Lucca. The horror of repeating the past. But really, what did that matter anymore? Cael had pronounced that she was sane. Stephan and even Kathleen seemed more than ready to believe her problems steamed from some external threat. So why shouldn’t he be free to marry the woman he loved?
Love. A new experience for him, and like making love…it held a multitude of promise and yet an equal measure of uncertainty. Love could ignite a towering inferno of both passion and pain. Perhaps that was the natural order of things. Nothing good came without a counterbalance of evil. There could be no heaven, without a hell.
Though conflicted about taking their relationship to the next level, there was one solid fact etched in his mind and his heart: he would never love another the way he adored the woman sitting before him now.
“Marry me, then.” He said the words in a rush, afraid if he did not get them all out at once, he’d lose his nerve. He fell to one knee, grasping her pale delicate hands in his. “With all the trappings. Before God and all who care to attend, marry me, cara.”
He knew a moment of panic. Her eyes did not touch his face…she seemed to be avoiding looking at him. Her hands were limp in his. She didn’t leap into his arms, burst into tears of joy, or gasp with delight. In fact, he could sense no outward reaction at all. She just sat there…then she turned her face slowly, serene. Her mouth curved upward.
“Yes, Dominic. I’ll marry you.”
He sighed. The thrill and satisfaction of knowing that she would soon be his warmed his heart, swelled his pride, and fired his loins.
* * *
Eden could only watch the scene play out before her, no more than an on-looker at a spectacle. She’d longed for this moment. Imagined a dozen different ways he would finally ask her to be his, only to miss out now. She writhed in frustration and displeasure at having to share Dominic’s proposal. At least the crazy bitch had the sense enough to say ‘yes’. She had worried for a moment, being bombarded by the thing’s blaring hostility. A ‘yes’ had not seemed likely and certainly wasn’t sincere, not with the swirl of antagonistic images the sight of Dominic provoked.
At present, his eyes sparkled with excitement. A boyish giddiness that melted her heart…and enraged the entity. His hands dropped from her face to the hem of her gown…toying with the ticklish bottoms of her feet. The entity did not recoil from his touch, but let Eden enjoy the wonderful sensations. She felt the giggle bubbling forth. Not a peep of protest as his warm palms slid at a leisurely and seductive pace up her calves, taking the nightshift along with them.
“Oh…” Having a sensation all her own was intoxicating, overwhelmed her thoughts. “Dom, make love to me.”
The thoughts, the feelings were hers and hers alone. The evil had retreated to the outskirts of her mind, disgusted with the pleasure she found in his kisses…running up the hallow of her throat and nibbling at her tender flesh. She must not lose her head. She needed to keep her wits about her, seize control now that the entity seemed less dominant. Not to mention, the idea of sharing their intimate moments with an interloper was abhorrent to her.
His hand pushed gently at the insides of her knees, coaxing her legs astride. “Dominic, no, we must talk.”
The heat rose in a haze of lust. She felt over warm and fidgety. Her skin begged to be caressed, all over. Desire for him flared to undeniable intensity. It swamped her senses and scattered her thoughts, thwarting her very will. She had to have him, now, inside her, stroking her, kissing her, pleasuring the hungry mouth between her legs. She spread her thighs, ripping the garment in her haste. Drawers damp with arousal, her hips writhed upward, seeking, begging for gratification.
The entity must be manipulating her again. Using her arousal against her. Distorting it, exaggerating it to frantic propositions. Her breasts were unbearably heavy and sensitive to even the cotton of her gown. She couldn’t stand the texture of it against her skin and began tearing her under-things and the remains of the gown off her body. The action made her appear wanton and perhaps crazed, but she could not seem to stop herself.
“Dominic!” She heard her panicked voice as her body gyrated wildly, her hands clawing at his clothes once she’d relieved herself of her own. “Now. I need you…”
“Patience. There is no rush.” He joined her on the bed, poised on one knee bracing himself over her.
She succeeded in ripping the shirt from his body. Buttons shot like bullets around them. Blood roared in her ears. The only sound she heard was the beating of her own heart.
“Eden—”
She pressed her mouth into his, plunging her tongue inside, groaning. Her hands found the waist of his trousers, gripping his man’s appendage. Massaging it, for some reason she found pleasure in the act and longed to feel it’s slick heat pulsating in her palm as she tightened her fingers around it’s girth and squeezed, stroked, teased…and not just with her palm, with her mouth as well. The thought of the wicked deed provoked a white-hot image of her doing just that. She couldn’t stop herself unbuckling the trousers to loose the object of her desires.
Somehow, she flipped them so that she straddled him. In some corner of her mind that was still sane she acknowledged that the feat should have been impossible. He outweighed her by some pounds. He must have realized it at the same instant she did because an incredulous looked marred his features. But she was too deeply snared in the entity’s thrall to stop. Her nails raked down the sides of his torso. A hiss of pleasure followed…or was it pain?
He let out a string of Italian words Eden could not understand. Guided by the image in her head, she shimmied down his body until she was upon his engorged appendage. It beckoned her with the wicked lure of gratification…
For the most part, Dominic kept up with the vigorous pace of their lovemaking to its lusty orgasmic climax. Ending with her scream of release.
