Threads of Destiny

Chapter Three

As he strode down the steps to the great hall for breakfast the next morning, Marc was still unsettled by the realistic dream from the night before. He could feel the smoothness of feminine skin beneath his fingers, taste her sweet lips and smell the perfume of her arousal. “Kathryn.” He whispered her name, savoring the sound of it.

He hadn’t slept much last night, instead tossing and turning as he relived every single moment he’d spent with her over and over again. His cock began to stir and he groaned. He’d been forced to give himself some relief during the night but it certainly hadn’t helped beyond the moment. He was still aroused and hungry.

The only problem was that the woman he wanted was only a figment of his dreams.

He still hadn’t found the missing vest but was trying not to dwell on it. Maybe he’d taken it off before he’d fallen asleep in the chair and a servant had sneaked in and taken it to be cleaned. That was the logical explanation. He had several vests, so there was no need for him to be concerned. It had been a dream. Nothing more. The tapestry had already been here twice in this generation and that was one more time than was normal.

Wanting his dream woman to be true did not make her so.

Although he still didn’t understand why there had been two strange men in the dream. If he’d had his way, he’d have been alone with her. But, dreams were what they were. The men had probably been there because, in Javara, no man had a woman to himself, so he expected to share her. That was enough of an explanation to suit him for now.

Jarek was already seated in his customary chair at the head of the family table, which was on a slightly raised dais with all the other tables perpendicular to it. Extra tables had been added for the three-day feast. Last night was just the beginning. There would be competitions and food aplenty for the next two days.

Christina spotted him first as she placed a large platter of food on the table and waved him over. “Come sit and talk with us.”

He strode toward her and offered her a smile. “Good morning.” Bending down, he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Sliding into the seat beside hers, he helped himself to a slice of the thick, brown bread and slathered it with honey. He wasn’t really hungry but knew that not to eat was to invite unwanted questions.

“I’ll just help Mara in the kitchen.” Christina shot him a worried look before hurrying off. He knew then that there was no escaping the coming confrontation with his brother.

“Marc,” Jarek began. “You have not been happy these past months.” He stared at Jarek, trying to figure out a way to explain how he felt that would not make his brother feel responsible in any way. Jarek was dressed as he was, in leather pants, boots and vest. They both wore thick bronze arm and wristbands and a four-foot sword sat in a scabbard at their waists. They were similar in build but their coloring was different. Jarek’s hair was black, while his was dark brown. His brother’s eyes were brown, while his were more golden in color. But the differences were more than just physical. In the past six years, Marc sensed a deepening contentment in his brother that had not existed before Christina came into his life. He was happy for his brother but he felt a growing restlessness inside himself.

“I have not been unhappy,” he began.

Jarek slammed his fist down onto the table in a rare show of temper. The plates and cutlery all shook and clattered and Marc had to grab the cup in front of him to keep it from falling over. “You are my brother. Do you think I do not know that you are feeling restless and unsettled? Do you think I have not noticed that it has been a year since you sought out Christina and our bed?”

Marc shook his head, setting the cup back on the table before facing Jarek. “I cannot.” It was as simple and as complicated as that. “I do not belong there. Christina is yours. She has always been yours.” He held up his hand to silence his brother. “Do not deny what is the truth. Christina has feelings for me but they are the feelings a woman has for a brother, not a lover. Everything was fine at first but changed when she gave birth to Baron. We both know he is my son.” The boy’s coloring was exactly as Marc’s—

brown hair and golden eyes.

The words Marc had never spoken were now there in front of them. Jarek sighed and nodded. “I know,” he whispered softly. “But he is the son of my heart. He is mine.” Marc nodded, forcing himself not to rub his chest as the old ache arose. “I know but I will not have another child I cannot claim.”

He heard a stifled cry behind him and whirled around in his seat. Christina stood there, her hand over her mouth, her face white. “Christina.” He pushed out of his chair and came to his feet, taking a step toward her. “There is nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Nothing for me to be concerned about?” She repeated his words back to him, a frown forming on her face as she fisted her hands by her side. “How can you say that? I know you’ve been unhappy for such a long time now. How can I make it better?” His heart began to pound heavily in his chest. How he adored this woman. In fact, he loved her, but not in the way he had when she’d first arrived. Now he knew she was his brother’s woman. Surprisingly, he’d come to terms with it quite easily. It didn’t make being alone any easier but it was what it was. None of them could change how they felt.

