The Garnet Dagger (21 page)

Murmurs echoed through my head. Don’t listen to her. She’s hoping to confuse you, trick you. Kill her; kill her now before she poisons us.

The dagger shook in my hand. My heart squeezed in a vise. “Because of you and your magic, the land sours,” I spat at her. “Your blood is the cure.” I jumped off the boulder, landed in front of her.

With a flourish of her hands, wind rose. Pressed me against the boulder and I glared at her. With the use of her magic, I expected to see her gloat. However, she had a look of sadness about her.

Against the wind, I struggled forward. How was it she had magic? The Warloc had said he’d suppress it. Then I remembered he said she couldn’t hurt me with her magic, not that she didn’t have it.

Her cloak engulfed her form flapping forward from the wind. Her feet bare. She tossed her hands higher. Wind ripped through my cloak, but I inched forward.

Voices screamed. With all my might, I flung the dagger. Unaffected by her magic, the blade sunk into her side.

The wind ceased at the impact of the dagger, and I fell forward at her feet. Her legs dipped. She collapsed beside me on the grass.

Blood oozed from the wound as she drew the dagger out. Visions tickled my mind of her blood darkening the earth beneath us. I watched her face pale. Joyful voices sang in my mind at her demise.

She snatched my forearm. Felt the warm wetness of her blood coating her hand. With a gasp, I jerked. But her hand clamped tighter on my arm.

Prickles spread through my arm and down my legs. She used her magic on me. I screamed inside. Tried to rip my arm from her grasp.

Numberless voices screamed in agony. We must stop this. Must block her magic. Use his power, force her still. Behind my flesh, my devouring power sprung open. Like a crane hunting for food, my power dove for her.

Her hand cold against my flesh. Breeze tickled the back of her neck. Smelled a hint of sweat between her breasts. Soon I would know everything about her.

“I will know all your secrets.” Laughter bubbled over my lips.

Blood trickled down the corner of her eye.

In an instant, I knew her. Her memories flooded through me. Watched her father hung before she could walk. Flames licked the flesh of her mother. Morgan ordered dry wood to keep the flames hot, and the smoke to a minimum. She didn’t have the money the rich did, to purchase green wet wood to let the victim die from smoke before the fire melted them.

Her years filled me, confined in the tower under Morgan. Felt the pain of her healing prisoners so they could be tortured more. I tensed as a memory of her own torture sprang forward.

Morgan shifted the red iron, pressed it into her back. I smelled the stench of burning flesh.

“Heal yourself, witch,” he laughed.

Celeste did not respond, but stared into his eyes. Eyes that held evil and malice.

My appearance in her mind shocked me. Love radiated until the day of the Bergone, when she learned the truth about what the dagger was for.

Here, Celeste was powerless before me. Within seconds she would die as had Liana. At this thought, my body trembled.

No, I would not kill her. Not this way. My heart crashed in my chest, wailing this lament.

Voices in my head shrieked. The Shints. They were the shadows in my mind, just as they’d been in Father Morgan’s.

“If you wish to kill me, then do so without my enemy’s control.”

Power surged between us. Underneath her hand, my skin throbbed. My heart beat in time with this pulse.

Shints burrowed deeper into my mind. Kill her, they begged. But I remembered my love for her. I owed her as much to follow my destiny untainted.

Even if I must kill her to fulfill the prophecy.

Shints raked through my skull. Warm fluid oozed from my ears. A thousand chisels drilled through me, but I welcomed the release of their oppressive voices.

Squiggled snakes weaved out of me and dissolved into the ground.

I realized as Celeste of her power coming in full force with her menstrual cycle. The first true cycle she had had since having enough food to eat.

As though shocked, she jerked her hand from my flesh.

Down my arm and through my hand, I saw a white glow still pulsed. This was part of her power, her healing power.

Before I could argue, she dragged my hand to her wound. The glow circled, and then embedded into the wound. Skin melted, fused together.

Her wound now healed and the white glow gone, I stared up at the horizon as I pulled my hand from her flesh.

Sun colored the sky in reds and purples. I could not kill her. Not even to save my people, the world of mankind, the seasons, and myself. I would find another way from what the prophecies dictated.

