Revenant (31 page)

His
fingers stilled against my collarbone. “What is it?” he said, not turning
around.

Sonja’s
voice sounded from the doorway. “Fintan is demanding to see you.”

He
gave a sigh of regret as his fingers slowly pulled up the strap of my
nightgown. He kissed my shoulder again. “I’m sorry, my dear.” He gave another
long sigh before his lips came up and gently brushed against mine. “I promise—soon.
Soon we’ll be together like I’ve always imagined.”

And
then he pulled away from me and I felt cold again.

I
watched him walk away and sadness filled me. It crashed over me like a wave, so
overwhelming I almost cried out. I forced myself to recall the heated moment
we’d just had together—Gage’s image flashed before my eyes and an
incredible warmth crept in and slid along my mind and body.
Gage is so
smart, so handsome.
He has such passion.

A
long time ago—so long ago the memories were fuzzy—I’d thought I’d
loved someone else. But I now realized that love was nothing but infatuation.
So many people had turned their backs on me and left me all alone. Only Gage had
stayed by my side. Gage had shown he was my true partner. My soul mate.

If only there’d been no
interruptions
.
I ran my hand down my silk nightgown, my skin tingling pleasurably as I relived
his touch.
Gage would’ve carried me back
to bed. He would’ve finally made love to me
.

I
would’ve been truly his in every sense of the word. But in just two days, we
would be husband and wife. After the wedding, we would have a lifetime
together.

* * *

I slept a deep, dreamless sleep this time, and when I woke
again,
it was to the smell of bacon and coffee.
Someone had left a tray of food on a table nearby.

I
got out of bed and headed for the food. When I heard the sound of shuffling
behind me I called out, “Sonja?”

“It’s
me again.”
Mildred
.
What does she want?
She looked so tired.
Her body slumped a bit as she walked toward me. She was wearing the same dress
she’d worn last night. “I passed Sonja in the hallway.”

“Did
you talk to Gage?” I asked. I nibbled on a piece of toast. I felt better than I
had before. The fatigue had finally passed. I started to reach for
a cup
of coffee.

“I
brought something for you.” Mildred ignored my question, holding out her hands
instead. She held a cloth-wrapped object.

“What
is it?”

She
pulled the cloth
away
and revealed a goblet.
Candlelight
shone
off its gray surface. Purple
and blue light twinkled from the colorful jewels encrusted all along its edge
and base. It
was filled
with a murky
liquid.

Mildred
moved closer and held the brimming goblet out. “You should drink this. It will
make you better.”

I need to get well for my wedding
day
. I took the
goblet from her
hands
and raised it to my
lips.

“Gulp
it all down,” she urged.

I
took one long drink and sputtered. “What is it?” It tasted terrible.

“Something
to help you.”

“But it’s bitter.”

She
nodded her head. “Medicine often tastes awful. One more deep sip, that’s all
you need.”

I
looked at her, reluctant to take another sip, but told myself she was only
trying to help me. The potion tasted foul, but I raised the glass to my lips
anyway
and took a swallow. I immediately
started coughing. I could feel the liquid running down my throat, burning as it
went. I knew a look of alarm was on my face. “Wha—what did you give me?”
I demanded.

“Something
to help you remember, child.”

My
throat was on
fire,
my belly burned. The
world around me started to waver. “What did you do to me?” I cried out.

“Stay
calm, everything is going to be all right,” she whispered. She began to sway
back and forth, murmuring words.
She’s
chanting—no, she’s singing.

I
felt my body begin to move back and forth in time with hers. My eyes were
blurry
and my head throbbed, and then I doubled
over and started retching.

Mildred
held a large bowl in front of me. I threw up—once, twice. The contents of
my stomach splashed against the sides of the bowl. Next thing I knew, I was down
on the floor looking up into Mildred’s face. She was pressing a cool cloth
against my forehead. “What happened?” I croaked out.

“How
do you feel?” Mildred asked.

“I
feel…sick,” I said, pushing myself up into a sitting position.

“It
will pass in a moment. Do you want me to get Gage?”

I
looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “Why would I want
Gage
?”

Mildred
looked pleased.

“Where
am I?” I pushed myself off the floor to my feet, but I would’ve fallen if
Mildred’s strong hands hadn’t reached out and steadied me.

