Fortunately, she did not have to be destructive for long.
“My beautiful palace!” shrieked the dark djinn, appearing suddenly beside Annelise.
Leila.
As she had planned, Annelise turned to the furious djinn and fell to her knees. “Thank the Heavens you are here!" she exclaimed. “They were destroying all the wondrous furnishings in your palace and there was nothing I could do about it!”
“They?” echoed the djinn.
“Yes, there were two of them, both larger than life. They moved so quickly I could barely keep my eyes upon them, and they were arguing...”
“Who were they? I shall see them cursed for all eternity!”
“I do not think they were mortal,” Annelise admitted. She watched her opponent as she tried to appear distraught.
The djinn’s eyes narrowed. “How would you know?”
“They appeared as abruptly as you do and their size changed as they argued.”
“What were their names?”
“I do not know, but the woman...” Annelise sighed in wonder. “The woman was so beautiful that I felt as though I had stepped into the sunlight when she first smiled at me.” She flicked a glance at the djinn. “And you will probably not believe me, but I could have sworn that diamonds and pearls fell from her lips when she spoke. Surely no mortal could be so very lovely.”
Leila hissed. “But she was not alone?”
“No, no, she came after he did.” Annelise frowned. “It was as if she came to take him away.”
Annelise felt the weight of the djinn’s gaze upon her and did not dare look up lest she be caught in her lie.
“He?”
“Yes, he came first, and oh, he was so handsome that I nearly lost my heart on sight. He wandered through the palace, not touching anything, calling a woman’s name.”
“Who? Who? Who did he call?” The djinn leaned over Annelise.
“Leila.”
“He came,” the djinn whispered. She drifted away for a moment, a delighted smile upon her lips. “He came for me.”
Annelise almost smiled herself at the apparent success of her ruse, but the matter was hardly resolved as yet. “Then she came,” she added.
The djinn jumped, then spun to hover close beside Annelise. “So you said. Tell me all! I must know exactly what happened.”
“She smiled at me first, but then she saw him. He ran.”
“He did?”
“He did. As though he had demons at his heels! She chased him, grabbed him by the hair, begged him not to abandon her. She cried, but he struggled to get away from her, insisting all the while that he loved only Leila.”
“Aha!” The djinn was triumphant. “Aha! I knew it!” She flung out her hands and stretched high in the sky. “He loves me!” she shouted, her voice so loud that Annelise bent lower and covered her ears.
Abruptly, there was silence. Annelise opened her eyes to find the djinn huddled in front of her, her dark gaze bright.
“Where did they go, mortal?” she whispered.
Annelise was coy. She took a step backward and folded her hands behind her back. “It seems to me that this matter is of import to you,” she mused as she stepped away.
Leila darted quickly in front of Annelise, and her eyes snapped. “Do not imagine that I will grant you any favors for telling me this, little mortal,” she snarled. “Confide in me or I shall make your miserable life much, much worse.”
Annelise did not have to pretend to tremble in trepidation. She pointed one shaking finger at the dark bottle. “She pulled him in there when she heard you coming.”
Leila seized the bottle. She grasped it in both hands and shook it. Nothing came out. She peered into its depths, called into it, but there was no response.
She turned on Annelise with suspicion. “Where is the stopper?”
Annelise frowned in apparent confusion. “Why would such a pretty vase have a stopper?”
Leila smiled. The dark cloud swirled about her and narrowed into a plume that surrounded her. When it obscured Leila completely, the cloud dove in its entirety into the bottle, like an arrow sinking home.
Annelise snatched the stopper out of her stocking and jammed it into the neck of the bottle. The decanter shook with force in her hands and Annelise dropped it. Her eyes widened with horror as it rolled about, the fury of its occupant more than clear. She tried to grab the bottle again, but it was oddly evasive.
Annelise prayed that the stopper would hold. What would Leila do to her if she escaped? Nothing good, that was certain.
Suddenly, the bottle stilled.
