Though Slatter agreed, he remained silent, thinking what he would do to the man when he caught him. It was one thing to bring havoc to his life, but far different for his foe to approach his wife.
“He needs to be stopped before another life is lost,” Willow said.
Slatter agreed again, but there was something that troubled him. “What were you doing going into the woods alone, wife.”
Willow saw no reason to keep the truth from him. “I went to ask the Slayer for help.”
He stopped abruptly. “You what?”
“Let me explain,” she said.
“Definitely do.”
She told him what she had learned about the Slayer and how the information had taken her into the woods. “So you see I don’t expect him to respond to me at all since it’s ridiculous to think that the trees carry the messages to him or that he’s a cohort of the devil. He may be a man of wicked ways, but he’s no more than that. And if Tarass can speak to him, then so can I.”
“And what if he is a cohort of the devil? What will you do then? You summoned him so you shall owe him.”
“Nonsense. Pure nonsense,” Willow said confidently.
“Know this, wife,” he said and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “I’ll go to hell to rescue you if necessary.”
“Of that I have no doubt, husband, though it does my heart good to hear you say it.” She kissed him this time and her heart thudded when he smiled his wickedly handsome smile.
“I would take you straight to our bedchamber if Snow was not so worried about you or that we didn’t need to inform James of what happened.”
“Later,” she whispered.
“Sooner rather than later,” he whispered as if it were a secret and Willow laughed softly and kissed him again.
Chapter 20
“Why are you alone? Where is Devin and the others?” Slatter asked surprised to see Walcott when he entered James’s solar. “And why has it taken a week for you to get here if you’ve traveled alone?”
“Devin wanted to be sure of your request and that he brought the group to a safe place. Also, a few in the group need to rest after their last journey before taking on another one. And Devin refuses to leave until all are well enough to travel, though he is appreciative of the herbs Willow sent along for Erna and the others.”
“There is shelter, food, and safety here for your people,” James offered.
“Is it a permanent home?” Walcott asked.
“My sister Willow believes so, but it is up to Slatter to decide that,” James said, glancing at the man.
“Let the group know they come to a permanent home,” Slatter said. “Now let’s get you some food and drink and a place to rest before you must leave again.”
Slatter walked with Walcott to the door.
“A moment, Slatter,” James called out.
“I’ll meet you in the Great Hall,” he said to Walcott, then turned to James.
“Is this a permanent home for you?” James asked.
“Wherever Willow is… so is my home,” Slatter said and walked off.
When he reached the Great Hall it was to find his wife talking with Walcott. He stopped and watched his wife. She was genuinely happy to see Walcott and talked with him as if he were an old friend. He could hear her ask about Erna, the young lass that broke her arm and Corliss the old woman whose grandson Crofton worried endlessly about, and about Pell, the old warrior missing one leg and endless others whose names she recalled better than he did.
His wife grew more beautiful to him each and every day. More so today watching her with Walcott.
Then there were the fresh memories of having woken early this morning and how he and Willow had made love slowly, exploring, teasing, laughing, and falling more deeply in love. It had been afterwards when she had settled comfortably against him that it had struck him.
He didn’t want to live without this woman, not ever. He wanted her by his side every waking day until he woke no more. Fate had blessed him, first time she ever did, and he wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything that would have fate take her from him.
That meant seeing his problem settled. Unfortunately, his hands were tied not being able to go anywhere without being followed, not that it would stop him. He could easily leave and return without being missed. It was his wife’s safety that stopped him from doing so. He hadn’t let her out of his sight for long ever since the incident in the woods.
The culprit that resembled him hadn’t shown himself again, though it was only a matter of time before he did. He had no intentions of his wife being the evil man’s second victim.
Willow’s lovely smile forced Slatter to return it in kind as he approached the table, her outstretched hand reaching for him making him smile all the more. She never failed to reach for him, welcome him beside her, be happy to see him, and her eagerness to be with him always poked at his heart.