“Not enough!” Nevis growled. “Father Rune is still out there, and the king may have hired even more assassins. It’s my job to protect you.”
“And it’s my job to protect the people of Eberon. Go to the coast and try to capture that pirate. Meanwhile, I think we’ll draw less attention to ourselves as a small group. We’ll pack light, dress plainly, and move quickly. If we stay off the main roads and avoid villages and inns, no one will even know where we are.”
Nevis gave him a skeptical look.
“And don’t forget that my power is still high. I’m very difficult to kill.”
“Difficult to win an argument with,” Nevis grumbled.
“You can accompany us as far as the Ron River,” Leo conceded. “Then you will leave for the coast, and we’ll head north to Ebton.”
* * *
Five days later, they parted at the ferry crossing for the Ron River. The journey through the Duchy of Vindalyn had been smooth since Leo was now the duke and possessed castles along the way for spending the night.
There’d been one awkward moment when they’d left the fortress of Vindemar. After hugging her father good-bye, Luciana had been greeted by the stable master, who had readied her favorite horse for the trip. One look at his wife’s face, and Leo had suspected Luciana didn’t know how to ride.
“Lady Tatiana will ride with me for now,” Leo had announced. “We will bring her horse with us, so she can ride it later if she so desires.”
She’d given him a relieved smile as he’d pulled her up in front of him.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his chest. Her sweet bottom nestled against his groin. “My pleasure.”
When Vindemar was out of sight, he whispered in her ear, “You never learned how to ride?”
She shook her head.
“You’ll be expected to know how at court.” After giving her instructions for a while, she tried riding her horse slowly beside him.
She improved each day, and each night he massaged her sore legs and buttocks, as well as other places that made her writhe with pleasure. Then he teased her that she also needed to learn how to ride her husband with great skill.
Leo smiled to himself. She was a fast learner.
After crossing the Ron River, they moved quickly through the countryside, staying off the main roads. Jensen traveled in front with Brody, who remained in dog form during the day. He remembered Father Rune’s scent from the catacombs, so he preferred to remain as a dog so he could detect if the priest was nearby.
Leo rode beside Luciana, the two of them dressed simply, though he had a sword under his cloak and numerous daggers hidden in his clothes and boots. Edmund remained close by, and behind them, his personal guard Stanley brought up the rear.
Leo estimated it would take four more days to reach Ebton. The first day went smoothly, but on the second day it began raining just after noon. He eyed the sky carefully. There was no sign of lightning. This was nothing more than a summer shower, but still, they were soon drenched and miserable.
Jensen stopped at a farm to ask if he and his friends could have some food and take shelter in the barn for a few silver coins. The elderly couple was thrilled to earn some money with a barn they no longer used and happily sold him two loaves of bread, a wheel of cheese, a roasted chicken, and five bottles of ale.
Leo and his companions settled in the barn, taking care of the horses first. Edmund took the first tour of guard duty, standing outside under the eaves while the rain continued to pour.
Leo took his and Luciana’s saddlebag up to the loft where she was waiting in her soaked gown. They changed into dry clothes, then joined the others below to eat.
At sunset the rain finally stopped, and Leo used his lightning power to light an oil lantern so they could see inside the barn. Stanley took his turn as guard.
Leo was hugging his wife on a makeshift bed of hay in the loft when she suddenly sat up with a gasp.
“What’s wrong?” He shivered as frigid air surrounded them.
“Tatiana,” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“Your sister’s here?” Leo asked.
Luciana nodded. “She wants to see the court at Ebton. And she’s peeved that I didn’t pack any of her beautiful gowns.”
“We needed to travel light. I’ll have some new gowns made for—” He stopped when Luciana held up a hand to hush him.
She frowned as she listened to her sister, then she gave him a worried look. “She says Stanley ventured off into the woods nearby, and he’s talking to some strangers. It’s dark and they were wearing hooded cloaks, so she couldn’t see their faces, but Stanley called one of them Father.”
Leo stiffened. Father Rune? But that would mean Stanley was betraying him. “That can’t be right. Stanley has been with me for four years. He wouldn’t—” Leo fisted his gloved hands. Dammit. He knew from experience that many men would do anything for the right price. “Did your sister see how many?”
Luciana listened for a while, then said, “She didn’t count them, but she believes there are about a dozen.”
Leo glanced at the blank space where his wife was staring and bowed his head. “Thank you, my lady.” He handed one of his daggers to Luciana. “Remain here until it’s safe.”
She nodded. “Be careful.”
He descended the ladder and gathered Edmund, Jensen, and Brody to explain the situation.