Shadow Fallen Page 3

  Sweat broke out on his forehead. Could he have conjured her? Was this some trick of the light?

  A low gasp escaped her lips as her chest rose with a deep breath. His men stepped back in unison, some crossing themselves as if they feared her as much as they feared him.

  That finally broke through his mental fog.

  Superstitious fools!

  Regaining control of himself and forcing away his initial shock, Valteri scoffed at their ridiculousness.

  And his own. She was a woman.

  Plain and simple.

  No more. No less. How she’d infiltrated his dreams, he didn’t know, but he refused to believe for one moment that she had any more supernatural power than he did.

  Indeed, too many years of people crossing themselves whenever they looked upon him had left him skeptical over the presence of demons and witches. Warlocks and elves, and other such nonsense.

  He believed in nothing save his own sword arm.

  Had there ever been a God, He’d abandoned him long ago. And so Valteri had chosen to return the favor.

  Her long, dark lashes fluttered open, displaying a beautiful pair of deep blue eyes. Aye, the wench was as lovely as any he’d ever seen, and he could imagine how angry her lord must be over her loss. No doubt he was frantically searching everywhere for her.

  A frown creased her brow and she sat up, rubbing her forehead as if an ache beat inside her skull. “Where am I?”

  His body inflamed by the sound of her rich voice speaking flawless Norman French, Valteri stared at her. How had a Norman lady come to be stranded in the middle of Saxon lands?

  And she was no doubt a lady. Her dress and manner could never belong to serf or merchant.

  “You are in Ravenswood Hall, milady.” He waited for her to look at him and cringe in terror. It was what everyone did the first time they saw his mismatched eyes.

  Most recoiled in horror. Some had held their hands up to shield themselves, as if terrified his very gaze upon them would mark them for the devil or cause them to burst into flames.

  Others had spat at him. Insulted him and his parents. Truly, he couldn’t catalogue all the abuse he’d taken in his life for one accident of birth.

  But instead, she turned toward him and met his gaze unflinchingly. “Do I know this place?”

  It was his turn to frown. “Do you not know yourself?”

  “Aye. I’m Ariel.”

  “Then why did you ask—”

  “But, I can’t remember aught else.” To his surprise, the terror in her eyes was not directed at him, but at some inner turmoil as she glanced about, then down at the floor. “There was a shadow.…” She looked up at him with a sad, vulnerable gaze, and a wave of protectiveness blasted away all the layers of hardness he’d erected around his heart. “A smelly shadow…”

  Angered over the unexpected sensation, Valteri took another step back, unsure of himself.

  Worse? He actually wanted to touch her.

  No good could come of that. A woman such as this had a lord looking for her, no doubt. She belonged to her husband—was his most valuable property.

  Given the curse that had been levied upon him on his birth, he knew better than to lay a single hand to her. There was no telling what her lord would do if he dared such an affront, and while he had no fear of any man, he didn’t want to start a war with his brother over some random woman.

  He had enough problems in his life. There was no need in adding that.

  Nay, he had to find her husband and remove her from here posthaste, before any more unfounded rumors began to spread.

  “Is this my home? Are you my husband?” she whispered to him.

  That unexpected question tore through him like a lance. For a moment, Valteri wished he could answer aye.

  And what an odd thing that was. Never in his entire life had he ever wanted an attachment of any sort, especially not to a woman. He couldn’t imagine why he’d even think of wanting one now.

  “Nay, milady. You were found in a field.”

  More confused sadness darkened her eyes, and he wondered what memories plagued her.

  Not that it mattered. She was no concern of his, and he had to make sure it stayed that way.

  Valteri turned, calling to one of the serving women who watched on from the shadows. “Take the lady to my room and attend her needs.” He spoke in English so that she could understand him.

  The crone nodded and moved to help Ariel rise.

  Ariel looked at the woman and her face blanched. Like a cat, she hissed and recoiled from her.

  Valteri had no time to process her actions before she scrambled from the bench and grabbed at his waist. Before he could react, she pulled his sword from the sheath at his side and stepped back.

  Even more shockingly, she went after the old woman.

  No one had ever dared touch him, not even when he was a child. That was startling enough. But what truly floored him was the skill she showed as she lunged at the crone with deadly intent.

  He barely disarmed her before she sliced the old woman in twain. “What is wrong with you, milady?”

  Her nostrils flaring, she tried to take the sword from his hand. “She means me harm!”

  Her entire body shook, and beneath her fury, he saw panicked terror there. She believed what she said.

  To his shock, she took his arm in her hands as he continued to hold his sword away from her. “Please, you must listen. She’s death!”

  He’d never had a woman touch him in such a manner and he found it deeply disturbing.

  “Why does she frighten you?” He looked from the top of her pale head to the face of the old crone, who appeared every bit as baffled as he was.

  And yet …

  He wouldn’t be so quick to judge. Not after all he’d seen and experienced. Too well, he knew the dual nature of people. How they could be loving and kind to those around them, and then lash out without mercy against innocent children.

  Boys like him.

  Kindhearted boys like Wace, who’d never done anything except try to please them.

