by Meara Platt
“How are you connected?”
“It isn’t important for you to know and will likely only distract you from your purpose. What matters is that dragons are a form of demon, the highest form of demon. What defines a demon is that they’re cruel and lack souls. Faeries are also demons of a sort, but they still possess their souls. For this reason, they’re still connected to the world of humans. I don’t know how long the connection will last.”
“King Cadeyrn tried to kiss Julia. His touch almost killed her.”
“Which means the connection between human and Fae is growing more fragile by the day. The Fae are also connected to these demonic dragons. King Cadeyrn is the nephew of Brihann, the High King of the Dragon Lords.” He pointed to the other black dragon depicted in Charlie’s drawings. “He killed Cadeyrn’s father and tried to claim his throne but was defeated by those loyal to Cadeyrn. The struggle between Cadeyrn and Brihann has been going on for thousands of years. That’s how long Brihann has been trying to kill Cadeyrn.”
“Good. I hope he succeeds. The bastard–”
“No, Brihann can’t succeed. Cadeyrn is the only one protecting our mortal world from the Dragon Lords. Without him, the demon armies will invade and turn us all into creatures of darkness, just like them. If Cadeyrn thinks he needs Julia or the boy to fulfill that prophecy, I don’t think there’s anything you can do or should do to stop him.”
“So you’re suggesting I not get involved and merely abandon them to their dismal fate?”
Saron, his expression hard and unforgiving, nodded.
Douglas curled his hands into fists at his sides as he rose and started for the door. “Never going to happen.”
Chapter 16
Julia’s new gowns were ready by the end of the week, and Lord Eastbourne declared they would leave for Eastbourne the following morning. Julia put Charlie to bed early that evening and felt particularly sentimental when she recited his favorite story of the young prince and his quest. Charlie would be home soon, the journey to find where he belonged soon drawing to an end, for one had only to glance at the boy and his uncle to know Eastbourne blood flowed through the boy’s veins.
Charlie belonged there.
But where did she fit in?
“Good night, Julia,” Charlie said, tucking his little hands about her neck to hug her.
“I love you,” she said, hugging him back.
Shortly after daybreak, Peg prepared a hearty breakfast for them, then Samuel loaded their belongings onto Lord Eastbourne’s coach when it drew up to the mews as they finished their meal. Lord Eastbourne strode in, his manner subdued as she and Charlie, with tearful smiles, bid Samuel and Peg farewell. Julia had grown quite fond of the pair, as had Charlie, whose excitement for their journey was obviously tempered by regret in leaving their companions.
“Here’s one Barrow ye won’t be rid of,” Homer teased, tweaking Charlie’s nose. “I’ll be comin’ with ye to yer fine, new home.”
That brought a smile to Charlie’s lips.
The sun shone brightly as the foursome left London. Blue skies and a warm breeze followed them the entire day. But by nightfall, a cold wind drove in clouds off the ocean to obstruct the full moon.
“Too dangerous to go on,” Lord Eastbourne said, instructing the driver to stop at the first inn they came upon. A short while later, they stopped just outside Tunbridge Wells, at an inn with the unsettling name of The Stag and Princess.
“It’s reputed to have an excellent kitchen,” the driver said, sounding quite pleased as he hopped down and helped them to alight.
Julia had no appetite, for the memory of the white stag shaping into the Fae king now sent a shiver through her body. “We can ride on and find another place,” Lord Eastbourne said, sensing her distress as he helped her down.
“No. Charlie’s tired and it’s safer to be off the road. I’m making something out of nothing.”
He took her by the elbow to escort her inside. “I’ll be at your side if anything happens, Julia. I meant what I said about protecting you and Charlie.”
For how long? She smiled back at him, knowing that he believed his words, but things could change. Life had a way of interfering with one’s plans. She stood beside Charlie and Homer while the earl booked three rooms. She and Charlie were to share the largest. He then ordered a hearty supper for all. However, by the time they’d settled in their rooms and come down to supper, Julia was too distracted to do more than pick at her grouse and steak pie. The men’s appetites, she noted, were quite intact. “How far are we from Eastbourne?” Charlie asked, his eyes twinkling as he gobbled down his meal and asked for a second helping.
