Betrayal Page 20

  * * * *

  Arms tied behind her back, Elizabeth woke on a long wooden bench. Her body ached in places she’d never considered. Even the skin on her head hurt. Easing to a sitting position, she recognized the church where they had rescued Tally. They’d left her on a back pew. Three other women sat on different pews, staring forward. None of them spoke.

  “What’s happening here?” Elizabeth asked.

  The women didn’t turn at her voice; they just stared at the empty altar.

  She tugged at her bindings. The rope bit into her skin. How long had she been there? Her shoulders ached from the restraints. No sun shone through the tall, blackened windows. Once, they might have brightened the nave and depicted the stages of the cross, but they were burned black by evil. It might be daylight outside, but she’d never know. Getting to her feet, a wave of dizziness forced her to lean against the pew. She closed her eyes until it passed.

  Ten flaming lanterns lit the church. Elizabeth scanned for demons, but only humans populated the room. She staggered to the front pew and looked back at the other three women.

  Their eyes glazed over, staring at nothing. No binding secured their hands. Whatever held these women clearly did not hold her. The blonde in the front row wore a fashionable day dress. Smudges marred her face, and her fancy curls felled from a jeweled set of combs.

  “Miss, we have to get out of here. Untie me and I’ll get us to safety.” Elizabeth wanted to shake her, but she could not get free of the rope. She took a breath to calm her racing heart.

  Two rows back a dark-haired woman wore a fine dress, but out of fashion by a few years. She might be a lady’s maid. On the other side of the center row a filth covered child stared blankly up at the altar. “Wake up. Oh for pity’s sake.”

  Elizabeth looked back, but did not see what held them so enraptured. Though, when she last entered the church, the altar had been a makeshift stand of wood, and now a grand riser of carved stone filled the back of the apse. Behind it, a crucible filled the table. Impressive change for the timeframe, but still not enrapturing. Having to leave these women turned her stomach, but she ran for the door. With her back to it, she tried to pull the latch, but it didn’t budge. The ropes cut into her flesh. She battered herself against the oak. Pain shot across her shoulder.

  Without arms for balance, she barreled along the side of the nave, looking for another way out. Half the distance to the altar, she found another door.

  Locked.

  She ran through the crossing up to the apse and around the altar. Shrouded by curtains, she edged her way along the dark sacristy until she found the door where she had entered with Reece and Tad. Her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and she reached for the latch.

  Torchlight blinded her. The grunt and grumble of a demon pricked at the back of her neck.

  “Puny peasant-hunter is much trouble.” The tritor loomed over her, exposing his pointed teeth in a leer. Dead eyes stared down at her from where it bent to avoid hitting the rafters.

  “Better to just let me go then.”

  “Master has an interest in you.” He gurgled and grated out the words.

  “Why? I’m no one.”

  “You can ask him.” He grabbed her arm.

  The bindings bit deeper.

  The tritor lifted his spear.

  She closed her eyes. Sorry to leave Reece behind.

  The blade whooshed through the air. Her hands came free.

  She opened her eyes, and the tritor pulled her, stumbling toward the other side of the sacristy to a set of steps. Pins and needles speared her fingers and palms as the blood rushed back to her extremities.

  Rough-carved steps led beneath the church and into darkness. Fear strangled her. The spear offered a quick resolution, but what lay below? She shuddered.

  “Go.” The demon prodded her back.

  No choice. No way out. She descended the steps. After fifteen or more risers, they curved to the right and continued toward a lighted archway. It opened into a carved out cave. An elaborate bed of dark wood, gold and plush drapery filled one end. On top of the deep purple and gilded threads slept the master. Even with pale flesh and hallowed cheeks, his looks compelled. Wearing nightclothes of dark silk, he might have been any English gentleman.

  “Master sleeps. You wait.” The tritor pointed to a wooden chair in the far corner. His eyes glowed red for a moment before returning to the deathly black.

  She had no choice. She sat in the chair and kept her gaze on the creature who meant to destroy humanity.

  The demon strode to the end of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest so his spear pointed to the ceiling. He stood staring at nothing like the guards at the palace.

  A second tritor entered and took his place at the other corner of the master’s bed. The two were like statues waiting for some force to bring them to life.

  What she would give for a weapon at that moment. She rubbed her raw, bloody wrists and waited.

  The cavern dug out under the church stretched at least twelve feet high and twice as long. This would have taken men months to complete, yet the demons had managed it in a matter of weeks. Did he do it with magic or have tools of a higher caliber?

  The growling pain in her stomach and dizziness told her she’d been there more than a day. Every time she dozed, the hard chair pulled her back to wakefulness.

  From the guarded bed, the master watched her. His dark hair swept back from his forehead and those eyes piercing. From the time he’d awoken, he sat up and continued his study silently. “You are a puzzle to me.”

  “Why?” Unbound and disarmed, she huddled in the corner.

  The tritors’ heads almost touched the ceiling. Their legs were as big around as tree-trunks. She posed little threat.

