Beneath the Shadows of Evil... Taken

by Jolynn Raymond

  They continued to ride for a few more minutes, Natalya sagging against his body from pure exhaustion, though she loathed his touch, and then finally arrived at their destination. As they approached the front of the inn, Natalya immediately snapped out of her stupor, and sat ramrod straight, a tingle of the old fear rising up in her once again. Mikhal immediately guessed the reason why, causing the battle between man and beast to rise up inside him. In the past, his demon would have relished her fear and would have gleefully added to it by making comments and gestures to make her think he did indeed plan on molesting her, but his man was more firmly in control now, and it saw the common sense in telling her the truth. He had nothing to gain by making enemies with Natalya, and everything to lose. If he could gain her trust, then Alliana might eventually be persuaded to trust him as well. “As I’ve said before, I have no interest in harming you, girl. We are stopping for some much needed rest. While it is true we shall share a room, and that is only to keep you from running off on me. I have no intention of laying a finger on you. As hard as it is for you to believe, I have come to care for Alliana, and touching you would be a betrayal of our mating bond.”

  Natalya’s eyes were full of hatred as she turned and glared at him. How could this evil thing speak of caring? He had no soul. Only blackness dwelt inside him. Never would she believe his claims. Alliana’s Godmother had told her all about the creatures of the darkness after Alliana had been taken, and Natalya knew they had no capacity for compassion or tenderness. They were bloodthirsty beasts who thrived on pain and blood, and that was all this one would even be as well, even if he tried to fool her with his well-bred ways. A handsome human face and some courtly manners couldn’t remove the evil that dwelled in his cold dead heart.

  “It isn’t rest so much as shelter you seek. I know of your weaknesses. I am not a fool.” The words were spat out with contempt, making it clear how she felt about him, and Mikhal let it go, though his demon itched to slap Natalya’s face for her insolence.

  “Then I shall remember to be on my guard around you. Come.” Mikhal dismounted and reached for Natalya, gripping her tightly around the waist and swinging her down from his horse. She stayed stiff in his grip but he didn’t let her go. Instead he reached up with one hand and pulled the colorful scarf from her head. Natalya sputtered, infuriated by his unthinkable action, but Mikhal held up his hand to silence her.

  “With my cloak around you covering your Gypsy rags and that thing removed from your head, no one will know you are of Gypsy decent. You and I will raise too many eyebrows if I present you as you are, and while no one would dare to question a Lord such as myself, I prefer to be left alone to my privacy. I shan’t have wagging tongues left in our wake.”

  Natalya glared at him but held her tongue. She knew there was no use arguing with him. What could she say? Where could she go? He was royalty and she was lower than a serf. Truth be told, if the owner of the inn knew of her blood, he would refuse to allow her through the door if Mikhal the Merciless wasn’t with her. Her kind were scorned and spit upon, not welcomed inside for a meal and a warm bed.

  She exhaled loudly, clearly showing her displeasure, but then nodded curtly, refusing to look at Mikhal who simply gave a small chuckle and took her by the arm, pulling the cloak snugly around her as he did so, and lifting the hood to hide her face, then giving her the once over before deciding she passed inspection.

  “Come.” He led her to the door of the inn and began to pound with unquestionable authority and intent. Mikhal cared less that every window was shuttered tightly and that he was awaking all the occupants therein and those of the surrounding dwellings as well. He needed a room and knew his status and his silver would buy him one post haste if he could simply rouse the innkeeper.

  After a few endless minutes went by, they finally heard footsteps on the other side of the door. The innkeeper flung the door open, a scowl on his face and a curse upon his lips, only to have it die when he saw the grand Lord before him.

  “Yes M’Lord. Forgive me for not making haste. Are ya needin’ a room?” His gaze traveled over Natalya with curiosity, but he was wise enough to keep mum, though he immediately wondered about her. The hand in view that gripped the cloak between her breasts was calloused, the nails broken and dirty, nothing like a grand Lady should be at all. She didn’t belong with the finely tailored Lord beside her and he wanted to know who she was. Still, he dared not ask if he should take her to the servants’ quarters. If she were indeed someone of rank, they’d have his head. Perhaps he’d get a better glimpse of her when the pair left. For now it would be wise simply to take his Lordships money and do as he was told.

