Aurora Rose Lynn (8 page)

Celestine bowed her head and cried softly. Her accommodations in the pitch-black dungeon were filthy and she heard rats scurrying to and fro. She drew her torn skirts around her as close as she could. The dungeon smelled of unwashed bodies, mustiness and urine.

How could she ride through the streets of Coventry naked to the world on the morrow? She recoiled at Leuric’s cruelty.

“Mother,” she whispered, waiting for a telltale sign that her parent was in the darkness but there was nothing but the rats scrabbling in the stinking rushes. It was hard to believe her mother had come forth from the shadows of death to warn her.

Celestine
couldn’t help but continue to cry. Perhaps her mother would come forth and tell her what to do, as she had earlier. Why hadn’t she taken her advice, on recognizing those elegant long fingers and the twinkling garnet ring she had always worn?

Leuric was up to yet another of his dirty tricks and it involved her. Had she ever stood a chance against him? The pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. Angelet had often told her that the dead, who believed themselves wronged in life, would not rest in their graves until they had found justice. Thus, her mother might have returned to right a wrong she felt had been committed against her. Had her mother died in childbirth as Leuric claimed or had something else happened?
Had she been murdered, perhaps because she wouldn’t meet Leuric’s demands for more and more power?

Armor clanked outside the heavy wooden door, reminding
Celestine that the guards, along with the hideous Odo, stood guard outside the door. The feast of Beltane, a time of renewal and joy, had become a nightmare instead.

She didn’t know how long she cried. Perhaps half the night, perhaps only a few minutes, she couldn’t be sure since time meant nothing in the darkness. No matter how she tried to calm herself, to think about how to evade the predicament she was in, she couldn’t think of anything. She didn’t want Leuric to tear her once pretty clothes off and drag her out at noon naked and screaming. Her heart pounded madly in her ears. She would never bear the shame. If only she had a brawny man like Kerrich to fight this battle for her – she had no doubt he would win. But she had no way to send a messenger to him.

He brought her comfort in her chaotic thoughts, at his gentleness and his concern for her welfare. How she would have liked him to barge through the door, scoop her up into his strong arms and battle his way out. Her brow furrowed as she remembered how he had told her his parents had been killed in front of him by Leuric himself. How could she stop Leuric from killing innocent people again?

Something small and furry brushed by her foot. She gave an involuntary scream and drew closer against the dank wall.

She admonished herself to think, to find a way out. How much longer did she have? Was it already morning and her ride of shame was only minutes away? It was impossible to tell.

The door began to creak open.
Celestine got to her feet, ready to launch herself, nails and all, at any unwelcome intruder. This could only bode trouble if they allowed entry.

The light from the candle she held shielded between her
hands, caught the woman’s hair and the general shape of her plump body. “Angelet,” Celestine exclaimed quietly, fearful the guards would hear her. Where were the guards? Why hadn’t they seen her maid?

“
Shhh,” Angelet cautioned. “We mustn’t make any noise.” The flickering candlelight cast an eerie, wavering shadow on the wall.

Celestine
threw her arms around her friend’s neck, grateful to see her. “How did you get by them?” she asked.

“I remembered what you said about men enjoying women with big tits, lured
them and persuaded them to have a drink with me.”

Celestine
gasped. “In other words, you laced their wine.”

“Was nothing more than a harmless sleeping potion,” Angelet replied offhandedly. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Celestine took hold of her friend’s hand. She didn’t question her further and even though she knew she shouldn’t feel that way just yet, she felt safe with her.

Out in the corridor, she asked, “Where are we going?”

“Trust me,” was all Angelet answered.

Moments later, they surfaced in the fresh-smelling night air. Stars twinkled overhead and a cool breeze kissed
Celestine’s cheeks. “Thank the heavens, but I’m glad to be free of that place.”

“Halt!” a strong husky voice called out as if from behind a kerchief.

Celestine dragged her fingers from her friend’s loose hold and froze. There was no sound of clanking armor. The voice sounded familiar but she couldn’t be sure after her terrifying experience in the dungeon. She sank back into the shadows, hoping and praying the guards hadn’t awakened and were searching for her to haul her back into hell. Why couldn’t she feel Angelet’s presence beside her?

She tipped her head slightly to one side and couldn’t help the audible gasp from breaking out. Her maid was nowhere in sight. Where had she gone so suddenly? She sensed that whoever had called
out, had slipped back into the shadows. Tears burned behind her eyes. Once again, she was alone.

