by Linda Mooney
Staring in the direction where the guard had taken Tora, Croat growled loudly. His blood continued to run hot and cold inside him, but Mengar was right. Their element of surprise had been compromised. How much had yet to be determined.
They left the bodies of the three guards where they had fallen, knowing the little beasties of the forest would clear away all evidence within a few short days. Breeat led the horses to give to the villagers.
Croat gripped his fists as he cursed himself for not having someone accompany Tora as she hunted for her brother. His head whirled. He had followed her as closely as he could with his newfound abilities. As he discussed and argued the details of his plan with the self-appointed spokespeople of the village, one part of his mind and all of his body remained focused on receiving the sensations Tora was sending him.
Croat knew her dearest wish was to find her brother. He’d felt her disappointment, followed by her happiness, and assumed she had found something positive that had lifted her hopes. When her mental scream ripped through his head, it had stunned him beyond thought and beyond action. Going after her had been his body reacting purely on instinct.
The rest were still waiting for him in the square.
“What happened?â�� Tremond gruffly asked.
“They got Tora,â�� Croat growled. The Lupan had already shifted back into human form, but the blood on their hands, faces, and clothing was telling.
“There was a patrol passing the outskirts, just beyond the cottage where she had gone,â�� Mengar explained. â��They saw her and decided to kidnap her.”
“Do they know she’s a Sensitive?â�� another villager, a man named Rooth, asked.
“Most likely not,â�� Croat said. â��We killed the others in the party, but the one man got away.”
“And he’s seen us,â�� Worton reminded him.
“As Lupan?”
“Yes.”
“Then your secret is out,â�� Tremond stated.
“Not if we follow and attack now.â�� Glancing around and seeing everyone’s worried faces, Croat pressed the fact. â��Do we sit around and keep discussing this? Or do we take action now? My people will follow me. If you are wanting your freedom as badly as you proclaim, grab what weapons you have and join us. We leave within the hour.”
He stalked away and disappeared into the woods, too upset to challenge them further. He understood their qualms, but it didn’t sway him from his original purpose. Now that Tora was on her way back to the baron’s castle, their mission was on an even tighter schedule.
This time Croat was certain that unless he and his people acted to release her from Agrino’s custody, she would not be leaving the castle alive. That guard who had taken her had seen the Lupan, and he would inform the baron as soon as he arrived. Croat seriously doubted the baron would wait long before bringing a large contingency of armed men to check out the village. Perhaps even coming himself.
No, their element of surprise still existed, although the substance had changed. For one thing, the baron had no idea how many of them there were, nor did he fathom the tenuous alliance between the villagers and the Lupan. Whether or not he discovered that Tora was a Sensitive was also a factor, but one Croat couldn’t count on.
The only thing Croat was sure of was the fact that his reason for storming the castle had shifted. It would no longer be enough to stop the baron. Croat’s mission now was to save Tora, even if he had to slaughter every guard standing in his way with his own two hands.
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Chapter 34
Castle
It’s not a cell.
It was the first thought running through Tora’s mind as the world came back into focus. She opened her eyes to the sight of a patterned rug in blues and brown. In fact, it was a rather large rug in an even larger room where she had been left. Alone. Unguarded, except for the ropes binding her hands together at the wrists.
She managed to sit up. Her head ached from the blow to the face, but her vision was clear. There was no doubt she was in Baron Agrino’s castle. Somewhere. A quick glance around confirmed this was not a bedroom, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be one just beyond one of the two closed doors. Most likely she was being held in a sitting room. The fireplace was cozy and looked freshly lit, since there weren’t any ashes lying under the grate. Other than a large desk and two stuffed chairs, the place was empty.
The window behind her spilled sunlight into the room. That told her it probably faced the west.
Her body protested from its rough handling. Otherwise she felt intact, no broken bones or other wounds.
As she sat up, an enormous wind blew over her psyche, gusting with a thick layer of relief. She sensed alternating currents of love, curiosity, and worry.
I’m fine, my love. Please be careful.
He wouldn’t be able to read her thoughts, no more than she could read his, but he reacted to her reassurance with another warm pocket of love. She could tell he was growing closer to where she was being held. That meant they were on the verge of attacking. Tora licked her lips and cursed herself for her stupidity. She should have taken someone with her when she went to the Meesoms, but she wasn’t accustomed to having anyone help her. She had always been forced by circumstances to do things alone, and to struggle through her problems to the best of her abilities without expecting anyone’s aid. Besides, with over a hundred Lupan in the village, she’d let her guard down in the mistaken belief she would be safe with them near. It was a mistake she promised herself she would never make again.
Tora started to get to her feet when the sound of voices came from outside the nearest door. An instant later it opened, and one man burst through, filling her line of sight with a kaleidoscope of color. Two other men walked in behind him and closed the door. They stopped behind Tora.
“Ah, good! She’s awake! Hello, missy. Have a nice nap?â�� The tone was sarcastic.