Annelise waited, but it did not move again. She released her breath slowly in relief and willed her heart to slow its pace.
Leila was contained in her prison once more.
When Annelise took a step to pick up the dark bottle, her shoe crunched in the snow. She looked around, only to find that the palace was gone. It had vanished so completely that it might never have been. A snowy forest surrounded her on all sides.
Annelise’s old cloak was cast on the ground just a few feet away, its location roughly corresponding to the site of the room she and Rolfe had shared, where she had left the garment. The new garb Rolfe had given her had vanished into thin air, from whence it evidently had come.
Beyond her cloak, Mephistopheles and the two palfreys glanced about themselves, their trappings and Rolfe’s armor scattered about them.
The courtyard was cold.
The palace had vanished, which had to mean that the spell was broken.
Rolfe was saved! Annelise had earned his freedom, just as Azima had said she could. She had found the key and solved the riddle.
She danced in the snow with delight, then considered the position of the sun. Rolfe would appear, free of the curse, and they would ride for Beauvoir and thence to Sayerne. Surely they could reach Beauvoir this night, if they rode hard. The horses were well rested. Perhaps they would reach Viandin for the Yule as he had originally hoped. She would meet his family. Surely Adalbert could not deny his brother some small property to defend.
In truth, Annelise did not desire much more than Rolfe himself. She smiled in anticipation of Rolfe’s return as she packed his belongings into his saddlebags and saddled the steeds. She would be prepared for them to ride immediately.
Mephistopheles lifted his head when she was tightening the cinch on his saddle and stared over her shoulder. His ears twitched, and Annelise guessed that her spouse was returned.
“Rolfe!” She spun with a smile.
A lone wolf stood at the perimeter of the forest, his gaze fixed upon her.
Annelise’s heart sank to her toes. “No,” she whispered. “No, it cannot be thus.”
But the wolf began to walk toward her, and Annelise’s heart filled with a dreadful certainty. The wolf was so dejected that Annelise knew it could only be Rolfe, and her fear could only be right.
She had failed.
But how and why? Annelise could not have been too late, could she? Surely, Rolfe could not be trapped forever in wolf form? No, he could not have changed fully to a wolf, for he recognized her and his disappointment was clear. There must be another explanation, though she could not think of what it might be.
She had missed some key detail and the djinn’s malice had triumphed after all.
“Rolfe!” His name fell from her lips in a whisper.
The wolf slowed even more until he paused a dozen paces away. Annelise stepped closer to him, a part of her still insisting that this could not be her spouse. Perhaps she only hoped it was not Rolfe. The wolf held her gaze, as if daring her to see the truth.
He had one blue eye and one silver-gray.
Annelise had assumed that trapping Leila would make her spells void, but she had clearly been wrong. Should she have trapped the djinn at night, when Rolfe was a man? Did Rolfe even become a man anymore? Curse these djinn and their spells!
No. It was Rolfe who was cursed. Annelise wondered how she would bear t
o see her beloved like this for every day of their lives, yet be unable to do anything to aid him. She fell to her knees in the snow beside him, feeling foolish. “We will remain together,” she told him, even as her tears fell. “We will find a way...”
But there was no way and her voice lost its conviction before she completed her promise.
He sat down before her, understanding gleaming in his eyes, understanding that made her ache with the burden of responsibility. It was so much worse to think that he knew the fate ahead of him. She held him close, savoring his warmth, and wished she was not so cursed with impulsiveness.
She should have waited until the night, when Rolfe was a man, before she trapped the djinn. The logic was obvious to her at far too late a point to make amends.
“Oh, Rolfe,” she whispered as her tears began to fall. “I am sorry.”
The wolf that was her spouse pushed his dark muzzle under her hand. Annelise sank her fingers into his thick fur and wept.
Rolfe licked her cheek.
It tickled and she pushed him away, but he persisted. He wriggled his nose against her neck and tickled her again while tears ran down her cheeks.
“Rolfe! This is no jest.”
