Beneath a Midnight Moon

Chapter 24

Kylene sat in her room plagued by doubts and indecision. Should she do as she'd promised Selene and shun the wedding, or should she put her faith in Hardane?
Don't let your fears keep us apart, he'd said, and for the first time, she acknowledged that she was afraid. Not of the fire, as she'd claimed, but of learning the truth that she knew Hardane was hiding from her. But, more than that, she was afraid to be his wife, to take her rightful place at his side, to help him rule Argone when the time came. She'd had so little contact with people other than the Sisters at the Motherhouse. She was ignorant of the social structure of Argone, ignorant of its religion, its beliefs. She was Mouldourian. Perhaps the people of Argone would never accept her. Perhaps Hardane's parents would never accept her.
She buried her face in her hands. So many doubts. She was sure of only one thing, her unwavering love for Hardane. Did she have the courage to fight for him? Did she truly believe she was the firstborn twin, and if she did, if she was, was she going to cower in her room and let Selene marry Hardane?
"No!"
Rising, she took a last look at herself in the mirror. The green velvet dress was the most flattering gown she'd ever worn. It accented her breasts, complemented the color of her hair, and made her skin glow. She wore her hair loose about her shoulders because Hardane preferred it that way, even though mature women did not leave their hair unbound.
Her decision made, she hurried from the room before she could change her mind. She was already late.
The Temple of Fire stood on the crest of a hill. Made of highly polished moonstone, it glowed eerily in the light of the full moon.
Kylene thought it was the tallest, most beautiful building she'd ever seen. She was puzzled by the lack of windows, but decided there was probably a reason why one side of the building had no opening other than a massive door made of wood so dark it was almost black.
She was breathless when she reached the top of the rise. Pausing to catch her breath, she stared at the life-size figure of a wolf carved in the heavy wooden door before she turned the heavy brass handle and crossed the threshold of the temple.
She came to an abrupt halt as she closed the door behind her. She had expected to find herself in a church with stained-glass windows, candles, an altar, some holy artifacts. Now she saw that the Temple of Fire was not a building at all, but four high roofless walls that enclosed an emerald green meadow. Tall, slender trees clothed in shimmering leaves of gold and silver grew in scattered clumps.
For a moment, she stared at the murals painted on the walls. One portrayed a pack of wolves running across a grassy plain; another depicted a lone wolf howling at a bright yellow moon. A third showed the figure of a tall, bare-chested man with the head of a wolf.
But it was the mural on the fourth wall that caught and held Kylene's attention. It showed a woman being consumed in an orange flame while a pack of wolves stood in a circle around her.
Drawing her gaze from the painting, she saw that there was a long, low altar in the center of the meadow. The altar was covered by an iridescent cloth of green and gold.
Those who had been invited to the wedding, and they were few, were gathered behind the altar.
Hardane, looking resplendent in snug buff-colored breeches, high kidskin boots, and a white linen shirt, stood in front of the altar, on the right.
Selene stood to the left, with perhaps six feet of blackened ground between them.
Lord Kray and Sharilyn took their places behind Hardane. His brothers stood to one side.
A priest in long gray robes stood in front of the altar between Hardane and Selene.
"Are all those who were invited to attend present?" the priest asked.
Kylene saw Hardane frown as his gaze moved over the faces of the guests. And then he looked toward the doorway, smiling when he saw her.
"Yes," he said, his voice carrying clearly.
"Shall we proceed?"
You must challenge Selene's claim. Hardane's voice rang out in Kylene's mind. Looking over at him, she saw him nod.
"My Lord Kray," the priest said, "shall we proceed?"
Lord Kray nodded. "Yes."
"No." With as much dignity and courage as she could muster, Kylene made her way to the center of the meadow and stood beside Selene. "I challenge this woman's right to marry into the House of Argone."
"A challenge?" the priest exclaimed. "You wish to challenge?"
Selene glared at Kylene. "Are you mad?" she hissed.
Lord Kray took a step forward, his face dark with condemnation. "Kylene . . ."
"Let her speak, Father," Hardane said.
"By what right do you challenge this marriage?" the priest asked.
"By right of being the firstborn twin."
"Have you proof of this?" the priest asked.
"I . . ." Kylene looked at Hardane. The fire will prove it. "The fire will . . ." She glanced at the mural depicting the woman in flames, and then stared at the blackened ground at her feet.
Don't let your fears keep us apart. She sent an anxious glance at Hardane.
Hardane nodded at her, his dark gray eyes filled with love and reassurance.
"The fire will prove it," Kylene said.