  His eyes burned into her. “I took you as a peasant. You were mine to take and to use. The durgot consecrated you, sealing the bond. Never should you have changed, yet you have. You are no longer as you once were. You have transformed into a hunter and perhaps something more. More than that, you have broken your bond with me. It is not possible, and yet, here you are.”

  Being near him magnetized her, but it did not compare to before she had chosen Reece as her mate. Still, she had no reason to tip her hand. “I belong to no one.”

  He shrugged as elegantly as some people bowed. “It makes little difference. You cannot be bound again, but you will be mine nonetheless.”

  “You speak nonsense.”

  “What do the hunters plan? How will they try to defeat me?”

  “I do not know and would not tell you if I did.” She gripped the edge of the chair until her knuckles ached.

  “You show loyalty to people who show you none. They will not come for you.”

  “You lie.”

  The master smiled and lay back down. He closed his eyes and stilled.

  Three trebox entered the chamber. One tossed a heavy fur on the ground next to her chair and the other two placed plates of food on a table. They ran from the room like scurrying mice once they completed the task.

  The tritor who’d found her trying to escape pointed. “Eat, then sleep.”

  Eating the food provided by demons turned her stomach. Dying of starvation didn’t appeal to her either. She took a piece of bread from the table. Before long, she’d devoured the entire offering of bread and meat. If they were going to kill her in her sleep, so be it. She curled onto the fur. Its soft earthy scent and warmth enveloped her.

  Chapter 13

  Reece paced the floor of the war room. He needed to act, but once he’d reported the incident, Drake Cullum had ordered him to wait until they gathered more information.

  “Wearing yourself out will not help her.” Tad stared down at his maps.

  “I cannot just wait here for orders. If Cullum does not come through in the next ten minutes, I’m going to find my fiancée.”

  Tad stood up straight. “I did not realize you had proposed to
Lizzy.” He ran his hand through his hair. “When Demons captured Serena, I did not know what we were facing, and still it terrified me. At least Lizzy is a capable hunter. You can take some comfort in knowing she can take care of herself.”

  “I’m not certain that will help her when she faces the master alone.”

  Tad gripped his shoulder. “We will find her. The full moon is still a few days away. No sacrifice will take place before then.”

  “No. We will find the master.” Drake Cullum stood in the doorway in a morning coat and fine felt hat, dressed for an afternoon call. He tugged on his coat and strode in.

  “I beg your pardon?” Reece faced his superior.

  “I’m sorry to inform you Elizabeth Smyth has betrayed The Company. However, we will use this to track the master.”

  Reece gripped the edge of the map table. “That is a lie.”

  Drake’s brows rose. “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “Elizabeth has dedicated herself to The Company. She helped discern a pattern of attack, and we were on the verge of figuring out a great deal about the demons and how they operate. She is no traitor.”

  “I understand you have developed feelings for her, but the evidence is irrefutable.”

  “What evidence?” It took sheer will to keep from strangling the breath out of Drake. How dare he or anyone accuse Lizzy of betrayal? She was the most loyal person he’d ever known. No one had taken his part as adamantly as she. No one else believed in him the way she had.

  “The Blade of Skane has been recaptured by the demons. Only a very few hunters knew where the blade was kept or how to get into the castle. Elizabeth was one of those few, and now she has gone to the master.”

  “That is hardly evidence.”

  “One of the demons tasked with the theft was captured and questioned. He bragged about how our own hunter had gone to the master. She, like the others from the sacrifice last year, is connected irrevocably to the master. It’s not your fault you did not see her deception.”

  “None of it is true. Her bond had lessened. The headaches had stopped. She was able to fight against the master in spite of the connection. You are taking the word of a filthy demon over one of our own.”

  Drake’s eyes narrowed. “I do not take any of this lightly. We will wait until the eve of the full moon, and we will find the master. If possible, we will try to rescue Miss Smyth and bring her back, but she is not our goal. She has cost us what little we had gained over these demons. She has told the master all of our plans. We have to start from scratch, find a new headquarters, and evaluate all hunters who have been in demon custody. I need to know you are with The Company, Reece. You are a soldier and have to put aside your personal feelings for the good of the whole.”

  He dug ruts into the wood under his fingers. Railing against Drake would do Elizabeth no good. “I am a demon hunter.”

  “Good. I’ll be back with your orders in a few days. The master should be vulnerable during the full moon ceremony. We will wait.”

  Once Drake left the house, Tad went back to studying his maps. The Scot would not make eye contact with him.

  It took him several breaths before he could put together a logical sentence. “I do not believe Lizzy has betrayed The Company.”

  “No. I know you do not.”

  “I have to do what I think is right. You should distance yourself from this.”

  Tad looked up. “There are some things more important than following orders.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I saw how Lizzy fought in the church. She was fierce. If she can fight like that when she was bound to the master, I believe you when you say she has broken the connection.”

  A knot formed in Reece’s chest. He nodded and left the room. In the parlor, he wrote a note and called for John. “I need you to take this to Lady Thurston at the school. I am entrusting this to you because you have proved yourself a formidable fighter. I will not order you to go, but I would greatly appreciate your help.”

  “I will go, sir. I quite like Miss Elizabeth. She had always shown kindness to me and the other servants in your father’s house.”

