“Opinions are also arbitrary I suppose.”
Alainn took advantage of the candid conversation to speak further on the subject they had previously been discussing, curious as to the king’s interest in her opinion on evil. She wondered if he might truly suspect that evil was all around him with Cromwell and so many others affiliated with the demon. She was certain they, and perhaps the demon, himself, were attempting to get to the king and lure him to their boundaries.
“If I may be so bold as to inquire, why do you dwell on the possibility of evil? Have you experienced a happening that has made you question a possible encounter with such malevolence?”
“There have been moments when I sense a darkness around me. There are those who seem to exude a foul perniciousness. And if you prefer the truth of it, there are times when I feel a darkness festering within me.”
He turned to look at Alainn’s reaction to his telling words.
“I would suggest we all hold a darkness within us. It is up to each of us to choose to allow the darkness to surface or to keep it locked tightly within.”
“And if we are unable to do so...if it slowly arises and spews forth so that we are unable to control it or we no longer desire to keep it imprisoned within the dungeons of our souls?”
Alainn noticed the king’s eyes had grown darker, his voice had deepened as was common when the demon had control, and more disturbingly his aura had become nearly black as he revealed these truths to her.
“Then we must surround ourselves with light and goodness...in people and in deeds. We must immerse ourselves in what ascends our souls and fight the darkness else there may come a time when we cannot even though we might choose to do so.”
The king drew nearer to her at hearing her words. He stared down at her and astonished her by immediately taking her in his arms and kissing her firmly upon her mouth. She was startled for even with her perceptiveness she hadn’t anticipated it. She attempted to move from him, but he was stronger than she’d believed and he continued to hold tight to her. He kissed her once more even more urgently and his hands went to her bottom pulling her closer to him. She was much aware of his arousal and she pulled her mouth from his and cleared her throat as she pushed at his chest.
“It is you, Alainn McCreary who seems to take away the darkness within me. When I near you my heart is lighter and my soul flies free.”
“You are married to a woman who carries your child. I am a married woman. Adultery would surely only further blacken your soul and mine,” she urgently suggested, hoping to thwart him further on acting upon his desires.
“I shall undoubtedly go to the devil’s pit several times on that count. Having you will surely not send me to a deeper level of hell. And if it should be so, I think having you would perhaps be worth the journey.”
Alainn stiffened in his arms and replied, “If it is as you have claimed, if I brighten your soul, taking me against my wishes will clearly darken the light straightaway!” Alainn argued.
“You do not want me?” He appeared genuinely wounded at that consideration. “I am the king of England!”
“We are both wed to another.”
“Else you would lie with me; you would desire to have me take you?”
Alainn knew she must be cautious in her words and her deeds. If the king desired her, it could be beneficial by some measure, and if he truly felt she brought light to his surmounting darkness that could be a monumental advantage in seeing Killian, Danhoul and herself freed and in keeping the demon from winning the king over.
“I have no desire to go to the fiery pit with the devil as a companion, no matter that I would be in good company,” she whispered, and using her magic she caused a growing warm lighted glow to entirely surround her. The king’s eyes grew wide for although he could not have seen it, she realized he well sensed it, and he immediately released her and stepped back. His own aura grew lighter as he continued to stare at her.
They were soon interrupted by a loud knock upon the door. Alainn heard the now familiar voice of Thomas Cromwell calling to them.
“Your Majesty, I request to speak to you. As promised I have brought my friend and his young niece to make your acquaintance.”
It was now Alainn’s eyes that grew wide and she felt them fill with uncertainty.
The king’s aura changed yet again and immediately grew dark and murky.
“Yes, Thomas, you may come in directly. But first send the guard to escort my present guest to her chambers.”
As the guard came through the door, and at precisely the moment she was shown into her chambers, she strained her neck and glanced back toward the other door. Being led toward the king by Thomas Cromwell was the demon in human form, and it further chilled her soul to see he was accompanied by the strikingly beautiful dark enchantress, Ciara McCree.
Chapter Seven
Alainn paced back and forth in her small chamber. By employing her powers, she had been attempting to learn what the demon’s intentions were regarding Ciara and the king. Of course, she was reasonably certain the woman was simply there to seduce King Henry. She was undeniably beautiful and a beguiling temptress who possessed magical abilities. She was a member of a dark coven of witches who were affiliated with and guided by the demon. It would be a dangerous consideration for the king in his already weakened state to fall prey to her and her allegiances. Surely England and the entire world would suffer if that should come to pass.
The demon had much leverage in this situation for he knew of Alainn’s fondness and concern for Lily and her parents and their location. He also was well aware where Killian and Danhoul were being kept within the tower. If she did not act with haste and determine what must be done in regard to the king, the demon, and now Ciara, they may all be in immediate peril. If the king’s temperament and his aura were apparently now so easily influenced by others, being in the presence of the demon and Ciara may well turn the king to the side of evil without hope of return.
