When he finally turned, anger sparked from his eyes, turning them a churning gray.The muscles jumped in his tightly clenched jaw.
He crouched before her and reached out a hand.It hovered above her cheek before dropping to his side.Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.“Madelaine,” he whispered, his tone tortured.
Madelaine’s sobs were building in her throat, choking her as surely as Lucien’s hands had choked her.Part of her didn’t believe Christien was here.That same part tried to tell her she had died and was in a different place.A place where dreams still existed.But her dreams wouldn’t be this painful or her terror so acute.Tears blurred her vision and leaked down her cheeks.
“Ah,chérie.” He touched her, lightly brushing away her tears with the pad of his thumb.
His sword clanked against the stone floor when he sat.Carefully, as if she were fragile, he pulled her into his lap.With his hand on the back of her head, he guided her cheek to his chest, the rough fabric soaking up her tears.She clung to his tunic, burying her face in his chest and sobbed until she was left with nothing but ragged breaths that pained her raw throat.
“Why didn’t you kill him?”she finally rasped.
“Killing him would have heaped more trouble upon us.Your husband would have me drawn and quartered and where would you be then?”
Christien was right.As much as she wanted Lucien dead, killing him would only bring more trouble.Yet what was she to do now?Lucien knew of her plan to escape and would never allow it.Would he tell her husband?If he did, she was as good as dead.And what about Christien?
“He could have you killed.”
Christien ran his hand down the hair that had come loose from her fight with Lucien.The action so reminded her of when hermèrewould soothe her it brought a wave of more tears silently leaking down her cheeks.She tried to scoot closer, to absorb his warmth and strength but other than crawling inside him, she couldn’t get any closer.
“Lucien will not tell the count of his humiliation.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know men like him.He will not want anyone to know of his defeat.And he won’t want your husband to banish him from the castle.”
Madelaine highly doubted the count would banish Lucien from the castle.Her husband put all his trust in Lucien and would believe the priest over anything she said.If anyone were to be punished, ’twould be her.
Christien rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed.“Ah, Madelaine.I hate that you are here and I hate more that I’m unable to do anything about it.”
Tears blurred her vision.If only circumstances were different.If only her family wasn’t so powerful and she would have been allowed to marry someone like Christien.Someone tender and caring and strong enough to protect her.If only the king hadn’t demanded the count join his power with her father’s.And if only she had not been the pawn in the bargain.
“Is it true what he said?Does the count believe you are possessed?”
“Yes.”
“What gave him such an idea?”
She was silent for a long while, not wanting to tell him how devastated she’d been when he left her and of the erroneous hope that he would save her.She’d been a fool to ignore the fact that Christien was as tied to his vows as she was to hers.However much her heart still yearned to believe he was her savior, her mind told her otherwise.He would offer his protection while he was here, but his appearances were rare.It was up to her to save herself.And the one chance she had was now gone.Even if Lucien didn’t tell her husband—which she highly doubted—Lucien himself would be watching her.
“Madelaine?”Christien moved his shoulder, jostling her out of her musings.“Why does he believe you are possessed?”
“Because I no longer fear him.”Or at least she thought she no longer feared him.Now she realized how naïve she had been.
“Why do you no longer fear him?”
She shrugged.“He has done everything he can to me.What more is there except death and death is what I prefer to this existence.”
Christien made a sound in his throat and held her tighter.“Do not say such things.”
“It is true.I will die eventually.More likely sooner than later.”
“Arrête.Stop this.”
Christien refused to see what was in front of him, but hopes and dreams had been stripped from Madelaine and she was well aware what the future held.She’d been a fool to believe she could run away.
She turned in Christien’s arms to face him.“He married me for political gain.He does not love me.He does not knowhowto love, only to hate and to hurt.”She touched Christien’s face, her fingers gliding along the rough stubble of his clenched jaw.“That will not change, Christien.”
“Then we will change the circumstances.”