Tora stared up at the man looming over her. He was tall, with black hair heavily dusted with gray. His dark eyes were small, dwarfed by a huge nose that reminded her of a hawk’s beak. The mouth was lipless.
He wore robes that were a riot of colors. The man had to have at least a dozen or more layers of the thin, delicate fabrics draped around him. And on top of that, huge gold chains looped around his neck, some of which dangled to his waistline. The light from the window reflected off of the rainbow of jewels set into the chains, as well as caught the stones set into numerous rings and bracelets on the man’s thin hands and wrists. If a person could appear any more gaudy it would be a difficult task.
The toe of an embroidered slipper appeared from beneath the robes and nudged her leg. She saw a glimmer of gold thread in the handiwork.
“I asked you if you had a nice nap. You have a tongue in that head. Use it.”
“Where am I?”
“You are a guest in my home.”
She peered up at him, studying the cruel face. The other men were behind her where she couldn’t see them unless she turned around. â��Baron Agrino.â�� She managed to get to her feet without too much dizziness before addressing him again. â��What are you going to do with me?”
The baron rubbed his chin, as if thinking over her question. Tora got the impression he was toying with her.
“Well, that depends on a few answers.â�� His eyes darted to one of the men behind her. â��Is this your sister?”
Tora’s mouth dropped open at the question. She whirled around just as her brother replied with a giggle, â��That’s her. That’s Tora.”
Stunned, she stared at her older sibling, at the white shirt and pants embroidered with silver and gold thread that he wore, including the confused and angry expression on his face as he stared back at her.
“Why did you leave me? Why did you go away and not come back? That wasn’t nice of you. I’m gonna tell Mummy when she comes back.â�� The young man stuck out his lower lip in his usual petulant behavio
r.
“Basil! Oh, Basil!â�� Tora tried to throw her arms around his slender shoulders, but she was roughly jerked back by the third man. Unlike the others, he was dressed conservatively in a thickly padded leather vest and pants, the uniform worn by the baron’s guards. His heavy gloves ripped the neckline of her blouse when he pulled on it, and she gave him a heated frown.
Basil stepped away from her. He was still angry at her for leaving him alone. He always did hold a grudge because he couldn’t understand their circumstances.
Agrino shook his head. â��I agree. That wasn’t very nice of you. You need to learn to keep your distance, Sensitive,â�� he admonished her before addressing her brother. â��Good job, Basil. You did well. I’m very proud of you.â�� As a reward, he reached into a pocket of his rainbow-colored robes and produced a stick of hard candy, which he handed over to the young man.
Confusion left her mute and befuddled. As she stared dumbly at her brother, he happily sucked on the stick of candy and wandered over to the window to stare out at the afternoon. Apparently he had been treated well. In fact, he appeared to have gained a little weight.
Agrino dismissed the young man and turned to her. A scowl darkened his face. �I have a proposition for you,� the baron said.
“What did you do to him?â�� Tora demanded. Her anger was hard to control. In her subconscious she was aware of Croat’s reciprocating anger and alarm. She opened herself fully to him so they could feed off of each other’s emotional strengths. â��What did you do to turn him against me?”
“I did nothing except give him a home. Oh, and all the food he wanted.â�� A sick smile lifted the corners of his mouth. â��Your brother is a special man, just like you are a special woman, Tora. In more ways than you’ll ever know.”
She was close to tears, but there was no way this man was going to see them. Again she cursed the fact that direct blood ties could not become emotionally connected. Tora would have given anything at that moment to be able to reach into Basil’s mind and feel what he was feeling.
“Basil, I didn’t leave you. You have to believe me.”
Her brother frowned. â��I got hungry. You went away. Some people gave me food, but they were mean to me. They wouldn’t let me go.”
“They were only trying to protect you,â�� Tora insisted. â��They were trying to keep you safe.”
“They tried to stick me in a dark hole! They were mean to me!â�� He looked at the baron and beamed. â��He’s a good man. He lets me ride horses. And he gives me candy.â�� He went back to looking out the window, a sign Tora took as being completely dismissed.
The baron crossed his arms over his chest. â��My men found him wandering around the fields, eating berries off the bushes. They brought him here to put him to work for me. Except they realized your brother was a bit…different. They brought him to me where I recognized how special he really was.”
Agrino walked around Tora, as if giving her a wide berth. She wondered if it was deliberate or a subconscious act. Once he reached Basil, he placed a fatherly hand on the young man’s shoulder. Amazingly, Basil didn’t shrug him off.
“Most people don’t understand how special Basil is. They avoid people like him. People with his unique mental abilities.”
“What mental abilities?â�� Tora asked. A shiver ran up her back, and she prayed the baron wasn’t heading where she believed he was going with this lecture.
Agrino chuckled. â��My followers and I believe that people like your brother have been touched by the dark magicks because they see things from a perspective we can’t comprehend.”
The dark magicks. The words made her shudder. It explained much. The baron continued as if he hadn’t noticed her response. Or if he had, he didn’t care.
“Imagine my surprise when I questioned the boy about his family, and he told me you were â��sensitiveâ�� about things!”
