“Forgive me,” he whispered again.
“I will always forgive you.”
A tear leaked from the corner of his eye. “I-I love you Brielle, always … have.” He shuddered, then went limp in my arms. I kissed his forehead, crying as I drew his lids shut. Lucia screamed. I glanced up to see her body convulsing. Her skin wrinkled, while hair fell from her head in clumps. Slowly, her flesh peeled away, drifting to the floor like strips of meat on a butcher’s block. The shrieks died out as the tissue of her lips fell off, then her cheeks, tongue, and jaw. Soon, only a skeleton stared back at me, then her body exploded into a cloud of dust.
Glass blew out of the windows, spraying shards in every direction. As the winds whirled around us like a cyclone, the sharpened pieces cut at my arms. The stone walls crumbled, large chunks of rock and marble crashing to the floor as the house fell to ruin. I tried to stand, but pain shot through my body. My skin felt as if it was tearing apart. I screamed. My bones cracked and broke, and I fell to the ground once more. Spasms wracked my body and I flailed. My back arched in an impossible position, until I thought I might be cut in half.
A guttural noise sounded at the back of my throat. Claws seemed to tear me from the inside out. Then it ripped free of my body like a child forced from the womb. The scent of rotten flesh and death gagged me as I watched the shadowy beast materialize beside me.
Raul grabbed my arm and jerked me to him as he poured salt from a leather pouch tethered at his throat, creating a circle around us. The inky black creature hissed, staring at me through crimson eyes.
“Mine … ” its raspy voice called, trying to reach for me.
A ring of fire blazed around us. The heat scorched my skin, and sweat dripped down my forehead, running down into my lashes.
The floor bent, dimpling as it tore open, leaving a large hole at the center of the room, a swirling mass of blackness and horror. The marble slabs came apart and tumbled into the abyss. Furniture and books were sucked inside, as the gusts picked up. The scent of sulfur hung in the air. Lucia’s ashes skittered across the tiles, swirling like a sandstorm before they, too, disappeared into the deep chasm.
An invisible force dragged Kenrick’s body with little regard over broken glass and furniture.
Kenrick!
A trail of blood wound behind him like a gruesome road as he spun faster, coloring everything he touched scarlet, and I knew there was no way to stop him. I covered my mouth and watched him vanish into the blackness of the pit.
The nefarious creature hovered closer, wings as dark as night unfolding behind it. “Give me the girl.”
“No. You will not have her.” Raul clutched me tight as the magical storm tried to tug me from the circle. My feet stumbled over each other as I gripped hold of him. The fabric of my dress stretched, and I was pulled to the edge of the fiery abyss. The hair on my arms singed when I drew closer to the flames and I wondered how much longer we could we hang on. Beneath my grasp, Raul’s muscles flexed with the effort to hold onto me. “I won’t let you go. I promise!” he shouted, his fingers bruising my arms.
The Beast’s claws dug into the marble, leaving behind deep grooves as it tried to keep from being pulled into the hellish portal. A high-pitched howl shook the walls to the ground and the hole began to close.
A bluish light shone above us, and I glanced up to see Kenrick’s ghost floating. I could see the ruined building through his transparency. He gave me a sad smile, then turned to Raul. “Take good care of her.”
“I will.”
He floated toward me and I felt the touch of cold wind upon my cheek as he stroked my face. “I’m sorry for failing you in our previous lives. I should’ve seen you for who you really were, and sensed that dark magic was at work. But you are free now and it’s time for you to live your life, Brielle. Find your happiness and embrace it.”
Then he was jerked away, back into the chasm as it vanished. The winds died down and silence enveloped the ruins of my aunt’s estate. I swallowed hard, tears blurring my vision. He was gone. And this time, I knew he wouldn’t be coming back. I wasn’t sure how to feel. On the one hand, I was happy because for the first time since the curse was placed, I had a real chance at having a life. But on the other hand, I realized that without Kenrick’s sacrifice I wouldn’t be standing here. A part of me would always love him—after all, he was my first. However, I felt that at last, I could move on.
Raul’s arms tightened about me and I spun to face him. “How are you alive? I thought I’d lost you forever.”
