“Men aren’t usually modest and he swims regularly, surely naked.”
“I don’t actually look.”
“It would be difficult not to look at him. It seems a subject men dwell on quite a lot.”
“What?”
“The size of a man’s sword and jewels,” she said.
“It isn’t.”
“I’m a woman; how would I know?”
She unlaced her shift. Coates untied his breeches. By his doleful expression, he was unable to get an erection.
“Bedding a witch changes a man. You said you’ve noticed that about Faolan. You better be ready for strange happenings that could occur.”
“Such as?” he asked, his voice shaky.
“You might see specters.”
“Specters?” he said, swallowing hard.
“Surely having just seen demons, specters won’t be so bad. Should I show you?”
“No!”
“Sorry, too late,” she said as several spirits floated about the cabin. “Really, Grouchy Gus, you’re even here with me in a different century. What’s your deal?”
Coates looked as though he might jump out of his skin.
“There’s also the possibility you’ll see creepy little creatures. One has freakishly sharp teeth. I’ve heard he makes men pay for their perverse misdeeds. Bites off their cocks or so I’ve heard.”
“You’d better appear now, Wolf so he can see you, or I swear you’ll be so freakin’ sorry!” she telepathically warned.
When Wolf appeared and flashed his disturbingly frightening smile, Coates jumped back covering his crotch.
“Make them all go away,” Coates whimpered.
“Can’t have it both ways. Bed me and live with the consequences or we’ll go out there and let on we’ve shared a bed.”
“Aye, let’s do that!”
“Not just yet. Better make this believable.”
“I suppose,” he said, closing his eyes.
“How did you become associated with Clodaugh?” Angelique asked.
“She came to me when I was angry about the captain not marrying my sister.”
“Evil beings often visit those despairing or angry.”
“Would you stop talkin’ now?”
“If you like,” Angelique said, hoping Faolan and Danhoul remained safe.
Wolf impatiently tapped his foot. When perhaps a half hour had passed, Angelique spoke.
“That’s probably long enough.”
Coates stood, his legs unsteady.
“I might tell Clodaugh what you’ve done,” Coates said.
“What have I done?” Angelique innocently asked.
“Summoned spirits and a wee homely creature.”
“Is that comparable to banding with Clodaugh who commands demons and threatens to kill others; as terrible as diddling your captain’s wife?”
“It’s reasonable for a man to want that. What you did was bloody unnatural.”
“I want you to do something for me, Coates. I’d like you to kill Clodaugh.”
“She’d kill me first.”
“Do you really believe Faolan will let you get away with this?”
“I s’pose not.”
“Dying by his sword would be swift. What you experience with her might not be. I’ll charm your sword so you can kill evil beings.”
“Why didn’t you do that with the captain and guardian’s swords?”
“How do you think they so easily killed demons? Clodaugh will never leave you in peace now that she knows you’ll so readily do her bidding.”
“I’ll kill her. Just let me out of here,” he said looking at the many spirits still hovering and Wolf grinning manically.
Angelique finished putting her clothes on, summoned the sword from Coates’s scabbard, encircled it in a magical glowing light and whispered, “Supernatural creatures perish at the touch of this blade, by this spell let it be as I’ve said!”
Coates threw open the door and rushed out.
Angelique was relieved Faolan remained alive and unharmed. Looking tormented, he wouldn’t meet her eyes. She couldn’t wait to tell him nothing had actually happened.
She didn’t know if Coates would go through with stabbing Clodaugh, but it was worth a shot. As Coates approached Clodaugh, she must have sensed something, but they were all distracted when Faolan lunged forward, ably tore the sword from Coates’s hand and easily beheaded him.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Angelique screamed as Coates’s head rolled by her feet, leaving a trail of blood. Clodaugh glared seeing the glowing sword.
“You’ll pay now,” Clodaugh warned using her powers to toss it from the ship.
