by Jaide Fox
Instead, she spun around and faced the maid down. “I need some warm water with which to bathe and some fresh clothes. Including under and outer garments.”
The maid bobbed a curtsy and Isabeau was left to the solitary room.
It was very apparent that this chamber was for Jaegar's female guests and was a rather lurid shade of pink. From the velvet bed curtains and matching bed covers, to the material that covered the windows and the rug that carpeted the floor. All of it was pink. The only saving grace was a beautiful walnut armoire and matching dressing table.
She stood awkwardly in the center of the room and waited for the maid to return. As soon as the girl did, a flurry of footmen entered with a heavy bath, which they set in the center of the bed beside the fireplace, which another maid valiantly attempted to start. Another flurry of staff entered, this time with buckets of hot and cold water.
She dismissed them as soon as the bath had been filled and was to her temperature and rather than immediately undressing, she grabbed one end of the heavy dressing table and began to drag it to the door. It took far too long and by the time she actually made it, there a knock and then a bang when she did not call out.
Jamming the table under the doorknob, she then yelled, “I'm fine. I just want to bathe in peace!”
The knocking stopped, thankfully, and she then decided to undress and climb into the warm water. She noticed that a small plate had been left next to the tub and was laden with a heavy rectangle of natural soap. She grabbed it and dropped it into the water before lathering it and spreading it over her body. It felt good to be clean, especially after the night's escapades.
But again, her memory instantly walked down the path of only a few days before, when she'd shared a bath with Wolfe. The slippery soap fell into the water with a splash and it was merely one in a chain of events and thoughts that had her bursting into silent sobs that racked her slight frame.
For years now, she had been strong and fought for her life. Fought to survive. Then she had met the man she loved and had lived through a halcyonic if unorthodox ten days or so and had realized what the difference was between merely surviving and living.
Shaking off her melancholia was far more difficult than it should have been, but a part of her, felt desolate yet the other was determined not to concede defeat by allowing the man downstairs to believe that he had broken her. She had survived much worse than this and now, she would only be stronger.
Quickly, she rinsed herself off and used a sheet with which to dry herself. Swiftly, not liking to be naked for too long, she hurriedly dressed in a robe that the maid had left earlier and once again, it had to be Jaegar's mother's dress. Isabeau smiled as she arranged it on her torso. A few years ago, although she hadn't been a snob, neither had she been used to hand-me-downs!
How the mighty are fallen! she thought with a wry, self-deprecating grin.
When a knock tolled from the door, she grimaced and called out, “Who is it?”
“Excuse me, ma'am, but the Master would like to speak with you.”
Isabeau pursed her lips and considered the maid's words. Why did he want to see her? What did he want to speak to her about now?
Deciding to take the bull by the horns, she grunted inelegantly as she moved the dressing table away from the door. With a soughing breath, she inhaled deeply and then composed herself, before opening the aperture.
“Would you lead the way, please?” she asked the maid politely and was answered with a nod and another bobbed curtsy.
Isabeau was led down the corridor, along the central, arterial staircase and then returned to Jaegar's study once more. She had to admit that her change of clothing had grandly improved her self-esteem and as she walked into what was most definitely Jaegar's domain, Isabeau took a seat on one of the two wooden chairs that were directly in front of his desk and raised a questioning brow at him.
“You wanted to speak to me?”
“I wanted to explain the ritual to you.”
Tapping her fingers against the armrest, she murmured, “What kind of ritual are you speaking about?”
“Why, our marriage ritual, of course.”
“It takes months to arrange a wedding, Jaegar. There seems little point in discussing something that can't occur...”
He interrupted with a held up hand and a swift word. “We're not talking about a society wedding, Isabeau. This is a Sidhe wedding.”
Frowning, she stared blankly, “A Sidhe wedding?”
“Yes. No vicar, or church service required. A chapel and a man and a woman is all that is needed.”
Isabeau actually felt her face drop. She'd banked on a wedding taking months to arrange and within that space of time, Wolfe would be able to snatch her back from Jaegar's hold.
“When?” she squeaked, far too shocked to have control over her voice.
“I was thinking tomorrow night. A Sidhe ritual is more binding at the setting of the sun.”
“Binding?” Her eyes rounded in horror at the speed in which this was all happening. The words he used were also very threatening to her. It wasn't that he was speaking with menace, but the selection of his word choice had her almost quaking in her boots. Binding, ritual...they were enough to have her heart pumping uncomfortably fast.