He caressed my face, wiping back the wetness from my cheeks. “My element is fire, so during the stake-burning I used it to shield me and my grandmother and sneak us away in the smoke. We got back to the cottage, where we hid. But it left us drained for days, I couldn’t move, eat, all I did was sleep. Grandmother is still there now, recovering. I’m sorry it took me so long to come for you.”
“I missed you so much.” I clung to him and cried.
He bent down so his forehead rested against mine. “Your curse is broken, now. You can live a normal life.”
“At last.”
His lips brushed mine and heat seared through me. His power surged around us, wrapping us together. We were bound. And nothing, not even death, could keep us apart.
The sound of horse hooves echoed around us.
“Stay here.” He took his dagger from its sheath as he crept through the rubble.
My heart clamored as I stood in the darkness, waiting for him. Long minutes ticked away. Then I heard the crunch of footsteps approaching.
Raul maneuvered around the fallen rock, followed closely by Father Machai.
“Brielle,” the priest said
Choked up, I rushed to him and let him hug me.
“Child, I feared I might not make it in time.”
“I got to her right as Lucia showed up,” Raul said. “The curse has been broken.”
Father Machai smiled. “At last. Now, let’s make haste to Fire Ridge. The Pope has given his orders for me to see Reynaldo punished. I’ve sent your grandmother ahead of us, just in case you were still imprisoned.”
Oh God. Had she disappeared like the others who were bound by the curse?
We took the main road into Fire Ridge, which cut a day off our travels. When we arrived, the scaffold still stood at the center of town. Reynaldo and the magister stood at the front of it with a new prisoner.
My throat thickened. Where was Gram?
Father Machai climbed from the back of his horse and pushed through the crowd, with Raul and I close behind.
“This trial is hereby over,” Father Machai’s voice carried. With his robes swishing, he climbed the stairs until he stood front and center. “By order of the Pope, I, Father Machai of Dark Pines, servant of God, am here to hand out punishment against Reynaldo de Louwvre for his crimes.”
Guards swiftly flocked to the stage, keeping Father Reynaldo and the magister from running.
“Reynaldo, you are being charged with blasphemy against the church. For the torture of Maria Farmer. For stealing from the coffers. For the murders of dozens of innocent people. Not only have you committed crimes within Fire Ridge, but you have left a trail of your sins from your home village of Dossier. Here, you entered into adulterous affairs and used the church to hide behind. The penalty for these crimes is death. And magister, since you have aided in the carrying out of many of these atrocities, your fate shall be the same as his.”
“This is absurd. I’m a man of God,” Father Reynaldo screeched as he attempted to step away from us.
Father Machai ignored his pleas. Gasps and whispers went through the crowd as they crossed themselves.
“Brielle Healer, I would ask that you name the punishment for these men.”
I walked to the scaffold and stood before Father Reynaldo. My eyes bore into his as a look of disbelief passed over his features. “He should suffer the same death that Maria Farmer did. The Maiden.”
; Father Reynaldo blanched. He struggled to break free from his captors, sweat glistening off his rolls of fat. He screamed as they stuffed him inside the device. Justice had been served. Too bad, it wouldn’t bring Maria or any of the countless others back. But it gave me satisfaction to finally see this evil man put to death. I turned and walked away, ignoring his shrieks for help.
I continued to search the crowd for Gram. But no one had seen her. A lump lodged in my throat. She was gone. Wherever she was, I hoped Gram found peace. I wiped my face with my dirtied sleeve. She’d spent so many years protecting me and hiding me. And to what avail?
“So you’re still alive?” Sarah Weaver said from behind me. “Pity.”
I spun on my heel, pulled my arm back, and punched her. Blood gushed out of her nose, and she cried in pain, holding her face.
“Better feel lucky, because if my curse wasn’t broken, I would’ve torn out your throat with my teeth.”
She stumbled, falling in a pile of horse manure that seeped into her dress. She shrieked, pulled herself to her feet, and rushed away sobbing.
“What took you so long to do that?” a familiar voice said.
I whipped around. “Gram? You’re still alive … ”
She wrapped me in her embrace and kissed my head. “Brielle, oh child. I’ve been worried.”
“H-how are you still here? When the curse broke everyone disappeared.”
“Raul.” She smiled. “He once told me that a circle would protect me against dark magic. I guess he was right.”
“So am I finally worthy of Brielle?” Raul appeared next to us. His dark hair brushed against his forehead, bronze skin glistening beneath the midday sun. A smile played at his lips as he hugged Gram.
