by K.N. Lee
Her sleep didn’t last long as something touched her hand. Allyn woke up with a start, splashing in the tub as she sat up.
“Who’s there?” She rubbed her eyes and looked around the empty bathroom.
Damn ghosts.
She shivered and realized that her bath water was frigid. How long had she been asleep?
She stood and stepped out of the tub onto the cold floor. Shivering she grabbed her towel and dried herself. She left the bathroom and looked around her room. It was quiet.
Too quiet.
She yawned and stretched her arms, and an idea came to her.
The castle was asleep. Perhaps she should explore.
Crossing the room, she grabbed her robe from the back of a chair and pulled it over her nude body. Once she was out in the hallway, she tied the robe’s belt and peered into the darkness, half expecting Calinda to be there watching her door.
The hallway was clear, and she escaped her room in silence.
Without those annoying heels on, she was able to make it down the hallway and ascend the stairs to the next level of the castle unheard. All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed how it was drastically colder than the rest of the castle, which was already chillier than most modern homes. She glanced to the right.
Conall’s wing. When she looked to his wing she felt warm and safe.
A look to the left gave her an entirely different feeling. All she felt was cold, empty, sad.
She stood there, closed her eyes, and cleared her thoughts. She’d let the castle guide her.
“I’m all yours,” she whispered. “Which way should I go?
She listened, hoping to hear if Lennox was in his wing. Instead, she heard something coming from Conall’s.
That was enough to make her run in his direction. Her heart raced as she darted down the hallway. Conall. Please be there.
She wasn’t sure which door led to his bedroom, but had a suspicion that it was the one at the very end. Passing by closed doors in a dark hall didn’t frighten her. Her mind and heart was set on one thing. When she reached the door, she turned the knob and burst in.
Inside, it was quiet. At the far end was a window, and she saw the moon glowing in the dark night sky.
“Why are you really here?” Lennox’s voice asked.
She looked to her right and saw him laying on his back on Conall’s bed. She stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind her.
“To make you love me.”
He sat up in the dark, the moonlight’s casting a dim glow on him.
When he didn’t reply, she took a few steps forward.
How her heart wished it was Conall. But she wasn’t disappointed. She needed Lennox to accept and love her, and maybe she could break the curse.
Maybe she was just as crazy as they were.
“Come here,” he said, his voice making the hairs on her arms rise.
She chewed her bottom lip, afraid that if she got closer she might lose her edge over him. Their power struggle seemed to never stop. She knew that if she joined him in that bed that he would be in charge once again.
Would that be so bad?
CHAPTER 21
“I CAN’T,” ALLYN said, thinking of the side of the prince she’d fallen for.
“Why?” Lennox asked.
Allyn shook her head. “I love Conall.”
Lennox left the bed and approached her, the moonlight at his back, illuminating him like a man from a dream. Her eyes roamed over his bare chest, his tight muscles and abs too perfect to be real.
“What’s so special about Conall?”
Allyn shrugged. “He’s kind.”
“He’s boring.”
“He’s handsome.”
“I look better,” Lennox said, raking his hands through his hair, a wicked grin on his lips.
Allyn pursed her lips. “You tried to kill me.”
“But, I didn’t.”
He was almost right before her, and she took a step away.
“You have my father somewhere,” Allyn whispered.
Lennox stopped and lowered his voice to match her tone. “I’m a liar.”
What?
“You’re telling me you don’t have my father in some secret spot?”
Lennox shrugged. “I’m a good liar.”
Allyn’s hands shook. He was a good liar. That’s not the kind of person she wanted. Knowing her father was safe left her free. She could leave.
But, Conall.
“How could you?”
Before she could turn and run, he had her in his arms.
“I’m also faster than you, Allyn,” he said, holding her tight to his bare chest.
“Let me go!” she shouted as she struggled to free herself from his arms.
“No,” he said, turning her to face him. “I can’t let you go.”
Allyn slapped his face. “Why? Don’t you already have everything you want?”
“No,” he repeated. “I don’t. I want you. That’s it. Just you.”
Allyn froze. He held her off the ground, his face less than an inch from hers.
“But, you’re a liar,” Allyn hissed. “You just said it.”
Lennox set her down, releasing her. “Not about you. Never about you.”
Free, Allyn exhaled. “I can never believe anything you say.”
“Can you believe that when we were kids that it was me you spent that weekend with?”
Allyn’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? I’m so confused.” She held her hands out. “It was Conall!”
“Allyn. Why haven’t you figured it out yet?”
“What haven’t I figured out?”
“I am the sickness,” Lennox said, his voice breaking. “The sickness that has held Conall back from living his life. From loving. But, I am also a part of the curse.”
Allyn swallowed when she saw tears in his eyes. She never thought she’d see such a thing. It hurt her to see him that way.
“But, what about me? I suffer too. I get tucked away until the one season when I get to be free.”
Allyn shook her head. “I don’t understand, Lennox. Make me understand. Conall was the boy I spent that weekend with when I was a little girl.”
