Awakenings (A Witch's Coven Novel Book 1) (19 page)

His face a shade of what it had been in life, his long robes were wisps of imaginings, but it was his face that I could not forget. Taut, bald head, he was only a remnant of his past life, a spirit of the underworld. My former house lord pointed his hand at me and hissed. The ice grew on the walls and floor, coming for me. Coming to claim me and call me back to hell with him for what I had done. After all these years, I had hid well but, in the end, you cannot hide from death.

I mumbled the words of my defensive spell, but Alessia grabbed my arm. I turned around to yell at her for what she was doing, but the room faded, turned up in white with the brightness blending us away and beyond. Somewhere far away, anywhere, but here.

***

Alessia exhaled and fell onto her knees. I knelt next to her, placing my arm around her. “It will be fine. Take a deep breath.”

She coughed a few times and took a few gasps of air and then sat back, leaning against the wall. She held the Moonstone clenched tightly in her hand. “What happened?”

“The gem brought us to safety.” I glanced around and did not recognize the walls to the room we were in. “You were supposed to go away and leave me. It wouldn’t have come after you.”

Alessia tried to stand up, but could not. “I think I’ll sit here for a bit.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “The room is still spinning.”

“The first time was the same for me.” I raised my hand and mumbled, “
Lumière.
”

A tiny blue ball of light flew from the tip of my finger and floated up to the ceiling, casting light throughout the room. I saw an iron door on the far side and several large oak barrels. Alessia sighed and pointed at the barrels. “We’re in John’s family wine cellar across town.”

“We should be safe for a little while. But he’ll be searching for us.” I sat next to Alessia and leaned my head back against the cold stone wall. “I’m sorry. He’s not going to stop until I am dead.”

“Was that your house lord?” she asked.

“What’s left of him.” I did not know what else to say.

“Then we can keep running from him.” She showed me the Moonstone and smiled. “I’ll imagine us far away, and we’ll hide from him. There are many places across the Realms.”

“He will come for both of us now. I tried to keep you hidden from sight, but he will not stop until we are both dead.”

“What did you do to him, and why is he coming after you now?” Alessia put the Moonstone away in her pocket. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“It’s better if you don’t know. The less you know, the safer you will be.” I glanced over toward the iron door. “We will need to leave the city and go as far as we can.”

“Let’s just use the Moonstone again. I’ll think of the farthest place I’ve ever been, and we’ll go there. Isn’t that how this thing works?”

I shook my head. “The more we use the gem, the easier it will be for him to find us.” She started to speak, but I held up my hand. “I stole the gem from him. It was once his.”

“Then let’s just leave it here and go …”

She went to put the gem on the ground, but I grabbed her hand. “Don’t do that. It’s the only power you’ll have to fight him off. None of our spells are strong enough.”

“Show me what happened between you and the house lord.” Her determined look proved that I could not dissuade her.

“It’s not worth me showing you. It’s over now.” I would say no more.

“Please, at least tell me what happened.”

“Come on, let’s wake this John of yours and see if he’ll help us out of the city. If we can get to the harbor, we can take a boat and head out on the sea.”

“Mother, listen to me!”

The word stopped me, and I did not know what to say.

“You’re running and running and I don’t know why or what this thing is.” She turned to me and took my hands in hers. “There’s a blizzard outside, and we’ve nowhere to go. I need to know the truth. Please.”

If I risked the truth, I wondered what she would think of me. My daughter who I had lied to all these years. There comes a time when it’s not worth lying anymore. The lies hurt more than the truth. I closed my eyes and tightened my hands in hers and brought her back with me. “Alright, I will show you. Come with me.”

***

I sat alone in the room at my desk and put the book down. I missed my friends from the house. I had not seen them in weeks, and I glanced out my window at the cherry blossom tree that had begun to bloom. The warm spring air had finally come at last. I had learned that the war had commenced again with both sides at a stalemate.

A knock at the door woke me from my daydream. “Yes?”

Beth opened the door and said, “There is a gentleman here to see you.”

