Dangerous Magic

by Donna Grant

  In all her visions, she thought the light had come from Nigel. Her magic pulsed inside her, beating with her heart and growing stronger with each breath. She opened herself up to the magic, gave in to its need to be released.

  She was going to beat Nigel. She would be the one to end his life and free his reign over everyone. The fear that had encased her heart in ice disappeared and left her with a confidence and strength she’d never known before.

  A smile pulled at her lips as her magic grew and overshadowed his evil. He faltered, his brows furrowing as he realized she was stronger than he had expected.

  “All of you fell into my trap.”

  She raised her brows. “How is that?”

  “Everyone thought I wanted Drogan or Gerard, when all I wanted was Cade. I could have killed Drogan easily. The same with Grayson.”

  Francesca’s smile dropped.

  “You gave Cade hope, something he hasn’t had in years. When that hope is dead, he will no longer fight the darkness within him. He will be mine.”

  “You lie.” She couldn’t trust him. Nigel was evil and would spout evil to get what he wanted.

  “Can you feel it, witch? Can you feel the shift of power as Cade realizes you failed him?”

  Francesca sucked in a breath.

  Nigel began to laugh, and she realized too late he had tricked her. As soon as she had taken her attention off him, he had overpowered her. His evil surrounded her, blanketing her in blackness.

  Dimly, she heard someone scream and realized it had been her, screaming for Cade.

  Chapter Twenty‐five

  Drogan’s arms wrapped around Serena as she buried her head in his chest, her hand over her mouth. He could hardly believe what he’d seen. Francesca had nearly beaten Nigel, but the bastard had said something to her which caused her to lose her concentration.

  And Drogan knew Nigel had spoken of Cade.

  He glanced at the forest to see the army, their weapons still drawn, but silent as they circled something. Cade was still alive. Nigel glanced at Drogan again before he strode back to his army.

  “You have to get her,” Serena said as she raised her face to him. “Don’t leave her out there.”

  “I’m not.”

  He set Serena away from him and motioned his best knights forward. When he stood at the gate, Grayson was beside him.

  “Until the end,” Grayson said.

  “Until the end.” He glanced at his men. “Just make sure Grayson and I aren’t attacked. Don’t look at them,” he cautioned.

  The knights mumbled agreement, and with a nod from Drogan, the guards cracked open the gates. As soon as they were through, the gates closed behind them.

  Drogan rushed around the castle to where Francesca lay in the grass, the sun shining down upon her. He lifted her in his arms as Grayson stood beside him, his sword drawn.

  “Go,” Grayson said.

  Drogan half‐ran, half‐walked back to the gates. He expected Nigel to attack, but there was nothing.

  “That was odd,” Grayson said when they were once more inside the bailey. “He had the perfect opportunity to kill us.”

  “I don’t think it’s us he wants.”

  Serena and Adrianna were by their side in an instant. Serena brushed a lock of Francesca’s red hair from her face. “Where is she wounded?”

  “I see no wound,” Grayson said.

  Adrianna, holding the infant, leaned close. “She breathes still. I can heal her if we hurry.”

  “Get her to her chamber,” Serena said.

  Drogan followed his wife into the castle, all the while wishing Cade was with him. Cade needed to know about Fran, but more than that, Fran needed Cade.

  * * * * *

  Cade swung his knives around him, his gaze moving from face to face. The darkness inside him hungered for blood, but Cade held it off. It wasn’t time yet. Nigel hadn’t shown himself. Suddenly, the men around him stepped back, widening the circle and parting. The darkness reared its head, sensing the evil that approached.

  Nigel.

  As soon as he saw his nemesis, Cade’s vision went red. He’d been waiting for the day when he could battle Nigel and end the malevolence that had gripped the land.

  “Hello, Cade,” Nigel said as he stopped and the circle closed around him.

  Cade peeled back his lips in a sneer. There would be no time wasted on talking. It was time for dying, and Cade was the one who would be taking Nigel’s life this day.

  “It’s been a long time.”

