Deception

by A. S. Fenichel

  He wished he was as unaffected by her feminine allure.

  To his astonishment, she pulled a string at her waist, which lifted her skirts, and she tucked them into some kind of belt hidden at her hips. Above her high leather boots, he glimpsed her creamy thighs. His gaze dropped to her curvy flesh and an array of weapons cleverly stored inside her skirts instead of focusing on the danger ahead. He met her gaze.

  “Try to stay alive, Dorian. Do not get distracted.”

  He looked her up and down one more time. “You ask the impossible, Lilly.”

  The wicked look she gave him was almost as enticing as the curve of her leg. She turned and climbed up the rock-strewn hill to the right. He followed, making an effort not to admire her bare legs or the throwing knives strapped around her right thigh. When they reached the precipice, flames blazed as high as ten feet in the center of a clearing. Two demons fed the fire, one a small trebox with scaly dark skin and the other a larger, dumber malleus covered in slime. To the far left of the fire, three children huddled together. The smallest girl wept loudly while the other two tried to comfort her.

  Alive! A surge of elation followed by a wave of fear assaulted him. Could he and Lillian keep those children alive?

  The malleus stood as tall as the flames and sang in a low grating tone. Firelight reflected off its slimy skin as it tore a year old tree from the ground, roots and all. As if it were a twig, the malleus tossed it on the fire. Flames roared higher and his voice grew louder. Dorian knew nothing of the demon language, but the eerie cadence churned his guts.

  The trebox slunk around the fire. He used two hands on a sword, carving symbols in the hard ground. This trebox had shed his human clothes, exposing his hunched back and visible ribcage.

  A recent report had crossed his desk depicting a similar scene in England. When they completed drawing the runes, the innocents would be sacrificed. “They mean to open a gate. We only have until the song ends.”

  Lillian’s eyes widened. She reached into the folds of her underskirt and released a small crossbow from its holster, chocked an arrow, and took aim. “We will need to move fast.”

  “Ready.”

  She let the arrow fly.

  It pierced the malleus demon’s left eye, silenced the song mid-word, and dropped the enormous monster to the ground before he even had time to roar.

  The trebox screamed in the language only demons understood. He took up the song his comrade had been chanting and wrote faster in the dirt.

  Dorian pulled one throwing knife from the belt strapped around Lillian’s smooth skin. He jumped over the hill and ran down, dagger raised in his left hand.

  The trebox rushed at him with its eyes focused on the long knife.

  When he was within range, he let the smaller blade fly.

  It buried deep in the greenish creature’s throat. He crumpled with a whine.

  Lillian ran behind him down the hill.

  All three children screamed and cried.

  She charged past them and kicked dirt on the fire.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I think he might have gotten the incantation finished. Look at the way the smoke curls in on itself. Evil will find a way in even without the sacrifice. Once opened, I don’t know how to close a gate.”

  It was unnatural the way the smoke did not move with the breeze. The ground rumbled. Dorian kicked dirt on the fire and rubbed out the carved runes from the ground.

  The boy ran over and helped put the fire out.

  The ground stilled, the flame’s heat died on the wind, and silence shrouded the night.

  Dorian crouched near the patch of charred ground. Sulfur or some similar odor assailed his senses. Beads of sweat dripped down the side of his face and his heart pounded against his breast. He’d never felt more alive. Whether it was the fight or the woman beside him, he didn’t know. The rush of energy flowing through his body might become a habit.

  “Dorian, behind you!”

  Dagger raised, he turned for the next attack.

  The creature rushing toward him was the size of a child, covered with hair all over its large head and sturdy limbs. It scaled the side of the rocks near the two crying girls. It moved like a spider on a web along the vertical face of the rock.

  The pravus demon’s red eyes filled with pure mischief and evil. It leered down at the children as if they were a roast pig on the spit.

  Dorian flew as fast as his feet would take him past the boy. He threw himself over the girls as the creature dropped from the rock face.

  “Do not let it touch you!”

  Lillian’s cries were pointless. The thing was on his back. He reached back and grabbed a handful of wiry hair, tearing it away from his jacket. The fabric ripped. Turning, he meant to toss it as far away as possible from the children.

  “Here,” Lillian called, ten feet from him.

  His entire upbringing screamed for him to toss the dangerous demon as far away from the woman as possible. Yet her warrior stance, shining eyes, boots, bare thighs, soot on her face, and blades in both hands gave him confidence. Dorian tossed the demon toward Lillian.

  As the demon spun through the air, its high-pitched cry made Dorian cringe.

  Lillian whirled, knives outstretched, extension of her arms. She sliced through the center of the horrid creature. The thing dropped at Lillian’s feet in two pieces. Black blood oozed around its shattered body.

  Dorian searched the darkness for further threats, but saw nothing. He eased away from the girls who had stopped crying and looked up at him with wide blue eyes.

  Their brother rushed over. “Sir, what were those things?”

  He was no more than twelve or thirteen. How did Dorian answer? He put his hand on the boy’s thin shoulder. “They were pure evil. My lady and I aim to destroy such things. You might be best served by saying it was strange men who took you and your sisters. We will take you home now.”

