'Well, I'll go find her and explain…'
'No!' Adelia screamed, 'It's mine!' She began to run, her hand clutching the pendant for dear life. Ellowyn seized her as she ran, and the girls started to wrestle over the pendant.
'Stop!' Annika ordered, 'Girls, come on!'
The pendant fell to the floor, and Annika bent down to pick it up. It was an odd shape; almost like part of it was missing…
Adelia jumped up quickly and ran out the door, crying heavily as she left.
'I'll find your grandmother and explain, and you go look for Adelia, I think you will know where to look and how to calm her down better than myself.'
'I didn't mean to upset…,' Ellowyn trailed off as she went off to find her.
Annika headed out to the hallway, looking at the strange pendant as she went. She was not watching where she was going and collided with Dashiell, as he stormed through the hall.
'I would implore you to watch where you are going, Miss Acklin!' he spat gruffly, then his eyes caught sight of what Annika held in her hand.
'What have you got?' he asked in a strange, almost accusing tone.
'Adelia had it,' she murmured. 'I thought it must belong to Vivien; I was trying to find her.'
Dashiell reached over and snatched it. Enraged, he demanded, 'Where did you get this? Did you steal it?'
'Excuse me?' Annika was shocked by his accusation. 'Adelia had it, she was playing dress-up!'
'Damn it!' Dashiell stormed off to find his niece. Annika was left feeling scared and worried.
As he stormed through the corridors of the castle, Dashiell finally knew why his brother had died. His brother must have gained access to the Von Croy family volt to reclaim that jewel, but how?
Dashiell searched for his niece for a good half hour, and by this time he had calmed down just enough to speak to her reasonably. He found her hiding behind one of the draperies in a sunny room that was usually reserved for guests; he had heard her sneezing.
Dashiell bent down and whispered at the curtain, 'Heidi-Boo, where are you?'
'Not here…'
'Perhaps the tickle monster can find you then?'
'No!' Adelia screamed, running out in a fit of laughter before Dashiell had even moved.
'I'm sorry I had the necklace Uncle Dashiell…' She began to cry.
Dashiell asked gently, 'Where did you get this?' She was only a child, so he tried to remain calm.
'Daddy gave it to me.'
Dashiell shook his head. 'How long before, before…he died did he give it to you?' he asked, trying not to let his anger show.
'Not long,' she said sadly. 'I miss Daddy. He was so nice, and I loved him!'
Dashiell picked Adelia up in his arms, 'There, there,' he crooned. 'I'll look after you, darling'. As he turned and walked away, unholy anger raged inside him for his brother's killers.
Chapter Eleven: Eduard’s Diary
The night had come slowly for Dashiell this evening. He had wanted to retire to his study where he could soothe his anger and mull over those damned diaries for clues, but he had had to keep up appearances over dinner to avoid rousing the suspicions of his mother.
Now, finally he had time to himself, and he was already half drunk as he sat by the flames of the fire, watching them dance, almost taunting him. He threw in a handful of pixie dust, reciting the magic word that would make the flames dance, creating pictures and memories of his desire. He checked the name on the bag.
‘Happy memories,’ he groaned. The pictures that began to form were of the days he had shared with his brother-of their wonderful, carefree childhood. That is, until, the night he had seen his father transform into that hideous creature in the moonlight. He had cried out, and his father had turned in horror to realise, his son had seen him.
His nanny had come running to check him, and just in time to see the form of a creature half man and half wolf disappear into the woods. Nanny Selna had not stopped babbling for days about the hideous beast, and finally was dismissed and accused of ‘helping herself to the liquor.’ Dashiell laughed bitterly at the memory, Nanny Selna had indeed been helping herself to the liquor, but she was convinced of what she saw. She had told everyone there had been a cover up at the castle. From then on, employees were scarce, and visitors even scarcer. For centuries, mystery and scandal had veiled his family’s name, and Dashiell wondered if they would ever really be truly free?