  Cade narrowed his gaze. “Enough talking. Fight me.”

  “Not yet,” Nigel said and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Aye. Now.”

  Nigel chuckled and shook his head. “You always were so stubborn. If only you had let me take control of you long ago, you wouldn’t have had to suffer as you have these last years.”

  “Could it be that you’re afraid to fight me?” Cade taunted. “The mighty Baron Nigel Creely, who sold his soul to Satan.”

  Nigel’s face mottled red. “I could take your soul now.”

  Cade could barely stand to look at the narrow face and beady eyes. He had hated Nigel from the first moment he’d seen him, and the hate had only grown over the years.

  “It’s an empty threat,” he told Nigel. “If you could have taken my soul, you’d have done it already.”

  Nigel took a deep breath, his features once more serene and emotionless. “I’m more powerful than you think.”

  “I’ve seen your power, but I don’t think it’s as great as you’d like everyone to believe. If you could take anyone’s soul, why haven’t you taken Drogan’s?”

  “Ah, Drogan,” Nigel said and dropped his arms. “I wondered when you would get around to him. I’ll explain it to you as I did Francesca.”

  Cade jerked when he heard her name. “When did you talk to her?”

  A slow, evil smile filled Nigel’s face. “Just a few moments ago, actually. She didn’t fare so well, I’m afraid.”

  The darkness bellowed within him, but it wasn’t for blood, it was for his witch. Cade whipped around and pushed through the men surrounding him. He spotted Drogan and Grayson and a lock of red hair before they disappeared around the castle wall.

  Fear took root in Cade’s stomach and clawed at him, aligning with the darkness and demanding revenge, demanding blood. Nigel’s blood.

  “Do you want to know what happened?” Nigel whispered behind him.

  Cade spun around, his blade at Nigel’s throat. “I could kill you now.”

  “Nay, you couldn’t. Before you do something so foolish, though, I advise you to pay a visit to your witch. Then we’ll talk.”

  Nigel disappeared as soon as the last words left his lips. Cade stared at the now empty spot, feeling lost and unsure. Francesca was hurt, of that he knew. But how badly?

  The red haze was gone, replaced with the knowledge that he might have lost Francesca.

  She was never yours.

  But she could have been. She’d wanted to be. And he’d lost her. What a fool he’d been. The best thing that had ever happened to him, he hadn’t held on to.

  You couldn’t. You still can’t.

  It was true. He had no right to hold on to Francesca. His life was coming to an end. What, exactly, Nigel was up to he didn’t know yet. But he intended to find out.

  Cade wiped off his weapons and sheathed them as he made his way out of the forest to the castle. With every step, his mind screamed at him to stop, that he couldn’t enter the gates. Anything could set the darkness off, and Cade would kill everyone.

  But he had to take the chance. For Francesca.

  My witch.

  He glanced at Nigel’s men who surrounded the castle. They didn’t attack, just stood ready, watching. Drogan was outnumbered five to one, and Nigel knew it. So what was Nigel’s game? What did Nigel want?

  Cade stopped before the tall gates. He heard someone shout Drogan’s name. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dro
gan lean over the battlements before he ordered the gate opened. There was a pop as the gates were unbolted and opened far enough for him to squeeze through. Cade’s chest felt tight, as if a horse sat on him, squeezing his breath, and his life, from his body.

  “Cade,” Drogan said as he rushed to him.

  But Cade didn’t have time for him. He could already smell the lilacs. He lengthened his legs until he was running. He heard Drogan behind him, but he didn’t stop as he ran through the great hall and took the stairs three at a time.

  He continued to follow Francesca’s scent until it led him down a hallway to a door. Cade paused at the door and stared inside to see Francesca lying on the bed, her face pale and her fiery hair spread out on the pillow.

  Serena stood near the bed as Adrianna tried to heal Francesca. As soon as they noticed him, they stepped away from the bed. Cade moved into the room and saw Grayson standing off to the side.

