by Kira Hillins
“You and I must leave this place now.” His demanding voice sent fire through her veins.
“Why didn’t you tell me you found him? It’s because of me that he’s stuck in the middle of this.” She shoved on his chest, but he wouldn’t budge. “Get out of my way.”
“For now, you have to come with me.” He palmed her cheek. “Once you are safe, I will rescue Jack. You will have your life with him soon. I promise.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He will make a fine husband for you.”
She studied his face. Her gut churned. That’s why he’d acted so strangely. He knew about Jack’s marriage proposal. There was no way he could know unless… “You spoke to him?”
“He is below my ruins.”
She knocked his hands from her shoulders then drew a step back. “Why the hell didn’t you save him?” His eyes burned, but she didn’t care. “With all the deaths on your conscience, I can’t believe you would stoop to let another innocent person die. If anything happens to him, you’ll be responsible!”
Her face grew hot as the hate she’d carried for him came rushing back. With his gaze on the fire, she went around him. Confident he wouldn’t stop her this time, she hurried toward her escape.
He caught her by the arm and swung her back around. He jerked her backpack off and tossed it into the floor. “You are not going anywhere.”
She drew her hand back then slapped him across the face. “Stay away from me.”
He grabbed both of her arms then shoved her hard against the wall. His breath was erratic as he growled, baring his fangs, enforcing his seriousness. “Listen to me.”
She turned her head. “It doesn’t matter what you say.”
He pinched her face between his fingers and thumb then forced her to look at him. “Madeline enchanted Jack’s shackles. I could not break her spell.”
“He was shackled?” She whimpered. The rage inside turned to heartache. This unbelievable story was becoming too much to handle. “You’re strong. You could’ve done something.”
“Only the witch can release him, Anna.” He arched his brows. “Do you understand? I would not have left him there if there was something I could have done.”
She swallowed her tears. “I know.”
He let her go. She slid down the wall and cried. His point was taken, but what did it matter? Her heart ached for Jack, but she longed to be near Tristan; to hold him and find comfort with him. If he’d let her.
Through blurry eyes she watched him kneel in front of the fireplace. He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his mane. She walked on shaky legs toward him. She slid her hands over his shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to blame you.”
“It is I who needs to be forgiven.” He stared into the fire. With a hand to his temple, he looked in turmoil. “Madeline will be here soon. We should go.”
She didn’t want to leave the castle. With him and Gerard here, she felt protected and safe. How much damage could one woman do against these two powerful men?
Cold hands wrapped around her throat. The immediate chill spread over her entire body as she slid away from Tristan’s shoulders. The grip tightened as she flew back through the room then landed on the bed with such force, the frame collapsed to the floor.
A woman with jet black hair, and teeth sharper than Tristan’s, climbed over her. She straddled her hips and held her down by the throat. Anna tried to scream, but all that came out was a gurgle.
This was Madeline.
“Where is Jack?” Anna choked out.
“You should worry about your own life, sister.” Madeline smiled, canines protruding from her open mouth.
Anna made a tight fist. She swung as hard as she could. Her knuckle clocked Madeline square in the jaw. It was a weak thrust, and it hurt like hell, but the blow managed to free her from Madeline’s grasp.
Anna rolled off the bed and headed for Tristan, who reached for her. Madeline stepped in her way, eyes brilliantly red, frightening. She hit Anna’s chest with the flat of her palm and sent her across the room into the wall.
Breath knocked from her lungs, Anna fell to the stone floor. She landed on her wrist. It bent back with a snap. Then pain, tremendous pain, shot through her hand and up her arm. She cried out as tears sprung to her eyes.
As she held her arm tight against her abdomen, Madeline crept toward her, grin on her face, hunger prominent in her eyes. She grabbed Anna’s chin and lifted to expose her neck.
She ran her nose across the vein and breathed in. “I’ve waited too long for this moment. I will wait no longer.”
Madeline’s daggers pricked her skin. Her breath was cold as she effortlessly raised Anna up to her feet. With one last glance at Tristan’s stunned face, Anna released the tension in her body and closed her eyes. Surrender was inevitable. This was her demise and Tristan’s curse. Madeline would take humanity, and Tristan would go on suffering alone.
Tristan caught Madeline by the throat. Madeline let go of Anna who fell on her broken wrist. She muffled her scream as she scooted back against the far wall.
Tristan growled as he backed Madeline toward the window. He shoved her head into the wall. His fingers squeezed her throat. “You will never have her.”
Madeline hit Tristan’s chest. The blow sent him back several steps. Eyes a rusty color, he buckled over.
“Tristan, my love.” Madeline whimpered playfully, “I expected a happier reunion.” A sly grin spread across her face as she licked the blood from her lips. “She is rather delectable. Maybe I will offer her a trade.”
She spun her finger in the air once. The window of the balcony opened and Jack stumbled in, bound and gagged. His naked body was bruised and bleeding. When he fell to the floor, Anna rose to her feet. Adrenaline coursed through her as she ran for him. She had to save him from this monster even if it was the last thing she’d do.
