Chapter 16 #2
The butler announced, “Miss Darcy and Mr. Alfred.”
“Georgiana!” Darcy jumped to his feet and embraced his sister. “You are awake! Are you well?”
She smiled tremulously at him. “I am perfectly well. Prince Aelfric has taken such good care of me.”
“Aelfric did?” Darcy sounded surprised.
Aelfric held out both hands to Darcy. After a moment Darcy grasped Aelfric’s wrists, his expression confused.
Eversleigh pointed a finger at Darcy. “You owe me an apology for all those times you told me shurinn is not a real bond.”
Darcy’s jaw worked, but he said nothing.
Eversleigh turned to the others with a gleeful look. “Darcy has just discovered that his reaction to Aelfric has changed now that they are shurinn . I would venture to guess he cannot bear the illogic of it.”
“Of course shurinn is real.” Aelfric sounded astonished anyone would think otherwise. He gripped Eversleigh by the wrists, kissed Elizabeth’s cheek, and sat down beside Anne and kissed her. On the lips.
“I am sorry to have stayed away so long,” Aelfric told Anne. “My shurinn ’s sister needed care.”
“That had to come first, naturally.” Anne appeared completely unperturbed.
Aelfric looked up as he noticed the complete silence in the room. “Is something the matter?” he asked.
Anne spoke before anyone else could respond. “Aelfric has become a frequent visitor here of late. And none of you are to say even one word about it. Not one single word.” It was a clear warning.
Lady Matlock might have said nothing, but her expression spoke volumes.
Anne turned back to Aelfric. “Your timing is excellent. We have just learned that Elizabeth and Darcy are to be married tomorrow afternoon, and I am sure Elizabeth would like for you to be present.”
“Married?” Aelfric’s forehead wrinkled. “But they have already pledged blood right.”
“True,” said Eversleigh. “But in the mortal world, everyone expects a man and woman who are lovers to have words of marriage spoken over them. People would be cruel to Libbet if she and Diarcey did not go through the marriage ceremony.”
“Oh. Then she must do it.” Aelfric still appeared concerned, though. “Anne, should we have a ceremony? I do not want anyone to be cruel to you.”
For once, Anne’s air of certainty slipped. She chewed her lip for a moment. “Let us speak about this later.”
“That is a very gentlemanly offer, Prince Aelfric,” said Lady Matlock approvingly. “Some women are married to sailors who are absent for long periods of time, so it would not be unusual that you are not always here.”
Miss Darcy’s previously happy expression had disappeared, and she appeared to be blinking back tears. Elizabeth reviewed in her mind what had been said recently and hurried to the girl’s side. “Miss Darcy, I am so glad you could be here, even though this wedding tomorrow is but a patched-up business. When Lady Matlock discovered a few hours ago that your brother and I went through a bonding ritual in Faerie, she was insistent that we must marry immediately.” She leaned closer, whispering in the girl’s ear. “To be honest, this wedding is not completely legal, so your brother and I plan to have another proper wedding at a later date. This ceremony is purely to appease Lady Matlock.”
“Oh.” She seemed to breathe easier. “That explains it. I could not see why it was happening so quickly.”
“Neither can I!” She needed to distract the girl before she realized her brother had already made the commitment without telling her first. “What did you think of Faerie?”
“Oh! It was wonderful. Even better than I had imagined it. I only awoke a few hours before we came here, but Queen Titania was so kind to me. I have never seen anyone like her! Can you believe she invited me to visit her again? She called me her Woodlark because she said my voice was silken like the lark’s.”
“Oh, no,” groaned Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Not another name. I can barely remember one name per person. It is too much for me to manage two different names to be used in different places, and one world where it is rude to thank someone, while in the other it is rude not to thank them!”
“Fay names make more sense than mortal names,” volunteered Aelfric. “Evlan and I call you Dubheach, which means black horse.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam clutched his hands to his head.
DARCY RETURNED THE following morning with a special license in hand. “They accepted my uncle’s letters and gave it to me,” he told Elizabeth. “Whether it is legal or not is a different matter.”
With an arch look, Elizabeth said, “It is more legal than the blood right ceremony.”
He smiled in a way that sent heat rushing through her. “I cannot argue with that.”
