One Spare Serfdom — Judith Post

The serfdom next to Christian's sits empty. Not a good thing. A castle for the taking attracts unwanted tenants. The latest squatter is a woman -- and she's deadly. The few serfs and soldiers who stayed behind when their lord was killed are all corpses, their flesh flayed, rotting in the sun. Christian and his allies ride to the castle to see who or what dwells there, prepared to do battle if need be. They have different magicks between them, but so does the woman who greets them. And she has a story to tell.