But her spouse evidently could not bear to see her weep and was determined to court her smile. Rolfe licked her ear and that tickled even more. Annelise pushed him away, but he pursued her, his tail wagging, his tongue mischievous.
She smiled just a little, despite herself. “You look more like a pup than a wolf,” she accused and he barked. He ran a circle around her, then bowed, his tail wagging in invitation for her to play.
“You make a jest of something beyond serious!” She formed a snowball and cast it at Rolfe in frustration. He leaped and caught it in his mouth, then brought it back to her.
He dropped the snowball into her lap and wagged his tail anew. Annelise realized he was trying to encourage her, and she reached out to scratch his ears. “Do you think that we might find a way together?”
He wagged his tail and barked.
“Every puzzle has a key,” she whispered and he howled in approval of that sentiment. Annelise felt her spirits rise. “We will go together to Viandin,” she said and he barked again, his eyes alight. Then he ran in a circle around Annelise, and she spun to watch him. Mephistopheles eyed the pair of them, while the palfrey that had been attacked by the other wolf appeared to be nervous. When Rolfe licked Annelise’s face, she laughed aloud.
She took a deep breath and framed Rolfe’s furry face in her hands. She looked deeply into his eyes. “We will find another djinn,” she told him. “We will convince that djinn to aid us, or we will find a magician in the hills. It is said there is an old witch near Tulley, and she might be able to cast a spell....” she caught her breath, her doubt rearing again, but she pushed it away. “If you believe, then so shall I,” she vowed.
The wolf that was Rolfe seemed to grin.
Then a hunter’s horn sounded in the forest.
The sound made Annelise look up in alarm. Why would there be hunters in this remote forest? To whom did this section of forest belong? She doubted it was Tulley.
The horn blew again, the sound echoing more loudly.
“They come closer,” she whispered and rose to her feet. Rolfe stood beside her, bristling with attention.
In but a moment, Annelise heard the hunting party crash through the undergrowth and knew they were close at hand. Men shouted to each other and she discerned a cry that made her blood run cold.
“Wolf!”
Rolfe dug his nose into Annelise’s knee. He shoved her toward Mephistopheles, his agitation making it clear he intended for her to mount.
“I cannot leave you,” she protested.
He snarled, resolve in his gaze.
“But if they hunt wolves, then you are prey!”
Rolfe pushed at Annelise until she was in the saddle. Then he barked and snapped at the destrier’s heels. Mephistopheles stamped and stepped sideways, snorting with disapproval. The one palfrey was more than ready to run but Annelise had seized the reins, not wanting to lose any of her husband’s possessions. Rolfe kept up his attack, nipping at the palfreys and growling at Mephistopheles until the destrier broke and ran. The palfreys were fast beside him, their ears folded back and their nostrils flaring.
Rolfe pursued them, ensuring that the horses ran quickly. At least they would flee together, Annelise thought with relief. The horses crashed into the forest and toward the distant path.
Annelise clutched the reins. The sounds of the hunting party grew louder and her heart leaped to her throat.
Would they be able to escape in time?
The path became more clear ahead. Annelise thought she would follow it to the left, for the hunting party sounded as if they were to the right. And the left she thought was west, thus heading for Beauvoir.
Annelise glanced over her shoulder to check the position of the sun, only to see that Rolfe had disappeared.
Mephistopheles snorted indignantly when Annelise reined him in. She turned and peered into the shadows of the trees. Was the flicker to her left the silhouette of a quickly moving wolf? What about the one far to her right? Which wolf was Rolfe? Without seeing his eyes, she could not be certain.
The hunting party’s dogs bellowed as they found a scent.
Annelise’s heart skipped. Where was Rolfe?
She could not leave him to be hunted!
Surely he had not deliberately drawn the party away from her?
That was precisely what her protective husband might have done. Annelise growled in frustration and dug her heels into the destrier’s side. She retraced their route, hoping to track Rolfe. To her dismay, the snow was glazed with a crusty surface that left few marks of their passage. She could not tell where Rolfe had broken off and could not identify the point in the forest where she had last seen him.
