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You don’t have to sell ht o rest," she said stiffly, and turned for the door

As she entered the corridor she could have sworn she heard Lydia laughing softly

Hawk found Gri out at the west cliffs through the open doors He didn’t miss the tiny whiteness at Grimm’s knuckles on the hand that clenched the door fraid line of his back

"So?" Hawk asked iate his wife’s past hi Adrienne alone with the damned smithy No chance of that Nor could he have taken her with him, so he’d sent Grimm to uncover what had happened to Janet Comyn

Grimm turned slowly, kicked out a chair, and sat heavily before the fire

Hawk sat as well, rested his feet upon the desk, and poured theratefully

"Well? What did she say?" The Hawk’s grip tightened on his glass as he waited to hear who had done such terrible things to his wife that her mind had retreated into fantasy The Hawk understood rong with her He’d seen battle-scarred men who had experienced such horrors that they had reacted in similar fashion Too many barbaric and bloody losses made some soldiers spin a dream to replace the reality, and in time many came to believe the dream was true As his wife had done But, unfortunately, with his wife he had no idea what had caused her painful retreat into such an outlandish fancy that she couldn’t even bear to be called by her real name And whatever had happened to her had left her totally unwilling to trust any man, but especially him, it seee when it came so he could wield it as a cool and efficient weapon He would slay her dragons, and then begin her healing Her body was growing stronger day by day, and the Hawk knew Lydia’s love had much to do with it But he wanted his love to heal her deepest wounds And the only way he could do that was to know and understand what she had suffered

Grieted in his chair, tilted it at the sides like a lad, then got up and moved to the hearth to shift restlessly from foot to foot

"Out with it, one had nearly driven the Hawk crazy i what this Ever-hard man must have done Or even worse, perhaps the Laird Comyn himself was to blame for Adrienne’s pain Hawk dreaded that possibility, for then it would be clan war A terrible thing to be sure, but to avenge his wife--he would do anything "Who is this Ever-hard?" The question had been gnawing at his insides ever since the night he’d first heard the nahed "Nobody knew Not one person had ever heard of hi secrets, was he? "Talk," he cohed "She thinks she’s from the future"

"I know Adrienne thinks that," Hawk said impatiently "I sent you to discover what Lady Comyn had to say"

"That’s who I meant," Grimm said flatly "The Lady Comyn thinks Adrienne is froed incredulously "What are you tellinghter?"

"Aye"

Hawk’s boots hit the floor with a thu heat

"Let ht Althea Cohter?"

"Aye"

Hawk froze This was not what he had expected In all his is he had never once considered that his wife’s fantasy ht be shared by her mother "Then exactly who does Lady Comyn think the lass is? Who the hell have I married?" Hawk yelled

"She doesn’t know"

"Does she have any ideas?" Sarcasm laced the Hawk’s question "Talk to me, man!"

"There’s not much I can tell you, Hawk And what I knoell, it’s damned odd, the lot of it It sure as hell wasn’t what I expected Ah, I heard such tales, Hawk, to test a man’s faith in the natural world If what they claim is true, hell, I don’t knohat a hter’s delusions," Hawk marveled

"Nay, Hawk, not unless Althea Comyn and about a hundred other people do Because that’s how many saw her appear out of nowhere I spoke with dozens, and they all told prettyat banquet when all of the sudden a lass--Adrienne--appeared on the laird’s lap, literally out of thin air Some of the maids named her witch, but it was quickly hushed It seeels The Lady Co fall out of the oddly dressed woet it ’Twas the black queen she’d given ave to you e returned"