Duella Book 3: The Witch and the Vampire Series (12 page)

A scream broke the silence surrounding him. He whirled around, recognizing Miriam’s voice. A number of hallways stemmed off the main room where he stood. He tried to reason which avenue to take, assessing the fear in Miriam’s scream. Should he choose the wrong pathway,
Drucella
might lead him astray and he might be too late to save Miriam.

Chapter Seventeen

He chose a pathway and cautiously began making his way along the route. Light streamed in the rounded tunnel, filling every nuance of the space. He compared the room with the previous underground space
Drucella
had imprisoned him in. The spaces were in direct opposition with each other. One was little more than a hole in the ground and this one seemed miles deep. He tried to calculate how long he had hurtled through the darkness before he arrived in the lighted chamber.

Aware that he had lost sight of the main room he had landed in, he glanced over his shoulder. The end of the tunnel he traversed was beyond his sight. He pulled in a deep breath, bolstered his courage and forged on. Miriam needed him. He bit his lip. He knew that
Drucella
had taken her to exert leverage against him.

That witch is so transparent.
He listened, tuning his keen ears to any noise up ahead. He walked cautiously, aware that
Drucella
would be listening for his coming. His bare feet slapped noisily against the smooth tunnel. He raised one hand and grasped the amulet hanging about his neck.

If I could make one wish, it would be for clothes.
He chuckled in spite of things. Why hadn’t he taken the time to dress before he left the mansion? He shook his head in weary disapproval. If he was lucky enough to find Miriam—and they should be fortunate enough to escape
Drucella
and her army of
Gideons
—his lack of clothing would have little bearing on the outcome. True. Miriam might be a bit surprised to see him naked, but she would be glad he came to rescue her nonetheless.

He pushed the matter aside. The end of the tunnel lay just ahead. He approached cautiously, his senses on high alert. The brilliant white light gave way at the mouth of the opening. He inched forward, poking his head beyond the opening. Surprised, he blinked his eyes at the sight stretching beyond the portal. A wide garden unfolded, with a tiny waterfall at one end and lush greenery flanking narrow winding paths. He gazed about the inviting space. It was far too pretty to belong to
Drucella
. He stepped out of the tunnel and looked about, deciding which direction to take.

A noise off to his left caused him to seek a hiding place. He crouched behind a bush near one of the paths leading to the waterfall. A Gideon appeared, his big head bobbing slightly above the height of the shrubbery.
Duella
held still and watched as the small creature passed him by, none the wiser of his presence. He was pushing a little wheelbarrow filled with dirt. He made his way down the path and disappeared amid the foliage.

Duella
rose up and followed the little creature.
Perhaps this is the
Gideons
’ dwelling place.
His brow furrowed. The space was far too pretty to belong to such evil creatures as
Gideons
.
Where in hell am I?

He glanced back at the tunnel he was leaving behind and hoped he could retrace his steps once he had Miriam in tow,
then
walked quietly along the path behind the Gideon. The tiny creature disappeared.
Duella
approached the spot where he had last seen the being and paused to investigate. A tall fence appeared, separating the garden area from yet another space. He pushed the gate open, holding his breath as the hinge squeaked. Another garden lay beyond the fence, a far less attractive space than the first one. There was no lush greenery or inviting paths. There was no gurgling waterfall splashing its cooling waters across moss-covered rocks. Dry and barren, the ground rose upward in steep juts, then fell away plunging downward to deep crevices.

Duella
paused before setting foot inside the gate and allowing it to close behind him. The moment the wooden structure closed, a new awareness came over him. He was being led deeper and deeper into
Drucella’s
private lair. He had seen the first garden and fallen victim to the beauty offered him by the witch, achieving a false security by the sight and losing himself in the wonder of finding such a place after his harrowing trip through the dark tunnel.

She stepped out of the barren ground, rising upward so quickly that he gasped and lunged back, startled.
Son-of-a-bitch!

“Your nakedness arouses me,
Duella
.” She waved one arm at him and clothes appeared on his body.

Duella
gazed down at the apparel. It was not the clothing of the present time—but rather the garb of his era, during the phase of his mortal life when he and
Drucella
were lovers. The rough cotton tunic scratched his chest and the knee length britches stopped short of covering his muscled calves. He locked gazes with the witch.

She hovered above the dusty ground, her dark robe billowing around her body.

“I’ve come for Miriam. Where is she?”

Drucella
laughed. She lowered her gaze to the amulet suspended at his neck.
“The talisman in exchange for the whore vampire.”

Duella
stared at her and considered her words. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t take the amulet from around his neck.

“How important is the whore to you,
Duella
?”

Drucella
settled her feet on the dusty ground in front of him, her eyes fixed on the amber gem visible through the opening of his tunic.

“How important is the amulet to you,
Drucella
?”

His only chance was to buy time by baiting the witch and hope that something materialized to help him find Miriam before she grew tired of the game. He clasped his hands behind his back and strode back and forth in front of her, hoping to distract her further.

“The jewel belongs to me. It is only fitting that I should possess it.”

“Why?”