“I told you I would fix it,” said Lord Matlock smugly.
“Let us not forget it is more Christian,” said Lady Matlock frostily. “I will make arrangements for a clergyman to come here this afternoon.”
“Thank you,” said Darcy. “Mr. Cox, the vicar of Chiddingstone, might be a good choice. He helped to counsel the servants here after Lady Catherine’s sorcery was revealed, so he will not be as shocked by the situation as some might. Mr. Collins of Hunsford would not be appropriate. He is not permitted to come to Rosings Park.”
Lady Matlock nodded. “Very well.” She swept from the room.
The butler announced, “Mr. Debenham.”
A slender, dark man in his mid-thirties entered the room and bowed. “It is a pleasure to see you again, your lordship, Darcy, Miss de Bourgh.”
Lord Matlock rose to his feet. “This is a pleasant surprise, Debenham. I have been wishing for your presence. When did you return from Ireland?”
Debenham said coolly, “I reached London two days ago and began hearing rather alarming reports from here. I thought I might offer my assistance.”
“Kind of you! Miss Bennet, may I introduce you to Mr. Debenham of the Council of Mages? Miss Bennet is Darcy’s intended.”
Debenham bowed over Elizabeth’s hand. “A pleasure. Darcy, I must have missed the notice of your engagement. My congratulations.”
“Thank you. The engagement has not yet been announced,” said Darcy.
Debenham eyed Elizabeth. “You are a fortunate man.”
“He is indeed!” said Lord Matlock. “Come to the library, and I will tell you what has happened. Your assistance will be most timely.”
“I am eager to hear about the recent events,” said Debenham. “Perhaps Darcy could join us, as I understand he witnessed much of it. Is Eversleigh here as well?”
“He is somewhere about the grounds, walking with my daughter. He can join us when he returns. Aelfric, you have a unique point of view on recent events as well. Permit me to introduce you to Mr. Debenham.”
Debenham’s eyebrows rose. “A Sidhe? The details of your entertainment are true, then. I have not known how much to credit the wild stories I have heard.”
Aelfric gave a cold nod of acknowledgment but said nothing.
With a regretful look back at Elizabeth, Darcy followed his uncle and the others to the library.
“DEBENHAM IS HERE?” exclaimed Eversleigh when he and Frederica returned from their walk. “Excellent. Now we can make some decisions.”
“He is in the library with Lord Matlock, Darcy, and Aelfric,” offered Elizabeth. “You might want to rescue Aelfric. I do not think he liked Mr. Debenham.”
“I suppose I should join them.” He turned to leave, but his way was blocked by a grim-faced Colonel Fitzwilliam standing in the doorway, his arm pressed across his stomach.
“Sorcery,” the colonel rasped. “Bad. In the library, I think.” He could barely choke the words out.
“What?” cried Frederica.
His face ashen, Eversleigh made a hushing gesture. “Voices down. Are you certain?”
The colonel nodded slowly. “That stench. Unmistakable.”
Eversleigh seemed deep in thought. After a moment he shuddered. “They are using iron on Aelfric. Elizabeth, can you sense what is happening to Darcy?”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and reached out with that special sense. She gasped. “He is unconscious. There is something covering his face, something rough.” She jumped to her feet. She had to go to him.
“Stop,” said Eversleigh. “You must all leave. This very minute. Go out the kitchen door and seek Titania’s protection.”
Frederica’s eyes were wild. “I will not run away. They need our help!”
“Do you think I do not know it?” Eversleigh’s voice, while quiet, was harsh. “You cannot fight a sorcerer face to face. He will bespell you and use your power as his own. Miss de Bourgh will testify to that. By escaping, you weaken him, and you remain free to help rescue the others later. Go!”
“But you are staying!” cried Frederica.
“Only because I can remain invisible for at least half an hour. I will learn what I can in that time, and then I will join you. Now go!”
Elizabeth grabbed Frederica’s hand and tugged at her. “Come, Frederica. You, too, Anne. Especially you.”
Frederica asked Eversleigh desperately, “Will you find my mother and send her?”
“If I can.” Eversleigh flickered out of sight.
