with his own blood. If he dies before making the sacrifice . . . the bargain is void. The spell breaks.”
“His first-born child!” Hazel said, her voice sharp with horror.
“A son. Born two months ago.”
“A son?” Hugh sounded baffled. “Aleyn doesn’t have a son.”
“Born to someone in your household,” Larkspur said. “She died in childbirth. I think her father might be one of your grooms.”
“Oh.” Understanding dawned on Hugh’s face. “Rosamund. She never said who the father was. Her parents were distraught when she died.”
“Aleyn plans to kill Rosamund’s child?” Ironfist’s voice was soft—and yet it made hairs prick upright on the back of Ivy’s neck. He’s dangerous .
“Yes.” Larkspur’s head drooped. She closed her eyes. Her fingers trembled in Ivy’s grasp.
I think you’ve had enough, love . Ivy caught Hazel’s eye. “Time to take her back.”
Hazel stood.
“One final question, Larkspur . . . if I may?” Ironfist’s voice was still soft, but no longer terrifying. He sounded gentle, not dangerous.
Larkspur raised her head and looked at him.
“If Hugh’s in deer form when Aleyn dies, will he change back into himself? Or will he be stuck?”
Tam shot him a sharp glance.
“He’ll change back.”
“Are you certain? Absolutely certain?”
Larkspur hesitated. “Aleyn seemed to think that would be the case.”
“Seemed to think . . .” Tam grimaced and shook his head. “Let us err on the side of caution. We do it when Hugh’s human.”
“Now?” There was a note of disquiet in Ironfist’s gravelly voice. “Cut Aleyn’s throat while he’s asleep? That’s too much like murder for my liking.”
Tam grimaced again. He glanced at Hugh. “Tomorrow night at Dapple Meadow. A closed court—and an execution. Justice, not murder. If you can wait another day?”
“I can,” Hugh said.
Ivy looked down at the table. Two more agonizing transformations . . . Gods, can he cope?
But Ironfist was correct. Cold-blooded murder was no way to undo this unholy bargain.
“I don’t want Father to witness me changing shape,” Hugh said. “Promise me you’ll keep him away.”
“I promise,” Tam said.
She looked up to see Tam stand and bow to Larkspur. “Thank you,” he said, formally. “My family is very much in your debt. If you ever need our help in any matter, you have only to ask.”
Hazel held out a hand to Larkspur. “Come on, love. Let’s get you back to the woodcutter’s cottage.”
Larkspur released her grip on Ivy’s fingers. She pushed slowly upright. She looked frail, almost elderly. The shadows under her eyes were as dark as bruises.
Ironfist stood. “I’ll come with you.” He made a bow to Larkspur. “That is, if my presence won’t disturb you?”
CHAPTER NINE
TAM, IRONFIST, AND Aleyn carried the roebuck off in a wagon. Ivy stood on the doorstep with Hazel and watched the wagon trundle out of sight. I pray that the gods protect you, Hugh Dappleward.
Calmness wasn’t a quality she possessed this morning. Anxiety and worry were the emotions that rode her. Anxiety and worry—and a foolish, wistful sense of loss that tightened her throat and made her heart ache in her chest.
She wanted to be on that wagon with Hugh. She wanted to protect him.
Me? A cripple? I can’t protect anyone.
“What if Aleyn manages to bespell Tam?” Hazel’s voice was agonized, her hands clenched. “Or finds some way to kill him? O r— ”
“Ironfist is with them.” Ivy managed to find a shred of calmness. “He’s more than a match for Aleyn. He’ll keep Tam safe. And Hugh.”
“But—”
“You’ll know where Tam is every mile of the journey. You can ask yourself where he is once an hour—once a minute, if you need to.”
“I do that all the time anyway.” Hazel unclenched her fists and scrubbed her face with her hands. “Gods, I’m tired.” She sat on the doorstep, her shoulders sagging. “A midsummer wedding?
“His first-born child!” Hazel said, her voice sharp with horror.
“A son. Born two months ago.”
“A son?” Hugh sounded baffled. “Aleyn doesn’t have a son.”
“Born to someone in your household,” Larkspur said. “She died in childbirth. I think her father might be one of your grooms.”
“Oh.” Understanding dawned on Hugh’s face. “Rosamund. She never said who the father was. Her parents were distraught when she died.”
“Aleyn plans to kill Rosamund’s child?” Ironfist’s voice was soft—and yet it made hairs prick upright on the back of Ivy’s neck. He’s dangerous .
“Yes.” Larkspur’s head drooped. She closed her eyes. Her fingers trembled in Ivy’s grasp.
I think you’ve had enough, love . Ivy caught Hazel’s eye. “Time to take her back.”
Hazel stood.
“One final question, Larkspur . . . if I may?” Ironfist’s voice was still soft, but no longer terrifying. He sounded gentle, not dangerous.
Larkspur raised her head and looked at him.
“If Hugh’s in deer form when Aleyn dies, will he change back into himself? Or will he be stuck?”
Tam shot him a sharp glance.
“He’ll change back.”
“Are you certain? Absolutely certain?”
Larkspur hesitated. “Aleyn seemed to think that would be the case.”
“Seemed to think . . .” Tam grimaced and shook his head. “Let us err on the side of caution. We do it when Hugh’s human.”
“Now?” There was a note of disquiet in Ironfist’s gravelly voice. “Cut Aleyn’s throat while he’s asleep? That’s too much like murder for my liking.”
Tam grimaced again. He glanced at Hugh. “Tomorrow night at Dapple Meadow. A closed court—and an execution. Justice, not murder. If you can wait another day?”
“I can,” Hugh said.
Ivy looked down at the table. Two more agonizing transformations . . . Gods, can he cope?
But Ironfist was correct. Cold-blooded murder was no way to undo this unholy bargain.
“I don’t want Father to witness me changing shape,” Hugh said. “Promise me you’ll keep him away.”
“I promise,” Tam said.
She looked up to see Tam stand and bow to Larkspur. “Thank you,” he said, formally. “My family is very much in your debt. If you ever need our help in any matter, you have only to ask.”
Hazel held out a hand to Larkspur. “Come on, love. Let’s get you back to the woodcutter’s cottage.”
Larkspur released her grip on Ivy’s fingers. She pushed slowly upright. She looked frail, almost elderly. The shadows under her eyes were as dark as bruises.
Ironfist stood. “I’ll come with you.” He made a bow to Larkspur. “That is, if my presence won’t disturb you?”
CHAPTER NINE
TAM, IRONFIST, AND Aleyn carried the roebuck off in a wagon. Ivy stood on the doorstep with Hazel and watched the wagon trundle out of sight. I pray that the gods protect you, Hugh Dappleward.
Calmness wasn’t a quality she possessed this morning. Anxiety and worry were the emotions that rode her. Anxiety and worry—and a foolish, wistful sense of loss that tightened her throat and made her heart ache in her chest.
She wanted to be on that wagon with Hugh. She wanted to protect him.
Me? A cripple? I can’t protect anyone.
“What if Aleyn manages to bespell Tam?” Hazel’s voice was agonized, her hands clenched. “Or finds some way to kill him? O r— ”
“Ironfist is with them.” Ivy managed to find a shred of calmness. “He’s more than a match for Aleyn. He’ll keep Tam safe. And Hugh.”
“But—”
“You’ll know where Tam is every mile of the journey. You can ask yourself where he is once an hour—once a minute, if you need to.”
“I do that all the time anyway.” Hazel unclenched her fists and scrubbed her face with her hands. “Gods, I’m tired.” She sat on the doorstep, her shoulders sagging. “A midsummer wedding?
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