How he longed for the carefree days of childhood again, when the weight of the world and more potently the curse did not exist, and only he and his brother shared a secret world. At night by the fire light were the happiest times of his life now as he stared into the burning flames and watched them dance into oblivions of yesteryear. Because there was nothing worse in his mind then to be a werewolf with a conscious, to be bound by this hideous form on the nights of the full moon.
Now that he had the pendant again, he knew that he would be stronger and more able to conquer his enemy. He also knew it would not be long before Bastien and his savage army would wreak havoc upon the castle. Quite clearly, the old feud between the Baertschi’s and the Von Croys had been reignited.
A knock at the door distracted him from his thoughts; the magic of the flames had been broken.
‘Come in,’ he groaned. He looked up, and there was Annika. She annoyed him, when he saw her, and when he didn’t see her, he was even more annoyed. ‘Hello, Miss Acklin,’ he greeted her. ‘And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?’
‘Well, to start off with, I wanted to know if you were alright…if you’d…calmed down…I didn’t mean to upset you, I was coming to find you to…’
‘It is no concern of yours…’ he snarled.
‘You don’t have to be so damn rude! I was only trying to return your necklace, and I get accused of being a thief?’ she snapped back.
Dashiell frowned. ‘It’s a pendant—not a necklace…a pendant is…much more manly…’
Annika screwed up her face. ‘I don’t care what you wear…wait...it’s yours?’
Dashiell realised he’d said too much. ‘What do you want Miss Acklin? Is there a point to this late-night visit?’
Annika gritted her teeth. ‘I also came to see if it was possible to go into town tomorrow. The weather report said it should be a pleasant day, I think the Ever Frost is starting to abate a little and I’ve been here for almost a month now and have seen nothing of the place.’
‘You’re not here to sightsee, Miss Acklin. You were hired to do a job and so far, all you’ve managed to do is upset everyone.’
His words stung. She had done nothing wrong, and yet, she felt like a naughty schoolgirl, constantly being roused on by a teacher. He hadn’t even given her any work to do, except for a few old, musty books on curses. Apart from the drama of the Baertschi family, she’d been rather bored locked up in this dismal place.
‘I know you were upset about the pendant and I get the feeling your mother doesn’t approve of me being here, but that’s hardly everyone now is it?’ she spat back.
‘Renaud told me that you and Ellowyn were snooping around in the library a few weeks ago. He said he had gone in there to get some fresh air as all this drama lately had unsettled his nerves, and that he caught the two of you acting suspiciously.’
Annika was about to tell the count that Renaud was a liar, when he stood up and walked over to his window. He looked out from behind the glass, a heavy look upon his face.
‘I don’t think you’re suited for this position, Annika. I don’t think anyone is. Perhaps, you would be better off taking your job in Epp and forgetting about this whole mess. My uncle was a genius, but perhaps he was a little crazy too.’
Annika could see he was hurting. Perhaps the rumours were true, perhaps they were not, but perhaps this place wasn’t quite as bad as she had thought.
‘I’d like to stay and help you if you want my help. But please believe me that I was not snooping around. Ask Ellowyn if you don’t believe me.’
/> The count softened. None of this was her fault and here she was dragged into this disastrous mess, perhaps it would be nice to leave the castle grounds.
‘Please forgive me, Annika; I have been under a great deal of stress lately—which is no excuse for my bad behaviour—Of course, we can leave the castle—you can leave the castle. Perhaps I might know a place you’d enjoy Miss Acklin. Let me surprise you?’
Annika jolted…he was asking her to trust him. She paused for a moment, as she looked into those deep wells of pain, his eyes hopeful for the first time in a long time.
‘Sure.’ She smiled. ‘Why not?’
‘Remember, this is not a prison; you are entitled to a life. After all, you are young.’
Annika laughed. ‘I’m sure I’m not much younger than you!’
‘No, not too much.’ He smiled.
