“No. Take her. Take her away and do what must be done, for our son. Just please, please remember that this wasn’t her fault.”
“I shall do my best, wife. Perhaps if she tells all once we arrive below, I can be more lenient.”
Mikhal gave Hannah no chance to reply. He turned with her and headed for the door as Alliana’s sobs filled the room once more. She was filled with remorse at the immensity of her own stupidity. How could she have been so blind? She thought of all the pain she had caused her husband by not believing him and wondered if he could ever trust in her feelings for him, and most of all, she thought about how she had put their child in danger, and all of it broke her heart. What a fool she had been. The girl may have deserved something from her, from one human to another, but not this. Alliana knew she had betrayed her husband and nearly killed her son.
Mikhal felt all this and the man in him cried out to console her, but he didn’t turn back, the demon knew there was work to be done. He was both man and beast, and each had a time and a place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A mere hour later, before going back to Alliana, there was something Mikhal knew he had to do. The spell that had been placed upon him by Marishka had to be removed. He no longer needed it to find out things about Hannah, and if Alliana were to become aware of it, and that was certainly possible if Marishka came back into the picture, then there would be trouble between them for sure.
While it was true the ability to sense deceit would be a very handy thing to have, especially now, while there was an upheaval going on inside the castle, it wasn’t worth risking Alliana’s growing affection and instilling wrath in her heart once more. He’d ruled for many years without the added help of magick, and he was certain he could rule for many more.
He knocked upon Natalya’s door and heard her sleepy call to enter, then did so, and found her slowly wrapping herself in her dressing robe.
“Is there something amiss, My Lord?”
“No, Natalya. Things are fine, very well in fact. I discovered proof of Hannah’s guilt and have just finished extracting information from her regarding my sister’s plans.”
Natalya blanched at his words.
“I assure you it took only threat of pain, not actual torture. The girl is fine and is imprisoned below.”
“And Alliana?”
“She is ... troubled but accepting. I will return to her when you have done what I need.”
“And what is that, My Lord?”
“The spell. The time has come for me to be free of the curse.”
“Are you certain?” Natalya wasn’t sure how it might affect the man before her. She didn’t know if it would change the way he felt about Alliana and how he treated her.
Mikhal sensed her hesitation at once.
“I can assure you that what I feel for your friend won’t disappear with the absence of magick. We are mated, joined, and my heart is connected to her and our child. I love her, Natalya, and I always will.”
“Will you tell her of it?”
“Perhaps in time. I see no reason to at the moment. It would only upset Alliana and cause misgivings in her heart.”
“Very well. Sit while I gather some things. I’ve had them ready since we had our talk. This won’t take long.”
And in just a few minutes time, the curse of Empathy that had brought so much change into his heart was lifted from Mikhal the Merciless, but as he’d stated to Natalya, the feelings he felt for Alliana remained. They weren’t the product of magick; they were the product of love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mikhal returned to his wife’s chamber a mere hour after retrieving the needed information from the servant girl. As he’d told Natalya, it had been spilled without much ado. A few slaps and the threat of the iron maiden along with showing the girl the glowing hot pokers resting upon the coals were enough to set her tongue loose without truly laying a hand on her.
He’d found out little really. She had no idea where Marishka and Andor might have gone, was shocked really that they had fled in time. Through the use of his empathic ability he’d known at once she was telling the truth so there was no need for added abuse, and with the indication of his cruel intentions regarding the other tools of pain she had rapidly spilled the tale of luring Alliana to the cottage by stealing his son from his cradle.
This plot had enraged him, and he’d fought against all of the demons who resided in hell to restrain his inner beast and not rip the girl to shreds for daring to enter into a plan of treason with his sister, but in the end, Alliana’s shattered face rose before him, her eyes begging him to be gentle with the girl, and it helped him regain control.
As things now stood, the girl was lying sobbing in the filthy straw of her private cell in the dungeon, being watched over by three of his smarter minions, all of whom had been told exactly what would happen to them if the girl managed to slip away.
They had assured him they understood and had gone towards the filthy cell, rubbing their hands and licking their lips, eager to satisfy their cravings for sex, blood, pain, and fear, but he had stopped them much to their dismay and his, again remembering the wishes of his wife.
Now, here he was, standing before the door of her chamber, not at all certain of the greeting he would receive once he entered. Would she be warm because the riff they’d had over Hannah’s innocence had come to a conclusion? Would she blame him still and look at him as a monster for what he’d had to do to the girl to make her talk? Would it help if he told her of Hannah’s plans to steal little Mikhalen from his cradle and carry him off to Marishka? The very idea of such a fate befalling their son was enough for him to burn with rage; would it have the same effect on his wife and temper her guilt over the torture of the girl? Would she even listen to him when he told her that he hadn’t even had to truly hurt her? Oh the questions.
“Aye, and you won’t know the answers to any of them until you go in. Quit being a coward and face her, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Then why did he feel so bad? Because... because she might be disappointed in him and he hated it when Alliana looked at him as if he’d let her down or as if she could never ever love him.
