Kirin bit the inside of his cheek. Vulpan was baiting him-they both knew it. Kirin just wanted to get himself and Lily as far away from this sinister man as he could. If it meant allowing Vulpan to touch Lily in this way, so be it. Clearly, the outlaw Faris reckoned she was made of stern enough stuff to risk putting her in danger. Kirin already hated Faris for sending Lily into peril and refused to ask himself whether that loathing was truly about gallantry, or a more helpless and basic masculine instinct.

"You're trembling, my dear," Vulpan said, amusement in his voice. "There is nothing untoward about this, although it is unusual, I'll grant you. Don't worry. Your husband is present."

Lily said nothing but her gaze was fixed on Kirin, her eyes watering slightly. In that moment something passed between them. Kirin told himself it was simply a reflection of her fear, but he wished it was not. For now he permitted it to be a small mea sure of comfort in an otherwise desperately uncomfortable situation.

Vulpan laid a hand on her slim shoulder and then tilted her head. "Like this," he encouraged. "Ah, perfect. Now, just a little pinprick of pain," he said sweetly, before he drew the blade across what Kirin thought was the most perfect neck he'd seen in a long time. He watched blood bloom onto its flawless creamy skin and he tried not to dwell on Lily's wince. In his imagination he kissed the small wound better.

In reality, he instead watched Vulpan bend close to Lily's neck and ghoulishly inhale. "Ah, the smell of fresh blood. Nothing so delicious-and nothing so intoxicating as blood from a woman's neck, especially one as pretty as you, my dear."

Kirin was not a violent man but he understood now how people could be driven to violent acts. It took everything within to remain still, to appear unmoved. "What now?" he asked in a tight voice, not taking his gaze from Lily's face, hoping his composure would help her to keep hers. He saw a tear roll out of one eye and down the cheek that was tilted toward him. He watched the tear splash on the flagstones and he hated himself for being so weak and vulnerable at this moment.

"Now comes this," Vulpan replied and bent his head again, this time horribly close to Lily's neck, where several trickles of blood were traversing their manic pattern toward her collarbone. Slowly and lasciviously, Vulpan licked at Lily's blood. Kirin closed his eyes, hoping that Vulpan would be done by the time he opened them.

He was. Kirin found their captor lingering over the sensation, his tongue licking his lips clean, his eyes closed and an expression of rapture on his face.

Lily reached up and wiped her hand over the wound, pretending to pat at the blood, but Kirin knew she was wiping away the wet memory of Vulpan's tongue on her neck. For a moment Kirin felt a rise of nausea that had nothing to do with the potency of his magic.

"Delicious," Vulpan admitted quietly. "Your blood is sweet and fresh, Lily. Thank you. I will never forget you." He looked across to Kirin. "Your turn, Master Felt. Lily, you may go now." She looked uncertain, glancing at Kirin, her anxiety plain. "Hurry up now, Mrs. Felt. Your husband will not be long and we can get you both on your way." There was a firm tone of dismissal in his voice. Kirin nodded at her, his expression filled with encouragement and reassurance. It wasn't as though they had a choice.

When the door closed behind Lily he turned to Vulpan. "Do you plan to lick my neck in the same manner, Master Vulpan?" he said conversationally.

Vulpan smiled. "No, that manner is purely reserved for pretty women, Master Felt. I am not an attractive man; I have known that all my adult life. And, disconcerting as it is, I have also come to accept that women find me...well, curious, shall we say."

Disturbing, Kirin thought.

"And so I must take my opportunities to be close to women when I can," Vulpan continued and gave a soft chuckle. "My apologies, Master Felt, that I took my opportunity with your wife. Your thumb will do nicely."

Kirin kept his expression blank as he stood, surprised at feeling so strong, and held out his hand. Even though Lily was not his wife, he still felt outrage on her behalf. "I feel I should challenge you to a duel or something, Master Vulpan," he said, as Vulpan unlocked the blade again, careful to ensure that a tone of amusement laced his words. "I fear, however, that I am in no condition to make any challenge to anyone."

"Indeed." Vulpan sliced into Kirin's thumb. "Do you know what I find most interesting about your wife, sir?" he asked as he squeezed the cut causing it to bleed freely.

Kirin shook his head, revolted by the thought of what was about to occur.

"She tastes different than all the Vested women I've experienced," Vulpan explained before pulling Kirin's hand to his mouth and sucking the bright blood.

Kirin's stomach turned as the warmth of the man's mouth closed on his thumb. "Am I supposed to be impressed by that?"

Vulpan closed his eyes, carefully tasting Kirin's blood and presumably storing the memory of that taste away. He returned his gaze to Kirin. "Thank you. No, you shouldn't necessarily be impressed, but I should be intrigued...and I am. I shall take care to mention it."