  It wasn’t much of an explanation, but the boy nodded and gathered his sisters to him.

  They lifted the children onto the horses and kept a slow pace toward the village. Lillian and Dorian walked down the craggy hillside leading the horses.

  Lillian did not look at him or speak. She had returned her dress to the more customary design, and her legs were covered. There was no sign of a weapon. Other than the smudges on her hands and face, she might have been a fine lady out for a morning stroll with some local children.

  The first gray of day glowed in the east when they dropped the exhausted trio off at the Thrush home. Mrs. Thrush cried and smothered the children, but Mr. Thrush looked at the rescuers with a wary eye.

  By the time they arrived back at the posting inn they were dirty and tired, but there was no time for the niceties of a bath or even a short rest. Once they handed off their mounts to the stable lad, they paid the fee for their stay. The innkeeper handed them a parcel of food, though he averted his gaze and bid them a hasty good-bye.

  Lillian thanked him, took Dorian’s hand, and climbed into the curricle. He took the reins and made a quick exit south toward Edinburgh.

  Chapter 4

  Dorian drove until they were well out of sight of the posting house, then handed the reins to Lillian.

  In spite of the muddy roads, she drove the horses hard for a few miles, then took the team down to a comfortable pace.

  Dorian kept his quiet for two hours, watching the sun come up and the scenery pass them by. They were lucky the weather was fine. Though the curricle had a cover, it would do them little good in a driving rain. Still, the past day’s rain made the roads more difficult to traverse.

  Her shoulders were stiff and her back unyielding.

  “Are you angry with me or with something else?”

  “I’m not angry.”

  “I prefer the truth, if it’s all the same to you.”

  “You could have been killed. Those pravus demons are small, but the poison from their bite almost killed Reece.”

  “I appreciat
e your concern. I read the report. I was aware of the danger. Would you have me allow that thing to bite one of the children?”

  Danger flashed in her eyes. “Of course not.”

  “What then would you have preferred?”

  “You did exactly as you should. I have no reproofs. Your skill as a soldier is most impressive.” She made the compliment dryly and without the emotion brewing behind her stunning eyes.

  “Thank you. Do you care to discuss what is troubling you?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Then I will speculate that you have grown attached to me, and your worry has driven you to anger.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “My only worry is Cullum will blame me for getting his assistant killed.”

  “Ouch. I can see I am mistaken. It is good to know my place.” But she had worried for his safety, and knowing it stirred joy inside him.

  “Be more careful.”

  He let the subject drop. The demons had not been expecting hunters to find them. They were opening a gate either to get back to their own realm or to bring more demons out. “May I make an observation, Lilly?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I do not believe the events of last night were meant to slow our progress or distract us from our mission.”

  She glanced his way while maneuvering the horses around a large puddle. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because if anything, it hastened our trip. We might have stayed several more hours at least had we not taken on the short errand. Three demons is hardly a distraction, at least not for you. I should think the two of us warranted more than a few hours of distraction.”

  She drove slowly through a rutted bit of road. “You think it a coincidence that we happened to be there at just the right time?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe the master is manipulating us, wants us in Edinburgh.” The wheel hit a rut in the road. He clutched the seat to keep from lurching from the carriage.

  “If that is the case, then we might be playing into his hands. It also means the master is privy to our whereabouts.”

  “Indeed. It might be inferred that he is also aware of your personal mission.” His stomach knotted. “So why would he want us to arrive in Edinburgh earlier?”

  “This is your notion, Dorian.”

  He laughed. “It is, but it needs some more theorizing.”

  Her eyes narrowed while her clever mind went to work. It would be interesting to see what she makes of the available information. Everything about her excited him and set his blood boiling. The archives under the castle were dank and dusty, and he couldn’t wait to spend time there because it would be time with her.

  “Lilly, I’m going to ask something of you that you will not like.”

  “You want me to put aside my current quest and follow another path.” It was not a question.

  “Not put aside, but perhaps refocus on a bigger picture. Shafton should be investigated. However, I believe we may have stumbled on something more urgent. If we continue on the path to discredit Shafton, we may be playing into the master’s hands.”

  “I still believe it is all connected. And if we follow the clues to his lordship, and we can decipher the information, we will find the master.”

  “It might be a better use of our time to locate the gates to the demon realm.”

  “What good is it to find them? We do not have the knowledge to close them and stop the demons from crossing into our world?”

  “Not very much good at all, but to know how to close them and not know where they are is equally useless. We have to start somewhere.”

  By late afternoon the sun was hot and they still had a long ride to a suitable inn. Lillian pulled off the road toward a grouping of trees.

  “Where are we going?”

  She maneuvered the carriage through a field and into the woods. “I’m tired and hungry. I know this place. We can rest here for a while.”

  The greenwood bustled with life. A pond, birds, a clearing of soft grass, and all hidden from the road by thick trees. It was as if they had stepped into a fairytale. “How did you ever find this?”

  Stopping the carriage, she hopped down and unhooked the harnesses from the left side of the horses.

  Mesmerized by her agility and grace, he forced himself to focus on a task. He jumped down and worked from the other side to relieve the animals from their burden.