He knocked lightly then entered, still the Lord of the castle though he acceded a bit to her need for privacy and dignity. His eyes traveled to the bed, expecting to find her there, he’d woken her very early after all, but it was empty. His eyes scanned the chamber only to find her pacing in front of the hearth.
His dead heart ached at once seeing her, and knew she was in pain even before he felt it. Her hands were curled into fists, her head bowed as she walked quickly back and forth. Mumbled words spilled from her lips. “Why.... What have I done?... not her fault... Should have saved her.”
Alliana was so wrapped up in her own blanket of misery that she hadn’t even heard him. He called her name softly so as not to startle her and she looked up, tense, surprised nonetheless, with a face stricken with guilt. Her eyes held self-loathing, her mouth a grim line, her cheeks ashen, her body held oh so rigidly.
“Is it because you can no longer see your feet that you forget to cover them wife? It seems you have a fondness for bare feet, even in the cold.” His words were meant to be light, to break the ice, but it didn’t work. Her face never changed expression, still holding onto her grief.
“Alliana please, tis not your fault. Come here, sweet. The girl is fine. I hardly had to touch her. Truly, Alliana I confess to slapping her but then I merely showed her and told her of what I could do and use and she spilled her secrets like an old gossiping washer woman.”
“Yes it is. You don’t understand! I told her I would protect her.” During the time Mikhal had been gone, the self-blame she felt over her betrayal of her husband’s trust and failure to protect her son hadn’t paled, it had simply been compounded by her feelings of self-hatred for allowing Hannah to be tortured as well.
“Alliana you couldn’t. You shouldn’t have. Do you want to know what she and Marishka had planned? Do you?” All
iana didn’t speak, she couldn’t, tears were burning her eyes and her throat was tight, making words impossible.
“Hannah was going to steal our son! She was going to take him from us and deliver him to Marishka, Alliana. She was going to steal him away and she was going to make sure you knew it was her so you would follow her and go straight into Marishka’s clutches. I could have lost both of you!”
“It wasn’t her fault. She was corrupted. She was as innocent as I was when I arrived here.”
“Then I am to blame Alliana. I allowed her to be taken from the village. I sanctioned all of the kidnapping and killing. Blame me.” Mikhal hated to cast the blame upon himself when it rightly belonged on Marishka’s shoulders, but he couldn’t stand to see her looking so desolate and to see the stabbing pain that was eating away at her soul.
“No. It’s not your fault.”
“Love, tis not yours either. Blame Marishka if you need to cast blame, just don’t blame yourself.”
“I... how could I have been so wrong? Was she truly going to steal our babe?”
“Yes, Alliana. It may not be her fault that she is the way she is now, but Hannah is evil and will remain so. She is committed to Marishka. My sister has a sick hold on her.”
“What if... what if Marishka dies? What then. Will the bond be broken? Is it as strong as the bond we share?”
“No, never, what we share comes from blood and from love. You are my mate. She... they are lovers. Marishka gave her pleasure, made Hannah her toy; made her crave the feedings and the sex to instill loyalty. Will the bond be broken when Marishka dies? I do not know. It isn’t one that transcends time and life like ours does, but Hannah is completely committed to my sister. I can’t say for certain if Hannah will ever be safe to be around, if she will ever regain her morals, for Marishka corrupted her soul. I do know that she will never be allowed near you or our child.”
“So she lives?” Mikhal wanted to scream at the tone of happiness in Alliana’s voice. She still believed in the girl after everything. He supposed it had to do with the fact that she had a soul, but he longed for her to have such an unshakeable belief in him.
“Yes, pigeon, she lives. To be honest I know not what to do with her. I am tired and cannot deal with her any more today, and you wife, look weary as well. Come.”
He went to her and pulled her close. Alliana resisted, but only for a moment, then melted into his arms and let her tears flow. She sobbed out her pain, sobbed out her guilt, and sobbed away her doubts about the man who held her. Mikhal loved her and only wanted what was best for her. He had saved her and their child from a fate worse than death and she felt the flutter of something tender tug at her heart as she relished the feeling of his arms giving her comfort and holding her close.
When she had quieted, he held her away from him and kissed away her tears, then scooped her up in his arms and walked to the bed. She was so pale, and he knew she needed to rest. Never was he going to allow the things in her life to cause her this much pain, especially now, when she needed to be carefree. Her time was coming soon, he could feel it, and he wanted her as rested and strong as possible.
Mikhal laid her down upon the rumpled sheets and kissed her gently, then sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. Alliana felt him sit and her eyes flew open, shocked.
“Calm yourself, wife. You need comfort and we both need rest. I mean to simply hold you in my arms while we sleep if you shall allow it, My Lady.”
Alliana looked at him; her eyes becoming soft and dreamy, then she nodded and smiled up at her husband. He in turn smiled back then gave her a wicked smirk which quickly melted into a look of incredible tenderness, then pulled off his coat and shirt and crawled onto the bed, pulling his wife into his arms as he tugged the furs over them, nestling up to her rounded belly and sliding one arm under her shoulders and the other around her almost too big middle to pull her even closer.
