Lord of Legends

He didn’t know how to answer. “All right” meant feeling well, and he didn’t feel well. Mariah had been away too long. He was furious at the presence of the second human, who intruded with his Cold Iron and his thick male scent that was so much like Donnington’s. If there had been a way out of the cage, Ash would have charged him, knocked him down, impaled.

“Who is he?” he repeated.

“My name is Sinjin Ware,” the man said hoarsely, pushing away from the wall. “Who in hell are you?”

“I call him Ash,” Mariah said. “Please, Sinjin, stand back.” She turned to Ash again. “Mr. Ware has come to help us. There is no reason to be afraid of him.”

Ash laughed, drawing a startled expression from both humans. “Ware,” he snarled. “Donnington.”

The man exchanged glances with Mariah. “My God,” he repeated. “Did you tell him who I—”

“Do you still think he’s a poacher, Sinjin?” Mariah said before he could finish.

“No. I had … no idea.”

Ash banged at the bars with his fist. “He did this.”

Sinjin drew his hand over the fringe of dark hair above his lip. “Believe me, Mariah. I had nothing to do with—”

“You are his,” Ash said, no longer caring if his flesh touched iron. “His.”

The human male looked ill. “What is he saying, Mariah?”

She took his arm. “We shall return soon, Ash,” she said. She led the man she called Sinjin from the room and half closed the door. Ash realized at once that she did not want him to hear what they said to each other.

“We must be careful, Sinjin,” she said in a low voice that Ash easily heard. “Ash is very—”

“What the hell is going on?” Sinjin demanded.

“I told you that Ash blames Donnington. He hates him. Somehow he’s realized that you are related to him.”

“How? Giles and I look nothing alike!”

“As I said at Rothwell, I am convinced that Ash has no idea how much he looks like Donnington. And I never mentioned you. I certainly never told him that you are Donnington’s brother.”

“Does he know Donnington’s your husband?”

“No. And it is too soon to tell him.”

“You’re afraid of him. You do think he’s mad.”

She didn’t answer. Ash pressed as close to the bars as he could without touching them.

“Think carefully,” Mariah said at last. “Who in your family might resemble your brother?”

“You aren’t suggesting—”

“Who, Sinjin?”

“No one!”

“No one that you know of.”

“Don’t you think I would be aware … Do you actually think this man is here because of my brother?”

“I don’t know what to believe. Please stay here, Sinjin.”

A moment later she returned to the inner chamber, fetched the bag she had brought with her and opened it, producing another loaf of bread, small red fruits, a white stone-like container and another shaped of clear crystal.

“Bread, strawberries, butter and jam,” she said, smiling at Ash. She sat in the chair, spread a cloth across her heavy skirt and removed two pieces of the bread from its wrapping. She coated them with the yellow substance in the stone container and the thick, sweet-smelling fruit from the crystal.

Ash could see Ware peering through the crack in the door. Donnington’s brother, though Ash didn’t know what that word might mean. He only knew it was important. As was husband, though he refused to consider why it hurt so much to think of Mariah bearing a connection to his enemy.

And Mariah had said he looked like Donnington. Ash had not seen Donnington when he had gazed at his own face in the water, yet something in him knew it was true.

The thoughts flying through his head made his hunger go away, but he knew he must remain strong. He took the bread through the bars, and then Mariah left the room again.

“You speak to him as if he doesn’t know what bread and jam are,” Ware whispered. “And he’s only half-dressed.”

“He was left with almost nothing,” she said. “Nothing to eat, nothing to wear.”

“You brought him those clothes?”

“Of course. What else was I to do?”

“You said you saw another stranger by the folly. This man hasn’t been completely neglected. Someone must come here to feed him, clean his …” He paused. “What did your maid say?”

“Nola said there was a strange man living in a cottage on the grounds, and no one knows what he does. Ash implied that someone comes to him every few days. Someone who doesn’t want anyone else to know that Ash is here.”

Sinjin made a harsh, angry sound. “This is a highly volatile situation, Mariah,” he said. “Obviously this man has suffered, but as for his identity or Donnington’s … involvement, we’ll have to give this very careful thought. Acting too quickly can only—”

Mariah strode back into Ash’s room, Ware on her heels. He caught at Mariah’s arm. “Mariah, listen to me. We—”

The bars rattled as Ash banged against them. Fire coursed over his skin.

“Don’t touch her,” he commanded. “Don’t touch her!”

Both humans started. “He is a lunatic,” Ware said.

Mariah shook him off. “He’s nothing of the kind.” She moved as close to Ash as she could without touching the bars. “Don’t, Ash. Please.”

The fire licked at Ash’s forehead. “Stay away from him.”

“Sinjin won’t hurt me, Ash. I promise you, he’s our friend.”

“Merry, this man is obviously disturbed,” Ware said. “Don’t promise him anything. Not until we know what he’s done.”

“Done?” She whirled to face him. “What could he have done to deserve this?”