Darkness In The Flames (80 page)

“Indeed.” Sidney steepled his fingers together as he sat behind his desk. “I cannot say I was looking forward to a trek across Europe to Rogaška.”

“Tell us, Rowan? If you can speak of it?” Verity’s voice was gentle as she encouraged Rowan to continue.

“She seemed—different. Definitely different. Her strength was not what I’d come to expect. She could easily have been…”

“Been what, lad?” Sidney watched him carefully.

“
Mortal
.” He breathed the word slowly. “As mortal as any woman.”

“And yet she is not. You know this, Rowan.” Adrian’s tone brooked no argument.

“I know. Oh believe me, I know.” He passed a hand wearily across his face. “She said her end is near. It would account for the fragility I sensed in her. And she said she was coming—to me.”

“Did you feed from her, Rowan?” Sidney asked the question uppermost in his mind.

“No. I could not. I was…afraid to. But she…” He paused, instinctively touching his neck.

“She fed from you?” Sidney leaned forward.

Rowan nodded. “Yes. The last thing I recall is the touch of her fangs.” He looked at Sidney. “Then there was nothing.”

“Damnation.” Adrian stood and paced. “She took some of your strength. Derived sustenance from you, Rowan. Now she’s coming here, refreshed by your blood, ready to take us all on. It would have been much easier had she arrived in her weakened state.”

Rowan shrugged. “I could not help it, Adrian. Truly I could not. If you could have seen her, heard her…”

Katherine tugged her tense husband back down onto the sofa beside her. “Hush, love. Rowan is correct in what he says. He had no other options. At least we know what occurred. We must be ready.”

“How?” Verity asked. “How can we be ready? What are we going to do? Do we have a
plan
?”

Nick smiled briefly. “Always practical, my woman. But she does have a point. Now that we know Thérèse is on her way, perhaps we should get down to basics and formulate some strategy.”

“Rowan, you said she was on a ship. I’ll assume she’s making for port here along the south coast. You also said she was coming to
you
specifically. That means most likely she’ll land nearby. There are plenty of small fishing villages along this stretch of shore…Calshot, maybe. Lepe…”

Adrian nodded. “Either one.”

Verity stared at the sword above the mantel. “I think she’ll come
here
. To St. Chesswell’s. It’s where it all began, after all.”

Everybody turned to follow her gaze and Sidney nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

“The Chyne?” Katherine glanced at Sidney.

“There are caves for shelter during daylight. She’s been there before in her visions. She fought us in that very place not long ago, so the memories will be fresh in her mind.”

“And it has an inlet where a boat could certainly unload a passenger.” Adrian added his mite.

Sidney sighed. “Well, there are a lot of assumptions there, but it’s all we have to go on at the moment. Let’s say then, that Thérèse will come to St. Chesswell’s Chyne. If that is so, what should our move be?”

“We have to destroy her.” Adrian was adamant. “I do not believe in all those tales about scattering salt on a devil, or a stake of ash through the heart. Certainly Thérèse is a great deal more than mortal. But she is not indestructible.” His gaze turned back to the sword. “One good blow from a weapon—like
that
—in her present weakened state…”

Silence fell as everybody considered Adrian’s words.

“It has to be quick.” Rowan spoke quietly. “After what she’s suffered—what she’s been through, I would ask we at least grant her that much.”

Katherine sighed. “I am still having difficulty reconciling my feelings, Rowan. Yes, she
has
suffered terribly—but so have her victims. However…I cannot help but endorse your sentiments. There is no need for us to prolong her agony any longer than absolutely necessary. We are not her torturers.”

Finally Sidney nodded. “I tend to agree. Last time we managed to hold her back using a combination of holy water and that weapon. It worked, but only temporarily. This is a being with amazing recuperative powers, not unlike your own, only greater. You all know how fast you heal. She probably heals faster even than you—or did, before this weakness began. We must assume she still does, since she’s fed from Rowan here.”

He opened his mouth, but Sidney waved him to silence. “’Tis of no matter at this point, lad. What’s done is done.”

