Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

The fire crackled softly in the hearth, a comforting sound as my thoughts spun with what I’d witnessed the night before during the storm. Tall men with the same features as the men living in this protected glade with me. Cursed men. Like me. Like Eloise.

Lost in thought, I rose from my bed, dressed, and placed the bedding and mattress next to the others already tucked away beneath the window.

Eight days had passed since I’d left my twin. Eight days she had to endure alone. Was she well? Had Maeve hurt her again? I needed to return. Quickly. But to gain the help I needed to free my sister, I needed the help of the seven men protecting me. Help they would give in return for my help. What help they needed, precisely, they could not say. According to the letter, if any of them told me what they required of me, the help I gave would be ineffective. However, I could not afford to waste precious days idly guessing.

Eloise needed me.

But so do they, my intuition whispered.

I stared at the overcast sky through the window and debated the wisdom of ignoring the warning not to leave. My intuition hadn’t yet led me wrong. Ignoring it had, though. That meant staying and attempting to help these cursed men.

Was the help they needed related to the curse I’d witnessed the previous evening? Could it be as simple as finding a way to break that curse?

Simple?

How laughable. Nothing magic-related was ever simple.

My gaze drifted to the door of the study where I’d found the letter asking for help. Should I then start my research there?

The indistinct murmur of voices rose outside before it hushed again, interrupting my thoughts and drawing me away from the study. I considered what I knew of the seven men outside.

They’d lived in this glade since they were children with a man named Henry, who could cast.

They never entered the cabin when I could see them.

They’d obviously been cursed in some way.

And they couldn’t speak the truth about how I must help them.

Did that then mean I shouldn’t know of their transformation? If I did, would that already negate any help I might give them?

Needing to understand the rules to ensure I did not idly waste time Eloise didn’t have, I opened the door and looked out over the rain-soaked yard. The brothers were around the fire, preparing breakfast. They paused at the sound of the latch lifting and turned to look at me.

“Edmund. Could I speak to you for a moment?”

As he started for the cottage, I retreated inside to fetch the comb from the cabinet. Then I stood facing away from the door, careful to avoid the window’s reflection.

“Kellen?” Edmund said.

I lifted the comb so he could see it.

“Come. Braid my hair for me.”

I thought the following silence meant he was hesitating near the door. However, the tug on the twine holding my hair proved me wrong.

“You move silently,” I said.

“It’s a learned skill. Necessary here, as you know.”

“True.”

He plucked the comb from my fingers, and I closed my eyes at the sensation of it gently running through my hair.

“To ensure I make no mistakes, I would like to better understand the rules for the help I can provide,” I said.

“I cannot give you any hints.”

“And I am not asking for any. If I ask any question that I should not, simply do not answer it.”

“All right.”

“Could any knowledge I gain through my efforts invalidate the help I give?”

“No.”

His answer didn’t fully alleviate my concerns as I understood I could not directly ask him if what I saw the night prior was related to the help they needed.

“Am I allowed to read everything that’s in the study?”

“Yes. Henry didn’t leave anything behind that would hurt us or your chances to help us.”

“But did he leave anything that would help?”

“Help you understand the powers you possess? Yes. Brandle believes you’re afraid of your abilities. Perhaps the books will help you understand casting more so you will fear it less.” His fingers began to twist my hair into a braid.

“I don’t fear the power but what it might do to the people around me. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Can I ask you a question to better help you?” Edmund asked.

“Please.”

“Why is Brandle the only one of us who causes you to lose control of your powers?”

“I don’t lose control of my powers; I lose control of my emotions.” I would have stopped there, but he tugged at the end of my braid, silently demanding a better explanation. “Brandle is direct and doesn’t conceal what he’s thinking or feeling when he looks at me.

“With the rest of you, I can lie to myself. Eadric is kind and courteous by nature and the easiest of you to be near. Daemon and Darian are playful and not to be taken too seriously. Liam and Garron are cautious, and you’re distant.”

“Lie to yourself? In what way?” Edmund asked.

I didn’t know he was coiling my braid around his hand until he fisted it and gently tugged my head to the side. I could feel his exhale on my neck, and my eyes popped open.

