disappeared. Cythera glanced down at Malden, threw up her hands in resignation and followed.
Malden found the two of them sitting at table, picking apart a cheese between them. âBut,â he said, âit wasâit looked like it was to be a fight to the death. Clearly they were going to kill each other.â
âYet for some reason theyâve decided not to,â Cythera pointed out.
âYou saw the big man, though. Heâs a beast! The bloodlust had him. What kind of man can just go from wanting to kill an enemy to embracing him like that?â Cythera shot him a knowing look, and it was Maldenâs turn to shrug. âOther than Croy, I mean. I admit thatâs exactly the kind of thing Croy would do.â
Cythera and Coruth nodded in unison.
Croy had a sense of honor that other people often found confusing. Malden thought of it as sheer stupidity, but sometimes he was glad enough for it. One of the knightâs tenets was that he tried never to let anger overcome him when he was fighting, so that he never struck anyone down for ignoble reasons. More than once Malden had benefited personally from that compunction. âI still donât see it, though. The barbarian just left six men in a moaning heap. He maimed some of them for life. Now Croyâs acting like this fellowâs as blameless as an honest priest.â
âDonât try to figure out Croyâs reasons,â Coruth said. âYouâll tie your own brains in knots.â
âI usually just wait for him to explain himself later,â Cythera pointed out. âHeâs never shy about telling me how things ought to be. Or how he thinks they should be, at any rate.â
Malden pursed his lips. âI noticed that earlier. When he was talking about how he would lock you away in his castle so you could have his babies. He made it sound quite . . . safe.â
âThere are worse things in this world than being secure.â
Malden stopped himself from speaking. He wasnât sure how much he could say in Coruthâs presence. Yet he longed to be alone with Cythera so he could discuss things with her. There had been a time when she seemed to care for him. More than that, perhaps. She had seemed to love him. After her father died, and she was free to renew her pledge to marry Croy, that all seemed to just melt away.
For her, anyway. Maldenâs feelings for Cythera were just as strong as ever.
When Croy invited him here today, to witness the banns, he had accepted in a state of pure denial. He couldnât believe Cythera would actually sign the document and go through with the marriage. She seemed so nervousâalmost as nervous as Croy. Malden had been certain she would say no at the last moment. Reject Croy, refuse to marry the knight, because she still loved him.
But then the barbarian had shown up and thrown everything into disarray. And now Malden had no idea what to think.
âCythera,â he said. âYou and I should have a talk at some point, aboutââ
âMalden,â Cythera said, cutting him off before he could finish his thought, âthe watch will be here at any moment. Theyâll have a lot of questions, and they may try to take this stranger away. In the meantime, we have a momentâs peace. Itâs even quiet forââ
They all flinched then as the booming, demonic laughter came once more from below. Malden tensed and reached for the bodkin at his belt, but when there was no sound of ringing swords or screams of agony, he dropped into a chair and shook his head.
ââmostly quiet, for now,â Cythera amended. âWeâll all have to leave very shortly, so perhaps we should make use of this groaning board before we have to flee.â
Malden could see the wisdom in that. He nodded, but said, âLater, then. But we will speak, wonât we?â
âAs you wish!â Cythera said, seeming more than a little
Aj Harmon, Christopher Harmon