“Come here.” He opened his arms to her and she gave a small cry before flinging herself into them. Closing them around her, he hugged her tightly, lowering his head so he could whisper in her ear. “You cannot change the fact that you love Jarek. No,” he held her in his grip when she started to pull away. “It is the way it is supposed to be, Christina. You were never mine.” He paused. “Well, maybe you were mine for a few months but that is all. And now the way I love you is different. I know you understand.”

This time when she pulled away, he let her. Her blue eyes were luminous with unshed tears and one of them trickled down her cheek. She dashed it away with the back of her hand. “I don’t know what to do.”

“There is nothing to do. I want you and Jarek to be happy. You have three healthy, beautiful children and you will have more. You will raise them and I will be their doting uncle.” He offered her a smile before looking over her head at his brother.

Jarek was watching them, concern etched on his face but Marc sensed the resignation as well. Good. He wanted them both to accept his feelings and embrace their life together without worrying about him.

A noise drifting in from the entryway had him stepping in front of Christina to shield her from whoever was coming. The guests had set up large, ornate tents in the courtyard for their comfort and privacy, as the castle could not accommodate all of them. The voices became distinct as the Bakra brothers and their wives came into view, followed closely by the Fairmount brothers. The day was starting and the guests were arriving for breakfast. The quiet family time was over.

“I’ll go tell Mara we need to start serving our guests.” He turned his head but Christina was already on her way to the kitchen.

Appetite gone, he shot his brother a look.

“Give her time. This situation is not easy on any of us.” Jarek rose from his seat to meet his guests. “She feels as if she has failed us somehow.” Pain shot through Marc. “There is no need for her to think that. This is no one’s fault.”

Jarek nodded. “I know. But that does not make it any easier on any of us.”

“I’m going riding. I’ll be back in time for the competitions later.” With that, he turned on his heel and strode from the room, calling a greeting to his friends and their wives as he left.

He went straight to the stables and saddled his horse. Man and beast were as one as they galloped over the countryside but no matter how far they ran, a growing restlessness filled Marc. Something was coming but he didn’t know what. He could feel it in his bones.

By the time he returned, the courtyard was filled with men and women enjoying the various skills competitions that had been set up as entertainment. Many of the men called to him, taunting him good-naturedly as he strode into the castle. His brother was engaged in a sword fight but made quick work of his competition when he saw Marc.

Saluting his fallen opponent, he accepted the congratulations of the men around him.

Marc knew his brother would be close behind him, so he took the stairs two at a time and hurried to his room. He just needed a moment alone before he joined the crowd. He’d barely shut the door behind him when there was a low tap. It couldn’t be Jarek. His brother wouldn’t bother to knock.

“Come,” he called as he plucked a leather thong off the mantle and began to wrap it around his hair at the nape. He needed it out of the way if he was going to compete.

The door was pushed open and Christina stood just outside, a tray in her hands. “I thought you’d be hungry. You didn’t eat much breakfast.” She looked beautiful as always, with her waist-length blonde hair flowing free and a dark blue gown clinging to every curve. As a man, Marc could appreciate her beauty but it no longer did anything for him sexually.

“Thank you.” He motioned her inside, not liking the way she hesitated. “There is no need for you to knock at my door, Christina. You are always welcome.” She gave him a tiny smile and came forward, placing the tray on the table in front of the fireplace. “We’re okay, aren’t we?” She shifted from one foot to the other and plucked unconsciously at the lacing on her dress.

Hair tied back, Marc came forward and cupped her face in his hands. Christina had a beautiful spirit. His brother was a very lucky man. “Yes.” He kissed her forehead.

“There is nothing to be concerned about.”

He knew his brother was standing in the doorway watching them. Raising his head, he nodded slowly. Jarek nodded back. They knew that everything had changed but they would be fine. They were family.

“What’s this?” Christina pulled away from him and walked over to the end of the bed. She gasped and began to sway. “No, it can’t be.” He could hear the horror in her voice as he rushed toward her.

