Page 58 of Forbidden

“Have you ever seen the moon’s reflection in a still pond?” Duncan asked with buried savagery.

“Yes.”

“Throw a bucket of stones in the pond and look at the moon’s reflection again. That’s what I have of my memory.”

The bitterness in Duncan’s voice made Amber long to touch him, to soothe him, to give him a sensual ease that would balance the ache of loss.

“So I remember that I have seen the Glendruid Wolf,” Duncan said, “but I don’t remember when or where or how or why, or even what he looked like!”

“Glendruid Wolf,” Erik murmured. “So he is truly called that. I had heard rumors…”

“What rumors?” Amber asked, anxious to change the subject.

“That the English king’s Sword has become the Glendruid Wolf,” Erik said.

Amber looked baffled.

“One of Cassandra’s prophecies was accurate. Again,” Erik said.

“Which one?”

“Two wolves circling, one ancient, one not,” Erik said. “Two wolves testing each other while the land held its breath and waited…”

“For what?” Simon asked.

“Death. Or life.”

“You didn’t tell me,” Amber said quickly.

“You were having enough trouble with your own prophecy,” he said dryly.

“Which wolf won?” Simon asked.

“Cassandra’s prophecies aren’t like that,” Erik said. “She sees future crossroads, not which road is taken.”

With a shudder, Amber turned away. She didn’t want to hear about Cassandra’s prophecies.

“Duncan?” she said.

He made a questioning sound, only half listening. One of the weapons hanging on the armory wall had caught his attention.

“Will you go with me to the Whispering Fen?” Amber asked. “Cassandra asked me to see if the geese have arrived.”

Then Amber realized which weapon Duncan was staring at. Her heart turned over with raw fear. Quickly she stepped in front of him and put her hand on his cheek.

Bright pleasure leaped.

Dark memories writhed.

“Duncan,” Amber said in a low voice.

He blinked and focused on Amber rather than on the weapon whose length of thick chain and heavy, bristling ball had made memories swirl and seethe in darkness.

“Aye, lass?”

Amber’s lips trembled slightly, pleasure and pain in one. Her pleasure. His pain that was also hers.

“Go with me to Whispering Fen,” Amber said softly. “You have had enough of battles.”