Chapter 38: Chapter Thirty-Eight

Darius was as angry as he’d ever been, other than on the ship with Alcott. He was resentful in trying to protect Elizabeth, defend Arianna and the racy comments made about them both. He was disillusioned. Lately, Arianna had seemed disinterested in their marriage and him…until tonight when she’d shown up precisely when he fought not to give in to Elizabeth’s seductiveness and the men prodding him to have her.

Arianna was correct. He’d buckled under their pressure. Typically he didn’t care they believed Arianna had bewitched him; she was what mattered. Now she wavered between agitation and apathy; going without sleep only added to her maladjustment. Yet tonight she’d been fully coherent. He’d felt the depth of her fury and disappointment to his core.

He found a chair and drank another full cup of ale in one long swallow. He should go home, but his drunken anger and Arianna’s present fury wouldn’t be a good blend. Elizabeth beamed seeing him return without Arianna. Her breasts still bared, she dropped upon his lap facing him. Again, the men bawdily cheered him on.

Darius caught sight of a tall man he didn’t recognize. He wore a long black cloak. His eyes were as dark as the expression on his face, his disapproval evident. Darius turned from Elizabeth’s insistent kiss though he couldn’t deny his arousal. She locked her arms around his neck, rocking back and forth against him. He could feel her heat through his breeches.

“Find someone else to have you,” he snarled.

She sultrily looked at him. “She’s upset you again, Darius, but I’m so close to making you forget her,” she whispered as she reached for his breeches’ lacings. He closed his eyes and placed his face in her hair. But the thin, straight hair was off-putting. It wasn’t the beautiful thick red tresses with the scent that enticed him.

Christ, would he throw away his marriage for one drunken, salacious romp with Elizabeth? He hadn’t been the slightest bit attracted to her before tonight. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her to her feet, clearly startling her, for men seldom turned her down.

“I won’t be with you, not tonight or any other. I’m goin’ home to my wife.”

He struggled to stand, his head fuzzier, his gait more unsteady. Had Elizabeth placed something in his ale? He needed cool air to rouse his dulled senses. She followed him as he stumbled out the door, grateful when Michael took his arm.

“Sit, before you fall,” Michael said.

“Stay away from him!” Kevin Murphy warned Elizabeth.

“Are you jealous, Kevin?” Elizabeth asked.

“God no. If you want to be with any number of men, so be it. But you pit brothers and friends against each other, try to break up marriages not caring who you hurt. If you had the sense you were born with you’d keep away from Darius.”

“I’m not afraid of the witch and Darius can make up his own mind.”

“Go home, lass,” Samuel more kindly suggested.

Darius leaned against the barn, everything spinning wildly. He could always hold his ale, could easily drink other men under the table, but this was entirely different. He looked at Elizabeth, shook his head at her unnatural bloody enchantment and closed his eyes.

Arianna wanted to wish herself away or pitch a bloody fit, but neither would benefit her. It certainly wouldn’t sway Darius’s mind. Maybe she should have stayed, but if her presence was all that stopped him from being with Elizabeth, it would surely eventually happen.

Seeing their cabin door ajar, Arianna slowly pushed it open. It was dark inside, the full moon now concealed by clouds. She took three steps when the door loudly slammed shut. She sensed a presence and whirled around.

“Who’s there?”

“Good evening, Mrs. Wyndham.”

The skin on Arianna’s neck prickled as she heard Alcott’s voice.

“Captain Alcott,” she said. Lighting a candle, she saw him sitting in the corner. His aura was black. “It’s late for a visit.”

“Call me George. We’ve become close in your dreams: I know you well!”

Her skin crawled as though a nest of snakes slithered upon her.

“Why are you here?”

“Other than the obvious, to have you not only in dreams, I need more pain remedy for I have an active night planned,” he said as his eyes rested on her breasts.

Arianna sensed the dark presence again. She shivered and lit the fire.

“Darius is asleep upstairs,” Arianna lied.

Alcott laughed disturbingly. “That’s not true. My soldiers said he and the other men are at a celebration, all mostly incapacitated, either drunk or passed out. The two men patrolling the settlement were knocked unconscious and tied up. The settlement is now vulnerable to native attacks.”

“The settlers here are on good terms with the natives.”

“There are others.”

“What have you planned?”

“I need another posting. That bloody fort in the godforsaken middle of nowhere has been insufferable. The wind chilled me to the bone; my leg ached fiercely.”

“Most maladies are affected by cold and damp.”

“Your remedy helped, but it’s gone and my physician was an imbecile.”

