“How many?”
“Twenty-five. Fifty,” he said. “An army. They caught us off guard. We...”
“Take it easy, Lewis. Rest. Help will be here soon.”
“All of them, dead.”
“Rest. Don’t talk,” Gawyn ordered.
Blood bubbled from Lewis’s lips. “They’re coming. They’re...” His hand went limp and slid from Gawyn’s tunic. His eyes glassed over, and he stared, lifeless.
Gawyn straightened. The Hungars were coming. The castle was in jeopardy. He reached out to Lewis and closed his eyes before rising to his feet. There was work to be done. His mind churned. Damien needed to know. The people needed to be protected and the gates closed.
He looked toward Justina. The spot she had stood in was empty. He glanced around, at the bench they had sat on. It was empty. His gaze moved over the courtyard, stopping briefly at the blacksmith shop and the door to the keep. She was gone. He scanned the inner ward for her and caught a glimpse of her wild brown hair as she raced beneath the inner ward gate toward the outer ward. “Justina!” he called, but she didn’t stop. He hurried after her, skirting guards, and peasants. He had to stop her. She couldn’t leave the castle. It wasn’t safe!
By the time he reached the gate, she was gone, swallowed up in a crowd of merchants and commoners. He stared into the outer ward, but there was no sign of her. He couldn’t find her amidst the mass of people filling the outer ward. He cursed quietly.
One of the farms near the border had been burned, but he wasn’t sure which one. It might be her uncle’s farm. Justina wouldn’t go there. He knew Justina was going to find Adam. Adam had gone with Aurora.
Aurora! He glanced back at the castle. He slammed a fist into the wall. He desperately wanted to pursue Justina and make sure she was safe. But he had responsibilities to the castle, the people of Acquitaine and his brother.
Gawyn hurried back to the inner ward. He glanced back at Lewis, satisfied to see the physician had arrived and was kneeling over him. He rushed to the sentry who had raced to get the physician. “Have the guards doubled. Raise the red flag and bring the villagers inside the walls.”
The sentry nodded and hurried away.
Gawyn spun, looking over the sea of people again as if he would magically find Justina. But she wasn’t there. She was gone, and he had a job to perform, responsibilities, duties to see to. The safety of the village and its people had to take precedence over one girl. He knew this, but it didn’t help the crushing weight of guilt and worry that consumed him.
He had to find Damien. Gawyn raced into the keep. He ran through the hallways, dodging servants and merchants. He glanced in the Great Hall quickly, but Damien was not there. He took the spiral staircase two at a time and burst into the hallway. He ran past two nobles huddled in murmured talking to knock on Damien’s solar door.
After a long moment, he pounded again. Finally, the door opened.
Aurora’s lady’s maid, Anna, greeted him with a slight bow.
“Where’s Damien?” Gawyn demanded.
Anna pulled back slightly from his harsh tone. “I don’t know. Perhaps the Great Hall?”
Gawyn didn’t wait for anymore guesses. “If you see him, it is important I speak with him.”
She curtseyed.
A tight knot formed in Gawyn’s stomach. He wanted to go after Justina. He had to make sure she was safe. Yet, he had a dedication to his brother and to Acquitaine. Gawyn charged down the spiral stairway. It was the only time he wished the castle wasn’t so big. As he reached the first floor and ran passed the Great Hall again, he saw a servant and grabbed his arm. “Where is Lord Damien?”
“I saw him heading toward the war room.”
Gawyn spun and ran in that direction. He was wasting time looking for his brother. At least he had gotten word out to double the guard and bring the villagers inside. But it wasn’t enough. It was hardly enough. An army. The Hungars had an army.
Finally, he spotted his brother entering the war room. It was so called because that was where they gathered to discuss matters of safety with the other constables at the castle. Gawyn should have known he would be there. If he wasn’t so tired he would have known. It was the third day of the week and that was always what they did.
Gawyn rushed into the room to see all the constables and lieutenants already seated around a table. Gawyn knew them all. Damien was just taking his seat as he approached him.
“It’s the Hungars,” Gawyn announced. “They’ve attacked Acquitaine.”