A hunter burst from the woods ahead of her and Annelise pulled Mephistopheles up short. Her heart sank at the color of his livery.
“Good afternoon, Annelise de Sayerne,” Enguerrand said, his voice soft with threat.
Annelise stared in astonishment at the knight she had never expected to see again. “Enguerrand! But you rode for Beauvoir.”
“So I did.” Enguerrand smiled but it was not a pleasant sight. “Only to discover that there are many tales of hungry wolves this winter. I organized a hunt on the behalf of the Lord de Beauvoir to eliminate the fiends from this forest.”
“Surely that is not your obligation.”
“Surely any knight of honor would do the same.” His smile broadened. “It is not a bad strategy, Annelise, to have a powerful man in one’s debt.”
Annelise caught her breath. “You think Beauvoir will grant you a prize.”
“Or Tulley. In truth, I do not care which.”
“What prize do you seek?”
Enguerrand chuckled. “A widow with a holding in need of administration would suit me well. By the way, where is your spouse?” Enguerrand looked to each side and his gaze was knowing as it fixed upon her. “And his palace? I thought it should be nearby.”
He knew.
Annelise gestured and told a small lie. “It is easily overlooked in the snow with those white walls. It is a little deeper in the forest.”
“Yet you look to have packed all your belongings.” He rode around her. “Do you abandon your spouse, Annelise?”
“No, we ride out together, of course, to visit his family for the Yule.”
“Yet I do not see the man.”
“He had a small errand,” Annelise lied. “I am to meet him on the road ahead.”
Enguerrand inclined his head, making a small bow even though he was in the saddle. Annelise thought there was mockery in his manner. “Then I shall not detain you, lest that man be concerned for you.”
“I thank you.” Annelise swallowed. “May your hunt be a good one.”
Enguerrand chuckled. “Oh, I believe it will be a fine day. It is said
there is a particularly evil wolf with one eye blue and one silver-gray.”
Annelise fought to hide her revulsion and was not certain she was successful. “Indeed? I have not seen such a creature.”
“Indeed.” Enguerrand’s voice dropped. “You may rest assured that I shall take that one with my own hand. Beauvoir will be most pleased.” The knight arched a brow. “Knowing how your spouse enjoys the hunt, I intended to invite him to join our party.”
Annelise forced a smile. “Ah well. Perhaps another time.” She gathered her reins, dismissing him with a glance, and saw his lips thin before he turned away.
The dogs were in a frenzy and not far enough away to be reassuring. Mephistopheles stepped nervously at the sound of their barking. Enguerrand spurred his steed and disappeared into the forest.
Too late, Annelise wished she had accepted Enguerrand’s offer, just so she might see what was happening. How could she find Rolfe and ensure his safety?
“I wish there was something I might do!” she whispered, knowing there was not.
“Wish?”
Annelise found the friendly djinn perched on a tree branch to her left. The djinn swung her legs and smiled at Annelise. “If it is a wish you desire, I might be able to help.”
“You already said you had helped all you could.”
“Ah, but that was before you trapped Leila in her bottle again. A very nice accomplishment, I must say and achieved at considerable risk to yourself. Such selfless deed deserves a reward and I, my dear, am precisely the djinn to provide it. You cannot imagine what a relief it is to know that I no longer have to either endure her company or worry about her retaliation. The world is a finer place, thanks to you, so make a wish.”
Annelise remembered all she had read in the book. It was gone, along with the rest of the palace.
“You are her mother. How did you decide to trap her in the first place?”
The djinn grimaced. “I was responsible, at least for bringing that one into the world, and I owed a debt to every other being once the truth of her nature was clear. I could not have stepped aside and let the blood of my blood wreak havoc upon the great goodness around us. It would have been wrong.” She nodded. “Ignoring one’s responsibilities has a way of going awry.”
One Knight Enchanted Page 27
