MorningStar's Kitten

Kelly gave Keira a kiss on the cheek, winked at Cade and left the room. Cade lifted Keira and carried her over to the table, where he sat down with her on his lap. Danae filled their plates with food, while Leah poured the juice. Cade and Keira took turns feeding each other and she enjoyed trying more foods that were new. Cade would frequently kiss her or touch her face and it took Keira a few minutes to realize that he was making a point to Danae. The girl was quiet, sullen and barely even looked up. When she did, Keira saw the hurt in her eyes and a moment later realized that Danae was in love with Cade. Keira grew quiet and put her glass down; she refused the next bite Cade offered with a shake of her head.

“Cade…” she said quietly.
“Yes, my pet?”
“Can Danae be the one to come with us?”
“If you like, it’s your decision.”
“Danae, would you like to come and help me?” Keira turned and asked. “I haven’t a clue about fancy gowns and Cade would say a burlap sack looks good.”

Danae’s head had snapped up when Keira first asked Cade if she could come, completely stunned. The look on her face a mixture of excitement and wariness. She didn’t know why Keira would want her along when it was obvious from the night before she wanted Danae nowhere near Cade. However, Cade had made it clear that he’d been displeased by Keira being upset and knew it was wiser to keep Cade happy with her. She knew her best chance for that was to try to make Keira happy no matter how jealous and hurt she felt.

“Yes, M’lady.” Danae answered with a smile “I’d be honored.”
“Go tell my Uncle that you’ll accompany us.” Cade ordered Danae “Change into something appropriate and come get us when the carriage arrives.”
“Yes, M’lord.”

Danae hurried from the room and Cade put Keira on the chair next to him. She looked away from him and pulled her plate and glass to the place in front of her. She ate in silence only nodding or giving curt answers to Cade’s attempts at conversation. Cade couldn’t understand Keira’s mood shift and finally in a fit of temper he slammed his glass down on the marble tabletop with such force it shattered. Keira and Leah both gasped and moved away from him startled.

“What’s wrong?” He demanded, “Why are you angry with me?”
“I’m not angry, Cade. I’m unhappy.”
“Why?”
“You deliberately upset Danae.”
“Is that why you asked her to come? To sooth her hurt feelings? She’s a slave, Kia. She needs to remember her place.”
“She’s in love with you, Cade.” Keira told him softly.

Cade looked at her and blinked, sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. It certainly explained Danae’s possessiveness with him, and her jealousy of Keira. He told himself it was his own fault. He’d favoring the girl and treating her more like a true companion than the trained slave she was. He raised his hand to push his hair out of his eyes when Keira cried out.

“You’re bleeding!”

She jumped up and took his hand in hers to examine the cut from the glass. He’d been so irate he hadn’t even noticed the gash across his palm. Leah dampened a cloth and handed it to Keira to wipe away the blood so she could examine it better. Keira was gentle as if tending to a small, injured child and Cade found himself overwhelmed with love for her. No one had fussed over him having a minor cut since he was a small boy. Keira looked up at him and he could see concern in her beautiful cat’s eyes.

“It’ll need a few stitches, M’lord.” Leah commented.
“No.” Keira contradicted, “The blood makes it look worse than it is. Clean up the glass and take the tray away. I’ll take care of my husband.”
“Are you going to take care of me like last night with my bath?” Cade grinned at her.

Keira gave him a look that she wasn’t amused and he pouted a bit which made her laugh as she pressed the damp cloth to Cade’s palm and watched Leah clean up the glass and carry the tray out of the room. After the door closed, Keira moved the cloth and looked into Cade’s eyes.

“She’s right, Kia. It needs to be stitched.”
“Would you like to learn one of my secrets?”
“You have secrets?”
“My eyes aren’t the only special thing about me.”
“I think all of you is special.”
“My father told you I knew the healing arts,” Keira said ignoring his comment.
“Most women know something of them, even nobility.”
“But I can heal…” Keira said softly and closed bother her hands over Cade’s injured one as she spoke. “I once healed my brother when he’d almost been killed in a raid.”
“That’s a useful gift for the wife of a Warlord.” Cade said then gasped at the sudden surge of electricity in his hand and pulled it out of Keira’s grasp.

He looked down at his hand in disbelief. The gash was completely gone, not even a scar to show it had ever even happened. Keira stood looking down at him with a smile, but Cade could see the fear in her eyes she tried so hard to hide.

“That’s amazing.”
“My father never knew, and my mother was only told the day of our wedding. She’d often questioned how I could recover from one of my father’s beatings overnight.”
“I’d wondered myself how it was you didn’t have even a bruise. I was sure I’d have to be very careful with you on our wedding night.”
“I’ve grown so used to it that I don’t even think about it anymore. There were several times my mother swore my father had killed me.”
“Do you have any other secrets that I should know?”
“Sometimes I ‘know’ things.”
“How do you mean?”
“I always knew before the raiders came, I knew that you and your men were arriving, and once I found one of the toddlers who’d wandered into the forest.”
“Are you always right?”
“Usually. Unless it’s about myself. I rarely see anything about me, and even then it doesn’t always happen.”

Cade sat thoughtfully for a moment, and then pulled Keira into his lap. He held her tight and kissed her gently. Keira wrapped her arms around his neck and put her head on his shoulder. She debated with herself about whether to trust Cade with her deepest, most closely guarded secret. In the end fear won out and she decided to say nothing.

“If my village had known they’d have called me a witch.”
“You’re not a witch, Kia. You’re a gift.”
“The wise-woman always said that.”
“Hmm, explains why they said she was wise.”
“You’re being silly.” Keira giggled.
“Probably. They are extraordinary gifts, Kia.”
“I know. I just hope I never need to use it on you for more than a simple cut.”
“That makes two of us.” Cade said, as there was a knock on the door. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”