“Close your eyes, Kellen, and answer me.”

Heart thundering, I closed my eyes and focused on controlling the emotions churning inside that well, seeking to escape.

“You are no longer helping me, Edmund. Release me.”

“You’ve lashed out at me several times. You’ve proven that you have a temper. Yet, you didn’t lose control any of those times. Only with Brandle. Why?”

His exhales continued to torture the sensitive skin at my nape. Edmund was no longer distant. He was dangerously close. I shivered, and the walls of the well trembled.

“If you don’t wish to be struck again, please release me.”

With one hand tangled in my braid, he used the other to cup my chin and tip my head back. His lips skimmed my skin. A soft gasp escaped me at the same time as what I felt slipped free of the well.

My hands closed around his wrists, and I struggled to breathe through what he was making me feel. Heat and need. His and mine. But mostly his.

“Edmund. Please. Stop,” I panted.

His tongue darted out, tasting my skin. My knees started to buckle.

“Edmund, enough. You’ve proven your point,” Darian said. “Release her, or I’ll kick you in the bollocks myself.”

Edmund’s lips left my neck to nip the outside of my ear. The feel of his teeth brought me low and robbed me of my last shred of control. The well was wide open, and I felt everything.

The echoes of remembered emotions from within the cottage. The six men gathered around the door, watching their brother slowly unmake me with barely a touch. The land. The rain that had fallen overnight. The beasts in the forest.

One’s pulse called to me more than the others. Strong. Familiar. Urgent.

“Father,” I gasped, snapping out of the spell Edmund had wrapped around me.

I thrust my head back sharply, connecting with Edmund’s nose. He cursed. Daemon laughed. I spun around and darted out the door before any of them could stop me.

Energy from the air and the ground seeped into the well, enabling me to run faster than the men pursuing me.

“Kellen, stop!” Brandle yelled.

An arm circled my waist just before I could reach the trees. We tumbled forward together, but he turned us at the last moment so I landed on him instead of the ground.

“Wait. Don’t go. It’s too dangerous. Please, Snow.”

The pet name he used halted my struggles to be free. I closed myself off from the energy pouring into me and looked up at the overcast sky. The faces of Liam, Darian, Eadric, and Daemon appeared to block the view.

“Are you mad, Princess?” Darian asked, watching me closely.

“Sparrow?” Eadric asked.

“Lamb, you look pale. Tell us what happened. Was it Edmund or something with your father?”

I sat up on Garron’s chest and turned to look down at him. The desire to cry was now safely locked away in the well. But I still felt hurt. Deeply.

“You see me as cold?” I asked.

He flushed and shook his head. “Never.”

“Why Snow then?”

The scarlet staining his cheeks deepened.

“Snow never stays long.”

The sad way he said it almost had me forgetting my purpose.

I rose and offered him my hand.

“I’m not leaving, Garron. I felt my father. He’s running this way. Something’s wrong.”

The words were barely out of my mouth when I heard a growl from within the shadowed depths of the forest.

Father.

His clothes were even more tattered than they had been. Old blood matted the fur on his chest. My heart broke for him, and I moved forward as he extended his hand.

“Kellen. Men come.”

“Kellen, don’t,” Garron said, catching my arm. “It’s dangerous.”

“Magic,” my father growled. The word was barely discernible, unlike the familiar red ribbon my father held in his outstretched hand. My intuition whispered it was dangerous to me.

“How many men?” I asked him.

“Five.”

“I understand.”

He set the ribbon on the ground and retreated deeper into the shadows.

“The ribbon needs to be destroyed,” I said.

“Why?” Daemon asked.

“I cannot give a reason but only assure you that it does.”

He strode past me and picked up the ribbon. The beasts in the forest didn’t growl at his entry, which I found odd.

“I’ll toss it into the flames,” he said.

“Thank you.”

I yelped when Liam suddenly swept me off my feet.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

His brown eyes danced with amusement as he strode toward the cottage.

“You ran out of the cottage without a cloak or boots, Kellen. We understand your need to speak with your father, but if you cannot take care, then we will.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Your feet, Kellen.”