Marc reached her side just a step ahead of Jarek. A dusty bundle sat atop the fur coverings of his bed. He put his hand out.

“Don’t touch it,” she yelled before burying her face against her husband’s chest.

“It’s the tapestry.”

“Impossible.” Marc picked up the fabric and shook it out. “It’s probably just an old tapestry from the castle. Although I don’t know why it’s here.” His voice tapered off as the image came into view. Before his very eyes, the tapestry changed, the dust disappeared and the jewel-toned colors became crisp and sharp. Castle Garen was easily recognizable, along with the lone man standing in front of it. Him.

“Marc?” He could hear the edge of terror in his brother’s voice. Asking the question none of them dared to speak aloud. Had the tapestry come to take Christina away?

“Get her away from here.” Marc strode to the far end of the room, his eyes still fixed on the tapestry, which was changing again. He could hear Jarek and Christina calling to him but their words were lost as he became enthralled with the piece of fabric in his hands.

The image distorted and the castle disappeared, replaced by a large home unlike anything he’d ever seen. It was made of wood and brick and didn’t look very sturdy to his eyes. The image was dark and the world around it a dangerous place. In the center of the fabric was a woman. But not just any woman.

Her. His woman. The woman from his dreams.

Her red hair was tucked into some kind of knot but the color shone through. The longer he stared at the tapestry, the more sharply it came into focus. Her eyes were a brilliant green and he could see the intelligence in them. Her skin was flawless and her lips begged to be kissed.

A low growl came from the back of his throat as the figures of two men coalesced beside her. The men from the dream. The men who wanted her as much as he did. No!

No one could want her as much as he did.

“Take me to her,” he ordered the tapestry before holding it close to his heart. Jarek stood in front of Christina, sword drawn, ready to fight. He could have told his brother there was no need to worry. The tapestry had not come for Christina.

It had come for him.

But words were impossible as the room began to spin around him. A bright light blinded him and he felt his body being ripped away from his home. Christina screamed. His brother roared but Marc felt nothing but a sense of rightness.

He was going to claim his destiny and his woman.

Kathryn was out of breath by the time she shoved open the door of her bedroom. A heavy hand fell on her shoulder and she barely kept from crying out as she was whirled around. She heard the door being closed and locked. That wouldn’t help. It was too late.

“What is it?” Tienan released his grip on her shoulders and began to rub them instead.

“They’re coming,” she gasped. “My father, the General…” she waved her hand at the door.

Logan was already headed toward the secret entrance. “We have to move.” Kathryn dug into her large purse and pulled out two small but lethal handguns.

“Here. This is all I could manage to get.”

Tienan whistled softly as he took one of them and checked to make sure it was loaded. Flicking on the safety, he tossed it to Logan and then took the other one for himself, repeating his swift, sure motions before tucking it into the waistband of his jeans. “You stole these from the experimental lab.” It wasn’t a question but she answered him anyway. “Yes. I knew it was over when General Caruthers came into the labs this morning. They questioned me again and then released me. I could tell that he knew something, that he was just playing cat-and-mouse with me.” She slung the strap of her purse over her head and her right arm. This way her hands were free but she wouldn’t lose it.

Tienan grabbed his pack and hustled her over to where Logan waited. “I didn’t know what else to do. Maybe I should have just tried to brazen it out but when I got the chance I left and came home.” She closed her eyes as a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Logan assured her as he stepped into the tunnel ahead of her. It was dark but he had a flashlight that she’d taken from the kitchen several days ago.

Kathryn hated enclosed spaces but her fear of what was behind them was even greater than what was ahead. She plunged forward and Tienan followed close behind, shutting the secret entrance behind him. The darkness was complete, the only light from the flashlight.

She started to speak but Logan held up his hand, instantly silencing her. It was then she heard it. Voices coming from below. Shit! They knew about the tunnels. Panic welled up inside her, threatening her composure.

“I’m right here,” Tienan whispered in her ear.

As suddenly as that, the fear was gone, replaced by an overwhelming sense of calm and determination. She’d fight beside these two men and die beside them if necessary.

