Page 69 of Midnight Shadow

Kenric shrugged. “Looks like she’d rather die than be your wife.”

Terran turned burning eyes to Kenric. His jaw clenched so tightly that for a long moment he couldn’t talk. “Go and find an herbalist.”

“There isn’t one in riding distance.”

“Then fly,” Terran snapped, “but find one.”

Kenric bowed stiffly and turned, leaving the room, brushing past the farmer who waited by the door.

Terran returned his gaze to Bria. Her long brown hair was unbound and fanned out over the pillow. Her eyes were closed. Her face looked so peaceful that for a moment he imagined she was simply sleeping. Just sleeping -- as he’d imagined Odella to be.

Ah, God, no! He collapsed to his knees beside the bed. Why? Why is this happening again? Why? Why would she do this? Was I such an ogre to her? He took her hand into his. It was so limp, so white. He pressed his forehead to her hand, kneeling in a position all too familiar to him.

“Terran.”

He must have imagined the soft voice. It sounded so like Bria. Did he want to hear her voice so badly he was imagining it?

“Terran.”

He lifted his head. Her eyes were open, staring at him with such agony and such pain that his heart broke. He held her hand to his chest, clutching it tightly. What a fool I am! his mind screamed.

“Herbalist... at Delaney,” she whispered.

“At Delaney?” She must be hallucinating. He brushed a trembling kiss against her forehead. “No, darling. Kenric said there isn’t one in riding distance.”

“Terran.” He looked into her eyes. “Go... to Delaney. Get... herbalist.”

“An herbalist at Delaney?” Perhaps Kenric didn’t know about him. Perhaps he was new. Whatever the case, he would retrieve him at once. He rose. “I’ll send Randolph.”

“No!” Her cry, so strong and so frantic, halted Terran immediately. “He...” Her voice faded as her energy waned.

Terran returned to her side, leaning close to her, brushing the strands of dark hair from her forehead. “I know,” he whispered. “Just rest. He brought you to me. You’re all right.” He kissed her forehead.

“Kenric... killed Odella.”

The words made no sense. First she’d thought he had killed Odella. Now Kenric? “You’re imagining this,” he replied. “You’re speaking of things you know nothing about.”

“Poisoned... me.”

Disbelief overwhelmed him. He stared into her dull blue eyes, seeing the desperation, the fear. “Poisoned you?”

“Forced poison... into my mouth.”

The thought of Kenric forcing anything into Bria’s lovely mouth ignited a fierce anger in his veins, pulsing with the beat of his heart. Would he really dare harm Bria?

“Please” -- her small hand clutched his -- “believe...”

Terran glanced down at her hand curled around his fingers. It was so small in his larger hand. Suddenly, her fingers loosened and began to fall from his hand. Desperately, Terran grabbed her hand and gazed into her eyes. Her fading blue eyes. “Bria, stay with me,” he insisted, as his throat tightened.

“Don’t know... if I can,” she murmured.

Terran could feel the energy dwindling from her. “Bria,” he called. Agony and pain twisted his heart, the very core of his being. She had returned to warn him. “Bria,” he pleaded. “If I go for the herbalist, promise me, promise me you will live.”

A small smile curved her lips, but her eyelids fluttered closed.

“Bria,” Terran begged. Anger, determination and a pain he’d never felt warred inside him. He didn’t want to leave her. If what she said was true, if his cousin had poisoned her, he couldn’t leave her alone with Kenric. But how could he not?

He planted a firm kiss on her forehead and rose to move to the door. His eyes came to rest on the farmer who still stood, watching, his worried gaze locked on Bria. “Stay,” Terran ordered. He placed a hand over the peasant’s. “Please, stay and watch her. My servants will bring you anything you need. Whatever you want.”