Red bloomed in the man’s face as his mouth began to open and close repeatedly. “I… I…”
“How dare you fall asleep while your mistress was gone!” Constantine snarled, beginning to vibrate with rage. He drew in a steadying breath. “I will deal with you later,” he said through gritted teeth. “For now, take my horse and go fetch the constables. Quickly!”
The driver jumped as Constantine’s voice drew up in a sharp demand on the last word, then he quickly climbed down from the carriage. As he took off on the horse, Constantine hurried toward the ramp that led toHer Essence.
“Elara?” he called, rising to the balls of his feet and keeping his hands outstretched as he boarded the darkened ship. “Augustus! Are you here?”
Oil lamps, secured with chains, dotted the narrow deck with dim yellow light, casting shadows that chased each other across the floorboards as the boat gently rocked, and only made the pit in Constantine’s stomach grow larger.
“Elara!” he called again, an edge of desperation in his voice that he could no longer contain.
“I thoughtIwas the troublemaker, brother,” Augustus’s voice sounded from behind Constantine. “Seems now it isyouwho deserves that title.”
He whirled around, and his heart stopped at what he saw. Augustus, looking far from the handsome, clean-shaven man he once was, was holding Elara to him. He had her pinned to his chest, one of his arms going diagonally across her chest, so that her hands were pinned. In his other hand was a knife, which he held tightly to her throat.
A look of disgust was clearly written on her beautiful face, yet even so, Constantine could see the fear glittering in her eyes.
“Augustus, let her go,” Constantine commanded, trying to remain calm despite his pounding heart.
“You married the sister of my enemy, brother?” Augustus asked, ignoring Constantine’s command. “I could not believe my ears, but I see now that it is very much true.”
“You do not understand,” Constantine answered. “It was not planned—”
“Where is your loyalty?” Augustus asked, cutting him off as he forced Elara a step closer. “Where is your love for your family?”
Augustus spoke with a strange calmness that did not settle well with Constantine. There was a lunacy that sparked in his eyes; a kind that elicited pleasure from the situation at hand. Realizing this, Constantine drew up to his full height and straightened his shoulders.
“I did everything I could to protect you and William, Augustus,” Constantine answered calmly, steepling his fingers together.
“Do not speak to me of this bastard.” Augustus narrowed his eyes at him, but did not move. “If it had not been for you, I would not have been forced into marriage with a woman so far below my station.”
“That’s right. You are not angry with her, brother. You are angry with me. Let her go, and we can talk,” Constantine urged.
Elara let out a startled cry, sending shivers of desperation through Constantine’s veins as Augustus shook her and pressed the blade of his knife further against her throat.
“Oh, I have a score to settle with her as well, brother, believe me,” Augustus answered, his eyes growing wide and wild. “She had already sinned for being Evander’s blood, but now that she took you away from me as well? Oh, she must pay, just as I am making Evander pay.”
Constantine’s eyes widened at a particular word that stuck out in his mind.I am making Evander pay?
“Evander is alive,” he murmured, realizing that once again, Elara had been right. “You did something to him.”
Something evil glinted in Augustus’s eyes as a truly devilish grin spread across his face.
“What I did to him is nothing compared to what he did to my men and me. But I think I have put him in his proper place,” his brother replied. “I was just about to show your darling wife. Would you like to see as well?”
Tension had every nerve in Constantine’s body standing on end, but he nodded. Anything to buy them time and give him achance to gain the upper hand.
“Follow me,” Augustus urged, nodding his head. “But do not try anything stupid. I shall have your wife’s pretty throat split open if you so much as touch me.”
Elara’s eyes widened even further as Augustus scraped the flesh of her throat with the blade, causing a trickle of blood to let loose. Every cell in Constantine’s body erupted in rage at the sight, but he willed himself to stay calm.
“You have my word,” Constantine stated, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Come along then,” Augustus urged, turning with Elara still in his grip.
Constantine took another wary look around, then began to follow his brother down the stairs and into the dimly-lit hold. As they walked down another narrow passageway, Constantine strained his ears for any sort of sound.
“Did you steer this vessel yourself, brother?” he asked, trying to keep his tone conversational.