  “Yes, at once, man. We are weary from the road. Have a boy take care of my horse, and my bags delivered to your best room. See that a tray of food is brought as well as a bath.” Mikhal heard Natalya’s sudden intake of breath and remembered the battles he’d had with Alliana. Well, she could damn well do as she wished with the water but she was going to use it in some fashion to get herself clean.

  “Yes, Sir, at once, Sir. Come this way.” Mikhal and Natalya followed the man up a narrow staircase and into a small room at the top of the stairs. It had a separate dressing area behind a screen, a narrow bed, a chair, and a small table, sparse but serviceable.

  “You have nothing better?”

  “Sorry, M’Lord. I am a humble man with a small inn. This is my best.”

  “Very well. Bring what I require at once, and then we are not to be disturbed under any circumstances, is that understood?”

  “Yes, M’Lord.”

  After the inn keeper left, Mikhal walked to the small window and checked the latch on the shutters, then glanced back at Natalya who had pushed the hood of the cloak back and was staring at him with steely intent.

  “You can get any thoughts of my imminent demise out of your head right now, girl. I know you feel the need to open the shutters, but if you did manage to kill me, what do you think would happen to your dear friend? She is in my castle surrounded by a hundred plus vampires, one of who would become the leader in my demise. I seriously doubt her status as Mistress would be upheld, and therefore she wouldn’t be looked upon as untouchable any longer. There are many in my home who would love to hurt her in every way possible.”

  Natalya blanched at the image of Alliana being terrorized by Mikhal the Merciless’s clan of evil beasts, and turned away. She would do nothing to harm him. Alliana’s life was at stake, and she had every intention of getting to her friend.

  “You have nothing to fear from me.”

  Mikhal’s demon immediately reacted to her statement. How dare this mere slip of a girl suggest he could fear her? A low growl built in his chest but Mikhal suppressed it. Now wasn’t the time. Yes he had to instill respect in her, she was far too insolent, but it had to be tempered with kindness so she looked upon him as someone Alliana should care for.

  Natalya’s eyes had narrowed at his growl and she backed away but held her chin high. “I would take every opportunity to turn you to dust if it weren’t for Alliana, and you may rest assured, once I am in your castle, I will do everything in my power to plan our escape.”

  Now his demon really reacted to her bold words. How dare she even suggest that she would try and take Alliana from him? He strode across the small room and took Natalya by the arms, shaking her fiercely. “You are never, NEVER, to say such a thing again. I will shelter you, feed you, protect you, even dress you in finery, but if you so much a whisper one word of deceit against me while in my home, friend or not, I shall make you wish you were never born. If I ever catch you trying to take my wife from me I will make you like me. You will become a creature of the night and in turn lust after the blood of your dear friend. I hope that thought serves to keep those ideas from your head.”

  Natalya faced him, almost physically ill and furious at the same time. The thought of becoming like him and hurting Alliana like that made her... it was simply too horrid to bear. She closed her eyes and swall
owed hard, forcing back the bile in her throat, then looked at him again, her eyes shooting daggers, and Mikhal knew at once that he had made a grave mistake with his threat. He needed this girl as an ally, not as an enemy, but it went against everything inside him to allow a human, and a woman at that, to speak to him so.

  He opened his mouth to speak but she interrupted him. “You claim to care for Alliana, but your words just now belie that claim. How can you care for her and threaten me with such a vile thing at the same time? You are a cruel and evil monster and I will do everything in my power to make sure that Alliana hates you as you should be hated for the rest of her days.”

