Betrayal Read online

  “Why not now?”

  He shrugged. “I thought to settle in here, see Miss Tally is comfortable with her new environment, and make sure the transfer of equipment is accomplished first. Will that be all right with you?”

  She turned a lovely shade of pink, and he longed to kiss her until all her doubts vanished. “I will see to Tally’s comfort, and you can see to your own, Reece. We can attend to the new training room together.”

  “A perfect arrangement, my love.”

  “You should not call me that.”

  “I suppose that is true, but I have no intentions of stopping.” He kissed the tip of her nose and made his way out of the parlor and up the stairs to find his new bedroom.

  Once the Foxjohn staff headed back to his father’s house, he knocked on the door to Tally’s room. Matilda called, “Come in.”

  He opened the door and left it wide. “How are the two of you settling in?”

  “We’re just fine, sir. Miss Tally and I are quite comfortable.”

  “I’m sorry to move the two of you around. I’m afraid this is only a temporary arrangement, and we will all be moving again within the week.”

  Tally worried a small pillow. “You won’t leave me behind, will you, sir?”

  “No, Tally. I will not. You are part of my family now. I will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe.”

  “I don’t want to end up like the others.”

  A knot formed in his throat. “It will not happen. The Company and I will protect you with our lives.”

  Her hands clenched into fists around the poor doomed pillow. “Thank you.”

  “We should have protected you better before this. Believe me, if we had known how far the master’s reach had stretched, we would have been more vigilant.”

  Matilda said, “I think Miss Tally should rest now, sir.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be back later. Mr. Douglass will be here if either of you need anything.”

  * * * *

  They arrived at a small farm belonging to Mr. Sweeney. The house with patched boards and a crooked stoop puffed smoke from the damaged chimney. Perhaps a bit rundown but the yard was neat and clean. Two men sat eating on the front porch. Reece retained his footman, John, and the carriage, which was his. His father couldn’t think of a reason fast enough to deny him. John acted as driver for the time being. Once the wheels stopped, he jumped down and gave a friendly hallo to the men.

  Neither one got up.

  Reece handed Elizabeth down from the carriage.

  She smiled at the men. “We’ve come from London, looking for a Mr. Sweeney who is the widower of Mrs. Karen Sweeney.”

  Though the men looked a lot alike, the man on the right had little meat on his bones and more hair. He stood up. “My wife is dead. There’s no need you comin’ out here to hash out things that ought be left in the grave.”

  “It appears we have found the correct Mr. Sweeney.” Reece walked to the porch. “We are very sorry for you loss, Mr. Sweeney. We heard that the circumstances of your wife’s death were unusual. We hope the truth of the matter might help to save two other women from similar fates.”

  “You see, Mr. Sweeney, I was with Karen that first time. I know she did not kill herself. Will you tell me what really happened?”

  He looked at his brother who stood, cleared the bowls from the table, and went into the house. “I don’t know what my retellin’ of that terrible day can do to help you, miss.”

  “It may not help at all, but if there is a chance to stop what happened to your wife from happening to me and another young woman, perhaps you would indulge us?”

  “She’d been strange ever since she went missing. Always sayin’ the devil was after her and she was damned to hell. We went to the church near every day and she would pray and pray. Never could get any sleep, so terrified they’d come in the night and take her away.”

  “What did you tell her?” Elizabeth asked.

  “That no one was comin’ for her and she fretted over nothin’. It did no good. She was worse than ever. The day she died, she walked to the church. I had to work and couldn’t go with her. She never come home, and I found her in the alley, lyin’ in a pool of blood.”

  The authorities said she killt ’erself, but my Karen, as crazy as she was, would never have done it. Going to Hell terrified her and suicide is a ticket straight on.”

  “Did any of your neighbors notice anything odd that day?”

  “It rained and the wind picked up all-of-a-sudden. Old Trask said he saw her leave dressed for church just when the storm picked up. He tried to call for her to go back into the house, but she just kept on walkin’ like she didn’t hear.”

  “I do not think your wife took her own life, Mr. Sweeney,” Reece said.

  “Mind if I ask why you don’t?”

  “Because those monsters did try to get to her, just as she said. She was not crazy at all. She was perfectly sane and absolutely correct. Unfortunately, the monsters succeeded.”

  Sweeney looked him in the eye. “Why would anyone, monster or man, want my Karen dead?”

  “This creature gains power from the misery of others.”

  “Are you gonna’ kill him?”

  “We will do everything in our power to avenge your wife’s death, Mr. Sweeney.”

  He plunged his hands into his worn trouser pockets. “I should have paid more mind to what she told me. Who would believe a person who says they seen monsters?”

  “It is a difficult idea to believe.”

  He backed up and drew closer to the farmhouse door. “I appreciate you tellin’ me she was murdered and didn’t kill ’erself. It sounds a bit daft, but I like the idea better. I hated thinkin’ my girl’d gone and done ’erself in.”

  “Thank you for your time.” Elizabeth smiled and turned to leave.

  “I wish we could have done more.” Reece took her arm.

