More of a chance of what? I wondered. Resisting him?
I couldn’t imagine being so weak that I’d return to him for his torturing pleasure. But I could admit in some tiny place in the back of my mind that Mathis’ control over me was growing. That my yearning to see him again was evolving. And that something in how I viewed him, was changing.
In ways that are entirely unsettling.
Just as we went to leave the edge of the woods, Veline appeared in the path. Nearly startling me out of my skin.
“Veline?” I asked. Studying the hazy outline of her lovely blonde hair and vivacious blue eyes. Seeing there was a near-panicked urgency written over her.
She reached as if to urgently catch me by the shoulder, but instead her hand floated through me. “What happened with Mathis?”
Back at WitchFall?
It dawned on me that she must’ve just seen the interaction with Timothy the Tanner or caught some part of it.
Having no pocket to hold the vial in, but feeling that it was gravely important I not lose the precious fluid, I dropped it into the bodice of my dress. Knowing that the cinched waist would firmly hold it in place. For now, anyway. As we emerged through the village, Triana pointed toward Kirkin. Patting my shoulder reassuringly. She wants to go alone? “You don’t want me to go with you?” Triana lifted her hands and shook them in a dissuading way. “Very kind.” She touched the top of my chest lightly. “But very tired.” I was tired. Beyond exhausted really. “I can’t let you go alone. What if someone else like Timothy came along?” I worried. Still walking through the empty early morning booths of the village. Walking a bit faster as I realized that the sun would be coming up soon and early risers might be wandering out with their goods. She gave a sad shake of her head to indicate she didn’
My brows shot up. “Him, who?” “Mathis.” You are Mathis. But at the same time, he wasn’t. He was entirely different. Softer. With kinder eyes. Maybe not… I frowned. Eyeing him warily. “And who are you?” “Jonas.” I was trying to put the pieces together to puzzle this out, but my numbed brain was struggling. “Are you trying to convince me, you aren’t Mathis?” “I’m not.” He said flatly. His voice breathy and hollow. “In a weak moment, I invited in a monster. And he’s walked in my skin ever since.” “In your skin?” “My body...” He said slowly. “You’re saying Mathis is the thing possessing that body up there?” “My body.” He nodded. As if he thinks I’m stupid. “If he’s possessing your body, how are you here?” “Because of you.” I gave him an impatient glare. Lowering my head in warning. He waved his hands before him. “Here
I went toward the booths. Meandering until I found James’ meat stand. Seeing the chickens hanging upside down from the beam above on the right. Squirrels hanging from the right. The scent of cooking pork emanating from a giant pit just behind the stand. Cooked bird legs laid out on a platter. My mother was there. Haggling with him over the price of some meat. Her long wavy brown hair running down her back. Telling me it was her. Her shoulders were broad, and she was a small squat woman. But she made up for that in gentleness and intelligence. Her voice was raising, and I could see father from the bakery giving me a meaningful look. He nodded toward the stand for me to go help her. I swept my long hair over my shoulder to get it off my sweating neck and headed for the stand. I caught mom’s arm. She turned to me. Flushed and furious. “What’s wrong?” I asked her in a quiet voice. “He didn’t deliver the last chickens I purc
“You’re truly going to deny my family the meat they purchased because I choose not to wed?” “I’ll deny them ever buying any again!” He declared. “Whoa!” My father emerged from the darkness. He was stout and tall and despite the bit of baldness on his head, he was still very imposing. And right now, he looked angry. “Why on earth are you shouting at my daughter?” “Unfortunately, Sir,” James declared. “I’m fresh out of chickens for you to purchase tonight.” “Ma already bought them!” I argued. Outraged that he would continue to say she was a liar. Trying to get more coin from us. James’ lip curled in contempt. The light from his torch dancing over his furious face. “You’re mistaken.” “You’re calling my mother a liar.” “I am telling you I wasn’t paid. And that’s the end of the tale.” “Because I won’t wed you!” “What?” Father caught my arm and pulled me behind him. “I made an