He nuzzled her nose, gazing into her eyes, then kissed her eyelids shut whispering that she should sleep, then lay there, watching her as she did as he bid her and drifted off to dreamland in the safety of his arms.
When her breathing was steady and he was certain she was sleeping, he whispered his words of love once more. This time she couldn’t rebuff him with a look that said she didn’t return his feelings.
“I love you, wife. You shall be mine for always, Alliana, and some day you shall tell me so.”
Much to his surprise a small smile appeared upon her lips and Mikhal felt a tiny rush of happiness fill her. He smiled as well, thrilled. It had been a day of turmoil and pain but in the end they had survived and become closer because of it. Progress was being made. Perhaps by small steps, but it was progress nonetheless.
Chapter Twenty-One
Alliana woke to find Mikhal still beside her. For a moment her conscience tugged at her soul, telling her she was lying with evil, but then her heart overrode the tiny voice. No, this was right. He was her husband, he had protected her; he cared for her. The girl, while human, and sided with the devil just as Enid had, and plotted to kill her son. What could her husband have done differently? Nothing was the answer to that.
She resolutely pushed her doubts aside and snuggled against him, loving the feel of his hard chest and strong arms. This was a time in her life when she was very vulnerable. She needed this man, and he was her husband. The laws of man and the bonds of his kind joined them, and Alliana had to admit that realizing this was where she would be for life didn’t pain her heart any longer.
The tiny voice inside spoke up again. ‘Now aren’t you the one who is siding with the devil? Aren’t you the whore who is gracing his bed and bearing his evil seed?’ No! Her mind screamed out. It wasn’t like that. She had been wed to him, had no choice in the matter and now she was carrying his child. Where was she to go? What could she have done differently? ‘But must you care for him?’ the voice asked again.
Alliana’s heart swelled with pain and her mind filled with confusion. Was she wrong? How could she be? He had changed. He truly had, and it had been for her. He cared for her; she knew he did. Hadn’t he begun to treat others around him better? Hadn’t he provided food for the serfs? Didn’t he allow her liberties far beyond that of a normal wife? Hadn’t he brought Natalya to try and cheer her and care for her? As misguided as that action may have been, it was done with good intent. He’d done all of that for her. For her!
‘But what does he do when he isn’t with you? What then?’ The voice again, so insistent it was driving her mad. Alliana bit her tongue to stifle a cry of pain and gazed up at the handsome face of her husband, laying so close to hers upon the pillow. He looked so serene, so kind, so loving, and she knew he cherished her and their child but...
Her pain reached him in his sleep for even though the spell was gone the mating bond joined their hearts, and Mikhal stirred, his brow creasing in agitation. Something was wrong.
He opened his eyes to see Alliana staring at him, a distressed look upon her face. The surprise of finding himself in her bed, and the worry over her anguish cleared the sleep from his mind at once and he tightened his arms around her.
“What is it, sweet? Tell me what troubles you? Are you ill? Is our son being too rough on his mother?”
“No, Mikhal. I am fine, truly.”
“No, Alliana, you are not. I can see it in your eyes. What pains you, pigeon? If it is not physical than it must be your heart? I... I had hoped that things were well between us.”
Alliana shook her head. Yes there were questions, some he could answer; some she would have to deal with in her own conscience, but now wasn’t the time. Now she only wished to be held and reassured.
“Just hold me, Mikhal. Hold me and it will be fine.”
Mikhal was still distraught over her obvious distress, but his relief that he was the one she chose to soothe her overrode his worries, so he did as she asked and simply held her, keeping the world and all its moralistic questions at bay.
Alliana, tired of
fighting her inner demons, accepted his comfort and melted against him, relishing in the feeling of protection and love only his embrace could provide. She knew their trouble hadn’t flown, knew they had things to work out, knew she had to question her own actions, but not now. For now she would simply be a woman who was cherished and safe. The time for running from her husband was gone. They would talk and face the things that stood between them together. All they needed was a little time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
About an hour later, Mikhal was sleeping the sleep of the undead and Alliana could remain in bed no longer. She hadn’t been up all night searching the countryside, and therefore was antsy to be doing something. Her body felt tense, tight, achy, and she felt as if she needed to move, so she slipped out from the circle of Mikhal’s, arms and slowly waddled about the room straightening things that didn’t need tending to, fussing about.
After a few minutes, she summoned Thalia. She wouldn’t ask the girl to stay, her presence might wake Mikhal, but she did indeed want her breakfast nonetheless. The servant appeared in but a few moments, her usual cheerful greeting dying on her lips as Alliana placed a finger against her own to indicate silence was needed as she looked towards the large bed.
Thalia’s eyes widened, but she said nothing; it wasn’t her place after all. She was actually pleased to see that the Master and the Mistress had talked things out after the horrid Hannah incident. It hadn’t taken long for word of the treasonous servant’s plan to race like wildfire through the castle.
“I wish for my breakfast to be brought up, Thalia.”
Beneath The Shadows of Evil... Torn Page 30