Honor's Price by Alexis Morgan Page B

weeks.”
    Kane arched his eyebrows as if surprised by that news. “Really? Interesting that the duke didn’t mention that. Rest assured, Markus, that I am far harder to kill than most men.”
    Without waiting to see if the sergeant had anything more to say on the subject, Kane continued. “Shall we start the tour up here and go from there?”
    Markus jerked his head in a short nod and walked away, leaving Kane to follow as he would.

Chapter 5
    I fre stared at the closed door for several seconds. It was a shame he couldn’t slip out into the hall unnoticed to watch the stir caused by his choice of a new captain for his personal guard. For now he’d remain in his office, considering Kane’s reaction to his unexpected promotion.
    The mercenary had barely blinked.
    An interesting man, to be sure. He probably wondered at the wisdom of Ifre allowing a total stranger to serve in such an important post. He wouldn’t be wrong. Ifre knew full well how vulnerable a ruler was if those around him wished him ill.
    But few things interested Ifre more than power and magic. He’d lived his entire life surrounded by mages with differing gifts and strengths. But Captain Kane was the first he’d ever met who bore the mark of a true blood mage. Given the man’s powerful potential for magic, Ifre would’ve hired Kane anyway. But it was what Ifre had discovered when he tried to read his mind a few days ago that made it important to keep Kane close enough to keep a wary eye on him.
    It took a powerful intellect coupled with a high degree of training to maintain such powerful mental shields. Ifre had run into only a handful of people who’d been able to block his attempts to invade their minds if he was determined to get in. His late brother, Armel, was one of them. Their father had been another, as was Ifre’s half sister, Lady Lavinia. Even the mage Ifre’s father hadhired to mentor his children had had a difficult time shielding his mind.
    Kane had not only blocked him; he’d actually pushed back a little before he caught himself. Ifre had spent quite a few of the intervening hours poring through his collection of grimoires to see what he could learn about breaking through Kane’s defenses. So far, his search had met with only limited success.
    Eventually, he’d find a way to destroy his new captain’s defenses. Once that happened, Ifre would have free access to a delicious pool of dark magic. Even now, the badge of office Kane wore was designed to link him to Ifre. The connection would build slowly until it was as powerful as the ones Ifre had used on the late and unlamented Captain Terrick and his men. Eventually, it would insinuate itself deep within Kane’s mind, gradually eroding all of Kane’s protections. When that happened, Ifre would own him.
    He still missed the spicy taste of Terrick’s power. Regrets only weakened a man, but he wished he hadn’t wasted him on the failed attempt to regain control of that fool Fagan’s family estate. If the venture had succeeded, Ifre would have gained another magical asset in Fagan’s niece, Lady Merewen. Instead, he’d lost both her and Terrick.
    Despite his frustration, Ifre smiled. He’d been afraid he’d never find a new source for the magic he’d drained from Terrick, but Kane had definite possibilities. Meanwhile, he’d also keep looking for other likely candidates. He’d tried without success to drag Lady Lavinia back to the capital for just that purpose.
    The blackness in his mind stirred; the pain had him holding the edge of the desk as he waited for it to pass. His magic grew ever more demanding, more hungry. If he didn’t find ways to feed the beast, he was very much afraid that—
    No, he couldn’t think that way. It was weak of him, and the blackness would leap to overwhelm himcompletely at the first hint of vulnerability on his part. Later tonight, he