She rolled her eyes. “Even if I tell you no, you two will still find a way to bend the rules.”
“Gram.” I laughed.
She pulled away from Raul, placing a hand on each of our arms. “You’ve always been worthy of Brielle in my eyes. You only needed to realize it yourself.”
“Then I have your permission to marry her?”
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at Raul.
“Yes.” She patted my hand, then went to join Father Machai who stood with his nephew.
Raul reached for me, tugging me into his arm. “I love you, Brielle Healer. I’ll likely never be worthy of you and I know I’m not a knight or a lord, but I promise to always take care of you. Will you marry me?”
I cupped his face in my hands. “There has never been anyone more worthy. You saw me when no one else did. My heart belongs to you.”
“Is that a yes?” He teased.
“Yes.”
The church bells chimed in the distance and he leaned down, his lips capturing mine. “Happy birthday, Brielle.”
The sun warmed my face and my heart soared. I’d finally made it to my seventeenth birthday. “Thank you.”
“So I was thinking Father Machai could marry us tonight,” Raul said, brushing strands of hair out of my face.
I smiled. “Why, afraid I’ll change my mind?”
He chuckled. “No, but I’ve been waiting for this moment forever.”
I caressed his face. “So have I.”
“Then tonight?”
“Yes.”
He squeezed my hand. “See, I told you we’d run off together and get married. You should always trust me.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Gram snorted as she, Father Machai, and his nephew joined us.
I laughed with joy.
The curse was finally broken and I was free to live my life. In the end, Kenrick loved me enough to give his life. And Raul loved me enough to beat death.
Someday, people would sit around their campfires at night and tell stories about the Beast. The curse. And the legend of me.
Acknowledgements
First of all, I have to thank my lovely agent, Fran, for her undying support. I still remember the tearful phone calls over this book and how you championed me as a writer and my story. Thank you for helping to make the tough decision of finding this book a new home. Thank you for believing in me and my stories. There are no words to express my gratitude enough.
To Georgia, who has been so amazing to work with. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to write the stories I love and for being a part of my writing journey. Working with you and your company is like being surrounded by family.
Cameron, thank you for all your editorial help as well. Thanks for catching all my crazy mistakes and making the story shine.
To my crit group YAFF, you amazing ladies read like 9 million versions of this book. Thank you for always giving your insight. Penny and Traci, I don’t know how many emails and messages you two answered when I was freaking out about this book, but I’m guessing it was in the hundreds. LOL. Thank you for always being there for me, supporting me, and being voices of reason when my writerly madness takes over.
Rachel. What can I say? You’re not only a great sister, but a great sounding board for me as well. Thank you for letting me bounce things off you and for telling me when something wasn’t working. And thank you for encouraging me when I had to make tough decisions on this book and assuring me it was the right thing to do. Brainstorming sessions with you always spark my creativity.
To my amazing cover artist. This cover is just WOW. Thanks so much for making my book pretty.
And a shout out to my amazing coworkers who listen to all my story ideas and cover for me when I need to take time off for a book deadline—you ladies are amazing. Your encouragement always keeps me going. Love you guys—Heather, Tricia, Danie, Rachel, Wendy, and Cholle.
To my readers who have stuck with me through it all, thank you for your kind words, emails, and friendships.
Also a big shout out to my favorite kpop group 갓세븐(GOT7) for providing hours of music for my playlists. Thank you for making great music that helped inspire me to write.
Finally, to my husband and kids, as always you are my rock, my heart, and my loves. Thank you for always supporting me, always hyping me, and always having my back so I can do what I love.
REBEKAH L. PURDY
Rebekah L. Purdy was born and raised in Michigan where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. She’s lived in Michigan most of her life other than the few years she spent in the U.S. Army. At which time she got a chance to experience Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina, and California. Rebekah has a business degree from University of Phoenix and currently works full time for the court system. In her free time she writes YA stories, anything from YA Fantasy to YA Contemporary Romance. Rebekah also has a big family (6 kids) she likes to consider her family as the modern day Brady Bunch complete with crazy road trips and game nights. When not hiding at her computer, Rebekah enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games, traveling, and hanging out with her family and gazillion pets.
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Legend of Me Page 27
