Before anyone could stop him, Grayson sprinted out the castle gate looking for his wife, Cat, and Rose hot on his heels. "Abby! Abby, where are you?!" He didn't have to run far before he found what remained of her escourt. Four men who had served Abigail since the time she became Duchess had given their lives to protect her. The only sign he could find of her was her torn and bloody saddle bag. He picked up the bag and dropped to his knees, an inhuman wail of pain escaping his lips. The other two caught up to him and gasped. Rose immediately wrapped her arms around Grayson, catching him right before he fell to the ground. Cat checked on the four men; they were all still breathing, but barely. She shouted to the people who were running from the castle to go back and get the physician. Duke Arthur came running out. "What happened?" he demanded. "Where is Abigail?" "It's my fault," Grayson managed through his tears. "We had a fight, and she left to go home to the children...
The rustling behind the door continued as she crept closer. She should have strapped her crossbow to herself under her cloak. Maybe they wouldn't have seen it. Whoever they were. She gripped her knife tightly, took a deep breath, and kicked in the door. The room was empty. She went inside to look around, and the door slammed shut behind her. "Hello, Duchess," a sultry feminine voice called out. A woman stepped out from the shadows. A woman who looked an awful lot like Abigail. The only difference was the hair - unlike Abigail - this woman had straight hair. "Kasdeyah," Abigail replied coldly.The sorceress was impressed. "You know my name. I'm honored," she curtsied deeply."I also know you've tried to seduce my husband and steal his power."The sorceress laughed, "To be fair, he wasn't your husband at the time. He was a free man.""He's always been mine," Abigail asserted angrily. "Yes, I learned that very quickly," she replied dryly. "You're a lucky woman. No other man has ever
Abigail sat in the magic room with the magic window and watched her husband and friends walk right into a trap. The room seemed to amplify her feelings and made them strong enough for Grayson to feel. She had been able to warn him, to tell him not to come, and she watched him blatantly not listen."Stubborn man," she muttered to herself.Grayson felt her frustration and looked off in the distance. "I love you," he said softly. "I'm not abandoning you.""Who are you talking to?" Catherine asked. "No one... Abby" "Even if she can't hear you, I know for a fact she knows you love her," Catherine replied. "I hope so," he whispered. "I hate that ouraat conversation was a fight. I should have stopped her."Rose cut in. "They would have found another way to lure you out then," she said matter-of-factly. "Abby being taken may have actually saved a lot of lives."Grayson looked at her oddly. "What?" she replied. "Shh," Catherine cut them off. "Someone is coming." They all stood up, ready fo
The morning before their arrival in Knocklean, Rose found Grayson curled up into a ball, crying in pain. "Grayson! What's wrong?" "She knows we are close. She's hurting Abby." "I'm going to kill her myself if she hurts my sister," Rose growled. Just then, Grayson let out a wail. "She's going to kill her. We need to hurry." The group packed up their things and hurried into Knocklean. As soon as they crossed the border, the rain started, and they were attacked by ghouls. Grayson was still weak from feeling what Abby was feeling, but he managed to hold his own. Suddenly, they were in front of the castle.Aryk blasted the door down again, and they walked into the same empty room as before. "There's blood over here," Thomas said."Abby," Grayson whispered. He held up his hand for the others to be quiet. He had heard a voice calling his name. "Do you hear that?""Hear what?" Aryk asked. "Someone is calling my name.""Grayson, be careful," Rose urged, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We
The screams from both Grayson and Rose could be heard throughout the whole castle. Catherine and Thomas burst into the room, unable to ignore the noise. They saw Abigail lifeless on the table and then took in the rest of the scene. A familiar looking woman stood at the head of the table laughing while Aryk was literally trying to restrain both Grayson and Rose as they lunged at her. The woman looked up as they burst in. "Oh! We have more guests! Wonderful!" Just then, Aryk lost his grip on Rose, and she dashed at the witch. Kasdeyah put up her hand, and Rose froze in place. "Now, now, Lady Rose," she admonished. "Think of how sad your father would be if both of his daughters were dead." She flicked her hand, and Rose bashed against the nearest wall. She lay there for a moment as Catherine dashed up to her to make sure she was alright. Grayson felt the rage and magic flow through him. "You've made a huge mistake," he growled. "Now I have nothing to lose." "That's where you
The others had truly underestimated Kasdeyah and her power. She was stronger than they could have ever imagined, though still not stronger than Grayson. That's why she needed him. With their combined powers, the entire world would have to kneel before them. Before her. She had caused the argument between Grayson and Abigail that had caused her to flee. She had been able to manipulate their emotions slightly, and it had been enough to get what she wanted. As for Abigail, that was an easy illusion. Any body would do, and she had plenty to choose from. A simple illusion to make them look like the Duchess permanently, and voila! she had her own powerful king to do with as she pleased. The Duchess was finally out of her way. Pesky thing. The best part was she got to keep Abigail around and make her watch as Kasdeyah seduced her husband and made him do evil things. Kasdeyah couldn't wait to get Grayson into bed. He had four - almost five - children with his former wife; he must be ama
Grayson didn't look up when he heard the door behind him open. "Hello, my love," Kasdeyah greeted him. "I'm not your love," he said quietly and dangerously. "Oh, but you are..." she drawled. "If you value your children's lives." "You won't touch my children," Grayson said in the same dangerous tone, still not looking his captor. "Do you really think I didn't protect my children?" He finally turned his head. "You've said yourself, I'm powerful. Maybe even more powerful than you." He spoke slowly, dangerously, like he was teasing prey he was about to pounce on. "I'm also not stupid. My children are well protected, no matter where they go." Kasdeyah laughed, trying not to show her uncertainty or annoyance. "Well then, there are other people you care about. Lady Rose, Lord Arthur..." Grayson turned back around. "If you hurt them, I will kill you." Kasdeyah was getting angry. This was not how she pictured their first night to go. "I've already killed your wife and manipulated you.
