by HP Mallory
I cupped my hands again and continued moving down the lines of her body, feeling another pull when I reached her right arm. Just as I was about to concentrate my healing energy over the wound, I heard the sound of footsteps from the real world and realized we were no longer alone.
“Lily?”
It was Alaire! Damn him for choosing this moment to make his grand entrance. I could have finished the job without him being the wiser.
“My goodness, what has happened to you?” he asked, voicing genuine concern in his tone. I tried to remember the last time I heard anything like concern in his voice. Mayhap never…
“I went outside,” she started to say, her voice still weak but with a note of fear now in it. “I didn’t know what was out there. I… I got confused.”
The traitor’s voice went from concerned to suspicious in the blink of an eye. “Were you trying to escape, my dear?”
“N… no!” she stammered. “I just wanted to get some fresh air.” I was not certain whether Alaire would believe her alibi or not. It was public knowledge that, unlike the suave Alaire, Besom was a terrible liar.
“And you were attacked by a Fury, no doubt?” Alaire added. The tone of his voice sounded more amused than annoyed. Maybe that would bode well for her.
“Yes.”
“And you came to the Bladesmith so that he could heal you?”
I failed to hear her response, so I could only assume that she gave him a nod or some comparable gesture.
“Of course, you found you could not move beyond the partition I erected,” Alaire continued, sounding more than a little uninterested. “I am certain you must understand why I found the need to separate the two of you in my absence. It simply would not do to have both of you scheming behind my back, now would it?”
“No,” she whispered, sounding even fainter than before.
“Alaire, she is sufferin’ greatly an’ growin’ weaker by the second,” I called out to him. “Bring her tae meh, man, sae that Ah may finally heal ‘er!”
“Or shall I do the deed myself?”
“Aye,” I responded. “Boot who would ‘ave better loock in restrainin’ Donnchadh an’ keepin’ ‘im from overtakin’ the lass?”
“I have woven my own magic within her runes; or have you forgotten that fact, my good man?” Alaire asked.
“Aye, boot would ye rely oan yer magic or me own thousands o’ years oove experience?”
“You have a good point,” Alaire conceded. “And I suppose we should be quick about this.” Then he sighed.
I heard a pop and fizzle and I pictured the partition dissolving. Then I watched Alaire come into my line of sight . He was carrying Besom in his arms, and she was covered in her own blood from head to toe.
“Ta do this proper, ye will need tae release meh o’ mah bindings,” I snapped at Alaire who regarded me coolly.
“Really, Bladesmith, I would think that much should be obvious,” he replied as he carried Lily toward me. He gently lay her down at my feet. “I do hope you can heal her before the barbaric warrior that resides within her breast takes control of her entirely? I prefer not to endure another awkward situation on my—.”
“Aye, man, now wouldja git on with it!”
Alaire approached me and pulled a key from his pocket that he placed into the lock of one of my manacles. Before he turned the key, he narrowed his eyes at me. “I assume you will not attempt anything funny?”
“Nae,” I answered.
“I trust I need not remind you that you are human and therefore, easily overpowered by someone so superior as I?”
“Ah am aware,” I said, glaring at him. “Now are ya done wastin’ all me time!?”
He shrugged and turned the key in the lock, finally freeing me from my bonds. I patiently waited for him to free my other wrist before finally toppling to the ground beside Besom. I held my palms above her and began my work. The blue light that formerly appeared in the dreamscape did not appear now. But that did not mean my Druid magic was any less potent in this world. Magic just manifested in different ways on the visionary plane.
As I glanced down at the beautiful woman below me, the dark shadows of my cell hid her face from me. Or perhaps it was the blood that covered her entire body.
“Oh, do get a move on, man,” Alaire said as he watched us, revealing his obvious irritation with his voice. My only answer was a quick glare to remind him that interrupting me couldn’t hasten the process.
I channeled my healing energy into both of my hands, reciting the words I learned as a young man to myself at the same time. Then I focused on Besom and watched the shadows pulling away from her face. When she opened her eyes, they were tinted with black. Jet-black.
I jerked forward. “Donnchadh!”
“Oh, dear,” Alaire remarked with a disinterested grunt. “Are we too late then?”
“Ah dinnae know fer certain,” I replied as I studied her closer.
She blinked until the verdant green of her eyes returned. I sighed with unconcealed relief. She had not yet been consumed by Donnchadh but the time was drawing near and rapidly so.
Besom pulled herself up to me and rested her head on my chest while I held her there. I noticed Alaire’s sudden uptight composure as he shifted from one foot to the other. I channeled the last of the magical strength I had inside me into an incantation, which I whispered under my breath. Then I poured my life’s energy into Lily through our deep connection. The power surged through me like an electrical current, emptying into her body in a flash. She drank down my sustenance as if it were ambrosia… and under the circumstances, it could scarcely be considered any less magical.
