Annie watched with her mouth hanging open as Ian casually sauntered up to the two men waiting for him. Rion kept glancing at her, wondering what she had said to make the man appear smug, wondering what Ian had said to leave her looking aghast.
She caught sight of Vadon approaching the cluster. He was carrying an armload of weapons. Annie gasped. She recognized maybe two or three of them. The others were strange and barbaric-looking objects. In her mind, her fertile imagination slathered their shiny surfaces with blood. Rion’s blood. Dark, red, and steaming in the cold.
Unaware of what she was doing, Annie bolted for the group. As she neared the men, Lord Duvatt paused to look up at her. All three remained silent when she halted just behind her husband.
“Lady Annie,” Lord Duvatt began
