Cin Craven - Wages of Sin Part 27

I opened my mouth to reply but he cut me off. "Forget it. Tell me later. Right now, however, I have some unfinished business to attend to."

He stalked around Sebastian, every muscle in his body quivering with deadly intent. Sebastian stumbled to his feet and pulled his sword from the ground. The two circled each other and I moved to put myself between them and Thomas and Amelia.

"No threats, Montford? Not so brave without your mistress to fight your battles, are you? What's the matter?" Michael mocked.

"Wolf got your tongue?"

A wet, bubbly growl came from Sebastian's ruined throat and he lunged at Michael. The strength of their clashing swords sent sparks flying from the steel. They moved around the inside of the stone circle with a speed that even I had a hard time following.

Sebastian may have fought the French on the Continent but he was no match for Michael. After several minutes it was clear that Michael was just toying with him, much as Justine had done with me in the dining room at Ravenworth. Sebastian knew it too. He was learning firsthand why the sword of the Devil's Archangel was feared among the undead.

I kept moving Thomas and Amelia out of the way, their human eyes not able to follow the quick movements of the two vampires.

Finally I shooed them both toward the outer edge of the stone circle and away from the fight. Woof leapt down from the altar stone, keeping himself near me. I reached down to stroke his fur but he let me know with a quick snap of teeth that that was unappreciated. It was hard to remember that he was a man inside that furry coat and I didn't know him well enough to be so familiar with him.

"I could do this all night," Michael called out, "but you're looking a wee bit peaked. Why don't you just give up? I'll make it quick, though you don't deserve it."

Sebastian was clearly tiring, his retreating steps faltering, his sword lashing out wildly. Michael, however, moved like a wraith over the ground, fluid, graceful, each movement exact in its precision. He could have taken Sebastian at any time but I think he wanted the other man to surrender. As they neared me again, I jumped up on the altar stone to get out of the way. Sebastian's gaze flicked briefly to me, his foot caught on a rock and he sprawled at the base of the stone, his sword flying from his hand to land uselessly in the gra.s.s, out of reach. Michael laughed softly and stepped forward, the tip of his sword coming to rest at Sebastian's torn throat.

"I am the sword of vengeance," Michael said, his voice low and dangerous. "You have violated the rules of the Dark Council and now you must forfeit your life."

Michael raised the great claymore and Sebastian turned his head to me, his hair falling over one eye. Gone was the look of sly cunning, the malice and arrogance and cruelty that had marked his features for far too long. His eyes found mine, silently pleading.

They were soft and brown and in that moment reminded me so much of the little boy I had once known, that lonely little boy who had desperately needed a friend. G.o.ddess help me, for the first time I truly understood why Archie had said that I couldn't fight him. And I recalled what Justine had said to me about mercy being what separated us from the monsters.

"Michael," I sighed, just the barest whisper on the wind, but he heard.

I couldn't bring myself to ask him to spare Sebastian but Michael had come to know me well. Whatever he saw on my face made him groan and lower his sword. With one quick motion he shoved the tip into the gaping wound that was Sebastian's throat.

Sebastian squealed and turned terror-filled eyes up to Michael.

"Mark me well, Montford," he said, "you're lucky it was me here tonight. The Dark Lord would give you no quarter, not for the love of any woman."

I winced at that, for it was true. Devlin wouldn't have done what Michael was about to do. Of course, Justine would never have asked it of him.

"Look at her, Montford. She is mine and it's my bed she sleeps in, now and forever. It is my sword that protects her. Never come near her again because the next time we meet I will kill you without preamble. Do you understand?"

Sebastian nodded and Michael stepped back, his sword resting against the side of his leg.

"She gives you a precious gift tonight, Montford; it's called mercy. Be worthy of it."

Sebastian stumbled to his feet. He moved to retrieve his sword but Michael slapped the flat edge of the claymore against Sebastian's arm and silently shook his head. Sebastian's eyes widened and faster than a weasel in the dark he scurried to Kali's waiting coach, jumped up on the box and snapped the reins. I stood and watched, not quite believing it was finally over, until he'd vanished into the shadows to the north.

"Michael," I said, hopping down from the stone and moving into the shelter of his strong arms, "I shouldn't have asked that of you.

It's just that he was such a sweet little boy once and we were..."

"Shhh," he said. "A week ago you were human. I can't expect you to become as hard as we are overnight."

"But Devlin-"

"I'll take care of Devlin."

I pulled my head off his shoulder and looked around. "Where are Devlin and Justine anyway?"

"Oh, they're on their way from Salisbury Cathedral. They should be here soon."

"What were they doing at the Cathedral?" I asked.

"Well," Michael hedged, "the next time you get kidnapped and leave a note you might want to be more specific."

"I was!" I gasped. "I told you exactly where we were headed!"

