Shades of Winter

by Linda Fallon

  “I am,” she whispered. “I am very, very ordinary.”

  “I don’t think so. Neither does Lucien.”

  She swallowed hard. “Is this man still Lucien?” He looked like Lucien, spoke with Lucien’s voice … but inside, where it counted the most, someone or something else was taking hold.

  “Let’s see.” Hugh stepped around her and reached out, moving cautiously so as not to wake Lucien. He had tried to lay his hand on Lucien earlier, but could not get close enough without alarming his subject. Scrydan didn’t want Hugh or O’Hara to touch Lucien and perhaps see too much. Before Hugh’s hand reached Lucien’s bare shoulder, the sleeping man’s eyes snapped open.

  “Don’t touch me, old man,” Lucien said in a husky voice. Newly awakened eyes that were much too bright turned to Eve. The lips smiled, the eyes did not. “What’s he doing here? And why aren’t you in bed?” He scooted over, making room for her beside him.

  Eve shook her head slowly. Her greatest fear was coming true, and there was nothing she could do. “You’re not Lucien.”

  “Of course I am, lover.” His smile widened into a wide grin. “You know that well.” He looked her up and down. “You know me very well,” he said suggestively. “Every inch of the body, every desire buried in the heart.”

  She knew without doubt that this man was not Lucien. He was a monster inside the shell of the man she loved. Lucien would never say anything to embarrass her in front of Hugh or anyone else.

  And he called it the body, the heart. Not my body, not my heart.

  Not only had this creature taken over Lucien’s body, he was a very real danger to everyone in this hotel. As soon as he was strong enough, would he kill them all?

  Buster came into the room, a length of twisted rope in his hands. Lucien’s smile died, as he eyed the rope.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” he said softly.

  “I’m sorry, Lucien, it’s for the best and you know it,” Hugh said calmly.

  Lucien jumped out of the bed and grabbed Eve, pulling her back against his bare chest with one arm around her waist and the other at her throat. His body continued to be warm, much warmer than it should have been. His touch almost burned her. “Come one step closer, and I’ll kill her.” The hand at her throat tightened.

  For a moment, Hugh hesitated. Then he took that one step. “I don’t think you will. You’re not strong enough physically, not yet, and enough of Lucien still lives inside you to protect Eve. He loves her. He will protect her with his very life.”

  Buster came up on the other side. “Why don’t you just lie down on the bed, nice and easy, and let us do what we have to do. I can tie a knot that won’t hurt you none, and you can just go on back to sleep until Mr. Felder here decides what to do about this.”

  “You expect me to lie down and allow you to bind me?” Lucien asked. “No. Not ever.” He tried to tighten the grip at Eve’s throat. The fingers flexed and then loosened. She felt his frustration in the way he pressed his body to hers, in the way his muscles twitched. His fingers tightened and then, with a jerk, went slack. The arm at her waist held her firmly against his too-warm body.

  In a fit of rage Lucien tossed her aside and went after Hugh. He pushed her so vigorously she fell to the floor, getting tangled in her full skirt and petticoat.

  “Stop it!” Eve shouted as she scrambled to her feet. He hadn’t been able to hurt her, but he seemed to have no qualms about taking Hugh’s throat in his hands and squeezing tight. “Lucien!”

  Buster dropped the rope and tried to force himself between Hugh and Lucien, hoping to break the hold Lucien had on Hugh’s throat. The three of them struggled, and Buster was partially successful. Lucien stopped attacking Hugh just long enough to push Buster to the floor.

  Those downstairs in the lobby surely heard the commotion. Eve heard footsteps running up the stairs, excited exclamations and questions. They were going to come in here and see what was happening, and something bad would happen, she knew it. Garrick had a gun, didn’t he? He usually did, and he and Buster had gone hunting. What if he had that gun in his hands and he shot Lucien? There would be no saving him, then.

  Eve grabbed the candle from the dresser. She moved so quickly the flame was extinguished as she swung it up and around, and hit Lucien on the back of the head with the heavy pewter candle holder.

  Lucien went very still, just as O’Hara and Lionel reached the open doorway. He dropped his hands, turned to look at Eve and the candlestick in her hand, and muttered a weak “Why?” as he dropped to the floor.

