“Not so fast, young lady,” he teasingly scolded her. “You don’t want to spoil your dinner by having something sweet first. Sit down and eat your dinner, this plate is for after.” With that, he swooped the mystery plate off the table and placed it on the small table resting between the two beds.
She licked her lips as the smell of the meat brought her attention back to the plates in front of them. As much as Persephone wanted to dive into the meal, she sat at the table, politely waiting for Daniel to join her. At closer inspection, she noticed a tall, narrow bottle. Before she could inspect that mystery, Daniel grabbed it, uncorking it to pour out a clear golden liquid into a wooden mazer. The shallow drinking bowl was simple, with only a narrow metal rim and no lettering, yet it was quite beautiful to her. The golden liquid swirled around the bowl as it settled and gave off a smell she barely recognized.
“Perry is quite a common drink for the ladies in these parts,” William explained, “as there aren’t enough apples grown for cider, but pears grow wild and abundant.”
Persephone lifted the mazer to her lips, tasting the pear cider and sighing in delight. “It’s delicious.” She smiled at the barkeep, who grinned in return.
“Well then...” He ducked his head. “I should let you two have dinner in peace. I do hope you’re feeling better, Miss Elizabeth.”
A pang of guilt made her smile wobble. She wished they could be honest with the gentle giant, but she knew it was for the best. “I am, thank you, William. Dinner smells wonderful, be sure to thank your…wife?” she ventured.
“No wife.” He grunted. “But my sister is who does the cooking. I’ll pass on your message. She’ll be thrilled. No one bothers to actually tell her anything, though her cooking is the best ‘round here.” Ducking his head again, he backed out the door, closing it behind him.
Daniel’s voice startled her back to face the food in front of her. “He fancies you,” he warned. “Best not to encourage anything. We can’t stay here.”
Persephone nodded. “I know, and I’m honestly not trying to encourage anything. He’s just a sweet man. Too old for me, and my heart still belongs to another,” she rushed as Daniel raised an eyebrow. “You really are taking this father role to heart.”
His suddenly wouldn’t meet her eyes, and she began to ask what the matter was, until her stomach growled again, so she turned to her meal, enjoying every morsel of meat and savoring the Perry until the very last drop. She was glad it wasn’t a large bottle, because the room already tilted a little uncomfortably.
“Have you had enough, lass?” Daniel asked, an amused twinkle in his eyes.
“It was wonderful,” she replied, her words slightly slurred. “Though I don’t think I could have another bite.”
“That’s a shame.” He chuckled. “Because there are two slices of pear pie under that cover.”
Her stomach gurgled, complaining about the amount of Perry she had consumed. She worried that her stomach would reject all that wonderful food, and so was relieved when it was just a belch. Sitting back in her chair, she had a delightfully full stomach, though not uncomfortably so, and she reveled in the way the room gently swayed.
“I think I’ll be fine without it.” She sighed. “Maybe we can have it in the morning before we leave, though, so we don’t offend William’s sister.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand.” She watched him stand up, wondering how he was standing upright when the floor so clearly sloped to the left. He slid a strong arm around her waist and helped her stand, leading her over to one of the beds. “Come on, sweetheart,” he crooned, “how about you sleep it off?” Daniel sat her on the bed and gently removed the green slippers before loosening the ribbons on her bodice. She struggled against him.
“You can’t see me in my underclothes.” She giggled.
“It’s all right, I won’t look,” he promised.
Persephone looked at him suspiciously before giving in. Part of her mind remained alert enough to realize sleeping in the dress wouldn’t be a smart idea. Besides, he had only ever shown fatherly love towards her. Long-earned trust won over drunken suspicion and pride, so she allowed him to slide the green dress off of her and hang it up before helping her into bed and tucking the covers up around her.
“Goodnight, lass,” he whispered before gently kissing her forehead.
“’Night, Father,” she mumbled, not recognizing her error before drifting into alcohol-induced slumber.
***
Daniel stood in shock, watching her drift off to sleep. He knew she didn’t intend to call him father, but he shouldn’t be surprised. After all, he had always treated her like a daughter.
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and walked back to the table to neaten the plates. A knock on the door sent his heart pounding again, breaking the silence. With a glance at Persephone to make sure she was still asleep, he quietly walked over to the door and opened it a crack. Recognizing William’s imposing figure, he held a finger to his lips before allowing the man to enter, a maid close behind him. The small, cheery woman smiled at him before collecting the plates up on the tray and was quickly back out the door, not a word spoken to the men.
Daniel watched William’s face soften as he gazed at Persephone asleep in the bed, ready to interfere if the man tried anything. He doubted it would happen, though; he was a fairly good judge of character, with one exception that had changed his and his daughter’s lives forever.
Shaking his head of memories, he tilted his head towards the door, motioning to William that they should leave the room if they were to talk. William nodded his understanding, and the two men entered the hallway, Daniel gently closing the door behind him.
“She’s a real beauty, that daughter of yours.” The large man smiled, nodding to the room on the other side of the door.
“Yes, she is,” he replied, a warning in his voice.
