Heart of Darkness

by Jaide Fox

  Why, as soon as she'd heard the voice, she hadn't realized that it was Wolfe, Isabeau would never know. But she had to concede that as soon as she saw him, her heart began to flutter with relief.

  Either this particular room absorbed sound or Wolfe had managed to defeat Jaegar's men at arms almost silently!

  Her eyes were so focused on Wolfe that until Jaegar gasped and crumpled to the floor, she did not even see the whistling, silver tipped bolt sail through the air with a deadly accuracy that toppled Jaegar's arrogance and pierced his flesh.

  “What have you done, you fool?” Jaegar gasped and clutched at his stomach, wrenching the arrow out of himself with a spurt of blood.

  “Nothing you wouldn't have done in my place,” Wolfe retorted and strode deeper into the chapel, his crossbow at his side, notched with another bolt. “Isabeau, throw me your ring.”

  With a frown of confusion, she complied by tossing him the piece of jewelry. He slipped it on the tip of his finger, as far down the digit as its size would allow and showed no signs of pain as had Jaegar.

  Wolfe held up his hand and moved directly in front of Jaegar, before wiggling his fingers in front of his half-brother's face. “Permit me a moment of conjecture--the ring burned you, Jaegar?” he asked and ignored his brother's gasp of pain, by placing the ring against Jaegar's hand. “Don't answer, conserve your strength, oh brother mine, for I have the truth.”

  “You know not of what you speak, Wolfe,” Jaegar gasped. “How did you even enter my home? My guards, they're...”

  “Injured, some dead,” Wolfe replied coldly. “They should not have stood in the way of a Sidhe and his mate.”

  Isabeau looked on in horror as she saw a side of Wolfe that she could not deny, had known existed, but the bitterness he exuded hurt something inside her.

  “Wolfe, it need not be this way,” she inserted quickly. “Give me the ring and I can heal Jaegar.”

  He looked up at her before his gaze slid down to Jaegar. “Why should I?”

  “Because, no matter what, he's your brother, Wolfe.”

  “Jaegar stopped being a brother, when he planned our escape from the Milesians, Isabeau. And he stole my mate. Has he hurt you?” he asked, his voice a hiss of fury.

  “No. No!” she said hurriedly.

  “Then that is a point in his favor. Do you want to live, Jaegar?” he asked, his voice tinged with fury.

  Jaegar's face had turned pinched and drawn. His lips were a tight white and his jaw was clenched so tightly that all of the sinews in his face and neck were prominently on display.

  “Of course, I want to win, Wolfe. You think I want to die?” the injured man spat. Despite his obvious pain, there was strength in his voice that was fueled by his anger.

  “Perhaps I should have you sign some kind of statement. One that ensures you leave my mate and I alone?!”

  “I-I didn't know you were her mate.”

  “Liar! Of course, you did! As soon as I rubbed the ring against your hand, I knew that it wasn't the first time you'd felt it. Yet you were still forcing her to marry you. Why do you hate me so much? Hmm?” Wolfe asked interestedly, as though he were asking a question about the garden and not one that had caused a welter of pain.

  Sudden footsteps sounded in the doorway to the castle and Gerard, Wolfe's agent ran inside. He almost skidded to a halt as he processed the scene in front of him and Isabeau gulped at the amount of blood that covered his clothes. Wolfe had obviously done the bare minimum to gain entry here and left his men to fight those outside while he came after her.

  Into the silent chapel, Gerard murmured, “Jaegar's men have been secured, Wolfe.”

  “Ah Gerard, old friend,” Jaegar gasped mockingly.

  “You turned my allegiance away, Jaegar. Don't pretend otherwise!” Gerard spat. “Have you hurt her? Raped her?”

  Isabeau shrieked, frustrated. “Gerard! You're making this worse!” She blew out a rough breath and murmured, “Wolfe, having Jaegar's death on your hands won't make you feel any better. I don't know what's happened between the two of you since you escaped the Milesians, but I'm willing to guess that it has all been blown out of proportion! Neither of you have to die for the past to be resolved. Let me heal him, Wolfe.”

  Wolfe shook his head and repeated Gerard;s earlier question, “Has he raped you, Isabeau? Tell me truthfully.”

  “No! Do you think I'd be fighting to save him?” she retorted, and crossed her fingers behind her back as she had done as a child, when she had told an untruth.

  Jaegar might not have raped her, but had she been pregnant and had he succeeded in marrying her, he would have done something equally as abhorrent by forcing her to lose the child.

  Regardless of the other man's intentions and regardless of what Jaegar himself had intended, she could not let him die. It was not in her nature.