“You
must stay calm. I’ll tell you what happened, but Colina, you must not
overreact. You have to stay calm, do you understand?”
The expression on her face was so serious.

“I…understand,”
I whispered.

“You’re
in Gage’s bedroom.”

“What?”
I started to sway again, but she put her arms around me.

“He’s
done something to you, child.”

At
her words, I felt my blood freeze. “What do you mean, he’s
done
something to me?” I pushed myself out of her arms. “Mildred,
tell me what’s going on!”

She
put her fingers to her lips and then looked over at the door. “Calm—you
must stay calm. We don’t have much time. How can I explain it to you?” She
seemed to be considering her words before finally blurting out, “Gage used a
spell on you.”

I
just stared at her in disbelief.

“He
gave you a potion and invoked a spell.” She was watching me closely. “Maybe he slipped
the potion into your food or drink?”

I
thought back to the night he gave me a colorful yellow-and-orange concoction. “I
remember…he gave me some
type of
fruit
drink.”

She
nodded her head and looked pleased. “He could’ve put the potion in that. Very
powerful stuff. Very dangerous stuff. When you take it, your system shuts down.
Your heartbeat,
your
breathing—it all goes so
very low that you appear dead. When
it’s done
correctly, your mind becomes pliable. You’re under his control.”

I
gasped in horror. “I’m bound to him?”

“In
a sense. The potion he gave you is also a powerful psychoactive drug. Once you
take it, your mind is wide open to suggestion. He used the potion and then
a type
of hypnosis on you.” She came over and
leaned in close. “He changed your reality. You followed his every word, his
every wish, his every command.” I felt like throwing up again.

She
put a hand on my shoulder. “And, Colina? The demon is here.”

The demon is here
. The words rocked me back on my
heels. It was here, which meant it would be looking for me. Fear shot through
me and I sucked in a shaky breath.

Her
words gushed out. “They had a party for the creature last night, and tonight
they’re doing another ritual, one to help it get more power and resume its
natural state. And then the day after that”—she looked away and then back
at me—“you aren’t going to like this, but… Gage plans to wed you.”

The
shock ran straight through me like a bolt of electricity. “You can’t be
serious.”

Voices
echoed outside the room and we both stilled.

With
both eyes on the door, Mildred leaned in and whispered, “The demon is here to
preside over the ceremony. You’re to be Gage’s dark bride.”

“I
would
never
marry him.” I felt sick
over the thought.

“You
would if I hadn’t woken you. He had control over your mind. He convinced you
that you were in love with him.”

I
looked around the room and down at what I was wearing.
I’m here in his bedroom wearing a silky nightgown.
Could everything
Mildred was saying be true?

“I
have to go,” Mildred said, moving away from me. “They’ll be coming. Colina, he
can’t know you’re no longer under his spell. You must play along.
I need more time.”

“No,
wait.” I didn’t want her to leave. I didn’t want to be left alone in Gage’s bedroom.

She
stopped at the doorway and gave me a smile. “I need time to get us out of here.
Promise me you’ll go along with whatever he says. You
must
go along with
it
—our
lives all depend
on
it.”

I
looked over to the rumpled sheets I’d just been sleeping in and shuddered.
I slept in his bed
. “How can I pretend?”

“You’re
safe until after the ceremony. He can’t consummate the relationship until after
you wed.”

That
stopped me in my tracks. “Consu—” I couldn’t get the rest of the word
out.

“He
can’t
bed you
, child, until after the
ceremony. If he does, the spell won’t take. There are rules to magic, and even
Gage has to follow them. Promise me you won’t let him know I released you from
his influence.”

I
reluctantly said, “I promise.”

She
gave me another smile. “I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I
started after her. “Wait, Mildred. You said everyone thinks I’m dead?”

She
stood in the doorway, looking uncomfortable again. “Yes, everyone but Gage and
Sonja. I only found out last night you were still alive. I thought Gage killed
you.”

I
remembered Dean trying to save me with CPR. A sinking feeling filled me. “Dean
thinks I’m dead?”

“He
does, and he has to keep thinking you’re gone. If he finds out you’re alive,
he’ll move heaven and earth to get to your side. And then Gage will kill him.”

Dean didn’t get away
.
“What about Wendy? Did she escape?”