“Yes. Upon a Sidhe's birth, the parents bestow upon the child a ring. Not unlike your own, although it's not a magick-channeler. It's to bind a Sidhe to another. ”
“It's too soon, Jaegar. I can't marry you so quickly. I thought there would be time to...” she floundered for words.
What could she say? Time to escape?
It seemed her thoughts were running along the same line as his, for he shot her a wry look and said, “To inveigle your way out of binding with me? I think not, Isabeau. In a perfect world, there would be hundreds of Sidhes of the light and each would be a ring bearer, then I could leave you to Wolfe and you could be happy in your so-called love. But the reality is that in the last thirty years, you are the last ring bearer to be born with the ability to channel power.”
“But tomorrow? It's so soon!”
“Yes. But for me, my dear, tisn't soon enough!”
Her lips and mouth felt as dry as a bone and with a scratching voice, she replied, “What does the ritual consist of, then?”
“I'm pleased to see that you have come around to my way of thinking.” He smiled with satisfaction. “I've never been married, Isabeau, so I cannot say that I will be a good husband, but at least I'm willing to try and give you a semblance of respectability. Which is more than Wolfe offered you, is it not? If you're pregnant then I'm afraid we shall have to abort the child. My past is shameful enough without me having to raise your bastard as my own.”
That was all she needed for her feelings of confusion and fear to manifest itself into a more physical sense of urgency. “Water closet?” she gasped and held a hand to her mouth.
He jumped to his feet and grabbed her before rushing her out of the study, down the corridor and shoving her into a room. She managed, only just, to not shame herself before his eyes but subsequently emptied her stomach into the wash bowl.
She clutched her belly and sank to her knees. Closing her eyes, she shook her head against the fate he wanted her to take. The thought of aborting her child, Wolfe's child was abhorrent to her. Isabeau did not have an idea of whether or not she was even pregnant! But the idea of it was just so...She could not even think of it.
A knock sounded at the door and she wanted to ignore it, but knew that he or the maid he'd more than likely sent in his stead would simply barge in and disturb her privacy regardless of whether or not she wanted them to enter!
“I'm fine. Could you bring something to settle my stomach please?” she called out, her voice more husky than normal. She slowly climbed to her feet, feeling as though the last twenty minute interview with Jaegar had added decades to her age!
When Isabeau had steadied herself, she walked to the door and opened it. Facing Jaegar down, she glared at
him and spat, “No, I'm not pregnant--at least, I do not think I am! But I find your suggestion despicable!”
His eyes scanned over her tense visage and she pursed her lips as he simply shrugged at her words, as though dismissing them entirely. He reached for her arm and slowly returned to the door of his study. Jaegar seated her, before taking his place behind the desk.
When a knock sounded at the door and a butler walked in with a tray, Isabeau accepted the small balloon glass of brandy and inelegantly, knocked it back. She tensed so as to prevent herself from coughing but felt the burning of the liqueur as it settled her stomach and realized that warm honey had been added to the alcohol.
The butler departed with a low bow and as soon as the door closed, Jaegar said, “Despicable it may be, but it is what I want.”
She ducked her head but glared mutinously at his desk. Isabeau inwardly declared war at his resolute reply and vowed that she would rather die than abort Wolfe's child.
Chapter Fourteen
Barreling the door down, Wolfe ran into Gerard's office and gritted out, “The bastard has her, Gerard.”
Completely out of breath by now, Wolfe bent over and rested his hands on his knees and sucked in some precious air. He'd had to run the five miles back to the castle and would still have been running had he not summoned a nearby and out to pasture horse to aid him.
The other man immediately jumped to his feet. “How? When?”
Wolfe shook his head, latent fury on his face as he recalled his own stupidity in leading Isabeau into the depths of the woods. He'd been so certain that Jaegar wouldn't even attempt to enter his land.
That arrogance had and would cost him dearly.
It killed him that he'd led Isabeau into his nemesis' hands. Ever since they'd escaped the Milesians' clutches by overpowering them with their gifts, their relationship had changed. Gerard and Wolfe, who were of similar age, had seemingly treaded their way down one path and Jaegar had completely segregated himself from them.
For almost a decade, they'd been trapped in that hellish prison. Jaegar, the eldest, had been the one to craft the plan but had had to wait for Wolfe and Gerard to grow and come into their powers before he could implement it.
For ten years they'd been together, been on the same side and fought against their mutual enemy, when Jaegar had suddenly separated himself from both Gerard and Wolfe, it had hit them both hard.