The sound of chain mai
l rattling behind and on beside her, alarmed her. She poised herself for flight. Which direction was the best to head for?

“Ah, there you are,” Leuric said gratingly. “Did you really think you could get away?” He strolled up to her, his face menacing. “Who do you have helping you? Tell me.”

Celestine stepped back at the fury in his eyes and slammed into a hard body. She stepped forward and glanced over her shoulder before she fixed her eyes on Leuric. Odo stood behind her, leering and breathing down her neck.

“You know,
Celestine, you’re almost not worth the trouble you’re giving me. Who helped you escape?” Leuric’s eyes bored into hers.

She couldn’t think of anything to say. Leaves rustled to her right. Was Angelet there in the trees? How had she managed to run away so swiftly? Or was it the man who had told her to halt?

“What? Cat got your tongue?” Leuric asked. “You usually have such a fiery spirit. I suppose time in the dungeon can rid a wayward woman of her cheekiness.”

“Step backward towards me, lady,” Odo said just on the edge of hearing.

Celestine winced at his suggestion. She would rather have leaped into a bonfire. What did he have up his sleeve?

“I have power from the goddess,” Odo continued, his words hushed. “I promise you’ll be safe.”

Leuric’s face contorted with anger. “Do you think you’re really going to escape again?”

She felt certain Leuric couldn’t hear Odo. Behind her, she heard a shoe scuffing against rock. “
Celestine,” Odo urged again. “Just step back into my arms. I promise you’ll find safety.”

Celestine
couldn’t step forward or backward. Both choices were repulsive. She couldn’t understand why the Master of the Guard was pressuring her. What did he stand to gain, especially if Leuric unsheathed his sword and ran them both through?

“Just do it, lady,” Odo insisted. “Please hurry.”

She wouldn’t move back into him. What purpose would it serve?

“You force me to show my hand.”

Celestine felt a strong pair of arms wrap under her breasts. She aimed a kick backward into Odo’s shin. He grunted and she thought he would release her. Shards of white-blue lightning zigzagged around her. Shrieking wind gusted around her, grazing against her cheeks and the exposed areas of her body. Tendrils of sparked energy twisted around her. She shrieked and shrieked in agony and despair. Surely Leuric had run his sword through her.

Kerrich observed Angelet and
Celestine from his hiding place in a thicket to one side of Odo, whom he recognized as one of the lord’s most loyal men and one of the men who had been with Leuric when he had ruthlessly killed Kerrich’s parents. Celestine’s face was deathly pale and her eyes darted every which way giving him the impression that she was contemplating running. He didn’t want to see her die – not when he had just found her. Could she hold on until he formulated a plan?

He counted the twenty armed guards, not including Leuric himself and Odo. He figured he stood a good chance against five of the surly men but not four times that number.

Casually, Odo stepped in behind Celestine as if to ready himself for any unexpected event. To his horror, he saw the Master of the Guard’s whole body rimmed with a wavering faint blue line. What did it mean? There was something about his face, a look of cool desperation, that made Kerrich want to rush forward and extricate Celestine from between the two men. He knew he trusted Leuric far less than Odo but he cautioned himself to watch both men carefully.

Odo said something beyond Kerrich’s hearing and even though he strained to hear, couldn’t make out his words. He doubted that Leuric could either. In fact, Odo had positioned himself in such a way that Kerrich felt certain Leuric couldn’t see his lips moving as he spoke.

Everything happened quickly after that. Odo lashed out, grabbing Celestine around her waist. The blue border suddenly surrounded both of them. Kerrich launched forward just as Celestine tilted her head and screamed out a blood-curdling howl of pain. Kerrich tried to jump between Celestine and the guard and suddenly he was enmeshed in the horrifying perimeter of blue light. Her screams vibrated and echoed in his head along with Odo’s labored breathing. Kerrich couldn’t tell if they were moving or not but felt as if someone had placed his head between two large rocks and pressed with great force. He fought to keep conscious as he reached for the dagger in his belt but every movement he made, no matter how small, took an unbearably long length of time, almost as if a man who had moved forward a pace was being pushed back that small step at the same time. What had he stepped into? The fright and hurt in Celestine’s cries reverberated in the air.

The world etched in blue spun out of control. He could no longer tell where
Celestine and Odo were. If he plunged the dagger into the man he thought was Odo, he might be jamming the point between Celestine’s ribs. He had no assurance that the mad descent into the abyss would stop if he drove his dagger into the Master of the Guard. So he waited what seemed like an eternity.