I had no choice I pulled on a clean dress and my shoes. Barely remembering to snatch the vial from my drawer, before quietly crept from my window. Headed up WitchFall Hill. I found myself aimed for the last place I ever wanted to go again. His home. The vial cooled in my hand. The night breeze making it chilly. It dusted the treetops, making them flow like dark wings in the near blinding air. The bleak building towered above threateningly. Orange flamelight emanating from windows just above the ground. Leading to the dungeons. The higher rooms were a soft yellow from meager candlelight. He prefers the dark… Realizing I couldn’t keep the vial in my hand I tucked it between my breasts, resting safely just behind where my bodice cinched the dress. I was chewing my cheek. Wishing that someone else could be doing what I was doing while I rested. My eyes felt heavy, and I was so unspeakably
I gave Udora a quick glance. But she was staring at the table. Hurt that I’d chosen to rest rather than coming to him another night? Taking another chance that might save her. I wondered. I saw a single tear trailing her cheek to fall to the table. He reached behind him to give her head a reassuring pat. The motion disturbed me. He’s comforting her? My brows drew together in confusion. He offered me the plate. “Eat, Spitfire. You’ll need your strength.” He twisted a bit of meat apart and offered it to me. My eyes narrowed on him. He tipped his head back and laughed. “As I suspected.” He set the plate down before me. Spinning the fork between his fingers to offer me the handle. Letting me do it myself despite his intense need for control. He leaned over to whisper near my ear. One hand splaying beneath my neck, touching my collarbones as his fingers stret
I stopped just inside the door. Staring in horror at the shining thing in the center of the room. Glinting metal in the moon’s glow peering down from the skylight, which inexplicably allowed in moonlight from the sky. Despite that we buried in the core of the stronghold. I stared at the device in the center of the room. A giant metal ring with flat pieces going from another smaller ring in the center. Padded with fur. The four flat pieces were all rising from the small ring straight upward. Mathis walked to them and expertly began separating the flat plates and moving them apart. Letting two scrape down to the bottom and setting the other two at a forty five degree angles from the center. “What is this?” I asked fearfully. “Something new.” He said cheerfully. Adjusting those flat plates and then sliding over levers and setting them to hold the flat pieces in place. Pinched between the levers. He went to a black corner and brought out a
“What would it take to make you stop?” I blurted. Finding myself begging as he entered me another inch. The burn becoming excruciating. “Turn yourself over to me.” As a slave? What does he mean? Nothing about that sounded good. “Meaning?” My eyes were squinted closed, and I was blowing slow breaths. Trying to concentrate on his words even as I fought against the overwhelming pain. It was an entirely different sensation than any before, and so far, I didn’t find it even slightly pleasurable. “Offer yourself to me in her place.” As one of the hanging girls. Those pitiful wretches who’ve surrendered all hope. I couldn’t do that. That’s worse than death. “To be one of your toys forever?” I glared at him. Not doing that! “You’d be the only one.” He said. As if that would reassure me. “Wouldn’t that be an honor?” I said bitterly. “It would. Y
“What about Udora? How did you come by her.” He sobered. Drawing a long breath as he twirled me twice more. Considering how to tell me. I guessed. But he was unwilling to stop dancing. So, far anyway. “She came by me, more or less. Drawn to my dark magic, I suppose. After I crawled out of that oubliette, I stumbled across her. Greedy, morose and feeling hollow, I fed on her.” He quieted. And I sensed there was guilt in that memory. “And then?” “Then she was mine. From that day.” “How so?” “She wanted to spend every moment with me. Wanted to be mine.” “And did you want her?” “I did not. But I fed on her just the same.” “Through joining.” “That’s the only way I’ve learned how.” He said, a bit taken aback, as though he’d never before considered if there were other ways. “It was how Kasha taught me.” “She was wicked.” “She was. But I never tho
When I knocked on the door of the WitchFall fortress, it was with a resolute expression. Mathis ripped open the door as if he himself had rushed to it. No servants. And when I stepped inside, I felt how empty it was. And there was something wrong with him. He looked disheveled. Fraught with worry. “What’s wrong?” I asked. Eying him in his uncharacteristically mussed state. He lifted his chin. His chest swelling. “What have you come to tell me, Spitfire?” He’s prepared to fight. Or he wouldn’t be calling me that. “I’m going to ruin you.” I said coldly. “Then you’ve already decided to refuse me?” He seemed to visibly deflate. I held my silence a long time. Surprised that he seemed so genuinely broken. “No. I’ve decided to marry you.” He blinked rapidly. Tilting his head in interest. “For revenge?” “No.” “Then why would you destroy me?”