After all, I’d experienced the anger which coursed through her about the Warloc and his dark magic.

I grasped the dagger. But I could not kill her. Every breath I took was ragged. Love bubbled up inside me, threatened to spill out. Instead of speaking, I laid the dagger between us.

“This is my gift to you. It’s yours for all time, as am I.”

I saw her eyes swell with tears. Eyes sparkling like silver. Gold hair and silver eyes, a contrast to my own.

Her hand slid down my cheek. Drawn to her, I leaned into her caress. Closed my eyes to hold this moment in my mind. I knew from the Shints one of us would have to die. One would spill their blood upon the land. Since I could not, she would need to kill me.

I waited for the dagger to take my life.

Heard the whisper of fabric, but I would not hurt her any more by watching. A shadow darkened over me.

Her lips brushed across mine. Surprised, my eyes flew open.

“I’ve wanted you to do that since the day I first saw you.” She eased back, but I clasped her hand in mine.

My power and hers joined and snaked together. Hers to healing and mine seeking. No need to fear I’d take her life, our powers merged as one.

With her hand in mine, I moved her to me. Hungry, my lips sought hers. I yearned to show her my love.

Pressed her against me, my fingers played over the curve of her hips. Kissing, her hands touched my face, and then tugged at my tunic. Heat pressed against me. Breaking our kiss for a moment, I tugged my tunic off.

Then her lips trailed kisses down my chest.

Shyly, she gazed up at me. Fingers unfastened her cloak. The material floated down in a circle behind her. Mesmerized, I watched her hands loosen the laces of her gown. At last, she eased the gown over her head and tossed it aside.

I forgot to breathe.

Her body had filled out since last I saw her. Breasts fuller, and seemed to yearn for my touch. Flat stomach flowed down into the curve of her hips. Golden triangle of curls between her legs captivated me.

Nervous, my hands fumbled at my trousers.

A giggle floated on the breeze as I struggled to remove my trousers, now lodged over my boots.

Celeste pushed my hands aside. Eased up the material, she then tugged my boots off. Next my trousers were gone and on the ground. To ease my worry of my nakedness, I leaned forward taking Celeste with me. Her cloak spread out beneath us.

Kissed her until we both panted for breath, and yet wanted more.

In worship, my lips sought her body. At hearing her indrawn breath when my lips grazed her nipple, I kissed each in turn. Opened my mouth over her taunt breast. Suckled until her fingernails grazed down my back.

My groin matched her urgency. Of its own accord, one of my hands toyed at the junction of her thighs. I kissed her lips. Moisture touched my fingertips and I growled in anticipation. Her hips pressed against me as if showing the steps to this ancient dance.

“Are you certain?” I watched her face for any fear, however fleeting. Strained in wait for her answer.

“Aye,” she answered unflinching.

Almost I exhaled thanksgivings, but managed to stop my tongue. In answer, her legs parted. Shifted between her slender thighs and eased inside.

Tightness surrounded me. But a barrier hindered my full entry. Sweat beaded my brow. Every muscle ached to move deeper inside her.

I glanced at her in question, but her lower lip half in between her teeth distracted me. As I leaned forward to kiss her, my lower body took over. Pressed past the barrier, and kissed her hiss of inhaled breath.

Leaning on my elbows, I knew I hurt her. But I throbbed within her, demanded the rhythm of our dance. I kissed her to apologize. Longed for her to say something. If the pain was unbearable, should I withdraw or continue?

However, my not moving made even the blood in my head pulse to match the ache of me inside her.

She touched my cheek, her mouth smiled under my lips. “Move now, or I will.”

I obeyed her wish and mimicked the rhythm coursing through me. When I withdrew, her hips rose to beckon me back. How I longed to bring her the pleasure she brought me in our dance. She grasped tighter me with each stroke.

Her kisses melted me, but still I led on. Trembling, trying not to release, I cried out her name as I felt her breath hitch in her throat. At the sound, I lost my control. Buried my head against her shoulder, and smelled her sweat. Hint of lavender, wood, and the musky smell our union.

Feeling came back in trickles through my body, and I realized my legs were pressed against the ground.

With a kiss to her nose, then her lips, I pushed up. Her cloak had ridden up beneath us. Tinge of blood colored a spot on the ground.