His thoughts jumbled together as he tried to focus, tried to determine the direction Odo was in. He couldn’t tell with any certainty. The insane spiraling slowed with blue lights exploding everywhere.
Celestine whimpered from somewhere behind him. He breathed a quick prayer of thanks he hadn’t reacted blindly and thrown the dagger behind him. It would have been Celestine’s life he would have taken. He couldn’t bear the thought that she might die at his hands.

They appeared to be on a narrow, circular platform but nothing was visible in the thick fog beyond. Would the spinning stop or would the crazy blue-rimmed spiraling start again? Was it now safe to thrust his dagger into the guard’s chest? Odo was on his knees, gasping for air. Kerrich didn’t need more time to think through his next action. He raised the knife and stabbed it into the guard’s neck. Blood spurted in all directions. Odo collapsed, his eyes staring up sightlessly.

Kerrich heard Celestine suck in a breath of air. From the corner of his eye, he saw her place a hand to her throat. The spiraling slowed even more before it stopped. He grabbed for Celestine as they both fell to the ground. Trying to regain his bearings, he glanced at his hands and wrists, surprised to see them drenched in blood.

Celestine
huddled against him, her head bowed. He crooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face, leeched of all color. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears met his. She shook her head as if she would have tried to say something but couldn’t. With fearful clarity, he realized she might be injured from the unexplained spiraling ride they had taken.

“Don’t you dare touch
her.”

Noticing that
Celestine did so at the same time, he looked up to see Leuric standing above them, his eyes as cold and unwelcoming as dirty ice. Recognition seemed to filter in their cold depths. “You,” he rasped. None of Leuric’s guards protected him and for a brief second, Kerrich puzzled over where they were.

Kerrich rose to his feet, careful to keep
Celestine behind him to protect her. He would not allow himself to fail to protect Celestine as he had failed to protect his mother and father. The guilt would crush him and his life, his struggle for freedom, would become abject and meaningless. It would be worse than being an old husk of wheat waiting for the cold winds to blow it away.

***

Celestine peered around Kerrich’s muscled calf. How had he come to be at her side when she needed him the most? The dark memories threatened to overwhelm her again. She used all her strength of will to keep them at bay and gazed into Leuric’s wintry eyes. She had never seen him so angry before.

Her weary mind toyed with an idea. Her mother had not returned from the dead to seek vengeance. Rather she had returned to warn
Celestine that her life was in grave peril. No, that couldn’t be true, she told herself. The dark memories she had been trying to repress for six years washed over her. She cried out.

A moment later, with the cold truth apparent, she became aware of Leuric and Kerrich watching her, the first with a hostile expression,
the second with loving concern.

“He killed my mother,” she whispered, refu
sing to whisper Leuric’s name. “As I watched.” That had been the reason for the blackness inundating her mind at the times she least expected it.

“Guards!
Guards!” Leuric shouted. “Take this vermin away!”

“Where are your minions now?” Kerrich jeered.

“I can answer that.”

Celestine
gasped as her maid stepped out from a thick tree trunk. Where had she disappeared to after she had led her out of the dungeon? There was something different about her now – a hardness she had never known her to display before.

Leuric whirled around. His eyes bulged and he breathed, “You,” for the second time.

“Who were you expecting?” the maid sneered.

Celestine
watched as Leuric gave her a puzzled look and then turned his gaze back to Angelet. “You promised me.”

“Odo got to it before you did,” she stated flatly.

“Got to what?” Kerrich demanded.

Laboriously,
Celestine got to her feet. Kerrich aided her up even as he kept an eye on Leuric and Angelet. He gripped her elbow, helping her to stand to one side of him. “Stay here,” he said gently. The green flecks in his eyes sparked like hungry embers.

Leuric raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand. We had a deal.”

Angelet gave a bitter laugh.

“Angelet, what are you doing?”
Celestine asked in a hushed whisper.

A mist shrouded them. She could clearly smell the damp earth and something old rising up like a tendril of smoke.
Celestine sucked in a deep breath when the mist cleared. An old woman, as thin as a straw of hay, stood in Angelet’s place.

To
Celestine’s surprise, Leuric turned into a mass of quivering flesh. His eyes bulged outwards and his cheeks turned ruddy. “Where is the elixir?” he ground out from between gritted teeth.

“What a man won’t do for eternal life,” the old woman snickered.

Leuric rushed forward and grabbed her by the throat with two powerful hands. “Bitch! You promised me!”

