She couldn’t imagine her life without him in it, and she knew that she could no longer leave him, just as the sun could not leave the moon. They complimented each other. She was the light to his dark, the beginning to the end. They belonged together.
But did he believe the same?
He reached out and cupped her face. When she had hope that he might have adoration in his gaze, all she saw was anguish and bitterness. “Forgive me for sending you to the land of the damned,” he said harshly. “I wanted to spare you from such a fate but this seems like the only way to defeat our enemy.”
She reached up and covered his hand with hers. “I do not regret anything—”
“But you will. It is a certainty.” He ripped himself away from her and walked over to the window. His hands were set upon his hips, his stiff back in silhouette to her.
Marlene did struggle to sit upright now. Her head spun for a moment, but it soon settled. “It was my choice. You didn’t make me do anything.”
“My hand was forced in the matter.” She could tell he was gritting his teeth, hating himself for the role he had played in her altered fate. She said nothing, just waited for him to continue. When he did, his voice was haunted, almost desperate. “For many years I believed that the power of wicca was my salvation. I thought I was capable of great things.” He gave a snort of derision. “I soon learned my error. Not only did I pay for my gifts by living a life of seclusion, to separate myself from those that would wish to destroy me, but it almost came with a deadly price. Hector is not the first enemy I have faced, but he is the most powerful.” He turned back to her. “There will be others, and I would not subject you to that sort of miserable life. I didn’t have a choice. I was expected to embrace my bloodline at the cost of my parents’ lives. They died protecting me from a mob intent on harm. It was my aunt who saved my life.”
Marlene’s mouth fell open slightly. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“No,” he snapped. “But I did.” He pressed a fist against his chest, directly over his heart. “No matter what occurs, I should have taken my chances with Hector and hidden you far away from here, from this place, having gladly traded my life for yours.”
Marlene was touched by his words. “Then why didn’t you?” she asked. “If you are feeling so guilty for your actions, why did you not order me to go?”
“For the sake of my coven,” he returned. “I could not ask them to end their lives for me. Should I be the sole survivor, the grief I would feel would be too much to bear.”
Marlene didn’t blame him for wanting to look after the rest of his coven. As the High Priest, he had a duty that he was honor bound to follow. Leading them to certain death would not settle well on his conscience.
He moved forward and knelt down beside her. Lifting his face to hers, he said, “But that is not the only reason. If I am honest with myself, I have to be honest with you as well. I was weak, powerless to let you go. I could not have made it through this night without you.”
Tears began to sting her eyes, but then what he said penetrated her clouded mind. “This night? Do you mean the masquerade?” She blinked. “Don’t say I’ve been asleep for two days!”
Alaric cursed that slip of his tongue. He had intended not to say anything about the ball that night, to make her believe that she had only been asleep a few hours, but his feelings for her had caused an error of the worst kind. He knew that she would demand to be allowed to attend, which he would have to firmly decline. She might have given up her freedom, and so much more, to complete the wicca circle, but that didn’t mean she needed to be present for the strength of the coven’s power to work fully.
If he had to, he would lock her inside her rooms. She might have magic in her veins now, but she would not be able to focus enough to defeat a spell, should he decide to use one. At least he’d had the foresight to move her back to the mistress’ chamber where he could keep a close watch over her until this affair with Hector had come to its bitter conclusion. He knew a life—or possibly lives—would be lost; he just wasn’t sure who it might be yet.
As if reading his thoughts, she glanced around. “Why am I not in my room?”
“This is your chamber now. Permanently.” He added the last for good measure, to ensure that there would be no more argument.
Of course, it didn’t work. “I can take care of myself,” she said firmly. “I think I have proven that by now.”
“You have,” he concurred. “I just don’t feel comfortable leaving you unattended.”
She lifted a brow. “But you are going to leave me in here tonight, aren’t you?”
He sighed heavily and got to his feet. “I did not come here to argue. Only to try to beg your forgiveness.”
She frowned. “You speak as if you are going to die.”
He smiled slowly. “One never knows what the future may hold for us.”
He knew he’d pushed her too far when she whipped the bedclothes back and stood. She wavered unsteadily for only a moment and then she stalked toward him. Placing her hand in the center of his chest, she glared at him. “You listen to me well, Sir Alaric Gothry. The only one who is going to face his demise this evening is Hector, but only if you trust me. You know that you cannot defeat him alone. You need all of us at your side. Don’t deprive me of the honor of doing so.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. He was well aware that she spoke the truth, but he couldn’t bear the thought of watching her fall prey to Hector’s manipulations. She had nearly done so already. “I suppose I must beg your forgiveness yet again, because I am not changing my mind.”
When she would have opened her mouth to argue, Alaric lifted his hand and froze her in place. Her eyes widened when she couldn’t move or speak. But neither could he make it through this charade by hearing any more of her pleas.
He held her like that until he walked to the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, “Goodbye, Marlene.”
He closed the door behind him and sealed it shut.
He could hear the moment the spell faded and she rushed at the door. She banged her fists on the wood and shouted his name from the other side. He leaned against the door and closed his eyes, absorbing it all, letting it wash over him with regret.
