Excerpt:
THE WITCH'S WOLF
© copyright by Marly Mathews, Jan. 2008
The door rattled again. By the sounds of it the infernal blackguard was trying to break the bloody thing down.
She tensed.
“Look, you don’t have to act as my protector. You should slip out…there’s a secret passage in the wall over there.” She knew he’d shoved them into her bedchambers. She didn’t know where Daphne was…but foreboding gnawed at her.
She sidled over to her escritoire and quickly lit a candle, before he could stop her.
“You shouldn’t have done that…now they’ll be able to see us when they break down that door.”
“I do not like the dark, and you keep me from Madame Martine.” She shivered. His facial features were still obscured by his bloody mask. Her own mask still hung limply from her wrist.
“A witch should embrace the darkness, and forget about Madame Martine—I doubt she needs you, she’s most likely in a bed servicing one of Napoleon’s best.” His voice made her shiver.
“My apologies…but alas, I’m not that sort of a witch, if you would like to meet one, I can direct you to the right source. But I will never embrace the magic that comes from the Dark Arts despite how easy it is to wield.” Another shudder rippled through her.
His gaze locked with hers for the briefest moment.
“Indeed, I do not think you are, everything about you darling duchess, screams love and light.” He grinned. He had crossed the distance between them before she could even regain her breath.
“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.
He blew the candle out, gripping her hand tightly. “You said there’s a secret passageway…take me to it.”
“Why did you have to blow out the candle? I don’t think I like you.” She tried to pull her wrist out of his viselike grip. His fingers would leave an imprint on her wrist if he held her like this for much longer.
“Well, I most certainly like you.”
The tone of his voice changed. Her intuition told her to relent…for now at least…but if he thought he was the one in charge…he could think again.
“You shall have to let me lead the way.”
He sighed. “Of course…I’ll protect you from the rear.”
“You do that.” Reaching for the gold candlestick holder, she held it firmly, the passages would be dark the candle would be needed whether he liked it or not. She didn’t want to point out to him that she could sense the people outside of her quarters. They worked for her ‘uncle.’ And, The Wolf was right. They did want to kill her. Pierre thought she’d double-crossed him with Boney…when he found out she hadn’t blown his diabolical plans…he’d rethink his orders to have her killed. She knew for a fact that he intended to usurp the little usurper. But then, as long as she was out of the country…she could care less what Pierre tried. He might think he was a match for Napoleon…but then, he never did know how to see past the end of his pointy little nose. Men like Napoleon didn’t get ousted from power easily. When the man that wanted to claim his power was an idiot—it lessened the odds somewhat.
“I don’t know why you wanted to keep that candle lit…with the moonlight spilling into the Chateau we can still see our way.” She listened to his mutterings with a frown on her face. The sooner she could get rid of him the better. “Your flaming red hair is like a torch. I’d be able to spot you in a darkened room with a blindfold across my eyes.”
“I doubt that.” She laughed. “Though I’d warrant, you’d be able to feel me.”
She stopped suddenly. The force of their connecting bodies made both of them jolt.
“What are you stopping for?”
“We’re at the passageway, and we’re going to need this candle lit to see our way.” She looked at the unlit candle and with a spark of her magic it was lit and ready to guide them out of the Chateau.
“Ah.”
“I’d hurry if I were you…make your hasty retreat and I’ll stall for you, until you can get to safe haven.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
She shook her head. “You have to leave now. I’m not going to let you interfere with my plans to return to my…,”
“Return to whom, your paramour?” He sounded supremely jealous.
“Oh, you really need to stop fixating on my many lovers. Jealousy does not become you…especially since you have no right to feel that way.” Her quip made an iciness permeate the air. If he wanted to think she was no better than a common courtesan, than she’d let him believe that. The truth of the matter was…her reputation was the only thing of value she had left in this unforgiving life.
“I’ve been sent for you.”
His words didn’t make any sense. If he’d been sent to retrieve her…then, that meant—
“My uncle sent you?”
“That little shit? Hell, no. Duchess, I think you need to get a good dose of reality.” She looked away from him, and triggered the hidden latch that opened the secret passageway.
“I do not speak of Pierre…I speak of my uncle in Scotland.”
“Oh…well, in that case—” he paused. “Aye, that’s who sent me. He is a man that deserves my respect. He wanted me to bring you back home safe and sound.”
“Then, you’re close to my uncle?”
He paused. She didn’t like the sense of impending doom that suddenly slipped across her vision. She fell against him, when a picture of his demise entered her mind’s eye. She fought to catch her breath. She felt sick. She hated seeing the premature deaths of people whose lives she touched. She was the kiss of death—and she wasn’t about to kill this man.
“You have to go now tell my uncle I’ll be seeing him soon. He just has to wait for the time to be right.”
“The time is right now.” Without any further explanation, he pulled her into the passageway. The door slid shut behind them.
“How did you do that?” He’d rendered her breathless and speechless with his latest act. How did this man know so much about the Chateau?
“You have to leave Belle Roche now. You don’t know what you’re up against, please take the candle and go.”
He hadn’t released his hold on her…and she thought he wasn’t even listening to her until he spoke.
“I know. My time here is over. And so is yours. You, Duchess…you’re coming back with me.”
“Back where? I’m not going anywhere with you, until you give me some straight answers. You say you know my uncle…and yet you won’t even let me see your face.”
“Discretion is an art I take very seriously.”
“Bully for you.” She tried to wiggle out of his grasp. If she could manage to escape from him, she could keep him from getting killed, to keep from losing hold of the candle, she used her magic to cast a levitation charm on it now it would follow their every step until she either took hold of it herself or broke her spell on it.
She was bad luck. She’d always known that…anyone and everyone she’d ever gotten close to usually ended up six feet under. She wouldn’t have another death on her hands.
“I pray for you to understand what I’m saying. If you don’t go on alone…without me, you’ll never make it back to the shores of Great Britain…not in your corporeal form anyway.”
“You tire me, Witch.”
“Witch, Jewel, Duchess…make up your mind. You’re making my head sore. You don’t seem to be getting the point that I’m trying to make. Don’t you know what I’m trying to tell you?” They’d traveled quite a long way…before she’d knew it…he’d lead her out of one of the passages and they’d be speeding toward his death.
He was too young to die. If she warned him now, she could save him and set him on a new path…if only, he would take her seriously.
“You can’t do this,” he argued. “I will not be deterred from my mission—I swore I would not leave without you. I gave my word, and I never break my word.” Her heart softened toward him. He would never leave her that she knew so if he wouldn’t leave her willingly—she had to take away his choice in the matter. She summoned her nerve and used her free hand to touch the amulet around her neck. She channeled her magic through it.
A beam of green light arced out of the amulet and slammed into The Wolf. He released her, and went flying up into the air. She gasped. She hadn’t realized how intense the magic would be that would channel through the amulet. She’d never been desperate enough to use its magic before…her own powers had always served her well in times of peril. She still didn’t know why her natural born talents had no effect on The Wolf, but she was beyond caring at the moment. She just wanted to get rid of him, so he could live to fight another day. If he remained with her…his death warrant was signed. |