Kirin schooled his expression not to falter. "Is it that interesting? How is she different?"

"In a unique way, actually." Vulpan licked his lips as though remembering the taste. "There is a common element to the Vested women. I can't explain exactly what that is but I can taste it. I taste it in you, too, but in a different way. That particular quality is, however, lacking in Lily."

Kirin forced himself to shrug casually. "I can't imagine why, though I rather like the idea that she is unique." He frowned. "Mention it to whom, by the way?"

Vulpan grinned and Kirin saw his own blood still staining the man's teeth. "Why, the emperor, of course."

Kirin found Lily in the kitchen, just finishing a bowl of creamed oats.

"I had to eat something," she admitted, "I was feeling so sick after that encounter."

"Didn't do much for me either," Kirin replied.

"You look so much better, though."

"I feel it. Lily, we must go."

"Yes, I realize but-"

"No, now."

A man entered from the back door and smiled at seeing Kirin. "Ah, you must be Master Felt. I am the cook here. Can I get you something to eat? Your wife has paid attention to my offer and helped herself."

Kirin forced a smile. "No, but thank you. We're in a hurry to be gone actually, but if I may, I would be grateful to grab some food to eat on my journey."

Lily frowned at him in query but Kirin shook his head.

"Of course," the cook replied. "We have some delicious fresh goat's cheese and I'm sure you can smell that the bread's already baked for the day."

"Thank you, that's what's making my belly grind, I'm sure. Come, my love, we must check on the horses and be away quickly."

They waited only long enough for the cook to tie up some bread, cheese and figs into a square of linen. "Here," he said, "drink this cup of milk as you go to the stables."

"You're very kind, Jole," Lily said and took the food. Kirin added his thanks with a smile and a nod before taking Lily's arm and all but dragging away.

"It seems you can charm any man you wish." He ignored her look of surprise. "How do we get out of here?" he growled.

"This way," she said, pointing. "What's going on?" When he scowled at her, she followed up with: "I mean, other than the obvious."

"I'll tell you once we're on the road. Hurry."

Mercifully for Kirin, the horses were ready and they didn't see Vulpan again, although Kirin suspected he was watching them from one of the many windows. Kirin didn't look back, urging his horse forward, knowing Lily had no option but to match his pace. He had them galloping the moment they were out of sight of the town's entrance.

After a time of determined galloping, he veered off the main road, heading east. He allowed his horse to slow and Lily to draw alongside him. She said nothing as she caught her breath, waiting for him to break the difficult silence that suddenly hung between them. Buying time, Kirin slowed his horse further and reached to untie the food. He offered Lily some bread.

She shook her head. "Are you going to tell me why we've left the road to Brighthelm?"

Kirin chewed slowly. "Let me eat something quickly and then I'll explain everything."

Lily waited while he took this chance to formulate how to tell her what needed to happen next. He wasn't hungry; his appetite was lost but he knew he had to eat and after swallowing all the bread and half the cheese, his belly felt full. He wrapped up the remains and put them away. "We're on the road to Camlet," he began.

"So I gathered."

"I don't plan to go to Camlet, I'm just trying to find the next village or town that has a priest."

She frowned. "A priest?" Then she grinned. "Oh, I see, to wash away the taint of Vulpan with holy water. Then I want him to bathe my neck with it because-"

Kirin cut her off. "No, I need a priest so that he can marry us."

At first Lily stared at him. He knew she was likely running his words through her mind to be sure she had heard right. Finally she pulled at her horse's reins, stopping it. "Marry us? You and I?"

"I wasn't planning on wedding one of these horses," he said, hoping sarcasm would cover his self-consciousness.

"I can't marry you," she said, and he winced at the horror in her voice.

"Nevertheless, you must."

"Kirin, I am to be married in the next moon or so," she gabbled. "I am to be the wife of Kilt Faris. This is...this is ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Well, isn't it?" she demanded. Even angry she was attractive, Kirin decided, noticing the splash of color at her cheeks, the way she flicked her hair and how her voice had deepened. "I mean, we're strangers!"

"Indeed. But perhaps you should have thought of that before you made claim to be my wife or accepted the dangerous and frankly idiotic mission to play spy for your husband-to-be."

"Kilt didn't expect all of this to occur," she snarled. "And I was in a bind."

"And now you're in a bigger one. Vulpan knows you're not Vested. He doesn't understand how this can be, or why, but he senses a ruse. He plans to mention the discrepancy to his superior, who happens to be the emperor. Would you like to imagine how that conversation might go?" Kirin shook his head. "Loethar knows I am not married. I left the palace barely days ago as a single man. So that combined with Vulpan's suspicions...we cannot risk Freath and myself. We are the only allies to Valisar in the palace and now that we know Leonel lives, we have all the more reason to protect him."