“How did you know I was his sister?”
“I didn’t. I put out an order for all â��foundâ�� women to be brought to me first for examination.”
The comment made her bark with laughter. â��‘Foundâ�� women? Is that what you’re calling the women your men kidnap from the villages?â�� Oddly, she was no longer afraid of speaking out. The baron had already made up his mind about her. Increasing his ire would not change his stance in that matter.
The feeling of pride settled over her. Croat perceived what she meant to do, and he was letting her know he approved. He also gave her an idea of their location. Tora ducked her head to keep the baron from seeing her face. She had to stall. Or at least keep the baron preoccupied.
“All right. You’ve found me. Now what?â�� She looked up and gave him her best irritated expression. â��What are you going to do with my brother?”
The baron looked astonished. â��Do with Basil? Nothing! He’s welcome to live here at the castle for as long as he wishes. Providing, of course, that he comes to me directly whenever he has a bit of wisdom to impart.”
Basil? Wisdom? The two words didn’t fit together for Tora. But then, the baron was following an agenda only he could fathom. If he believed her brother was a vassal of the dark dominion, then maybe she should be glad. Otherwise, Basil would have been put to work at some dismal job, where people would make fun of him. Where his chances of survival would be counted in weeks, if not days.
However, it still didn’t explain what Agrino had planned for her.
She continued to stare at her brother, who remained at the window. He was ignoring her. She knew that attitude and body posture all too well. He could hold a grudge for days, damn him.
“People coming,â�� the young man stated nonchalantly.
One of the doors closed. Tora turned to see the guard had left.
“As for you, Tora, I do have plans for you.”
She turned to face him as Agrino started toward her. Backing up didn’t help. The wall was not far away, and the doors were on the other side of the room. The baron continued to close the distance.
“There’s no use in running, Sensitive. And don’t expect your brother to help you. In case you haven’t figured it out, he’s on my side now.”
“Then don’t expect me to be part of your dark magicks, either. Sensitives are not followers of the evil arts. We never were.â�� She stopped when her back and buttocks met the cold stone wall. It may have stopped her physical retreat, but not her mental one. Keeping her eyes on Agrino, she felt her courage stiffen with Croat’s encouragement. They were so close.
Then, surprisingly, the baron also halted with less than a foot of space separating them. He was close enough to where she could smell his rank, oily body odor.
“Maybe you don’t practice magick, Tora, but I do. And your skills will be invaluable to me and my minions. Your skills…and your connection to the wolfmen.”
His eyes bore into hers, seeking the truth in the way she would react. Somehow she got the courage to stare straight back at him as he leaned closer, but still without actually touching her.
“Tell me about those wolfmen creatures, Tora.”
His actions were confusing. Did he actually think she was going to obey? Why the intense, almost hypnotic stare? Was he trying to practice some of his so-called magick on her? Or was there some other reason behind his strange behavior.
It’s almost like he doesn’t want to touch me.
“You’ll tell me, Tora. You want to tell me. You feel the need to tell me everything you know about those abominations of nature.”
That was it. That was the truth. By trying to intimidate her, he was disguising the fact that he didn’t dare touch her because he believed that any contact with her would put him at risk. It was the same as the villagers believed. He didn’t know that she had to make the initial contact, not him, and she had to be the one who wanted to read him. She had touched many people in the past without sensing what they felt. Once she’d learned ho
w to control her abilities, she was able to turn her Sensitivities on and off at will.
“Are you in league with them, Tora? Are you living with them? Are you…fornicating with them?”
Baron Agrino was attempting to force her into obeying him with the strength of his own presence. That was his gift, his own personal power. The power of persuasion. Of intimidation.
The only problem with that was that Tora was totally immune to it. Other than the threat of his body size, bulk, and strength being greater than hers, she didn’t feel the least bit inclined to be subjugated.
“Tell me what I want to know, Tora! Why did those man beasts attack my men? Why were they trying to save you? Tell me!â�� he ordered, raising a hand in front of her face, as if he planned on striking her.
What would happen if I…
Her eyes widened a split-second before she reached up and her fingers clamped around his hand. The moment she did, Agrino shrieked and tried to jerk away from her hold, but it was too late. The ugliness of his soul dumped into her, scalding her like acid, and Tora screamed from the pain.
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Chapter 35
Attack
Whether it was her anger, her fear, or the gut-wrenching pain, Tora felt her body react. Fighting the putrescence that threatened to sear her senses, she gagged. Agrino tried to jerk his hand away, but she dug her nails into his flesh and held on as her powers locked down.
There was no thought behind what happened next. It was pure survival instinct which made her reject the poison coursing through her. Agrino’s evil essence burned as it ate its way into her psyche. To save herself, Tora’s body spewed the baron’s vileness back into him a split-second before she released his hand.
The man shrieked as he stumbled backwards. He moved backwards, enough to allow Tora a clear escape path to the second doorway. The exit was not the one leading outside, but it didn’t matter. It was a way out, and she ran for it.