Chapter 14

Lily drifted up slowly from a sleep of utter exhaustion. It seemed that every muscle in her body ached—both from her exertions at the market yesterday, and from what she and Oskar had spent the night doing afterwards. And yet, it was a pleasant kind of ache, one that told her she hadn't dreamt the whole thing, that what had happened yesterday had been real.

She shifted slightly in the bed they'd eventually retired to, feeling the hard warmth of his chest against her back, the weight of his hand draped across her waist.

I love ye, Lily.

She could hardly believe he'd spoken those words. And she could hardly believe that she'd said them back. How had she fallen in love with this irascible, fiery-tempered man? She had no idea. She only knew she felt it deep in her bones and didn't regret a moment of it.

She twisted in his arms until she faced him. He was still asleep and he looked peaceful, the usual intensity gone from his face. She ran her fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft it was beneath her touch. He made no sign of waking, and she leaned in to kiss his forehead.

The sun was just beginning to rise outside, casting a warm glow over the room. Lily watched the light dance across Oskar's features, finding beauty in the rough lines of his face.

"Oskar," she whispered. "I love you."

He stirred in his sleep, muttering something unintelligible. Lily smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips. His body jerked, and his eyes slowly opened, revealing a sleepy, confused expression.

"I was dreaming," he murmured. "I thought I heard ye say ye love me."

"That's strange," she said. "I had that dream too."

He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "Aye," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "Very strange."

He pulled her in for a long, deep kiss, and Lily felt arousal flash through her once more. But before it could go any further, there was a loud pounding on the door downstairs.

"What the hell?" Oskar muttered. He climbed out of bed, grabbing his breeches and getting dressed.

"Who could that be?" Lily asked as she quickly began putting on her clothes.

"I dinna know." He pulled his shirt over his head and then grabbed his dagger from where it lay on the nightstand.

Lily followed anxiously as Oskar clattered down the stairs. The knocking came again, louder and more urgent.

"Who is it?" Oskar shouted.

"Oskar?" came a muffled voice. "Is that ye? Open the door will ye?"

Something about the voice seemed familiar although Lily couldn't quite place it. Surprise registered on Oskar's face for an instant before he pulled the door open, letting cold air sweep into the house.

A small man with a balding head stood on the other side, stamping his feet, breath steaming in the air. Lily recognized him just as Oskar exclaimed, "Henry Eberwyn! What in God's name are ye doing here?"

"We arrived just before dawn," Eberwyn replied, indicating the men arrayed behind him wearing the Eberwyn colors. "We rode all night." The lord's expression was grim. "Ye need to come to the guild house right away, the both of ye. There's news on Emeric and Magnus."

A tremor went through Lily. If the expression on Lord Eberwyn's face was anything to go by, the news wasn't good. Oskar paled and when he glanced at Lily, she saw worry reflected in his eyes.

"Give us a moment and we'll be with ye."

They hesitated only long enough to pull on boots and cloaks and then joined Eberwyn and his men outside in the frigid morning air.

Lord Eberwyn nodded to Lily. "It's good to see ye again, my lady," he said. "I hope ye are well?"

Lily nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Eberwyn's gaze flicked between her and Oskar, and if he'd worked out what was going on between them, he was polite enough not to comment. In any case, any embarrassment she might have felt was swamped by her fear for Magnus and Emeric. What had happened to them?

They set off through the frosty streets, anxiety churning in her gut.

OSKAR STRODE SWIFTLYthrough the waking city. It was bitterly cold and his breath frosted in the air like a cloud. Impatience snaked through him and he had to deliberately slow his pace to keep from outdistancing his companions.

Finally, news on Magnus and Emeric. Images of his sword-brothers flickered through his head. It seemed an age since they'd parted ways on the road to Edinburgh and since then it seemed they'd vanished into thin air.

He glanced at Lord Eberwyn, walking by his side. The man's eyes were fixed ahead, a determined look on his face. He wanted to demand the man tell him everything he had learned, but part of him didn't want to know. If anything had happened to his sword-brothers, he wasn't sure he could live with the guilt. He shouldn't have left them. He should have been by their side when they confronted Alfred Brewer and his people.

But if he'd done that he never would have escorted Lily to Edinburgh. He would never have fallen in love with her and what had developed between them would never have happened.

He turned to look at her as she hurried along on his other side. She looked just as worried as he was. Would he sacrifice his love for Lily in order to make sure his sword-brothers were safe? If he could have his time over, would he have chosen differently?

By God, he would not. He could not. He could not give up Lily now, not even for his sword-brothers. What sort of man did that make him? He pressed his lips together and concentrated on the street ahead.

"This way," Eberwyn said, turning left down a narrow lane.

Oskar followed, Lily a step behind, Eberwyn's men ranged around them. It was only when they had traversed several more such narrow lanes that Oskar realized they weren't going uphill towards the guild house. He'd been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he'd been paying little attention to their journey.