Elizabeth cast an anguished glance over her shoulder towards the library as she hurried Frederica and Anne along. What had they done to Darcy? Colonel Fitzwilliam brought up the rear, stumbling occasionally as he fought a bout of nausea.
They took the servants’ staircase down to the kitchen. Fortunately no one questioned them as they paraded through to the outside door. Elizabeth longed to tell them to run as well, but that could endanger their own escape, and none of the servants possessed magic to be misused. Still, it felt wrong to abandon them.
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s color began to improve once they were past the kitchen gardens. “We must go around the rose garden. The library windows look out on it.”
They were nearing the grove when the ground heaved under them. Elizabeth staggered and bumped into Frederica.
“Darcy must have awakened,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam with grim satisfaction. “Look at that.” He pointed towards the lake, where water shot out in jets towards the house. The ground still thrummed under them.
Anne cupped her hands by her mouth and blew. Three whirlwinds sprung up in front of her and raced towards the house. “That may help him.”
“Oh, no!” cried Frederica. “We forgot about Georgiana! She is still in the house.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam raked his fingers through his hair. “We will have to hope Eversleigh finds her. Now go!”
“Can we go into the grove safely? Will the trees fall?” asked Elizabeth.
“It is safer than staying here!” snapped the colonel.
Elizabeth shivered. “Let us go, then.”
“YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS must remain here,” said Titania instantly when Elizabeth explained the reason for their flight. “No one will hurt you here. Dark magic is a terrible thing.”
“You are generous, great lady,” said Elizabeth. “I do not wish to bring any trouble to you, but one of the dark magicians, a man named Wickham, is half fay and can travel through the rings.”
Titania’s nostrils flared. “How do you know this?”
“He had sworn allegiance to Aelfric. None of us knew he used dark magic.”
“At least he will protect Prince Aelfric, then.”
Elizabeth shook her head miserably. “He is a liar and a cheat. If he sees an advantage to abandoning Aelfric, he will do it without hesitation.”
Titania beckoned to one of the dryads. “Go to King Cathael. Inform him that there is a mortal dark magician with the power to travel through the rings.”
The dryad bowed her head and left.
“I cannot interfere with events in your world, Libbet, but we will defend our own,” Titania said. “There is someone here who may wish to help you, though.” She raised her voice. “Albion, my love!”
A disheveled Mr. FitzClarence appeared in the archway to a private section of the bower. “Great lady?”
“My Libbet has brought ill tidings from your world. You should help her.”
DARCY SWAM BACK TO consciousness as an acrid smell made him gag. His head throbbed and his eyes would not work. No, something was pressing on his eyes. A blindfold, that was it. His hands were tied behind his back and something sharp poked into his throat.
“Ah, I thought that might bring you back to us.” It was Debenham’s self-satisfied voice. “I would advise against trying to drench us or knock down the house before you have heard what I have to say. I have a knife at your throat and will not hesitate to use it.”
Sorcery. Elizabeth. Damn it, he needed to be able to think. “It is your life as well as mine,” he said hoarsely .
“You are not in a position to make threats, my friend.” Debenham sounded amused.
Darcy coughed, making the knife dig into his skin. “Not a threat. I have a death curse, if you recall.” And he needed to set it. Debenham, Biggins, Wickham, all must die if he did. He made a little twist in the words in his head, just as his father had taught him. There, that was done.
“Ah, I had forgotten that little detail about elemental mages. I always assumed it was a myth.”
“Then this is your chance to find out.” Darcy had always had his doubts about it, too, but this was not the moment to admit to it.
“It is no matter. I can always knock you unconscious before I kill you.” The pressure of the knife eased.
“Too late. I already set it.” Darcy coughed harder, but his throat would not clear.
“A pity,” said Debenham coolly. “You force me to consider less gentlemanly options, such as reminding you that your lovely intended is our prisoner, and I will make certain she pays the price for any misbehavior on your part.”
Elizabeth! Darcy’s stomach clenched in fear, but he could not afford to let Debenham see that. “I suppose it is hardly surprising that a man who will stoop to using sorcery would not hesitate to harm an innocent woman.”
Debenham chuckled. “Darcy, Darcy. Sorcery is but a tool, just as magic is. When changes are needed, we must use the tools at hand.”