  For no reason whatsoever.

  It was enough to drive anyone to violence.

  Anyone to madness.

  There had been a time when he’d been an innocent child who’d wanted nothing more than a mother’s love. A boy who had only wanted peace.

  All he’d been given was pain and condemnation. Until he’d learned to strike the first blow and protect himself from their cruelty.

  Nay, he wouldn’t judge this woman. Not until he knew all the facts.

  More importantly, all the players.

  “I may not remember myself, but I remember her! She wants me dead!”

  The crone appeared so eerily calm and innocent that it set off his hackles. How could she remain such given the vicious attack that she’d almost suffered? The open hostility of a noblewoman who could order her death for no reason whatsoever?

  That told him much, as he’d seen monsters like the crone in his past. Those who preyed on others and then played the innocent victim after they’d pushed their target too far.

  “Nay, lord, I prithee for mercy. I would never harm her ladyship.” The crone spoke in English, letting him know that somehow she’d learned French enough to understand it, but not respond in it.

  Ariel stiffened. “There’s nothing wrong with my mind! I can’t explain my feelings. But I know she means me harm. I know it!”

  “I could never harm so fair an angel.”

  Ariel scowled. “Angel,” she whispered. She looked up at him and all the agony in her eyes tore through him. “There’s something…” Her voice trailed off, and her eyes glazed as if she drifted back into her past.

  “It’s all right.” Valteri resheathed his sword. “I’ve seen a number of men fall during battle after receiving a blow to the head. Many times they lose their sense for a brief time, but it always returns.”

  The lady had probably been riding and thrown from her horse. Or mayhap someon
e had been chasing her. It would explain why she had no escort or mount.

  When she fell, she must have hit her head and rattled her brain.

  He looked at the crone, his gaze stern. “Until milady remembers herself, I want you to stay away from her.”

  The crone nodded and withdrew.

  Valteri turned to Ariel and held his hand out for her to take it. “Come, milady, I’ll show you to your room.”

  Her warm, soft hand enclosed the emptiness of his palm, soothing his rough calluses. She looked at him as if he were her savior, something no one had ever done before, and it did unimaginable things to him.

  Kindness and desire were alien concepts for someone like him. Tenderness even more so.

  And that expression on her face …

  Valteri knew better than to imagine the thoughts that suddenly leapt into his mind. Thoughts of her supple body in his arms while he kissed those perfect lips, and lost himself to her warmth. Aye, those images were raw and they left a biting hunger in his soul that made him crave an ice-cold bath.

  It was all kinds of wrong, and he knew it.

  He closed his eyes and released her hand as his breathing turned ragged. He had to banish any such thoughts.

  She was a decent lady and he was a monster. Whatever he did, he must always remember that.

  He belonged on a battlefield. She needed to return to her husband and the comforts of a welcoming home.

  Leading Ariel past the raised table, he entered the small foyer and pushed open a door. He stepped back, waiting for her to enter his chambers.

  She looked up at him with a shy smile that sent even more blood to his nether regions.

  Damn them both for it.

  Valteri clenched his teeth. How could he burn so for something he could never have? The monks were right. He was damned and cursed. There was no other reason for her to be here, tempting him like this.

  Something, somewhere, surely hated his guts.

  Without a word, she walked into his room—because the image of her in his chambers helped the fire in his loins not even a little bit.

  She wandered around, touching various items as if she’d never seen such a place before.

  How strange …

  Because he traveled so much, he kept very little for himself. Especially since he was so eager to leave this world, there was no need to collect anything more than the bare necessities he needed to survive. A razor and strop. Comb. An extra buckle. Truly the only thing remarkable about his belongings was the fact that they were so common and so few.

  Yet she picked up his buckle to finger it, then placed it back beside his comb before she stared at it curiously.

  Where had she come from to be so enthralled over his meager items?

  When she stepped to the window, she gave a small squeak. “Oh my!” There was a hint of laughter in her voice. “What are you doing out there?”

  Scowling, Valteri moved forward to see what had captured her attention.

  Who was she talking to?

  Again, he doubted her sanity.

  Until she reached outside his window to grab a tiny black mass of recognizable fur that wasn’t supposed to be there.

  “Come inside, little one,” she said softly. “’Tis a chill in the air I’m sure you don’t need.”

  Valteri paused as she turned around with his kitten held tenderly in her arms. He stared in awe of her gentle hands stroking the soft black fur while Cecile nuzzled against her shoulder.

  He was ever at a loss with that poor animal that had much more curiosity than sense. To this day, he wasn’t sure if the bag he’d found her in on the side of the road was something she’d climbed into by accident, or if someone had put her in it in an effort to kill her.

  All he’d known was that she’d been on the brink of starvation and her pitiful cries had touched him as he struggled to bring her here and see her fed and in much better health. He still bore scars on his hand where the terrified thing had clawed him in terror, until she realized that he meant her no harm.

  Valteri moved to stand closer to Ariel. Mayhap a little too close given the licentious thoughts in his mind where she was concerned. “Are you not afraid?” Most people shied away from the wee beastie as if it were as cursed as he was.

