Blood Revenge

Chapter 13

I kept a close watch on Stefanfor the entire trip, but tried to get past my suspicions. Most of thetime, he was normal. We even developed a sort of amicableunderstanding in which we both ignored the strangeness. My trust inhim was shaken after we reached Malourne. Stephanie was the first tocome to me with her reservations.

I was out on the practice field,chucking knives at an unfortunate dummy, when she approached. "Mama,can I talk to you?" I'd noticed she'd taken to carrying atleast one weapon on her at all times since returning. It made me feelless ridiculous for slipping a knife in my boot every time I left mybed.

I picked up another knife andnodded toward the dummy next to mine. "Throw while you talk."

She picked up three knives and inquick succession hurled them at her dummy. One landed in hisforehead, on in his heart, and one in his groin. "Now can I talk?This is important."

"Where did you get so good?"I asked proudly.

She blushed. "I've beenpracticing with Reif."

My eyes narrowed. "Is thisimportant conversation about him?"

"No!" she shook her headwildly, strands of hair falling into her face. "That's private!"

I knew by the red in her cheeksand the rise of her voice that she and Reif had finally taken theplunge, and fairly recently from her reaction. I chuckled. "What'son your mind?"

"It's Stefan," she saidslowly, a small look of abhorrence settling over her features. I'dseen Anders make that same face over Stefan and it made me smile athow alike they truly were. My smile faded when I heard what she hadto say. "I've noticed him... lurking, around Dante."

"Lurking?" I asked. "Whatdo you mean?"

She shrugged. "I've noticedhim taking him off into corners and talking to him. Then he carveshim these little wooden animals."

"Perhaps he misses what hecould have had," I said.

"What do you mean?" shefrowned.

I sighed. Was my daughter sogrown up I could share these things with her? "As you know, Stefanand I were lovers before your father and I fell in love. I left himafter I realized we weren't right for each other. I came to thatconclusion after feeling relief when I miscarried a pregnancy."

"You were pregnant before me?"she asked.

I nodded. "I didn't even knowabout it until it was too late."

She absorbed the information,stored it under 'parent secrets', and then continued on as if itwas no big surprise. "So you think Stefan has taken interest in mybrother because he wishes he had child of his own?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps."

She thought for a moment. "Istill don't like it," she said, voicing her opinion.

"I'm glad you came to me,"I said, storing my information in the 'strange Stefan' portion ofmy brain.

Anders was the next to complainabout all of his son's new toys. "They're cluttering up hisbookshelves, luv. I don't know where he's getting them all."

"Stephanie tells me that Stefanis carving them for him," I said.

Anders started to frown. "Ireally don't like how he hangs around our boy, Ana. He lurks."

I started to get a pit in mystomach. Both Anders and Steph had used the same word to describeStefan's interactions with Dante. Now it was worth looking into."Shit," I cursed.

"That's not the first timeyou've heard that, is it?" Anders asked, reading my expression.

I sighed. "I think I need tohave a conversation with Beri. She spends the most time with him."

Anders kissed my forehead and Iturned to go down to the barracks where Beri would most likely be.Sure enough, I caught her in the middle of training some newrecruits. Their eager faces reminded me of when I'd first metStefan and my heart clenched.

"Beri, may I have a word withyou?" I asked nodding an apology to the trainees.

"Dismissed," she said shortlyand they all scurried off for a chance to have a free afternoon. Whenthey'd dispersed she said, "Is something wrong, commander?" Wasthat worry in her normally stony countenance?

"You spend a lot of time withStefan, have you noticed him acting strangely at all?" I askedcuriously.

Beri stumbled and I reached tosteady her. "I'd thought it was just me," she said afterrecovering. It wasn't relief on her face, it was grief.

"What is wrong?" I asked,horrified. I'd never seen Beriima so shaken. In fact, nervouswasn't in her list of emotions.

She took a deep breath to steadyherself. "Stefan is... different," she explained. "But not allof the time. I was hoping it was simply me, because of how he's...affected me." She pulled the slump out of her posture and stared mein the eyes. "I was careless and neglectful of my duties. It willnot happen again. I swear it."

Now I was downright panicking.Beriima, a woman who should be blindly in love had noticed Stefan'sodd behavior. I took a deep breath of my own and said, "Beri, Ireally hate to have to ask this of you, but I want Stefan put underguard."

She clamped her lips in a hardline of determination before saying, "Of course, right away."

It was a few days before I heardmore about Stefan and I deigned to hope it would all blow over. I washeading toward the kitchens to grab an apple late in the afternoonwhen I heard Aelairwen's familiar pregnant shuffle approaching me.I turned to greet her with a smile. "Wen, having a craving?" Iasked.

She smiled bitterly. "No,actually, I was looking for you."

"Is something wrong?" Iasked.

"Not so much wrong asunsettling," she sighed.

"Come, sit down and tell meabout it," I urged, helping her toward the kitchen. By the wayshe'd ballooned up I was willing to guess Daeron was going to havemore than one addition to his already large family.

"Thank you," she sighed,dropping gratefully into a wooden chair.

"What's on your mind?" Iasked, pulling up my own chair and forgetting all about the apple I'dbeen craving.

"I was walking toward thegarden to take the kids off Daeron's hands for a few hours when Ipassed by the library. Stefan was there with Dante, asking him allabout his mama's riding habits. Does she go alone? Does she carryher sword? How long is she gone? That sort of thing. It gave mechills, Ana," she explained, rubbing her massive belly to comfortherself.

My eyes narrowed. "Were hisguards around?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I don'tbelieve he knew they were there."

I hadtold Beri to bediscreet. "Thank you, Wen," I smiled. "I'll be extracareful."

She touched my hand. "Don'tlet all of this get to you," she smiled.

 "Believe me, I'm trying," Isighed.