They walked toward the angel statue. Flowers still bloomed around the fountain. Their fragrance perfumed the air and gave the scene a romantic feeling unlike anything she’d experienced in Berner so far. Under the pink and orange sky, with shadows falling across the angel’s time-weathered face, it almost looked peaceful.
She tilted her head as she studied the angel’s placid expression. “You know, maybe we should reconsider that statue and replace it with a different one.”
“What would that be?” he asked.
“I was thinking three brothers. If it wasn’t for you, there wouldn’t be a town here. There might not be a territory. You’re heroes.”
Eban made a sour face. “I don’t want to be a hero. I don’t want people knowing I played a part in banishing a prince of Hell.”
“What do you want then?”
“A simple life in a peaceful place where I can love the woman of my dreams and raise children without the worry that darkness is coming for any of them. I want what my father hoped for.” He slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket. When he drew it out again, a gold ring with a glittering diamond was nestled between his thumb and pointer finger. “I want you, Beryl.”
Her breath caught. The diamond winked like a beacon in the fading light. Her heart pounded as she raised her gaze to his. “Really?”
“I’d do anything to protect you, anything to make you mine. You can think about it if you need to. Berner isn’t much, not yet. I’m not even a proper doctor, but that aside, I love you.” He held out the ring. “You can take it if you want while you think about it.”
She pulled the warm metal from his fingers and held it at eye level. “It’s beautiful.”
“Not really. It’s nothing compared to you.” His eyes were luminous, so bright they looked as though they’d been painted by a skilled artist. “It’s a symbol of my devotion for you, the first of many, if you’ll bind your life to mine.”
“I don’t need anything except you.” She slid the ring on anyway, pleased at the fit that hugged her finger perfectly. “Just the words that will make us man and wife. Well, and children. I want beautiful boys and girls with Heckmaster blue eyes.”
“We’ll give them something to live for in Berner. The way my parents wanted to do for us. I wish…” He sighed.
“They were here to see it. Don’t worry, I think they know. Your mother would be proud of you for holding your demon side back so long. She must have believed there would be good in her children despite their heritage. And if Azazel was telling the truth, we may see your father again.” She covered his hand with hers. “He’ll be proud of what we’ve accomplished here in so little time.”
“It’s home,” Eban admitted. “As much as I’ve wanted to leave this place and never look back, I wouldn’t feel right about it. I don’t need a big-city life. Everything I need is here. You are, and I see the way you’ve fallen in love with the strange place. Wystan and Tell are two very serious pains in my ass, but I wouldn’t want any other men at my back in times of trouble.”
“Don’t call your brothers pains. You’re lucky to have them.” She squeezed his hand. “I appreciate everything they’ve done for you. We wouldn’t be here without them. They’ve fought and lost the same things you have.”
“Wys and Tell didn’t believe you were still there when Rosemar had control.” A fact that never ceased to bring a troubled look to his face. “I don’t know if they believed I was still me.”
“They did. They’d never give up on you and I don’t think they’ll give up on me so easily next time. I don’t think they want to risk making you that unhappy again either. This time there won’t be an angel to hold you back. Even if the worst happens, then I’ll be happy knowing you loved me as much as I love you.” She caressed his face. “We all know nothing is forever. We’ll make the most of what we have together. Whether it’s peace or strife, I want to share it with you.”
Beryl stretched on her tiptoes to reach his mouth. He met her halfway there and warmth flushed through her when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Wholly inappropriate behavior given their attempts to become a proper town, but she loved him for breaking the rules of propriety for her.
A giggle interrupted her thoughts.
Sylvie perched on the edge of the fountain. “Should I tell Rhia we need to start planning another wedding?”
“Little brat,” Eban muttered under his breath.
Beryl elbowed him. “If it’ll get us some privacy, you can run and tell her right now.”
“You’re not exactly hiding out here in view of the whole town.” Sylvie grinned. “Anybody could happen along and see you two. Are you getting married since the Pit is closed?”
Beryl glanced at Eban. “You’ll have to forgive me, Sylvie. I know you wanted to marry Eban, but I’m afraid he’s fallen in love with me.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t mind. I have big plans to open my own dress shop. I can’t get married yet and I wouldn’t want to make Eban wait for me.” Sylvie’s grin grew and she nodded behind them. “Besides, there’s still one more Heckmaster to tame.”
Beryl looked over her shoulder when she heard whistling. Tell was leading his horse into town. He touched his battered hat in greeting when he saw them looking his way. He winked—was that directed at Sylvie?
“I don’t think Tell’s the settling-down type,” Eban said. “You’ll have plenty of prospects when you’re old enough if we can convince more people to move to town.”
She shrugged. “We’ll see.”
Beryl met Eban’s gaze. Once Sylvie latched on to an idea, she didn’t seem to want to let it go. If she had Tell in mind for a potential groom someday, Beryl pitied him. Pretty as she was, Sylvie would have suitors falling at her feet if the town grew as much as they hoped. But if anyone could tame a Heckmaster, why not Sylvie Duke?
