Otherworldly Discipline: A Witch's Lesson (35 page)

It was impossible not to bask in his warmth, even with such a pain in her flanks. She simply couldn’t understand the unconditional love he had for her.  But she was absolutely thankful for it above all things.

*
*
*

“Cholly,” Alice said as she and Charlotte quickly and very carefully packed away the fine china and antiques in the parlor. She used Charlotte’s nickname, the one that her friends used in America, mostly because it brought Charlotte comfort. “I don’t have a good feeling about any of this.”

Charlotte didn’t say anything at all at first, because she had a horrible feeling, too. She frowned. “I’m so sorry about everything, Al,” she told her finally, glancing out the window to watch Moriarty shouting at the stable boy about something. Moriarty was very on-edge, too, after hearing about what Charlotte had signed... Even more on-edge than expected.

Charlotte’s shoulders rolled forward and she slumped.

“You look awful,” Alice fretted in a motherly way.

Charlotte slowly turned her head toward her sister, her look very blank for a moment. “Of course I look awful. I feel like I’m gonna be sick. I can’t believe
I was really that dumb.”

“Oh, Cholly,” Alice sighed. “It could have happened to anyone. Lachlan was counting on you not being wise enough to overcome his ruse. It could have just as easily been me that made that mistake.’”

Charlotte looked over at Alice hopefully. “Really?”

Alice winced out an expression, like she was physically battling with keeping the truth in her lips. But she ended up saying, “No, I probably would have demanded that I read what was written in the contract…” Alice admitted. “But you know, you’re not the first person in the world that’s fallen for small print…”

Charlotte face-palmed. “The worst part about it is I knew—KNEW this would come to bite me in the ass.” Without even thinking about it, she reached around behind her and rubbed her rear end through her skirts. The pain lingered; her bottom actually felt fully swollen and stung to the touch.

Alice glanced at her sister, who she had already noted sat very uncomfortably during breakfast. “Speaking of getting bitten in the ass… What on earth did Ashcroft do to you last night? It woke up the whole house. Moriarty thought Ashcroft was finally killing you…”

Charlotte’s cheeks immediately went red. “Well, it wasn’t as bad as I expected and it isn’t the worst I’ve ever had,” she replied. “Believe it or not, there’re worse things than a paddle.” She didn’t say what that thing was, however. She shook her head. “I don’t know why he bothered. I’ll be dead within the week, anyway. I know he says I won’t, but I’m a pretty creative person, and I can’t think of a way around this situation.”

Alice grimaced. “You sound so nonchalant about it,” she chided, her eyes betraying her worry that Charlotte was correct.

Charlotte shook her head. “I’m still not immortal,” she reminded. “I’m easy enough to destroy. And my life is inconsequential.”

Alice’s lip curled with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I’m nobody, Alice. I mean nothing to the universe. I’m not the heir, I’m the spare. And what’s the use of a spare tire when the better one is working fine?” Her shoulders drooped and she closed up one of the boxes she was filling.

“You’re the last Byndian!” Alice reminded. “What do you mean that you’re nobody? And Ashcroft loves you…”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I came on the scene at a time when Ash would love
anyone
. He’s lonely, that’s all, and for some reason I amuse him… He’ll get over me.” She didn’t look up at Alice—it was as if she was lecturing herself. “There’s not much about me to love. In a way, I’m glad I get to stop while I’m ahead.” When she looked over at Alice, Alice’s dropped jaw was emblematic of her protest. But Charlotte said, “And I am not the last Byndian. When I’m dead, you’ll be the last.” She picked up the box into her arms full of ornaments and added, “Don’t blow it like I did.”

Alice followed her. “No, Cholly. Don’t be stupid. If you go to Lachlan, he’ll bleed your brain dry of everything it contains.”