  “Thank you.”

  * * * *

  Looking at the lines on the blackboard, Reece’s vision blurred. What was he missing? Somewhere in all of the past notes, he had to find a clue to the present. He knew it, but couldn’t see it.

  “You should go and get some rest, Foxjohn.” Tad slapped him on the shoulder.

  Expecting pain, he winced, but there was none. Rotating the shoulder, he experienced none of the discomfort he’d become accustomed to. “I do not imagine Lizzy is getting any rest.”

  The butler cleared his throat in the doorway. “The Earl of Shafton is here.”

  “Show him in.” Reece stood up, straightened his coat, and attempted to tie his cravat, before giving up the effort.

  Shafton’s face turned bright red. His clothes were rumpled. “What are you doing?”

  “You are out late, my lord.”

  “I have been in a meeting with Drake Cullum for the past three hours. It was all I could do not to bite through my tongue.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Well there is no point in arguing with him when he has his mind set on a thing. I do not believe for one moment that girl has betrayed this cause. Without her, we would never have found Tally, and from what you told me about the battle at the church, your success was at least in part due to her actions. And I might add, she was still under the master’s influence at the time.”

  “I’m already a believer, Shafton. You’ll have to tell Cullum.”

  He pounded his fist on the desk. “He will not be dissuaded without proof. I’ve known him long enough to know he is stubborn when his mind is set.”

  “Sorry to hear that. I know Lizzy will appreciate your support.” He returned to the lines Elizabeth had drawn on the blackboard.

  “You don’t believe the things they are saying, do you?”

  “No.” He faced Shafton. “My Lizzy would never go willingly to the master, and she did not tell him anything about the damn knife. The demons used The Blade of Skane trying to kill her. She’d never betray us. I will stake my life on it.”

  “If you want her back, you may have to do just that.”

  “Are you still tracking the weather, Shafton?”

  His eyes brightened. “It’s been raining like mad in Richmond for over a week.”

  “This will not be easy.” Hope bloomed inside Reece.

  “No. And you will not be able to do it on your own.”

  “Hopefully, I will not have to, but if need be I will storm that church and get to her. It’s insanity to wait for the full moon. We waited to rescue Belinda, and it might have cost us everything.”

  Shafton walked to the blackboard, picked up the chalk, and drew a new line. He jotted Elizabeth’s abduction on the line. “Let’s get to work.”

  Tad pulled a rolled up map from the shelf. “I took the liberty of mapping everything from the board. Perhaps it will help.”

  Not knowing what to say was unfamiliar territory for Reece. “You could both lose your place in The Company for helping me.”

  “Only if we’re wrong,” Shafton said. “And I do not believe we are.”

  “No. Lizzy is not a traitor. She is a victim.” Reece stared down at the new map of the island. Each mark had a date and noted what transpired.

  * * * *

  Reece slept on the chair for just over an hour when the war room door burst open. He drew his pistol before John’s exhausted face came into focus. “You look like hell. Did you have any luck?”

  John swayed on his feet. “Her ladyship sends her regrets. With the coming of their son only two days ago, she and his lordship are unable to return to London.”

  His heart sank. Once Shafton and Tad woke, he would tell them and shut down the operation. Of course, he would still go forward, but he wouldn’t risk
anyone else if the goal remained unattainable. “Of course. Thank you for trying, John. Go and find your bed. You look ready to drop.”

  “One thing, sir. I was several miles away from Spero Hall when a party from the school overtook me.”

  “They meant to detain you.” Reece’s gut twisted, and he clenched his fists to keep from waving his hands and losing his temper.

  “They joined me.”

  “What? Who?”

  John turned and called down the hall. “Gentlemen?”

  If elephants were tromping down the hall, they would have made less noise. Yet Reece had never seen a more welcome sight than when Thor accompanied by William, Joseph, and Miles stormed into the war room. “What in the world? I sent for Tullering. How in the world did the four of you wind up here?”

  Thor smiled. “Her ladyship asked if I might be willing to help you.”

  A knot formed in his throat. “Belinda believes Lizzy is innocent?”

  The big man cocked his head. “I think her exact words were, ‘If Reece has faith in her, then she must be worthy. Will you go in our place?’”

  “I cannot thank you enough.” He turned to the three students. “You all realize you might be tossed from the school for helping me?”

  William stepped forward. He’d lost some weight since Reece and Lizzy had been to the school. Fitter, he stood up straight and he’d grown a new confidence. “Miss Elizabeth put her life in danger to keep us safe. No one who fights like she does is a traitor to the cause. She has been gravely and unjustly accused, and I speak for all three of us when I say we will not leave her to those beasts.”

  Pride swelled inside Reece. She had, in a very short time, made a huge impression on these three men, enough so they were willing to die to save her. “I accept your offer to help, and I cannot thank you enough. But I wonder what Lady Tullering thought of your decision?”

  William shuffled from foot to foot and lost eye contact. “She did not have an opportunity to voice an opinion.”

  “No? She did not tell you of the trouble Miss Smyth is facing?”

  “I might have been listening outside the nursery when his lordship explained the situation to his wife.”