The blindfold tightened briefly and then fluttered to the floor. Darcy blinked hard to clear his vision. He was still in the library, although now books were scattered about the floor, and a small table was on its side. Across the room from him, Lord Matlock wore a blindfold. Definitely bespelled. Aelfric was nowhere to be seen.
Debenham tugged on the bonds tying Darcy’s hands. “Do not get any clever ideas simply because I am kind enough to give you this small freedom. The wards around you are not the weak blood wards you are accustomed to. A mere touch of these ward lines will shred your flesh. Only your flesh, not anyone else’s. I set them using your blood. They will block any spells you cast.”
It hardly mattered. He could not think clearly enough to talk, much less concentrate enough to cast a spell. His hands came free. Darcy rubbed his wrists as his fingers tingled. If the wards were indeed that strong, only someone with stronger magic could remove them. “Where is Prince Aelfric?”
“Imprisoned where he can do no harm.”
“What are you planning?” It was blunt, but Darcy’s pounding head kept him from thinking of a subtler way to ask.
Debenham’s cold smile sent shivers down his spine. “I had not intended to move so quickly, but you could not be allowed to introduce the Sidhe further into our affairs. Having Matlock, Eversleigh, and you all in one secluded location was too tempting to pass up, and then you handed us a weapon against the Sidhe in the form of Prince Aelfric. Once we have taken a few more mages to give us their power, we will be ready to use Lord Matlock’s connections to reach the Prime Minister and the Prince Regent.”
“I see.” Taking over the government, then. Damn. He had hoped their ambition did not stretch that far. If Debenham discovered how much power he could steal from Anne de Bourgh, he would be nigh unstoppable.
“I will hope you will come to your senses with a little time to reflect on what I can offer you. If not, imprisonment seems the only option.” Debenham shrugged, as if it made no difference to him one way or another. “If I cannot use your power, you have little value to me. Think about it. Come, Matlock.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, with Lord Matlock trailing behind him.
It made Darcy’s gorge rise. He could not afford to worry about his uncle now, though. The only thing he could do was to find out how much the wards limited him. He told the lake to make quiet ripples and felt it respond. Good. His elemental magic still worked. He tried a spell to open one of the books on the floor outside the wards. Nothing.
Now the frightening part. He extended his senses towards Elizabeth. At first he could not find her, and his heart tried to pound out of his chest, but then her warmth stole over him. He could feel her relief at his presence. She was unhurt, thank God. He tried to sense where she was, but the effort made his head pound enough that his ability to reach her slipped away. She was safe, and that was enough for now.
“IT HAS BEEN FAR LONGER than half an hour!” exclaimed Frederica for at least the third time. “They must have caught him.”
“Eversleigh has the good sense to hide if his invisibility slips,” said Elizabeth tiredly. She had no energy to spare for worry about Eversleigh. He was likely safe. Darcy most certainly was not. Nor was Aelfric.
“Not if he were injured,” argued Frederica.
“Leave off, Freddie!” snapped Colonel Fitzwilliam. “If he is captured, he will be in precisely the same position as our father and mother. Father survived being bespelled once, and he will do so again.”
A dryad told Titania, “Prince Evlan seeks an audience.”
“Thank God!” Frederica cried.
“Bring him to his friends,” Titania instructed.
Eversleigh looked pale and exhausted, but otherwise unharmed. Colonel Fitzwilliam held out his hand. “Replenishment?”
Eversleigh merely nodded. The colonel took his wrist, and gradually Eversleigh’s color began to return.
“What did you find?” demanded Frederica.
“Nothing good. That is enough, Fitzwilliam. Save your energy. We may need it more later.”
The colonel removed his hand. “Tell me if you change your mind.”
Eversleigh nodded and sank to sit on the moss. “FitzClarence, I did not expect to see you here.”
The young mage blushed. “I was visiting Titania when these four arrived. Naturally I offered my assistance.”
“I thank you. We will need all the help we can get.” Eversleigh rubbed his hand over his forehead. “Debenham is indeed a sorcerer. He has two other enslaved mages who are feeding power to him. They have released Biggins and the others. Wickham is apparently on his way.”