I glanced at my mud-caked feet, feeling the bone-deep chill for the first time.

“I’ll warm the water,” Darian called as Liam neared the fire.

Edmund sat at the table with a cloth pressed against his nose and a hint of annoyance in his gaze.

“I thought you didn’t want to hurt anyone,” he said, sounding a bit nasal.

“I don’t. Yet, I will defend my person when necessary.”

He stood abruptly.

“Edmund,” Brandle said with soft warning.

He needn’t have bothered. I knew that Edmund had no desire to hurt me. The lingering feel of his teeth against my ear hinted at what he truly desired.

“Defend? Do you believe I would hurt you?” he asked with a scowl.

“Hurt me? No. Take liberties I have not given leave for you to take? Yes.”

“Not given leave yet ,” he said. “You won’t take me unaware again.”

A smile tugged at my lips as I answered, “I bet a copper you make the same mistake before the end of the day.”

“I’m betting on Kellen,” Darian said.

“I think she’s already proven it would be foolish to bet against her,” Daemon said.

“A copper?” Brandle asked. “Why do you need coin?”

“What else should I ask for as a prize?” I asked.

“A kiss, Princess,” Darian said. “That’s always worth winning.”

I snorted. This wasn’t the first time they requested a kiss. “A copper holds more value. I could buy food, shelter, clothing, or even help with enough of them. What can a kiss do?”

The humor lighting their gazes disappeared, and the emotion that replaced it was one to be wary of. The lot of them were playing some mad game I had no wish to play.

“I would prefer to have my feet clean and appropriately covered before the men Father warned us about arrive,” I said. “Please.”

Edmund’s gaze narrowed on me briefly before he waved Liam toward the cottage. Liam deposited me at the door and caught my chin like his brother had. My heart fluttered.

“I’ll return with warm water,” he said.

“And a chair, please.”

The dangerously playful way his lips tilted at the corners alerted me to the danger of the moment. However, he didn’t attempt to kiss me. He simply held my gaze for a few more heartbeats then left.

He and Daemon returned with two pails of tepid water and the short stool.

“The ribbon’s been burned to ash,” Daemon said, setting the stool just inside the door.

“Thank you.”

“Was it yours?”

He watched me closely as Liam handed over the pails.

“It was.”

“I thought magic wasn’t allowed in Drisdall.”

“It’s not.”

I closed the door on them and washed away the mud. Then I moved the stool closer to the fire to warm my feet.

The knock a few minutes later didn’t surprise me.

I found Brandle just outside while the others ate their oats at the table.

“The men your father warned us of have arrived and are watching from the trees,” he said softly. “I believe they're waiting for us to leave.”

I nodded and considered our options.

“Rather than wait for them to surprise us, we should surprise them,” I said. “Liam and I are closest to the same size in the shoulders. Have him bring me some oats, and we’ll switch clothes.”

Brandle chuckled.

“I doubt Liam will fit your dress. But your plan is sound. If you’re willing to wear his clothes and leave with the rest of us, I believe we can force their hand. The sooner we’re rid of them, the better.”

Brandle turned to leave, and I caught his arm.

“We’ll send them away, won’t we?”

He covered my hand with his. “No more death, Kellen. I promise.”

With a pat, he left, and I turned my back on the door to begin unlacing my gown.

A throat cleared softly behind me before I finished.

“Come in, and close the door,” I said.

I waited for the snick of the latch to speak. “It would be best if I wear what you’re wearing now. And a cap. Brandle doesn’t believe you can wear my dress, but if you can show a hint of the skirt at the door as we leave, it should convince those watching that I’m still inside.”

I let my dress fall to the floor, and standing in only my shift, I stretched my arm behind me.

“Your pants, please, Liam.”

“Kellen, you are the most unique woman I have ever met,” he said as I listened to the rustle of his clothes.

“The world is filled with interesting women. You’ve simply been looking in the wrong places.”

“Such as this glade filled with my brothers?”

“Precisely.” Material weighted my palm, and I took his pants and quickly stepped into them. They fit me just as loosely as they’d fit him, drowning out any hint of femininity I possessed. Without any underthings, the coarser material scratched my inner thighs as I tied the strings. I knew I would grow accustomed to it, though.