“I’m not going to Lachlan. I’ll just sit here and die
wait for the Wizard’s Circle to have me executed for breach of contract
,” she assured, and by the time she got to the wagon, the box she held in her hands, full of heavy, priceless objects, was no larger than a jewelry box. She dropped it carefully onto the bed, next to the other boxes that were already there.

“Let Master Ashcroft figure this out,” Alice begged wearily. “He’s working on a plan right now. At least give him a chance.”

“His confidence in himself is foreboding,” Charlotte pointed out. “We’re moving, and Moriarty’s completely rattled. And do you know why? Because they both think that the only think Ash can do is offer himself up in my
place
—and he wants us to live beyond the Citadel because he won’t be here to protect us anymore.” She crossed her hands through the air firmly and ranted as the crossed back into the foyer.  “And if he thinks I’ll let him, he’s got another thing coming! I’ll put dragon-crystal cuffs on him if I gotta!”

“Charlotte,” a deep, no-nonsense voice said crossly from the landing. “I need to meet with you in the study.”

Knowing that he was only going to chide her for having an opinion about whose demise—his or hers—was more tolerable, she shook her head. “No, Ash. I know what you’re gonna say, and the answer is no. You always talk about me taking responsibility for what I’ve done, and I’m starting today!” She stomped her foot, trying to get him to realize how stubborn she was going to be about the matter, but his glance darkened.

“We’re frightened,” Alice implored on her sister’s behalf, before Ashcroft could make any threats towards Charlotte in effort to get her to abide by him. “Tell us what you’re planning?”

“Contracts are very difficult to get out of,” he reminded, his tone and expression softening. “Sometimes the best thing to do is to try and implore a negotiation—provide Lachlan something else he wants. And he has wanted me dead for a long time. If I am very lucky, he’ll believe my offer to share information with him. Not that I truly would, but I am not above lying to a liar…”

Alice glanced over at Charlotte, whose lip was visibly trembling.

“No, Ashcroft,” Alice finally said. “We won’t let you.”

He shook his head. “Don’t you see? It’s my fault, Alice.” He grimaced with regret
.
“If I had only made her my servant, and not just my apprentice… He wouldn’t have any legal rights over her, then. She couldn’t have signed herself to another master … But I couldn’t make her thus, since she was the head of her faction.”

“What do you mean? I thought she was your ward…”

“Well, I did not have her sign herself to me as fully as Lachlan had her done for him; I had her sign me over as her protector and teacher. I would never consider a faction-head as my servant, and sign her under me as if we weren’t of equal rank and title… I thought it would be rude, to say the least. But if I had
,
it would have given me her rights…”

Suddenly his face screwed up, as if a thought had physically landed onto his brain and was drilling into him. But in the next moment, his eyes opened wide. “Aha!” he cried, and rushed up and into his study with nothing but leaping movements.

Alice and Charlotte exchanged confused glances until Charlotte shrugged apologetically. “I love him even though he’s a little crazy,” she assured. “Or
a lot
crazy…”

“Aha!” Ashcroft cried from his study once more.

Alice and Charlotte quickly shuffled up the stairs and into the study, where Ashcroft had made an absolute mess in seconds and was now reading a heavy book in front of him on contract law. “What?” Alice asked, unable to quit from grinning simply because Ashcroft was suddenly so… animated. His smile was so wide, so open, it was almost cartoonish, and seemed so alien amongst his scars.

“Charlotte’s never had her own rights to sign over! Her foster parents never had rights to sign me her protection, even!” he cried, and rushed to the window and opened it up with a forceful BANG. “Moriarty, dash it all! Get up here immediately!”

The girls heard Moriarty’s voice, which was saturated with confusion say, “What are you going on about?”

“Get up here now or I will change you into a hound, and don’t you think I won’t!” Ashcroft threatened loudly, unable to help but grinning all the while.

Ashcroft closed the window again and clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Excellent! Lachlan has himself in quite the predicament now, that old
bastard
!” Ashcroft looked positively maniacal. “This has quite worked out in my favor, indeed!” Suddenly he looked bashful as he looked up at Alice, “If you’ll do me the honor, that is, my dear girl.”