William’s feigned indignation provoked a smile from Daniel, and the men chuckled companionably. The barkeep slapped the older man on the back, almost sending Daniel sprawling. “I wouldn’t dream of touching her, James. Just find it so odd that such a beauty could be sired from a man so weathered and…you know.” He shrugged.
Daniel nodded in sly understanding. “She gets her beauty from my wife, rest her soul.” Dipping his head, he sent a thought to the spirit of his lost love. Oh how I wish you could see the woman she has become.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the other man fumbled.
“That’s quite all right, son,” he gently replied. “You weren’t to know. She died a long time ago, and P… Elizabeth never knew her.” Daniel realized he’d almost given away Persephone’s real name, and berated himself.
“My sister and I never really knew our mother, either. We were twins, though you would never know it, and Mother died in childbirth. Her death drove our father to the drink, and it was a neighbor who took us in. Her and her husband couldn’t have children, you see, so they raised us as their own. So I know how hard it can be.” William clapped him on the shoulder again, this time more gentle.
A loud shout from the large tavern room demanded William’s attention. “Sorry to cut this short, James…”
“That’s fine, go take care of your business. I should catch some shut-eye anyway, have to be off early tomorrow. Though I would like to talk to you in the morning about something odd we saw in the woods earlier today.”
“Oh, you mean the gypsy spirits? They’re harmless. A family killed by a madman a few decades back. Ever since, they’ve kept to the woods, warning travelers of the traps many villagers had been chased in to. You see, the madman had a man of dark magick with him, had him lay down traps all around the village. No one can exactly remember where the traps are, but the men were soon chased out of here, ended up in the west somewhere. Mallay or something was the man’s name… I can’t quite remember right now. I’ll probably remember it better come morning. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Daniel watched the large man speed off towards th
e continued shouting as a chill gripped his spine. “That can’t be possible,” he mumbled to himself. “Just a coincidence.” Opening the door to reenter the room, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was in fact Malachi that William had spoken off.
“But that would mean he’s not a young man at all. What kind of dark magick is going on here?”
A gentle moan from the bed reminded him that Persephone lay asleep, so he decided he’d leave any more thoughts on it until morning. Daniel sat on the other bed for a few minutes, watching the young woman sleep. He would have to tell her the truth soon. The whole truth. It was about time she knew the rumors about her paternity weren’t just rumors. Time she knew he had been that traveling magick man.
Chapter Four
Persephone awoke the next morning with a slight headache. She sat up, holding her hand to her head as the morning light pierced the room, sending pain radiating through her eyes. A friendly chuckle at the door drew her attention.
“The sleeping beauty wakens.”
“You seem to be in a good mood,” she grumbled at William as he leaned against the doorframe.
“Well, I’m not the one who drank herself silly last night, missing out on the wonderful peach pie.”
Her stomach rumbled and she moved to get out of bed, only to remember she was in a thin shift. Glancing up at William, who looked extremely comfortable with no obvious plans to budge anytime soon, she began to get nervous.
“Where’s D…my father?” she queried, trying to keep to the story that felt truer than almost anything else in her life.
“He’s getting the horses packed with supplies. You’re close to the coast, so you won’t need many, but he seems determined to keep you supplied for weeks.”
“That sounds like him,” she groaned as the deep rumbling voice of this man sent her mind spinning. “He wants to set off soon then?”
“Well, once you’ve had breakfast, and I’ve filled him in about the gypsy spirit you saw yesterday. I’ll go inform him that you are awake. While you’re getting dressed—he’s left some clothes for you in the washroom, by the way—we’ll have our talk, then we can sit down to a hearty breakfast before you all leave.” With that decided, no matter what she might have wanted, he nodded and closed the door to give her some privacy.
“At least he was gentle with the door,” she mumbled to herself. Throwing the bedcovers back, she gingerly placed her feet on the floor and stood up, pausing to fight back a dry retch. “Why couldn’t the miserable old man warn me against drinking so much?”
“Because you needed to relax and enjoy yourself after what brought us here,” Daniel’s voice outside the door sounded, making her jump.
“What is it with men and giving me a fright this morning?”
The old man’s voice floated through the door in a gentle laugh. “My apologies, lass, just wanted to make sure you were awake and… well, happy obviously is out of the question. But I’ll settle for awake. Come on now and get dressed, we’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready. They normally don’t offer breakfast, but William and his sister are willing to make an exception for us this morning.”
“How kind of him,” she mumbled, not thinking Daniel would hear her.
“Yes, very kind. Now don’t keep them waiting!” A sharp rap on the door had her hurrying to the washroom.
Persephone smiled when she saw a pair of trousers and a tunic from Adrian’s packed clothing waiting for her, as well as a shallow bowl of cool water. She wet a cloth sitting beside the bowl and washed her face, the temperature of the water chasing away the last of the alcohol-induced haze.
Despite Daniel’s urging her to be quick, she took her time washing up, not entirely sure she would be able to do so anytime soon.