He blinked, looking around. He didn't recognize where they were. Timber and thatch buildings loomed on either side, cutting out the early morning sun. It was bitterly cold in the shade of the buildings and Oskar saw frost glittering on the patches of ground the sun had yet to reach.

"Wait," he said, slowing his pace. "Where are we going?"

"The guild house," Eberwyn replied, turning. "Come on. Kai and the others are waiting for us."

He turned to walk away but Oskar didn't follow. He put out an arm to Lily, halting her as well. She turned to look at him, an enquiring expression on her face.

Oskar's eyes darted along the lane. Something didn't feel right. He looked up at the buildings. There was nobody in sight, none of the usual washing strung on lines, no children playing, no sound of people going about their lives.

Unease prickled down his spine. "Why have we come this way?" he asked Eberwyn. His hand went to the hilt of the sword strapped at his waist.

Eberwyn's men, he noticed, had spread out around them. Three were in front, three behind, effectively cutting off escape.

"It's a short-cut to the guild house," the retired Order agent said. "It means we dinna have to go through the main part of the city and keeps us away from prying eyes."

That was a reasonable response and Oskar might have believed it but for the sudden warning clanging in his head.

"Nay, it isnae," he said. "How about we double back to the main thoroughfare and make our way from there?"

Eberwyn's eyes shifted to Oskar's hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Then he sighed. "I was hoping ye weren't going to make his harder than it needed to be."

Lily, sensing his unease, drew closer, looking around warily. "Oskar?"

He didn't look at her. His eyes were fixed on Lord Eberwyn.

The lord nodded and his men suddenly drew their swords. Lily yelped and darted closer to Oskar. He drew his own sword in a rush and pushed Lily behind him, dropping into a fighting crouch and turning his head from side to side, trying to keep all of Eberwyn's men in his line of sight.

"Damn it, Oskar!" Eberwyn snapped. "Why do ye always have to make things difficult? Ye are coming with us whether ye like it or not. I would prefer to do so without bloodshed."

"What are ye doing, Eberwyn?" Oskar snarled. "Stand down in the name of the Order!"

Eberwyn sighed again, as if this was all too bothersome. "I dinna take orders from them anymore, Oskar. It's been a long time since I have. I serve another cause now. Something greater."

The unease that had been settling in Oskar's stomach solidified into something else, something like a hard ball of ice.

"There is no news about Emeric or Magnus is there?" he said. "Ye aren't taking us to the guild house?"

"Nay, I'm afraid we're not going to the guild house. But there is news about yer friends, I wasnae lying about that. And ye'll discover just what that news is as soon as we get where we are going."

Oskar's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the men around him, assessing his chances of taking them down. The three in front had their swords raised, the three behind were positioned to flank him, their movements fluid, ready to pounce at Eberwyn's command. He would have to be quick. If he took out the three behind him, he and Lily might have a chance to flee before the others could react.

As if sensing his thought Eberwyn said, "Dinna be stupid, Oskar. Perhaps ye dinna value yer own life, but what of that of Lady Lily? Make one wrong move and she will be dead in a heartbeat."

He nodded upwards and Oskar followed the line of his gaze to see another man stationed on the roof of one of the buildings. He held a crossbow pointed right at Lily.

Oskar's stomach knotted with fear. He tossed his sword into the dirt. He could not risk her safety.

"All right," he snarled. "Ye win. We'll come quietly."

"What?" Lily cried, looking around in fright. "What's going on?"

"It's all right," Oskar said. "Do as Eberwyn says. No harm will come to ye, I promise."

"Glad to see ye have some sense in that thick skull of yers," Eberwyn said. He turned to his men. "Bind their hands and blindfold them."

Oskar's jaw clenched but he didn't struggle as they bound his wrists together with a thick length of rope and covered his eyes with a cloth. He was prodded into motion. They began walking once more, winding deeper into the maze of lanes and closes on the city's western edge. As they walked, Oskar's mind raced, thinking of all the ways he'd make Eberwyn pay for this betrayal.

After a winding journey in which Oskar lost all sense of direction, they finally came to a halt. Their blindfolds were removed and he saw that they were outside a nondescript door in the side of a townhouse much like his own, except it looked grander, like the residence of some wealthy merchant. The door swung open although Oskar couldn't see anything beyond.

Eberwyn entered and his men pushed Oskar and Lily through the door. He found himself stepping into a paneled hallway that smelled of cloves. Two doors stood on either side of the narrow passage but Eberwyn ignored these and instead led the way to a door at the end. Beyond this, Oskar found himself traversing a narrow staircase that stank so thickly of damp he knew he was descending into a cellar.

Sure enough, at the bottom it opened out into a low room with a dirt floor, lit only by a guttering candle standing on a barrel in the corner. Two people were chained to the wall.

Magnus and Emeric. They sagged where they sat, seeming barely conscious. He took a step towards them but a voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Ah, here ye are!"

Oskar spun as a man stepped out of the gloom at the back of the cellar. "The old gang all back together again! Isnae that nice?"

It was Alfred Brewer.