Free Conquering the Dark Axe by Amber Dane

do you remember, Alexa?” 
    Her eyes widened at the sound of her name coming
from his mouth. She blushed.  What was wrong with him?  Had he’d
forgotten?  He’d been half naked and ready to...
    Rourke watched her and immediately knew what she
remembered.  His desire was overridden by the anger and concern of her
being unconscious for two days. Of what he’d endured watching her in that bed,
near lifeless except for vomiting up the foul smelling concoction and poison
that had ravaged her body.  All she remembered was what happened before
she’d fainted dead away in his arms into that deep sleep.
    “Not that.”  He gave her a cool look. “I meant
what came after.”
    Alexa frowned. So he’d not done it to her again?
Confusion had her twisting her lips as she asked, “This?”  She waved to
indicate the present moment.  He was quiet for a long moment. 
Everyone was.  He then nodded to the healer and she quickly left the
chamber.  Goran came to stand behind him. Dread washed over Alexa as she
waited impatiently for one of them to answer her. Her husband gave it.
    “You have slept for two days.” 
    Incredulous, Alexa laughed lightly.  “You speak
nonsense.  I don’t imbibe much in the spirits, I’ll readily admit. I had
but a sip. And it was not enough to cause me to sleep that long.”
    “You were poisoned.” Rourke told her.
    Alexa sputtered. Poisoned.  Her gaze shot from
his face of stone to Goran’s, then back to his. “You- you lie. Surely you
do?” 
    He shook his head and Alexa felt sick. His
expression was serious. Her words came out in a whisper. “This is
madness…Poisoned?”
    “Aye. Not lethal, nonetheless enough. Luckily your
healer knew just what to give you quickly to counter it. ‘Twas meant for us both.” 
Rourke said, his head shaking in rage.
    Alexa let out a hard breath.  “I-I do not
believe that. Was it in the food?”
    “Nay, we ate the same thing. ‘Twas only one thing I
did not touch. The wine.”
    The memory of the big gulp of wine she’d taken came
rushing back to her foggy sporadic thoughts. 
    “Aye, the wine, which would have been shared by us
both.” He let his words hang in the air for a second as his watched her. 
“We’ve yet to find out who is behind it.” His grip tightened on her hand,
drawing her gaze back to his.  “But, we will soon enough, I promise you
this.  I do not think that you were the target despite the fact it was the
wine.  You have said as much yourself that you do not imbibe much, so I
doubt they believed you would’ve taken any.” 
     “None within my home would do such a thing.”
    “We shall see soon enough.  Not everyone here
has taken kindly to their new lord, my lady.”  Goran added.
    “I tell you, none of my people are guilty of
something so…so  horrid.”  Alexa shot back, glaring at both of them
suspiciously.
    “That has yet to be proven.  Goran is correct.
This place holds many secrets that we have yet to reveal.”
    Rourke’s words felt like knives cutting into her
skin and Alexa yanked her hand forcibly out of his relaxed grasp.  What
did he mean by secrets?  What secrets? Anger and panic shot through
her.  “I know my people.  Not one of them would do such a
thing.  I tell you it was not any that was here before you arrived. After
all ‘twas your whore that brought in our tray. Death and destruction is the way
of you Normans.”
    He stood up so fast, the bench crashed to the floor
and Alexa leaned back as his hands reached out.  But those large fists did
not touch her. He drew back and rested them on his hips.  Visible fury
shook him and something else she read there in his eyes.  His heavy
breaths fanned her face as he all but shouted over her.
    “Tame your venomous tongue, Saxon or I will be all
too glad to show you the destruction I can bring down upon you. What needs
happen to you for you to learn?” 
    Alexa balked and cursed under her breath.  Her
eyes stayed glued to his