“Let’s see if you’ll use your magic to prevent being defiled by them,” Clodaugh said nodding to three particularly grotesque demons. “Although if you show us just what you’re capable of, that might summon Lord Odhran.”
Danhoul, now tied, struggled at his ropes. Several demons roughly grabbed Faolan.
“You wouldn’t kill him?” Angelique said to Clodaugh.
“It would be rather a shame, but what will it take for you to reveal your powers? Killing your husband? Being violated by beasts?”
Angelique could see Clodaugh was deviously entertained.
“Don’t permit this,” Faolan warned Angelique as he was surrounded by a group of demons who pushed him to his knees. “Use whatever magic you must, Angel. Don’t let yourself be harmed.”
“Where the hell are you now, Wolf…Aine, someone?”
There was no reply.
“Reveal your magic and your husband and the Druid won’t be killed.”
“You don’t want Odhran here, Angelique. Don’t use your magic,” Danhoul warned.
Angelique recalled seeing Odhran kill her birth mother. She intuitively knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill Danhoul and perhaps Faolan, too. When the three demons came to Angelique, she closed her eyes. It wasn’t only their appearance, though the horrific horns, reptilian eyes, clawed hands and jagged teeth were disgusting. There was a hideousness to them, not only seen but also felt, and an odorous stench that reeked of decay. Could she permit them to rape her without summoning her magic? If Faolan was forced to watch, that would kill him.
“Use your magic!” Faolan ordered.
“Danhoul, if you and Faolan have to watch this, promise you’ll have the gods erase Faolan’s memories later,” Angelique said.
Danhoul begrudgingly nodded.
As one demon roughly yanked her by her hair, another tore her gown. The last lifted her skirts. The waves around them swelled and Angelique considered her options. None were even mildly tolerable.
When Faolan broke free from those holding them, Angelique believed Clodaugh had planned it all along. Otherwise, why hadn’t he been tied like Danhoul? Unless her pendant offered him some protection. Faolan retrieved his sword and charged toward the demons. Angelique instinctually lifted her hands and caused several to be thrown over the ship. Weapons were torn from demons’ hands and struck in the chests of others. She tried to direct them at Clodaugh but they seemed to fall short of hitting her. Perhaps she had an invisible shield around her. Still, Odhran didn’t appear.
Angelique employed her powers to magically use her knife to cut through Danhoul’s ropes. Further chaos erupted and Angelique couldn’t keep track of all that was happening. She sent his sword to him; Danhoul fought several beasts as Faolan tried to keep them away from her. She called her charmed knife, used it on many, but they weren’t apt to win this battle.
With his visible surging Druid magic, Danhoul finally broke through and got to Clodaugh. He held the charmed sword to her throat.
“You think killing me will stop this?” Clodaugh said as several more creatures appeared.
“Apparently Lord Odhran isn’t going to make an appearance and doesn’t feel you important enough to save,” Angelique taunted.
Angelique summoned a wave—a wave so large it frightened even her when she saw it so
near. The ship heaved, now nearly on its side.
“Hope you can swim, Clodaugh, and that you don’t fear sharks.”
“Surely a water witch can do more than create waves,” Clodaugh jeered.
As demons surrounded them, Angelique felt her powers coursing through her as never before. It terrified her but she knew it was necessary. She stared at the demons, wildly threw out her hands and several swelled unnaturally, then simply exploded. The amount of blood and brutal gore as bodies were ripped apart was beyond comprehension. When she squeezed her hands into fists, many other demons mummified and turned to dust.
“Yes, I’m able to control water. The human body’s composed of a large percentage of water. I presume demons are the same,” Angelique said. “I believe the lungs are perhaps eighty percent water.”
Angelique stared at Clodaugh, squeezing her fists again. Clodaugh clutched her throat, unable to breathe. Her eyes and cheeks looked sunken, her skin wrinkled like she was withering with age. While Clodaugh struggled, Angelique employed her powers to call Faolan and Danhoul to her, but not before a creature came at Faolan with a brutal weapon she didn’t recognize. She had to release her power over Clodaugh to deal with that.