He took her hands, tears dripping from his face. “No, Allyn. I just told you that I am the sickness. I don’t exist for the majority of the year. When Conall is free, I am a phantom. I am nothing. But, when I get my chance, Conall is there. He is always there. He sees everything, and he fell for you at the same time that I did. You were the first good thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Allyn reached up and wiped a tear from his face. “You let me go,” she said, softly.
“I did.”
“How?”
Lennox peered into her eyes. “You are the strongest sorceress I’ve ever hunted, but not even you are stronger than me. I wanted to see you live.”
Speechless, Allyn pressed her cheek to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, and knowing the truth didn’t make her feel any better. She thought she’d escaped that night in the woods, but it was Lennox that let her go free.
“Dear Lord,” she said. “Why not tell me the truth in the beginning?”
Lennox whispered to her. “Where’s the fun in that?”
A smile came to her lips as she looked up to him.
And with the blink of an eye, he vanished from her embrace.
CHAPTER 22
ALLYN RACED FROM Conall’s bedroom, her heart beating out of her chest.
“Lennox!” She shouted his name as she ran through the empty halls of the castle.
There was no reply. There was nothing at all.
The castle was completely silent.
Allyn stopped in the middle of the hallway, her eyes darting to every dark corner of the castle. She looked over the balcony. The guards were gone. She placed her hand on the wall, listening for the whispers.
Nothing.
“Calinda?” she called, too afraid to turn around.
“Calinda isn’t here. No one is here.”
Allyn spun around. Her face paled.
Maisie hovered in the air, her hollow eyes fixed on Allyn.
“You’re not a ghost, are you?” Allyn asked, swallowing.
Smiling, Maisie shook her head. Her hair floated around her youthful face, but Allyn knew that this was no child. “No, miss. I’m much older than witchcraft. But so are you.”
Allyn backed away. “What do you mean? What are you?”
“You’re friend.”
Allyn seriously doubted that. She wrung her hands, looking past Maisie toward Lennox’s half of the castle.
“Where is Lennox?”
Maisie laughed. “I sent him away. He was a bad boy. He let you in. He wasn’t supposed to let you in.”
Allyn turned away from Maisie and ran. She knew it was no use when Maisie appeared before her.
Instead of being angry, Maisie laughed again. “Where are you going, Allyn? Don’t you want to play?”
Allyn stood there, more afraid than she’d ever been.
“I’ll play with you, Maisie,” Allyn said, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way around this entity. “But you have to tell me what you are.”
Maisie landed on the ground with a thud that shook the ground. “I told you, Allyn. I am your friend. I’ve been your friend since you were a little baby.”
“Why?”
Maisie ran to Allyn, and wrapped her arms around her, knocking her to the ground.
“I can’t tell you. It would ruin everything. And, I’ve had so much fun playing with you. We can play for an eternity, if you’d like.”
A sound of beating on a door came from the west wing caught Allyn’s attention.
Allyn sat up, but Maisie pushed her back down.
Maisie’s hollow eyes widened. Inside her sockets was nothing but a black pool.
“Ignore that,” Maisie said.
Maisie was strong, stronger than Lennox, and her body pressed Allyn to the ground like a heavy weight.
“What is that sound?” Allyn asked.
Maisie grinned. “Conall. He’s dying.”
Allyn gasped. She tried to shove Maisie off of her. “Get off, Maisie!” She pleaded. “I have to help him!”
“No,” Maisie said, her voice booming throughout the entire castle. She pinned Allyn. “He’s my toy. Find your own.”
Her playful smile was gone, and Allyn shook with terror.
“Maisie. Stop this. Let me go to Conall.”
“You came to play my game, but I can’t just let you win. I’ve put too many years and effort into this game.”
“What do you mean, Maisie? No one is playing a game but you.”
“But, it’s been the most fun game of all. I can play for an eternity. I can ruin this family until I get bored. And let me tell you, Allyn. I’ve had so much fun playing with the Barans. But, what I did to Conall was the best. Cursing the clan was nothing compared to what I did to that boy. Teasing you was just the icing on the cake. Letting you think you had a chance was the rush I’ve been waiting for. Now, I can feed on your sorrow.”
Allyn tensed. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Maisie. The revelation was unexpected, and more diabolical than she’d imagined. “You are the witch that cursed them.”
“Now, Allyn. Don’t be rude. I’m not a witch. No more than you are.”
Maisie threw Allyn into the air as if she weighed nothing. Allyn sucked in a breath and opened her arms before her body slammed into the ceiling. To her rescue came her power, the red bands that had tormented her, saved her from being crushed by the force with which Maisie threw her.
She steadied herself in mid-air, the bands holding her up.
Maisie flew up to meet her. With a spin, she transformed from a pretty little girl to a wiry woman with white hair.
Maisie hissed. “You know, I had to get rid of your mother or your father might not have ever let you leave. You should thank me for all I’ve done for you.”
