N. Walters - Embroidered Fantasies

“In Javara, a woman belongs with her husband and his brothers.” His smile grew wider. “And we’ve just adopted Michael Talbot as our brother.” Roxanne moaned behind him. Radnor didn’t dare turn to comfort her. He needed to keep his eyes and his attention focused on the men in front of them. He felt her presence, smelled the perfume of her skin as she stepped up beside him. Radnor swept out his arm to keep her from standing in front of him.

She reached down and gripped his forearm. He could feel her hands quivering.

Still, there was no sound of fear in her voice when she spoke. “We’re divorced, Michael.

You no longer have any claim on me, legally or otherwise.”

“Now, babe. You know that’s not true. You’re mine until I say you’re not mine. No judge or piece of paper is gonna change that. I told you that back in California.” He spread his arms wide. “I came all this way to get you. That should tell you something.”

“Yes, that you’re an obsessive maniac.”

The corners of Michael’s mouth tightened. “You’ll pay for that.” Radnor could tell the man was struggling for control. Good. That was a weakness that could be exploited.

“After our reunion, I plan to let my brothers take a turn with you.” Agmar laughed. “We lost one woman promised to us by the Craddocks. It’s only fitting they should provide us with another.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Michael.” She scowled at the Luther brothers.

“And you two are pigs.”

“I like a woman with spirit,” the younger Luther brother quipped. “More satisfying when you finally break her.”

“Surely you don’t expect those two to save you.” Michael sneered as he pointed at Radnor and Sednar. “They’re Craddocks. They’ll save themselves first.” Roxanne’s trembling deepened and Radnor pushed her behind him. “Enough. Fight or leave.”

Radnor gave a sharp whistle and Xander charged forward with Sednar’s mount beside him. Not pausing, Radnor gripped the pommel with his free hand and swung himself in the saddle. “Run, Roxanne,” he yelled as he pounded toward Agmar Luther.

Sednar would take the younger brother.

Agmar roared as he charged forward. Both horses reared. Xander’s heavily shod hooves came down hard. He had size and weight on the other horse. Plus, he was like his master. Losing was not an option. Keeping control of his horse with his thighs, Radnor brought his sword down in a sweeping arc. Agmar ducked at the last moment and avoided getting decapitated.

His opponent’s sword shot out and Radnor threw himself to one side to avoid getting gutted. He pulled himself back up on top of Xander and wheeled around to face Agmar. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roxanne running across the field with Michael in pursuit. He wanted to break and run but couldn’t with Agmar pounding at him with his sword. Radnor prayed that Michael wouldn’t kill Roxanne before he could save her.

Roxanne’s heart was hammering so hard it was an actual physical pain in her chest.

When Radnor had told her to run, she’d run. There was nothing she could do to help them there. In fact, she was probably a liability, taking their attention away from the men they had to fight.

The Luthers. She shivered, sweat coating her body and seeping into her eyes as her feet flew across the grass. Seemed that, even here, Michael could find other men as vicious as himself.

The tranquil scene of moments before rang with the sound of whinnying horses, cursing men and the crash of deadly steel. Those swords weren’t just for decoration.

She risked a glance over her shoulder and was momentarily dazzled by the display of physical prowess between horses and men as Sednar and Radnor attacked.

She blinked and would have screamed if she’d had the breath. Michael was heading toward her, his horse getting closer and closer with each passing second. The woods.

They were her only hope. Maybe she could hide. There was no doubt in her mind that Radnor and Sednar would come for her.

She couldn’t even contemplate the possibility that they wouldn’t win the battle. A vision of the two of them lying in the dirt, their bodies cut open and bleeding, their eyes lifeless took her breath away. She shoved aside her panic and forced herself to keep moving. They would be fine. They had to be.

She loved them.

Fine time to admit that to herself. What a fool she’d been, ready to toss aside true love because she was afraid of what the future might hold. Who knew what was in the future? Bitterness filled her. She might not even live long enough to have a future. Not if Michael had his way.

And what did she have to go back to anyway? A job that really didn’t fulfill her. No real friends. A small apartment and some things.

A new sense of determination filled her. She would survive this. She’d survived her marriage with Michael and he would not destroy her now. She wouldn’t let him. And when this was over, she was going to have her say to the two brothers. If they still wanted her to stay, she’d make her choice.

But first, she had to stay alive.

Sednar blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he battled with the younger Luther. Ivan was a master fighter, but like his brother, he had a quick temper and no patience. That made him careless. Sednar thrust his sword downward. Ivan caught it with the edge of his. Sparks flew as the blades skated against one another. Sednar drew back and attacked again.

He’d had years of practice with his older brothers. And unlike most, many of his so-called training sessions had been a matter of life or death. Leon or any one of the rest of them would have killed him, or at least maimed him, if given half the chance. Only Radnor had been different.

The three youngest—him, Radnor and Genita—had somehow escaped the curse of the Craddock family. Maybe their older siblings had taken all the meanness. The gods only knew that they’d had more than their share. The Luthers were no different.

Sednar saw a flash of color and watched helplessly as Roxanne fled across the field with Michael in pursuit. In fact, the bastard was taunting her. Giving a roar, Sednar doubled his efforts, driving hard. The horse moved with him, an extension of his body.

He silently thanked Radnor. The man knew how to train horses and there were none better on Javara than the ones they were on.

Dust flew, mingling in the air with the sharp crash of steel and the mutter of curses.

Finally, Ivan made a mistake. Losing patience, the younger Luther struck out, committing himself totally to a killing strike, giving himself no room to pull back or maneuver.

Sednar twisted aside and ducked to avoid the blow. He brought his right arm up, slamming it as hard as he could toward Ivan. His blade found flesh and bone. Steel slashed through the younger Luther’s body, coming out the other side. The other man’s eyes widened in surprise and he gasped, not quite able to believe what was happening.

Only the strength of Sednar’s arm and the strong steel of his sword were holding Ivan upright.

Sednar yanked his sword out and watched, dispassionately, as his opponent slumped to one side and slid from his horse. Using his knees, Sednar whirled his horse around in time to see Xander leaping at Agmar. Like an avenging god, Radnor held his sword with both hands and plunged it into his opponent’s neck. Blood flew, spattering horse and rider.

Radnor didn’t even wait to see Agmar fall. He wheeled his horse around and headed after Roxanne. Sednar shivered at the bloodlust in his brother’s eye. Michael Talbot had better run if he wanted to live.

Falling in beside each other, the two brothers guided their mounts across the field.

Hooves pounding, stirring up dirt and grass with every step, they plunged into the forest.