The duke came running when he heard Rose's screams. "Rose! Honey! What are you saying?"Rose showed him the wig and the note. "It's not Abby, Papa. She's alive."The duke's eyes flashed with hope and anger. "Well, now we have to save them both," was all he said. He looked at the body on the table. "I wonder who this was... they should still be buried properly." Rose agreed.The meeting with the king and queen that afternoon was a hopeful one. Abigail was alive and likely in the same place as Grayson. If he knew she was there, he would keep her safe. She would also do what she could to keep him safe. Now, they just had to figure out a way to get them out of there. The reinforcements they had sent were camped well outside of Knocklean's borders awaiting orders. King Stefan's forces would be joining them soon. The issue right now was not a lack of men. It was a matter of not getting the couple they were trying to save killed.*** Kasdeyah was angry, and she took it out on Abigail. She
Six months later, they were married in a ceremony held on the lawn of her mother’s nursing home. Their mothers held hands and wept happy tears as Tony and Molly exchanged vows they had written themselves. Molly started. “Tony, you are one of the few people in this world who truly see me. You’ve always seen me as so much more than I thought I was. You’ve helped me realize my worth, and that I do have something to offer the world. Every day you make me feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet. You encourage me, you don’t just listen to me – you hear me. We have been through so much together, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t have gotten through half of it without you by my side.” She stopped to wipe away her tears, but Tony got to them first. She smiled at him. “You are better than any fairy tale or romantic hero. You have saved me in so many ways. I promise I will always be honest and upfront with you. I will always support you, and you will always be the best thing that’s ev
**Three weeks later**Molly called her mother on her way home from work, like she did every night. “Hi mom,” she said cautiously. “Hi baby girl, happy birthday!” her mom answered. It was another good day for Sarah.“You remembered!” Molly exclaimed.“I did,” she said. “There should be a package waiting for you at home, too. The nurses helped me.”“Thank you, mom,” Molly said with happy tears.“I just wanted to send my daughter something special,” Sarah said. “Not every day is your birthday.”“I still appreciate it,” Molly replied. “That’s because you’re a good girl,” Sarah said. “How’s Tony?” she asked, changing the subject. “He’s good,” she responded. “We’re both still doing therapy separately, as well as going together. It’s been really helpful. I’m going to call him later and he’s going to bring over dinner.”“That’s great, Molly.”“I know,” she replied. “I’d forgotten how much I missed just talking to him. It’s great to be able to talk to him again.”“I’m just hap
It was difficult, but they did the work. They went through therapy together and individually. Their couples’ therapist wanted them to just spend time together, not as couple or with anything sexual between them, so they could focus on building back their friendship and trust.The no sexual contact was difficult for both of them, but they stuck to what they dubbed the ‘muddy waters’ rule. They spent a lot of time together over the next three months, mostly talking, but also just sometimes sitting with each other. On Halloween, Tony brought over Horror House 3, which was the movie they saw on their first date. He also brought take out from the restaurant they had gone to that first night. Molly almost kissed him several times just because of how thoughtful it all was, but she stuck to the rule. She did allow herself to kiss his cheek, which caused him to smile and blush.They bent the rule a little when he put his arm around her and she snuggled up against him. They bent it even mor
He pulled back and looked at her. “When?” he asked, his voice cracking.She hung her head. “About two years ago. Right when we sold the house and put mom in the nursing home,” she said softly, angrily wiping away her tears. He held her hand, and listened. “I found out I was pregnant and I had been trying to tell you, but it was one thing after another,” she said waving her arm from one side to the other. “It was never a good time. The night I was finally going to tell you, I had cooked dinner and made it all nice and… you never came home. Not until it was very late, anyway, and you stank of alcohol. You said you’d been out with your coworkers celebrating a big deal.” Tony remembered that night. He had seen the set up when he came home, but had been too drunk to ask. When he’d woken up the next morning, it was gone and so was Molly. He had assumed she’d gone to work.“That morning, after I woke up I started bleeding,” she continued. “I tried to wake you but you were passed out, s