Her blood. The prophecy was right, yet I’d read it so wrong. The blood sacrifice of the witch was her maidenhead, not her life. Pierce her heart, not with the dagger, but with love. How could I have been so blind? I almost cost my love her life and my own.

Her smile brought mine. Offered my hand to help her up.

But I was not healed. If felt my curse inside me. Was there more to the prophecy, then? Maybe the Warloc must die before I’d be healed?

We dressed as the sky darkened.

“What do your prophecies say about me?” Celeste ran a hand down her golden hair.

“Find the witch.” I drew on my boots. The uncertainty in her voice made me long to toss those scrolls into the sea. “Pierce her heart and spill her blood.”

She didn’t respond.

“But we fulfilled the prophecy. Earlier, your blood from our intimacy soaked into the ground.”

“And pierce her heart?”

“I always thought that meant the dagger. But it doesn’t say that. Earlier, I realized it’s with love.”

She whistled for her horse, and Shadowdancer galloped out of the darkness. The horse stopped a breath beside her.

She mounted and glanced down at me. Her weary smile made me want to crush her enemies’ throats.

Using the saddle, I hauled up behind her. She clicked her tongue, and darkness enveloped us.

• • •

Inside the Keep, silence filled the chambers.

I took Celeste’s hand and led her up the winding steps to the tower one of the Warloc’s servants directed us to. For his information, we spared his life.

My sword parted the way before us as we climbed the stairs. Remembering Father Morgan’s tower made me pause and glance back at her. If this was a trap, I’d shield her until she could escape. Let her flee and forget this vengeance that brought her here. Let her be safe.

We rounded a corner. Along the wall the torches were dwarfed in an emerald light.

Celeste’s hand tightened in mine. “Magic.”

Clashes of light plunged into darkness beneath the closed door at the top of the tower.

At the door, I used my shoulder to barge in. Within the room Nivel stood across from the Warloc, his hands raised. Blackness swarmed around him like swirling flies.

“Let him go.” I flashed my sword toward the Warloc’s throat.

The Warloc’s face shifted addressing me as no threat, and then he saw Celeste. “She lives?”

Behind me Celeste stepped forward, her dagger in hand. My free arm waved in front of her to shield her.

“You think,” the Warloc laughed, “you can defeat me?” His eyes darkened. “I think not. You did not fulfill your prophecies. My Shints brought you so close — but then they were driven away by your pathetic conscience.”

“Damn the prophecy,” I yelled. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a gleam of emerald light.

Nivel’s fingers pulsated with this light. Twisted the air, he broke through the blackness.

My mouth hung open at the sight. Never had I seen such a display of power from one of my own kind. The room echoed with the Warloc’s curse. Black beams shot from his hands, aimed for Nivel.

Iron. If any of the beams struck Nivel, he’d die. Curse this Warloc; he knew the legends of iron making us vulnerable if the metal pierced our skin.

But Nivel drew up his glowing palm. “Nay, send the curse back to the sender to trap.”

Shimmering, the black beams folded backward and thrust around the Warloc.

“Bergone and Shints,” He shouted and threw his head back. His tone like when I saw him at the village. “Come and do my bidding.”

Cracks along the stone oozed out shadows. Heard the shrieking of the Shints and I longed to cover my ears from the sound. From every crevice Shints rose.

Outside, the crashes of wood splintered the air — the Bergone came. Sounded like hundreds.

“I invoke the power of justice fire.” Celeste thrust her dagger in the air. “To devour my enemy and the enemy of my family.”

“No.” Nivel rushed forward.

Flames licked along the garnet dagger.

“You must not fight him with rage.”

“Justice will be filled.” Her grey eyes turned golden. “Or the fire will consume me.”

“There’s another way.”

“Let her taste my blood if she dares,” the Warloc said as he struggled against the beams. “I brought the destruction of countless witches. Her family yielded the least power for me.”

Celeste rushed forward, but an emerald wall soared between her and the Warloc.

Sweat beaded on Nivel’s forehead. “Speak to her,” he directed me. As though he realized my confusion, he continued, “she must not kill him or she will become like him. Everything evil will latch on to her. If that happens, she’ll ravage the world.”