She bristled. Her brows drew together across her nose, her eyes turned a deep shade of emerald green,
she
clenched her jaw. “Why? You speak in riddles,
Duella
. You are aware that the talisman belongs to the coven—I am the leader—”

“The coven no longer exists. The witches were burned and destroyed. Their bodies turned to black smoke and ashes. Their remains rose up the chimney and were lost on the breeze—”

“Stop!”
She placed her hands over her ears, as though she were shutting out the horror he spoke aloud. “You choose to torment me with your lies. The coven is not destroyed—only disabled. I have begun to rebuild it—”

“You lie. You have returned to your home among the
Gideons
. You have no coven.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and moved closer. “The
Gideons
are my people—whatever I command them to do, they obey me without argument.” She sneered. “It would be to your own good to learn from their obedience to me,
Duella
, since you have put yourself at my mercy.”

He glanced about, observing the gathering of
Gideons
that had seemingly materialized out of thin air. They stood just behind him, three deep, their long arms raised as though ready to grab him.

I have the upper hand. I have the amulet.
“Send your henchmen away.”

Her eyes widened. “I will do no such thing.”

He grasped the amulet in one fist. “It is you and I who must bargain.” He glanced over his shoulder, sensing the sudden anger of the assembled army of
Gideons
. “And bring forth Miriam. I want to see that she is unharmed.”

Drucella
opened her mouth and hissed loudly. She waved one hand and a bolt of lightning struck the barren ground beside
Duella’s
feet.

He stood fast, aware that his words would draw her anger. He watched her eyes as she stared at the amulet,
then
locked gazes with him.
She’s fearful of what I’m capable of.
The realization that he was right bolstered his courage. He braced his feet apart, lending further credence to his mastery.

Drucella
swept her gaze across the gathering of
Gideons
and they quietly dispersed.

A relieved breath escaped
Duella’s
throat. Now that he had the upper hand-- “Bring Miriam to me.”

“The talisman first.”

He shook his head. “There’s no room for argument. Where is Miriam?”

Drucella
cursed and spat. She waved her arms and sent shards of fire slamming into the ground around his body. She conjured up a dust storm and made it swirl about his form, choking his nose and throat and irritating his eyes. He covered his face with one hand and waited out the onslaught.

When the dust storm subsided,
Drucella
was nowhere in sight.
Duella
looked around for her, searching for a trail leading off in one direction or other. Sighing, he admitted that she had vanished from sight again, leaving him wondering. He waited, believing she would return once her anger subsided. He smiled in spite of things. The witch liked to be in control at all times. He clutched the amulet. Aside from holding the one thing she desired, he had little leverage with which to acquire Miriam’s release.

The space surrounding the barren wasteland darkened. He gazed overhead. Though the area appeared encapsulated, the semblance of sky spanned overhead, reaching as far as the eye could see. He looked on as storm clouds appeared on the horizon, then moved rapidly toward him. He sought shelter, but finally concluded there was no place to take refuge from the impending storm.

A loud clap of thunder sounded, piercing his hearing with a resounding echo. He cursed and covered his ears with his hands. The dark clouds rolled onward, drawing closer until finally darkness consumed him. He blinked his eyes against the murkiness, wondering what
Drucella
intended next.

Silence reigned abruptly. He could hear his own breaths as he pulled air into his lungs. Slowly the area directly in front of him began to clear, grow light. He stood still and waited, aware that
Drucella
was playing out her game with him. A patch of barren ground directly in front of him appeared, growing larger as the darkness subsided. He stared at the growing patch of light and made out a figure sprawled on the ground.

“Miriam!” He rushed forward, disregarding the threat to his own safety. She lay so still that at first he wondered if she was dead. But upon drawing closer, he saw her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. He stooped beside her and lifted her upper body into his arms. “Miriam.
Oh Miriam.”
He cradled her against his chest, thankful that she was alive.

“
Duella
?”
Her voice was weak. She clutched at his arm with her fingers. “Take me away from this place.”

He glanced around, fearful of taking his eyes off Miriam even for a second, but needing to know if
Drucella
was nearby, watching them. As earlier, when he had searched for the witch, he saw nothing. He slid one arm beneath Miriam’s knees, shifted the other beneath her shoulders and lifted her into his arms. Turning, he tried to find his way back to the wooden gate that he had entered leading to the green valley and the entry tunnel to the underground hideaway. The darkness was all consuming. He couldn’t see beyond Miriam clutched against his chest. Each step was tentative, slowing inching his foot forward in search of solid ground, before risking the next.

Miriam pushed her face into his shoulder and clung to his neck, her arms wrapped tightly. He could sense her distress and fear. He tightened his arms around her, reassuring her that he wouldn’t leave her again. Forging onward, he slid his feet along the ground. Calling upon his vampire abilities, he listened intently for sounds that might alert him to the witch’s coming or the reappearance of the Gideon army.

Hearing nothing, he inched along, Miriam clutched tightly against his chest. He knew better then to become too over confident.
Drucella
wasn’t to be trusted. He chided himself for having ever thought otherwise about the evil creature. He strained his eyes trying to see through the intense blackness—a murky spell cast by the devious witch. Rage grew inside him. He had let down his guard and
Drucella
had taken advantage of the moment.

“We can’t escape the witch,
Duella
.”

He glanced down at Miriam. Her face was barely visible through the inky blackness but he could sense her despair. He sought to bolster her courage. “We can’t let her win, Miriam. Don’t despair. We’ll find the way out of this hellhole.”

“It’s almost daylight. She has calculated her plan well. She knows neither of us can stand the daylight. She knows the sun burns us.”

“Have courage. I will keep you safe. I promise.” As the words left his mouth, he wondered how he could possibly do as he vowed. The sun was a vampire’s bane, a source of annihilation that must be feared.