B00CGOH3US EBOK (51 page)

"Your gallant dragon-knight seems to have had a change of heart. He has come." Her beautiful face grew tight and pinched, her violet eyes cold. "Let us go greet him, shall we?"

Isylte sailed past her and back into the great hall, leaving Jill behind.

She turned to follow the witch, her heart pounding in her ears, drowning out any other sound in the room.

Baelin was here?

She wanted to shout with joy at the same time she felt like crying out,
No, you should never have come for me. I'm not worth it.

As she left the chamber, Jill cast one last glance back at the tapestry, still wavering under a power all its own, and wondered what it meant.

In the great hall, Isylte was back on her ivory throne, every fold of her flowing white gown in place.

Jill found herself flanked by two guards, their black-clad forms a stark contrast to the white walls around her. She turned her attention to the immense doors at the back of the chamber. The same doors the Dark Witch stared at, her gaze so intense Jill was surprised it didn't burn twin holes in the thick carved panels.

Footsteps echoed down the long hallway on the other side and she could picture Baelin in her mind's eye, his long purposeful strides leading him to this long-postponed confrontation.

Or to his death.

Baelin shoved the massive doors open, entering the Dark Witch's inner sanctum for the first time in over two centuries.

Jill's eyes drank in the sight of him, so tall and sure. He showed no fear, only a determined resignation to end the Dark Witch's hold over him, one way or another.

"Baelin," the queen practically purred. She sounded so cool and serene. But Jill watched as the witch's long fingers clutched the arms of her throne, the nail beds turning white from the force of her grip. She was not nearly as calm as she seemed. She was as surprised as Jill that he had actually come. "My love. It has been too long."

"You are right about that, Queen Isylte. It has been 216 years too long. 'Tis time to put this to an end."

He strode through the hall, ignoring the black knights lining the way with their weapons at the ready. Jill was not surprised to see Roderick close by his side, equally prepared for battle.

"Oh, Baelin. Must you be so rude in front of our guests?"

He stopped before the dais. "There is no civility between us. There never has been."

"And whose fault is that?" Isylte looked down her nose at him. "I offered you everything a man could want, yet you repudiated me time and again."

"Your offerings were gilded with unacceptable conditions, their price too high for any honorable man to pay." He shook his head, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Nay, Isylte. You forced and you took, but you never offered a choice. Not truly."

Her plump lips thinned into a tight, harsh line. "Do not test my benevolence this day. There are worse things than being turned into a dragon."

"Aye, there are. As you shall soon discover when I send your black soul to hell where it belongs."

The Dark Witch's eyes flared, amethyst crystals shimmering with cold heat. "Try and I shall destroy all that you hold dear before your very eyes. I did it once before. Do not think I shall not do so again."

For the first time since he entered, Baelin's gaze strayed to Jill and she read the first hint of fear on his face. But it wasn't for himself. It was for her.

Don't, Baelin. Don't let her use me to get to you.

Not now, when they were so close. So close, she could feel it. She knew with a soul-deep certainty the last test was somewhere within the witch's fortress, the final challenge to be met here where it all began. It had to be. But where?

Behind Baelin, something caught Jill's eye. Through one of the arched openings a dark object appeared in the sky, its form silhouetted against the flame-colored sunset.

She knew what it was instantly.

The great beating wings. The long, reptilian tail. It reminded her so much of the first time she'd seen the terrifying beast side of Baelin as he soared down out of the clouds to claim her as his own.

But this dragon was not Baelin. And as the winged beast loomed closer, she realized the thing clasped in its claws was not a sacrificial maiden.

"Owen!"

All eyes turned as the dragon dove through the archway, its massive wings tucked to avoid clipping the stone columns. It skidded to a stop on the floor of the great hall, the thunderous crash shaking the fortress to its very foundation. Steadying itself, the great beast sat back on its haunches, its fore-claws still clutching its prize.

"Ah, look." Isylte sat straighter, a look of feigned surprise artfully painted on her beautiful face. "Uhtred has come to see you. Surely you remember him, Baelin. After all, you two share so much."

Jill looked closely at the dragon. A starburst mark blazed the scales of its broad chest. Was this another dragon like the man she'd slain while he was in his dragon form? Could it be another dragon-knight like Baelin?

No. Somehow, she knew this one was different. Maybe it was the smug tone of the Dark Witch's voice as she greeted its arrival. Or maybe it was the horrified look on Baelin's face as the dragon pierced him with its predatory golden eyes.

This wasn't just any dragon. This was the one whose heart beat within Baelin's chest. And if that were so, did Baelin's human heart even now beat within this dragon's breast in return?

"And look what Uhtred has brought me. A gift. A pet. A new plaything." Isylte clucked her tongue. "But he does seem a bit young yet, even for my tastes. Perhaps I'll turn him into a baby dragon." She slid her violet eyes to Baelin. "Just. Like. You."

"Never!" he growled.

"Never?" She laughed, the throaty sound at odds with her angelic façade. "You once told me you would never set foot in my realm again and yet here you are. Never does not seem to be as long as it once was."

"You have no interest in the boy. Let him go. Let them all go. They mean naught to you," he spoke through clenched teeth. "'Tis me you want."