“So we try to end her existence with Saint Chesswell’s sword?” Nick looked quizzical. “Easier said than done, my friend.”

“Yes, it will be easier said than done.” Sidney nodded. “Our strengths are few against her powers. We have the sword—a weapon I believe might serve our purpose, given its source and the fact that it has responded strangely in the past to our touches.”

“And we have each other.” Katherine lifted her chin. “We may not match Thérèse in power, but we outnumber her. There are five of us and only one of her.”

“Six.” Marcus spoke quietly. “Six of us, Katherine. Do not leave me out of this, please. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by helping you all defeat this horror that rules your existence.” His eyes drifted to Rowan. “You are my friends. Over the past few days I have come to respect and admire your strength, your intelligence and your courage. I am honored to be a part of this and honored to stand beside you no matter what happens.”

“I plan on being there too, you know.” Sidney mildly interjected his comment.

“We could not imagine you not being there, Father. But you will stay away from whatever happens. You will
not
—under any circumstances—place yourself in further jeopardy.”

Sidney lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, Mama.”

The laugh that greeted his comment eased the tension in the air and allowed them all to take a breath, a much-needed step back from the darkness of the matter under discussion.

Once they’d decided to use the sword, the other details fell into place surprisingly rapidly. They would, if possible, restrain her, hold her still for the
coup de grace
—the blow to the heart they all prayed would end her existence.

None of them acknowledged the possibility it might end theirs as well. It was an unspoken burden they all accepted. It did not need to be discussed.

For that, Sidney was thankful. To rid the world of Thérèse at the cost of his son and daughter-in-law, not to mention the others…well, it was a terrible price to pay. He kept holding fast to the thought that his clue said “to
free
the Made…”

He could only place his faith in his interpretation of those words. Freedom from the curse of darkness must
surely
mean returning to a mortal existence.

He would not even allow thoughts of the alternative to enter his mind.

“I shall set lookouts.” He spoke decisively. “We will know as soon as any ships or boats appear.”

Nick looked at him. “They must not approach her, Sir Sidney.”

“I will make that clear.” Sidney nodded. “We will tell the servants to be on the watch for vessels in our waters and in the inlet. But under no circumstances are they to reveal themselves or go near the passengers.”

“Best keep everyone indoors at night.” Verity added. “In case we miss her arrival…”

“Good point.” Sidney added a brief note to the paper on his desk. He had been keeping jotted thoughts and ideas written down, the better to ensure what safety he could for all concerned.

Katherine shivered. “It won’t be long.”

“It won’t, will it? I can sense it too.” Verity pulled her shawl around her shoulders.

Adrian lifted a hand and leaned against the window staring out into the night. “I came here by chance from the ocean—and found a new life. Thérèse comes here from the ocean on purpose—to find her death. Life is most strange at times.”

“I do not believe in chance, all that much.” Marcus’ voice was deep and steady. “In a hand of cards? Yes. In matters such as this—well, it would seem a greater hand than ours is at work.” He looked at the others, one by one. “We have found each other through a series of strange coincidences. I believe there was a purpose to our meeting. It sounds a little strange, I know, but there it is. Just as you sense Thérèse, I sense a pattern, a deliberate intent on the part of the Universe to unite us all here at this time.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “I sincerely trust nobody will ever reveal my flights of fancy outside this room. My reputation as a practical and dissolute rake would be quite undone.”

Once again they laughed, eager to agree, to endorse Marcus’ “flight of fancy”. And also, noted Sidney, eager to believe in his words.

Sidney shared their emotions. He wanted to believe too. Probably more than any of them. If he lost them—well, all that he was would die in that moment, even if his body should survive.

He shrugged. Such things were out of his hands. He could, however, attend to the practical details.

“So let us refine our plan…”

Chapter Sixteen

Thunder rumbled angrily in the dark skies over the ocean as the inhabitants of St. Chesswell’s prepared themselves for a fight to the death.