“We can’t let them take us alive.” That would be the worst thing that could happen to any of them. They would be brutally tortured for days on end, an example to anyone who thought to defy the Ruling Council. “Promise me.” She placed a hand against each man, needing his word. “Don’t let them take me.”

“I promise.” Tienan’s voice was little more than a low rumble.

Satisfied, she turned to Logan. “What do we do?”

“Up, we have to go back.” His face was solemn in the dim glow of the flashlight.

“It’s too easy for them to trap us here.”

She twisted on the stairs and felt Logan’s hand against the small of her back as they charged back up the stairs and into her bedroom. “If we can get to the west wing, there’s another secret set of stairs. Maybe they don’t know about that one.” Logan shut the door and dragged a sofa in front of it. It wasn’t much but it would slow them down.

“It’s too late.” Tienan dumped his pack onto the floor and forced her into a corner behind him, placing his larger body in front of her as he drew his gun and focused on the door. “They’re here.”

The bedroom door burst open and two armed men surged into the room, their weapons trained on the interior. Neither Logan nor Tienan hesitated. Two shots later the soldiers were dead on the floor.

“How long will your ammunition last?” a male voice questioned. Kathryn’s throat tightened. The General was here.

“Long enough to shoot you, you cowardly bastard. Just show your head in the doorway and I’ll take care of that little chore.” Logan plastered his body against the side of a large chest of drawers, letting the bulk of it shelter him.

“Ah, Logan.” The General chuckled. “You always were a hothead. Such emotion.

You’re the main reason the project needs to be terminated. Tienan is much more levelheaded. A thinker.” His tone changed, becoming hard. “Tienan, you have been deemed a success. Eliminate the two traitors beside you and you’ll be spared.” Kathryn jerked her head around to look at Tienan. He never flinched, never moved, his arm extended, gun pointed toward the door.

Logan laughed but the sound was anything but pleasant. “If you think either of us believe one word coming out of your lying mouth, I’ve got some land beyond the Gate I can sell you.”

“See, that’s why you’re being terminated,” General Caruthers taunted. “Your emotions always get the better of you, Logan. You’re a follower, not a leader. You won’t take a piss without Tienan’s permission.”

Logan’s finger tightened almost imperceptibly on the trigger but other than that, he didn’t move. Kathryn knew that both men could maintain their positions for hours without tiring. After all, it was what they’d been trained to do.

Another group of soldiers burst into the room and the men fired. Blood splattered and cries of anguish rang out as the men fell to the floor. Kathryn buried her face against Tienan’s back, not wanting to see the carnage that now littered her bedroom.

“You got any more bullets for these things, sweetie?” Logan’s whisper was so low she barely heard him.

She shook her head. “I tried…” There had been no time to get more. She’d barely gotten the weapons.

“Oh well.” He shrugged and tossed the gun aside. In a move so fast it was a blur, Logan dove and rolled, grabbing a weapon from one of the dead soldiers. A barrage of bullets hit the floor beside him as he continued to roll. Somehow he not only managed to return fire but kicked another weapon close enough for Tienan to swoop down and grab it.

For several long minutes, the walls and floors were peppered with gunfire. Tienan shoved her up against the bed, using the bulk of the piece and the mattresses to shield them. Silence reigned as the dust settled. A feather flew past Kathryn’s nose. Her pillows were in shreds.

“Kathryn, we know that this is all their doing. They brainwashed you into helping them. They’re smart and trained to manipulate a naïve woman like yourself. Did they tell you they loved you? Did they sleep with you?” She wanted to cover her ears.

Instead, she forced herself to listen to her father as he continued. “You’ll have to be punished but then you can go back to work in the lab. Everything will be the way it was.”

Tienan stiffened beside her. She ignored him as she tossed her answer back at her father. “Do you think I’m that stupid? The only reason you want me back is because I’m the best scientist you’ve got.” There was no conceit in her words—it was fact. “You’re more replaceable than I am and that sticks in your craw, old man. Always has.”

“You ungrateful little bitch. I should have killed you when I took care of your weak, sniveling mother. I can see that you have too much of her genetics in you.” Kathryn gasped and Tienan gripped her arm and shook her, pulling her back down beside him. She hadn’t even realized that she’d started to stand up.