  Cade knelt by the bed, his heart in his throat. He reached a hand out to touch Francesca’s face, then noticed the blood and cuts on his hand. He didn’t want to mar her beautiful skin with the blood, but he had to touch her.

  He smoothed a lock of hair from her face and silently prayed that she would open her eyes.

  “I’ve tried to heal her,” Drina said. “I’ve used all my magic, but she won’t open her eyes.”

  Serena took a step to the bed. “We can’t find where she’s injured, Cade.”

  “What happened?” he choked out.

  Serena swallowed and glanced at the doorway. “She locked me and Drina in the chamber. She told us it was her destiny to kill Nigel, that she’d had visions of this day since she was a little girl.”

  Cade squeezed his eyes close. Why hadn’t she told him?

  “She was out of the castle before we reached Drogan,” Adrianna said. “All we could do was watch as they walked toward each other.”

  “Did he speak to her?” Cade asked.

  “Aye,” Drogan answered. “We couldn’t hear them, but they spoke.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at Drogan. “What happened next?”

  “Nigel threw up his hands. Fran raised hers as well, and a white light began to envelop Nigel. We thought she was going to win. We could see him weakening.”

  “Then he said something to her,” Grayson said. “She faltered, and then she screamed.”

  “Nigel walked away, and we rushed to get her,” Drogan said.

  Cade sat back on his heels and covered her hand with his, lowering his forehead to their hands. “You won’t be able to wake her.”

  “What do you mean?” Drogan asked.

  “Nigel has taken her soul.”

  A hand clamped on his shoulder. He didn’t need to look up to know it was Drogan.

  “What can we do?” Grayson asked.

  “Nothing. I’ve seen this before. Her body will waste away as we watch. Unless her soul is returned, she’ll die.”

  Cade took a deep breath and rose to his feet. He stared at Francesca’s face, hating himself for what had happened to her, hating that he hadn’t been able to protect her as he’d promised.

  “We’ll fight with you,” Grayson said. “The bastard tried to take my soul and wasn’t able to.”

  Cade tried to smile at Grayson. He appreciated his offer, but Cade couldn’t allow anyone to come with him. “There’s nothing you can do. Nigel wants me.”

  “Cade,” Drogan said and moved to stand beside him.

  Cade shook his head. “Nay. I’ve run long enough.”

  Serena took his hand. “Fran asked me to tell you something.”

  Just hearing her name caused his heart to skip a beat.

  “She told me to tell you that she loves you.”

  If Cade had hurt before, it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart now. It felt as if someone had ripped him in two.

  “I’ll get her soul back,” he vowed. “I won’t let Nigel hold her.”

  Drogan stepped in front of him when he tried to move. “We’ll figure something out, Cade. Don’t give in to Nigel, not after fighting it all these years.”

  “Look at her,” he bellowed and pointed to Francesca. “Already the color of her hair fades. He’ll drain her in days, Drogan. I cannot, and will not, let that happen. He wants me.”

  “He’s a monster.”

  Cade blew out a breath. “So am I. If he could have taken my soul, he’d have done it already. The darkness inside me is too great. He can’t take me without my consent, regardless of how powerful he is.”

  He shifted his gaze from Drogan to Serena. “I was a fool. I should have told her myself that she had my heart. I won’t get that chance now.”

  “I’ll make sure she knows,” Serena said, blinking back tears.

  “Keep her safe, Drogan.”

  Drogan nodded. “You have my word.”

  “Once...once I give myself to Nigel, he’ll send me here.” It was difficult to say, much less imagine, but he knew Nigel well enough to know the bastard would enjoy two friends killing each other.

  Drogan put a hand on Cade’s shoulder. “I’ll be prepared.”

  “Don’t let me....” Cade couldn’t even finish the sentence.

  “We won’t,” Grayson promised as he stepped forward.

  With a nod to Serena and Adrianna, he leaned down and kissed Francesca. His witch. With a sigh, he straightened and turned on his heel.

