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Bria looked up to see Kenric staring at her, a grin quirking his lips.

She scrambled to her feet. “No!” she shouted. “Please, Terran.”

Terran turned his back on her, moving out of the Great Hall. “No!” Bria screamed as Kenric grabbed her arm.

Chapter twenty-seven

As Bria moved down a long set of stairs, the sunlight faded and then vanished altogether. The only light came from the few torches on the wall. Behind her, the footsteps of two guards echoed softly.

Down they went into the darkness, until they reached what felt like the very bottom of the castle. The air was cool and damp. Bria scanned the small room, which was illuminated by a lone flickering candle on a table in the corner. The stone walls were moist and speckled with a mossy growth. Ahead of her stretched a dark corridor, from which emanated occasional moans.

“Well,” a voice behind her said.

Bria turned to see Kenric emerging from the stairway. The flame flickered over the sharp ridges of his face as he approached. “Not exactly where you expect to find the lady of Castle Knowles.”

Bria’s skin crawled as he stepped near her. He studied her face, and she turned her gaze toward the darkness.

“You may leave us,” Kenric commanded the guards.

Bria snapped her gaze back to Kenric. Shivers of apprehension raced along her spine.

The guards turned and moved toward the stairs. Bria had a sudden urge to call them back, to beg them to stay, but she closed her mouth quickly.

The guards quietly disappeared up the stairs, and she was alone with Kenric. Fearful images of her childhood rose to the forefront of her mind.

She blinked her eyes, trying to erase the visions. She succeeded in pushing the terrible images from her mind, but those black, black eyes of Kenric’s still stared at her as if he read her thoughts. A smile curved his lips.

“Bria...”

Bria straightened slightly at the intended insult.

Kenric chuckled slightly. “Of course I meant ‘my lady’,” he said mockingly.

Bria swallowed. There was no sword strapped to his waist, so he would not run her through. What could he do?

He moved slowly around her until he was behind her. “Do you remember the bramble patch?” he asked.

Bria stiffened as his breath fanned her neck. He was right behind her, standing near her, taunting her, making her afraid. He loved to have people fear him. She had seen it as Bria and as the Midnight Shadow. She lifted her chin, but refused to be baited by his taunts.

“That was quite some while ago,” Kenric whispered. “Perhaps you’ve forgotten.”

Bria still said nothing.

“Who is the Midnight Shadow?” Kenric demanded.

What could she tell him? She could no more tell Kenric than she could Terran.

Terran. He didn’t care about her. He’d abandoned her to Kenric. A strange sadness came over her at his betrayal. She’d wanted to start the marriage out right, to try to make it work. But how could they make it work when he treated his people so horribly? When he left her standing alone on the stairs of the castle while he took his mistress inside the stone keep? When he let Kenric question her?

Suddenly Kenric’s hands were loosening the hooks of her dress. Bria tore away from his touch, demanding, “What are you doing?”

Kenric’s lips twisted in a grimace of dark amusement. “I’m questioning you.” He took a step forward. “Who is the Midnight Shadow?”

Bria stepped quickly away until she came up against the cold, wet stone wall. She opened her mouth to reply, but promptly closed it. What could she tell him? “You’d never believe me,” she said.

“Try me,” he ordered.

At her hesitation, Kenric reached around behind her, almost in an embrace, touching her neck with his hand and her shoulder with his arm. Bria slunk back, trying to protect herself by leaning into the wall. She fought back a shiver as the cold wetness of the wall began to seep inside her.