Diadra’s foreboding words came to her often. If nothing was truly as it seemed, could this all be another elaborate vision shown to her that was entirely untrue, a non-existent reality testing her once again. That possibility made her furious with the gods, yet again, but she couldn’t entirely dismiss the fact she believed she had actually seen Ciara with the king. The woman had entirely no morals or conscience, and would gladly take the king to her bed. Alainn deduced she must assume this was reality and she must somehow prevent the king from being influenced by the woman and her evil spells.
Alainn wasn’t certain she could be objective with matters involving Ciara, for her emotions always ran high when it came to the detestable woman. Perhaps this was then a test by the gods to determine if she would be entirely ruled by her emotions. When she dwelled upon Ciara, even now, she was immediately filled with jealousy. It occurred to her the demon may very well be capable of seeing to it Ciara was taken to Killian. Alainn’s jealousy and her temper instantly flared to a dangerous degree.
Years ago, long before she and Killian had wed, he and Ciara had been lovers for a time. Alainn was of the belief Ciara had placed a spell of lust upon him for Ciara had been married at the time and although it was not a closely-guarded secret by any measure that Killian had been with many women, never before had Killian taken a married woman to his bed. It was entirely against his morality and his valued beliefs. Perhaps this was the intent of the demon to have Ciara entice the king, Danhoul, Killian and whomever else they might see as advantageous to them.
Although Danhoul would surely be capable of warding off her advances with his own magic and Killian despised the woman for he believed she had partially been to blame for them losing Cian since she had seen to it Alainn was given a potent concoction known to cause women to miscarry, she did possess potent, dark magic. If she placed another spell of lust upon them Alainn couldn’t be certain what might transpire. Surely King Henry would most certainly fall for her feminine wiles even without a spell.
Alainn mus
t ensure that did not happen. She used her powers to separate her spirit from her physical body and to aptly send her mind and her eyes to the king’s chamber even now. She felt herself high up within the domed ceiling looking down upon the four people within the chamber. Even though she was not there in physical form she could clearly see those below. The very moment she felt present within the chamber, the demon and Ciara looked upward surely sensing her presence. She would need to think and act with haste and decide what must be done.
She remembered a time some time back when she visited the fairy glade with Killian by her side, she had felt distinct jealousy toward a love fairy who had taken a fancy toward him and continued to stare at Killian with unhidden interest and carnal intent. She had then threatened to place a spell upon her so that she would appear physically displeasing to all male creatures. Her threat had been successful and the fairy had wisely made a hasty departure not willing to risk being the brunt of Alainn’s jealous temper or her spells.
That might be worth pursing again, Alainn decided. This time it would be far more than a threat. As her physical form sat in her chamber, yet her spirit, her mind and her eyes were there with the king and his present company, she began to form a spell. She would have little time to conclude the spell for she was well aware the longer her spirit and her body were parted, the more likely she would be unable to merge the two. She’d heard many a tale of women with such abilities becoming irreversibly blind or driven to certain madness when their minds and bodies remained forever separated. Yet, realizing time was short, she wanted to conclude the spell now rather than to attempt it at another time. As she conjured the words within her mind, she felt a prickly sensation for when she glanced down at the room below, she saw the demon was no longer present. Regrettably she would need to discontinue the spell as her spirit was forced to return to the chamber. Before she was able to reunite with her physical body she felt her heart lurch upon seeing the demon now back in actual demonic form standing beside her physical body with a fiendish grin upon his hellish face and a blade in his hand.
If the demon should take her life while her spirit was disconnected from her body, she was reasonably certain her spirit would remain trapped within this chamber for eternity. What would become of her powers if that should occur, she could not say. Although her magic was diminished with the state of her body and spirit apart, she knew she must call upon what powers that remained.
She willed her body to rise from the chair and distance herself from the demon, but before she could merge spirit and body, he glared at her and she saw her spiritless body crumple to the floor even though he had not touched her with the dreaded blade.
Her spirit drew nearer to him and she employed the mystical powers within her to go to him even as he knelt beside her unconscious body. She willed her mind to take control and as he lifted the blade to drive it within her limp body, she saw the weapon thrown from his grotesque clawed-hands and it stuck within the wooden bedrail. Immediately the bedclothes caught fire which terrified Alainn, but it capably distracted the demon. She was finally able to reunite her spirit and her body and once joined she felt her powers surge wildly through her.
She merely glanced at the demon and furiously lifted the horrific beast. She sent him crashing toward the flaming bed and he shrieked loudly as she smelled his foul flesh catch fire. She felt a great wave of relief as nearly entranced, she watched in something liken to delight his despicable body burn, until she finally went to the chamber’s door and remembered it was locked from the other side. The chamber had filled with acrid smoke that burned her throat and nose. She coughed loudly and determined she would need to leave by way of her magic to save herself.
