Part 1 (1/2)

BORN TO BITE.

HANNAH HOWELL.

DIANA COSBY.

ERICA RIDLEY.

DARK SECRET.

Hannah Howell.

Prologue.

Spring 1514.

Scotland.

The two crosses were simple, the letters carved into the wood neat but obviously done by an untrained hand. It would not be long before the words were stolen away by the wind and rain. A s.h.i.+ver went through Murdina Dunbar, and she knew it had nothing to do with the bite of chill in the wind. Her aunt and uncle had been buried in unconsecrated ground.

Murdina sighed and fought the urge to weep. It was not so much grief that caused the sting of tears in her eyes as it was a crus.h.i.+ng disappointment. She had traveled so far to find her aunt and uncle, hoped for a cousin or two as well. Every step of the way she had prayed that she would soon be part of a family again. Instead, she found herself still alone. Utterly alone.

”If ye be looking for their demon sp.a.w.n, ye are too late. She and that bairn she hid are gone.”

Demon sp.a.w.n? Murdina turned to look at the man who had spoken to her, annoyed with herself for being so lost in self-pity she had not heard his approach. He was short, filthy, and had a belly that revealed he ate too well far too often. The intuition that had cursed her for her whole life immediately marked him as ignorant and brutal.

”What do ye mean by demon sp.a.w.n, sir?” she asked, and knew her anger over his words had seeped into her tone, for his muddy brown eyes narrowed with wary malice.

”The mother was a witch, aye? What else could she have been with all her potions and love of the night, eh?” He scratched his belly. ”We took care of the la.s.sie's witch of a mother, but no one wanted to hurt the la.s.s, too. She was a healer like her mother, and we didnae want to be left with no healer at all, did we? Then wee Adeline, their demon sp.a.w.n, took in that cursed bairn. Wheesht, there was nay denying that the bairn was Satan's own. Anne herself said so when she tried to be rid of the bairn that demon had begotten on her, but the la.s.s saved it. We tried to get rid of the lad ourselves after that, but she ran off with him. Young Adeline guarded that lad as if he were her own.”

Good for her, Murdina thought, proud of her cousin. ”Where did she run to?”

”Why do ye care? Ye are weel shed of the likes of her.” He looked her over. ”Though, now that I get a good look at you, I see ye have the look of her and her fool da. All that cursed red hair, too. Blood will tell, aye?”

”Will it? Then ye will be verra pleased to learn that I dinnae intend to linger here. As soon as ye tell me where Adeline went, I will leave.”

”Dinnae ken where she went, do I? Some of our men chased her, but they didnae return. Another lot of fools went out ahunting for her, and they did stop here for a wee while. One of their men was hurt. They said the la.s.s had taken up with one of those demons one hears tales of. MacNachtons the mon called them. One of them demons was helping the la.s.s protect the bairn, and they were all headed toward the far hills,” he said and nodded, pointing toward the north.

Murdina sighed, picked up the reins of her st.u.r.dy pony, and started to walk in the direction he had waved his short, dirty finger in.

” 'Tis said no one returns from those hills,” he called after her.

”I certainly willnae be returning, whether I go to those hills or nay.”

Her heart was choked with grief and sympathy for her cousin. Poor Adeline, Murdina thought, although she was pleased to discover she had a cousin and the cousin's name. Adeline was as alone as she was, however. All her cousin had was a bairn that fools like that filthy man behind her wanted to kill. Her cousin would need help to protect the child, she decided. The man marked as a demon by superst.i.tious fools might not have stayed with Adeline. All Murdina had to do now was find her cousin.

As she looked toward the distant hills, she hesitated and s.h.i.+vered, but quickly stiffened her spine. The hills were shrouded in a heavy mist despite the fact that it was a bright, sunny day. It made her uneasy, but she shook off the tickle of fear that tried to take root in her heart. If she had to track her cousin into those ominous mists, she would do so. Now that she knew she had family left, she would allow nothing to stop her from finding Adeline. Not even wild, frightening talk of demons.

Chapter One.

”We have an important guest, and ye have been chosen to be his maid.”

Murdina glanced up from the linen she had been scrubbing clean to the plump Mistress McKee and then back down at her work. ”Ye told me I was to be the laundry maid only this morn.”

”Weel, Jeanne will be the laundry maid now. She isnae the sort of la.s.s we want to be maid to such a fine gentlemon. Too dirty, too rough, ye ken.”

And too quick to lift her skirts, thought Murdina as she dried her hands, stepping away from the laundry tub so that a flushed, scowling Jeanne could take her place. ”Ye say he is an important mon?”

”Aye.” Mistress McKee grabbed Murdina by the arm and pulled her out of the laundry room that also served as the bathing room for men of lesser rank. ”Ye also speak far finer than our Jeanne does.”