"When we were talking before you confessed you weren't sure the fight was worth it," she accused.

He nodded. "That's true. It's one of the reasons I left Freath alone to meet with your intended husband. I still believe that Loethar is making a good fist of ruling the new empire and I needed some distance from our struggle to work out whether fighting him in this way is wise. But since meeting Vulpan, I realize Loethar is still overly concerned with manipulating power. He wants to control the magic Vested in our land through our people. One person alone should not have that sort of access or control. Freath is right; even though life is more than tolerable now, we should still attempt to return the Valisar line to the throne."

"Vulpan scared you that much?"

"Vulpan is evil, Lily. You know it, you felt his touch. I looked within him; he craves power. He wants to be indispensable to the emperor. His talent is unique-I've never heard of such an uncanny ability-but because he strikes me as an individual with few scruples, he is also dangerous and frightening. If Loethar grants him too much power, who knows what the repercussions could be. He knows us now and he also knows one of your band, so you'd-"

"What do you mean?"

Kirin shrugged. "I'm sorry, I should have mentioned this before. That's why Freath and I came north; to warn Faris that whichever man was recently wounded he is now known to Vulpan and thus to the emperor."

"Lo save us!"

"What?" Kirin demanded, staring at Lily's graying face, her hand clasped over her mouth. Then it dawned on him. "The king?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Vulpan has tasted King Leonel's blood?" Kirin clarified, hardly daring to believe his own words.

"It was an arrow wound, a chance encounter. Jewd got him away; though the wound was hardly a scratch, it was not life-threatening either."

"Oh, but it is!" Kirin spat. "Vulpan now knows him." He looked away from her, dismayed and anxious. "But Freath will know this by now so he will take measures."

"What can be done?"

"I don't know. That's why Vulpan is so dangerous. He's in this area now because he's scouring the midlands, sweeping north until he recognizes his man."

"And he doesn't even have to know his face."

"That's the true darkness of his skill. Once he has tasted you, he doesn't forget. He doesn't even have to taste you again. It's as if he can smell his victims."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But right now we have a more pressing problem to solve. If your Faris is sensible, he'll remove the king to a safe place, perhaps beyond the empire." He ignored Lily as she shook her head. "But if you and I are going to survive long enough to see Leo on the throne, we must marry."

"Kilt will never forgive me."

"Faris will be lucky to attend your burial, Lily, if you don't marry me."

She looked shocked and he was relieved-at least she was finally grasping the importance of what he was proposing.

"But what shall we say? No one's going to believe us. Least of all Kilt Faris."

"This is not about Kilt Faris! You can tell him what ever you wish. What we have to worry about is what we tell the emperor." He urged his horse forward. "Come on, we can talk as we travel." Reluctantly, Lily joined him. "We shall have to say that I have known you since I was very young. Let's say we lived near each other on Medhaven-that's where I grew up."

"But I've never been there."

He shrugged. "Can't be helped. Loethar already has on record that Medhaven was my home when I was a child."

"And if they check up on me?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we reach it. So now let's get our stories right. We're about the same age, so it's feasible we played together as youngsters. My father was a fletcher. He's dead now. How about yours?"

"My father, when I last saw him, was a leper but also a talented herbalist. I have no idea whether he's dead or alive." Kirin heard the emotion in her voice.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Are you?"

"That you don't know whether he still lives? Of course I am. Why don't you know more about him?"

"It's a long story, Kirin," she said, sounding suddenly weary.

"Well, we're going to be husband and wife. I need to know everything I can about you."

"I don't know if I can do this."

"We have no choice. When all is done and Leonel is king, you can divorce me. Until then, your decisions affect my life."

"He'll never forgive me," she repeated. Kirin made a dismissive gesture, but Lily persisted. "No, you don't understand. Kilt is a man of his word. He's intense in a way I find hard to explain. He will see this as betrayal and forgiveness for a betrayal of this level is impossible."

"If he can't forgive you, Lily, he can't love you enough."

She stared at him, a mixture of indignation but also injury on her face. "How dare you."

Kirin shrugged, unyielding. "If you were mine," he said softly, "and you told me about the life-threatening position you found yourself in, in which the only way to protect your life was to marry a stranger, I think I would find it within my heart to forgive you. No, I know I would. And I barely know you."

Lily had no answer for his response. He could see the battle on her expressive face; offense was at war with how touched she was by his tender admission. Not another word passed between them until Kirin broke the awkward silence some time later.