The Illusionist - 3rd Edition
Page 22
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"Are you unhappy about something, Alto?" Yemaya murmured, her voice low and barely audible.
Alto jumped and spun around, almost losing his balance. Before him stood the object of his discussion, her eyes a frosty blue. Straightening to his full height, he stared down at Yemaya, his upper lip curled in a sneer.
"Yes, I say we take the murderer and do to him what he did to the girl."
"I see. And I suppose you will be the one to hand out this punishment?" she asked coldly.
"If no one else has the balls, I do," Alto stated arrogantly.
"Fine. Then do it," Yemaya ordered.
"Huh?"
"You heard me, kill him."
Turning to Georgio, she ordered him to get Dalnos. When he returned with the man, she stepped close to Alto and motioned toward the prisoner.
"He is yours."
Alto hesitated. This wasn't what he expected. Looking around, he saw a crowd had gathered to listen.
"Now? How am I to kill him? I need a weapon," Alto bluffed.
"No weapon. You say you are a man. Use your hands. He is a child now. He will offer no resistance. All you have to do is wrap your fingers around his neck and squeeze. Be the man you claim to be, Alto, if that is your idea of one," Yemaya snarled.
Several members in the crowd gasped. Why was Ms. Lysanne doing this? Had she changed her mind? Couldn't Alto see this one was sick?
Alto glanced down at his hands. He'd never killed anyone. The thought of choking someone, even a person like Dalnos, frightened him.
"I... I... can't kill him like this," he said. "It's the law's responsibility to do it." He tried to regain his composure.
"No, Alto. You demand justice. You have judged and sentenced him already. That just leaves executing him. The others wait for you to carry out the sentence you demanded."
Alto looked around. No one said anything.
"I have work to do," Alto declared, changing the subject. "I don't have time for this. This is for the law to decide."
Turning, he stalked off muttering to himself.
Yemaya looked at the remaining men.
"Anyone else?"
Looking sheepish, the others decided they had more important matters to tend to.
Yemaya shook her head and motioned for Andrei to take Dalnos back to his cell.
The man was oblivious to the events around him. His world was now his mother, and he refused to let go of her voice for fear of losing her again.
"Will he always be this way?" Andrei asked.
"Hopefully, Andrei. The alternative is he remembers what he became, which would be a tragedy, or he becomes what he was, which I will not allow. Right now he is at peace with himself and no danger to anyone else."
"And the girl's family? Where's the justice for them?"
"Sometimes justice comes in strange forms. Dalnos will spend the rest of his life confined to a small cell. His whole life will depend on what he remembers and what he has forgotten. He did not deserve his childhood. Perhaps now he will have some of the happiness he never knew then. The girl's family will have their memories. Little comfort, I know. It seems ironic that memories are the only thing he and they have left."
Andrei nodded sadly.
"Are you ready to leave, Mistress?"
"In a moment. Leave us now, please."
* * *
After he left, Yemaya watched Dalnos for a few minutes. The man sat quietly in his chair talking in a low voice, his hands folded on his lap.
"Dalnos?"
Looking up, Dalnos saw his mother standing near him.
"Mama? I've been good. I listen to what you tell me," he said quietly, hoping for her approval.
"I know, son. I've been here all along. You've been very good."
Dalnos smiled, pleased at her approval. His mother walked over and put her arms around him and rocked back and forth, holding him close.
"Dalnos, I have to leave for a while, but I'll still be here with you like I've always been. We'll talk like we've been doing. You just won't see me. Do you understand?"
Nodding, Dalnos hugged her tight.
"Yes, Mama. Like before. When will I see you again?"
"Soon, my son. Listen to the people who are taking care of you, and if you need anything or to see me, ask for Andrei. Okay?"
"You won't leave me alone like before will you, Mama?"
"No, I'll always be here to talk and listen to you, I promise. Now you must sleep. Do you want me to sing to you? Remember the song I would sing when you were a small boy?"
"Oh, yes, please?" he cried, clapping his hands excitedly.
Her voice was soft, gentle, and slightly husky. The song was an old Romanian verse that had been passed down from generation to generation. Dalnos lay down, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep, his mama's fingers stroking his hair as her voice soothed him into a peaceful slumber.
Yemaya watched him as he relaxed and fell asleep. The anger she felt for him had vanished once she had accepted his sickness. Shaking her head sadly, she couldn't imagine the terror he must have experienced at the hands of his father as a child. Yemaya left the cell a few moments later.
* * *
On the way back to the estate, she thought about the recent events in her life. She had almost been killed through the sabotage of one of her performances. That attempt, however, had brought Dakota into her life, then had almost gotten Dakota killed by the hired goons of an overly ambitious, power hungry publishing tycoon. Yemaya had taken care of the problem, thinking he may have also been involved in the Charleston incident. Now Yemaya had her doubts about his connection to it.
