Free Knightly Bonds 1: Their Majesties' Knight by Sunny Day Page A

her chin into his hands. “What’s wrong?”
    “My magic, I don’t have it anymore!” she wailed. Tears streaked her face.
    A cold feeling settled over him. He reached for her with his own power. Moira always glowed with magic, its warm and insistent fire. She was a much better magician than he.
    Now there was nothing. He frowned, examining her more closely.
    “It’s still here,” he said. “But someone blocked you.”
    It took a lot of power to block a sorceress of Moira’s strength. Whoever had done it, he was good. And knew her well.
    Arin glanced at the present guards. They came alert under his gaze.
    “Call my knights. I want my advisers here. Now,” he added, raising his voice. They blanched and hurried to obey. Soon, only he, Moira, and Garen were left.
    “Do you know who did it?” he asked.
    She gave him a resentful, bitter glance. “No.” She bit her lip before continuing. “But I know that someone betrayed me, which means that he is probably preparing to betray you.”
    “That’s a fair guess.” Arin stood. Garen helped Moira. She let him, looking totally dejected and miserable.
    “Snap out of it, Moira. I need you,” Arin admonished. Garen looked displeased. Moira squared her shoulders. “I understand.”
    “Arin, Lan, and Galena,” Garen said.
    “I know. Their disappearance might have a more sinister significance.”
    “What about them?” Moira asked.
    “They went riding this noon. They aren’t back yet,” Arin informed her.
    “Have you claimed them?”
    Grim pleasure filled Arin. “Yes.”
    Whoever incapacitated Moira probably did so thinking it would leave Arin without a mage. Very few people knew he was a mage himself. What’s more, he was now bonded to Lan and Galena. He could tap into Lan’s innate power without damaging either of them. Moira might not be able to cast spells. Arin was.
    And that was a serious mistake on the rebels’ part. It worked in Arin’s favor.
    Arin tugged at the cord within himself that connected him to his lovers. He felt their response, Galena’s worry and anger, Lan’s darker emotions. They appeared to be unharmed, but—He staggered a little as, in a flash, Galena transferred her impressions of the latest happenings to him. Lan’s thoughts joined hers. Together, they conveyed their support to him.
    “They are captured,” he informed Moira, “but are safe for now.”
    “Good,” Moira said. “What do they know?”
    “Quite a lot, actually.” Arin bared his teeth. A noise from the doorway attracted his attention. His friends were coming. They gathered around him, some looking curious, some looking worried. But evident on all faces was their willingness to fight for him.
    “Gentlemen,” he said, looking at each and all of them, “we go to war.”

Chapter 6

    Her head was throbbing. A palm rested on her cheek, and her head was laying on something soft.
    “Oww.” She opened her eyes to look at Lan’s worried face. Tense lines around his eyes disappeared. “You are awake. I was starting to worry.”
    “She knocked me out,” Galena said.
    Suppressed fury flashed in Lan’s face. “She will pay.”
    “I agree.” Grimacing, she tried to sit up. “Where are we?” She surveyed the room with dismay. A lone lamp on the floor illuminated stone walls. The smell of mold and decay filled the room. Something rustled in the dark, and Galena shuddered. Rats.
    “I don’t know,” Lan said. “No one came in here. I think it’s a cave not far from where we were captured.”
    “I see. They left us here, then.”
    “Morel said they will have to move faster than they anticipated.”
    “Against Arin?”
    Lan grimly nodded. “Against Arin.”
    Damn it. Arin wouldn’t be expecting that and Madagar—for some reason, her involvement made Galena uneasy.
    “Arin won’t let them get away with that.”
    “No,” Galena agreed. As if on cue, she felt Arin’s touch on their bond.
    “Arin!”
    He laughed. “It’s me. I was wondering where you