Movement in the far corner caught his eyes but ’twas nothing there except deepening shadows.
Christien turned his attention to the couple before him.“She heard you tell Giselle about the letter you sent to King Philip, warning him the count was a traitor.”
Lucien’s face drained of color.Giselle’s eyes grew bigger, her breathing more erratic.Her fingers curled against the stone wall and her body began to shake.
Christien turned his glare to Giselle.“You strangled her.”
She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears, but not tears of grief.The woman didn’t know of grief.’Twas fear in those pale eyes.
He cocked his head.“Are you afraid, Giselle?Afraid like Madelaine was afraid while you squeezed the life out of her?”
“Who are you?”she whispered.
“Who am I?”he asked.“To you I am death.To you I am Madelaine’s revenge.I am a man who loved and lost.I am…” He smiled and turned his attention to Lucien.“‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of hell and of death.’Do you recall that verse, Lucien?No?Let me refresh your memory.Revelation 1:18.You probably don’t appreciate the irony of it like I do—”
“Devil!”Lucien yelled.“You are the devil!”He grabbed Giselle and flung her at Christien.
Christien cursed and reached for Lucien, but Giselle wrapped her arms around him, pinning his to his sides.He broke her hold and stabbed her through the heart.Her shocked gaze flew to his.He leaned into her face.“That was for Madelaine.May you rot in hell.”
He dropped her and dove for the doorway but before he exited the bedchamber those damn shadows caught his eye again.Did they appear darker and were they moving forward?Christien stopped, mesmerized as the shadow rolled slowly toward Giselle, covering her body until there was nothing left of her.
He shuddered in apprehension, casting one last wary look back before chasing after Lucien.Satan’s demons had taken her anyway.’Twas just revenge.
Lucien was a few doors away, running down the corridor, screaming about the devil.Christien took off after him.’Twas just like the bastard to sacrifice Giselle to save his own sorry life.The man was not only a murderer but a coward.A murderer and coward who Christien could not let get away.If Lucien encountered anyone and told them Christien was intent on killing him, the entire castle would turn against him.Many might not like Lucien, but harming a priest was a serious offence.
Christien quickly caught up to him, grabbed him by the tunic and spun him around.
Lucien fell to his knees, crying out.“Please don’t,” he said and he began to pray.
Christien yanked his head back, forcing Lucien to look up at him.“Did Madelaine plead when you and Giselle cornered her?”
“How do you know of this?”Lucien bared his teeth, finding a false sense of courage.False because Christien saw the terror in his eyes.
“I know because she told me.”
Lucien’s eyes widened.“She’s dead.”
“Are you certain?”
A sound of fear escaped Lucien.“If she is resurrected then you are the devil.”
Christien cocked his head.“Oh?And you are not in league with the devil yourself?”
Lucien scooted back.“What do you mean?”
“Come now, Lucien, let’s not quibble.You made a deal with the devil.If you take the treasure from me and break the seals you will receive the powers of the horsemen.”
Lucien trembled and in that instant Christien could see he understood his station in life wouldn’t save him.
“My death will taint your soul,” he said.
Christien laughed.“Then I will gladly serve my time in hell alongside you.However, unlike you, hell is not in my future.”
Lucien lunged for Christien’s legs.Pulled off center, Christien fell hard on his back.His head slammed into the stone floor and for a moment the world went black.Lucien landed on Christien’s chest, forcing the air from his lungs and leaving him struggling for breath.Panic seized him.He couldn’t fail now.He had to kill Lucien before the man turned immortal.
Lucien grabbed for the knife that had fallen out of Christien’s hand.Christien scrambled for it too but Lucien had the advantage.
He snatched the knife and raised it.For a moment, a single moment in time, Christien wished for death.For the oblivion it would bring him.For the release of his grief and his guilt for not being able to protect Madelaine like he should have.To end it all, to finally be at peace.
