Page 44 of The Darkland

There had been a time when Mara had cursed Kirk violently for not having had the courtesy to inform Micheline of the situation; but the truth was, there was nothing any of them could have done even if Micheline hadknown. And Mara accepted the truth, even though her anger had not yet abated. Anger now directed at the two twisted siblings strolling through the trees.

Their taunts in the kitchen yard had upset her. Niles’ reluctant explanation had upset her further. But the final straw had been Micheline’s staunch refusal to tell her anything more. Even when she could look into the woman’s eyes and see what her lips were incapable of bringing forth.

Therefore, she was determined to find her own truth. Out in the wood, where no one could hear the vile conversation. Aye, she was determined to learn the truth of whatever Micheline was in the middle of. To learn the truth and then protect her sister as best she was able.

Edmund and Johanne paused in a small clearing, kissing and fondling one another until Mara thought she truly might become ill. But it only served to reinforce her conviction to clarify the situation and she stepped away from the tree, completely focused on the two wicked participants of incest. Taking a step in their direction, she made her advance.

Until a hand clamped over her mouth. A huge arm went about her waist, hoisting her into the dense trees before she could utter a sound. But the shock quickly wore off, turning into an explosion of panic and she kicked violently, struggling to free herself. Deeper and deeper she was dragged, the canopy above blocking out the sun, until her attacker suddenly dropped to his knees and took her down with him.

“Not a word, Mara.” It was Kirk, hot on her ear.

Shaken and disoriented, Mara tried to twist away from him. But he held her tight, grasping her wrists when she tried to hit him. In their battle, Mara ended up on the carpet of leaves and Kirk was pressed atop her, his stone-gray eyes blazing.

“Enough!” he hissed.

Chest heaving with exertion and fright, Mara met his intense gaze with her usual defiance. “Let me go!”

He shifted his weight in response, nearly crushing her. “Do you have a dagger somewhere on your person that I should be aware of?”

She grunted as his body smashed her, finding it difficult to breathe in more ways than one. “A… a dagger? Of course not! Where would I get one?”

He shushed her sternly, glancing over his shoulder to see where Edmund and Johanne were. He caught sight of Niles, watching him from several yards away, and nodded his head curtly at the man. Niles took the hint and disappeared in the direction of the Castle.

Kirk remained silent as Edmund and Johanne, completely oblivious to the chaos going on around them, continued their walk and faded into the distance. Then, and only then, did Kirk rise and haul Mara to her feet.

“What are you doing out here?” his tone was not kind.

She brushed off her bum, rubbing her ribs where his torso had bruised her. “Looking for answers,” she said boldly. “If no one will tell me what I wish to know, then I shall find out for myself.”

“By attacking Edmund and Johanne?”

“I wasn’t going to attack them. I was going to speak with them and demand they tell me the truth.”

Kirk’s expression was stern. “It’s none of your affair, Mara. Micheline told you as much and you would do well to heed her.”

He could see the hurt, the confusion, in her eyes. After a moment, he saw the wall of defiance crumble and suddenly he was looking into a very sad, very lost, expression.

“Why?” she demanded, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Why won’t anyone tell me what is going on?”

He felt himself weaken. But when he instinctively reached out to touch her, she pulled away. Kirk gazed at her, feeling her rejection to his soul.

“What do you want to know?” he asked softly. “And, more importantly, does your very life hang in the balance if you do not discover these answers?”

Mara turned away from him, her worn slippers crunching the moldering leaves. “Something happened to my sister in Edmund’s bedchamber and no one will tell me what it was. Not even my sister.”

Kirk watched her deliciously petite figure, wishing he could simply reach out and hold her. “What happens between a wife and her husband is a private matter, Mara,” he followed her, slowly, as she moved away. “And what led you to believe that anything out of the ordinary happened?”

She paused, picking at her nails as she so often did when subdued or confused. “Edmund and Johanne inferred as much. Edmund said my sister pleased them both. And Johanne said she would teach my sister what she needed to know in order to please Edmund,” she suddenly turned on him, the brilliant eyes filled with emotion. “If it was your sister they were speaking of, how would you react?”

He sighed heavily, looking away as he pondered his reply. He couldn’t stand the pain in her eyes. “I would want to know, of course. But that still does not make the matter any of your affair.”

Mara was silent a moment, watching his beautiful face, realizing he was reluctant to meet her head-on as he usually did. It suddenly occurred to her that he knew more than he was telling her and she swallowed hard, approaching him as he stared at the ground and chewed his lip.

“Was it truly awful?”

He looked up, meeting her gaze. “Why would you ask me this?”

“Because you know. I can tell. Was Edmund truly awful to Micheline?”