Lord Eastbourne cast him a warm smile in return. “No more than a day’s ride, so long as the good weather holds.”
Charlie let out a yelp of delight, but the excitement of the long day had tired him out. Soon, his eyes began to droop and he began to yawn. Long, gaping yawns.
“Right, lad. Come on, let’s put ye to bed.” Homer groaned to his feet and took the boy into his arms. “The day’s ride has exhausted me, too.”
“Will you tell me a story? About the young prince?”
“Aye, son. And I’ll tuck ye in under them fine, warm covers, just as I do with my own children when I’m home.”
Julia watched the pair leave the common room, then turned back to Lord Eastbourne, surprised to find him studying her. “You haven’t touched your food,” he said, frowning. “In truth, you haven’t looked well all day. You are too quiet and your skin’s sallow.”
She laughed softly and shook her head. “Thank you, my lord. I don’t know how I shall resist such compliments.”
“What’s wrong, Julia?” He reached for her hands. She tried to hide them under the table, but didn’t manage it in time. He took firm hold and frowned. “They’re cold again.”
“A little. It’s nothing.”
The purse of his lips and quirk of his eyebrow revealed that he didn’t believe her. “I know the prospect of residing at Eastbourne may seem daunting to you right now, but you’ll settle in.”
She managed to slip her hands out of his grasp and rose. “The journey’s tired me out, too. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He rose along with her. “Julia, wait. Stay a little longer. I wish to speak to you.”
“Can it wait until tomorrow? I’m spent.” Her arms and legs were beginning to hurt and she knew what that meant. Those hideous blue faerie webs had returned, no doubt due to her fatigue after the long ride. She hoped it was the only reason.
“It’s just that…” He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. “There’s something important I’ve wanted to tell you for several days now, but never found the right time.”
“Must it be now?” Her head was throbbing and the chill had now spread into her bones. Her entire body felt brittle and numb, and the blood flowing through her veins felt cold as ice.
The prospect of settling in at Eastbourne was daunting to her, just as the earl had remarked. She realized the spread of those faerie webs were somehow linked to her fears. She needed nothing more than a good night’s rest to rid herself of both webs and fears. “Please, my lord. You’ve waited this long, can’t it hold a little longer?”
He seemed disappointed. “Of course it can. Until tomorrow. I’ll walk you to your chamber.”
“You needn’t. I can manage on my own.” She’d managed alone after her father’s death, taken care of herself and Charlie without problem until Lord Eastbourne and King Cadeyrn had come along to disrupt their peaceful lives. Now, they were about to reach the Eastbourne estate. How could she compete against Lord Eastbourne’s wealth? What if he tired of having her around? What if Charlie no longer needed her?
“I know you’re quite capable, but I’ll feel better seeing you to your door. There’s something odd about your eyes tonight. A silvery gleam to them. Do you have a fever? Let me feel your forehead.”
She jerked back, but not in time. He put his hand to her bro
w and let out a soft oath. “Not feverish, but cold. Damn it, Julia, you’re half-frozen. Here, put on my jacket.”
He shrugged out of it and placed it about her shoulders before she could protest. His clean, sandalwood scent enveloped her senses and his warmth seeped into her bones, heating her blood and body which moments earlier had indeed felt painfully cold.
“I think Homer had better stay with Charlie tonight. You shall have his room. I’ll tell him of the change in plans.” Allowing no protest, he led her upstairs and paused in front of a painted blue door that would have looked inviting had they been at a different inn with a name other than The Stag and Princess.
He drew her inside the small, but charmingly decorated chamber. A sturdy bed with covers turned down stood in the center and a fire glowed in the hearth. “Mine’s next door,” he said. “Pound on the wall if you need anything.”