An audible gasp broke the silence of the crowd.
Lord Kray frowned.
Sharilyn closed her eyes, a look of intense concentration on her face.
Selene continued to glare at Kylene, her eyes filled with malice.
"So let it be done," the priest said.
Holding his arms out to his sides, the Wolffan cleric began to chant softly. The words, low and musical, were foreign to Kylene's ears.
Though Kylene wanted to watch Hardane, her gaze was drawn to the priest. The air around him seemed to shimmer like heat rising from the desert floor. A low rumble, like the beating of distant drums, seemed to echo off the walls, and yet it wasn't so much a sound as a feeling of immense power rising up all around them.
Slowly the priest raised his hands, and Kylene saw that his palms were glowing, and when, moments later, he raised his arms over his head, twin walls of white fire sprang up on either side of him.
And now the priest stood in the middle of the twin walls of flame, with Selene and Kylene behind one flaming barrier and Hardane behind the other.
"Hardane, seventh son of Argone, born of Sharilyn and Kray here present, come forth."
The beat of the drumming grew louder, and Kylene glanced around, wondering where the sound was coming from.
She stared through the blaze, gasping in horror as Hardane took a step forward. For a moment, he seemed to be engulfed in a sheet of white flame, and then he emerged through the wall of fire, apparently unharmed, to stand at the priest's left hand.
"Selene, seventh daughter of Mouldour, rightful heir of Carrick and Joce, come forth."
Selene stared at the flames. They were orange now and they danced and swayed before her, their rhythm almost hypnotic. She told herself there was nothing to fear. Hardane had walked through the wall of fire unscathed. So could she. Reminding herself of all she hoped to gain, of the reward that would be hers, she took a step forward, her hands clenched at her sides.
She could feel the heat against her skin; the smoke filled her nostrils; the crackle of the flames rang like thunder in her ears.
She gazed through the barrier of fire to where Hardane stood beside the priest.
"Selene, seventh daughter of Mouldour, come forth," the priest repeated.
She couldn't do it, Selene thought in despair, not for the throne of Argone, not for Hardane, not for all the wealth of the world.
There was a long pause. A low murmur rose from the crowd as they looked from Selene to Hardane, wondering at her hesitation.
The priest bowed his head a moment and then, in a loud voice, cried, "Kylene, seventh daughter of Mouldour, rightful heir of Carrick and Joce, come forth."
Kylene glanced again at the mural of the woman engulfed in flames, at the blackened ground before the altar.
Don't let your fear keep us apart. Once again she heard Hardane's voice in her mind, strong and clear.
Taking a deep breath, she stared at him through the shimmering flames, surprised to see that the fire was no longer orange but a brilliant shade of white, and then, her gaze locked with Hardane's, she took a step forward.
There was a sensation of warmth, of being engulfed in a bright silver haze. For a moment, her mind was filled with all the colors of the rainbow, and then she saw the image of a black wolf running through the forest. She concentrated on the face of the wolf. He seemed to be smiling at her, beckoning her. Fearlessly, she followed him, and then she was through the fire, facing Hardane.
His deep gray eyes were filled with love and pride as he stepped forward and took her hand in his.
"As heir of Argone, I accept this woman as my wife and declare that we are life-mated from this night forward."
The priest began to chant again, and this time the voices of those who had been invited to the ceremony joined in, until the night was filled with song underscored by the low rumble of a drum. And while the anthem was still going strong, the priest placed his hands over theirs and spoke the ancient words that made them one.
As he blessed their union, the flames exploded in a burst of blinding white light and then disappeared.
Selene stared at Hardane and Kylene, her face a mask of hate and envy.
"You'll rue this day, Hardane of Argone!" she shrieked. "A curse upon you and all your house!"
And then, before anyone could stop her, she ran out of the temple.
For a moment, no one moved, and then Lord Kray and Sharilyn came forward to welcome Kylene into the family.
Hardane's brothers came next, each bearing a gift for the bride. A rope of exquisite blue pearls from Dubrey, a fine gold chain from Liam, a length of cloth of gold from Garth and Dirk, a jeweled dagger from Dace, a jewel-encrusted box from Morray.
After Hardane's brothers had welcomed her, the others came forward, wishing her health and happiness, bearing gifts of herbs and spices and flagons of wine, all of which were symbols of fertility and felicity.
Dazed, Kylene accepted the gifts, the hugs, the good wishes. Later, she would worry about Selene's vile threat, she would relive the fear and the magic of the flames, but for now she could think of nothing save the fact that she was Hardane's wife for now and for always.