Then had followed another fifteen years of mindless, unnecessary bickering between the two of them, which culminated in this. Isabeau's abduction.
“This evening. I led her to the woods. Jaegar was there and he took us both. Isabeau bargained for my release upon promising to wed him! We have to stop it, Gerard.”
“Naturally. But what do you want to do? Jaegar will have covered every opportunity to cause mischief and will stop us in our tracks.”
“I know, but we can't just give up, man! There has to be something.”
“What about getting one of the Griffins on your side? They're cunning creatures and they're on your side!”
He shook his head. “I wish it were possible, but it isn't. If they leave the grounds then they could be in danger and while I'm willing to do practically anything to get Isabeau back here, I can't put one of the few Griffins alive in danger, when their help would be of no aid to us at all.”
“Did you see how many men were on his land, then?”
“No, damn it. I tried but I was lucky to even be let free. Time is on our side. If Jaegar wishes to go through with this farce of a wedding then he'll attempt to do so at sunset tomorrow. That's the only time a Sidhe can take power from the setting sun and the rising moon. He'll need it and every ounce of his power to try and bind her to him.”
“I thought you said she was your mate?” Gerard asked with a frown.
Wolfe lifted his hand and scrubbed the back of his neck with it. “She is.”
“Then no amount of power can reverse that, surely?”
“No. But we're not bound. With power from the Earth, he can force a binding.”
“Against her will!”
“It depends on a few factors and I have no idea whether those variables are in his favor or mine. He's damned powerful and you know what Sidhes are like. They gain power as they age. He's not only older than me but can manipulate air. The ring Isabeau wears, well, it should scorch his skin. But can he use air to cushion that burn? Perhaps protect himself from its damage?” he said to the room at large. Stalking over to the drinks table, he poured himself a brandy and felt the burn as it scorched its path down his throat.
“Sidhe magic can't be used in that fashion,” Gerard denied blankly.
“He must have some clue as to how he can force it, otherwise why try?”
“Wolfe, you're forgetting that he doesn't know you're her mate! You were seeking Isabeau – or more specifically the ring bearer – for the legend and the fact that she can offset what the Milesians did to you. We don't actually know why Jaegar wants her.”
“I always just assumed that he wanted the ring bearer for the same reason as I did,” Wolfe inserted with a frown.
“Since when has Jaegar done anything in the way we expected?”
“I know, but nothing else makes sense.”
“Jaegar has a severe superiority complex and is sensitive to his past. More than likely, he wants merely to be bound to the ring bearer for the prestige it brings. She's one of the most powerful Sidhes on the Earth, Wolfe. Don't forget that. In his case, being joined with her, offsets the shame your father placed on his name by casting aspersions on his paternity!”
“And if I have her, and join with her, then not only do I have what he considers his as father's eldest child, but I have the power of the ring bearer for my own and under a name he probably detests.”
“Exactly. You two have been involved in far too many squabbles that you've lost sight of who and what makes the other function. Look, we need to go in with force. How many men took you?”
“Twelve,” Wolfe replied after thinking about Gerard's question.
“Then he'll more than likely have at least two times that on guard.”
“All right then, we shall go with thirty six. Call them and arrange for them to be ready within the hour. We can camp in the outer wood just off Jaegar's property. It's dark in there and we should be safe until tomorrow.”
“Pistols or swords?”
Wolfe shot him a look. “Both. We take whatever we can to beat Jaegar and crush him into the dirt. If he's...if he has raped her, then I will kill him Gerard. And feel no pain or shame.” He finished by holding a hand up as though to stave off Gerard's reply.
“If he's raped her, Wolfe, then I will help you.”
Wolfe nodded his head, silently thanking him for that support and spun around to run up to his bedchamber and the armory, where the castle stored its weapons.
****
Three young men lay lax on the floor. A scent of illness seemed to permeate the room and that, combined with the thinness of their bodies marked this chamber as a sick room of sorts.
There was a young dark-haired boy, an older boy with a similar visage and then a dark blond lad. Their hair was lank and greasy and merely augmented the suspicion that they were all suffering with some kind of ailment.
A jolting sound echoed from the door and the eldest boy shot up away from the bed and sent a pointed look to the other two, who swiftly nodded and whose bodies became impossibly limper. They were almost sprawled on the bed now and their heads were turned to an uncomfortable angle; so close to their collarbones were they.