  “Silence girl!” Mikhal was in a mad confusion. His demon was furious, demanding retribution against this bit of a thing that dared to challenge him, and Natalya didn’t have the added safety of the mating claim to protect her. He struggled madly as the rage and bloodlust filled him. His eyes glowed amber and a snarl rose up and filled the room, filling Natalya with unwanted fear. It was the last thing his demon needed.

  He scented it, her terror, and his beast fed on it. Her rising emotions rolled over him and Mikhal groaned and ran a hand over his eyes. The room was too small, she was too close, she had disrespected him and she had to pay. She had threatened him, dared to suggest she would take his Alliana, and promised she would make Alliana hate him.

  All of these things added to his already potent rage, and mixed with Natalya’s own fear causing his demon to come out in full force. He snarled and snapped at her, shaking his head, then closed his eyes, fighting, pulling at every ounce of strength he possessed to overpower his true nature and find the man he knew dwelled within.

  Natalya stood watching him, stunned as his face contorted with agony. His features had shifted into that of a monster, the very one who had drained her husband’s blood, and yet it seemed as though he were trying to resist hurting her. Why? Was she that important? What was wrong with Alliana? Why did he need her so much? Why didn’t he simply kill her as his demon clearly wanted to? Alliana’s Godmother had said his kind were beasts without conscience, but the man before her seemed to be struggling with his.

  He changed again, this time back to man, and howled in agony as his hands fisted before his face, then snarled and changed back, and it was clear to Natalya that the thing before her was engaged in a battle within itself; one that the human part of him was trying desperately to win. A hint of compassion filled her along with wonderment. It dawned on Natalya that Mikhal the Merciless must indeed care for her friend if he was willing to go through so much pain to keep himself from killing her here and now.

  When Natalya’s compassion for him filled her, when her hint of pity washed over him, Mikhal snarled again and looked up, glaring at her with amber eyes, as if he could read her thoughts, and the look on his face took her by surprise. His expression registered rage and agony, but it also held confusion and disbelief. It was almost as if he had known when she’d begun to feel sorry for him.

  She stood watching him, peering intently, as he went from demon to man, demon to man, searching his face, opening herself up to what was really before her; seeing Mikhal the Merciless for who he was, and recognizing the inner battle that was taking place.

  There was no fear of him in her heart any longer as she gazed at him. If he were going to kill her, he would have done so by now. Yes, there was still fury etched in his face, but it was tempered with... with a mad desire for control. The anger in him wasn’t caused by her outburst, and he wasn’t feeling the urge to kill her for her impertinence, no, his anger seemed to be stemming from her compassion for him. Her compassion hurt his pride. He didn’t want her feeling sorry for him, not in the least. He was the great Mikhal the Merciless, but the question remained, how did he know? How had he known what she felt?

  His handsome features came over him again, and this time stayed for good. Mikhal brought himself up, standing tall and stared back at Natalya, seeing the curiosity in her eyes, and feeling her bewilderment. What was going on here? Had his expression so betrayed him? How had the girl known he was reacting to her pity, and why had she felt any pity at all? She should have been terrified, was indeed terrified, and then suddenly, she’d felt sorry for him. Had he taken to wearing his heart on his sleeve with the cursed emotions the man in him was dredging up, or did she have some magick Gypsy trickery that allowed her to read minds?

  “Stop staring at me. Sit over there, and wait for your supper tray.” Natalya simply stood there unmoving, not inclined to obey, even after his demon made its presence known.

  “I said sit, girl. Get over there and out of my way. Take your Gypsy eyes off me.”

  Natalya turned her back on him and took a step, then stopped and spoke softly. “You truly care for her, don’t you? There is a tenderness inside you for my friend, and you can’t bear to let her go.”

  She knew she could sense some hint of goodness in him. Alliana’s Godmother always said her gift was that she could truly read people’s inner soul, and even though this creature had none, she sensed something within him. He was not completely hollow inside. Yes he had been in a rage at her defiance, but Alliana’s husband had been in that same state many times. She had threatened to take away Alliana and it had driven him mad, and Natalya couldn’t help but believe that that meant he did truly care for his wife.