She was panting like an animal with him still sheathed inside, her nails embedded in his back. The sweet aroma of satisfaction wafted between them, both slick with sweat and their mingled juices. Spent and feeling the first twinge of embarrassment she could do nothing save for turn her head from his bewildered expression and bury her face in the counterpane.
“Forgive me, Dom. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
Dominic withdrew himself from her body altogether. Ashamed and disgusted no doubt. She could feel him staring at her from where he stood beside the bed.
“You’re saying that a lot lately.” The words were an accusation.
She felt his hands halt her as she tried to curl her trembling body into a ball.
“See what you’ve done…to yourself and to me.” His voice sounded urgent. “Look, dammit! Now, do you want to tell me the entity made these as well?!”
He caught her chin in a firm grip and forced her to see the evidence of her haste in removing their clothes. Thin red welts marred both his torso and her own.
Chapter 38
He never expected to have to face his fears. He planned to avoid all that…love, loss, sorrow, pain…by avoiding people in general. Instead, here he was, embroiled in a love affair, betrothed, and seeking the advice of a clergyman. Three things he swore he’d never do.
“You’re cagey.”
Dominic paused, undecided, spectacles clasped in one hand. His brother’s guileless expression confused him for a moment. Of course…Cael wouldn’t have told Stephan.
“I don’t trust the clergy.” It was why he never attended Sunday service, preferring instead to commune with the Almighty on his own terms. Cut out the middleman, so to speak.
“Why not?”
It must seem odd to mistrust a servant of God. But all who claimed religion were not righteous men. He remembered another sort of religious group. Spiritualists. They believed in communing with spirits, incantations, mediums, séances and all manner of sacrilegious practices.
“I’ve known one too many priests.” He left it at that and turned back to begin pacing again. Where the bloody hell was the cleric anyway? Th
ey’d been squatting in the rectory for nearly an hour. Supposing he’d come with the notion to confess his sins? He would certainly have given up and returned to his wicked ways by now.
“You know, Dom, we could forget the cleric in favor of a ship’s captain or perhaps—”
“Gentlemen. I am Reverend Martin.” The cleric came bounding through at set of double doors behind them. He quickly waived their attempts to stand. “Oh, no, no please stay seated.”
Dominic half-expected a sinister old codger with gnarled fingers and a dodgy manner. The reverend was neither. The man who emerged from the parlor’s entranceway was of middling age and only average height. He greeted them with a genuine smile and a firm handshake, shifting the leather-bound bible to the opposite hand to do so. If he noticed Dominic’s odd eyes he did not give away as much.
“I am Dominic Ambrosi and this is my brother Stephan.”
The robed and collared cleric took a seat opposite them on a once stylish divan just starting to show its age. “Ah, yes, Conte Ambrosi, you reside at the Duke and Duchess’s old estate.”
“That I do. Rev. Martin, we’ve come to seek your counsel and to beg a favor.”
“Forgive me for saying, but I did not think you a religious man, as I’ve never seen you at services.”
“I am a believer but I prefer to commune with God on my own terms. That being said, I find that my latest endeavor will require your…Eh, input.”
“Certainly, if it is in my power to help, I will. What is it you require me to do?”
“Marry me.”
“Oh…”. The reverend’s eyes grew wide, as he smiled. “I did not realize you were affianced.”
“Yes, well, I have only recently become betrothed to a certain lady and would like you to perform the nuptials. My bride-to-be wants a traditional sort of ceremony, and I am dedicated to her happiness.”
“I usually require a counseling session before marrying couples that I am not previously acquainted with.” He cleared his throat, and Dom found himself on the business end of a stern Father-son expression. “Just for the purposes of relaying the seriousness of the marriage vows and evaluating the couple’s maturity and commitment to a lifelong bond. God has appointed me as spiritual guide over a portion of his flock. I would be remiss if I did not take some responsibility for their future happiness in such an important step. If you are in agreement and I find no obvious nor grievous impediment to the match then I would be most delighted to put the two of you together. When did you wish the ceremony to take place, next spring?”
“As soon as possible, in fact, as soon as it can be arranged. I will be leaving directly to obtain a special license.” Dom cringed inwardly. He knew his coming words were presumptive and condescending, but there was no polite way to say it. He might as well clear the air as to his intentions. “Understand me, I would prefer your cooperation, but we will be married whether you deem us appropriate or not. There has been some…hint of impropriety on my part. I am a private man by nature, which has made me the target of idle chatter. Though, the rumors are not altogether untrue…I have over-stepped. Nevertheless, I want the allegations hushed before general gossip begins to circulate and her reputation ends in shreds. She is…precious to me…my Eden. I’ll not have her branded as a tarnished Lady dragging the cad responsible for her ruin to the altar kicking and screaming.”
The reverend was all smiles. “Well said, Conte Ambrosi. And I believe, under the circumstances, you have the right of it. A speedy ceremony is best. Barring our counseling session, is two weeks ample time to complete the preparations?”
Dominic relaxed, vastly relieved. “Yes.”
“Now then, what’s this other matter on which you seek my counsel?”