Allyn’s heart stopped. Every inch of her skin tightened with rage as she clenched her jaw.
“You killed my mother?”
“Kill? No. I sent her to a better place,” Maisie said, laughing. “Isn’t that what the humans like to say? A better place. No pain or suffering. What rubbish.”
Allyn shrugged off her robe. Her body became encased in the red bands as they wrapped around her, clothing her naked body in red, fueling her, protecting her, giving her strength.
The nuns told her to resist. To not let her power win. She just realized she’d been saving it up for this moment.
Maisie watched, with interest. “How are you doing that? Hey! I’m talking to you.”
Allyn ignored her, feeding her energy with all of the pent up aggression, sorrow, and suffering she’d ever felt.
Maisie was the one thing that stood between her and the man she loved. And that meant Maisie was what she’d really been brought to destroy.
To have a real purpose...this was what Allyn had been waiting for. She knew she had to break the curse. She just realized how.
She’d never been so ready to fight in her life.
She’d fight for the man she loved.
“Don’t do it, Allyn,” Maisie warned. “We are allies. We are sisters. Don’t chose the humans.”
Allyn shot her a glare, tears blurring her vision. “Don’t mess with the people I love.”
A quick snap of one of Allyn’s bands ripped through Maisie’s body.
Allyn sent them outward, like tentacles, to continue her assault on Maisie, the force that had made her entire life almost unbearable to live.
A cry from the west wing caught her attention, and she flew toward it, Maisie’s cries left behind. Allyn had always wanted to fly, and now she did, at full speed to the man she loved.
“GET BACK HERE!” Maisie shouted, pulling Allyn backward by one of the bands.
Allyn growled, spinning around to face Maisie. “I’m not playing with you anymore, Maisie,” she said, and with a surge of energy, Allyn’s body turned into flames.
Maisie’s scream filled the castle, as Allyn’s flames consumed her, burning through her defenses, through her spells, curses, through every layer of power she’d thought would protect her from...whatever Allyn was.
Allyn fought to see through the bright light that shone from within. Her light filled every dark crevice of the castle, and when it dimmed, Maisie was gone.
Allyn fell to the ground, totally spent.
She tried to pull herself to her feet, but her arms and legs had nothing left to give her. She groaned.
“Conall.”
The sound of running footsteps vibrated along the floor, but Allyn was too weak to look up and see what caused it.
The noise stopped, and Allyn was ready for rest.
Until she heard her name called.
“Allyn.”
Allyn fought to open her eyes. To her surprise, sunlight shone on the man above her. He cradled her head and kissed her.
“Wake up. Please. Don’t go.”
“Conall?” Allyn called.
He kissed her again. “It’s me. I’m back. Like I promised.”
Allyn’s eyes flickered open. She fought her fatigue and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Conall!”
Conall pulled her into his arms, and she straddled him. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “But, you broke the curse.”
Allyn sniffled and held his face. “Did I really?”
He nodded and kissed her again. He littered her face with kisses, and she tugged at his black hair.
“You’re real. You’re really here.”
“I am.”
She looked him in the eyes. “Where is Lennox?”
That question made Conall’s eyes water. He closed his eyes against the tears.
“Why won’t you tell me? Where is he?”
Conall opened his eyes. “He’s here, babe. He always will be. Because he is me. You made me whole.”
Allyn’s mouth parted. She never thought about what she would do once the curse was broken. Now, that Conall was back, and she was in his arms, she realized that he was right. She held onto his face, and there...she saw Lennox in his eyes.
She made both sides of him fall for her.
She fell for them both as well.
Conall rubbed her back and buried his face in the crease between her neck and her shoulder.
“What now?” she asked.
He kissed her on the lips and sighed. “Look,” he said.
Allyn’s brows furrowed as she followed his icy blue gaze to look over the railing and out the large windows that faced the woods.
It took her a moment to realize what she was looking at, and when it did, she gasped and came to her feet.
Conall joined her, taking her hand into his.
The Winter Winds had stopped.
Conall stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her body. He kissed her ear. “You ended the storm. Looks like we’re going to tell the world it’s safe to leave their homes.”
Allyn turned to him, a smile on her face. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around him. She was rejuvenated by everything she’d gained and all that she’d learned.
Finally, Allyn knew her purpose. She never expected to wake up and save the world.
EPILOGUE
ALLYN AND CONALL held hands as they stood on the veranda while their twin daughters played on the swing set. It was a beautiful summer day in Elastria, and all of high society had gathered for a party at Baran Castle.
“They’re getting so big,” Allyn’s father, Robert said from his seat on the bench right before the fountain, as waiters served frozen cocktails and champagne to the guests that filled the back garden that faced the Briar Woods.
Allyn smiled. She never imagined what it would be like to have children, let alone two beautiful girls with the prince of Elastria.
Keely and Nora laughed together as Aude and Khia—dressed in matching black cocktail dresses— pushed them higher and higher on the swings.