  While it was true he could have been reacting like a spoiled child who had been threatened with the loss of a favorite toy, Natalya didn’t think so. The agony had been too real, the fury too intense. There was also the fact that he had fought off the true nature of his beast just to keep from killing her. That alone said something. Why come and fetch her, why allow her to live, when every instinct of his demon said kill, if he didn’t care deeply for Alliana and truly believe that she would make his wife happy?

  Mikhal glared at Natalya’s back, suddenly very unsure of himself. What was this woman; some kind of Gypsy witch? His every instinct said to deny her claims. He had to protect himself, had to remain strong to the outside world even if he felt love for his mate. Alliana he could have feelings for, that had been established like it or not, but he certainly didn’t need this woman knowing about it.

  Ready to snap again, to defend what he thought was his way of survival, determined to hide his weak feelings from the Gypsy witch, Mikhal reached out for Natalya then stopped, tempered once again by the man who saw reason. She can help you he said. She can convince Alliana to love you. Accept this woman before you for who she is and don’t be afraid of what she can see in you. Through her friendship you will find the love of your wife.

  Mikhal closed his eyes and took an unneeded breath, shaking his head slowly, and then running his hand back through his hair. Women weren’t meant to be friends, they were servants, bedmates, and one, a wife, but not friends, never before a friend, but this one had to be.

  ‘Tell her.’ The man inside him screamed. ‘Tell her that yes; you care for Alliana. Tell her that you feel deeply for her. Withhold the truth of the spell if you must, but confess your real, deep feelings.’

  “Yes, I care for my wife. I told you I did. Why do you think I am here with you in tow?”

  “But there is more.” Natalya turned back around, risking his wrath. She needed to see his eyes. “What are you not telling me? Your kind has no feelings, no caring, nothing but hatred and lust. Why do you care for Alliana? She is but a human. Was there some ritual? I know of your kind but... not all is known.”

  Mikhal closed his eyes, as Natalya’s bored into his. Should he tell her it all or simply explain the mating ritual? He needed her trust and her knowing about the Empathy spell would help her find that trust. On the other hand, it would also expose his one weakness.

  “Tell me.”

  Mikhal could feel her curiosity, but he could also still feel her continued compassion for his inner struggle. He knew she sensed something in him and that knowledge bothered him, but having her help in winning Alliana over was more important that anything.

/>   “Tell me.” Natalya implored. Her voice was soft but persistent.

  “We are mated, Alliana and I. Our blood is as one and our shared blood runs through my son. When a woman becomes a mate, you can sense her feelings, know her needs. We are bonded throughout blood ties forever. It has caused a tenderness for her to arise in me.”

  Natalya mulled over his words in silence, hoping he would say more. She didn’t believe the mating bond was all there was to it, it didn’t explain why he had refrained from killing her. Alliana’s happiness shouldn’t be that important to him. Her survival yes, but her happiness, no. A bond, even a strong one, didn’t explain that.

  She made to speak, to ask him again, but then decided that she wouldn’t push the issue if he wasn’t ready to open up to her, but she also decided that beast or no beast, Mikhal the Merciless was a complex man. More lay beneath the surface than pure evil. What, she wasn’t certain, but it was there and it time she would find out. In the meantime she would watch and wait and try to figure out the perplexing man who had whisked her friend, and now her away from their loved ones, and off to his dark castle full of evil.

  A knock sounded on the door and Mikhal opened it to admit several servants bringing her bath and a huge supper tray. The poor souls had no idea that the Lord before them would rather drain them dry than touch anything presented before him. She stood back, out of the way, still pondering the recent events, trying to find an understanding in Lord Arcos’ words and actions, but not able to.

  Finally, Natalya let it go, and sat down to her meal. She was famished. She would eat, wash, not bathe, and get some rest. Mikhal the Merciless could be figured out come nightfall when they were on the road once more. He had no choice but to listen to her questions as they rode, and she intended to give him an earful until the truth spilled forth from his mouth.