Return to the Shadows (Shadows #2) Read online

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  We were nearing a small cluster of villages; it was impossible to determine our exact location, but I could see groupings of peaked roofs and chimneys down below. The clouds weren’t quite so thick here.

  Every mile traveled away from the mountains meant drastically clearer surroundings to behold. Once the urge to vomit passed, I had to admit the scene below was truly amazing. The sight directly around Mark and me wasn’t bad either. Jeweled birds as far as the eye could see, carrying an army of warriors and Aries, looking every bit the warrior princess.

  Mark had been clearly amused at my reaction when, with a strange call, he’d gathered the mass of aragazzi to the top of the mountain. I’d gasped and taken a hasty step toward Aries—well, clutched her arm in terror really—so certain was I that we were about to face retribution for killing a member of the bejeweled flock on our way up the mountain. But no attack came; these birds, Mark had explained, had been tamed and were perfectly safe. In fact, they were our transportation off the mountain. I’d made Aries climb onto hers first.

  She looked at home on the bird, among the soldiers. The half-naked soldiers, I suddenly reflected with a wry smile. Marta would have a fit. There were two things that she hated with a passion—heathens and things that pooped in her grass, and in a matter of minutes we were about to land one hundred or so five hundred pound birds right on her immaculate front lawn. Plus, over two hundred men.

  “This will not go well…” I muttered.

  “What did you say?”

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” I snapped.

  “Don’t you talk to me that way.”

  “I said I’m not talking to you.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  “Hey, look, there’s Bob and Marta’s house.” I pointed suddenly, leaning forward for a better view.

  “I thought you weren’t talking to me.”

  “Just land the damn bird, Mark.”

  One by one we descended, landing smoothly in a long row on the expanse of lawn in front of the sprawling two-story house. I climbed down to stand on legs that felt like rubber, surveying the group.

  “Marta’s going to have a heart attack.”

  Mark simply shrugged, turned on his heel, and stalked away from me.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To check on my men,” he tossed over his shoulder, “Not that it’s any business of yours.”

  “You know what you are?” I started forward, indignant.

  “Well, that answers my question,” Aries broke in before I had the chance to tell Mark what I thought of his sour attitude.

  “What question?”

  “I was going to ask how it’s going with Mark.”

  “He’s about as warm as a grizzly bear, that’s how it’s going,” I muttered, still trying to reorient myself with solid ground.

  “I see that.” Her remark was light, but there was empathy in her gaze.

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m not here to socialize with the man,” I replied defensively, but before I could say anything further on the matter, I was interrupted by a loud screech—several of them, in fact.

  “My boy! You’ve come home at last!”

  “Mama, you’re back!”

  “Hello, Marta.” Mark stepped forward to accept the woman’s embrace just as Ashley rushed forward and caught me around the knees.

  “Hey, peanut, were you good like I told you?”

  “Yep,” she nodded, only to fall silent a mere second later, her eyes growing big as saucers as she stared up at the sky. “Birds!” she shouted, her little face lighting up with excitement. “Look Mama, birds—big ones!”

  “What—” Marta began to sputter, shoving her long lost “son” away from her and turning to gape at the sky.

  “Oh boy,” I muttered. “Here it comes.”

  Silence reigned as ten birds on the lawn became more than one hundred. Marta’s eyes bulged a little more with each landing and subsequent squawk until finally, her eyes narrowed dangerously on all of us.

  “What is going on here? Why are those…things…on my lawn?” she demanded.

  “Mama?” Mark echoed, his dazed expression shifting between me and Ashley, who was still latched onto my legs, jumping up and down and yelling, “birds!”

  “What is going on here? Well? Answer me. Someone had better explain this right now. Mark, what is this…this vermin doing in the yard?” She gestured angrily to the mass of birds that stood looking over the scene with casual interest in their shrewd eyes. Marta treated each one to a fierce scowl before turning back to Mark.

  “They’re not vermin. Those are war birds,” he said by way of explanation before turning to treat me to a scowl that rivaled the one Marta had leveled on the birds. “I need to talk to you, Claire.”

  “Someone had better tell me what is going on,” Marta threatened. “Right this minute.”

  “Aries will explain everything. Claire and I will be back shortly.”

  “Okay, I’ll just get Ashley settled—”

  “Now.” There was steel in his voice.

