He’s a vampire, my devil pointed out, just to see what I would say to that.
But he’s not a bad vampire! I answered her. I knew now that the pain that had driven him almost past sanity would have been enough to excuse all his actions, but despite that, he still carried guilt about it. He had committed sins, but had paid his penance a thousandfold.
He needed me.
Do not let Kristoff make you feel you must do something that is personally repugnant.
You need me.
I want you, yes. I desire you above all women. But I could not live with making you feel as if you had no choice. I will find the means to hide you away, with a protector other than me to guard you.
You need me.
He sighed into my head, the words coming reluctantly. Yes, I need you.
“I think—” I started to say, but a bell pealed from the courtyard.
“Hold that thought,” Pia said, hurrying to see who was at the door. “I won’t be but a—ack!”
Pia backed into the room as Kristoff, with a growl that sounded downright feral, leaped across the room, skidding to a halt when a man lunged forward, grabbed Pia, and pressed a wickedly long, slightly curved dagger against her neck.
“Do not make a move, or your Beloved will be without a head.”
Isn’t that the monk guy who was here a little bit ago? I asked as Alec slowly rose, reminding me of a panther on the prowl.
I told you that he was no monk.
“Brother Ailwin,” Kristoff said, his voice filled with threat as he stood about eight feet from Pia, his hands at his sides, but anyone would have to be a fool not to read Kristoff’s body language.
“Hello again!” Eleanor said brightly. “Interesting things have happened since you were last here. Would you like to hear about them? I’m thinking about detailing my experiences on a blog. And maybe a Facebook page. I wonder how much the domain ‘alecisajackass. com’ would cost?”
“I have come for the Tool!” Brother Ailwin announced after giving Eleanor a disbelieving look.
“OK, that is really going to get old fast,” I muttered, glaring at him.
“Release my Beloved,” Kristoff demanded.
“I have no argument with you, Dark One,” Brother Ailwin told him in a dramatic tone, pausing to add in a much less aggressive voice, “and will, in fact, be able to summon that lich for you later, since the bank transfer went through. Would you prefer I summon him here, or in town?”
I think Kristoff may crack a tooth or two if he doesn’t stop grinding his teeth like that, I told Alec. I had gotten to my feet, as well, intending on moving to Alec so he could use me to blast the bad monk, but Alec had moved very slowly behind the couch, obviously getting into a flanking position to help Kristoff.
Move to the windows, Cora.
Why?
You’ll be out of harm’s way.
I may be afraid of mice, and I may not be up to tackling Bael, but I am not such a coward or a wimp that I have to be kept out of the way, I said indignantly.
“Release my Beloved,” Kristoff said again.
That is not what I am worried about.
“I will if you give me the Tool of Bael.” Brother Ailwin shot me a look that had me upping the wattage in my glare. “It is her I have come for.”
“Oh, sure. Everyone wants her and the soul she stole from me. Not to mention my man. But let someone resurrect you into lich form, and you can’t get so much as the time of day,” Eleanor snarked.
“Look, I’m sorry that you were resurrected after I was born, and thus my soul is stuck to me, but I did not steal Alec. He said I didn’t. So you can just knock off the guilt trip, because it’s not going to work!” I told her.
She sniffed and looked away.
Brother Ailwin clapped his hands together. “Brother Godwin! Brother Esmund!”
Two men appeared out of nothing, both clad in long brown monk’s robes, ropes bound around their middles. Their hair wasn’t tonsured, but other than that, they looked straight out of a medieval fair. One had a short beard, while the other had a bad case of acne.
“Now, see, those are monks,” I told Alec. Are they ghosts or something?
Liches, like Eleanor. Brother Ailwin is a lichmaster.
“Take the Tool,” Ailwin ordered the two liches, who started toward me, but Alec leaped in front of me.
“Like hell you will,” he growled.
“Halt!” Brother Ailwin cried, spinning Pia around so we could see her face. The point of the dagger slid a tiny bit into her neck, making her eyes open wide. She stared at Kristoff, who obviously was only barely restraining himself from smashing Brother Ailwin into monk pulp. “One move from either of you, and I’ll remove her head. You, woman. Come here.”
“How do you know I’m a Tool?” I asked, then closed my eyes for a moment. “I cannot believe I just said that sentence.”
“I can,” Eleanor said.
I took a deep breath and asked, “How do you know that I’m a Tool of Bael?”
“You are glowing,” he said simply, and added as an afterthought, “And I heard that one of my rivals had a lich who stole the Tools, but they were later imbued into three individuals. You are obviously one of those individuals, and with you at my side, I will have no difficulty in destroying the other lichmasters.”
“What an excellent idea, one I heartily approve of. Please keep her in chains, too,” Eleanor requested, but by now, no one was paying her comments any attention.
I put my hands on my hips as I faced Brother Ailwin. “You seriously think I’m going to let you use me to hurt other people? You’re nutso. Hey, now!”
The two robed liches moved fast, both grabbing one of my arms and pulling me forward, past Kristoff.
Cora—
If I can knock them down, do you think you can use me against him?
You will not risk yourself in such a manner.
Yeah, well, I’m not going to let him use me to hurt other people, either. Especially Pia. She’s nice. I like her. Eleanor is starting to get on my nerves, but I suppose it would be wrong to hope she’s knocked out or something.
It would be wrong, although I understand your sentiment. And I like Pia, as well, but I will not allow you to come to harm. He will become distracted in a moment. When that happens, I want you to run toward me.
How do you know he’s going to be distracted?
Because Kristoff is about to strike.
I glanced at Kristoff. He looked furious, but I didn’t see any signs he was about to leap forward.
I have a better plan. One that won’t put anyone at risk.
Cora—
“Right, here I am,” I said, shaking off the two monks, striding forward until I stood next to Pia. “Let her go.”
“Gladly,” he said, releasing Pia and giving her a shove toward her vampire.
Less than a second later, he grabbed me by my hair, spinning me around, the knife now at my throat as he started to pull me backward through the door, the two monks on either side of him. “Now we leave.”
Oh, yes, that was a better plan, Alec said in a disgusted tone.
O ye of little faith. Get ready. You’re about to wield a bona fide Tool of Bael.
“No,” I said, digging in my feet, wincing when the knife cut into my flesh.