wondered if Bess and Duncan had been sharing intimacy when the doctor found them. Just the thought of it threatened to split her skull in two.
Duncan tossed his head to the other side, mumbling incoherently. Then he uttered one word that pierced Fiona’s heart like an arrow. “Safina,” he cried before kicking the sheets.
Fiona clutched her throat. “Safina?”
Bess wiped his brow again. “His daughter. He keeps calling her name. He says she’s in trouble.”
Tension coiled around Fiona’s spine and stiffened her shoulders. “Leave us.”
Bess gaped at her. “Can you heal him?”
“Go!” Fiona screamed, jutting a finger toward the door.
The prostitute picked up her skirts and ran.
* * *
Fiona slumped in a chair beside Duncan, drained from the powerful energy she’d needed to heal him. She heaved a sigh and pushed herself up. As fatigued as she was, now was not the time for rest. Duncan had told Bess Safina was in trouble. Why? Was it the effect of the drug Bess had given him? Or did Duncan know something else? Could he see their daughter? Were their lives entwined? If so, then perhaps he was the key to finding Safina.
“Duncan, wake up.” She shook his shoulders. She gasped when he opened his eyes—twin diamonds bathed in moonlight.
“Fiona?”
She clutched the corner of the bedspread and slowly lowered herself onto the chair, unable to trust her trembling limbs a moment longer. “Aye, it’s me.”
He sat up, his vacant gaze sweeping the room as if he were in a daze. “Am I dead?”
She flashed a half-hearted smile. “No.” Fiona was not prepared for his smile in return.
He beamed while clasping her small hand in his warm grip. “I thought you were lost to me forever.”
She jerked away from him. “I am lost to you, Duncan. I’ve cut the cord that bound us.”
His face fell, the pain in his eyes nearly enough to shatter her heart.
“Why?”
She averted her gaze, angry with herself for hurting him and even angrier for taking pity on the man. “Must you ask why?”
“Lass, I’ve served five centuries of penance for what I have done.” His voice cracked and splintered like burning timber. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen into my heart. That you haven’t felt how sorry I am.”
Fiona risked another look at Duncan. He held her gaze firm and steady, the sincerity in his eyes more than she could bear. Loathe though she was to admit, there were times when he had drawn too near that she had seen into his heart, and what she saw both unnerved and frightened her. Though Duncan had been a dragonslayer, she sensed his love and longing and knew he would not harm her. Yet she still ran from him. How could she not? No matter how much he loved her, or how much she loved him, he was still the knight who’d murdered her dear mother.
But now was not the time for digging up the past and reliving regrets. More important was the fate of their daughter. She held out a staying hand. “Save your apologies. I take it you know of Safina. You have been calling out her name. Why?”
Though they were no longer bound, her empathetic senses felt the current of fear that radiated off his skin. “She is in trouble.”
She leaned forward, gripping her knees. “How do you know this?”
His jaw hardened. “Because my bond with her is not broken.”
Fiona’s heartbeat quickened. “Are you sure?” She remembered Josef had said the spell might not work without Duncan there. Now she realized what he’d meant. The spell had half-worked, severing only Fiona from her family.
“I’m sure.” His pale eyes darkened. “Why? Did you try to sever that bond, too? You would deny your child the right to know her father?”
Fiona slowly rose, fisted hands by her sides. “Her father, the dragonslayer? Aye, I would deny her that right, knowing her father could kill her.” Fiona doubted her words were true, but she could not help but twist the barb inside his heart.
Duncan tossed back the covers and came
Duncan tossed his head to the other side, mumbling incoherently. Then he uttered one word that pierced Fiona’s heart like an arrow. “Safina,” he cried before kicking the sheets.
Fiona clutched her throat. “Safina?”
Bess wiped his brow again. “His daughter. He keeps calling her name. He says she’s in trouble.”
Tension coiled around Fiona’s spine and stiffened her shoulders. “Leave us.”
Bess gaped at her. “Can you heal him?”
“Go!” Fiona screamed, jutting a finger toward the door.
The prostitute picked up her skirts and ran.
* * *
Fiona slumped in a chair beside Duncan, drained from the powerful energy she’d needed to heal him. She heaved a sigh and pushed herself up. As fatigued as she was, now was not the time for rest. Duncan had told Bess Safina was in trouble. Why? Was it the effect of the drug Bess had given him? Or did Duncan know something else? Could he see their daughter? Were their lives entwined? If so, then perhaps he was the key to finding Safina.
“Duncan, wake up.” She shook his shoulders. She gasped when he opened his eyes—twin diamonds bathed in moonlight.
“Fiona?”
She clutched the corner of the bedspread and slowly lowered herself onto the chair, unable to trust her trembling limbs a moment longer. “Aye, it’s me.”
He sat up, his vacant gaze sweeping the room as if he were in a daze. “Am I dead?”
She flashed a half-hearted smile. “No.” Fiona was not prepared for his smile in return.
He beamed while clasping her small hand in his warm grip. “I thought you were lost to me forever.”
She jerked away from him. “I am lost to you, Duncan. I’ve cut the cord that bound us.”
His face fell, the pain in his eyes nearly enough to shatter her heart.
“Why?”
She averted her gaze, angry with herself for hurting him and even angrier for taking pity on the man. “Must you ask why?”
“Lass, I’ve served five centuries of penance for what I have done.” His voice cracked and splintered like burning timber. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen into my heart. That you haven’t felt how sorry I am.”
Fiona risked another look at Duncan. He held her gaze firm and steady, the sincerity in his eyes more than she could bear. Loathe though she was to admit, there were times when he had drawn too near that she had seen into his heart, and what she saw both unnerved and frightened her. Though Duncan had been a dragonslayer, she sensed his love and longing and knew he would not harm her. Yet she still ran from him. How could she not? No matter how much he loved her, or how much she loved him, he was still the knight who’d murdered her dear mother.
But now was not the time for digging up the past and reliving regrets. More important was the fate of their daughter. She held out a staying hand. “Save your apologies. I take it you know of Safina. You have been calling out her name. Why?”
Though they were no longer bound, her empathetic senses felt the current of fear that radiated off his skin. “She is in trouble.”
She leaned forward, gripping her knees. “How do you know this?”
His jaw hardened. “Because my bond with her is not broken.”
Fiona’s heartbeat quickened. “Are you sure?” She remembered Josef had said the spell might not work without Duncan there. Now she realized what he’d meant. The spell had half-worked, severing only Fiona from her family.
“I’m sure.” His pale eyes darkened. “Why? Did you try to sever that bond, too? You would deny your child the right to know her father?”
Fiona slowly rose, fisted hands by her sides. “Her father, the dragonslayer? Aye, I would deny her that right, knowing her father could kill her.” Fiona doubted her words were true, but she could not help but twist the barb inside his heart.
Duncan tossed back the covers and came
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