Annika left him to his melancholy. He had placed the pendant in a safe place earlier that day, and he had gone straight to Eduard’s secret room and scooped up an arm full of diaries, which he had brought down to his study. Now that he was sure he was truly alone for the night, he decided to continue reading through them. Again, the dates indicated that Eduard was just over two hundred years old when he had died. Again, and again, the dates were consistent, but Dashiell’s understanding of time and Eduard’s life didn’t match up. Eduard must have gained some life extending power, it was the only explanation!
He began to read:
I remember my life as simple and easy. I was spoilt rotten and always given the most expensive toys. My mother would smother me with hugs and kisses and read me stories every night. She hardly ever lost her temper with me.
She was a placid soul and in hindsight, I believe this is why she was able to put up with my father. She just let what be, be. Even though I was raised mostly by her, I am my father’s son. I will not rest until this curse is broken! Perhaps not in my lifetime, but perhaps one day...
Then another entry…
‘I have met the girl I am going to marry! Hoorah!’ Her name is Elspeth, and she has violet eyes! Never in my life have I seen eyes like hers! We met at a charity ball, and she wore lace that looked as though angels had spun it! My heart is pounding as I write this...I thought perhaps I would die alone, I have felt so misunderstood all these years, until now!
Not only is she beautiful, with dark luxurious ringlets that fall around her face, she is also the most intelligent woman I have ever met! She refuses to marry and wants to be a doctor! I must win her heart! I simply must!’
There was a significant gap between the next entry…
‘Well, it has been many, many months since I have confided in you, old friend, but believe me I have a story for you! Remember the girl I last told you about? The one who would not marry? Well, she is now my wife! I used the old Eduard Baertschi charm, and we were married four months ago.
We were married in the church of St. Samuel; it was a beautiful wedding. As we left the church, doves were released. Elspeth looked like a doll, I could not wait to get her home and ravish her- between you and me! Lucky these pages do not talk! But winning her heart was not an easy task....
For months I courted her, bringing her gifts of chocolate and silk dresses and she would always reply, ‘Thank you, dear Eduard, my maid will love them, for she wishes to marry, but I do not!’ Then she would dismiss me and return to her room.
Her father would laugh at me. ‘She is a stubborn one, you know lad, she is playing you for a fool.’ It hurt to hear him say those words, because deep in my heart I knew he was right. I also knew there were many girls who would run screaming at the thought of marrying a Baertschi, and there were also many girls who would be intrigued and fascinated by it....
I was actually starting to wonder if I was wasting my time and money. But I could not get her out of my head, and I started to think devious thoughts. She had so often insisted that I give my many gifts of love to the maid that I decided next time I would!
The next time I called upon her, I bought the most delicate silk ball dress I could find in her favourite colour- blue. I had paid her best friend with a gold necklace to find out what type of shoes she liked, but what size the maid would need. I had the most delicate pair of shoes made, with small diamonds on the front.
I knocked on the door one morning and I was let in as usual, my palms were sweating as I anticipated how she would react to my cruel joke. ‘Good morning Eduard,’ she smiled, her eyes glistening, looking intensely at the package I carried.
‘Please, no more gifts,’ she cooed.
‘I do know what you’re going to say, “Give them to my maid...” and I intend to do just that!’
The maid who was standing at the wall, waiting to attend to her every need came racing over, ‘Oh thank you!’ she cried, tears running down her eyes, as she tore at the box, to reveal the very expensive dress and shoes. She turned to look at Elspeth and started crying, ‘Does this mean I can go to the ball Miss Elspeth, does it? Does it?’
Elspeth’s father who had just been coming down the stairs as the whole scene was unfolding started laughing heartily and slapping his thigh, ‘Girly,’ he said, ‘Have the night off! You can go to the ball and enjoy yourself!’
‘Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.’ The maid smiled, tears running down her checks. ‘Yes, enjoy dancing with Eduard,’ Elspeth managed through pursed lips, ‘You may go, have fun!’ and with that huffed upstairs. I also began to laugh, for I knew she must have cared.
Finally, I managed to win her heart, by telling her I would build her a hospital, where she could work. I would hire a nanny for our children, and she could continue to work after we were married. It was when I said these magic words; she had fallen into my arms and let me kiss her.