"No, you said you were going to a sacred spot at Salisbury. They naturally a.s.sumed it was the Cathedral. I have to admit that it took me a while to figure out that a sacred place to a witch wouldn't be a Christian church."

"Hmmm," I purred, snuggling into the solid wall of his chest, "you're a very smart man."

He sighed and held me close. "I don't know about smart, but I am a very lucky man."

Chapter Forty-One

Devlin's huge black town coach rumbled to a halt outside the henge, Archie's familiar voice calling out to the horses. Michael and I were walking toward it as the door burst open and Devlin and Justine emerged. Justine rushed to me and grabbed my shoulders, looking me over as if to make sure I was still whole.

"The spell?" she asked.

"It worked," I replied, with a satisfied grin.

"That was a foolish thing you did, mon amie," she scolded, shaking me once.

"I did what I had to do. You of all people should understand that."

She regarded me for a moment and then nodded solemnly. Looking me up and down, she pursed her lips. "My clothes do not fit you well."

Michael ran a hand inside my cloak to caress my hip. "I think they fit just fine."

I laughed. "Perhaps, Justine, when we get back to London you can take me to your modiste?" I looked down at the breeches and boots I wore. "Or perhaps your tailor?"

"But of course," she replied.

"Come," I said, "I want you to meet my cousins."

I led them over to where Thomas and Amelia were standing, eyeing the newcomers with interest and a healthy dose of suspicion.

"These are my friends Devlin and Justine; Mr. Archie Little, a good friend from London; and this is Michael, my..." I realized I didn't have a clue how to introduce him.

"Her consort," he supplied and made an elegant bow.

I blushed. "May I introduce Thomas and Amelia Craven, Viscount and Viscountess Ravenworth?"

Murmurs of greetings were exchanged but after the past few days Thomas and Amelia were understandably wary of anyone who wasn't me. I could see the knuckles on Amelia's hand turning white where she gripped her husband's sleeve.

"Amelia," I said softly, "Justine is the one who kept the children safe while I tried to get Kali and Sebastian out of the house. She also went to fetch Mrs. Mackenzie and Fiona to stay with them while we were... gone. Sarah Katherine knows nothing more than that Sebastian and Kali were evil people who took you so that they could try to force me to do something for them. The young ones think that Justine is a pirate and we're all on a grand adventure."

Amelia's eyes widened. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you for taking care of my babies."

Thomas took my hands. It was the first time he'd touched me voluntarily. "We owe you our lives and we owe you for protecting our children. All of you," he said, looking from me to the others in turn.

I shook my head. "If it weren't for me you would never have become a part of this walking nightmare. I can't ask for your forgiveness but I want you to know how horribly sorry I am."

Devlin stepped in before he could answer, laying a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure that her ladyship would like nothing better than to get back to the hotel and have a nice hot bath, a change of clothes and a good night's sleep. If you would indulge us for but a moment I'd like to see what Cin has done with the Destroyer."

"Of course," I said and led them through the outer ring of stones.

"Cin," Michael asked, "where's your wolf?"

I gasped and looked around but Woof was long gone. Not a shadow moved anywhere on the Plain that I could see. I wondered if I would ever cross paths with the werewolf again, or if I really even wanted to. "I can't believe I forgot about him in the melee. I guess he's gone."

"Wolf?" Devlin scoffed. "We don't have wolves in England anymore." "We have werewolves," I replied. "You remember the chained man who escaped the warehouse through the second story window? Werewolf. He followed me from London because he said I'd saved his life and he was honor-bound to repay the debt. If he hadn't shown up when he did, Sebastian might have killed me."

"The werewolf killed Sebastian?" Devlin asked, looking around the inner circle, his gaze traveling over Philip's inert body but seeing no other.

"Not exactly," Michael said.

"He got away, actually," I interjected.

"Got away?" Devlin said, incredulous. "How is that possible? You do not ever leave an enemy at your back, Michael, you know that."

"Later, old man," Michael said, his eyes turning cold. "I'll explain it all later."

"What about him?" I asked, motioning to where Philip lay very dead in the gra.s.s.

"I'll send someone from the village to fetch him and give him a proper burial in the churchyard. Now, show me, please."

I stopped in front of the great trilithon stone where Kali was trapped. Our blood still stained the face of the rock but it would wash with the first good rain. I had no illusions that the stone would hold her forever. She was so strong; eventually she would find a way out. As Mr. Pendergra.s.s had said, an ent.i.ty will always find its way back to its natural form. That's why I hadn't been able to keep Sebastian a weasel. But my magic was strong now, especially tonight and especially in this place. The power of the circle would hold her for a very long time. I knew though that one day I would have to fight her again. By then I would be smarter, stronger, my power greater. I'd beaten her once and I'd do it again. I laid my hand against the stone. I could feel her, not with my flesh but with my magic. She felt like a moth trapped in a jar, its wings beating against the gla.s.s.

"We are The Righteous," I said.

