Empath's Angel by M J Marlow (to read list TXT) 📕

their lives before they came here were anything but happy, Paulina,’ Emilia said softly. She saw Maryam coming towards herand felt the woman’s concern. “Has something happened, Maryam?” “We were merely concerned over your tardiness, Princess,” Maryam told her. “My sisters would like to teach you the dances you admired.” Emilia noddedand went with the women. Once she was gone, Maryam turned to Paulina. “The witch is missing,” she said simply. “She will make a move on the Księżna,” Paulina frowned. “I shall have the guard doubled on her suite. You must keep the child distracted, my aunt.” Bridget watched the two womenand wondered what they were chatting about. They acted like they knew each other well.And that disturbed her. She turned to the man at her side in the hidden passage. He was a tall, heavily muscled man, with deep scars on his bare arms. She had used him several times over the years for her heavy work. He did as he was bid without question; delighting in the pain he was allowed to cause. “They will expect us to go after the girl, Omar,” she said as her plan spun. “As we shall, but wisely, carefully. I will return to my chains. Once you have her, send word. I will join youand we will leave this blighted island.” “What of your man?” “Zachary can fend for himself,” Bridget told him coldly. “It is our arrangement.” She noddedand watched the man slip away. He would know when the best opportunity to take Emilia came. He was a professional. She waited a few momentsand then wandered out of the keepand headed towards the boats as quicklyand quietly as she could. She didn’t expect to escape; this was merely a test to see how efficient these men were. She found Krystian waiting for her at the pier. He straightened up from the post he was leaning againstand his smile was cold as he grabbed her arm. “Let me go, you bastard.” “Olenka is missing you, witch,” Krystian laughed as he hefted her over his shoulder. He slapped her on the backside, smiling as she cried out in protest. “She has a floor that needs scrubbing.” He carried her to the keepand dumped her on the floor of the kitchen. Olenka put her back in her collarand shackled her face to the wall. “She is not very happy that we had to look for you, woman,” Krystian translated his mother’s words. “She is going to have to discipline you now.” He kissed his mother on the cheek, took an apple out of the bowl on the nearby table,and left. He heard the first blow strikeand was not surprised when Bridget did not scream. “Wife!” he called as he went to his quarters, surprising the little blond nursing his infant son. “I need to be reminded that loveand warmth remain in this foul world.” “You found the witch?” Lidia asked as he moved to sit behind herand wrapped his arms around herand their son. She sighed as he lowered his lips to her shoulder. “She is ice.” “And you, moj serce,” Krystian sighed as he laid his cheek against hers, “are the sun.” He sat like that for several long moments until he was calm once more. Then he ruffled his son’s hair, kissed his wife on the lips,and returned to his duties. He saw a shadow disappearing into the tower where Zachary was being heldand frowned. Where were the guards, he wondered as he hurried over? He found them lying in a heap behind a stack of crates. He whirled as he heard someone comingand saw the branch coming down at his head a second too late. Zachary looked at the fallen man coldly as Omar lowered the branch. He woke up to find himself shackled down on the rack. “Krystian?” Yusef’s voice called through the fog that he was swimming through as consciousness returned to him. “Who?” “We have an intruder in the keep,” Yusef told him. “My menand I woke up to find ourselves shackledand the door locked.” He saw the blood on the younger man’s face. “Are you all right?” “Our intruder is handy with blunt instruments,” Krystian replied, trying to sit up. “Damn!” he cursed as he saw where he was. “Is he serious?” “Quite serious,” Bridget laughed as she came into the dungeon. She ran her nails slowly up Krystian’s armand he knew he was in for a world of hurt. “My friend is doing his best to take down every one of the men who stand between usand Emilia.” She yanked his head up so he could see the cells. “By the end of the week, you will all be in these cells,and we will be on our way with the girl.” “If you think our women will wail in terrorand do as you bid, witch,” Krystian hissed, glaring at her coldly, “you are quitemistaken.” “Your women,” Bridget laughed, “will be joining you.” She held up a bottle. “A little medicine added to the soup at meal time,and they will wake up here next to their men.” She ran her nails along his jaw line. “I really wish I had time to play with you,” she said as her nails dug into his skinand he flinched, “as you deserve.” She leaned overand kissed him, biting his lip until he bled. “Youand your people are going to regret moving on us.” “You won’t win, woman,” Krystian snapped. “We are not as easy to defeat as you believe!” “Keep believing that, pet,” Bridget laughed as she gagged him. “If it makes you feel better about being taken down.” She looked past him at Omar. “I have to return to the kitchens now. Try not to damage my new pet too much. I want that pleasure for myself.” While people were falling to Bridget’s plan, Emilia was taken to the tower cell where Stephen was being held prisoner. His