Sadness
filled Mildred’s eyes. “No. She was at the party. Gage tied her to a chair and
the demon talked to its companions through her.”

I
couldn’t comprehend it.
Why didn’t
Jacob get her out
? I’d pleaded with
Jacob to
run away
with her. How could he have
stayed? “Is she okay?”

“She’s
alive. I watched them carry her away. She’s
physically
all right, but I don’t know about her sanity.”

“Mildred,
how are we going to get out of here?” I wanted to trust her, I
really
did, but she’d betrayed me before. How could
I know she wouldn’t do it again?

She
walked back to me and put both of her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I
have a plan. I just need time.”

I
pulled away from her. “Until then, I have to act like I’m in love with Gage? I
don’t know if I can do it.”

“You
must
, child. When I came in before,
you were mooning over him. You must act like that again. Act like he is the
only one for you.”

Suddenly
the memory of Gage kissing me filled my mind. I wiped my hand across my mouth
and swallowed hard on a rush of bile at the back of my throat. “I can’t do it.”

She
gave me a hard stare. “You have no choice.”

I
tried to wrap my thoughts around everything. Gage made me his personal puppet.
I felt sick to my stomach.

Mildred
watched me in silence,
then
gave me a reassuring smile
before turning and walking away. As she left, more memories flashed across my
mind. Gage, pressing my body against the wall. Gage’s hands all over me like an
octopus’s tentacles.
That monster touched
me
. I’d never felt so disgusted in my life.

He
poisoned me. He tried to turn me into some
kind
of
love slave—and succeeded. Mildred said he would
bed
me after the wedding, and I gave a long
shudder as the feeling of his hands running down my body surfaced in my mind
again. How could I tolerate him touching me again? Kissing me? How could I
possibly make him believe I was still under his spell?

I paced back and forth across the room for hours. After a
while, my stomach grumbled and I looked over at my cold breakfast. I’d been too
ill to finish eating after Mildred told me what Gage had done to me. Anger and
mortification flowed through my veins every time I thought of the ordeal he’d
put me
through
.

He
killed me and brought me back to life. He tried to make me a dutiful girlfriend
by poisoning and brainwashing me. I hope there’s a special place in hell
reserved for his evil soul.

Even
as these thoughts crossed my mind, I found other odd, disturbing feelings
floating around in my head:
Gage is
handsome. Gage is kind. Gage is…sexy
.

Every
time one of these thoughts made it to the front of my brain, I immediately
pushed it back. Why was I still thinking this way? Why couldn’t I just hate
him? Had Mildred’s potion failed? Was I still under that madman’s influence?

As
I stood contemplating the cold breakfast, Sonja walked into the room
unexpectedly. “You have a fitting in an hour.”

I
tried to plaster a smile on my face—I needed to fool her, too. “A fitting
for what?”

“A
fancy gown for tonight’s party,” she answered. She looked over at the untouched
food. “You didn’t eat much. Are you feeling okay?”

She’ll report everything I say
and go back to Gage.

I
walked over and sat down on the bed. “I’m still feeling a little ill and shaky.”

She
gave me a long look. I unclenched my hands and tried to look relaxed. It wasn’t
easy—so many emotions tumbled around inside me, some of them hateful,
others warm and fuzzy. Both revulsion and lust surfaced each time I thought of
Gage. These thoughts would
slowly
drive me
insane.

“Where’s
Gage?” I forced myself to ask. If I
were
supposed to care about him, I would probably be curious about his whereabouts.
I was hoping her answer would be something along the lines of
Gage angered his demon playmate and it sent
his soul straight to hell
.

Instead
she answered, “He’s busy with ritual preparations for tonight. There’s a lot to
be done
.”

Smiling,
I wondered how long I could successfully play the part of the blushing bride-to-be.
I looked down at my nightgown. “Is there anything for me to change into?”

“Gage
had me go on a shopping spree. Once your measurements are taken, it will all be
tailored
to
fit perfectly. He wants
everything just right.” She walked over to a large wooden dresser in the corner
of the room and opened the top drawer. “Until they’re ready, here are some
clothes you can put on.” She withdrew a few pieces, laying them out on the bed
next to me.

It
was the official uniform—black jeans, black shirt, black boots.