Tristan caught Anna’s shoulders. He pulled her back hard against his chest and held her tight. Anna gritted her teeth as her wrist throbbed in pain. If anything happened to Jack, she couldn’t live with herself. He was innocent in this nightmare, and she wasn’t about to let him suffer for it.
“Let me go to him.”
“That is what she wants, Anna.”
Desperate to get to his side, to touch him with gentle hands and comfort him in his time of need, she held her breath. With a sudden shift forward of her body, she broke free from Tristan’s hold on her. She ran toward Jack. She was almost there when Madeline caught her in her arms and sank her teeth deep into her neck.
It stung. Her veins sweltered as Madeline feasted on her blood. Anna’s heartbeat slowed in her ears, and her knees weakened. This couldn’t continue or she was going to die.
Gerard entered the room. His husky red brows lowered against his eyes as he grasped the hilt of a sword in his brawny hands. He bent his elbows back to his side, and then forcefully plunged the blade into Madeline’s stomach.
She released her fangs from Anna’s neck and let out a shrill scream. Anna fell to the floor, and watched in horror as Madeline faced her angry husband.
“Why, my love?” Madeline backed toward the window. Her hands touched the hilt that protruded from her chest. She stumbled over Jack, then out onto the balcony, and over the edge. Her shriek was loud, haunting, until it faded in the wind.
Anna found the strength to crawl across the floor to Jack. She removed the gag from his mouth and the chains bound around his bleeding wrists. She threw her unbroken arm around him and held him tight.
“I’m so sorry, Jack.”
“Anna.” He wrapped his arms around her and sobbed on her shoulder. “I just want us to go home.”
* * * *
Tristan sensed Gerard’s urgency as he left the room. He followed, not only to find out what their next move was, but to get away from this touching scene. It sickened him to see her in the arms of another man.
“We need to end this.
” Gerard spoke harshly. “She’ll go back to her family crypt to recuperate. But she’ll be back at this again if we don’t deal with this now.”
“I apologize.” Tristan shook his head. “None of this would be happening if I had just stayed away from her in the first place.”
Gerard stopped at the bottom of the stairs. A grin crept over his solemn face as he placed his hand on the stone post of the banister. “After centuries of being alone in misery, you’re offering an apology?”
“I am not worthy of forgiveness,” Tristan replied. “But, if you will accept, I offer my life as payment. Do what you will with me. But know that if you have any desire to take Anna’s life, I will kill you.”
Gerard’s hefty laughter reverberated through the foyer, down the hall, and across the great room. The echo found him in unison until he stopped his laugh. He gave Tristan a sidelong look. “Oh, lad, now that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Grudges are for the weak-minded, and I am not weak.”
“I do not mean to provoke argument.” Tristan bowed his head. “But I am on guard.”
Gerard patted him on his shoulder then continued down the hall. “I admit Anna is a temptation. After all, she looks very much like Madeline’s sister.”
Tristan glanced at him, surprised to hear him speak of her. “Did you know her?”
“I did.” He grinned. “I’d just finished building this place and went for my belongings when I saw her standing on the balcony of her father’s castle one night, brushing her golden hair smelling sweet of honey and wildflowers. She had just bathed for her wedding to be held the next day.
I sat in the shadows watching, hoping she wouldn’t turn around and see me, but she did. I thought for sure she would scream and the guards would come to her rescue. But she only smiled at me so innocently. She was the most beautiful woman I ever laid my eyes on. I wanted her more than anything, but could not bear to bring such beauty into darkness.” He shrugged, and then gave a sigh. “I wish now I would have taken her instead of Madeline.”
Tristan shook his head in disbelief. “I believe you are dreaming this, though I will go along to humor you.”
Gerard frowned. “You don’t believe me?”
“You said it yourself. Madeline infected you.”
“I said she bit me.” He chuckled. “And yes, she infected me in ways you will never understand. But it is not how I became a vampire.”
“Vampire?” Tristan arched his brow. “We are merely diseased. According to Madeline’s father, in her journal, Anna’s blood holds our cure. This is why I protect her.”
“I didn’t know Madeline kept a journal.” Gerard lowered his eyes to the floor. After a moment of silence, he looked back into Tristan’s pondering gaze. “Show it to me so I may see what foolish tales she’s written.”
Tristan nodded. As he led him toward the library to show him the truth, Anna’s voice called his name. He looked up to find her descending the stairs. With tears in her eyes, she fell into his arms.
“I’ll wait for you in the library.” Gerard gave Tristan a gentle pat on his shoulder, and then disappeared through the arched doorway to the armored hall.
“Anna.” Tristan leaned her back so he could look into her eyes.
“No.” She shook her head. “I know you’re going to tell me to leave, but I’m not going to.”
“I told you from the beginning that we cannot be together. Being with you, loving you was a mistake. I am deeply sorry for letting it go on too long, but this…we need to end.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks. “A mistake?”
“I am sorry.” Tristan heaved a sigh. “Stop your tears. Go home where it is safe. Madeline is too wounded to follow. With me here, she will not find you.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered, holding her hand over her eyes. “I love you.”
He slid his arms around her shoulders then pressed his lips to her temple. “I will never forget you, my princess. You will eternally be in my heart.”