  In that instant, it had been Lucien in control. Lucien wondering why she had hit him on the back of the head. She’d seen the truth in his eyes. He didn’t remember threatening her, trying to kill Hugh, pushing Buster aside. Eve watched the misty scene before her through tears. “I didn’t kill him, did I?”

  “No,” Hugh said softly. He turned to O’Hara and Lionel as they rushed into the room. “Let’s get Lucien onto the bed and tie him up before he comes to.”

  “You’re sure he’s going to be all right?” Eve asked as the four men lifted an unconscious Lucien and laid him on the bed.

  “I’m sure,” Hugh assured her, though he didn’t sound confident. “He’ll have a lump on the back of his head, and a nasty headache, but he’ll be fine.”

  Buster worked quickly, taking the sections of rope he had tossed aside when he’d rushed to Hugh’s defense and using them to tie Lucien to the bed. Hands first, the left and then the right. A section of rope was knotted at the wrist, then tied tightly to the post at the headboard. Buster left a little slack in the rope, so that Lucien had a small range of motion. Still, his arms were opened wide; he was horribly exposed and vulnerable. The feet were next, ankles to posts at the footboard. Again, Buster left a little slack in the rope, so that Lucien would not be motionless. He should be able to sit or lie flat, but would have little range of motion in either position.

  As Buster tied the last knot, Lucien opened his eyes. When he laid those pained eyes on Eve, thick tears dribbled down her cheeks. She expected an angry outburst, an accusation, a faintly whispered “Why?” but Lucien just stared at her.

  “What did I do, Evie?” he asked, and she knew it wasn’t Scrydan she was talking to, but her own beloved Lucien.

  “You tried to kill Hugh,” she said softly.

  Lucien closed his eyes. “It wasn’t me, you have to believe that.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  Hugh glanced down skeptically. After a moment, he laid his hand on Lucien’s bare shoulder. He sighed in relief. “There’s more Lucien than Scrydan, at the moment. I wish I could untie you …”

  “No!” Lucien said. “Don’t. Not until you find a way to get him out of me. Permanently.”

  No one liked seeing Lucien bound this way, least of all her. But as Lucien said, until they found a way to safely get Scrydan out, they had no choice. Still, Eve looked down at him and sniffled. She wanted to cry out loud, to set him free and drag him out of this hotel, but she couldn’t. She was horribly powerless. She reached out and touched his hand.

  “Evie,” he said, looking directly at her and attempting a small smile that didn’t quite work. “Would you go downstairs and get me something to drink? I don’t care what it is. Water, cider, cold coffee. My throat is dry.”

  “Of course,” Eve dropped her hand and rushed into the hallway, not only anxious to do as Lucien asked, but eager to get out of the room. Just for a few minutes.

  She stopped long before she reached the stairway, closing her eyes and swaying on her feet. How incredibly stupid she was! Lucien had gotten rid of her for a reason. Why would he be so eager to get her out of the room? She turned and retraced her steps, slow and soft so no one would hear. She heard Lucien’s voice as she neared his room, a low whisper she could not decipher.

  “No,” Hugh said insistently. “You can’t ask me to do that.”

  “You might have no choice,” Lucien said calmly. “No matter what, we can’t all
ow Scrydan to walk out of this hotel. If things continue to spiral downward, you may have to kill me in order to kill him. All I ask is that you make it quick, and that you don’t let Eve watch.”

  Eve’s knees went weak, and she leaned against the wall to keep from sinking to the floor.

  Daisy shot to her feet when she heard footsteps on the stairs. When the commotion had started above stairs, O’Hara had ordered Garrick to stay with her and Katherine, and then he and Lionel had run up the stairs to see what had happened.

  It wasn’t O’Hara on the stairs, though, it was Eve. A pale-faced, trembling Eve who held onto the banister as if she might fall without that support.

  “What’s wrong?” Daisy asked as she rushed to the foot of the stairs to meet Eve.

  “They tied him up,” she said in a low, croaking voice. “They tied Lucien up there on the bed. I hit him,” she said. “I hit him on the head with a candlestick and knocked him out. I had no choice, truly I didn’t, but what if he never forgives me?”

