lord."
She held out her hand. It took him a moment to realize she wanted to touch him. He drew a deep breath, then took her hand in his. Opposites, he thought. Large and small. Dark and light. Her skin was warm, her palms lightly callused from years of hard work.
His gaze moved over her face.
She was so lovely, so innocent. It grieved him to think of her locked in darkness, unable to see the people she loved, the beauty of a summer's day, the glory of autumn's changing leaves, the flowers that bloomed in rainbow colors on the hillsides in the spring, winter's first snowfall.
Before he quite knew what he was doing, he changed into the wolf and laid his head in her lap.
"Magick!" she exclaimed softly. "You're here." She cocked her head to one side. "Lord Darkfest? My lord, are you here?" She stroked the wolf's head, her brow furrowed. "Where do you suppose he's gone?"
Rising, one hand firmly grasping the wolf's ruff, she left the kitchen and walked through the castle, looking for Darkfest, but he was nowhere to be found. Strange, she thought, how quickly he had disappeared. But perhaps not. He was a wizard, after all. Those in the village said he could appear and disappear at will, that he could fly or dissolve into mist. 'Twas foolishness, of course. No man could do those things. And, wizard or not, he was still a man.
"I wish I could find him," she said. "I should very much like to see if he is as fearsome to look upon as everyone says. Ah, well," she sighed, "another time, perhaps."
Turning back toward the kitchen, she filled a pan with water, put it on the stove to heat. The wolf stood beside her as she washed and dried the dishes. She found, to her delight, that as long as he was touching her or she was touching him, she was able to see.
Washing the dishes, usually a chore, was now a delight. With the wolf standing close to her side, she lifted her hand and watched the water drip from her fingers. She studied the soapsuds, noticed the way the lamplight made the bubbles sparkle and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. She picked up a goblet made of red glass and held it in front of her eyes, laughing as the world turned a rosy red.
How much easier to wash and dry the dishes when she could see what she was doing! She rearranged the shelves, putting the items used most frequently within easy reach.
She set the table for the morning meal; then, one hand tangled in the wolf's fur, she left the kitchen and went into the great hall.
There was a large curved settee before the huge stone fireplace. Channa Leigh stared at it, wondering where it had come from. It hadn't been there before.
Crossing the room, she sat down, her fingers caressing the velvet cloth. A furry robe was folded over the back of the settee, and she drew it over her, then settled back, her gaze drawn to the flames dancing in the hearth, one hand lightly stroking the wolf.
"I love this room," she remarked. " 'Tis so big. So majestic. I've never seen anything like it." She looked at the wolf, lying on the sofa beside her, and grinned. "But then, I've never seen much of anything."
The wolf seemed to be smiling at her, she thought, but of course, it was just her imagination.
Warmed by the fire, she closed her eyes, a soft sigh of pleasure escaping her lips as the wolf licked her hand.
A moment later, she was asleep.
Part One CHAPTER 7
"Not here?" Ronin frowned. "Where has she gone?"
Dugald and Mara exchanged worried looks.
"She's not ill?"
"Nay, nay," Dugald said quickly. "She's not ill."
"Then where is she? I promised to take her walking this forenoon."
"You might as well tell him the way of it," Mara said, her tone laced with anger. "Sure and he'll find out sooner or later."
"Tell me what?" Ronin asked sharply. He looked from Dugald to Mara, his concern growing. "Has aught befallen her?"
Mara blew out a sigh of exasperation. "I was ill, as you know," she said, her words falling hard and quick. "Dugald summoned the wizard to heal me."
Ronin nodded. It was obvious that Mara was now enjoying good health. "What has this to do with my Channa Leigh?"
"The wizard demanded her company for one year in exchange for my healing."
Ronin's eyes grew wide. "She's there, with him?'