“My parents?” asked Frederica, her voice now steady.
“Lord Matlock is bespelled. I could not tell whether your mother is or if she is merely cooperating for your father’s sake. Debenham and Biggins could not manage to put a binding spell on Darcy, but they had the servants subdue him physically. He is tied, blindfolded, and warded.”
“And Aelfric?” asked Elizabeth hesitantly.
“He is imprisoned in the wrought iron pergola. They were tearing down one section of it to block off the ends. Either they did not try to bespell him or, more likely, their efforts failed.”
Elizabeth shook her head. Poor Aelfric, caged like an animal. “Why do they want him? Surely they must realize that holding Aelfric makes every fay their enemy.”
“They plan to use him as a hostage. Historically, those sorcerers who do not die a natural death have been killed by elfshot. They think having Aelfric will keep the fay from attacking them.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam looked up. “Will it?”
Eversleigh snorted. “Hardly. The Sidhe would never allow mortals to dictate to them. Unfortunately, that means Aelfric is at great risk.”
“Unless we get rid of the sorcerers first,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “ There are three of them? Debenham, Biggins, and Wickham?”
“That is all we know so far, and their spellbound mages, including Lord Matlock. I know little about what sort of magical abilities Biggins or Wickham have, but Debenham is both powerful and skilled. He will not be easy to defeat now that he is using sorcery.” Eversleigh looked grim. “He casually used a spell to repair some of the damage Darcy’s earth shaking did to the house, rebuilding walls that had collapsed. I have never seen such power in a mage.”
Anne stalked across the small bower as if she could not remain still. “If there is only one sorcerer, I can unmake his eyes as I did with Sir Lewis. But only one, and afterwards I will be so weak I could be captured easily.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam raised his head. “My father said you unmade Sir Lewis entirely, and they buried an empty coffin.”
“Hardly! I am good at unmaking, but no one could be that good. I unmade his eyes along with most of his face. I did not know how to limit it to just his eyes.”
The colonel’s brows knitted. “I am certain that is what he said.”
“You might have misunderstood, or perhaps Lord Matlock had some reason to want you to believe I had unmade him. It does not matter.”
Frederica looked up. “He may have been trying to justify the decision to bind her. But if you only unmade part of his face, what killed him? Did he bleed to death?”
Anne came to a halt, her expression puzzled. “I do not think so. There was almost no blood. It was very strange. I do not know what happened. I fainted, and when I awoke, they told me he was dead.”
“Perhaps your unmaking reached his brain, and that killed him. It does not matter. Still, if you could blind Debenham, we would have a better chance, even if it did not kill him.”
Eversleigh said, “It may come to that, but first we need a plan. Fitzwilliam, you are our military man. Will you walk with me outside?”
EVERSLEIGH AND COLONEL Fitzwilliam returned an hour later, their faces grim.
Frederica pounced on them immediately. “What have you decided?”
“We cannot defeat the sorcerers in open battle, even if we rally dozens of mages to our cause, so we must look at other alternatives.” Eversleigh looked directly at Elizabeth. “We need to rescue Darcy.”
“What about my parents?” asked Frederica.
“I am sorry to say Darcy has to be our first priority. The one thing we have learned is that sorcerous spells do not work on Darcy. Lady Catherine failed with her obedience spells. Debenham and Biggins have failed to bind him. If Wickham had been able to bespell Darcy, he would have done so long ago.”
“Perhaps sorcery does not work on elemental mages.”
“That was my first thought, but Lord Matlock was able to bespell Miss de Bourgh. Still, the important thing is that Darcy is invulnerable to sorcery. That makes him our most powerful weapon. We need him. Without him, our chances of defeating the sorcerers are much lower.”
Elizabeth was not going to argue with a plan to rescue Darcy. “What will we need to do?”
“I am making a plan to free him,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “I am still working out the details, but I am inclined to believe it is possible for us to do it.” He gestured to indicate their small group.
“How can six people possibly do anything against a sorcerer?” Frederica asked dispiritedly.
