaze away from his powerful young body and fixed him in the eye. “Give me what I want and you shall have your answer.”
His eyes widened as he realized what she meant. He swallowed hard, his gaze unsteadily raking over her body. Although she was old enough to be his mother, she did not lackfor physical beauty and the prospect, strangely, did not disgust him. In fact, if he thought about it, his ideas had not been much different since the day they’d met. He’d always held an unusual interest for the sorceress.
His gaze returned to Jubil’s pale blue orbs. Without a word, he began to remove his clothing. Jubil watched, biting her tongue between her teeth, as he stripped off his tunic to reveal a magnificently trim torso. Before he could move to his breeches, she leapt up from the bed with a cry of passion and sank her teeth deep into the flesh of his abdomen.
Toby grunted with the pain and surprise, knowing that the woman had drawn blood. His first reaction was to pull away from her, but the very moment his hands touched her silken blond hair he found himself pressing her face against his flesh. The harder he pressed, the harder she bit.
“Christ,” he gasped, more aroused than he had ever been in his entire life.
Jubil grinned, pulling her mouth away from the swollen bite. Breathing heavily, Toby watched as she licked the wound, lapping up the pin-points of blood that her teeth had created.
Gazing into Toby’s astonished, flushed face, her soft hands moved for his breeches.
“You will not forget tonight, sweet Toby,” she rasped, freeing his thick manroot with a crow of delight.