  Daisy took Eve’s arm and led her to the sofa. The poor woman needed to sit before she fell! “You’re not making any sense,” she said calmly. “Take a deep breath, relax, and tell me what happened.”

  Eve plopped down on the couch by Katherine, leaving room for Daisy on the other side. The full skirt of her ruined wedding gown twisted and crinkled around her. “He wasn’t Lucien when I hit him,” she said weakly. “But he was going to kill Hugh! What else could I have done?”

  Daisy sat beside Eve and laid a hand on her arm. “I’m sure you only did what you had to do.”

  “I need to get him something to drink.” Eve stood too quickly, swayed, and then plopped down again. “He’s thirsty.”

  “He can wait a few minutes, while you rest.”

  Garrick stood before the couch and looked down at the three ladies. “Lucien really tried to kill Hugh?”

  “It wasn’t Lucien!” Eve insisted. “It was that … that damned Scrydan.” Her fear faded and her face flushed with anger. “What if we can never get him out? What if Lucien is never Lucien again?”

  “That won’t happen,” Daisy said in a serene voice. “And Eve, remember what O’Hara said. This thing feeds on fear. Don’t let him draw strength from yours. When this is all over, Lucien will be himself again. Everything will be fine. We’ll go back to Plummerville and you two will get married, and everyone will live happily ever after.”

  Eve took a deep breath. “You’re right. I can’t be afraid. I can’t be angry.” She laid her red eyes on Daisy. “I’ll try, but it won’t be easy.” Her lower lip trembled. “It’s the worst possible fear,” she whispered, “losing Lucien.”

  Daisy took Eve’s hand. “I know.”

  “I love him so much. I love him so much that he’s a part of me. If anything happens …”

  Katherine and Garrick watched, saying nothing. Did they too believe this excursion would end in disaster? By the expressions on their faces … Daisy thought yes.

  “Don’t think of the worst,” Daisy said. “Think of how wonderful the wedding will be, when we get back to Plummerville. If this Scrydan feeds off of fear, maybe happy thoughts and love will make him weak.”

  “I suppose,” Eve said with a sniffle.

  “You’re the strongest woman I have ever known,” Daisy said. “Be strong now.” She was trying to be strong herself, but it was not an attribute that came naturally to her. She hid from confrontation. When the going got rough, she ran away. She didn’t take chances, she was never courageous. Courage and bravery only led to disaster, for her.

  “When we get back to Plummerville, I think we should change the Plummerville Ghost Society to something more ordinary,” she suggested. “A garden club, perhaps, or a historical society.”

  “There’s already a garden club and a historical society,” Eve answered.

  “A pie club, then,” Daisy suggested. “After this, I don’t think I want to speak of ghosts ever again!”

  “A pie club?” Katherine asked, incredulous.

  “We do all like pie,” Garrick said. “I wouldn’t mind being the president of a pie society. Daisy, you’ll have to embroider us all new hankies. The Plummerville Pie Society. PPS.” He grinned, in an attempt at levity, but it wasn’t his usual devil-may-care smile.

  They had tried to lighten the mood, but tension still hung in the air. There were no easy answers, not tonight. Daisy was relieved when she heard O’Hara’s footsteps on the stairs.

  “Come on, Garrick,” Katherine said as she came to her feet. “Let’s go make some good, strong coffee. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.” She headed for the kitchen, and Garrick followed her.

  Eve lifted her chin to look at O’Hara. “Is he okay?”

  O’Hara nodded. “He didn’t much like me laying my hands on him, but physically, he’ll be fine.”

  “What did you see?”

  O’Hara waited. “Not much more than I saw when I touched you. Scrydan’s hiding, but he’s still there.”

  “And Lucien?” Eve asked. “Is he still there? Will he ever be the same again?”

  “He’s there,” O’Hara said softly. “And he needs you. I know it’s hard, but if you’re able you really should be in the room with him.”

  Eve nodded and stood. The skirt of her wedding gown rustled, and as she ran a hand through her hair a pin came loose and dropped to the sofa, and a thick strand of honey-brown hair fell to her shoulder. With a sigh she removed the last of the pins and tossed them onto an end table, shaking her hair loose.

