The Love of a Wielder (Book Two of The Wielders Trilogy)

Chapter Two

Once Maren felt calmer, she and Alec were able to return to the subject of what to tell his father. She still felt very agitated, but knew she needed to let it go. She had decided to trust Alec, both because he'd earned it and because she had no choice. But she disliked it. Having four people who knew her secret felt like entirely too many. She couldn't stand it if anyone else found out.

"What excuse did you come up with for Court? About why I left early, I mean," Maren said.

"Riding accident," Alec replied. "Donovan intended to make it seem like you were confined to your rooms and hadn't left yet. Probably not the most believable story, but it doesn't have to hold up for much longer."

Just long enough to keep Kieran in the dark until she was safe at Worthingham. The thought made her uneasy again, and she shied away from it. She needed to focus on things she could actually do something about.

"Would your father believe a riding accident?" she asked. She didn't think it was likely, but it was a much better story than the truth.

Alec made a skeptical sound. "Hmmm... I don't think so. I'm not familiar with horses in the slightest, and even I know you'd have different injuries were you thrown from a horse," he said.

She sighed. Alec was right. She would have injuries like a broken arm or leg, scrapes and scratches, or even back injuries. The only way she could think of for a horse to cause massive bruising to her side was if she was standing behind it at an odd angle, and it happened to kick her in the ribs. It was not very likely.

"Some version of the truth is our best option," Alec said. "Firstly, I cannot come up with any compelling reason to drag you a few hundred miles away besides removing you from danger. And second of all, you recall that I'm good at reading people?"

She did. Alec was excellent at reading people. Maren occasionally wondered if he was reading her mind and not her expression.

"Please don't tell me you got that particular skill from your father," she said, wincing.

He cringed. "I did. Only he has a few decades more experience than I do, so he's a lot better at it. He'll spot a lie in a heartbeat," he explained.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "All right. Is it plausible that Kieran would harm me just because he hates Donovan? I'd rather not bring the subject of witches up if at all possible."

Alec thought for a few moments before answering. "I think so. I've told him plenty about Kieran. I expect he'll be shocked, but not skeptical. And it is, at least in part, the truth."

"And we decided to flee instead of telling the King because...?"

"Hmmm...because he threatened to arrest you if you did, and it seemed safer to send you away quietly," Alec suggested.

She thought for a time, trying to poke holes in the logic. When she couldn't find any, or at least not very large ones, she decided it was a plausible story.

"It's the best we have, I think," she said.

Alec nodded. "I think it will be fine."

Maren wished he sounded more convincing.

"What will happen when we arrive?" she asked.

"Ah... I suppose he'll want to get to know you before the wedding," Alec said, sounding uncomfortable.

"No, I mean literally, will he be in the drive or will we be summoned before him or...something?"

She wanted to know what to expect. Well, what she really wanted to know was whether his father would insist on going to bed with her that very night, but she did not think Alec was the appropriate person to ask that question.