Tell stopped beside Eban and his easy grin faded a little. He looked between his brother and Beryl then raised his brows as he addressed Sylvie. “These two getting married?”
Sylvie nodded. “Beryl’s going to make the prettiest bride. Everyone in town will be jealous of her marriage to Eban.”
“How did you know we just decided to get married?” Beryl asked.
“It’s what I do. Congratulations.” He slapped Eban on the shoulder. “C’mon, Sylvie. Wys will have a fit if he learns you’re out here by yourself this close to dark.”
“I’m not by myself.” She rolled her eyes. “These two are here and so are you.”
“These two obviously rather wish they were out here alone without you pestering them.” He rolled his eyes right back at her. “Girls.”
“Overgrown boys,” she shot back.
“Really?” He reached out and grabbed her then swung her up on the back of his horse. Sylvie laughed, her voice clear as a bell.
As Tell led his horse and Sylvie away, they quibbled at one another.
Beryl smiled at Eban. This was what she wanted for Berner. A place full of happy memories, where people could come and share laughter. She wanted a lifetime of it with Eban.
“Shall we go home?” She tugged his hand.
“I better do a check for monsters. There might be some hiding under your skirt.” He grinned. “Better safe than sorry.”
“Thank goodness I have you to protect me from them.”
“Hey, we Heckmasters were born to protect beautiful maidens from awful creatures that ravage the night. Look how well I’ve done so far.” His expression sobered a little. “I’d walk through fire for you, Beryl.”
“You already have and I’ll never forget it.” She pulled him down the boardwalk toward the clinic. “Now I want you alone, before Sylvie and Tell announce our plans to the whole town.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He squeezed her hand. “You can have me any time you like.”
Her heart leaped at the truth of his words.
Demons, angels, the fallen, whatever life threw at them, she could face it with Eban at her side. Rosemar and Seere might have directed her here, but they didn’t control her fate. They were both gone, but the Heckmasters carried on, the way Seneca had intended with his original sacrifice.
About the Author
A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author, one who writes historical, paranormal and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. When she’s not writing or reading, she hikes in national parks and conservation areas.
Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a BA in mass communications which has gathered dust since Allison determined that she’s better at writing fluff than hard news.
You can find her blog at havenovelwilledit.blogspot.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/allisonmwrites, and Twitter @Allison_Merritt.
Look for these titles by Allison Merritt
Now Available:
The Heckmasters
Wystan
Her search for safety lands her in a totally new kind of danger.
Wystan
© 2014 Allison Merritt
The Heckmasters, Book 1
Certain that an ad for a job in a small New Mexico Territory town is the answer to her prayers, Nebraska schoolteacher Rhia Duke packs her sister into a rickety wagon and heads west.
Except when they reach the near-deserted town, she learns the truth. There is no job, no future, and no welcome in the bleak blue eyes of the handsome sheriff.
The minute Rhia’s runaway team thunders into town, Wystan Heckmaster feels the change in the air. One of three sons of a demon who dared love a human, he keeps watch over a Pit guarded by seven seals, and slays any Hellbound demon that attempts to free the master imprisoned within.
With a gut full of regret and a forgotten town filled with reformed demons, Wystan is certain of one thing: he can’t be the man Rhia needs. But when the truth behind Rhia’s flight from Nebraska comes to light, Wystan must open his soul—and pray there’s enough love between them to overcome the darkness rising from the Pit.
Warning: Contains a take-no-prisoners sheriff, a woman who can’t outrun her supernatural secrets, and a dusty town where hope is as thin as dust in the wind. Author recommends keeping a glass of cool spring water at your elbow while reading.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Wystan:
Wystan Heckmaster slapped his battered Stetson on his head, collected the keys to the jail, then stepped out the door. The first thing he saw was a pretty woman with hair the color of maple sugar—a rich brownish-blonde. The frown on her face spoke volumes, and the air around her pronounced trouble. She made a straight path for him.
“Mr. Heckmaster. Or should I called you Sheriff? Or Mayor? I need to discuss the ad in the Lancaster County Republican with you. Someone placed an ad, but your brother tells me there is no school here. I’m sure there has to be a mistake. There’s only one Berner in New Mexico Territory. I’m very capable at reading maps. If I wasn’t, I would be ashamed to call myself a teacher.”
He doubted she had taken more than two or three breaths during the speech. If she made talking in rambling paragraphs a habit, no wonder she looked so peaked.
“Teacher?” He glanced along the street, but it was deserted as usual. “Lady, we don’t have a school here. Certainly no need of a teacher.”
Her hands balled into fists that settled on her hips. The dress she wore was patched—the egg yolk yellow faded into something even more disgusting. It had little flowers dotting the material, but they looked as worn as her scuffed black boots.
“Then what was the purpose of placing an ad in the Lancaster County Republican?”
She spoke with the fierceness of a mama bear warning predators away from her cubs. Wystan reached into his shirt pocket and drew out a toothpick.
“I didn’t place any ad in any Lancaster County anything.” He looked past her, expecting Eban to saunter up the street. Eban had to be the brother she’d referred to since Tell was still on the trail.