Her tears flowed hard and fast as she held him tighter. “I can’t let you go.”
“You must.” He forcefully removed her, careful not to put pressure on her injured wrist. He looked away, afraid if he gazed at her any longer, he’d whisk her away from this place. “You will leave tonight.”
Jack limped down the stairs. His face looked peaked and worn, but he managed a smile when he saw Anna. She went to him and, with a heartfelt grin, took him into her arms.
That was Tristan’s cue to leave. It took all his will to control the heartache inside him as he joined Gerard in the library.
Gerard had found Madeline’s journal. As he read, he laughed. “You believe this drivel? Infections and cures. I do apologize, son.” He tapped the journal with his hand. “This is all a load of crap.”
Tristan pursed his lips tight. “Explain.”
Gerard balanced his ankle over his stubby knee. “I’ve been watching you this entire time, almost like I do with the others. Except, they know who they are.”
“What are you talking about?”
Gerard nodded. “I’ve been diseased, as you call it, for well over a thousand years. I’ve made many in my likeness, but I’ve always been picky. Madeline’s sister was too good for me, so I let her go. Ah, but Madeline had a dark streak I couldn’t resist. Her family had disowned her for trying to kill her sister, and so I saved her by making her mine.”
“Madeline needed her sister’s blood to cure an illness she was born with.”
“Bah, that’s a lie.” Gerard growled. “A story she made up as an excuse for her bad intentions.”
“Maybe you say this because you want Anna’s blood for yourself.”
Gerard chuckled as he picked up the old feather pen and twirled it around. Dust particles rose in the air around him, then he sneezed. “Don’t you think I would’ve already helped myself if that’s what I wanted?” He sniffled. “You think there are only three like us in this world? You are as naïve as I remember.”
“All that matters now is that we find Madeline. Truth or lie, she will go after Anna again.”
Tristan left the library. He breathed in deep to control the rage coursing through him. Could Gerard be telling the truth? All this time he’d waited for the cure, only to rely on something that wasn’t real? No, it couldn’t be. Anna’s blood held the cure. It was what he’d believed all this time, so it could not be a lie. Gerard was just punishing him for finding him in bed with his wife all those years ago, and that was all.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Eight Months Later
Eight months—that’s how long it took for things to get back to normal. Almost. Though her body was in Seattle, Anna’s mind and heart stayed with Tristan. It wasn’t easy at first. There’d been plenty of days and nights she’d spent lying in bed in a mess of tears. With Jack’s persistence and guidance, she’d learned to smile again. He kept her going in the right direction, and soon, the days became easier. Nights, on the other hand, was a different story.
A new set of nightmares kept her awake, curled under her blankets, sometimes sweating with fear. The lights stayed on in her lonely apartment. She even bought a sunlamp in case the witch found her, though she could never bring herself to turn it on. She always hoped Tristan would show up at her bedside and profess his love. It was like her childhood all over again, with nothing but disappointment and heartache.
Work was her only release. She adored children. Working around them gave her light in her darkness. Their smiles and laughter was contagious. It was the only time she felt happy. She began volunteering her nights at the children’s hospital. As exhausted as she was, she was able to forget for a little while.
Jack had never taken life for granted, but everything had to be meticulously perfect. He’d used a spreadsheet to plan his day from what he was going to eat to the appointments for the day. He’d even spend a few minutes in the morning picking out what he was wearing to dinner. Now he was more apt to do things on a whi
m.
There was something wrong though. He didn’t smile as often as he used to. He’d wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Sometimes he screamed. Anna hated to see him so distressed. When he’d again asked her to marry him, she hadn’t the heart to say no. She’d agreed on condition that he’d talk to her about the traumatizing event in England.
Neither of them had spoken a word about it. Getting married with secrets was a bad idea. She hoped this visit to Betty’s would reveal everything so they could move on with the rest of their lives.
The porch swing creaked as she swung back and forth. They’d spent the day eating steaks from the grill and laughing over good family memories. It was still hard seeing Mac’s empty chair. Though Betty put on a remarkable front, Anna could see her sorrow and understood.
Jack walked through the door holding two cups of steaming tea. He handed her one and sat beside her on the swing. “Are you okay?”
Anna cradled the cup in her hands. “Stop fussing. I’m fine.” She shivered as the cool breeze hit her skin. It was nearly spring, but every once in a while, winter stroked her skin. She tried not to let it remind her of Tristan, but it seemed everything did.
Jack put his arm around her shoulders. “Cold?”
She forced a smile. “Just a slight chill.”
“I can tell when something’s on your mind.” He stared after her with his blue eyes. “Talk to me.”
“OK. I think it’s time to get it all out in the open.” She hoped he wouldn’t clam up as he always did when the subject came up. “Everything that happened to you in England. I want to know.”
“God, Anna. Not this again.” He returned his hand to his cup of tea. “It’s in the past. I think its best we forget about the whole ordeal and move on.”
“I can’t forget about it. I also have things to confess.”
“Like what?” he asked heatedly.
“I won’t marry you until you agree to talk to me. These secrets are eating me up inside. Tell me you don’t feel the same way.”