Page 14 of Birthright

Oh, but I wanted to.

Manus ran to my side, sword drawn, still looking around for the threat.

“Kendrick. He’s gone,” Tynan growled over my head.

Manus sheathed his sword. “Here? That’s rather bold, isn’t it?”

“Not if he had succeeded.”

Manus gave Tynan a terse look and turned to me, trying to change the subject. “How did you get all the way out here?” I saw his face change from real concern to mild amusement as he looked me over and calmed down.

Anger filled me at his question. They still weren’t going to tell me about the plot against me after another attack! “I know about the Slaugh and my half-sister’s alliances. Kendrick was sent to kill me.”

He took a step backward and a deep breath. “It seems the manor grapevine is wound deeper than I thought,” he said, as he ran a hand through his hair. “You needed to know. I should have told you.”

I glared at him. “But you didn’t, did you? No. I heard it from someone else, and I really didn’t take it all that seriously. I figured if I needed to be so careful that I couldn’t even take a walk on the grounds, my guardian would tell me.”

“Keena.” Manus had the decency to look regretful as he started toward me.

“Don’t you think I could protect myself better if you guys told me exactly what’s going on around me? If I’d heard the truth from you, even Bevin, I’d have taken more precautions. I’m not stupid, and I’m not a child.” Storming off toward the forest, I left with one last look at Tynan. I was trembling from anger, fear, and from the feel of Tynan’s body pressed to mine, from the feelings I had no control over. Anger was easier to deal with, easier to control. Even predictable.

Hogan stumbled from the woods, his clothing torn and tattered, his chest heaving from running. Oh man. He’d be furious at me for mussing his wardrobe, more so than for leaving him behind. I stopped to help him straighten himself, pulling his tunic straight and brushing leaves from his hair, straightening his mohawk. I kissed him on the cheek and gave him a wink that made him blush, which was really cute with his blue cheeks.

“She was riding a ceffyl-dwr,” Hogan huffed toward the other men, trying to catch his breath. The two men looked from him to me, mouths gaping.

“Tattletale!” I re-mussed his hair and started down the path to the manor. Manus stopped me with a stern hand on my arm. “What?” I asked, brushing his hand off.

“The ceffyl-dwr are particular about being ridden, Keena. It’s usually not safe. They take riders off and dump them. That beast brought you to Kendrick?”

No. Definitely not. The horse and I had been communing in the forest, sharing our love of the run and the wild. Coming across Kendrick was not the horse’s fault. He wasn’t part of some horsey plot against me. I knew it. They were not going to blame the horse. “He’s not a beast, and we rode to the ocean, not the Vamp. Kendrick surprised the horse just as much as he did me. The ceffyl…cef…whatever…didn’t do anything wrong.

“The bigger question is—how did Kendrick know I would be here?”

CHAPTER 7

“Hogan,” I said softly, looking at the shimmering gold fabric at my feet. It was beautiful but not what I wanted for the occasion.

Gnomes’ magic was passed to them by their fathers and was geared toward a trade. Gnomes knew what they wanted to be as they grew up and trained their craft for that purpose. Hogan’s mastery of fabric had won his position with the High Priestess at a very young age. He was a meticulous perfectionist, took clothing so seriously at times it was almost comical. A small imperfection in my appearance irritated him profoundly, so my question needed to be asked delicately.

“Yes, my lady?” The brilliant blue surrounding his dark eyes sparkled in the candlelit bathroom.

“Would it be an insult to your talent to request a specific dress for this occasion?” I watched his face for a hint of displeasure. Instead, his smile was full, showing all his tiny, sharp teeth. His little green mohawk tilted to the left.

He bowed. “It is an honor that you liked one of my creations so. What would you like to wear?”

“If it’s appropriate, I’d like the midnight-blue and gold gown you made me the night Lord Tynan returned to his castle.” I had felt beautiful in that gown, and needed all the confidence I could manage this afternoon.

“Very lovely.” He looked pleased, almost giddy. He waved his little hand and mumbled. Piles of silky midnight blue replaced the gold at my feet. With another mumbled incantation, the fabric swirled through the air and wrapped around me. With an inspired grin, he mumbled yet again, and gold-and-blue braided cording twisted into my hair.

In my excitement, I rushed to the mirror in the bedroom. He had done my hair up and twisted and curled it into the fabric. Long tendrils fell around my face and neck, giving me a very feminine look.

Manus came through the door, and his face lit up. “You look divine, my lady.”

“Divine?” Hogan tsked and crossed his arms over his own finely made gold suit. “She is a vision.”

Manus offered me his arm. “It’s almost noon. You ready for this?”

“Do I have a choice?”