I
waited for her to leave the room, but when she didn’t, I grabbed the jeans and awkwardly
pulled them
on under my nightgown
. “You
don’t have to babysit me. I can get dressed on my own.” It took sheer willpower
not to add a sarcastic tone to my words.

“I
thought he loved me, but now it’s clear he wants you,” she whispered out of the
blue.

I
froze at her words, looking up to see tears forming in her eyes.

“I
don’t know how you seduced him—” She stopped, too upset to continue.

I
wanted to say, “Take him, he’s
yours,”
but
I choked the words back. Another part of me—the bewitched, traitor part—wanted
to scratch her eyes out.

A
tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away. “I thought he loved me, but he
wants you.”

I
had no idea what to say to her, but I had to say something. “Sonja, I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to…hurt you.” I took a deep breath, straightened up from
buttoning my pants, and tried to sound sincere. “I never meant to steal him
from you.”

She
looked away and sobbed.

Her
reaction made me wonder if Gage had pulled his mind control routine on her. She
had
said I would come under his
spell. Was this how he got all his girlfriends? By drugging them and then
turning them into love slaves?

“I’ll
come and get you when the seamstress is ready for you.” She didn’t turn around
to face me. Instead, she headed straight across the room toward the door.

“Wait.
Can you give him a message for me?” I asked her
retreating
back
. “Can you tell him
it’s
bad
luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?”

That
made her stop. She spun around and her eyebrows rose in surprise.

“I
just don’t want—” I couldn’t get the words out. How could I say the next
part without sounding like I was faking it? “I don’t want to jinx the wedding.
I love him
so much
.”
I think I just vomited a little bit in my
mouth
. I took a deep breath and continued, “I don’t want to start off our
lives together on the wrong foot.”

She
watched me for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll tell him.”

I
gave her another simpering smile. “Thanks.”

She
walked away and I prayed Gage would follow my wishes. Maybe I could keep him
away from me. I’d had a hard enough time faking it in front of Sonja. I
couldn’t imagine trying to fool Gage. But even more troubling was the thought
that maybe I couldn’t trust myself around him.

I think Sonja believed
everything I said. I think she believes I’m still madly in love with Gage.

At
least, I hoped so.

* * *

The seamstress held up the dress. “You like it?” She was a
little woman with a black scarf wrapped around her dark hair.

It
was
the dress
from my dreams—the
nightmare where I’d been dancing with Gage. The dress was black,
strapless,
and fell all the way to the floor. Rows
of black lace decorated every inch of the satin fabric.

“It’s…lovely.”
The urge to run screaming from the room tore at me.

The
seamstress motioned for me to get undressed. She helped me wiggle into the
dress and maneuver it up my body. As the material slid along my skin, I
wondered if
a dress
could be evil. Was it
just my imagination, or was I tingling unpleasantly everywhere the material
touched me?

“Hello,”
a small voice spoke from behind me.

I
turned to find a young girl with her hair in pigtails holding a porcelain doll
in one hand. She had hair like my mother’s—a raven black that made her
pale skin almost ghostly. Her hazel eyes glowed like a cat’s as the light
caught them, tinged with red. The upper part of the doll’s head was missing,
and there were dark marks along its face and dress. Burn marks.

It
took a moment for my brain to process what I was seeing.
Burn marks from a fire…
Macaven’s party
…

I
was looking into the face of the demon. I barely resisted taking an involuntary
step back.

The
girl gave me a smile as she skipped toward me, and it took everything in me not
to scurry away in fear. I stood my ground and tried to look calm, but inside my
emotions churned through me—fear, anger, and complete and utter panic.
I’d watched this demon kill a dark mage just by touching him. I’d watched in
horror as the mage’s skin blistered and slowly melted off his skull.

“That’s
a pretty dress,” the demon girl said. I didn’t hear the demon in her
voice—she sounded like a little girl. But I knew what I was seeing. This
human form was just a mask for the evil creature that squatted inside.

“Thank
you,” I forced out past my terror. My heart pounded wildly. With my fear came
the sound of a howl off in the distance.

The
last thing I needed was my spirit pack attacking her. I was supposed to be in
love with Gage and my so-called fiancé was in partnership with the creature.
Brainwashed Colina wouldn’t have a problem hanging out with a demon child. I
forced myself to calm down. I anxiously waited to see if my pack would
materialize, but they didn’t.