Stephan cleared his throat. “I have a friend who is considering marriage…to a woman who is not altogether suitable in the eyes of his family. There is some question of her mental facilities being unsound. You see, the young woman claims to be the victim of an evil spirit of some sort. From my observation, she does not appear unsound. In short, I believe her claim. My friend is skeptical. He asked my opinion. Now, I am asking yours. Do you think it is possible she is telling the truth?”
Rev. Martin reached for the bible he’d sat to the side, flipping to various scriptures. “There are many documented instances of spirits with the ability to possess unwitting folks. Luke six, seventeen through nineteen speaks of Jesus healing demon-possessed persons. Matthew chapter twenty-eight, Jesus sends a herd of demons from two men into a herd of pigs. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus heals a lunatic by driving out a demon from him.” He closed the book with a slap. “Can I tell you definitely whether the young lady is afflicted by a demonic spirit, no. But, the possibility does exist. It would be a mistake for your friend to dismiss it out of hand. I would offer my direct assistance, but I sense the situation is such that extreme discretion is preferred?”
Stephan nodded.
“In that case, let me acquaint you with some relevant scriptures, in addition to the ones I have already mentioned that would help you to identify a probable demonic possession.” The reverend shifted the bible over in favor of his quill and ink well, situated on the table behind the divan on which he sat. When he’d finished writing, he turned back around and handed the brothers the list.
“Tell your friend to watch the young lady carefully. If she exhibits behaviors akin to what is described in the scriptures, then, I would say you have a problem on your hands.”
Chapter 39
Eden twisted her hand this way and that, still mesmerized by the size and splendor of the glinting topaz affixed on her ring finger. She thought he would take back his proposal, given her strange behavior. Instead he’d surprised her with the beautiful ring and expressed his wish to wed her as soon as possible. He was being so particular about the ceremony. Instructing Kathleen to procure her a special dress from the village, purchasing rings and even demanding that the entire household attend.
They were watching her, of course. Always one of the brothers, Kathleen or Nell hovered about, monitoring everything she did. She felt like a sideshow freak. The fact that neither Dominic nor Stephan brought up the matter of the entity made her even more nervous. She tried to bring up the subject, to explain what the entity had caused her to do. No one refuted her. In fact, Dom continually assured her that she was safe, that everything was fine, and no one was plotting to have her committed.
So then, why, two days later, did she find herself closed off in the library with his mind-bending brother, anxious to pick her apart? She dropped her hand in her lap to tangle within the folds of her skirt. Obviously he was back to thinking her crazy. Damn him for making her love him so much that even the tiniest lack of faith on his part could pain her so.
She’d have to be more careful. Guard her mind, make certain her thoughts were a fortress the entity could not penetrate. She could ill afford to let the thing rule her again or every tiny bit of trust she managed to cultivate would be lost. She was safe for the time being…but Dominic would not go ahead with the marriage if he believed her to be insane.
“Eden…that is, may I call you ‘Eden’?”
The masculine voice jolted her out of her thoughts. “Yes, please.”
“And you must call me ‘Cael’.” He stretched his legs out cattycorner her in one of the library’s high-backed chairs. “Now then, first, I want to put your mind at ease. I do not think that you’re insane. However, I do believe there is a puzzle to be solved.”
“Is that what Dominic thinks too?”
“As a matter of fact it is. He and Stephan are on a fact-finding expedition to discover an alternative explanation for whatever it is that’s troubling you.”
Relief came fast and strong. She’d been plagued with a sense of dread…like something was brewing ever since the morning she’d awoken and Dominic had declared flat out that she wasn’t well. She worried that perhaps the “marriage” was just a sham to keep her placated whilst they made…other “ar
rangements” for her.
“That’s what this session is about? I thought…” She let the words trail off.
“No, my dear.”
“But what other explanation could there possibly be?”
“That’s what I aim to discover. What I need from you is a detailed recount of every incident beginning with the day I rescued you from the pond. Leave nothing out, anything you can remember. Oh, and I must also ask you to surrender any sketches that you made which might be of interest.”
She lowered her eyes to her lap, staring fixedly at the shimmering topaz once again. “Has Stephan already mentioned the incident at the table turning and the images in the mirror?” Eden imagined Atherton’s amber gaze was transfixed and glowing with curiosity. His eyes, like Stephan’s, took on a certain sparkle when his interest was stirred. “No, he hasn’t. Let us start there, shall we.”
* * *
Dominic stepped off the astral and into the downstairs study with Stephan in tow. The added strain of piggybacking had him lowering himself into the nearest chair. Stephan took up his usual vigil at the hearth, amber fixed on the licking flames.
“Yours is an amazing gift, Dominic.” He continued to stare at the fire as he spoke. “Tell me, have you ever seen anything other than human souls? Assuming you could sense something unnatural.”
The question hovered in the air between them, triggering his memory. He thought of his recent time in Italy, and the odd appendage-like protrusion he’d observed in both Gideon and Gabriel’s essence. The anomaly did not have a human counterpart. Muse was not human, possessed no soul and yet…no. The idea was too farfetched. “I…No.”
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