The weapon was like a scythe the Grim Reaper might carry, but with disturbing barbs. Angelique tugged Faolan closer but the protrusions deeply slashed Faolan’s back and her arm. Clodaugh smiled, then disappeared along with the other creatures.
Angelique’s wound burned excruciatingly. Danhoul caught Faolan and lowered him to the deck.
“What was that?” Angelique asked Danhoul.
“I didn’t recognize the weapon, but I’d bet it was cursed. Alainn suffered a cursed blade twice. They’re not something to be toyed with.”
“What can we do?” Angelique asked.
Faolan moaned, looking at her, eyes filled with pain.
“I didn’t sleep with Coates. I swear, I wasn’t with him.”
He seemed relieved even in his tortured state.
“What can we do, Danhoul?”
“Salt water helped Alainn,” he said.
“We’ll need to go into the water, my love,” she said to Faolan.
“You’d better calm the sea then,” Danhoul said. “Where the hell did that wave come from and how are you keeping that massive wall of water suspended?”
“Luckily the sea responded to my magic, but I hope I can release the wave when I want to.”
“I can’t move my arms or legs,” Faolan croaked and Angelique felt wholly panicked, realizing whatever was on that weapon was paralyzing him.
“Your magic’s probably affected, too, Angelique,” Danhoul said. “You mightn’t be able to control the sea or its creatures when you’ve been wounded with a cursed blade.”
“What happens if we do nothing?”
“Truthfully, you’ll likely die slowly because of your magic or be incapacitated, unable to fight the demons if they return. Faolan will die straightway or turn into a demon himself.”
“Fuck!” Angelique said. “Sharks are the least disturbing of those possibilities. Maybe I can call the sea creature. You’ll have to help Faolan into the water. Unless your magic can heal us?”
“I’m a magical healer but don’t know what type of curse was placed on the blade. I haven’t time to thoroughly assess it and might make it worse.”
“How could it be worse? Faolan can’t move and…”
His eyes were fading, his life draining from him.
“Help me over the side,” Angelique said.
Danhoul started to assist when Aine appeared.
“We’ll save your sovereign guardian, water witch. You’ll go back to your lives prior to you foolishly pulling him through time. He’ll retain no memories of you.”
“And I’ll be indebted to you forever,” Angelique said, bitterness filling her like a poison as sure as the curse of the blade. “I’ll find another way.”
“He’ll soon be dead!” Aine warned.
“Did you cause this? Was that your intention all along? Is this my punishment for disobeying you and questioning your damn demands or was it all a test?”
“We didn’t cause this.”
“Surely you could have prevented it.”
“Each transcendent witch blames the gods for every tragedy that befalls them, insists we help, yet are angered when we interfere. You cannot have it both ways.”
“If Faolan dies and I remain infected with this cursed blade, I’ll go to Odhran—see what he proposes because what you offer really sucks!”
“You’re as stubborn as your mother and will pay like her. You claim to love this man but so easily play with his life.”
“You play with all our lives,” Angelique accused.
In her anger, Angelique used her magic to carry her and Faolan over the side of the ship and straight into the path of the wave now unintentionally released.
She was a strong swimmer, but fought to get them to the surface and to control the sea. Coughing up sea water, they were now surrounded by several great white sharks. With her arm nearly useless, Angelique could barely keep Faolan afloat while calming the wave and keeping the sharks from attacking. The salt water bitterly stung her wound but seemed to be healing her. However, there was barely any life left in Faolan’s eyes.
“Don’t give in to them,” Faolan rasped.
“I love you, Faolan Mahoney. I can’t risk your life even knowing we won’t be together.”
“And I won’t remember you?” His voice broke.
“Keep my pendant around your neck. It’ll hopefully keep you safe from further evil, my love. I’ll get Danhoul to make sure Aine saves you.”
“I love you, Angelique.”
She wept and used her magic to send him back to the ship.