The
little girl’s small fingers reached out and touched my dress. This time I
couldn’t help myself—I shied back, holding my breath. “Is Gage with you?”

“No.”
She shook her head, her pigtails whipping back and forth. “He’s upstairs
yelling at people.” The girl looked up at me. “I’m happy to see you again.”

I
forced a smile on my face. “It’s good to see
you,
too
.”
Is my magic powerful enough
to kill this thing?
I prayed my thoughts wouldn’t show on my face. If I
tried and failed, the demon would kill me. If it didn’t, Gage would. I didn’t
believe for a second that Gage’s “love” for me would be enough to keep me
alive. And my friends? Gage would kill them for sure.

The
girl tilted her head and giggled. “I’m going to be part of the wedding.”

“I’m
so glad,” I said, trying to make my voice as casual as I could.
Why isn’t the demon morphing? Why is it
still acting like a kid?

The
seamstress came back and started pinning the back of the dress so it fit more
snugly around me.

“You’ll
make a pretty bride,” the child said, lifting a section of my dress in the air.

“Thank
you,” I forced out.

The
girl dropped the dress and her eyes narrowed. “They said you hurt my puppies.”

Is she talking about the
hellhounds?

“You
shouldn’t have done that.” Her free hand balled into a fist and I cringed
slightly. It did not seem like a wise move to anger her, but how the heck could
I even begin to make amends for killing her evil pets? I wracked my brain for
some
kind of
response when another voice
spoke out.

“You
can make more tomorrow night.” Mildred walked into the room, and at the sight
of her I felt a huge sense of relief.

Mildred
waved her hands in the air and laughed. “Just think, maybe this time you can
make one with two heads.” The girl seemed delighted by the suggestion.

If
I expected Mildred to look afraid, I was quickly proved wrong. I could tell she
was wary, but she gave me a big smile and then addressed the demon again. “Gage
is asking for you.”

“Okay.
Bye!” She waved, turned, and skipped out of the room.

I
waited for the seamstress to finish
pinning
and move to the other side of the room before speaking.

While
she sorted through spools of black ribbon, I quietly hissed, “That was the
demon.”

Mildred
watched the seamstress. The woman was out of earshot. “It was,” Mildred
answered calmly.

“Why
is it still a child?”

“Once
it changes, there are only certain times it can turn back into its natural
form. It takes a great deal of power to morph. The longer it’s in human form,
the more human it behaves. But don’t be fooled, the creature is still dangerous
in whatever form it’s in.”

I
looked over at the seamstress—she was still fiddling with ribbons. “And
what happens when it goes back to demon form?” Images of the destruction and
death the demon caused flashed before my eyes.

“I’m
not sure. Gage doesn’t confide in me.” She gave me a half smile. “I get the
impression he doesn’t entirely trust me anymore.”

“Tonight
is one of the times it can
change
? It can
morph back into its natural shape?” I asked.

The
seamstress looked over in our direction, and Mildred let go of my hand and gave
me a nod. She started circling around me, pretending to admire my gown. “During
the ritual, before the demon changes, we’ll make a break for it,” she whispered,
not meeting my eyes. “I’ll create a diversion. When I do, you make a run for
it.”

“Mildred,
I can’t go. Gage might be able to get Luke’s spirit out of hell,” I admitted. I
wasn’t leaving if there was still a chance I could get Luke back.

Mildred
was now standing in front of me. “Child, if you stay, you’ll be Gage’s
bride
. Do you
really
think that Gage will bring back someone who you should no
longer care about?”

When
I started to respond, she put up a hand to stop me. “Remember, you’re supposed
to be madly in love with Gage. It would rouse suspicion if you suddenly asked
for Luke again.”

I
couldn’t deny what she was saying was true, but there had to be a way to get
Gage to do what I wanted. “I think Gage wants to please me. He wants to keep me
happy. Even if I didn’t love Luke, he knows how I feel about my friends. My
friend
Luke
is lost
in hell. Of course I would want him back.”

She
reached out and put her hand on my shoulder. “I think you should let it go. I
promise you—once we get out of here we’ll scour books. If there’s a way
to get Luke out of that place, we’ll find it.”