“I heard you severed your association.”

“I severed more than that; I ran him through with my sword. I have another assisting me now. I’ll soon be rewarded a new position in a fort near Boston.”

“What would earn that promotion?”

“There needs to be a solution to the natives. They’ll continue to be a problem until they’re dealt with.”

“You mean eliminated?” Arianna dared to say.

He nodded nonchalantly. “They oppose us settling the land.”

“Because they’re being harmed and their way of life has changed, but what are you planning?”

“Why would I tell you? I’d rather do other things. You’re a beautiful, fascinating woman. Being Wyndham’s wife only makes you more desirable.”

“This is honestly about lust and revenge?”

“Wyndham had the only woman I ever loved.”

“Apparently Darius has had several women,” Arianna said with distaste.

“I refer to the one he married.”

“You were in love with Liza?”

“From the time we were children,” he affirmed. “I wanted to take her away but she wouldn’t disobey her father. When I met Wyndham, it infuriated me, for I could see he didn’t actually want Liza.”

“He couldn’t disappoint his father either. Why does Liza despise you then?”

“She didn’t always.” He seemed regretful. “Weeks before she and Wyndham were to wed, filled with drink, I climbed the tree near her window as I’d done as a youngster. She was startled, but let me in.

“She looked lovely with her hair down. I hadn’t seen it like that since she was a girl. I kissed her; she returned the kiss, but then she pushed me away, told me to leave.”

“But you didn’t listen?” Arianna guessed.

“How could I leave without having her?”

“You raped her?” Arianna said with disgust.

“She didn’t protest, never said a word. I didn’t realize she was opposed till I moved and saw her fear.”

“You made her always afraid of men and were the reason she possibly ended her life.”

“She was afraid of Wyndham?” His delight in that clearly outweighed his remorse at violating Liza.

Liza appeared beside her and glared at Alcott with an expression Arianna didn’t know Liza was capable of.

“If you want more pain remedy, tell me how you intend to be promoted.”

“I’ll be granted many things including eternal life.”

“What would you give in return?”

“You surely know.”

“Your soul,” she said.

He nodded.

“Where is this being with the ability to grant eternal life?”

“He’s here.”

Arianna shivered and looked around.

“Why are you really here, Alcott?” she asked.

“I do want you, and afterward I’ll take your life and make Wyndham suffer.”

“You’re bitter over him being forced to marry a woman when you raped her?”

“Wyndham had his father’s approval, his mother’s love, his grandfather’s wealth, friends, brothers, women, good looks, the body of a god…and Liza, too. I despised him!

“He certainly had no notion I’d be on that ship when he enlisted. I had him beaten, flogged, humiliated, tried to break him and nearly accomplished it. When he pulled me from the sea after the sharks attacked, the men glorified him, hailed him a hero, willing to save an enemy. They spoke to his good character so he wasn’t hanged for striking a superior.

“I thought eventually I’d forget my loathing of him. I knew Liza died along with the child she carried. It wasn’t about her any longer.”

“She carried your child at one time, too,” Arianna said. Liza stared, likely displeased she knew that.

“I don’t believe you,” Alcott said.

“Because it was a product of rape and certain to shame her, Liza’s sisters saw the pregnancy ended before she and Darius wed.”

“Will I see Liza when I have eternal life?”

“You’ll only see others as malevolent as the demon who commands you.”

“He doesn’t command me.”

“He’ll command you for all time.”

“Why don’t you see him?” Alcott asked.

“I’m not fearful, angry or jealous. Dark emotions make demons stronger.”

“He said you felt his presence when he wheedled his way into the minds of men…your grandfather, a man at a brothel and Bartholomew Mendenhall.”

Arianna shuddered.

“The demon told me you saw Wyndham tonight with the young woman. Do you suppose his cock’s inside her even now?”

Arianna tried to calm her emotions. When she remembered Elizabeth’s hands on Darius, her fury ensured she saw the horrific beast. He grinned, revealing his disturbing jagged teeth. She looked away from his grotesqueness.

“Hello, fire witch.” His guttural voice made her immediately nauseated.

“Would you like me to show you an image of them together?”

“No!” Arianna shouted, her heart thumping.

“You must give me your soul, fire witch. I can’t let the air witch find you. Together you’d locate the other two powerful witches and possibly defeat my master, Odhran, and the others.”

“I’d never give you my soul!” Arianna said.

“To save your husband, your friends with babes in their bellies and the little children here, you will. I’d like to spend time with the little children here,” he said licking his lips. Arianna shuddered with repulsion.