The old woman laughed. “Odo overheard your conversation with me one day, not long ago. He cut me a deal, although I have no need for them.”

“I knew you were up to no good,” Kerrich said to Angelet, his voice matter-of-fact. “I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

Angelet laughed as he stared into Kerrich’s bold eyes. “How can you kill me? I’m of the old ways, a goddess who goes where she pleases. You have no power to harm me.”

“You forget something, you old hag,” Leuric interrupted. “I have my hands around your scrawny neck.”

The old woman showed no fear. “Mark my words. If you harm me, you will pay for the deed. The land will become as dry as a mother’s breast without milk and the people will learn to kill without a second thought.”

“I care not what happens to these beggars. Where’s my elixir?” Leuric shouted, shaking her so her eyes rolled back in her head.

Shocked by his lack of concern for those he ostensibly ruled,
Celestine looked to Kerrich, who motioned ‘no’ with a barely perceptible moment of his head.

“You should watch your back, Leuric,” Angelet continued. “There’s nothing like a servant taking your place.”

“Where is Odo?”

“Didn’t you see he had the power you thought would be yours?”

Leuric tilted his head to the sky and roared. “How dare you cheat me?” Without further warning, he squeezed the old woman’s neck.

Celestine
heard bone crunch against bone. Leuric kept shaking her and shouting, “You cheated me! You cheated me!”

Kerrich strode up to him and disentangled the lord’s hands from Angelet’s neck,
who sank to the earth in a heap of skirts.

With a low growl, Leuric turned on him. “Who are you to interfere in my affairs?”

The pieces of the puzzle slid together more forcefully as Celestine watched the exchange. Kerrich was a noble knight, not a poorly-dressed serf. That meant that if he had told her the truth in the hayloft, and Leuric really had been a killer for hire, Kerrich stood higher in rank than he did.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It also meant that she wouldn’t have to marry old
Guermont. She would be able to hold onto her much-valued freedom.

“I dare since you killed my mother and father.” Kerrich raised his dagger.

“No!” Celestine rushed forward. “I beg mercy for his sake.”

Kerrich gave her a strange look from darkened eyes. “You mean after all he’s done to you, you would spare his life?”

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. It had been enough to find out that the person she had trusted the most, had betrayed her.

Kerrich nodded. “As the lady requested, I will spare your miserable life but as you did to me, so I shall do to you. You shall spend the remainder of your days as a serf upon my lands.”

Leuric mumbled, “But the lady shall be mine.”

Celestine
frowned. “Has he gone mad?” she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

“I will bring her back to life,” Leuric motioned at Angelet’s body. “She will give me the elixir.”

A group of guards ran up to Kerrich. “Take him to the dungeon,” Kerrich ordered.

The guards seized Leuric and hauled him off as he kept shouting, “The elixir is mine! The elixir is mine!”

Celestine leaned against Kerrich’s chest and gazed into his face. “I don’t understand. Didn’t the elixir die with Angelet?”

He trailed a lazy line of feathered kisses across her forehead. “It’s a long story, sweetheart, but what I can make out of it is that your maid acted out two different roles.”

Celestine watched his gray eyes lighten. “When she came to me to arrange a meeting between us, I labeled her a ‘goddess/witch’. She had an unfailing kindness but also a heartlessness. Such opposite traits in a person don’t go unnoticed. She knew who I was, that freedom meant more to me than my life but she told me she had heard the wind whisper my secrets.

“At first I told myself this wasn’t possible but then I realized that when she said that, she was referring to the fact that she could read my mind.”

Celestine gasped, and jerked away. “What do you mean?”

“Just that.
She could read your thoughts, my thoughts, Leuric’s thoughts. Each person she came into contact with, she knew what they wished for the most. For example, she knew your dearest wish was to make love to a man who understood your needs and would treat you gently. She understood my wish to stay hidden so I would remain free until I could avenge my parents’ death. So she persuaded me that if I didn’t want her to go to the sheriff with who I really was, then I had to make sure to meet you.”

“How can this be going so wrong?”
Celestine murmured.

“What do you mean?”

Kerrich extended his hand but she brushed it away. She felt a blush blossoming on her cheeks. He didn’t love her after all. This was all an act. “You were forced to make love to me,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “It’s not something you would have done of your own free will.”

“No, that’s not true.”

Celestine couldn’t take any more. As the tears spilled down her cheeks, she stumbled towards the castle. She thought she had fallen in love with this man who knew how to make her body respond to his hands. It was all a farce. Nothing but a joke and she was the brunt of it.