Anything? What she needed was to be held in his arms again, to feel the heat of his lips on hers and taste the salty warmth of his mouth, but she dared not tell him that. She didn’t want to need him. It wouldn’t turn out well. “Good night, my lord.”
“Sleep well, Julia.”
Only after he’d gone did she realize that she still had his jacket.
She folded it neatly over a nearby stool, then moved to the fire, desperately seeking its heat as she slipped out of her gown and stockings. Now clad only in her thin shift, she used the fire’s illumination to inspect her arms and legs, breathing a sigh of relief upon finding the hideous faerie webs on her limbs fading.
They seemed to fade whenever Lord Eastbourne touched her. Last night they’d been much darker.
She grabbed Lord Eastbourne’s jacket and took it to bed with her.
*
The music started sometime after midnight, the animated strains of a waltz startling Julia awake as the musicians struck the noisy, first chord. The waltz was light and lively, and she could have fallen back to sleep lulled by the music, but the notes were quickly drowned out by chatter and laughter from the boisterous revelers below.
A country wedding? At this late hour?
The innkeeper should have warned them that festivities were to take place.
She tossed off her bedcovers and tiptoed to the window, but the crowd she expected to find dancing below was not there. All she saw was an empty courtyard bathed in the moon’s silver glow.
“They must have gone inside,” she muttered, opening her window to cool the chamber and chase away the sudden, oppressive heat.
A hot, damp breeze blew in, surrounding her with the subtle scent of honey.
Julia shut the window with a slam and backed away. “No! No, I’m dreaming. Go away! I don’t want you in here.”
She put her hands to her ears as soft, tinkling laughter began to swirl in her head. More laughter echoed off the walls. Beams of light began to dance about the room. She rushed to the hearth, grabbed a fire iron and swung it at the beams of light until she’d backed them to the window. “Get out! You don’t belong in here.”
They darted through the closed window into the courtyard below.
“And stay out,” Julia muttered, hardly able to hear herself speak for the rampant beating of her heart. As all fell silent and she began to calm, she dared another peek outside. Tables laden with cakes, fruit and cheeses, and more tables filled with succulent game, suddenly appeared before her eyes. Members of an orchestra appeared in the courtyard, seeming to strut in from nowhere. They glanced up at her as they began to play their instruments.
“This isn’t real,” she insisted, blinking her eyes as she backed away from the window.
A soft breeze caressed her cheek and a voice called to her from somewhere in the room. “You can’t escape me, Julia. Why do you persist in trying?”
She staggered backward, grabbing the bed’s footboard to steady herself as King Cadeyrn appeared before her. His smile was as cold as the ice blue of his eyes. He was dressed in a soldier’s uniform, tall and elegant in a blue jacket that matched the striking color of his eyes. Gold braiding ran along his shoulders and sleeve cuffs. The hilt of his sword was jewel-encrusted, as was the scabbard belted to his silver pants. His black boots were polished to a shine. “Come, they’re waiting to meet you.”
“Go away! What do you want with me?”
He reached out his hand. “Come.”
“No!”
He waved his hand in the direction of the window, creating a moonbeam passageway. In the next moment, a row of fine ladies in shimmering gowns appeared and bowed before her. Their gowns were the most splendid she’d ever seen, the fabrics seemingly spun from starlight. They wore diamonds in their hair and more diamonds sparkled on their delicate slippers.
King Cadeyrn waved his hand again. Men in uniform followed, dressed in red jackets looped with golden braids and silver pants that disappeared into polished black boots. The men wore red satin caps topped with silver or gold feathers, and although they seemed too elegantly garbed for war, there was something in their manner that belied this outward display of gaiety. Julia sensed that something more ominous lurked beneath the jovial surface.
“They’ve come to accept you as their queen,” the Fae king said, taking a step closer.
“You’re mad! I want nothing to do with your world. How did you get in here?”
He appeared surprised. “You summoned me.”
“It isn’t possible.” She raised the fire iron still clutched in her hand. “I don’t want you here. I don’t want you anywhere near Charlie!”
