Free Captive Heart by Phoebe Conn

for it surely will. Now as to your tale, if any of what you say were true about how badly Raktor had mistreated you, you would have warned me last night to save me and my family from the same gruesome fate yours suffered. Your silence shows clearly where your loyalty lies.”
    Celiese clenched her fists in frustration as she responded with an anguished plea, “Had I known he planned an attack, I would have told you when first we met. I would have warned you immediately and helped you in every way I could, but I knew nothing of his evil plot. I was never told what was planned, and I am as shocked as you are by what has happened.”
    Realizing further argument would be pointless when she was being so obstinate, Mylan rose slowly to his feet. After stretching to work off his stiffness, he looked down at Celiese; “Can you rise, are you able to walk? We can prove nothing here, and I have wasted enough time listening to your endless lies.”
    Celiese waited for his hand, but he did not offer it, and when she tried to stand alone she could not. Her side was too sore, and she slipped back upon the damp sand, shaking with the sharpness of the pain her exertions had brought.
    Mylan swore in a long string of bitter oaths, damning Raktor to the bitterest of fates. “Why did you let him kick you? That was lunacy, and now you’re too badly hurt to be of any help to me. What possessed you to be so foolish?”
    “He meant to kick you!” Celiese’s pretty green eyes filled with disbelief. Her action to protect him had been instinctive. Why did he not understand that her devotion to him was real?
    “So what? I am a grown man, and I do not need the protection of some lying female slave! That won’t make up for your treachery. Had you wanted to help me you would have warned me of Raktor’s true plans instead of deceiving me as you did.” Mylan’s expression was bitter. She was a rare beauty, but he was thoroughly disgusted with himself for falling so swiftly under her spell. It was a mistake he’d not make again, not ever.
    “But I knew nothing of Raktor’s scheme!” Celiese insisted once again, imploring him to believe her.
    “You knew you were not Olgrethe! If nothing else, you knew that! Now cease your lying or I will kick you myself!” Mylan stepped forward, clearly ready to make good on his threat if she did not obey him.
    Celiese stared coldly at the hostile young man. How could he not believe her after the night they had shared? Did he truly think she could have returned his affection so joyously if she had wished him dead? The truth was so plain she did not understand why he did not see it. Hiding her anger, since displaying it was futile when he was in so obnoxious a mood, she asked calmly, “If you will please help me up, I can walk.”
    “I should leave you here to fend for yourself after what you’ve done to me!” Mylan took a few steps away, then turned back. “Come, dear wife, I will help you stand, but if you cannot keep up with me I will leave you behind.” Mylan reached down to lift her, but drew back when Celiese cried out in pain.
    “Just give me your hand, do not touch me again.” Celiese bit her lip in an effort to stifle the sob that came to her lips.
    “Here then!” Mylan extended his right hand and waited as Celiese took a deep breath and grasping his outstretched arm rose unsteadily to her feet. But she took no more than two halting steps before she fainted, collapsing in the wet sand at his feet.
    Mylan lifted his gaze to the heavens to implore the aid of the gods, but he knew they would be uninterested in the fate of a slave, no matter how lovely she might be. He cursed his own luck that continued to run so swiftly to tragedy, and, scooping up the slender girl in his arms, he walked slowly down the beach in search of some shelter before the gathering clouds could again drench them to the skin with freezing rain.
    The cave was small, no more than an indentation in the rocks, but they were