Veline caught my hand. Wrapping hers around it and looking at it as though it were a foreign thing. “Do you know, we shouldn’t be able to touch.” “Why not?” “Because I am pure spirit now.” Veline reached out and touched my chest. “While you are still bound in your skin.” Bound. A strange word for it. “You know in this land there are far more creatures than you ever guessed. You’ve been very sheltered in Drimidan.” “I guess I have.” I admitted softly. I wasn’t even sure my parents knew of all the things out there. “There was a time, long ago when the land was predominantly Fey.” “But as Fey darkened some lost their power and became human. Others became twisted and their power darkened to make them other things.” “Like Mathis?” She nodded. “They become what we know as demonic. Or what the people of Drimidan might call a witch or warlock.” I blinked slowly. I’d heard of such things, but they were s
Only as The King of Creatures stood facing me now, did I realize how tall and imposing he was. He wore a masquerade mask over his eyes, which seemed to change from blue to orange like flames burned in them. His hair was blonde and waving back to his collar but as he moved. It shed small sparks at the tips from the tresses that hung loosely over his forehead. He was lean and tall. Towering well above me like one of the trees in this forest. The strangest man I’d ever seen. “They brought you here?” “They summoned me, yes.” He nodded toward Veline. “They advise me you’ve discovered the root of evil in Drimidan.” “Yes…” I said slowly. Mathis. “Tell me what he is?” “I don’t know for sure…He was once a man but now a demon.” “A form of changeling then…Hmm.” He murmured thoughtfully. “Well now that we know, killing him should be easy enough. We’ll just need you to get me into the fortre
“Because of Kasha?” He lowered his head in admonition. His hands linked behind his back. To keep from touching me? I wondered. “Despite all I’ve done, I have deep respect for you, My Spitfire. And ultimately, I wish to see your laughter return. And that is what I’d spend the rest of my days striving for. But if away from me, is how you can regain it, then that too I’d learn to appreciate.” “You’re so contrary. A moment ago you were declaring I’m yours. Now you say I have a choice.” “You’ve always had a choice. Even when you believed Udora was at my mercy. You had the choice of forsaking her.” “That wasn’t an option.” “Not with you. Just because it wasn’t an acceptable choice, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. But,” He lifted his finger. “I do caution you, you can’t change me, Sweetheart.” “You just said you have changed!” He smiled almost sadly. “I have. Because I wished to change, to become something more
He dressed in more finery. Smoothing his black hair back into a tether and wearing a cream undershirt with a silver vest and long overcoat. Once dressed, he offered me his hand. “Let’s get you home.” I took it. Wondering why it felt like every time I took it, I was making some kind of promise to him. Vowing to trust him, when I should not… Blowing a relieved breath, I let him help me into the carriage. Relieved to see the driver sitting atop the bench this time. He’s making an effort at normalcy. We took the winding drive down the hill and into the village. Quickly arriving at my house. I blew a steadying breath. Letting him help me down from the carriage. “Are you ready?” He tucked me under his arm. “To be home?” I peered up at him. But he wasn’t acknowledging me as he kept me sheltered next to him and we headed for the front door. Mother rushed out and embraced me. “Dear Heaven! You’re okay.”
Mathis made almost no sound. Barely the flutter of clothing and I saw his feet leave the floor as he must’ve leapt. I heard a thump and a horrible wet, wrenching sound. Next was the sopping thunk of a head lolling along the stone floor. The grip on my neck went slack. Dark nails slipping from the wounds they’d created as the heavy body collapsed next to me. Headless. I screamed. Leaping to my feet in panic. By the time I managed to scramble to my feet, he was already there. Eerily still in that way that only he could master. Where he only watched my skittering movements with those intelligent green eyes. But once I steadied myself on swaying legs, his hands snatched out to catch my upper arms. Jerking me against him as he wrapped sheltering arms around me. “What did you do to her?” “Killed her.” “Her head.” “Parted from the rest of her.” He said flatly. I flinched and tucked my face into
“Why did you bring me here?” I swallowed the pain rolling through me. He’d said he’d break me. Now he’s perilously close. I felt weak, betrayed and entirely alone. The two people I’d thought closest to me were both traitorous wretches. “I should think that painfully clear.” Udora said snidely. Taking another step towards me. “Enough, Udora!” Mathis put up a staying hand but she continued speaking spitefully. “The demon thinks he loves the girl...And that she might ever love him back.” “Shut up!” He roared. “He wants you to know what I am. So he’s the one you trust.” “That’s only partly true.” He approached in several strides to catch her arm. Pulling her further back from me. As if he’s worried what she might do. “I wanted you to know what you’ve really been so loyal to.” “Why?” “Because, though I have never denied I’m harmful I thought
I froze in the blackness. Horrified that I was trapped. “Come on.” I could hear amusement in his voice and realized he was right next to me. He closed the door as he came down behind me. He knows I was petrified. He caught the back of my arm and held on as we went down the stairs, as if worried I might trip. I called him out. “Is that so I won’t fall or run?” “Both.” “Mathis?” I heard Udora’s soft voice calling. “Is that you? You’ve left me down here far too long this time!” She sounded annoyed. I paused on the steps in confusion. What’s she mean by that? Mathis turned his hand, I could just barely see the outline of it in the dark. A cool green flame burst to life and stretched aobut a foot up from his palm. Illuminating his features. He put a finger to his lips to indicate I should be quiet. I gave him an incredulous look. Wondering why I would obey him now.