“Don’t be afraid, Julia. I won’t hurt you.”
She tilted her chin into the air. “I’m not afraid!”
“You are,” he said with a menacing laugh, “but that will soon change. It isn’t me you ought to fear, but Eastbourne. He’s the danger to you and Charlie. Ask him about his secrets.” He reached out to touch her, but she eluded his grasp. “Do you think you can run from me?”
He gave a quick wave of his hand and the fire iron suddenly grew too hot to hold. Julia released it with a soft cry, nursing her palm and flinching as the weapon struck the floor with a metallic thunk.
Another quick wave, and threads of sparkling light circled her wrists and ankles, binding her as securely as iron shackles, just as they had on her last night at the vicarage. “Let me go!”
“You have the power to release yourself, Julia. ’Tis your doubts about Eastbourne that chain you down, not I.” He raised his hands and backed away. “I wish you no harm, you must believe me.”
“But I don’t,” she insisted, glowering in defiance.
At first, King Cadeyrn appeared amused by the gesture. However, his expression suddenly turned serious. “You must trust me if you wish to survive. Eastbourne is the danger.”
“No, he loves Charlie. He’d never hurt the boy.”
“He’ll only cause the boy pain. He doesn’t love you, either.” His words were a lethal strike to Julia’s heart. “He’ll throw you away soon. He’ll throw you away beneath the silver gleam of the next full moon.”
“No, he won’t! He promised!” But the words sounded hollow even to herself. Rivers of pain flowed through her, the pain of loneliness, of doubt and despair. Her legs buckled and she sank to her knees, her entire body trembling. She felt as weak as a newborn lamb.
King Cadeyrn seemed to grow stronger before her very eyes, as though he fed upon her pain.
“Come with me, Julia,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to rise. His fingers felt icy on her flesh. “Close your eyes. You’re so close now to eternal happiness.”
He bent his head to kiss her.
His eyes stayed open… dead and hollow.
She screamed.
In the next moment, the room went dark.
“Julia! Julia! Wake up!” A commanding male voice drew her back from the precipice of the faerie realm. She recognized Lord Eastbourne’s voice and felt the warmth of his embrace as he took her into his arms and held her gently against his hard
chest. She heard the steady beat of his heart, felt so protected in his arms. “Sweetheart, you pounded on my wall. I blame myself. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
“Lord Eastbourne… I…”
“Will you ever call me Douglas? Damn, it doesn’t matter now. You’re shivering. Take your time, calm down.” His eyes were dark with concern. He continued issuing orders that she mostly ignored, but he didn’t seem to mind. His hands felt deliciously strong and possessive as they slid over her arms, her legs, across the curve of her neck. He cupped his palm over her breast and held it there a long moment. She arched into him. He’d seen and touched her everywhere. He knew all there was to know about her. “Your heart is beating so fast, it feels as though it’s about to burst. What happened, Julia?”
“King Cadeyrn said you’d throw me away,” she whispered.
“Never, sweetheart. Put your arms about my neck. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding, she circled her hands around his neck, resting her arms on his broad, muscled shoulders.
“Good.” He gave her a little hug and carried her closer to the fire.
She felt the tickle of his chest hairs against her nose and realized he was bare-chested. Of course, alarmed by the sudden pounding on his wall, he hadn’t wasted more than a moment to dress, perhaps bothering only with his pants and boots before tearing into her room. She eased against him, loving the sensation of rock-hard muscle beneath her fingers.
He set her down beside the warming fire. “How long have you had these blue webs on your arms?” He bent on one knee and began to inspect the rest of her body. His eyes were an intense mix of heat and worry… definitely heat.
Was she still wearing her shift?
She glanced down.
Yes, she had it on, though it hid little. No matter, she could have worn three thick layers and his gaze would still penetrate into her soul.
“Tell me, Julia,” he said, his voice raw and strangled. “How long have you had them? Lord, they look like they’ve been etched into your flesh.”