He patted the man’s arm.
So Ariel was learning to play subterfuge. Damn her. She was good at it, too. She had the friar won over.
Who’d have thought?
He had to stifle a smile at her resourcefulness. Clever little Arel. He’d have to watch her more closely. Ariel was learning his job and ways a little faster than she should have. No doubt Shadow and Thorn were tutoring her.
Bastards!
He admired a quick learner and worthy adversary. But even so, she could not outthink him, and her little ploy with the friar could certainly be turned against her.
“’Twould appear Lord Valteri is gathering his minions. Unleashing more unholy terror here.”
The friar crossed himself, his entire body trembling.
Belial breathed in the sweet bouquet of the man’s fear, nourishing his starved soul on it.
“Do you really think demons are gathering among us?”
“Aye,” Belial said gravely. “I know they are for a fact. We must expose Valteri. Fetch the Saxon nobles. Together we may yet outsmart the devil’s mind and his mistress.”
Valteri left the hall, but before he took three steps outside, Brother Edred ran up to him and slung water in his face.
Irritated, he cursed, wiping at his chin.
Glaring at the small, little man, he fought his urge to beat him. “What is the matter with you?”
“Forgive me, milord… I-I-I didn’t see your approach. I beg you humbly for forgiveness.” The friar stepped back.
Still wanting to thrash him, Valteri narrowed his eyes. From what he’d seen, it’d been no accident.
Rather, deliberate.
And irritating.
The friar had intentionally doused him.
With a sinister growl, Valteri pushed the man aside. “Pay attention where you walk. You could have hurt someone, mayhap even yourself.”
Drying his face, he continued on toward the stable.
Belial pulled Ethbert down behind the large shrub as Valteri walked by with a furious countenance. “See! I told you.”
Ethbert clenched his teeth. Aye, Belial had been right. Valteri possessed such power that not even the friar’s holy water had blemished his evil flesh.
He’d walked away as if nothing had happened.
Over and over, he remembered his dream of hell, of the demons bowing down before Valteri as their evil overlord.
Hatred seeped through his veins. If only Harold had survived, then these beasts would not be feasting on his good, Saxon people.
Brother Edred joined them, his wise old eyes troubled. “Whatever are we to do?”
Ethbert ignored the question and excused himself. He might not be able to defeat the devil, but maybe he could save Ariel.
While the Norman beast may have brought her back here against her will, with any luck he might be able to thwart this evil and free her once and for all.
“Enter,” Ariel called.