It was strange to be chosen for something that would only rouse spite or suspicion amongst the other servants of Dunnantinny. Murdina made no complaint, however. Acting the maid for some fine gentleman guest had to be easier than scrubbing pots or was.h.i.+ng linen. Unless, she mused, he was the sort of man to think all maids working in a keep were his for the taking. Since she would never tolerate being treated that way, there was a chance that this new position within the keep could land her in enough trouble to be thrown out. The laird would not take it kindly if she insulted or injured his guest. Being tossed out would actually be the most merciful of the punishments she could face for such actions, and the laird of Dunnantinny was not known for his merciful nature.

Accepting the heavy bucket of heated water Mistress McKee thrust at her, Murdina wished she had traveled a little farther before stopping. The bucket was heavy enough that the rope handle cut into her palm, but it was better than having Mistress McKee still touching her. The cold rigidity of the woman had begun to seep into Murdina. Unfortunately, she could not tell the woman not to touch her, so she simply braced for that chill every time it happened.

Being close to so many people all the time was a strain as her curse often made her all too aware of the feelings of those around her, especially when they touched her. She had learned almost nothing about her cousin Adeline, either, despite how close the keep was to the village where Adeline had been the healer. Nor had she collected much coin with which to continue her journey. In truth, all she had collected were bruises, blisters, and backaches as well as far too much knowledge of the venality of some of the keep's residents. She was no stranger to hard work, but being a maid in a crowded keep was a lot different than being a blacksmith's daughter. If she had learned more than just evil gossip about her cousin, she might have considered it all worthwhile, but she still had little more than what that filthy man had said as she had stood over the graves of her aunt and uncle. Only a need for coin kept her at Dunnantinny now.

”Greetings, Sir Baldwin,” said Mistress McKee, pulling Murdina free of her dark thoughts and aching disappointment. ”I had the maid bring ye up some hot water. I suspicion ye would like a wash after your long journey.” She pulled Murdina into the room. ”Fill up the ewer and bowl, la.s.s.”

Smothering the urge to push back, Murdina went to do as she had been told. She only half-listened to Mistress McKee and Sir Baldwin talk. The man had a very attractive deep voice, she thought as she checked the drying cloth near the was.h.i.+ng bowl to be sure it was clean and dry. Listening to him speak made her belly tense in the oddest way. There was a soothing calm about him that eased the chill Mistress McKee had infected her with, but beneath that calm was a shadow, and she suspected he had a few secrets.

”Murdina will be your maid during your stay here,” Mistress McKee said. ”La.s.s, make your curtsey to the mon.”

Murdina turned and curtsied, careful to keep her gaze respectfully lowered. It was as she began to rise up out of her curtsey that she chanced a look at Sir Baldwin and nearly stumbled. It took all of her willpower to keep her expression one of calm and respect and not rudely gape at the man.

Men were not supposed to be beautiful, she told herself. Yet, beautiful was the first word that came to mind. No wonder Mistress McKee had sounded close to cooing sweetly when she talked to the man, a touch of warmth actually invading that rigid chill the woman carried. He was more than handsome. He had to be at least two hands taller than her. His body had the long, powerful lines of the finest of stallions that had pa.s.sed through her father's shop. Thick, gleaming black hair hung to the middle of his broad back, two warrior braids framing his face.

And such a face, Murdina mused, unable to look away. A strong jaw, well-defined cheekbones, and a sharp blade of a nose with no hint of the b.u.mp so many men had, the remnant of a nose too often broken. He was smiling at her, his slightly full lips parted just enough to reveal a glimpse of strong, healthy teeth. Yet, she knew deep in her heart that his heartbreakingly beautiful face could harden into a look any predator would be proud of. A look that even that enticing mouth would not soften.

His eyes, however, were what firmly caught her attention. The color of pure amber, they were nicely s.p.a.ced, neither too large nor too small, set beneath tidy, arched brows, and encircled with lashes so thick and long they would cause every woman who saw them to suffer sharp spasms of envy. Those eyes beckoned, tempted, enthralled. Murdina knew that one heated look from them would be enough to seduce even the most pious of women.

When his smile widened a little, Murdina knew he had detected her fascination. She fought against blus.h.i.+ng like some tiresome girl and looked to Mistress McKee as if awaiting the woman's next command. It would be one she would obey immediately, especially if it got her out of Sir Baldwin's bedchamber. The way the man made her feel, an odd mixture of nervous and excited, made her anxious to get far away from him. She considered asking to be relieved of her duties as his maid, but only briefly. Not only did she not wish to try and explain why she asked for such a thing, she refused to allow one too handsome man to make her a coward.

”The evening meal willnae be set out for a few hours yet, sir,” said Mistress McKee. ”Would ye like a wee bite of something to take the edge off your hunger until then?”

Murdina wondered why that perfectly reasonable question should make the man look so amused.

”That would be most kind of ye, Mistress McKee,” he replied.

”Go, la.s.s, and fetch the mon a tray of food and drink.”