***
The horses were tied up out the front of the tavern, the packs in the kitchen waiting to be strapped on. Daniel gave Chiron and Gypsy a quick pat each before returning to the warm, inviting interior of the tavern. He heard the cheery voices of William and his sister, Daphne floating from the kitchen behind the bar. Although the man had told him they were twins, Daniel found it hard to believe him. While William towered over the average person, muscles bulging everywhere, Daphne was a slight of a woman, easily a head shorter than Daniel, and barely looked strong enough to hold a single platter of food, let alone haul around the large iron pots that she cooked with.
William had warned him that although Daphne appeared short, she had an attitude and temper to equal the toughest man, and that he didn’t dare take on a moody sister. Daniel wasn’t too worried. He could hear the good-natured squabbling as he let himself behind the bar, walking through the door to enter the large kitchen. Daphne seemed to be in a good mood this morning.
Daniel sat at the large table that would later be cluttered with pots and pans, food being cut up and prepared to feed many people during their workday. He breathed in deep the smell of baking bread, bacon, and eggs frying and a nutty porridge boiling on the large hotplate. Daphne’s small figure rushed around, stoking the fire, stirring the porridge, flipping eggs and pulling the bread out to cool enough to eat. William sat nearby drinking from a steaming mug, listening to his sister hum to herself, a smile of pride on his face.
With a wink, William thumped a mug in front of Daniel, flicking his head towards his sister and rolling his eyes. “Nothing makes her happier than having people to stuff full of food.”
“Of course you roll your eyes, yet you don’t turn the food away when it’s in front of you. Not like you need more, you’re a mountain!” Daphne good-naturedly joked, turning around with a joyous glint in her mahogany-brown eyes. She was a pretty lady, with skin glowing from the heat of the fire she worked over all day. Her deep brown hair was held up in a bun, although a few strands had already escaped to float in front of her face in unruly curls. Looking at the siblings together, they couldn’t be more different. William’s pale blond hair hung straight as an arrow, his eyes a blue paler than ice. They worked well together, though, as was obvious in how prosperous the tavern was when they rode up yesterday evening.
Daniel leaned back in the chair, enjoying the warm atmosphere for a few moments longer before clearing his throat.
“I wanted to continue our conversation from last night, William,” he said softly.
The large man hesitated before dipping his head. “Of course,” he replied, suddenly quite serious.
“Tell me more about that…madman, if you wouldn’t mind? What was his name again?” Daniel tried to remain casual with his questions, but his heart hammered, hoping that it wasn’t the same man who had taken power over Persephone’s home village.
William turned to Daphne. “What was the name of that madman all those years ago, the one who killed the gypsy family?”
Daniel watched the small woman pause, her head tilted as she tried to remember. As her eyes narrowed, he gathered that she remembered. “Malachi.”
That single word made his heart drop. The siblings were staring at him, and he realized his shock and dismay must be showing on his face. His mind raced as he tried to cover his tracks, but he wasn’t fast enough.
“You know that name, don’t you, James?” William asked, his voice holding a quiet but deadly tone.
Daniel had no choice but to admit at least part of their story. “I know it, yes. He and his father have taken control of the village we lived in. They have subtly ruined the spirits of the people within, and only Elizabeth and I withstood his gradual assault.”
William shook his head, looking confused. “That doesn’t make sense. He tried to take our village by force, killing the gypsy family and laying traps around the village to frighten everyone into submission. Daphne and I were only young then, caught in that awkward stage between child and youth, but we remember the terror well. But there was no father to Malachi. His magick man was old enough to be his father, and we have no idea how such a powerful mage was under the thumb of someone so crazy, but it was just the two men.”
�
�Why did he leave?” Daniel queried.
“The townsmen rallied together to run him out of town. Many of them were killed,” Daphne replied, her voice thick with emotion, her eyes moist with unshed tears. “Our adopted father was one of them, and so was our real father. The one time it truly mattered, he stood up to fight for us.” William held his arms open, and Daniel watched Daphne walk over to her brother. They held each other for a moment before William continued the tale.
“In the fight, Malachi was badly injured. He fled, his magick man following him. The gypsy man had tried to stop him in the forest, tried to force him to face the crowd, but the whole family was wiped out by a single burst of power from the mage. They remain in that forest, warning travelers of the traps that are left behind and directing them safely to the village.”
Silence filled the kitchen now that the story was told, and it lingered for a few minutes until Daphne sighed and resumed cooking breakfast. Daniel was about to go chase Persephone out of their room so they could have some food when William stopped him.
“You’re not who you say you are, are you?”
The question stopped him in his tracks.
“We get people travel through under false names all the time, so much that I can pick the fake stories from the real ones.”
He hung his head. “I’m sorry. But we’re in danger and it is best that no one knows who we really are.”
“So you’re not really her father? What relationship do you have?” William asked, accusation in his tone causing Daniel to spin around angrily.
“It’s nothing like that,” he spat. He paused to make sure that no one was able to overhear them. “That part is the truth, she really is my daughter. But she doesn’t know. It’s a complicated story, but she only knows me as the man who ran the bookstore that she called a second home; the man who looked after her like a father, but could never tell her the truth.” He trailed off, guilt ridden because he knew damn well that he could have told her the truth a long time ago. She was mature enough to have handled it, and he had more than enough power to take her away from the hell she grew up in and raise her himself.
Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set Page 277