All at once, the wounds upon her began to heal, flaps of flesh growing back together, the deep gouges sewing themselves shut. Her cheek wound knitted new flesh in front of our eyes, blossoming like the trees surrounding Fergus in the springtime. At last, the healthy color of her skin returned, and the rosy cheeks and vibrant flesh tones of her rightful state prevailed. My body began to ache as I lost the last of my energy reserves. I successfully extracted what little was left of my life force and poured it into Lily. But during the process, I also depleted myself completely. Now I needed food, water, sustenance and rest.
“Are you feeling well, my dear?” Alaire asked as he pulled Besom to her feet.
She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. “Tallis?” she asked.
“Aye,” I answered, lacking the strength to look up at her. I saw exploding stars dancing in my vision and my feet suddenly felt as if they were miles away from my head.
“Are you okay?” Lily asked me.
“He will be fine in good time, my dear,” Alaire announced before leading her toward the cell bars and the door that led to my prison. “Thank you for your good deed, Bladesmith,” he called out over his shoulder.
“What’s wrong with him?” Lily inquired, turning to look at me before Alaire escorted her from the dungeon.
“He is in dire need of rest and nourishment,” Alaire answered. “And thus, for that good deed, he shall receive them.”
I was far too experienced in dealing with this scheming snake to believe him. And I was unmoved by that realization. My primary mission was to deliver Lily from Donnchadh’s control and I had surely done that. When it came to my Besom, my own life meant little to me.
The stars began to double in my vision. Fairly soon, I found myself collapsing on the stone floor. Darkness eclipsed my peripheral vision and all too quickly, the whole world went black.
***
“Tallis?”
The voice from the darkness belonged to Lily.
“Tallis, stay with me.”
“Lily?” I mumbled, opening my eyes and finding myself on the shores of the loch again. Fergus Castle stood behind me and the woman I loved stood before me. “Are ye well, mah Besom?”
“Yes, Tallis.” She smiled. Watching her lips curl up made me almost forget the terrible pain I endured, and continued to endure. “I’m okay. I don
’t hurt anymore and I have Donnchadh under control. Thank you.”
She leaned in and kissed my chapped, parched lips. I was very weak but not so feeble that I could not return her kiss. Her lips breathed life into my aching, mortal body. But of course it was a fleeting pleasure. I was dying. I felt the weakening of my pulse, the slowing down of my heart, and the soft rise and fall of my chest, almost like an ebbing tide.
Still, for all that, the sensation of holding her in my arms was its own reward. Yes, I weakened myself, and probably beyond the point of return, but I did not care now. No more than I did when I accomplished the deed. If I actually received the care and nourishment from Alaire that he promised, perhaps my tale would have a different ending. As it stood now, I was literally on the brink of death; yet I would not trade my position for anything.
So no, I doubted I would be rescued from this particular plight. Whereas death had always been a welcome haven to me, now I could finally admit I feared it as any man should. I did not want to leave the earthly plane; not just yet. I still had work to do and people that I had to ensure would remain safe. But as with all men on the brink of death, the choice no longer belonged to me.
“Take heed thou cleanse thee of their ways…”
- Dante’s Inferno
EIGHTEEN
Lily
I was so nervous, I could barely breathe. The word “nervous” repeated in my head like an over-scratched vinyl being played by the most spasmodic disk jockey of all time.
Of course, seeing Alaire sitting across the table from me only heightened my anxiety.
He was staring at my chest (as per freaking usual), his characteristic smirk cracking his pale lips into an expression completely devoid of happiness. I picked at the grilled asparagus on my plate while Alaire sipped his wine and studied me. It seemed as though he expected to learn something about me through my body language, which I found unnerving to say the least.
“So,” I said, forcing a gulp of wine down. “Have you told someone to tend to Tallis’s needs?”
“Of course I have, my dear,” he answered but something about his response made me suspicious. “As I said I would.”
For some reason, he didn’t want to elaborate anymore on the subject.
“Okay,” I replied.
“Now tell me more about your impromptu visit outside the castle,” he said as he cut himself a generous portion of steak. It took at least three seconds before he brought it to his mouth. Then he made a big show of placing it inside his mouth before chewing and swallowing. I wondered if he were attempting to intimidate me. Because it was definitely having that effect.
“There’s really nothing to tell,” I started.
“Oh, I doubt that very much,” he tersely answered as he watched me like a hawk. “A close encounter with any of my Furies could be called many things but ‘uneventful’ is definitely not one of them.”
“Well, I already told you how I was confused and I never thought I would be attacked if I just walked outside the front doors,” I said, swallowing hard before I swiftly concealed my discomfort with another swig of wine.
“And yet, that is exactly what happened to you, was it not?”
“Yes,” I answered, finding it difficult to meet his gaze.
“And this was the second incident you had with a Fury, wasn’t it?” he continued as my heart dropped.
“I guess so.”
“And you didn’t learn your lesson the first time?”
I swallowed hard. “I figured you would have informed the Furies not to try to kill me. I figured you wanted to keep me here…intact.”
“Well, while that is true—I do prefer you intact, it seems a fairly large gamble to assume that I would have done such a thing without asking me if such were the case?”
“Are you finished making me feel stupid?” I glared at him.
