Tarass chuckled. “I can’t give what I don’t have.”

Willow watched him walk away and shivered. The Slayer was in for a battle if he thought she’d relinquish her soul. But just in case, she decided it was best if she saw this settled before the Slayer did.

Slatter kept his back to the wall, watching, as James, Tarass, and Sterling talked. He couldn’t believe how much Sterling resembled him. It was as if they were twins or brothers. There were some subtle differences, but not enough to take notice unless one was looking. He even walked with that same air of assurance that Slatter did.

“He struck me and I expect him to be punished for it,” Sterling continued to argue.

“You looked ready to strike his wife,” James said.

Sterling’s face pinched tight. “I will not tolerate disrespect from any woman.”

“Willow isn’t any woman, she’s my sister and I will not see her disrespected in her own home,” James warned.

Slatter listened as words were exchanged as if the three men would decide his fate. In past situations he would have paid them no heed, his fate his own to decide since he found his way out of any difficulty he had ever gotten into. Now, since Willow, it was more complicated. He didn’t want to leave her, didn’t intend to leave her, he loved her far too much. He wanted a life with her, a life far different from the one he’d been living.

So he continued to listen to see what he could learn about Sterling and try to make sense of why a nobleman resembled him and why the man wanted to destroy him.

Once Willow got to her mum’s solar, she sent Eleanor on an errand that would take time, but made sure Snow remained with her. She wouldn’t take the chance of Tarass confronting her sister alone.

Willow handed Maddie a tankard of hot cider and a piece of bread sweetened with honey and tears gathered in her eyes as she took both and ate and drank with haste.

“He doesn’t feed you?” Willow asked.

“Barely,” Maddie said and gratefully accepted another piece of bread from Willow.

“Tell me what happened, Slatter wants to know,” Willow urged.

“I think Beck was in cahoots with Lord Sterling, but double-crossed him, something Beck was known for. Beck wasn’t surprised when he arrived the one day. What Beck didn’t expect was the warriors that poured out of the woods and descended on us. It was over before it got started. Unfortunately, not for Beck. Lord Sterling tortured him. It was during that torture that he revealed that you and Slatter weren’t truly wed.”

“Then it’s true, we aren’t wed?” Willow asked, not ready for the answer.

“I can’t say for sure. Beck barely was able to turn his head, but he did and looked at me and told me to make sure I told Slatter that he won, he got him good.” She wiped a tear away. “Slatter. You tell Slatter that I got him good.” He repeated it several times and I got the feeling it was a message for Slatter. That’s why I didn’t repeat what he said in front of everyone.”