Alainn had little time to determine where she might flee. She wished herself to Killian and was there in his chamber for but an instant, then hurried whisked away by a force she was seemingly unable to control. She saw an image of Danhoul and it appeared she was there with him as well, but also only briefly. Somehow she remained unable to control her powers at the moment. Perhaps using her powers to separate and reunite body and spirit as well as contend with the demon, had weakened or drained her abilities for the moment. Having employed her powers so little recently, she possibly was unable to control or contain their unpredictability. Yet she’d seen the demon dead, and she took delight in that. But her joy and relief were short-lived for when she found herself standing outside the king’s chambers, she heard the demon’s cursed laughter. She turned to see him now in human form again.
“Did you truly dare to suppose you could dispose of me so easily, young witch?”
Alainn was unclear in knowing what had actually transpired for the demon appeared unscathed although she was almost certain the pungent scent of burned flesh that remained within her nose was not imagined. He roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her within the chamber to where the others stood. The king blinked and looked at her with a level of bewilderment and confusion.
“Why have you brought this woman here?” he questioned.
“I left for but a moment to discuss matters with my fellow officers and found this woman lurking about outside your chambers. She seems a suspicious sort, Your Majesty.”
The king glanced at her again as though he didn’t actually recognize her, but his gaze soon went to Ciara who smiled sweetly at the clearly besotted man.
“What do you suggest be done with this woman?” It was Cromwell who spoke this time and the king managed to pull his eyes from the dark haired woman to reply.
“What were you doing outside my chambers? Have I reason to be suspicious in your regard?”
“Perhaps no more suspicious than any other in this chamber,” she dared to proclaim and the king stared at the others as though he was seeing them for the first time through her dubious eyes. She caused her own aura to glow brightly once more and in so doing, she was able to witness the others surrounded by ever-darkening blackness.
She glanced toward the king and feeling her powers now restored, she placed a spell of stillness on the king and the lone guard who stood by the door. Although Cromwell was mildly affected by her spell this time, Ciara and the demon remained as they were.
Ciara’s eyes were filled with contempt, but she smiled widely at Alainn not in pleasure but in defiance.
“Lady Alainn O’Brien, we meet again. Of course we both well knew we’d not seen the last of one another,” she nastily drawled. “And how fares your grand handsomely sensual husband?”
“Still loathing you as much as the day he ordered you lashed, imprisoned and banished from the O’Brien lands for the rest of your natural life. You escaped his wrath once. I doubt that you’ll be so fortunate again.”
Alainn was aware she’d hit a sore subject with Ciara, and although her nostrils flared, her jaw tightened, and her eyes darkened, she responded with equal contempt.
“But how might he cause me further trepidation when he sits within the king’s tower? Perhaps I might influence the king’s mind in your husband’s regard. I might allow him to see the benefits of disposing of him altogether. Sure that would cause much unrest with the Irish. It would be sure to create more calamity.”
“And hatred, war and destruction!” the demon elaborated with a wicked sneer. “It would be most advantageous to our kind for we do gain power from war, from its horrors, pain and atrocities.”
Ciara smiled up at the demon with something akin to adoration which capably sickened Alainn.
“Would a war between England and Ireland be advantageous to your wee son, Kale’s well-being, do you suppose, Ciara? Sure as a mother, even you with few scruples wouldn’t care to see him harmed.”
This time her eyes blazed as she stared at Alainn with absolute hatred. Ciara nodded toward Alainn and as she glanced at one of the three mounted swords upon the wall, it flew toward her adversary. Alainn easily deflected the weapon and it landed so near the other woman’s feet she was forced to jump away to avoid being maimed. She sent it toward Alainn once more, but she
capably floated in the air well clear of the sword and then sent all three toward Ciara as she struggled to control them and knock them away to prevent injury.
“We have no time for this petty sport as entertaining as it may well be,” Cromwell managed though his words were unnaturally slow and voice weakened by Alainn’s spell.
The two women continued to glower at each other but terminated their displays of magic.
“So your intended purpose is to control the king’s mind and his actions merely to create chaos and tumultuousness?” Alainn asked the others.
“What melee we shall create.” The demon nodded with loathsome delight in his voice. “And when you are at your lowest point, when all around you are dead or doomed, you shall join us or die yourself, young witch!”
“I would never join you and your heinous master.”
The demon turned to her and his voice was cryptic even though it boomed and shook the chamber and its contents as he spoke.
“You know nothing of my master or any of his allegiances.”
Alainn knew she would be foolish to further infuriate the demon so she did not reply, but she noticed even in his frozen state the king stared openly at the bewitching woman beside him.
“You attempt to determine if you can contend with me and the dark witch? I assure you, you cannot!” The demon had aptly read her thoughts.
Alainn glanced toward the position of the now setting sun. Since her powers were sometimes dictated by moon phases, she was ever-diligent in keeping well aware of the phases of the moon. She knew with the waxing moon, full this very night, her powers were most certainly at their peak. She prayed employing them so readily this day would not thwart her efforts as she attempted what she might otherwise have not if the conditions had been less in her favor.
She called to Danhoul within her mind and she boldly summoned him to her. She was pleased to see him there beside her and even given the seriousness of the situation she found herself somewhat amused by the startled and curious look on his young face.
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