‘Did I really mean it?’ she asked. Unable to believe I did not expect her to be a boring lady of leisure as she called it.
Dashiell stopped reading for a moment- his uncle had had a true love and lived a life he had never known. What other secrets did Eduard have hidden in these walls, for him to uncover? There was one more entry, written almost a year after the last entry, Dashiell’s heart began to pound as he read:
Oh, by the Angels in the After Realm, what have I done? What has happened to me? I am truly a monster, who does not deserve life! My sins are too painful to be written- are too evil to be mentioned.
Let it be known that Elspeth is dead, by the hand, nay the paws of Eduard Baertschi. Our plans for a hospital amidst a beautiful garden have dissolved in tragedy. It was her enquiring mind that ultimately brought about her demise.
I naively thought that I could love- that I could somehow fight the curse that destroyed my father, and his father before him, and many others in this family.
The hospital had been built, the garden established, and she wanted to see it before my birthday party had begun. We snuck in, but I was intoxicated and did not realize the moon was full on this night. I awoke in the morning to her bloodied body…I hate myself more than one could ever imagine. I will not be returning to this world. Goodbye.’
Dashiell began to shake, he suddenly felt as though his breath was stuck in his throat, and it wouldn’t escape, no matter how hard he tried! Two women, killed by Baertschi men...dear Gods of Talir Faye, he thought to himself. His family weren’t only cursed, but a curse to others.
They had taken every precaution possible to keep those they loved safe, but stupid little accidents or forgetful moments had destroyed all those efforts in one night.
Dashiell cowered to the ground. Was anyone safe around him? Perhaps he should end it all, right here, right now. The tears came hard and fast, as he thought about his father, his uncle, his brother...when would this madness stop? He reached for a bottle of pills, and was about to upend the bottle, when he realised. If he was gone, who would protect his family from the Von Croys?
‘Damn it!’ he screamed, as the pills flung across the floor with a mighty throw. Dashiell decided to reach for something a little less lethal, as he took a
large mouthful of alcohol. ‘By the will of Epp,’ he mumbled to himself. I will defeat and destroy Bastien Von Croy and find a cure for this curse!’
Chapter Twelve: Dashiell’s Hidden Heart
The next morning Dashiell awoke with a headache. It was nothing unusual for the count. A large pot of Junip Bean Brew, and he was almost feeling human again. He was still in shock from the night before, but he had a new determination to discover the origins of the curse.
He made his way to the barn to help get the carriages ready to take Annika and himself out for the day. Snow was beginning to melt, but Annika was warm in her fur coat, nestled into a corner of the vehicle. As she waited for Dashiell and his drivers to finish checking over the horses, she could feel the excitement bubbling in her stomach.
Dashiell leapt into the carriage, smile upon his face—an unusual sight, as he seemed younger in his exuberance.
‘I haven’t left these walls for so long,’ he said blithely. Annika was excited to see Dashiell in this newfound state. He didn’t want to admit to her he was already on his third cup of Junip Bean Brew this morning.
The carriage departed and they were on their way to explore the hidden valleys of Faye re’ Shair—the Valley of the Fairies—Dashiell was secretly hoping such an adventure might impress Annika. It was also close by, and the valley was one of the first places where the snow began to melt. Legend had it that this was because the fairies that lived there sprinkled the hidden trees with fairy magic to restore their home to its glorious state.
He refused to tell her anymore about it and told her words could not do such a beautiful place justice. Annika was wild with curiosity and she laughed and told him how mean he was. They continued their journey talking about all the amazing places they would both like to visit one day. Dashiell was talking non-stop, doing silly impersonations of old, dead counts and pointing out every bird or dragon that flew past their window.
The mountain path was steep and windy, and the carriage bumped along the road. It was a jittery ride and Annika thought she was going to end up in Dashiell’s lap a few times, as they made their way around the sharp corners. They both blushed and looked away whenever that almost occurred.
The Count of Wolf Blood Castle Page 7