“Someone did,” she insisted. She fished a crumpled and much-folded piece of newsprint out of the pocket hidden by the folds of her skirt. “See? Right here it says, ‘School teacher wanted for spring term at Berner Schoolhouse. Wages paid based on experience. Room and board provided. Apply in person at City Hall, Berner, New Mexico Territory.’ I’m sure my eyes don’t deceive me.”
Wystan stared at the clipping, then back at the woman. A galaxy of freckles spattered across her nose and cheekbones, making her look younger than her eyes said she was. Full figured and sure as shittin’ a grown woman. The wariness and worry darkening her hazel eyes gave her away as one with a lot of trouble on her plate.
“I can read.”
She pulled the ad away from his face, folded it, and returned it to her pocket. “Where would you suggest I look for an explanation, Mr. Heckmaster?”
Fussy little thing. “I assure you that no one in this town did. There’s been a mistake. Sorry to inconvenience you, Miss Schoolteacher. Now turn around and head home.”
A flush colored her cheeks. “I can’t head home! I have no home to return to. My little sister and my friend are waiting at the doctor’s office for me to straighten this mess out. The ad says that room and board will be provided. I’d expected to move into a room, sir.”
“You left them with Eban?” That explained his absence.
“Beryl is ill, Sheriff. This is the first town we’ve seen in days and it was past time for her to get some attention.” Despair crept into her voice.
Wystan shifted his weight and transferred the toothpick to the other side of his mouth. “Eban’s not exactly trained in human medicine.”
The woman’s mouth opened into an O. She shook her head and seemed to regain her senses. “He’s a veterinarian? He seemed certain he could help Beryl.”
Wystan cleared his throat. “Sure, animal doctor. I’m sorry for your misfortune, lady, but as you can see, Berner’s about run into the ground. There’s nothing here for you or your friend. Might be best to move along.”
She seemed to deflate. “Move along.” Her lips moved, softly forming the words, but it was as though she didn’t comprehend them. “We’ll move along, right down the trail into the next town where there won’t be any teaching jobs either. Sylvie, Beryl, and I will starve to death on the side of the road with no one in the world to care.”
The crushing weight of responsibility on her shoulders was almost visible. They slumped under her problems. If he thought she’d looked peaked before, now she looked on the verge of breaking down into tears.
They had secrets in Berner that wouldn’t behoove any outsiders to know. Dangerous things lurked on the streets, things Wystan and his brothers had to mind. This fragile-looking schoolteacher would probably keel over if she had any idea what sort of place she’d stepped into.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry for your trouble, but you’ll have to—”
“Wys, I have a problem at the clinic. The young woman who arrived with Miss Duke needs to stay.” Like an apparition, Eban appeared out of nowhere, his overcoat and waistcoat missing, shirtsleeves rolled up past his elbows. “She’s not going to be comfortable on the trail. The best thing for her would be to rest here.”
Miss Duke turned to Eban. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Pleurisy. If she gets enough rest, she should recover. Right now, your sister is helping her settle in at the clinic. I’ll do everything I can for Miss Brookshier.” Eban turned his candle-bright smile on the schoolteacher.
Wystan frowned. “No.”
Miss Duke gaped. “You can’t refuse to let Beryl stay. It’s Dr. Heckmaster’s clinic.”
He ignored her. “Eban, we’ve talked about this.”
“I
don’t think these women are quite what we talked about, brother.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re refusing to let us stay because we’re women?” Miss Duke put her hands on her hips and glared. “If we were men—”
“I’d say the same thing. It’s nothing to do with you being a woman. It’s because there’s nothing here for you. No work. Your chances of finding some down the road is slim, but it’s better than dying here.” Wystan plucked the toothpick from his mouth and flicked it away. “Eban, give Miss…Brookshier, was it? Give her the medicine you can spare and get that wagon rolling.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Wys.” Eban’s shoulders squared. “In fact, I refuse to let them leave.”
Sometimes being the oldest of three brothers was trying. Wystan clenched his jaw.
“Miss Duke, I need a word with my brother. If you’ll excuse us.” He didn’t wait for her to agree. Grabbing Eban by the arm, he led his brother inside the jail and slammed the door. “What happens when they find out?”
Eban’s gaze dropped. “They won’t.”
“Right now, things are real calm. Easy to control. Tonight…” A humorless laugh left his throat. “How long do you think a sick woman would last in a town like this?”
“You make it sound like there’s no control here. I thought that’s what we were doing. You’re the sheriff. Make it clear these women are protected. Miss Duke’s sister is just a little girl.” Eban’s shoulders tightened visibly. “They’re lucky they made it to town. There’s no way of knowing where Tell is or who’s with him.”
A strong argument, but Wystan stood his ground. “You let them stay one night, they’re gonna want to stay two. We’ve got our hands full already. You know that.”
A glimmer of anger appeared in Eban’s dark-blue eyes. “She’ll die. I don’t want that on my conscience.”
Eban Page 23