“We are not six ordinary people,” said the colonel. “Anne has extraordinarily strong magic. As a source, I can supply even more. Eversleigh is one of our best spell-masters. And three of you are women. Debenham will assume none of you have any magic to speak of, so he will underrate you. Even more important, any military strategist will tell you that communication is the key to winning battles, and Eversleigh and Miss Elizabeth can convey things to each other without being in the same place.”
Eversleigh nodded. “Normally we can only sense strong sentiments, but we can plan that certain sentiments mean one thing or another.”
“With that ability, we can divide into groups,” said the colonel. “One group can set up a diversion while the other rescues Darcy. We will need certain things we cannot get in Faerie, though, so I will go to London to obtain them. I doubt Debenham has had a chance to set up people to watch for us, but I will stay away from Matlock House in any case.”
Eversleigh said, “I will also go. I need to do some research about sorcerous binding spells in the Collegium library. We will not return until tomorrow morning lest we over-use the rings. We cannot afford to be without that ability.”
“What about the rest of us?” asked Elizabeth, her voice steady.
Eversleigh eyed Frederica. “My preference would be for the ladies to remain here. You cannot help us buy guns, you would not be allowed into the Collegium library, and it would be easier for us if we do not have to worry about your safety. FitzClarence, we could use your assistance if you are willing. You would be able to go to our houses for items that might be useful to us.”
“I am happy to do whatever I can,” said FitzClarence.
“I have a task for the ladies to perform here,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “My rescue plans are likely to include passing you off in the dark as elves. We will need appropriate clothing and a few bows and arrows. I would like to make the rescue attempt tomorrow night. ”
“Libbet, I need your help as well.” Eversleigh frowned. “In order for the rescue to work, we need Darcy to remain alive until tomorrow night.
Colonel Fitzwilliam scowled. “We have little control over that when he is in their hands.”
Eversleigh rubbed his forehead. “I believe he is in more danger from himself than from Debenham, and that worries me.”
Elizabeth shivered. “What do you mean?”
“If I know Darcy, he will be plotting a way to kill Debenham using the elements. Flood, fire, or earthquake – any of those could kill Debenham, but Darcy would die with him.”
“He would not do that!” Frederica cried. “It would kill my parents and his sister, too.”
Eversleigh exchanged a look with Colonel Fitzwilliam. “If I saw a chance to kill the sorcerers at the price of my own life and those of Lord and Lady Matlock, I would do it without hesitation,” he said gently. “Your father would do the same, as would your brother or FitzClarence. We have all studied the history of sorcery and the evil it creates. Our lives would be a tiny price to pay to prevent another reign of sorcery.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “Our father would do it if it meant killing all of us and everyone he has ever known.”
Frederica lifted her chin. “Are you saying Darcy should kill them all?” Her voice shook.
Eversleigh slowly shook his head. “If I could be certain the sorcerers would die, yes, I would want him to. But we do not know if Debenham and the others have defenses against fire, water, or falling stones. What if Darcy reduces Rosings Park to rubble, but the sorcerers are left standing there unharmed? If it were me, I would try it anyway, but Darcy is more valuable than I am. If we lose the one man who can withstand sorcery, our chances to defeat Debenham will be lower.”
“Far lower,” grated Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Almost nonexistent. ”
“Unfortunately, I am unable to tell him to wait,” said Eversleigh. “Libbet, do you think you could tell him not to fight back through your bond?”
“I can try,” said Elizabeth shakily. “I have never attempted a specific message. I wish I had more experience with this.”
Darcy. She pictured him in her mind, and suddenly he was there. Warmth, love, and gratitude dissolving into fear. Trapped and helpless. She thought as loudly as she could. Wait for us. Do not fight. Wait for us.
Her sense of him began to slip away. She pounded her fist on her thigh in frustration.
“Well?” asked Eversleigh.
“He feels trapped. I cannot tell if that means he is locked up or something else. He seemed glad to be connected to me, but he is grim, perhaps dreading something. I tried to tell him to wait, but I do not know if he could hear me.” She opened her right hand and gazed at her palm. Blood right. “I will keep trying.”
“It is reassuring he is still alive and well,” said Eversleigh. “Perhaps he is not planning something at all, or he may know something that tells him it is useless. I feel rather grim myself, so I am not surprised he does.”
But Elizabeth felt it was more than just that, and fear ate at her stomach.