women pushed her insideand she turned to find the door locked. Stephen rose to his feet, as puzzled as she was. Emilia moved to the couchand sat down, confused by what the women had told her. It wasn’t possible. But she looked at himand noted things about the Sheik that she had missed before. “Your women told me the truth,” she said simply, wondering if she should be angry or elated. “Why have you been hiding behind this false face, Stephen?” “I do not know what you are talking about, little one,” Stephen replied. Why would they tell her now? It was too soon! He saw her eyes widenand knew a truth about her. “You can see into my mind!” “Yes,” Emilia told him bluntly. “Just then, not before. Maryam told me that I was to tell you that the keep is in jeopardy. Sheand the women are moving out to see what they can do.” She watched as he moved to a section of walland turned a candleholder. The wall opened to reveal a hidden flight of stairs. He held his hand out to her. “Aren’t we safer here?” “If the castle is falling,” Stephen told her, “the only place you are safe is in the village. They will hide you until we can regain control.” He saw her confusion. “I know you don’t understand, angel,” he said as he pulled her into his armsand held her tight, “but there is no time to explain. You are the one they are coming after, so you need to be out of here.” Emilia noddedand went with him. The wall closed behind themand they hurried down the stairs through the gloom. They came out into the courtyardand snuck as quickly as they could towards the front gate. Just as they approached it came clanging down in front of them. Stephen turned, keeping Emilia behind him, as Zachary’s laughter preceded the man out of the shadows, accompanied by Omar. Stephen felt his blood run cold. He recognized this man; he had been one of his father’s favored torturers. “You can’t leave, lord Adrian,” Zachary laughed as he raised the gun. “The festivities are just beginning.” He held his other hand out to Emilia. “Come here, pet.” He shot at the ground in front of Stephen. “Now, Emilia,” he hissed, “or the next one will go into his heart.” Emilia could see he meant it. She moved around Stephenand went to Zachary. He slapped her to the groundand held her down with his foot as she tried to rise. “You are going to suffer for what these people did to Bridget, pet.” “Let her go, Zachary,” Stephen snarled as he took a step forward. “Your argument is not with this child. It is with the people who protect her.” Zachary fired as Stephen hurled himself at him. They felland the gun went flying. Emilia picked it upand rose to her feet, shaking. She fired it into the airand the men froze. Stephen got to his feet, worried by the expression in her eyes. Omar came towards herand she whirled, giving Zachary an opportunity to grab her. They wrestled over the gunand it fired. Emilia looked down at the red spreading along her side, stunned. Stephen let out a cry of rageand grabbed the gun that had fallen from her hands. He brought it down on Zachary’s headand whirled to find Omar being subdued by his women. He threw the gunand sank down beside Emilia, shaking in fear. “Emi?” he cried softly as he pulled her into his arms, searching her face. “Please, angel,” he pleaded as he saw how pale she was. “Don’t leave me!” “You left me,” Emilia said softly as she opened her eyes briefly. She bit her lip as pain struck her. “It hurts, Stephen.” She looked down at her sideand saw the blood. “I see.” Emilia passed outand Stephen cried out in pain. He carried her into the keepand laid her down in the infirmary. Maryamand the keep doctor moved inand he was pulled out of their way. The door closedand Stephen found himself being guided to a bench along the wall. Someone put a cup in his handsand he drank the whiskey numbly. As sensation returned, he struggled to control his anguish. He had made her feel this way, he realized as he continued to fight the grief at the thought of losing her. How could he have allowed himself to do such a thing to that angel? The door opened a half hour laterand Maryam came out. “Nothing major was struck,” she told the worried man. “Your wife will be just fine once she recovers from the injury.” She laid her hand on Stephen’s arm. “I’m afraid you are going to have to wait a while longer before she is back in your bed.” “Can I see her now?” “A few minutes only,” Maryam told himand found herself nearly run over in his rush to get to his wife. Stephen approached the bedand didn’t even register the fact that the keep doctor left them. All he could see was his wife, so paleand still, on the bed. She smiledand the ice that had formed around his heart melted away. He went to the chair beside the bedand sank down onto it, taking her hand to his cheekand holding it there. She had been given a local anesthetic he realized, but she was dozing off from the shock her body had gone through. He didn’t say a word as she let sleep claim her; he knew he didn’t need to. “I love you, Emi,” he said as he kissed her foreheadand left her sleeping. “I will always love you.” He left her to Maryamand the doctor’s careand went out with Roman at his elbow. He went directly to the great hall where Zachary, Bridget,and Omar were waiting. “You bastard!” he snapped as he backhanded his brother. “She could have died!” He turned to Roman, who nodded his permission. “The lord of Raven Holdand I have formed an alliance,”