  Ariel looked up at him with a frown. “Afraid of a little kitten? Nay, why should I be?”

  He just stared at her. Ever since he’d saved the tiny cockeyed creature, everyone had run from his unorthodox pet in fear and suspicion. Many had called her his familiar and swore that it was proof he was the devil’s son.

  Ariel kissed the kitten and stroked its ears. “Do you have a name?”

  “Cecile.”

  “What a peculiar name for a cat.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve always had a fondness for it.” Though why, he couldn’t say. “And she doesn’t seem to mind it.”

  Ariel smiled and once more he felt his control wane under the beauty of her features, the happy glint beneath the sapphire hue. When she looked back at him, his stomach wrenched as if someone had struck a fierce blow just below his heart. “And what of you, milord. Do you have a name?”

  “Valteri.” He waited for the familiar mockery to darken her gaze, given that he was named for a demon lord. One who was known for his ferocity and command of legions of demons. The brothers in the monastery where he’d been tortured as a boy had proclaimed that his namesake had begun every day by eating the entrails of unbaptized infants.

  Why his mother had chosen to name him such, he could only imagine.

  Her smile widened. “It suits you.”

  His gut twisted. Her face may not show it, but she did mock him and his cursed looks. Why else would she say such a thing?

  With a gasp, she set Cecile on the bed, then took a step forward with her hand raised as if to touch him. “I meant no offense to you, milord.”

  He moved away from her reach, his lips curled. “You cannot offend me, milady. ’Twould seem fate itself has already done so.”

  And his bitchtress mother when she’d saddled him with a moniker that was second only to Lucifer’s when it came to unholy deeds that were used to frighten small children and make grown men tremble.

  His anger raging inside, he turned around and left her, taking care to slam the door behind him to vent some of his fury before he abused a more sentient creature. He was done with this world.

  Damn them all.

  And damn God above for giving him eyes of two different colors to be feared by everyone who looked upon him.

  * * *

  Ariel stepped forward, then stopped as Cecile meowed. She looked to the kitten. “You think I should leave him alone?”

  Cecile cocked her head slightly before she rushed from the bed and collided with the small chest under the window.

  Deciding Cecile might be right about Valteri and his mood, Ariel picked the kitten up and helped her find her food bowl.

  The poor little creature’s eyes were so badly crossed, it couldn’t walk straight.

  Stroking the kitten’s neck, she watched Cecile eat the carefully cubed meat left on the floor. What a pair the two of them made—Cecile couldn’t find what she needed any more than Ariel could.

  She sighed in complete frustration. Why couldn’t she remember anything? She knew her name. How to talk … how to do everything except recall her past.

  How can I not know who am I?

  Where had she come from?

  How had she gotten here?

  Why was she alone?

  Nothing made sense, and honestly, it was terrifying.

  The fleeting images that kept passing before her eyes were impossible. She saw hundreds of strange people and places that seemed completely unrelated, and yet how could that be?

  Some of them didn’t even appear to be of this earth.

  “Why do I know how to use a sword?”

  She could make no sense of it. Still, she knew deep inside that if she could just find her way back to her memory it would al
l make sense again. She would know who she was and why she was here.

  Why she had such disturbing images and thoughts …

  After finishing her meal, Cecile set about cleaning herself.

  Unable to rest while she was so confused and unsure, Ariel pushed herself up from the floor and walked to the window, where she saw Valteri crossing the yard, dressed in his chain mail and black surcoat emblazoned with a per bar sinister argent and gules and a lion salient or—his coat of arms. The lion and colors seemed highly fitting for such a proud warrior.

  Yet he stood out from the other knights around him. And not just because he chose to wear his blond hair long while theirs was sheared to their ears.

  It was his air of barely leashed fury that set him apart. That aura that said he was one step away from gutting anyone who came near him. His rage was so potent that it sizzled in the air around him, letting everyone know that he was like a caged beast, ready to attack.

  He was ferocious and wild. A creature of absolute beauty, who stood a full head taller than those around him. His features were finely carved as if by a master sculptor. Never had she seen a better-looking man. Nor one who bled such a contradiction of violence and compassion.

  She smiled at his confident stride, then looked back at Cecile. A cross-eyed kitten was a peculiar companion for such a fierce warrior. Yet somehow it suited him.

  A strange warmth flooded her breast at the mere thought of Valteri. When she’d first opened her eyes and seen his concern, she’d been certain that she belonged to him. That this was her home.

  Even now, she had a strange sense of belonging here.

  To him.

  And she couldn’t explain it.

  But she definitely understood wanting him. He was the most spectacular man she’d ever beheld. His long, white-blond hair reminded her of the brightest snow-covered field.

  And his eyes …

  One the bright green of the deepest sea. The other, the rich brown of ground cinnamon. While they were a bit disconcerting at first, they were so unusual as to be absolutely riveting. Haunting in their complete opposition to one another and each one filled with intelligence and torment.

  They reminded her of someone.…

  Closing her eyes, she struggled to remember who. In the back of her mind was a tiny nugget of a memory.