Dalnos, the pathetic madman, had killed a villager and almost raped and killed her lover because of a dark Spirit named Intunecat. That brought her to the Spirits, themselves. Since Dakota's entrance into her life, both of them had been inundated with Spirits. What was the commonality, she wondered, then swore under her breath.
"Dakota," she said. "From the very beginning, everything has been about her and me. She is my strength and my weakness. If we stay together, her life will always be in danger because of me. But without her, I am nothing, my life is nothing. There has got to be a solution."
"Did you say something,?" Andrei asked.
"No, not really. Just thinking out loud. It will be good to get home." Leaning her head back against the headrest, Yemaya closed her eyes and smiled. Dakota, her love, her life, was waiting for her. For the moment, that was enough.
The End
About The Author
Fran Heckrotte lives in sunny South Carolina with her husband. Some of her interests include motorcycling, boogie boarding, scuba diving, gardening, and water gardening. She spent three years in Alaska enjoying hiking, camping, gold panning and working part time at a local ranch. After moving to the South to become a policewoman for five years, she left law enforcement to become a carpenter. Now she owns a property management company. As time permits, she likes to travel to Montreal, Canada, and South Beach Miami with her gal pals to enjoy the nightlife.
Other Titles by This Author
The Illusionist (First in the Illusionist Series) Available in paperback, eBooks, audio
Summary
DAKOTA DEVEREAUX, an investigative journalist, is on a mission to uncover the secrets of Yemaya, the Illusionist. However, in her quest for an exposé on this mysterious woman, she uncovers more than she bargained for. Dakota is targeted by a power hungry CEO, determined to learn the Illusionist's secret at all costs, and a madman intent on fulfilling his perverted fantasies.
From Moldova, land of the legendary werewolf, to the Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains, two souls must battle the dark forces of evil for their lives and their love.
* * *
Bloodlust (Second in the Illusionist Series) Available in paperback, eBooks, audio
Summary
Yemaya and Dakota have just returned to the Illusionist's homeland for a well-earned vacation when they are infor
med that several villagers had been savagely attacked and killed by something or someone. At the same time, a young Carpi woman is found lying unconscious near the outskirts of Teraclia. Comatose, she is unable to tell anyone what has happened and science can provide no answers. Two small wounds on her throat raise the old specter of the vampire, a legend the locals of the Transylvanian community are very familiar with and still believe in to this day.
The Illusionist and her partner search for the truth behind these attacks. Will they fall prey to this murderous bloodlust that surrounds them, or will they succeed in stopping this heinous reign of terror?
* * *
Les Gris, The Shadow People (Fourth in the Illusionist Series)
Summary
THEY WERE Les Gris, the Shadow People, and they are as much a part of us as we are them. As children we talked to them, played with them and disclosed our innermost fears, secrets and dreams; and they patiently listened, comforted and encouraged us. In time, though, most humans outgrew their imaginary friends and eventually forgot them. For those few who didn't, humanity's very existence would be determined by the strength of the bond between a small group of women and their life partners, the les gris.
* * *
Saira (Fifth in the Illusionist Series)
Summary
SAIRA WAS A TRAVELER. Even her name meant 'traveler'. Her entire existence was dedicated to making the journey to seek answers to the questions that plagued her. Sometimes she felt as if she were a pawn in a game she didn't understand but knew her destiny was hers to decide. She chose to let the uncertainty of time make the decisions for her.
Unfortunately, her curiosity not only gets her into trouble but creates a series of events that affects not only the mortal world but the spirit world too. Yemaya, Dakota, Mari and Maopa will find their lives turned topsy-turvy and Saira will learn an emotion she had never experienced before... fear
* * *
Warrior Demoness (Sixth in the Illusionist Series)
Summary
SHE WAS SABNOCK, a demon, who, like the Phoenix, lived and died many times because she chose to live amongst mortals rather than spend eternity babysitting the legions of the Underlord. There were no longer battles to be fought in the Underworld so the ex-commander left her realm to live with the humans as a human. Falling in love, she now had to choose between her vow to live and die as a mortal or love and live as a demon, not knowing if her lover could accept the truth. The wrong decision would condemn her to a life of loneliness – and for a demon, life was eternity.
* * *
Solaria (Futuristic Science Fiction)
Summary
THE FIRST AWARENESS of existence was a chaotic flash of colors, meaningless and yet in an odd way logical; why, she wasn't sure. Birth is the most significant event in life, and yet it is never memorable; at least not for the newborn; but then she really wasn't a newborn, even though it was the first day of her life. She was 1A526, the first of her kind, an artificially intelligent blend of technology and bio-mechanics. Created to serve humans, Solaria and her AI programmer, Carley, soon discover the company funding the Hubot Project had more sinister motives. If Solaria were to fulfill the hopes of the woman who had given her existence meaning, she would have to become the human her programmer had dreamed of and take down Future Dynamicon, the company that created her.
* * *
Thank You for Purchasing and Reading
The Illusionist.
L-Book ePublisher, LLC
Table of Contents
The Illusionist
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
About The Author
Other Titles by This Author