Marcus’ emotions roiled like the storm offshore as he stood with his friends on the top of the wide stone staircase and looked out toward the Chyne, that rift in the landscape that time and water had carved into the chalk beneath their feet.

Beside him, most were quiet. Adrian and Nick spoke little, simply ensuring their women were as prepared as possible. Both had agreed that Katherine and Verity should be simply clad, breeches replacing the skirts and petticoats that were their usual garb.

Verity had been rather pleased and Katherine endorsed that sentiment, pointing out that she wasn’t about to trip on a damn piece of lace if her life was in the balance. It was sensible and approved by Adrian, who had fallen once before. He made sure nobody was going to fall this time around.

All wore stout shoes, comfortable clothing and thick woolen coats. Sidney was carefully wrapped in a cloak as well, rolling his eyes as his son continually nagged him to stay as far away and as safe as possible.

Marcus carried the sword and he looked down at it as it gleamed dully, catching a flicker of lightning every now and again. It was heavy, simple and without adornment, the handle made for the hand of a warrior. The blade was sharp and the weight perfectly balanced. He felt no throb or warmth from it, but knew others had.

He hoped it would live up to its reputation but if all else failed, it was one hell of a weapon even without any divine characteristics.

The word had flashed through the household only a few hours after a watch had begun—a ship had been sighted and a passenger was now ashore.

They’d been right—she’d gone straight to the caves near the Chyne.

And now it was the following night, when doubtless she would be expecting their arrival, prepared to feed, to fuck—and perhaps to die.

Marcus had no clue what lay ahead. He could not envision doing battle with this creature. He alone had faced her and escaped her deadly bite. The reason was even now slithering through his body and sapping it of his mortality.

He brushed the thought away. His illness was inconsequential, his death a certainty. Right now, they all had more important things to worry about.

“Ready?” Adrian spoke clearly into the darkness.

A chorus of “yes” answered him.

Together they moved, a tiny force strengthened by their desire for resolution, an end to the torment they all endured. And bearing a mighty sword from a long-ago time with which to defeat a devil masquerading in the body of a woman.

Marcus glanced at Rowan. The
devil
was the woman he loved. How must he feel right at this moment? Marcus couldn’t begin to imagine and wasn’t about to ask. He just moved to Rowan’s side, letting him know of his presence.

It was all the support he could offer, but Rowan seemed to sense it, flashing a quick glance over his shoulder and nodding silently.

They walked down the stairs and along the path leading to the cliffs and the Chyne. Marcus had seen it before, but never up close. And especially not at night. Their pace was slow as their steps took them down over the rough ground, pebbly with chalk and lined by wild grasses. Sidney needed the time to negotiate his way carefully and they were all quiet with their own thoughts.

The breeze picked up and clouds scudded nearer, threatening to hide the waning moon as the storm loomed closer to the shore. The tang of the sea was strong in Marcus’ nostrils—a soft salty fragrance he found he liked. It was clean, somehow, fresh and invigorating.

He took a deep breath and began the descent down a roughly hewn set of steps to the beach. This was where the little river met the ocean and marked the end of the Chyne.

Long ago it must have been impressive, a sharp slash into the cliffs, white with chalk and tumbling waters into the sea. Now it was gentler, overgrown with the wild plants that thrived in such places.

There were caves a little way up the Chyne and it was to these caves they headed, firmly believing that if Thérèse was indeed on their shores this was where she would establish her lair.

It was dark as they stepped out onto the beach, the pebbles crunching beneath their feet. There was no way to silence the sound, Marcus knew. He also knew that Thérèse’s hearing would detect their presence, no matter how silently they approached.

One of the many disadvantages of going up against a superior creature. He sighed. They had so little with which to do battle. She had so much.

As if he felt Marcus’ thoughts, Rowan dropped back a little and rested a hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“As am I. There is nowhere else I’d rather be, my friend.”

A quick hard grasp from strong fingers answered him. “And no one I’d rather have by my side.”

“This way.” Surefooted, Adrian chose the easiest path inland, a narrow strip of turf that bordered the tiny rippling stream.