  Drogan expelled a deep breath and gave a curt nod to Grayson. He didn’t want to kill Cade, but he had no choice. It seemed Nigel was constantly putting them in situations where they had no choice.

  “This is wrong,” Adrianna said. “I sense the darkness around Cade, but I don’t smell the evil as I do when Nigel and his men are around.”

  “It’s always been wrong,” Drogan said.

  The haunted look on Cade’s face when he’d seen Francesca lying in the bed would stay with Drogan forever. If there was ever a man who deserved happiness, it was Cade. He followed Cade out of the castle to the bailey. Everyone gave him a wide berth, shrinking in fear when he neared. Drogan glanced at his friend to see his face hardened, anger sparking in his gaze.

  They stopped before the gate. Finally Cade had been inside the castle, and the only person who had managed to get him there was Francesca. His love for her went deep. It seemed unwarranted that Cade would lose his future and his life because of Nigel.

  “I wish I was going with you.”

  Cade shook his head, his golden hair moving over his neck. “Nay. You don’t. Even if I manage to beat him, the darkness will be fully unleashed.”

  “Francesca will be released upon his death, aye?”

  “Aye.”

  “Then she should be able to calm you as before.”

  Cade shook his head, again. “Before, I thought I had let go completely, but I hadn’t. This time...this time it will be for good.”

  Drogan swallowed, wishing there was some way he could help him.

  Cade reached over his shoulders and unsheathed his knives. The blades glistened as the sun broke from behind a cloud. Cade flipped the knives until he held them backwards, the blades following his arms.

  “Remember your promise,” he said as the gates opened.

  “Godspeed, my brother. It was a privilege knowing you.”

  Cade paused and looked at Drogan. “I never deserved your friendship.”

  “You deserved much more than you got.”

  “If you knew the things I had done.”

  “I would still call you brother.”

  Cade closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were red. The darkness swirled around him, menacing and evil. He walked from Drogan, never looking back. Drogan clenched his fists, wanting to see Nigel’s life drain away as he choked him. Nigel had ruined so many lives.

  “Farewell. Brother,” Drogan whispered as the gate closed.

  Chapter Twenty‐six

  Francesca opened her mouth to scream as the claws tore her flesh from
her body again and again. The agony was blinding, the torment relentless. She had tried to see in the blackness for some semblance of light, but there was nothing, and she gave up. She kept her eyes closed, her lips parted in a silent scream. If only she could move, make some kind of sound.

  But she could hear everything. The creatures cackling with glee, the claws sinking into her skin, and the sound of her flesh tearing from her bones.

  It was a nightmare she knew she would never wake from. She could go insane if she let herself. Then she would think of Cade. She imagined his vivid blue eyes gazing at her with desire. She recalled the feel of his lips upon hers and the way he stole her breath every time he kissed her. She felt his hands on her, guiding his arousal inside her.

  Then she would lose herself in the pain, forgetting who she was, what she loved.

  “Francesca,” a voice called.

  The torment stopped, and for a moment there was no pain, only the stillness around her. She recognized the voice, though. Nigel! Then she recalled how she had failed, how he had trapped her.

  “Open your eyes, Francesca,” he beseeched.

  She shook her head.

  “Open your eyes or I’ll call the hounds back.” His voice had hardened, and she had no doubt he would send her back to the agony. Francesca took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Light flooded her from atop the small hill. She raised her arm to shield her eyes, only realizing then that she was able to move.

  “Where am I?”

  There was a chuckle beside her. She glanced over to see Nigel, still wearing the cloak, standing with his hands behind her back.

  “It’s lovely, is it not?”

  Francesca turned her attention to the castle that stood before her. It wasn’t as large as Wolfglynn, but it held impressive towers and a sturdy wall and gatehouse. The rolling hills filled with wildflowers brought a serenity to the castle, a calmness. In the distance was a small forest. A small group of men on horseback raced to the trees, following a stag.

  She knew Nigel had brought her to this place to show her something, and the more she looked around at it, the more she wanted to leave. It was a beautiful place, and his presence would only destroy it.