“Enough. The bullets are gone in those guns you managed to take. There is no way out for any of you.”

Kathryn glanced over to the far wall where Logan was hunkered down behind a large armoire. She gave a small moan when she saw the patch of red on his arm. He looked at her and gave her thumbs up. Fists pounded on the secret door but so far the lock had held. Unless they knew where to find the latch, they’d have a hard time opening it. It wasn’t much but it bought them some extra time.

There was some activity just beyond the door and then a line of four men walked into the room, holding shields in front of them. General Caruthers stepped in behind them, followed by her father.

“The time has come to give yourselves up.” She could hear the underlying glee in the General’s voice and shivered.

Turning to Tienan, she gripped his arm. “You promised me.” His eyes were sad as he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. “I know.

Turn around.”

She knew he couldn’t look into her eyes and kill her. Instead, she focused on Logan, blowing him a kiss. Her fingers dug into the leather strap of her purse. Tienan’s hands tightened around her throat. She tensed and then forced herself to relax.

The General, realizing their intent, yelled. “Stop!” Just then a brilliant light flashed in the room. For a second, Kathryn wondered if this was what it felt like when you died. But the moment passed and she was still very much in this world. She blinked and half stood, unable to believe her eyes.

A giant of a man stood just beyond the door, a tapestry in one hand and a four-foot sword in the other.

“Kill the men. Spare the woman,” the General ordered. “She’s mine.” The man took in the room at a glance, his eyes widening when he saw her. Swiftly, he turned back to the threat and attacked. His great sword cut through the men like a hot knife through butter. As she watched, two bloody heads rolled toward the bed.

Using the distraction to their advantage, both Tienan and Logan dove for the other weapons, bringing them up and firing. Both her father and the General dove through the door but they weren’t in time. She heard her father screaming in pain and the General yelling at him to shut up.

The stranger swung around and leapt over the bed, landing by her side. “You are unhurt?”

His accent was strange but she understood him perfectly. “Yes.” She raised her hands to his face. He seemed so familiar. She blinked, taking in his bare chest, the arm and wristbands and the long brown hair that fell down his back. “Marc?” This was impossible. Marc was nothing but a character from a book, a figment from her dreams.

He flashed her a grin. “Kathryn.”

“I hate to break up this little party but we’ve still got trouble.” Tienan had a weapon in each hand, one pointed at the secret entrance, the other at the door. It was only then that she heard the commotion on the other side of the tunnel and saw the door move.

They were starting to break through. Logan was beside him in a similar position.

Marc stared at them, his golden-brown eyes narrowing. “You are the men from the dream.” They both nodded.

Shock filled her. “That was just a dream. That wasn’t real.” Marc used the tip of his sword to pluck the remains of the brown vest from the bed.

It had been damaged in the shootout. “I believe this is mine.”

“This can’t be happening,” she moaned, rubbing her temples.

“It can and it is. Choose.” He glanced sharply at both men. “Stay here and die or come with me. I don’t know if the tapestry will take us all but we can try.”

“The tapestry.” She grabbed it from Marc’s grasp and shook it out. Sure enough, it was the same tapestry from the attic, yet different. Her family home filled the fabric but as she watched, it faded, replaced once again by the castle that had been there originally.

Marc wrapped his arm around her, pulling her so close she could hear the steady thud of his heart against her ear. His sword was held in front of them, a protective measure. She felt surrounded by his strength and strangely safe in spite of the shouts, the pounding of feet and the smell of death in the air.

“Stay or leave.” It took her a second to realize Marc was talking to Tienan and Logan. Held tight in his arms, she didn’t doubt that she was going with him. She held out her hands to them. They glanced at one anther and took a step forward, each of them grasping a hand.

“Hold on tight and do not let go,” Marc warned them.

The secret entrance was shoved open and men started to pour through. Kathryn closed her eyes, knowing they were all dead. It was too late.

A blinding light flashed and she heard Tienan cry out. His grip faltered but she clung tightly, refusing to let go of either of them. With Marc’s arm banded tight around her, she felt her body being torn away from the room, from the world she knew.

Then there was only darkness.