Removing my shift, even with my back to him, made my heart race.

“Shirt please,” I managed, holding out my hand again.

Instead of placing it in my hand, he brought it over my head. His fingers skimmed down my bare sides as he lowered the tunic and clasped my arms through the material, pinning them. He rested his forehead on the top of my head and exhaled heavily.

I held still, unsure what he meant to do. He released my arms and hugged me from behind. I could feel our size differences then. How the back of my head touched his neck. How his chest met my shoulders. How his bare hips met my back.

His hold didn’t feel lewd or wanton but tender and heartfelt.

“Edmund isn’t angry that you hit him,” Liam said softly, his breath teasing my neck just as his brother’s had. “Do you know why?”

I shook my head.

“He said your response to him was worth the pain.” Liam’s lips brushed my temple. “We all care about you, Kellen. We will keep you safe. Always. And you never need fear us. If Edmund is being an ass, speak it, and we will set him straight. Don’t hurt yourself again to reprimand one of us for poor behavior.”

His admission of how much they cared wrecked the hold I had on my emotions before I even knew what was happening. Light flared behind me.

“Liam, don’t.”

“It’s okay, Kellen. You’re not hurting me. I promise.”

He dipped his head and kissed the same spot Edmund had. A soft gasp escaped me, and I cursed myself as a wanton woman as I tilted my head to enjoy the sensation.

“This is wrong,” I said.

“Allowing you to dress as a man to keep you safe or asking me to pretend to be a woman?”

I snorted a laugh. He chuckled against my skin then withdrew to simply hold me again. The glow faded as I carefully regained control.

“Be safe, Kellen. That is all we ask of you.”

“Are you certain that is all you are asking?” After all, I’d felt his desire.

“Well, Edmund and Brandle would be grateful if you stopped abusing their persons, but the rest of us have quietly enjoyed seeing you best them.”

“You’re as incorrigible as the rest,” I said, shaking my head.

Liam kissed my temple again and released me so I could thread my arms through the sleeves of the borrowed tunic.

Once I finished, he turned me toward the door, careful to remain behind me, and handed me a cap.

“Do not forget. You are me,” he said.

“I almost wish I could be here to see their faces when they enter the cabin expecting a helpless maid and instead find a naked man.”

Liam chuckled. “Their shock will be my advantage.”

“Be safe, Liam,” I said, tugging the cap on and tucking my hair up.

“I will be. Go to the garden after you leave. The rest will be waiting.”

I nodded and opened the door. Darian and Edmund lingered by the fire. They waved farewell indifferently as I left the cottage and went back to cleaning up breakfast. I knew it was an act for those watching, so I returned their half-hearted parting wave and went to join the others by the garden.

When they saw my approach, they started for the cave opening. Daemon lingered to accompany me.

Ahead, the others disappeared one after another into the cave. When we neared, Daemon gestured to the darkness that had swallowed Garron.

“In you go, Lamb,” he said.

Without hesitating, I stepped inside. Garron’s large hand wrapped around mine. He led me several paces forward then stopped to whisper in my ear.

“Sound carries in here. Stay where you are.”

One of them took my other hand and brought it to his mouth to lightly nibble my fingertips. I tugged my hand free.

“Dolt,” I whispered. “No glow.”

I heard someone cuff the offender and shook my head at them. In the following silence, a faint shout rose outside.

“Wait for us to return,” Brandle whispered.

Then they were gone.

Alone, I listened to the yelling escalate. I heard Edmund’s rage-filled roar. Brandle called out. Thumps and cursing rang from the clearing. My feet inched toward the opening.

A tingle of warning whispered that it wasn’t safe to leave. However, a moment later, it warned that it wasn’t safe to stay either.

“Kellen Cartwright! It’s time to return home!”

A shadow filled the opening. Tall. Not one of mine.

“Come out, poppet, and I promise to go easy on you,” the man crooned with a laugh.

Edmund’s voice filled my head as I stepped forward so the man could see me.

Men see you as small and weak. Use it to your advantage. Hit hard and fast; then run. Show them you’re more trouble than they know.