  “In a minute,” I countered, standing toe to toe, glare for glare.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, bending down to Ashley’s level.

  “Ashley.” She regarded him through wary eyes.

  “Ashley, would it be okay if I talked to your mom for a minute?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Thank you. I’ll bring her right back. Can you stay with Marta until we return?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.” I spun around, leading the way into the blessedly cool silence of the mansion.

  “Yes, let’s,” he snapped, taking the lead and marching straight to the library at the back of the house.

  “Mark, what in the hell was that out there? What’s this about?” I demanded angrily once he had firmly shut and locked the door behind us.

  “Why don’t you tell me?” His voice was deadly calm.

  “Tell you what?” I fired back. “That you scared my daughter? That you’re acting like a Neanderthal right now? Sure, I would be glad to tell you all about it. Now suppose you tell me what your problem is?”

  “You want to know what my problem is?” His tone was incredulous.

  “You know what? Now that I think about it, no, actually I don’t want to know.”

  “She called you mom.”

  “Ashley?” I frowned, thoroughly confused by the turn of the conversation and wondering at his accusing tone.

  “Yes. Ashley.”

  “She’s mine.” I spoke slowly, enunciating clearly as though speaking to a very young child.

  “Your daughter.” His frown deepened.

  “Yes. My daughter. She’s six years old. She’s not yours,” I added sarcastically.

  “No kidding.”

  “So what are you getting at?”

  “Who’s her father?”

  “Who is her…are you serious? Is that what this is about?”

  “Who is he, Claire?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered truthfully.

  “You don’t know?” Mark’s brows shot skyward.

  “No, I don’t know. Not that it’s any business of yours,” I said, using his words against him and gaining immense satisfaction in the process.

  “It damn well is my business!” he roared.

  “Since when?” I yelled back.

  “It’s my business when you’re sleeping with me!”

  “No, Mark, not ‘sleeping’ with you—slept,” I stressed bitterly. “I slept with you—past tense. That makes it still none of your business.”

  “What else did you conveniently ‘forget’ to tell me about, Claire? Are you married? What did your husband think about you spending your nights beneath me?”

  My jaw dropped in shock at his tirade and I thought about telling him to go straight to hell and marching out of the library. Two thing
s stopped me from giving into the sudden impulse. One, I had the feeling I wouldn’t get very far, and two, I couldn’t in good conscience let him think that I was married.

  Letting him think that our time together had been a betrayal would have been cruel and completely untrue.

  He didn’t deserve that, even if he was acting like a world class jackass.

  “I’ve never been married.”

  “Then how is it you have a daughter? And one who is six years old at that? Why didn’t you tell me about her before?”

  “There was nothing to tell. I’ve only been Ashley’s mother for a little over a year now. I don’t know who her father is because I adopted her. I don’t know who her mother was either; both of her parents are dead.”

  “I-I’m sorry, Claire.” He paused, and after several long moments, scrubbed a hand over his face.

  “She’s from here, from Terlain.”

  “How?”

  “I found her the day I…left.”

  “I see.”

  “Yes. So…yes.” I exhaled, at a loss for words and desperately searching for something to focus on besides Mark’s intense gaze. “Well, no,” I blurted. “No, you don’t see. I found my brother the day I…disappeared. We were under attack by the guards and we had to escape with Ashley, so we crossed the portal. I’m sorry you thought I was dead.” I murmured that part quietly.

  “I have work to do,” he stated with an abruptness that shattered the quiet of the library, startling me.

  “Wait,” I said on impulse, immediately wishing I could take back the word.

  “Wait? That’s rich coming from you, Claire.” He laughed humorlessly.

  “That’s not what I meant,” I argued.

  “What could you possibly have to say now? I think we’re done here.”

  “I guess we are,” I managed. Why had I thought my explanation would make any difference to him now? It was obvious that, to him at least, the damage had already been done. In his mind, there was nothing that I could say to fix this.

  “It sure looks that way,” he coolly replied.

  “That’s what I just said,” I snapped, irritated with him for being stubborn and rude. In truth, his reaction on the mountain still stung. He hadn’t even looked relieved to discover I was alive.

  “Fine,” he shot back, slamming the door on his way out.

  “Ignorant jackass,” I muttered.