  Unfortunately, it appeared that Wolfe knew her far better than she'd thought. “Yes. Of course, you would. You're far too kind for your own good, Isabeau. This man has been a thorn in my side for the last twelve years!”

  “Is the tedium of being tested enough to allow him to die?”

  “The plans and paths I've taken to find you were trebled in their difficulty, because of him. I could have found you years ago! Could have found you when your parents were alive and could have ensured their safety and yours, were it not for this bastard. Do you know how many times I've almost found you? Twenty times in the last two years alone! But each time I had to double check and hide my path from this man and because of that, I've suffered unnecessary time in the dark and you have lost your parents! You have lost your security. You have been forced to travel around this country as though you were some damned nomad, and all because he is akin to a spoiled brat!”

  “He didn't kill my parents, Wolfe,” she murmured gently. “The Milesians did. They're your enemy, and they're mine and his too. Jaegar doesn't deserve to die.”

  “Yes, listen to the woman, Wolfe,” Jaeger said mockingly.

  “Damn it to hell, Jaegar. Do you want to die?” she cried. “Why incite him into doing what he wants anyway?”

  “Defiant to the end,” he replied cuttingly. His insolence infuriated her.

  “Wolfe! Give me your hand,” she demanded and when he hesitated, glared at him. “You can't tell me that you want to murder him. Tisn't in your nature, no matter what you'd like to say or think. Let the bloody-minded bastard live and suffer from what you've taken from him.” She paused to let that sink in, then finished, “Me.”

  When he still looked undecided and unconvinced by her argument, Isabeau bent forward and grabbed his hand and tugged at his fingers. She slapped his palm, when he tried to pull free of her grip but she cried out, self-congratulatory, as she managed to free the ring from his grip.

  “Too many people have died, Wolfe. My parents and yours. I could be pregnant--we need to focus on the living and not on death.”

  His lips pursed and his jaw was set and appeared akin to granite.

  “Let me heal him,” she pleaded, with her eyes and tone of voice.

  “Why is it so important to you? He abducted you!”

  She snorted. “What did you do? Should I kill you because you abducted me too? You can't kill someone because he's been a thorn in your side!”

  Wolfe jumped to his feet at that and grunted, “Heal him then, if you must!”

  “As gracious as ever,” she teased and managed, dear lord! To have his lips twitching. “You know I'm right, Wolfe.”

  “Perhaps I do, but that doesn't mean I have to be content with your choice.”

  “You'd best heal him, Isabeau. He's lost a lot of blood,” Gerard pointed out.

  Isabeau nodded and quickly dropped to her knees. Her nose wrinkled at the stench of blood and the amount that had escaped Jaegar's body and flooded the floor.

  “Tis a stomach wound too. You almost had your wish, my friend,” Gerard remarked.

  Swiftly, Isabeau rested a hand on Jaegar's damp forehead and t
hen at the top of his breastbone. She winced as she felt how the ritual had drained her power, but coaxed her reserves to fill the empty channels of the onyx minerals and let it power through him. Until she'd healed Wolfe, she had not known she could do this but after fighting for Jaegar's life, she did not intend to lose the battle now.

  Perhaps she should have been equally as blood-thirsty as Jaegar had been. Immoral and uncaring, but it was not in her nature. As Wolfe had said, she could be too kind for her own good but that was a failing she was content to have.

  Slowly but surely, she felt her power begin to recede from Jaegar's body, as though he were taking what he needed to close the wound properly. He gasped when her power left him and shot up from the waist to gulp in air as though he had not taken a deep enough breath since he'd been struck.

  Clutching his stomach, Jaegar rolled upwards at the hip and shot a glare at her.

  “Is that the thanks I get?” she asked with a cocked brow.

  “I don't need anyone to help me!”

  “Oh yes, it really appeared that way! How can you stare death in the face and still be defiant?”

  Jaegar shrugged and Wolfe scoffed at his half-brother's gesture. “Perhaps, you should learn to appreciate what you have, Jaegar.”

  “And what's that, Wolfe? A title- wait, I don't have that. A reputation, no, nor that. Money, yes. Power, no. Love or a mate? Definitely not. But wait, does the man who has taken my role in life have all of that? Indeed, he does! Do you think I should be happy about that?”

  “Jaegar, I always had that. I'm not pleased or happy about it, damn it! Father was completely in the wrong to go about it the way he did. I don't deny it, but what can I do about it? The estate, all of it, is entailed!”

  “There's nothing you can do. And the fact that you want to do something, does not make it better. Futility makes me bitter, Wolfe. Can't you understand that?” he hissed.