“Please have Aine heal him, Danhoul. I’ll try to go back to change this. If I can’t then I’ll make sure Faolan’s never paired with me when we’re children. Have her take away his memories so he doesn’t suffer more.”
*
Angelique went back in time, just a little. The colors were brilliant but more unstable. Instead of only feeling disoriented, her chest and head hurt.
This time she witnessed Clodaugh stabbing Faolan in the shoulder precisely where it had been when she’d first met him. Angelique magically pulled Faolan and Danhoul to her now, seeing the hooked weapon coming toward them. She pushed the men away and used her powers to throw the deadly weapon into the sea. She fought off several demons. Danhoul and Faolan killed more with their swords, but Clodaugh simply stood smiling smugly.
Angelique was surrounded by the same hideous, foul-smelling beasts. She despaired in realizing there really was no way out of this no matter how many times she went back to change it.
“Just take me to Odhran,” Angelique finally said and Clodaugh triumphantly walked toward her.
Faolan, wielding his charmed sword, pushed the beasts away to get to Angelique. His eyes filled with dread but he stunned her when he drove the blade into her chest. She gasped, struggled to breathe, felt brutal pain and betrayal.
“It saved you when you were a child, Angel. I pray it’ll do so again,” he whispered, hastily kissing her before throwing her over the side of the ship.
Angelique felt herself falling into the dark ocean depths, then being lifted by the massive sea creature.
She awoke lying on a beach near Boston Harbor, her wound healed and recent memories vague.
*
Knowing the location of their first meeting, Angelique went back in time. She saw Faolan as a boy, running carefree along the beach, happily skipping stones. She didn’t approach.
Instead, Angelique stepped behind the rocks uncertain what would occur when she met her younger self. It never worked out favorably in movies. But this wasn’t a movie; it was real life though more surreal than any fantasy film.
“Who are you?” Bronaugh asked.
Angelique felt like weeping seeing her mother and knowing she was mortally wounded. Could s
he go back to prevent that? She didn’t know where or even when that had occurred. Time was crucial; she needed to deal with what she could.
“I have magic and can save your child from being harmed or taken by Odhran.”
“Why would I let a stranger take my baby?” Bronaugh asked.
Angelique looked closer. When Bronaugh gazed into Angelique’s eyes, she gasped.
“How can this be?”
“I’ve moved through time—an ability apparently inherited from you. Let me touch her. If nothing terrible happens, I’ll take her—er me—to safety.”
The woman nodded.
“I want you to know I’ve had a happy life. The woman who raised me loved me.”
“I’m glad,” Bronaugh said.
The child looked at her and Angelique couldn’t help thinking she was a beautiful baby.
“Odhran will be here soon,” Angelique said to Bronaugh. “Maybe you could come with me and…”
“This is the day of my death. It can’t be altered. Just keep Ailish safe. If Odhran believes she lives, he’ll search for her always.”
“Use the weapon, then. But don’t involve the boy who’ll probably arrive here soon. I’ll pull her from the water after you stab her with the charmed blade.”
The woman nodded and stepped from behind the rocks as Angelique had seen in the vision. Angelique watched Faolan start up the incline to the cottage, breathing a relieved sigh even though her heart ached, knowing they’d never meet or experience everything they’d shared.
She couldn’t look when she heard Odhran’s voice, then the mournful wail knowing her mother had put the knife in her chest. However, she hadn’t expected to experience the sharp pain. It nearly took her breath away. She even felt the warm blood and the cold water hit her as the child was thrown in. She heard Odhran’s enraged demonic voice and her mother being tossed against the rocks. Observing a greenish glow, she knew Odhran was gone. Angelique went to her mother, sadly touched her hair then waited by the water feeling increasingly cold and impossibly tired.
Angelique saw the glimmer in the sea, but when she tried to move closer, she was completely frozen, unable to approach. Had she just ensured she’d never live, promised her mother something she couldn’t carry through?
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