You’re such a dear.”
“Of course, my lady,” Hellen said.
Olyva watched as Hellen left the room. Then she resumed her pacing. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. She flung it open and pulled Rafe into the room. He was the exact opposite of Brutas. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a head full of thick dark hair which he kept tied back with a leather thong. He was thin and moved with a grace that Olyva both admired and envied. He wore a long narrow sword on his left hip, and a dagger was tucked into his belt on his right side. Olyva flung herself into his arms.
“Oh, I was so worried about you,” she said.
“I’m fine,” he assured her.
“It was maddening to be stuck down here.”
“I’m sorry for that,” Rafe said, although he personally had no power over where Olyva went or what she did. If he was caught holding her the way he was, he would be executed for treason, or worse still, banished from Avondale.
“What was it?” she asked.
“A Forkus; it’s sort of a big cow, but scarier. We turned it back easily enough.”
“I wish I could have seen it. I wish we didn’t have to hide our love.”
“I know, I wish that too. But we have to be careful. No one can ever know how we feel.”
Then he kissed her. It was a long passionate kiss that Olyva felt all the way in her toes. She fancied boys in the past, but her feelings for Rafe were different. She wanted to be with him forever and not just as a wife or mother to his children. She wanted to share in his adventures, to support him whether he was fighting on the city walls or planning strategy in the Earl’s war room. Of course she knew that would never happen. She was promised to Brutas, who no doubt saw her as a trophy to be trotted out like trained dog when the occasion called for it, but at all other times she was to be out of sight. Her world would soon shrink down to a pinpoint, and her heart would shrivel up and die.
“Take me away,” she whispered.
“And go where?” Rafe said. “There’s no place in the city we could hide that Leonosis wouldn’t find us.”
“Then we could leave Avondale,” she pleaded.
“No,” Rafe said, his face stern. “We knew our fate. We knew our love could never last. We cannot live in a fantasy. It would cost us everything.”
“I would gladly give up everything just to be with you,” she said.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do,” she said, her hands on his shoulders, her large brown eyes filling with tears. “I would rather die with you than live a hundred lifetimes with a man I don’t love.”
“Brutas will treat you well,” Rafe said, the words sounding like thorns being shoved into his heart.
“You know I don’t love him. I can never love anyone but you.”
“I love you too,” Rafe said.
Olyva laid her head against his chest and listened as his heart slowly beat. She had never felt as safe as she did in his arms. And she knew she couldn’t stay.
Chapter 3
Lexi
The call to arms was the perfect distraction. Lexi had been on her way to find Tiberius anyway, but with the guards moving into defensive positions on the city walls, slipping into the royal palace was easy enough. The palace was a large structure, but the lower levels were reserved for servants. Lexi meandered down past the stables, winking mischievously at the young boy who served as the stableman’s apprentice. He smiled and looked away. Lexi darted into the corridor that ran under the east wing of the palace. Boxes of food were stored in the cool confines of the corridor, waiting to be loaded into the great airship that floated above the palace. The food would be sent to King Aethel as part of the royal tribute that each city paid.
Lexi ignored the food boxes and made her way to the stairway that led up into the palace. She had met Tiberius there many times in the past. Lexi liked Ti, he was open minded and fair, but she didn’t let her feelings go too far. She was a
“Of course, my lady,” Hellen said.
Olyva watched as Hellen left the room. Then she resumed her pacing. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. She flung it open and pulled Rafe into the room. He was the exact opposite of Brutas. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a head full of thick dark hair which he kept tied back with a leather thong. He was thin and moved with a grace that Olyva both admired and envied. He wore a long narrow sword on his left hip, and a dagger was tucked into his belt on his right side. Olyva flung herself into his arms.
“Oh, I was so worried about you,” she said.
“I’m fine,” he assured her.
“It was maddening to be stuck down here.”
“I’m sorry for that,” Rafe said, although he personally had no power over where Olyva went or what she did. If he was caught holding her the way he was, he would be executed for treason, or worse still, banished from Avondale.
“What was it?” she asked.
“A Forkus; it’s sort of a big cow, but scarier. We turned it back easily enough.”
“I wish I could have seen it. I wish we didn’t have to hide our love.”
“I know, I wish that too. But we have to be careful. No one can ever know how we feel.”
Then he kissed her. It was a long passionate kiss that Olyva felt all the way in her toes. She fancied boys in the past, but her feelings for Rafe were different. She wanted to be with him forever and not just as a wife or mother to his children. She wanted to share in his adventures, to support him whether he was fighting on the city walls or planning strategy in the Earl’s war room. Of course she knew that would never happen. She was promised to Brutas, who no doubt saw her as a trophy to be trotted out like trained dog when the occasion called for it, but at all other times she was to be out of sight. Her world would soon shrink down to a pinpoint, and her heart would shrivel up and die.
“Take me away,” she whispered.
“And go where?” Rafe said. “There’s no place in the city we could hide that Leonosis wouldn’t find us.”
“Then we could leave Avondale,” she pleaded.
“No,” Rafe said, his face stern. “We knew our fate. We knew our love could never last. We cannot live in a fantasy. It would cost us everything.”
“I would gladly give up everything just to be with you,” she said.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do,” she said, her hands on his shoulders, her large brown eyes filling with tears. “I would rather die with you than live a hundred lifetimes with a man I don’t love.”
“Brutas will treat you well,” Rafe said, the words sounding like thorns being shoved into his heart.
“You know I don’t love him. I can never love anyone but you.”
“I love you too,” Rafe said.
Olyva laid her head against his chest and listened as his heart slowly beat. She had never felt as safe as she did in his arms. And she knew she couldn’t stay.
Chapter 3
Lexi
The call to arms was the perfect distraction. Lexi had been on her way to find Tiberius anyway, but with the guards moving into defensive positions on the city walls, slipping into the royal palace was easy enough. The palace was a large structure, but the lower levels were reserved for servants. Lexi meandered down past the stables, winking mischievously at the young boy who served as the stableman’s apprentice. He smiled and looked away. Lexi darted into the corridor that ran under the east wing of the palace. Boxes of food were stored in the cool confines of the corridor, waiting to be loaded into the great airship that floated above the palace. The food would be sent to King Aethel as part of the royal tribute that each city paid.
Lexi ignored the food boxes and made her way to the stairway that led up into the palace. She had met Tiberius there many times in the past. Lexi liked Ti, he was open minded and fair, but she didn’t let her feelings go too far. She was a