  Isabeau interceded, “Of course, he can and so can I, but do you think it's fair to blame Wolfe? Your father's behavior, right or wrong, has nothing to do with Wolfe. Can't you take solace from the fact that were it not for your desire to compete with him, he would wish to be your family?”

  “No. Call me small-minded, but that is what life has made me!” He shook his head and rolled to his knees and then struggled to his feet.

  They looked on as he walked out of the chamber, as bitter and as unhappy as ever and there was naught, not even a second chance at life, that could change that.

  Almost as though his absence lifted something from the atmosphere, she instantly ran to Wolfe and was accepted into his embrace with a willingness and welcome that had her heart fluttering. As close as they were, it simply wasn't enough and she shuddered as she realized that now, she was safe.

  With her face tucked against his chest, she mumbled, “Mate?”

  “I thought it strange that you hadn't heard that,” he teased, his voice sounded lighter than it had done earlier, but she was not fooled. There was still gravity there that told her, while he'd wanted and contemplated Jaegar's death, to see his brother so hurt and so damaged by his long-dead father's behavior had truly hurt him. La, what a complicated relationship they had!

  “When did you want me to plague you with questions?” she asked, her lips pursed to hide her smile.

  She jumped on to tip toes and pressed a kiss to his mouth, one that he instantly took full advantage of, by swiping his tongue along her parted lips and seeking entrance.

  She moaned into his mouth as their lips joined and felt her lungs begin to burn as she sought pleasure rather than air. He was the first to break away and he murmured, “Give me your ring.”

  Dazedly, she complied and watched as he tugged off a signet ring that she'd seen many a time and realized that he was about to incite the same ritual as Jaegar had attempted what felt like a lifetime ago, but was, in reality, only thirty or forty minutes ago!

  Isabeau licked her lips as he took her hand and gently led her to the altar, where he removed Jaegar's ring with a scowl and replaced it with both of theirs. She pressed her finger to the rim and he did the same. Even though she felt exhausted, this was one ceremony that she would not shy away from, not when it offered what she wanted most in the world. For them to be joined!

  It was almost more than she could believe.

  While she'd thought her power to be almost exhausted, it seemed that simply being with Wolfe, having kissed him and feeling the buzzing sensation of the thought of being wed to him, increased her power.

  Be it by Sidhe lore or human, she did not care. It was more than she had ever hoped for and it was coming true. After the despair of last night and the horror of it, to feel that lovely warmth of hope again made tears choke her throat.

  She flooded all of her reserves into the ring and watched as his ring and hers began to glow. Licking her lips, for she was unsure of what happened next, Isabeau watched as his fingers dipped into the bowl and pulled out both items of jewelry. When they were out of the bowl, she noticed that the glowing lights were different hues. His gleamed with a bright whiteness and hers with a pinkish brilliance.

  He placed them on his smallest finger and then closed his eyes. Isabeau watched in amazement as the two metals began to change and merged into an identical color. Wolfe's eyes popped open again and he slowly removed both rings and then placed them on her left hand and he directed, “Channel your power into the stone again.”

  She swallowed and as she bit her lip, closed her eyes and let her magick rush into the onyx once again. A strange heat assailed her. Neither searing nor enough to warm her body, merely there. Present and yet apart from herself.

  It was a soothing balm and filled her with a restful serenity that she had not felt for a long, long time. Since she'd last been with her parents to be precise.

  Slowly, she looked at Wolfe and then the rings and noticed that the two different golds had been forever tempered into an identical shade. She blinked at that and then inwardly shrugged, for there was much about the Sidhe ways that were complex and confusing to her. Far too many for her to ask Wolfe about, as she would forever be asking questions!

  She shrugged it off and then lifted her gaze to meet his.

  “Are we mates now?”

  “We were always mates. But now, we are bound, yes.”

  “You knew when we first met?”

  He hesitated. “Almost.”

  “You knew yet you did not use it to persuade me? I'm not sure whether or not I should be happy or sad about that!”

  “I did not want to use that to sway you. It would not have been your choice then, but something that you would have felt you had to do.”

  “It would have been much easier for you, that is certain! Perhaps I would not have tried to escape!”

  “I'm sure you would have done,” he remarked with a smile. Before he continued talking to her, he tilted his head to the side and directed at Gerard, who if she were honest, she had completely forgotten about, and murmured, “Leave us for the moment, Gerard. We will be out in a few moments.”

  “Of course,” Gerard said and Isabeau heard the door open once more and then close.

  “Yesterday, did I hear you correctly, Isabeau?”

  “In what regard?” she asked with a slight frown.

  He raised his hand and smoothed down his eyebrow with his index finger. Her eye was caught on his differently hued ring, which still held an effervescent light. “You said that you loved me.”