  “I’m going to gather some extra candles,” O’Hara said, following Eve to the stairway. “We don’t have many left, not enough to get through the night. There must be some around here somewhere.”

  Daisy leapt to her feet. “Wait! I don’t want to stay here all by myself.” She tried not to be afraid, but at this point her greatest fear was being alone in this hotel.

  “Come with me, then,” O’Hara said with a half smile.

  This time yesterday, she would have heartily refused to go anywhere with O’Hara. But things had changed, as they so often do. She was safer with O’Hara than without him, and heaven help her, she was actually beginning to like him. A little.

  Lucien tried to make himself comfortable on the bed, sitting up with his back to the headboard and his arms and legs spread wide. Lionel, Hugh, and Buster stood silent guard, and no one came close to the bed. They were all naturally uncomfortable, especially since he had ordered them to kill him if it came down to it. Scrydan could not be allowed to leave this place.

  Eve came through the door, much too pale and trying to hide the fact that she trembled when she looked at him.

  She’d let her hair down. He loved her hair when it was loose, waving over her shoulders and down her back, thick and silky. She usually only let her hair down late at night, when they went to bed. That’s when she was his completely. And he might never be able to touch her again.

  “Katherine and Garrick are making coffee,” she said softly.

  “Good,” he said, trying his best to sound as if this situation was anything near normal. “I could use a cup.”

  “I think we all could,” Hugh said.

  Lucien tried to smile at Eve. “You’ll have to hold mine for me,” he teased, wiggling his useless fingers.

  Eve was not comforted. Her lower lip trembled, and so did her hands. “I don’t like this,” she whispered. “Can’t we let him go?” she looked pleadingly at Hugh. “We’ll keep a close eye on him. Scrydan usually comes while he’s asleep, right? We can let Lucien go for a while and then tie him up when he falls asleep.”

  “No,” Lucien said. Hugh and Lionel echoed the refusal.

  “It’s too risky,” Hugh added.

  Eve nodded her head and walked to the single chair in the room. She sat as if she needed to get off her feet. Perhaps she did.

  “I’m sorry,” Lucien said. “You know I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”

  “I know.”
r />   “This is for the best, until we find a way to eradicate Scrydan.” He didn’t tell her that the only way to eradicate Scrydan might be to allow him to take over Lucien completely, and then kill him before he grew too strong.

  He didn’t tell her that, but he suspected she already knew.

  “It’s going to be a long night,” Hugh said practically. “I suggest we get prepared. You two,” he said, turning to Lionel and Buster. “Make sure there’s plenty of firewood in the lobby. I think we should all stay there tonight.”

  “Are we going to try to move Lucien down the stairs?” Buster asked.

  “I don’t know,” Hugh said, turning to Lucien once again. “This is still the quietest room in the hotel, when it comes to supernatural energy. It would be best if he stays here until we decide how to proceed. We’ll build up the fire,” he added, nodding to the low burning flames in the fireplace. “Lucien, Eve, and I will stay here.”

  “You don’t seem to have any kind of weapon on you,” Buster said in his soft, kind voice.

  “No,” Hugh answered. “Of course not.”

  Buster drew a long, narrow-bladed knife from a sheath that hung from his belt. “This isn’t much, but if you need to cut the ropes or something,” his face turned beet red. They all knew what that something might be. When Hugh refused to take the knife, Buster laid it on the dresser. The thud of the heavy metal on wood reverberated through the room.

  That awkward moment past, Lionel and Buster left the room. Hugh turned to Eve and tried to smile. They were all trying to comfort her, but nothing seemed to be working. She was too smart to be comforted at a time like this.

  Lucien heard the front door close, as Lionel and Buster left the hotel to do as Hugh had asked. They had gathered and cut wood that afternoon, but they’d need to bring in plenty to get through the night.

  Doors up and down the second floor hallway opened and then closed softly, the sounds of movement coming steadily closer. Chattering voices, one male and one female, drifted into the room. A moment later Daisy and O’Hara passed by, barely peeking in as they walked on. Lucien heard them whispering conspiratorially, and a moment later there were a pair of footsteps on the stairway that led to the third floor.