Devlin moved to stand at my left. "We are the defenders of the innocent."

Justine moved to my right. "We are the hand of justice."

Michael stepped up behind me. "We are the sword of vengeance."

I leaned forward, putting my lips near the stone, just so she could hear me. "We are what Evil fears."

Devlin's town coach was a ma.s.sive thing, large enough to fit six people comfortably. The windows had been painted over in thick black paint. Archie had explained that they hadn't found my note until the night after my disappearance and to make up for lost time he'd painted the windows black to keep out the sun and they had driven day and night in an effort to catch up.

Even though the coach was big enough for all of us, Devlin offered to ride up top with Archie back to the Red Lion Hotel in Salisbury, he said to give my cousins a little breathing room. Devlin had told them that he would hire a second carriage for their return trip to London. He'd taken enough rooms for all of us at the Red Lion and I felt a surge of pride that they hadn't doubted that I would be able to work the spell and get Thomas, Amelia and I out alive.

Thomas was holding up well enough but I worried about the strain of the last few days on Amelia. That is, until she paused climbing into the carriage, looked at my head and said, "Dulcinea Macgregor Craven, whatever have you done with your hair?" I hadn't bothered with my glamour in days and she hadn't even noticed. I figured if she was feeling well enough to scold me about my hair, she'd be all right. A nice hot bath and a new dress would do us both a world of good.

Before I climbed into the carriage after her I pulled the door halfway closed and took a closer look at the crest on the side. Someone had painted a silver pentagram above the falcon. I smiled. The three of them were a family and now I was a part of them.

I traced the coat of arms with my finger, the Jacobite rose, the fleur-delis and the pentagram forming a triangle around the falcon with its outspread wings. The motto that curled around the edge was Latin. I'd looked up its meaning in the library at Ravenworth.

Non Sum Qualis Eram: I am not what I used to be.

Chapter Forty-Two

I snuggled my head into the crook of Michael's shoulder and sighed. We'd returned to Ravenworth last night and it felt good to be home. Devlin and Justine had stayed behind in London with Mrs. Mackenzie and Fiona to give us some time alone together. They would return in a few days with the trunks that Fiona and Mrs. Mac had packed up from the London townhouse.

Thomas and Amelia had gotten home to their children safe and sound, just as I'd promised. Again, I said a silent prayer of thanksgiving for that miracle. An anonymous note had alerted Lord Lindsay to the fact that he might want to search the Montford estate in connection with the village murders. They'd found bodies littering the manor and the grounds and four terrified servants locked in the cellar, babbling incoherently of demons and vampires. There was a warrant out for Sebastian's arrest but it was believed he'd fled England for the Continent. I certainly hoped so. I'd sent a letter off to Tim and John Coachman advising Tim that he and the boys could return and that John could follow in the spring when his leg had healed.

As for myself, I couldn't remain here for long with Michael and Devlin and Justine under my roof while I was supposed to be in mourning. Eventually people would find out and there would be talk. We decided to stay at Ravenworth for a few weeks and then it would be said that I'd gone to stay with my aunt in Scotland. In reality, Michael had promised me that he would take me for that gondola ride in Venice. In the spring we would take a ship to Inverness, or possibly Edinburgh, and spend a few months with my Aunt Maggie. There was still much for me to learn from her but I wouldn't take vampires, even myself, into the haven of Glen Gregor.

I'd asked Thomas to send my father's solicitor to Ravenworth next week so that I could draw up my will. At some point I would have to "die" in the eyes of the world. By that time the bulk of my fortune would be in houses and accounts across Europe and America. Michael, with his Scottish sense of frugality, would manage my finances as he managed Devlin's and Justine's. I was, however, going to leave Ravenworth Hall and an obscenely large annuity to Mrs. Mackenzie and Fiona. The property and the money would be pa.s.sed from Fiona to her eldest daughter and so on, much as my magic had come to me. Fiona wasn't made to be a servant. Now she would be the lady of the manor. She would have enough money to make polite society accept her, if that's what she wanted, and she and her daughters and grand-daughters down through the generations would be rich enough to marry well and financially independent enough to do it for love alone. It would be my legacy.

I ran my hand down the solid ridges of Michael's bare chest.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, caressing my leg where it lay draped over his thighs.

"Everything," I murmured.

"Are you sorry?" he asked softly.

I didn't know what he wanted me to say. Did I miss the person I'd once been? Yes, sometimes. Did I miss the things I'd lost?

Often. Was I sorry that I'd put my cousins through a nightmare that would haunt them for the rest of their lives? Of course I was.

Did I regret what I'd become?

I looked up and pushed Prissy's fluffy white tail out of Michael's face for the fifth time tonight. She'd taken to sleeping curled up on the pillows of our bed and he didn't have the heart to make her move. I smiled. Lord and Lady, when had he become so dear to me? At what point had I given my heart to him? In that moment I knew without a doubt the answer to his question.