A smile broke out on my face that I could not hide. I knew that Stephen would come find me and that he would forgive my going away. “I’ll be right down.”

She closed the door, and I heard the creaking of the stairs as she headed back down. I went to the mirror and pulled my hair back and smiled. Confident that I looked presentable, I left my room and heard voices coming from the front room. I did not recognize the male voice, and then heard the front door shut. I rushed in and saw Charles in a chair with wooden wheels. He wore his best dress clothes and carried a bouquet of flowers. When I entered, he smiled nervously at me.

Beth watched him offer the flowers to me and then left the room. She could not stop staring at his missing legs.

“These are for you.” He put the flowers out toward me.

Not knowing what else to do, I took them and cradled them in my arms. “Charles.”

When I didn’t smile back, his own smile left his face. “I’ve searched for you for weeks. Why did you run away? I thought …”

I glanced down and used the flowers to cover my belly. “I’m sorry. I just thought it best that I leave.”

“Was it something that I did?” He tried to find the right words to say, and then I realized that he still lived in that one night we had. “Was I such a bad lover?”

“No, it wasn’t that.” I tried to find the right way to let him down easy. “I was offered a position here to study. My house lord asked me to leave immediately, and with the war about to start up again, I wanted to leave.”

“So you left without saying good-bye?” He wheeled his chair closer to me, and my first reaction was to take a step back, but I stayed put. “I need to know if you left me because of my injury. Please, Sabrina, tell me the truth.”

The little boy in him had come out, and I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t that. I just needed to leave. After Denise died, I couldn’t stay. I’m sorry that I didn’t say good-bye but it wasn’t intentional.”

“Stephen told me about Denise. I’m sorry she passed on.” He stopped wheeling the chair and stayed in the center of the room. “He told me that you were almost killed by the Southerns. I wish I could have been there that night, but my mother wouldn’t let me, and without my legs I couldn’t get there easily.”

“How is Stephen?” I asked.

“His injury has healed, and he’s gone back to the front. I haven’t heard from him in weeks.” Charles looked up at me and asked, “Do you miss him?”

His tone frightened me. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“I know what happened between you.” Charles kept his hands on the wooden wheels and his face went dark.

But still I played dumb. “What do you mean? We’re friends.”

“You fucked him. Don’t deny it.” He flung the words at me with such contempt.

“Charles, please.”

“After you left, Stephen wouldn’t say much about you, but I have money and I did some investigation. My mother’s men questioned his grandmother’s maid. She was there that day and saw everything. She told me that you were with him on the sofa and then later that morning you rutted like a fucking dog with him on the floor. With my best friend. Both of you betrayed me!” Tears came into his eyes.

“Charles, yes, I loved him. I’m sorry, but I was too ashamed to tell you.”

He shook his head and banged his hands against his chair’s wheels. “Stephen denied it. He would not tell me the truth and then ran off back to war. But I could tell that he was broken too. You used both of us and then just vanished.”

“I didn’t intend on hurting anyone.” I put the flowers down on the table next to me and pointed at the door. “Charles, I think it’s best that you leave now.”

Before he could answer, my house lord entered the room, clapping. “Bravo, bravo!” He took a seat between the two of us and Charles turned to him in fear.

“Master, I can handle this on my own. Please.” I bowed my head at him.

Charles looked confused. “Why did you truly bring me here?”

I took a step back and watched the house lord. A sly smile broke out on his face. “Because you need to hear the full truth. You only have part of the story. Your whore of a girlfriend here didn’t just fuck your best friend.” He turned to me. “Tell him!”

I put my hands over my belly. “Master, I didn’t know that you knew. I’m sorry.”

“You will be sorry, because I want you to tell him the truth.” He lowered his voice and crossed his leg over his other and folded his hands. “I’ll watch to make certain that you actually do tell the truth this time.”

“What does he mean?” Charles looked back and forth between us, and I pitied him.

“I’m pregnant.”

A tentative smile came to Charles. “I’m to be a father?”

