Chapter 34
In the deepening twilight, Elise found little peace. The celebration in the workshop, the praise, the joy—it had all felt somehow hollow when she thought about Kurt leaving for battle.
The refreshing scent of pine filled the gardens as she walked toward the maze. She hoped she could use the stone on her own and prove to Seth she no longer needed him. At least then she would have one less problem to worry about.
Bruno cawed as he circled high above her. Perhaps he sensed the coming rain. The days had been overcast, and tonight dark clouds covered much of the sky.
She made her way between the tall walls of greenery. She was rather proud of her good memory and found the clearing where the stone rested after taking only one wrong turn.
Elise stood there for a moment, admiring the rock.
Its crescent shape looked as though it had been sculpted by the most skilled artist. The stone was not completely uniform, but that was precisely what made it even more beautiful to admire.
It was as though several boulders had been fused together and then shaped into the imposing monument that now stood before her.
She placed a hand on the square base where the symbols were engraved. She tried to feel more of Danu’s magic, but nothing.
She remembered the chant Seth had whispered.
“Ramara, cara mara ra.”
Still nothing.
She tried again and again.
Bruno kept flying above in circles.
She thought about calling Morgaine through the mirror, but it was no use. The witch had already told her she knew nothing about how to invoke the powers of the stone. She had suggested going at midnight, but beyond that she hadn’t dared to guess.
A light drizzle began to fall, pattering softly against the bushes and barely reaching Elise’s shoulders and the hood of her mulberry cape.
She sat down on the ground to think while the fine rain slowly dampened her clothes.
Beneath her cape, only a purple linen dress protected her from the weather.
During the workshop celebration, a few had approached more warmly and complimented her dresses.
She had proudly told them they were all her own creation.
Gwern herself had been the first to comment on how good her designs were and, setting her sharp tongue aside for once, she had congratulated Elise for completing the potion.
Elise sighed. It was as though everything was finally settling into place. Tomorrow she would see Kurt, and all that was left was to hope he would return unharmed.
“Ramara, cara mara ra,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.
Nothing.
She could have spent the whole night trying. The rain was falling faster, but she paid no heed to the inconvenience. That was until an unamused chuckle made her open her eyes. The fiendish sound could only belong to one man.
She raised her gaze to find a demonic vision. A cloud of smoke high above. As the fog dispersed, the very image of arrogance and disdain appeared. An unfortunately handsome face atop a tall frame draped in black velvet and a long cape.
“I knew you’d come without me,” Seth said, suspended in the air. A half-smile played across his face.
“Were you waiting for me?” She looked around, not entirely sure where he could have been hiding or for how long. How did he know she would come here tonight?
Elise got to her feet and smoothed the fabric of her dress. She didn’t look at the demon, but from the corner of her eye, she could tell his gaze was on her, studying her every move, laughing inwardly at her failed attempt, waiting for her to accept her defeat.
She was not one to suffer from an excess of pride, but something about Seth made her reach the limits of her humility and defend her dignity at all costs.
“I’m perfectly capable of doing this alone,” she said, closing her eyes and resting a hand on the porous surface of the stone. “I’m feeling something already. Although perhaps it would be wise for me to come back later. Midnight, I heard, is best for this sort of rite.”
The demon descended toward her, shaking his head as the smile faded from the corner of his mouth.
“You are yearning for a man. I can smell it,” he said.
Elise felt the blood drain from her face.
“What?” she said, aghast.
“You are yearning for a man. I can smell it,” the demon repeated to Elise’s horror. She had hoped the sound of the rain had somehow distorted his words, but no. The remark was just as outrageous the second time.
She was torn between slapping that arrogant face and landing a good punch. With the energy of the male divinity running through her, it seemed only natural to consider relieving the demon of a few teeth.
In the end, she opted for a good slap. She closed the distance between them and drew back her hand, putting all her strength into the blow. The demon’s head snapped to the side, and tall as he was, he nearly lost his footing.
“Why did you do that?” he rasped angrily.
Elise shook her head. Seth seemed genuinely outraged, his confidence completely unshaken by the slap. Though Elise was still offended, the look of utter shock on the demon’s face was so amusing that she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Are you out of your wits? Why in heaven would you say something like that?”
“You are the one who’s out of your wits,” Seth replied.
Elise tried to swallow the offense. Perhaps the comment was perfectly acceptable where Seth came from. She was ready to let the affront pass, but, as luck would have it, the demon had only just begun what would become a string of outrageous remarks.
“Hasn’t your mentor taught you anything?” he grumbled.
“What do you mean?”
