and I had him locked away immediately.”
Dawn shook her head and pointed her finger down at the floor, insisting he had been there. When Cree went to speak, she pressed her finger to his lips, then tapped her temple as she shook her head again.
Cree scowled. “I was not going to say you imagined him. I am trying to understand how he can be in two places at the same time.”
Dawn stuck a finger up from each side of her head.
“For the last time, he is not the devil—”
“I tend to agree with Dawn,” Sloan said, stepping in through the open door. “The two warriors guarding Alexander heard a loud noise coming from inside his room. They unlocked the door to see what was wrong—the room was empty.”
Chapter Seven
“I have had enough of this nonsense. Find him now!” Cree ordered with a shout.
“I have men searching, but many are questioning the stranger’s sudden arrival so close on the tail of Old Mary’s telling of Winter Tale and they have begun to grumble among themselves, especially now that Elsa has fallen ill. Without her to keep them well, they fear what may happen and,” —Sloan hesitated a moment—“it has started snowing again and the men have yet to dig the whole village out. There is no way for anyone to leave here.”
“And no reason for anyone to,” Cree was quick to say, then ordered, “Have another bed brought to this room and have Elsa moved here before the snow traps her and Neil again. Also have someone brought here to watch over Old Mary. Dawn will be coming with me.”
Sloan nodded and went to do Cree’s bidding.
Dawn looked to her husband with a scrunch of her brow and tilt of her head.
Cree’s strong hand wrapped around Dawn’s, gripping it possessively. “For some reason this stranger has appeared to you twice and I intend to be there the next time he does.”
Dawn smiled, slipped her hand from his and gave her husband a tight hug, then stepped away from him to gesture.
Cree interrupted her, asking, “Why the hug?”
Dawn rested a gentle hand to his warm cheek for a moment, then mouthed slowly as she gestured. You believe me.
He brought his lips close to hers and whispered, “Always.”
After he gave her a quick kiss, she gestured anxiously.
Cree nodded. “I thought the same myself. We should have a look at the room where he was being held.”
A servant entered then and after Dawn showed her how to tend Old Mary, she grabbed her husband’s hand and hurried out of the room with him to the tower room. The higher they climbed the colder it got. The cold winter wind was striking the keep so hard that it was creeping through the cold stone wall.
Dawn rubbed her arms, wishing she had thought to bring her shawl with her, though her wool cloak would have served her better.
Seeing that a chill had seeped into his wife, Cree took a moment to step behind her and rub some heat into her shoulders and arms. Then he leaned down to nibble along her neck and instead of a chilled shiver running through her, a warm shiver took hold.
Dawn sighed silently, though she knew Cree would feel it being so close to her. He always looked after her, always thought of her well-being, always loved her and that thought not only warmed her heart, but her body as well.
“Let us be done with this task and get you where you will be warm.”
Dawn leaned back against him and took hold of his arms and wrapped them around her, letting him know she would always be warm in his arms.
With an arm lingering around her waist, Cree opened the door, having to give it a hard push with his shoulder. It groaned as if annoyed at being disturbed, but then this room had sat abandoned until today when Cree finally made use of it.
A sudden chill whipped out at them and Cree quickly moved in front of Dawn to block the mighty blast from hitting her. The only light in the confined quarters was from the fire that barely burned in the small fireplace. Shadows congregated in the dark corners, as if huddling in
Dawn shook her head and pointed her finger down at the floor, insisting he had been there. When Cree went to speak, she pressed her finger to his lips, then tapped her temple as she shook her head again.
Cree scowled. “I was not going to say you imagined him. I am trying to understand how he can be in two places at the same time.”
Dawn stuck a finger up from each side of her head.
“For the last time, he is not the devil—”
“I tend to agree with Dawn,” Sloan said, stepping in through the open door. “The two warriors guarding Alexander heard a loud noise coming from inside his room. They unlocked the door to see what was wrong—the room was empty.”
Chapter Seven
“I have had enough of this nonsense. Find him now!” Cree ordered with a shout.
“I have men searching, but many are questioning the stranger’s sudden arrival so close on the tail of Old Mary’s telling of Winter Tale and they have begun to grumble among themselves, especially now that Elsa has fallen ill. Without her to keep them well, they fear what may happen and,” —Sloan hesitated a moment—“it has started snowing again and the men have yet to dig the whole village out. There is no way for anyone to leave here.”
“And no reason for anyone to,” Cree was quick to say, then ordered, “Have another bed brought to this room and have Elsa moved here before the snow traps her and Neil again. Also have someone brought here to watch over Old Mary. Dawn will be coming with me.”
Sloan nodded and went to do Cree’s bidding.
Dawn looked to her husband with a scrunch of her brow and tilt of her head.
Cree’s strong hand wrapped around Dawn’s, gripping it possessively. “For some reason this stranger has appeared to you twice and I intend to be there the next time he does.”
Dawn smiled, slipped her hand from his and gave her husband a tight hug, then stepped away from him to gesture.
Cree interrupted her, asking, “Why the hug?”
Dawn rested a gentle hand to his warm cheek for a moment, then mouthed slowly as she gestured. You believe me.
He brought his lips close to hers and whispered, “Always.”
After he gave her a quick kiss, she gestured anxiously.
Cree nodded. “I thought the same myself. We should have a look at the room where he was being held.”
A servant entered then and after Dawn showed her how to tend Old Mary, she grabbed her husband’s hand and hurried out of the room with him to the tower room. The higher they climbed the colder it got. The cold winter wind was striking the keep so hard that it was creeping through the cold stone wall.
Dawn rubbed her arms, wishing she had thought to bring her shawl with her, though her wool cloak would have served her better.
Seeing that a chill had seeped into his wife, Cree took a moment to step behind her and rub some heat into her shoulders and arms. Then he leaned down to nibble along her neck and instead of a chilled shiver running through her, a warm shiver took hold.
Dawn sighed silently, though she knew Cree would feel it being so close to her. He always looked after her, always thought of her well-being, always loved her and that thought not only warmed her heart, but her body as well.
“Let us be done with this task and get you where you will be warm.”
Dawn leaned back against him and took hold of his arms and wrapped them around her, letting him know she would always be warm in his arms.
With an arm lingering around her waist, Cree opened the door, having to give it a hard push with his shoulder. It groaned as if annoyed at being disturbed, but then this room had sat abandoned until today when Cree finally made use of it.
A sudden chill whipped out at them and Cree quickly moved in front of Dawn to block the mighty blast from hitting her. The only light in the confined quarters was from the fire that barely burned in the small fireplace. Shadows congregated in the dark corners, as if huddling in
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