“There you are, poppet,” the man said.

He grabbed my left arm. I thrust the heel of my right hand up into his nose. He cursed and jerked my arm, roughly lifting me, bringing me close enough to swing my free hand into his throat. He made a choked sound and dropped me. I thrust my knee up between his legs, and he toppled like a felled tree.

Jumping over his prone body, I bolted out of the cave. Near the garden, I paused long enough to grab the hoe.

“Bitch!”

The word echoed loudly from behind me, spurring me to run.

With my weapon in hand, I raced around the corner of the cottage and straight into the fray. All the times I’d held back when tormented by the boys in town came rushing forward. Edmund’s rage became my own as I swung the hoe hard and hit the back of the man beating Garron. The man cried out. So did I when I realized the metal end was stuck in him.

Garron pushed him down and thrust me into the cottage. The door slammed shut, but not before I’d glimpsed another man rising behind Garron.

Breathing heavily, I stared at the planks.

The brothers weren’t safe out there. Yet, I wasn’t safe in here either. I needed to run. Hide.

The beat of my heart echoed my urgency.

Think, Kellen. Think.

I spun around to face the rest of the space and ran for the cupboard that hid the entrance to their cold storage. Swinging it open, I climbed the shelves like ladder rungs and pulled myself up into the loft.

Lying flat on the floor, I waited. It didn’t take long for the door to crash open. I jolted but didn’t make a sound as I listened to the grunts and curses that followed. Then everything quieted inside and out.

“That’s all of them,” Brandle called.

All of them? They’d beaten the trackers?

“Edmund,” Darian called.

A whisper of sound came from below.

“Stay hidden, Kellen,” Edmund said from inside.

I waited until I heard him moving to lift my head and peer between the bedframes to the space below.

Edmund hoisted one of the unconscious men and threw him out the door. The second one followed. Corded muscles rippled beneath his now tight, fitted shirt as he moved about the cottage, righting a chair here and bedroll there.

I barely noticed Edmund’s efforts to fix the mess they’d made as I stared at him. My memory of the night before hadn’t been wrong. He had changed somehow. So much so that he towered over the table and tiny stool. Yet, his features were almost the same. A bit larger and more spread out but still Edmund. A handsome nose, swollen and brushed with blood. Beautifully passionate eyes. A split bottom lip pulled down in a frown as he picked up the broken pitcher.

He stalked toward the door, and I watched him shrink before my eyes the moment he stepped over the threshold.

“It’s safe to come out now, Lamb,” Daemon called.

I set my forehead on the planks and breathed, struggling not to feel the fear and confusion I wanted to feel.

“Kellen?” Garron called.

“I need a moment,” I said.

“Are you hurt?” Brandle asked.

I heard his concern and knew any answer I gave would not be enough to assure him I wasn’t. So I picked myself off the floor and climbed down the shelves on shaky limbs.

When I emerged, no trackers remained in the yard. Only my protectors. Garron had his shirt off, and Brandle was looking at his stitches. Darian was holding a cloth to his nose. Liam, now wearing pants, had an eye already swollen shut.

Beaten and bloodied in their efforts to keep and protect me.

Edmund and Eadric strode from the trees together. Eadric was limping.

“None of that,” Daemon said, watching me. He lifted his hand and wiped a tear away.

I jerked away and wiped my face in disbelief. I wasn’t one to cry. Ever. It was too dangerous.

Yet, the tears continued to fall. A noise escaped me.

“Ah, Lamb.” The tender way he said it was my undoing. He held me close as I wept for all that I’d lost and all that I still faced. And I wept for the men who would suffer alongside me, hoping for help I didn’t know how to provide.

A hand stroked over my hair.

“Are you hurt, Kitten?” Brandle asked.

“N-no,” I said. “I’m angry.”

Daemon chuckled. “You have an odd way of showing it.”

“You didn’t see her swing the hoe,” Darian said.

I lifted my head and looked at them. “Did I kill him?”

“It was barely a poke,” Liam said.

“Where are they? Do they still breathe?” I insisted.

“Though it would be safer if they did not, they still live,” Edmund said.