“You cannot let magic flow through you if you don’t release…you know,” Seth made a face of disgust.
Elise felt a small blush rise to her cheeks. Then, as if heaven itself were in approval of what Seth was telling her, rain began to pour. Her clothes dampened fast, but she couldn’t care less about it.
“What do you propose then?” Elise asked.
Seth drew out a deep breath and moved closer to her. The closer he came, the stronger his scent became.
“Put your hand on the rock,” he demanded.
Elise did and closed her eyes. She couldn’t feel any magic, though she wasn’t surprised. What caught her off guard was finding Seth’s face only a few inches from hers when she opened them.
She began to feel a tingling in her fingers coming from the stone. Perhaps the demon was right after all.
She gasped as her gaze locked with his. His eyes were not as dark as she had thought.
Up close, they were the color of honey caught in the daylight.
His dark, thick eyebrows arched as he looked at her.
Elise’s gaze drifted to his lips without meaning to, lingering there before wandering along the strong line of his jaw.
The arrogance and spite came with a good share of beauty to balance the deal with this demon.
“This is going to be worse for me than for you,” he said.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you. You can thank me later.”
Elise swallowed hard, and before she could react, the demon’s lips sealed over hers. She thought of landing another slap, but she could feel the energy from the stone flowing through her with greater intensity.
In the spirit of experimentation, Elise remained still beneath the demon, and much to her displeasure, found his touch not entirely repulsive.
The taste of his lips could only be described as ripe fruit touched by fire.
Like biting into a perfectly ripe peach.
An explosion of sensations filled her mouth.
His skin was so warm it reminded her of someone with a fever.
The heat was impossible to ignore. Even under the relentless rain, she found herself burning inside.
She felt Seth’s hands slip under her cape to claim her waist, his fingers pressing through the thin fabric of her dress. The heat of his body grew stronger as his hands moved around her back.
Elise felt her own temperature rising so quickly she feared she might burst into flames when the sound of footsteps brought her back to reality.
She pulled away from the demon at once.
“Good. That should be enough,” Seth gasped, catching his breath. He began smoothing his clothes when a third figure stepped out from around one of the maze’s walls.
*****
Elise felt her heart stop for a long moment.
“Kurt,” she whispered, mirroring the horror on the duke’s face.
He was soaking wet from the rain. The very picture of despair. He didn’t need to say a word for her to see how deeply he was hurting.
“I came to see you,” he said. “I followed Bruno.”
She gave a gentle shake of her head. There was no doubt about what Kurt had witnessed. Worse still, he didn’t need to have seen the entire scene to draw the obvious conclusion.
No, no, no!
“I couldn’t wait. I wanted to say a proper goodbye before…well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Fantastic. You already bid your farewells,” the demon said.
Kurt lowered his head and turned to leave.
Seth stood with his arms crossed, looking as though someone had wandered into his house uninvited.
“Please, Kurt, wait!” Elise managed.
She was completely overwhelmed by the tragic situation, but one thing was beyond doubt. She couldn’t let Kurt leave like this. In her haste to reach the duke, all the energy she had absorbed made her stumble. She lost her balance, but Seth grabbed her arm before she could fall.
Kurt stopped a few steps ahead and turned to her.
“I suppose he’s not a debt collector,” he said dryly.
Despite the magic flowing through her, Elise felt completely hopeless. Weak. Lost.
“I’m a prince, you lordling,” Seth muttered, holding Elise’s arm.
A prince?
Elise looked up to see Seth’s proud face. She wasn’t impressed by the title, though the revelation did explain the demon’s behavior.
Feeling more in control of her body, she pulled her arm free from Seth.
“Elise,” Seth said in his usual commanding voice, but she was determined to do what she had to.
“This is not how it looks, Kurt,” she said desperately.
“Then what is it?”
There was a glimmer in Kurt’s eyes this time. He stood tall, meeting Seth with a defiant glare. His torso was broader than the demon’s, his head a couple of inches higher.
Elise worried Kurt might challenge Seth to a fight, so she was quick to intervene.
“He’s here to help me,” she said, turning to Seth with pleading eyes.
Thankfully, he added nothing, and Kurt was the one to continue.
“Help you with what?” He paused as if the words bore a bitter taste in his mouth.
She was overcome with regret, and with the power flowing relentlessly through her body, her vision began to blur. She put one foot in front of the other, but her legs gave way.
“Please, Kurt. It was just a kiss.”
The last thing she saw was the worry in Kurt’s eyes before she felt a familiar heat wrap around her. She had no doubt who it belonged to.