“No, I bled two days after we were together. The child is not yours.” I let the words out, and they hung in the room for a moment and silence fell.

A complex array of emotions erupted across his face and his neck turned a shade of pink. He floundered trying to find what best to say and asked, “The child is not mine?” He spoke the words as if to believe them.

“It’s Stephen’s, and he doesn’t know.” I turned away from Charles to face my house lord. “There. I did what you wanted. Now can you please leave me alone?”

“I am your master and will be called such.” He rose from his chair menacingly. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, master.” I bowed my head, but could not stop the anger from rising within.

“Tomorrow you will lose that bastard child and then continue with your studies.” He took a few steps closer. “Then you will keep your legs closed and finish your studies. No more whoring around. You are mine. Do we understand each other?”

Charles wheeled closer. “Leave her alone!”

“Charles, please, don’t. I’ll be fine.” But it was too late.

My house lord turned on Charles and towered over him. His robes flared out, and he smiled like a hyena. “If you do not leave my house now, I will skin you alive.” He raised his hand, ready to unleash his magic.

“I said leave her alone!” Charles came closer and refused to back down.

“You are a broken little boy who played soldier. Go back to your mother and hide in the folds of her dress. The show here is over.” My house lord waved Charles off.

His voice trembled a bit, but he stayed firm. “I told you to leave her alone.”

“Charles, please leave. It will be for the best.” I walked over to him and took his hand. “I don’t love you. I’m sorry. Go home and forget about me. Please.”

“But how …” He lost his words and knew not what else to say.

“You came here for nothing. I want you to go.” I lied, having become used to it, and hoped that he would believe it to be the truth.

“Come back with me. You don’t have to live with him. I don’t know what he’s promised you, but you can stay with me,” Charles pleaded.

“You are a cripple. You were right all this time, but I won’t lead you on anymore. I took pity on you that night. But I don’t love you and never have.” I grabbed the flowers from the table and threw them in his lap. “Go back home to your mother. I never want to see you again.”

He went to interrupt me, but I did not let him.

“Leave, now!” I turned my back on him, and the expression on his face said more than any words. I had broken him.

I stormed out of the room and rushed upstairs. One down, and one to go. I heard the slamming of the front door as I climbed the stairs and ran through the hall. I needed a moment to gather myself. I needed time. I opened the door to my bedroom, and my house lord sat in my chair.

“Sit.” He motioned to the bed.

I hesitated and wanted to run, but did not. I listened to him and crossed the room to sit on my bed. “I’m sorry …”

“I did not ask you to talk.” He raised his hand and then lightly tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “I have spent a lot of time and gold in training you. I do not wish to see my investment going to waste. So tomorrow, I will have Beth take you to the doctor, and he will give you an elixir. You will drink that, and in a few days you will be better.”

“I don’t want to lose the child.” I resisted him still.

“You will, because otherwise you are done here.” He watched me closely. “I need you to be fully at my side. If you want to learn magic, then there are certain sacrifices that you will need to make. In time, after you have learned what I need to teach you, then you can have time for love and children, but not now.”

“What if I refuse to lose the child?” The defiance in my voice could not be hidden.

“You would do that to me? You would give up everything so that you can have your little love child from a boy who likes other boys?” He laughed and shook his head. “You are a fool if you give this all up.”

I knew that I had no choice, but there had to be another way. There always was. “You are right.” I lowered my head and resigned myself to follow his instruction. “I will go to the doctor tomorrow.”

A look of surprise crossed his face, and he started to say something, but stood up instead and went to the door. He closed his eyes and rested his hand there and a magical glyph glowed over the door, split in two, and the second one flew over to the window. “Good. Now finish your studies, and if you try to leave, I will know.”

My heart beat fast in my chest, but I willed myself calm. I had been through worse in my youth. I remembered my father and the welts he gave me on my back. If I could survive that, I would this. “I understand.”

He left the room, and I went over to my desk, pulled the books out and several scrolls and began to work. I had paper, ink, and a quill. That would be all I needed.