Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Fia’s eyes remained on the monk with concern. Hadn’t anyone noticed how slow his steps were, how pale he looked, and how often he licked his lips? Something was wrong with him.
Varrick rose out of his chair, taking a deep breath, his chest expanding, his shoulders drawing back, and anger flaring in his blue eyes.
“Never have I been helpless and never will I be helpless to defend my clan. And it is no God of Death that causes this problem and when I find the man who is responsible, he will beg for the God of Death’s mercy for I will show him not an ounce of mercy. Now hear me well, Brother Luke, I will no longer tolerate the way you speak about my wife. Hold your tongue or suffer for it.”
“She bewitches you and there are those who see it, yet you are too bewitched to see it,” Brother Luke argued with a soft shake of his head as if trying to clear it. “Everyone fears to speak what they know is truth. But I am not. All see how you smile at her when you never smiled before or how you always hold her hand when you walk, and all know she has seduced you for your cries of pleasure have been heard in the keep numerous times.”
Varrick’s fist smashed down on the table. “Hold your tongue before I cut it out!”
Brother Luke swayed as he clamped his mouth shut and all in the room kept silent, their eyes on Varrick.
“Fia is my wife, the marriage consummated, and she will stay my wife. It was a witch I thought I wed, only to discover I wed a good woman and a skilled healer. And no one—NO ONE—will ever take her from me.”
Brother Luke looked at Fia. “You evil whore. You have stolen his soul.”
Fia grabbed her husband’s arm before he could launch himself over the table at the monk. “Please, my lord, you cannot beat wisdom into the ignorant.” She turned to look at the monk. “Ut ignoscat Deus tuus irgnorance.”
Brother Luke glared at her, his cheeks flamed red, and his mouth fell open to speak but all he did was sputter, then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he dropped to the floor.
CHAPTER 25
Heavy silence filled the Great Hall, and no one moved except Fia. She hurried around the dais to Brother Luke and dropped down beside him.
“She cursed him, and the God of Death took him,” Argus mumbled.
“Hold your tongue,” Varrick warned and hurried around the dais to his wife.
Fia turned her face up to him. “He’s dead.”
Varrick crouched down beside her and kept his voice to a whisper. “What did you say to him?”
“You cannot think that I caused his death,” she said, keeping her voice to a whisper as well.
He protects you.
She did not doubt her husband protected her, but it helped to hear the voice confirm it.
“Never, but others will, and I will know what you said and in what language,” he said, though he believed it to be Latin since all monks spoke the language.
“I spoke Latin to him. May God forgive your ignorance, is what I said.”
“Is he dead, my lord?” someone called out.
Varrick stood, easing his wife up to stand alongside him. “Aye, he is dead.”
Mumbles and whispers began to fill the room, Varrick catching some of the words.
“Cursed.”
“God of Death.”
“Did his bidding.”
“If I hear one word spoken against my wife, I will see the person punished,” Varrick commanded with an intensity that instantly brought silence to the room. “Lloyd, see the body is removed. Argus, Corwin, Marsh, my solar now.” His arm went around his wife’s waist, tucking her close to keep her safe.
“This is not good,” Argus said as he followed behind Varrick.
“Argus is right,” Marsh said.
Corwin barely closed the door to the solar when Varrick spoke.
“I agree with you, Argus. This is not good. Many will believe she cursed Brother Luke.”
“And did so to mark him for the God of Death,” Corwin said.
“The men probably already talk about how Brother Luke warned you that your wife had bewitched you and with you proclaiming your love for her, more will believe than not that she now commands you. His sudden death will only pay credence to that,” Marsh warned.
“What did you say to him?” Argus demanded, turning a scowl on Fia.
“May God forgive your ignorance,” Marsh said.
Everyone looked at him.
“It is the only Latin I know, and I learned it from a fighting monk who prayed it over every man he killed on the battlefield,” Marsh explained.
“Have you told anyone this?” Varrick asked.
“I have been known to mention it when in my cups,” Marsh said.
“Not good,” Argus said. “If a monk is known to say it when he kills, then it will be believed Lady Fia said it with intention to kill.”