He smiled and shook his head. “My intention is not to make you feel stupid, my dear. It is simply to point out the flaws in your argument and to alert you that I do not believe a word of the drivel with which you are attempting to convince me.”
“You can believe whatever you want,” I answered, feeling like a spoiled child. “I know the truth.”
“And despite your confession that you dispatched one of my Watchers with the help of Donnchadh, you continue to insist you were not attempting to escape?”
“No, I wasn’t,” I answered before I shrugged. “I’ve resigned myself to staying here since there’s no way I can escape this place. And besides, we both know I would never leave without Tallis and Bill anyway.”
Alaire nodded. “That much, I do believe,” he said as he cut another piece of steak to slowly bring to his mouth. He took a good twenty seconds or more to completely macerate it.
“Then we can agree the subject is no longer worth discussing?” I asked. Looking down at my plate, I suddenly realized I hadn’t eaten a single bite of anything. I didn’t want Alaire to think I was nervous—or worse, that I actually was hiding something—so I took a bite of the scalloped potatoes and washed them down with a sip of chardonnay.
“I suppose not,” Alaire answered as he placed his silverware down on his half-eaten plate and studied me some more. “Tell me the truth, Lily… are you happy here?”
“Happy?” I asked with a facetious laugh. “Happy isn’t a word I would choose to describe my feelings for this place,” I said, eagerly swallowing more scalloped potatoes.
“Then, what exactly is the right word?”
I was about to describe how I felt about my prison as well as my feelings about him before I realized that wouldn’t help my cause. No, I had to make sure Alaire believed he was slowly wearing down my resistance, chinking away at my anger and sadness.
“I’m forcing myself to be content,” I answered, lying through my teeth. Yes, the only way I could keep him from suspecting the truth was to convince him he was slowly wooing me over to the dark side. “You treat me well and you have been taking care of my friends. So I guess you aren’t as bad as I used to assume you were.”
Hopefully, he bought that steaming pile of bullshit.
“And yet you have failed to join me in my bedchamber since your return,” he said pointedly.
I shrugged and fought the urge to shrink back from him. “I’m not there yet,” I answered in a small voice.
“You are well aware that I have enjoyed your body many more times than I can ever hope to recall, yes?” he asked, his voice no less impatient with me.
“Yes, all of Persephone’s memories are readily available to me at all times, so I’m well aware of that.”
Alaire shrugged in exasperation. “Then what precisely is the hold-up?”
“Remember that it was Persephone using my body at the time!” I answered, facing him squarely. “She did what she wanted with it, never what I wanted. So whatever sex you had with me, well, let’s face it; it wasn’t actually with me at all.”
The cunning gleam in his eye warned me that I may have gone too far. “Then you do not wish to share my bed with me?”
I gulped hard. Sure, I walked straight into that rhetorical buzzsaw and face-first. My response would determine how much he planned to hold it against me. “So much has happened,” I said finally. “That I’m just not ready to even consider it yet. Besides, I don’t think it’s right for you to try to push me.”
The look in his eyes softened and he tilted his head to one side as if he were conceding my point. “Will there ever come a time when you are ready?”
I took a deep breath before answering. “Maybe. It all depends on how you treat my friends. The only way to my heart is showing kindness to the people I care about.”
“Very good,” Alaire said as he glanced down at his plate and picked up his cutlery anew. The sound of the metal knife tapping against the porcelain plate as he cut his green beans neatly in half made me consciously suppress the urge to shove a steak knife straight through both of my ears.
“I hope you comprehend the importanc
e of this situation to me,” Alaire continued.
“What’s so important about this situation?”
He shrugged. “You must come to care for me of your own free will. After you mentioned as much to me, I gave myself time to ruminate over your words. In the unfortunate example of Persephone, I reached the conclusion that I agree with your thesis wholeheartedly. It was her and not you that I have been with all this time and it is you that I did and still do desire above all others.”
I sighed with relief. Sure, he could have been lying through his teeth, as usual. But hearing him acknowledge that aloud seemed like a small step of progress to me. Better still, it bought me some time.
“After all, any fool can force himself upon a woman—” I involuntarily shuddered at the sickening thought of Alaire forcing himself on me– “But only the finesse and charm of a gentleman can manage to turn hatred into love.”
“Well said,” I added as I faced my plate if only to try and hide the redness in my cheeks. I couldn’t wait to escape from this cruel mockery of a man. Right then, all I was living for was the chance to retire to my bedroom. I had to figure out what the hell I would do next.
Alaire held up his wine glass and downed what was left. “So are we still friends then, you and I?”
Before I could answer, the door to the dining room swung open. I looked over but saw no one standing in front of it.
“What is the meaning of this?” Alaire demanded, his attention riveted on the doorway with a look of supreme displeasure. He was watching something that, judging by his eye movements, was coming closer. Alaire suddenly narrowed his eyes and appeared to be listening to someone talking in his ear. As I watched the strange event playing out in front of me, I heard the faintest whisper, almost like a soft breeze gliding through the room.