  Sweeney’s hand gripped the front door. “I wish you good luck, miss.” He opened the door just enough to slip inside and shut it behind him.

  The carriage bumped along the road back to London. The shadows passing outside the window were long, and night would follow soon. “Did you notice how uncomfortable Mr. Sweeney was?”

  “He could not wait to get away from us.”

  “Do you think he knew his wife told the truth when she said she had seen monsters?”

  “I believe he knew a great deal more than he will ever admit.”

  Her response died on her lips as the wind picked up, the horses screamed, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, and she toppled from the seat. Her knees struck the wood flooring, and pain shot through her bones. Reece wrapped his hand around her upper arm and hauled her to her feet.

  The driver hollered, but the meaning didn’t carry in the cacophony erupting around them. Outside, a vortex opened in the middle of the road. The beast that leaped through she had only read about. Lillian reported the durso as being enormous, but she hadn’t done the monster justice. On four legs, its bull horns towered over them. It grunted, and fetid matter spewed from those nostrils. On top of its horse-like body rode a tritor demon. Muscles rippled along his scaly skin. He looked like a trebox but stood as big as a malleus. He bared a full mouth of pointed teeth and charged forward on the red-eyed beast.

  Reece drew his pistol and fired. The bullet did little damage to the durso’s thick skin. He pulled a dagger and threw at the tritor. The moving beast was a difficult target, and the blade only cut his cheek.

  Still, the demon screamed and pulled up short.

  Elizabeth drew her sword. They were coming for her. Even though she had no pain in her head or nausea, the pull to go to the vortex gnawed at her. A fog settled around her mind.

  The driver fired a rifle and managed to hit the bull in the snout. Blood poured from the softer flesh there and splattered in every direction.

  Warm drops hit her face and arms. She dropped her skirts with the pull
of the cleverly hidden ties and circled to the left of their attacker. Her hair flew loose of its binding and blinded her.

  Another shot rang out from the top of the carriage. This time the driver hit the tritor high on his chest.

  Ferocious and bellowing, it rushed toward her place near the front of the horses. She moved her sword to her left hand and drew a throwing knife. Her aim was good, but the blade only scratched the scaled beast.

  No way around, they could not retreat.

  Reece leaped toward the tritor and toppled him from the durso’s back.

  The demon steed grunted and stomped the ground to protect his rider. One enormous hoof came down inches from Reece’s head.

  Reece rolled away locked with the demon with horrifying teeth and black eyes. He wouldn’t last against the superior strength. She couldn’t bear to lose him.

  She returned the sword to her dominant hand and ran toward the monster. Too small to take it on face-to-face, she slid through his front legs and sliced the back of the left front just above the hoof.

  The leg buckled and Elizabeth scrambled away from the falling body.

  The durso’s scream echoed through the night.

  His rider’s head whipped around, and he left Reece to go to his beast.

  She ran to Reece where he lay on the ground. The wind doubled and the vortex grew. Dragging him to his feet, they backed away until she grabbed hold of the horses harness.

  The vortex pulled her, but she held on to Reece and the leather cutting into her hand.

  Reece grabbed her waist, and he too took hold of the harness.

  The horse backed away. John called out to the frightened animal and yanked the reins back, moving them away from danger.

  With one more scream the durso hobbled into the vortex.

  The tritor turned and looked at her. Black blood ran down his face and chest. “The master will not be denied.”

  The vortex shrank, and the demon broke into a run. His wounds apparently having done him little harm, he leaped into the demon realm.

  She released the biting leather, and only Reece’s arms kept her from collapsing. “He will not give me up.”

  “I will not let him have you.”

  “I do not believe you can stop him, Reece. I wanted to run into the gate. I wanted to go to him. I may no longer feel him, but the connection is still there. He owns me.”

  His mouth opened as if to argue, but then he turned to the driver. “John, are you all right?”

  “Scared out of mi mind, sir, but otherwise I’m fine.” John had black blood spattered across his white and gold livery and the rifle slung across his lap.

  “You did well. We might not have survived without you and these horses. I’m grateful.”

  John sat up straighter. “My pleasure, sir.”

  “We had better get back to the office as quickly as possible.” Reece handed her up and followed her in.

  Night fell and they rolled through the streets of London. A few other carriages and people made their way home for the supper hour, all blissfully unaware the world was coming to an end.

  At the office, Reece went to debrief Tad, but Elizabeth picked up her skirts and went up to her room. The darkness outside her window offered no comfort. She waited for whatever might rip her from her world, but nothing came. Jamie crossed the garden and entered through the back door, but nothing else moved in the night.

  “Are you avoiding me or just the telling of tonight’s events?” Reece stood in the door. He’d changed his clothes and tied his hair back. Once again, he looked every bit the gentleman.

  “Were you injured?”

  He stepped inside and closed the door. “No. I’m fine, Lizzy. Would you like to tell me what happened to you?”

  “I already told you.”

  “You gave me just enough information so I might not inquire further, a bad habit of yours, in my opinion.”

  “You know as well as I if not for your fast thinking driver, you would have been killed and I would have been taken. We failed miserably. I should never have become a hunter. The pull to go to the master is too strong. I will not be able to resist forever.”