“I’m over here,” said a small voice filled with pain. It was coming from the floor on the other side of the bed.He rushed over and saw her holding her foot, her hands covered in blood. Without a word he grabbed a towel from the closet, wrapped it around her foot, picked her up, and carried her into the kitchen. He set her down on a chair before unwrapping the towel. Molly winced in pain.“What happened, Mols?” he asked gently, sitting on the floor in front of her.She sighed. “I think Orange knocked a picture frame off the dresser and it broke. I stepped on the glass.”He washed her foot off gently. “It doesn’t look that bad,” he said. “You won’t need stitches.”“Good,” she said. She was so tired. Tony could hear it in her voice. “That’s the last thing I need.”Tony cleaned her foot up and handed her a rag to wash the blood off her hands. He was quiet as he carefully bandaged her foot up. He kissed her leg and held her foot in his lap.“You broke the door,” Molly said, exhaust
“Molly?” he ventured.She was pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to hold up her towel and the journal with one hand. “Yes, Tony?”“What secret were you keeping?” he asked softly. He reached out and fixed her towel. If the towel slipped again, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Molly was gorgeous and he missed her so much. She wouldn’t look at him. “It doesn’t matter now,” she answered. “Please don’t jump off a bridge,” he said sadly. She still wouldn’t look at him. “I’m going to put on some clothes,” she said.Before he could stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I don’t mind you in just a towel,” he said softly into her ear.She looked at him, confused. “Muddy waters, Tony, remember?” she said. “It’s your rule, not mine. I didn’t know you were out here or I wouldn’t have come out in my towel.”“But…” he started. “Do you want to get back together?” she asked angrily. “I…” he hesitated.“Please leave, Tony,” Molly said with tears in her eyes
A few minutes after Molly got in the shower, there was a knock at her door.“Mols?” Tony called. “Hey Molly, come on – open up.” More knocking. “Please, Mols.”Maybe she’s in the shower, he thought. He pulled out the key that Molly insisted he keep after he moved out, in case of emergency. Molly didn’t have any other family outside of her mom, so Tony was still her emergency contact. While being ignored wasn’t an emergency, he didn’t like the thought of her sitting by herself being sad. He still loved her. He had been devastated when she agreed to the breakup and didn’t even try to fight for him. He went through with the breakup because he figured she didn’t love him anymore when she didn’t fight it. They hardly saw each other due to work, even though they had lived together. They had both changed and things were different between them, but he still loved her. He knew she thought of herself as a disappointment, but he never did. The last few years dealing with her mom’s rapidly
No one paid attention to Molly Monroe. She was average. She blended into the scenery, unremarkable with her shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses – she was every girl and no girl in particular. Only two people in this world had ever truly seen Molly Monroe – her mother and Tony.Tony Morales was her high school – and only – boyfriend. They had broken up about a year ago. The reasons were numerous. He traveled a lot for his job, her schedule was strange, and they never saw each other. The spark had disappeared. The break up had been ‘mutual’ in that he suggested breaking up and she knew she had nothing to offer him, so she let it happen. In high school, she had been the one ‘with so much potential.’ Now she was just a disappointment and going nowhere. She was sure that’s why Tony dumped her, though he was too kind to say it. At least they were still friends and he would take her calls. He didn’t just drop her after eight years of dating.God, she missed Tony. Almost a
From the diaries of Grayson of Eswen, Duke of Odel, and Lydisia. Before I write any more, I want to be clear with anyone who finds this journal: my wife is the most amazing, smart, wonderful, kind, loving, and talented person I know. I would literally not be alive today without her. I would have died in my father's attack on Alderei. I love my wife. I always have. What can you say about someone you've loved since you were five years old?My wife gave me the family I've always wanted. She birthed six beautiful children, and we lost one little soul. Little Sawyer will always be acknowledged as part of our family and will always be in our hearts. Samuel, Olivia, Theodore, Charlotte, Benjamin, and Calista. They are the six the Mother chose to stay in this world. They are our world. I will admit to be slightly more overprotective of Olivia than the others, but she was the one we almost lost to my father. My oldest girl, my baby, was almost a sacrifice. I try not to think about my fathe