“What are you intending to do, Alcott?”

“I’ll tell you my delightfully devious scheme. Tonight, on my command, my soldiers and the natives I employ, all attired in native garb, will attack this settlement and others nearby. Many will be killed. My soldiers will rally the surviving settlers. In their anger, they’ll retaliate, attacking the surrounding native villages and killing them all. It’ll serve our purpose and best of all, I’ll ensure Wyndham dies.

“I’ll revel in seeing that mouthy Kathleen killed, too. I might insist she’s tortured first, although seeing her children killed will be torturous.”

“You’d kill innocent children only to be a demon’s puppet?” Arianna trembled.

“I won’t be in pain any longer,” he said touching his afflicted leg. “I’ll kill you and the demon will take your soul.”

“I won’t forfeit my soul,” Arianna said, “and I won’t let you carry out this despicable plan.”

“You can’t stop us,” Alcott said.

“How could you stop us, fire witch?” The demon’s eyes were glowing red now as he stepped toward her.

“By using hellfire,” she said.

Arianna raised her hands. Instead of repeating the phrase to prevent fire, she called to it. “Ifreann-tine anoise. Hellfire now!”

The hearth and the candle flamed wildly. The other candles suddenly lighted, and the beast emitted a deep disturbing laugh that shook the cabin’s foundation.

“Arianna, you can’t fight him alone,” Liza said.

“Maybe I’m important enough, I’ll be saved,” she said thinking of the night Cythrawl and Tristan came to her.

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Liza warned.

Arianna recalled all the horrible dreams, the many frightening possibilities. This would be the least disturbing, the fewest lives taken. True, she’d die by fire, which terrified her, but she prayed it would be quick.

Was she angry or fearful enough to see this accomplished? She thought of the children, the expected babes. She thought of Darius. Their present turmoil didn’t negate the love they’d experienced. Knowing everyone she loved might be killed made her angry. The memory of Darius and Elizabeth infuriated her. She didn’t want to think of it but realized her anger fueled her power. It made Arianna angry enough.

Darius would be hurt by her death, but she’d see this through to save him. She closed her eyes, felt herself growing hotter.

“You’re going to allow her to create this unnatural fire?” Alcott fearfully asked the demon.

“Her supernatural power will alert those with dark magic. Soon there’ll be many others like me.”

“But I’ll be burned to a crisp,” Alcott stated.

“You’re an acceptable loss.”

“You haven’t made me eternal,” Alcott argued.

“You, human, were merely a pawn and you, fire witch, will aid me. Only those with some darkness can create hellfire.”

“Is that fear in those lovely eyes, Mrs. Wyndham?” Alcott said. “I intended to make your husband watch me have you, then watch you killed, but he’ll suffer knowing he didn’t protect you.

“It will destroy him realizing he was with another woman while the love of his life was killed. If I die tonight, I hope there’s enough of me left for Wyndham to know I was with you at the end. That might finally break him,” he said as he walked toward her.

“When you’re turned to ash Darius won’t know you were here. He’ll believe in my jealous rage I set his cabin afire and died when I couldn’t get out.”

Arianna pulled the silver amulet from her neck, the protection against evil. It was burning so hot it left a mark upon her skin. Meant to protect her, she remembered it also limited her magic. She tossed it to the floor and felt her powers surge. She pushed Alcott away.

Arianna created wind that fanned the crackling flames. They leapt to the curtains, the walls and rapidly spread across the ceiling. The demon only watched. When purple flames shot from her fingertips, she directed them at him. The kitchen was nearly ablaze and Liza’s eyes were fearful.

The demon smirked a leering, toothy grin. As he walked, his hooved feet made disturbing sounds on the floor. With his long curled fingernail, he scratched a doorway on the wall. The fire grew and turned a darker, deeper purple; the heat was so hot even drawing breath hurt, the acridity burned her nose.

Arianna was sorrowful to see Darius’s beautiful cabin engulfed in flames, but the look on the demon’s face when he realized he couldn’t escape through the portal he’d created was nearly worth it. He shrieked an unearthly, tortured sound; his eyes glowed brighter red before he burst into flame, then turned to ash.

Alcott picked up the amulet and clutched her. Arianna tried to fend him off, but it took all her strength to keep the fire blazing. Liza finally helped push him away and grabbed her pendant as Alcott fell to the floor. She passed it to Arianna who held it tightly, hoping it might now protect her.

“I’ll see you on the other side, my friend,” Liza whispered taking her hand.

Arianna was overcome by thick smoke and slumped to the floor.