  “I do not believe that. You made no move to enter the gate. You damaged that durso and protected me. Your thinking was quick enough to lead us back to the horse and hold on rather than be sucked away. Why are you being so hard on yourself?”

  She should lie. She should be silent. But his open expression melted her reserve. “I’m afraid.”

  “Of course you are. You would be foolish not to be. I’m afraid for you. But together, we will find a way to release you from this evil, Lizzy.” He took her hands.

  Pain shot across her palm.

  He looked down and opened her hand. The leather from the halter left her flesh bloody and raw. “Why haven’t you tended to this?”

  “To be honest, I was preoccupied with feeling sorry for myself.” She laughed.

  His smile struck her heart. He tugged her toward the washbasin and bathed her wound. Once the dirt and dried blood washed away, he patted it dry with tender attention to not hurting her. He took another cloth from the table and tore a long strip, which he wrapped around her hand and tied at the back. “Are you injured anywhere else?”

  His love spread like a balm far more soothing than the warm water. “Only my soul.”

  He tipped her chin up and kissed her. “Then we shall heal that as well.”

  “I wish it was possible.”

  “Do you love me, Lizzy?”

  “What difference does it make? We already know coupling did not sever the link.”

  He took the torn cloth left from his bandage and dipped it into the water. He wiped her cheek clean, then the other. “It matters quite a lot. You can say no. I will understand if you cannot love me. I would very much like to know the truth.”

  She grabbed the cloth from him and wiped her neck and face less gently than he had. She looked at the black blood and grime on the cloth. “I need a bath.”

  “I ordered you one. The footmen will be here shortly. Will you not answer my question?”

  Would an untruth ease his pain in the future? Eventually the demons would take her. The master wouldn’t fail. He’d keep trying until he succeeded. Yet, lying to him sent a burning pain to her heart.

  A knock on the door broke the spell and saved her from herself.

  His bright eyes dimmed, and he stepped out as an entourage of footmen and maids arrived with a tub, water, and bathing necessities.

  After the bath, she took her dinner in her room. It was weak and childish, but facing her fellow hunters was unbearable. She was the property of the master and could do nothing about it. The less she knew about upcoming Company plans and strategies the better for them all.

  Bone weary, she stared at the high ceiling, got up, and looked out into the garden. Jamie left through the garden gate. Perhaps she should follow. A good demon fight without Reece might be just what she needed. Was it his strength or her own that kept her from running into the gate? If he didn’t stand beside her, holding her in the world, she would know the truth.

  He could have died by the tritor’s hand while she wasted time longing for the demon she despised. A war brewed inside her and it raged beyond her power. But some things she could control. In only her shift, she padded down the hall and eased open the door to Reece’s bedroom.

  He sat up, dagger in hand, hair wild around his face with the moon gleaming in his eyes. “Lizzy? Are you all right?”

  She closed and bolted the door before taking the dagger from his hand and placing it on the bed-stand. “I love you, Reece. I have loved you since you lay dying in Scotland, and my love has grown with every passing day.”

  His smile alone could have lit the room. He tugged her into his arms. “Thank you.”

  “I’m sorry I was silent earlier. I still do not see how we can be together, but should anything happen to me…”

 
“Shhh. Do not talk like that. Nothing is going to happen and we will be together. You make trouble where there is none. We have plenty of problems and none of them include societal restraints. You worry over my parents, when they are not relevant. Say you will marry me, Lizzy.”

  His cheek chafed rough against her palm, and the three-quarter moon illuminated the room. He was like a Greek god sitting naked on his bed. His scarred body was almost returned to its former glory. He’d saved himself using his own strength, and she took some pride in that. “If we survive and can find a way to break my bond to the master, I will marry you.”

  He whooped and pulled her into the bed, tucked her against him, then laid one leg over both of hers. “I am going to make you very happy, my love. I will make it my life’s mission. Nothing will hurt us. You will see.”

  “I hope you are right.” Her heart pounded.

  “Of course I am.”

  She kissed his chin and along his jaw and welcomed the marks his beard would leave. It would remind her where she belonged when the madness of the master gnawed at her to follow.

  His hand slid along her back to her buttocks and drew her tight against his shaft. “You are mine. No one man or demon will change that.”

  She kissed him, plunging her tongue in his mouth and taking in the words she wanted to be true. Pressing her hips and demanding more, she reached down and tore the shift over her head, then tossed it to the floor.

  “So beautiful.” He gripped her thigh before moving to where she needed him most. Small circles around her most sensitive spot drove her wild with the pleasure. He dipped his finger inside her wet core, and she bucked against him.

  Reaching for him, she threw her head back and dug her nails into the flesh of his arm. His mouth drowned out the cries trying to escape. This was what she wanted, needed. Ecstasy came in waves like the ocean, slow and rolling before the crash.

  His mouth trailed down her chin to her neck before continuing a path downward.

  Each touch of those full lips sent a shiver through her and settled between her legs. Already she longed for more, wanted him buried deep inside her. Shameless and desperate, she grabbed at his shoulders to bring him back up.