  She grinned across at him. “I’ve traveled the roads quite a bit. Reece and I found it when we were still attending the school. Brice sent us to Edinburg to meet Cullum. Reece thought we could save some of our funds for some fun in the big city by sleeping in the woods. We stumbled into this paradise while avoiding the fees at the posting house.”

  He imagined her a few years younger and still blushing with youth. Had she and Foxjohn been lovers in this very spot? His gut twisted. It was the perfect place for a lover’s tryst. Who would see them in such an obscure place? Damn. “Have you come back often since then?”

  A sly grin created even more of an allure. “Once or twice.”

  They tied the horses loosely to a tree, and they crunched grass happily.

  She untied her dress and let the blue fabric drop to the ground. The white underdress, devoid of a corset, revealed curved hips and even more of her full breasts. A cleverly constructed belt hung low on her hip. He guessed it was what she’d tucked her dress into the night before. She unhooked the belt, and it too dropped to the grass. She billowed with white undergarments.

  His body burned at the sight of her. “What are you doing, Lilly?”

  The underdress was held by satin ties at the shoulders. She pulled the bows on each side, and it puddled around her feet. The hint of the small crossbow landed in the pile. With only her chemise, she exposed herself to him. The thin fabric accentuated her assets and hid nothing. Dark peaks shone through as if calling him forward. His groin tightened in spite of his efforts to be a gentleman. How could any man remain impassive in the face of such a display?

  “I’m going to bathe in the pond, Dorian. You may do as you wish.” She bent over and lifted the chemise to the top of her knees. She stripped two long thin blades from her boots, then the boots themselves. Her calves were shapely, and he wanted to know if the skin was as soft as it looked.

  Tugging the undergarment higher, she unclipped the belt strapped to her thigh and dropped it with a half a dozen throwing knives still sheathed in a neat row.

  “I think if you knew what I wish at this moment, you might not say that.” God how he longed to touch her.

  “Do you really think so?” She stepped out of the center of the mountain of cloth and walked to the edge of the pond. Without the slightest hesitation, she dove in headfirst.

  Magnificent. The infinitesimal time that passed while he warred with his gentlemanly side gave way to the quick dispatch of his clothing.

  Lillian erupted from the center of the pond and looked back.

  Swimming in his drawers did not appeal to him, and he dropped them as well. Her blush was worth ten thousand pounds. He dove in.

  The water gave a small shock from the warm air, but it was refreshing and clean. He swam over to where she treaded water. “This is quite invigorating, Lilly, but what are we doing?”

  “Swimming and washing the grime off.”

  “Men and women do not swim together, nor do they bathe together. Not that I know of. Not in England, anyway. Is there something you want from me, or is your goal to tease me until I crack?”

  She floated onto her back, the wet chemise clinging to every delectable curve as she stroked the water and moved away from him. “Perhaps I misinterpreted your interest last light when you were so fascinated with my legs. If so, I apologize.” She stopped floating away and let her body sink down into the shadowy water. Only her pretty face and shoulder breached the water. “However, I will admit I find you quite attractive. I do not take my clothes off for just anyone.”

  He dove under the water’s surface, coming up close enough to gr
ab her around the waist and pull her against his chest. There was satisfaction in her surprised expression. “I am not a man to be toyed with, Lilly.”

  “Nor am I the type of woman to toy with any man.”

  The cool water should have put an end to his arousal, but his cock bulged between them. “It is not my custom to have meaningless relations with a lady.”

  Her tempting smile turned into the most adorable frown. He wanted to kiss the expression away more than he wanted to take his next breath. “Who said it had to be meaningless, Dorian. And you still do not seem to understand, I am no lady.”

  He’d moved them close enough to the shoreline to put his feet down on the muddy bottom. Touching her cheek, he pushed back a wet lock of hair, which had escaped the braid she knotted for travel. “Oh, I don’t know about that, Lilly. Perhaps you and I have different definitions of the word. You are polite and amiable. You try to make those in your company feel comfortable. What you did last night with the Thrush family was the act of a lady.”

  Her breath was quick, and her full lips parted as if begging for his kiss. “And what I did with my crossbow in the hills, was that the act of a lady? Do ladies ride astride or sneak out of a posting house in the middle of the night? Ladies do not do the things I have done, and they do not live as I have lived. Do not fool yourself into believing I could live in your world for more than a moment. I am nothing in the world of theatres and balls. They would send me to the scullery. Frankly, it is where I belong. Belinda is a lady, and no amount of primping with fine dresses and curled hair will make me her equal in the parlor.”

  He pressed his lips to hers, letting the warm flesh and cool water wrap around the drum beat of his heart. “I think you are a lady, Lilly. I think the countess would agree with me.”

  He’d spoken against her lips, but she pushed back from him, breaking the contact. “Belinda is my friend, but we are not the same.”

  “Do not be angry because I think you are a lady, Lilly. You may rail at me for a great many things during our time together, but not that. To me, you are everything fine and good. Fiercely loyal, beautiful, smart, and you even manage to have the manners of someone who was born with the name I suspect you fashioned for yourself.”