Isylte descended the dais and approached Baelin, circling him. He stood tall, his fists clenched, following her movements with only his eyes.

"But you have brought these mortals to my door, so they very much concern me now." She strolled past Roderick, her walk fluid, sensual. "Your dragonslaying friend here, while quite tempting to look upon, has destroyed more of my pets than any other, even you. He has cost me greatly and for that he shall pay." She gave the knight a seductive smile. "One way or another."

The witch's stroll took her by the dragon, still holding Owen, pale and trembling, in its sharp claws. She ran her hand down its glistening scales in an affectionate caress, startling Jill when it enticed an otherworldly purr from deep within the massive beast.

"As for the boy, his worth remains to be seen. If he means as much to you as I think, he may turn out to be quite valuable indeed."

Isylte turned cold eyes Jill's way. "Which leaves her."

She glided into the center of the chamber, her pet dragon watching her every step of the way. "To you, she is the dearest of all, therefore she is the one who concerns me the most. The others, I may set free eventually, if we can come to an agreement of sorts. Or not." She glanced back at Baelin from over her shoulder. "'Tis up to you."

Isylte glided up the stairs to sit primly upon her throne.

"What do you want, Isylte?"

"Why, Baelin, you know what I want. In all this time, it has not changed." She smoothed the folds of her gown with the ease of someone who didn't have a worry in the world. "I already have your heart, in the physical sense." She looked up, piercing him with her gaze, all girlish pretense gone. "Now I demand all of you. Your warrior's skill on the battlefield and your body in my bed. I will take naught less than your total and complete submission, body and soul."

Baelin's eyes closed and his nostrils flared. "And if I give you what you want, you will release them, unharmed? Unchanged?"

"Baelin, no!" Jill shouted, but neither he nor Isylte took notice of her.

"Perhaps." The Dark Witch smiled without humor. "But I may have to keep them close at hand to make certain you keep your promises."

"I would never break my word."

"I am aware of that, only too well. But still…" Isylte glanced out over the courtyard to the horizon beyond and the sinking sun hovering above the mountains in the distance. "The decision is yours. But do not take too long. Already the sun is setting. You have but moments to stay the half-man you are before the dragon returns." Her gaze came back to Baelin. "Stay with me and I will lift the curse and you shall be a man whole once more. Choose the maiden and you will remain the dragon forever."

"Don't do it, Baelin." Jill tried to go to him, but the guards on either side of her barred her way, holding her back. "You've held out this long. Don't give into her now. The sun hasn't set yet. We still have time. We can still break the curse."

Isylte laughed. "My, what a poor, simple creature you have chosen, Baelin. She will not be able to finish it. You and I both know it, so why did you even try?" She cocked a finely arched brow at Jill. "You gave over your dragon's armor so she could survive the first test, did you not? And the second? An unfortunate accident. An accident that cost Lorcan his life and one she will pay dearly for once I am done with this nonsense."

"I will never allow you to harm her." Baelin stalked toward the witch.

Isylte's hand shot up and a wave of power blasted through the air. "Stand down, dragon."

Baelin stopped instantly, as if his feet were glued to the flagstones.

"Have no fear. I will not harm her. But I know as long as the maiden lives and breathes, you can never be completely mine. 'Tis an obstacle I shall not tolerate.
" Isylte smiled as she leaned back on her throne, the cold violet of her eyes cruel and calculating. "Nay, my love. I will not harm the girl. You will."

Raw fear drained all color from his face. "Isylte, do not…"

"Slay the maiden, dragon-knight."

No!
his mind screamed even as he took a stilted step toward Jill, fighting the motion with all the strength in him.

Though he railed against it, the dark power welled up from within, forcing his limbs to move, following a command his body could not disobey. He fought against it nonetheless, nearly tearing muscle from bone in the effort to regain control over his body. And yet he couldn't stop himself from taking another step, and yet another, drawing closer and closer to the woman he loved.

To the woman he'd been commanded to kill.

"Nay, Gosforth!" Kendale reached out, grabbing Baelin's arm. "What in God's name are you doing?"

"Guards, remove that man from my hall."

Kendale's fierce grip was wrenched away. An uproar commenced at Baelin's back, but the dark power commanding him would not allow him to turn around. He heard swords drawn, curses shouted, blade striking blade and knew Kendale fought against the knights with the same skill he'd used so many times against him. One man against many. But there was naught he could do to aid his friend. He had another battle to wage.

The one within.

"Do not kill the dragonslayer…yet," the witch ordered her men. "I have something much more entertaining in mind for him later."

Isylte's veiled threat did little to deter Kendale as he continued to battle against the witch's warriors, no doubt in an effort to break free and stop Baelin from doing the unthinkable.

As he approached Jill, Baelin could read the fear in her eyes, the comprehension of what was happening. Isylte held rein over the dragon within him and though he'd fought the beast for over two hundred years, now, when it mattered most, the beast was winning.

The two guards on either side of Jill grabbed her arms, stretching her out between them, holding her in place. She stood there, unable to move, more the sacrificial maiden now than she ever had been bound to the stake on that windswept field.

And at this moment, he was more the beast in coming for her.

"Fight her," Jill pleaded. "She can't make you do this. Not if you fight her."