Is that what you’re telling me, Rey?”
“Yes!” he cried. “A dragon. It flew over us, and its breath was fire and steam and ash. People were running and screaming, thinking only of getting away. I had my longbow, but I did not strike true. I…did not trust myself to strike true. And then the dragon was upon me, and there was nothing.”
He stopped, breathing hard. His chest was rising and falling beneath his red tunic. Amy wanted to put her hand on him. She felt goose bumps on her arms. He was so sincere, so earnest, and she knew him to be an honest man. But how could she believe him? How could any sane person believe that dragons existed, never mind seven-hundred-year-old warriors?
She was well out of her depth.
She looked away, gained some time by smoothing her multicolored skirt and tinkling the bells on her shoes. “I don’t know what to say. You’re telling me that you were killed by a dragon in 1299?”
“Yes.”
“Rey…where did you get that scar on your neck?”
He didn’t answer. When she looked at him, she saw the shocked expression in his eyes. It was true, it was all true!
Whatever the facts, right now it was too much for her. Amy shook her head and walked away.
Twelve
Reynald watched her walk off. He was disppointed that she didn’t accept the truth instantly, but he couldn’t blame her for her confusion and lack of faith. He was confused, as well, about why he was here in this time and what he was supposed to do. To learn.
Her question about his scar had really thrown him. Looking into Amy’s beautiful green eyes, and at the same time remembering how he’d come by the shocking wound on his neck, had felt like a kind of blasphemy.
Morwenna had been the last woman he’d wanted to hold in his arms, to join with his body, but now…He realized the feelings he had had for Morwenna were nothing compared to the raging lust he had for Amy.
And Amy was jealous of Terri. Did that mean she reciprocated his feelings? That she wanted him as much as he wanted her?
He wanted to smile. Julius would preach that jealousy was an evil, destructive emotion, and was not to be tolerated. But Reynald welcomed it. If Amy was jealous, she cared about him. She thought about him in the same way he thought about her, with the need to know and possess.
There was more to his feelings for her, but no doubt Julius would have something instructive to say about carnal imaginings, too.
“You and my sister seem very cozy.”
He hadn’t heard anyone come up beside him, but he recognized Amy’s brother’s voice. He found Jez’s expression less than friendly, but Reynald didn’t blame him for that—a man must protect the women in his family—but he did wonder if Jez’s coolness was more to do with his desire for Amy to spend her time with Nicco rather than him.
“I’m Jez, by the way.” He held out his hand.
“Amy calls me Rey,” Reynald said, and took the hand.
“Look, mate, I don’t know you, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, but…Amy has a good heart, and I don’t like people taking advantage of her.”
“Other than you?”
Jez’s eyes narrowed. “See, you’re treading on dangerous ground now, Rey.”
“You are aware, Jez, that this is the Ghost’s castle?”
Jez raised an eyebrow.
“In the time of the Ghost, the men would use the women of their family to gain favor. If a brother could sell his sister in marriage to a man of wealth and prestige, then he would. It did not matter whether or not the woman was willing or happy. Women were only there to serve their menfolk, to be used…”
Jez snorted. “I don’t need a lecture on social history—”
“No, but perhaps you need to remember that what benefits you may not benefit your sister.”
“I’m not selling Amy to Prince Nicco!”
“No?”
“I would never ask Amy to do anything she didn’t want to.”
Reynald said nothing.
Jez’s anger waned, and concern flickered across his face. “I promise
“Yes!” he cried. “A dragon. It flew over us, and its breath was fire and steam and ash. People were running and screaming, thinking only of getting away. I had my longbow, but I did not strike true. I…did not trust myself to strike true. And then the dragon was upon me, and there was nothing.”
He stopped, breathing hard. His chest was rising and falling beneath his red tunic. Amy wanted to put her hand on him. She felt goose bumps on her arms. He was so sincere, so earnest, and she knew him to be an honest man. But how could she believe him? How could any sane person believe that dragons existed, never mind seven-hundred-year-old warriors?
She was well out of her depth.
She looked away, gained some time by smoothing her multicolored skirt and tinkling the bells on her shoes. “I don’t know what to say. You’re telling me that you were killed by a dragon in 1299?”
“Yes.”
“Rey…where did you get that scar on your neck?”
He didn’t answer. When she looked at him, she saw the shocked expression in his eyes. It was true, it was all true!
Whatever the facts, right now it was too much for her. Amy shook her head and walked away.
Twelve
Reynald watched her walk off. He was disppointed that she didn’t accept the truth instantly, but he couldn’t blame her for her confusion and lack of faith. He was confused, as well, about why he was here in this time and what he was supposed to do. To learn.
Her question about his scar had really thrown him. Looking into Amy’s beautiful green eyes, and at the same time remembering how he’d come by the shocking wound on his neck, had felt like a kind of blasphemy.
Morwenna had been the last woman he’d wanted to hold in his arms, to join with his body, but now…He realized the feelings he had had for Morwenna were nothing compared to the raging lust he had for Amy.
And Amy was jealous of Terri. Did that mean she reciprocated his feelings? That she wanted him as much as he wanted her?
He wanted to smile. Julius would preach that jealousy was an evil, destructive emotion, and was not to be tolerated. But Reynald welcomed it. If Amy was jealous, she cared about him. She thought about him in the same way he thought about her, with the need to know and possess.
There was more to his feelings for her, but no doubt Julius would have something instructive to say about carnal imaginings, too.
“You and my sister seem very cozy.”
He hadn’t heard anyone come up beside him, but he recognized Amy’s brother’s voice. He found Jez’s expression less than friendly, but Reynald didn’t blame him for that—a man must protect the women in his family—but he did wonder if Jez’s coolness was more to do with his desire for Amy to spend her time with Nicco rather than him.
“I’m Jez, by the way.” He held out his hand.
“Amy calls me Rey,” Reynald said, and took the hand.
“Look, mate, I don’t know you, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, but…Amy has a good heart, and I don’t like people taking advantage of her.”
“Other than you?”
Jez’s eyes narrowed. “See, you’re treading on dangerous ground now, Rey.”
“You are aware, Jez, that this is the Ghost’s castle?”
Jez raised an eyebrow.
“In the time of the Ghost, the men would use the women of their family to gain favor. If a brother could sell his sister in marriage to a man of wealth and prestige, then he would. It did not matter whether or not the woman was willing or happy. Women were only there to serve their menfolk, to be used…”
Jez snorted. “I don’t need a lecture on social history—”
“No, but perhaps you need to remember that what benefits you may not benefit your sister.”
“I’m not selling Amy to Prince Nicco!”
“No?”
“I would never ask Amy to do anything she didn’t want to.”
Reynald said nothing.
Jez’s anger waned, and concern flickered across his face. “I promise
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