“What honor?” Alice asked, squinting.

“The honor of your exemption
… for having privileges with your sister
,” he replied, but Alice still had no idea what he was talking about.

Moriarty was already walking through the doorframe, having gotten to the door with unnatural speed. “What’s all this about, Master?” he asked dubiously.

“Charlotte has no rights at all!” Ashcroft chimed immediately.

Moriarty looked slowly over at Alice with questioning eyes, who shrugged and admitted, waving her hand back and forth, “No, we have no idea what he’s talking about, either.
Just—” she snapped her fingers
“—like that, and he went completely bonkers.”

“You see, Charlotte’s signature meant nothing. It NEVER meant anything, because she is not her own. She’s YOURS.”

Charlotte’s brow furrowed. “Hey—!” she began, both annoyed and startled.

Ashcroft ignored her and spoke right over her head. “You’re her elder
blood
sister, Alice, making you her official guardian until she reaches immortality. Until then, she has no more rights than a child. She’s not the head of the faction—she’s not pre-born into rights like you were! And you never bestowed her rights back onto her. By all means, she is your possession, and by implanting a contract curse upon her and by changing her mental state, you can challenge Lachlan for attempting to usurp your control!” He stifled some of his enthusiasm to add, “Of course, you
’re a woman and cannot duel. You will
choose me to fight
in
your stead, and Moriarty as my second.”

Alice’s mouth fell open. She had no idea how this was interpreted as good news. The last thing she wanted either man to do is challenge Lachlan.

She looked up and over at Moriarty, hoping to see a look of horror on his face, but instead he stepped forward, shaking his fist with approval. “This is what we’ve always waited for, Ashcroft! He’ll have no choice but to fight us man-to-man. He can’t hide behind his damn army or guards for once! Not this time!” He was grinning in a way that showed his fangs. “Oh, we’ve got him, now! I can’t wait to see the look on his face when we throw down the gauntlet! The Wizards Circle would enforce it. Contracts are contracts, rights are rights!”

“Nobody’s fighting anyone,” Alice decreed firmly. “I’ll protest, if you’d like. I follow you—the Wizard’s Circle will view the matter like he tried to steal her out from under me. Which is fun and fine and all, but if you think I’m offering that man some sort of challenge to a duel that will get one or both of you killed, then think again!”

Ashcroft rolled his eyes as if she was arguing something futile and ridiculous, and only frowned when he looked over at Charlotte, whose lip was violently trembling again, and was blinking back tears. “Oh, my dear thing,” he cooed, stepped up and putting his hands on the side of her face. “What
ever
is the matter? Don’t you see how good of news this is? I have been looking to have a fair fight with Lachlan since I was not twenty-and-eight. I have challenged him hundreds of times, but he was always able to duck out of the duel
…
”

Although Charlotte could tell that it wasn’t all that bothered her, Charlotte replied, “I gotta bad feeling about this, Ashcroft,” she choked. “I don’t want you to fight Lachlan. And definitely not because of
me
.”

“Well, we’re going to have to fight him eventually,” Moriarty added
firmly, probably because he could see Ashcroft’s resolve starting to waver
. “Do you want to wait until he does something with your children? Successfully?” He turned to Alice, “Or ours? Because we are his enemies, girls, make no mistake.
He doesn’t make mistakes often. We have to seize this opportunity. If we’re lucky, we can get the Wizard’s Circle to bear it witness—that way, he couldn’t call his whole army to get out of a scrap.”

Alice’s horrible feeling clung tightly to her heart, and she swallowed.

“I’ve personally been in about a hundred situations far more dangerous, and have lived t
o tell the ta
l
e
without a scratch that wouldn’
t heal up within a fortnight,” Moriarty assured her with a very confident, very proud air.