‘You should lie back. You’ve lost a lot of blood.’
Thank you for your concern, Mother. Now help me up, damn you!’
‘As you wish, old fool.’ Senta’s hand slid under Angel’s shoulder, levering him to a sitting position. Nausea gripped him but he swallowed it down and sucked in a deep breath. ‘I thought we were finished. Where’s Miriel?’
‘She’s safe. She’s with Dardalion and Kesa Khan.’
‘And the Gothir?’
‘Camped all around us, Angel. They’ve been reinforced. Must be seven, eight thousand men in the valley.’
‘Wonderful. Is there any good news?’
‘None that I can think of, but you do have a visitor. Charming little fellow. He’s sitting in the hallway now – I’ll send him to you in a while. I found him sitting by what we thought was your body. He was crying. Very touching it was. Brought a tear to my eye, I can tell you.’ Angel swore. Senta chuckled. ‘I knew you weren’t dead, Angel. You’re too stubborn to die.’
‘How many did we lose?’
Senta’s smile faded. ‘Belash is dead, and Anshi Chen. There are some three hundred warriors left, but many of those are youngsters, untried. I don’t think we can hold this place for long.’
‘They’ve not attacked yet?’
‘No. They’re busy chopping down trees, making scaling ladders and the like.’
Angel lay back and closed his eyes. ‘Just let them give me a day or two. Then I’ll be ready. I’m a fast healer, Senta.’
‘In that case we’ll try not to start the war without you.’
*
Senta found Miriel on the inner rampart, leaning on the twisted wall and staring out over the camp-fires of the enemy. Nadir warriors were standing close by, sharpening their weapons. The swordsman moved past the Nadir and halted beside the tall mountain girl. ‘Angel’s fine,’ he said. ‘A few minor cuts and a large lump on that thick skull. I sometimes think if the world ended in fire and flood he would walk out of the cinders with singed hair and wet boots.’
She smiled. ‘He does appear so wonderfully indestructible.’
‘Come and see what I have found,’ said Senta, walking away to a set of stairs which led down to a narrow corridor and a large suite of rooms. The windows were distorted, shaped now like open, screaming mouths, and the walls were crooked. But the large bedchamber was empty and in its centre was a golden four-post bed, beautifully proportioned, rectangular and solid. There were pillows of silk and a coverlet filled with goose down.
‘How could such a bed survive when a fortress of stone is corrupted?’ she asked.
The swordsman shrugged.’ There are other objects of gold that are apparently not affected by the sorcery. I found two goblets downstairs, exquisitely carved.’
She moved towards the bed, then angled away to the first of the three windows. From here the valley could be seen. ‘There’s another column of cavalry moving down,’ she told him.
‘I don’t care about the cavalry,’ he said.
She swung towards him, her back to the window, her face blushing crimson. ‘You think I will let you bed me?’
‘I think you should seriously consider it,’ he told her, with a wide smile.
‘I don’t love you, Senta.’
‘You don’t know that yet,’ he said reasonably. ‘Here’s where you can find out.’
‘You think love springs from the loins?’
He laughed aloud. ‘Mine always has – until now.’ He shook his head, the smile fading. ‘You are frightened, beauty. Frightened to live. Well, here we are, trapped in a decrepit fortress, our futures measured in days. This is no time to be frightened of life. You owe me a kiss, at least. The Gothir stole the last one.’
‘One kiss is all you will have,’ she promised, moving forward.
He opened his arms to her and she stepped inside. Reaching up he pushed his fingers into her long dark hair, easing it back from her face, stroking the high cheekbones, his hand curling round to the nape of her neck. He could feel his heart pounding as he kissed her brow and her cheek. She tilted her head, her lips brushing against his skin. Their lips met, and he felt her body pressing against him. Her mouth tasted sweet, warm, and his passion soared. But he made no move to pull her to the bed. Instead he ran his hands down her back, halting at the slender waist, feeling the curve of her hips. And he kissed her neck and shoulder, revelling in the scent of her skin.