Rhianna nodded. "At least I thought I did. He... he sounded so sad. I suppose I must have imagined it."
"Yes, miss."
"Well, I'd better be going. If you hear from Lord Rayven, please give him my best, and my thanks for being so kind to my family."
"I will, miss. And may I say that Paris must have agreed with you, for you have blossomed into a lovely young woman. I know Lord Rayven would be pleased."
"Thank you, Bevins. Good night."
"Good night, miss."
Shoulders sagging, Rhianna walked down the steps to collect the horse. It was sheer nonsense, of course, thinking she had heard his voice. It was only that she had missed him so much these past four years. Missed him, and dreamed of him.
Standing at the side gate, she looked up at the windows of the east tower. "Rayven," she whispered, "I know you're here."
Hidden in the shadows of a lonely tower room, a man clad in the darkness of the night heard her plea, and wept bloodred tears.
She went back the next night and the next, wandering through the gardens for an hour, hoping he would come to her, hoping she would feel his presence and know he was there.
But he did not seek her out.
Sometimes, as now, she sat on one of the stone benches, lost in thought as she gazed up at the east tower, wondering where he was, what he was doing, wondering at the overpowering urge that brought her to this place night after night, the certainty that he was nearby. Strange, she had no desire to come here during the day. Was it because she had never seen Rayven when the sun was up? What a puzzle he was, a man as dark and mysterious as the night itself.
Rising, she walked toward the maze, her heartbeat increasing as she drew nearer.
"There's nothing in there to be afraid of." She spoke the words aloud, hoping to bolster her flagging courage. "There's nothing there in the darkness that isn't there in the light." Yet, even as the words left her lips, she wondered if that was true.
Straightening her shoulders, she took a deep breath and stepped into the maze. Greenery rose all around her, enfolding her, embracing her. Feeling as if she were being guided by an unseen hand, she went steadily onward, anticipation quickening her footsteps, until she reached the heart of the labyrinth.
She came to an abrupt halt as she glanced around. She had expected the roses within the maze to be dead, like the ones in the gardens, but the bushes here were full and green. Her gaze lingered on the statues, the bronze wolf and the black raven captured forever in metal and marble.
Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her waist. There was something ominous about the statues tonight. She had the eerie feeling that the wolf and the raven were watching her, waiting for a chance to pounce.
She was turning away when she saw a flash of movement from the corner of her eye. She glanced over her shoulder, her mind telling her that she was imagining things again.
But it wasn't her imagination this time.
Rayven materialized out of the shadows near the statue of the wolf, the moonlight shining in his thick black hair, his cloak enfolding him like a living thing.
"My lord," she murmured, suddenly breathless.
"Good evening, Rhianna." His tongue lingered over her name, drawing it out, making her shiver, as though he had caressed her.
"You're here." She glanced at the statue of the wolf. It looked different somehow. "Bevins said you weren't here."
"Why are you here, sweet Rhianna?"
"My father..."
He shook his head. "I know why you have come home. Why are you here?"
"I missed you, my lord. Being here, on the castle grounds, made you seem less far away."
"You missed me?"
Rhianna nodded. "You find that so hard to believe?"
He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "I find it impossible to believe."
" 'Tis true, nonetheless. I am sorry if it displeases you."
"It does not displease me, sweet Rhianna," he replied quietly. "How long will you be here?"
"At the castle?"
"In Millbrae."
"Oh. I've come home to stay."
"No. You must not."
Rhianna looked up at him, surprised by the vehemence in his voice. "It seems my presence displeases you as much as my honesty, my lord."
"Nothing about you displeases me, sweet Rhianna. It is only your well-being I am thinking of."
"My lord?"
"Your future, Rhianna. I would see you wed to a man worthy of you,