The guard’s eyes rounded like full moons and he turned deathly pale before quickly shoving the door closed and slamming the latch.
Dawn trembled in his arms and he turned to face her, his lips so close that they grazed her cheek and then her lips and she shuddered.
“I will not hurt you,” he whispered her tremble sending a shiver to his loins.
He wisely, though reluctantly, stepped away from her.
She did the same, hurrying to the blanket to spread the food she had brought in her basket. He could see that her hands trembled as she worked and she did not turn to look at him. Perhaps she thought if she avoided his eyes he would ignore her, as no doubt many did to her.
But he was not like others and he approached her.
Dawn heard him move and she was not at all comfortable being on her hands and knees with him behind her. She quickly set to finishing her task.
She wished her hands didn’t quiver so but she couldn’t stop them. Being in his arms, pressed against him, his muscles tight and hard and feeling the animal snarl rumble through his chest put the fear of the devil into her and into the guard as well. She had almost half expected Cree to turn into a fierce animal, but then wasn’t he already one?
He attacked and devoured everything in his path and she suddenly wondered how Colum ever could have captured such a cunning and fearless animal. The strange thought got her speculating and she turned to him not realizing how much her eyes questioned.
Cree joined her on the blanket and reached out to take hold of her chin. “I see a question in your eyes.”
She almost startled but quickly contained her surprise and pointed to the food.
Cree nodded. “I am hungry, but why do I sense that wasn’t the question so prominent in your eyes?”
Lila, and her husband Paul to some extent, were the only ones good at reading the look in her eyes. But then few bothered to meet her eyes directly. It was as if they feared that by doing so, somehow they too would be cursed and lose their voice.
He caused her to jump when he demanded, “Tell me.”
Dawn thought quickly and realized this would be the perfect time to try to learn something she could give to Colum. She eased his fingers off her chin and slowly reached out to give his thick arms a squeeze then pointed around the shack and shrugged.
Cree stared at her a moment amazed that he could so easily understand her. “You wonder how someone like me, so big and strong could be captured.”
She nodded, pleased that he had no trouble interpreting what she expressed.
“An error in judgment,” he said.
She frowned and shook her head before realizing that she was telling him that she didn’t believe him.
He reached for a hunk of bread. “You think I lie?”
She was about to shake her head but instead nodded. She needed something to give Colum or she would suffer the consequences of her failure to gather information for him.
“Why?”
He sounded as if he issued her a challenge that she would much rather not accept it, but she was left little choice.
She looked to her left and then to her right and then she placed one finger to her lips.
“You believe I harbor a secret.”
The more she thought about it the more it made sense. Cree was an infamous warrior. Unbeatable. Soulless. The devil’s own. How was it that a man like Colum could capture him?
Only if he wanted to be captured.
The thought startled her but she sensed it to be true and if it was… what did it mean?
She nodded and reached for a chunk of bread then broke several pieces off leaving one large one. She placed the smaller pieces in rows with the large one in the lead. She pointed to it and then to Cree, then shrugged.
Her astuteness amazed Cree. She might not be able to speak but she was far from dumb. But then either was he. He knew that she was searching for information to bring to Colum.
He decided to answer her without truly answering her. “My men are where they should be.”
Dawn wondered if he was where he should be as well. Could his capture have actually been planned? But why would he want to be captured by Colum? If he wished to attack the village he could have easily done so. It made no sense. She needed to learn more but she didn’t want him to grow suspicious of her. She didn’t know who she feared more Cree or Colum. Either one could hurt her, but hadn’t Cree told her that he would never hurt her?
Why didn’t she believe him?
“You express yourself more clearly than I would have thought for one without a voice,” he said turning the conversation away from him to her. It was his turn to learn some things. “How long have you had no voice?”