Abandoned to the Night (The Brotherhood Series, Book 3) (10 page)

Evelyn tapped Grace on the arm, whispered in her ear, and they both scanned the boisterous crowd, suddenly gasping as they stared at a woman clearing tables.

“You did say Leo is attracted to a particular type of woman.” Evelyn nodded to the petite golden-haired wench. “Perhaps we should ask her? I would wager a year’s clothing allowance he has taken her up to his chamber.”

“We will say he is our brother,” Grace added. “That way she will be more forthcoming. We’ll say he has an illness where he forgets things, and we grew worried when he did not return home.”

Evelyn nodded. “Come on.”

Alexander leant across the table and put his hand on his wife’s arm. “I do not think it is wise to go off alone.”

“I’m not alone. Grace is with me, and we will not leave the tavern. Besides, if you go out tonight to search for Leo we will be alone then.”

Elliot put a hand of reassurance on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m sure they will be fine.” He glanced at Grace. “If you fail to return within ten minutes, I am coming to find you.”

They watched the ladies converse with the serving wench, their friendly countenance helping to secure her cooperation. Grace glanced back over her shoulder and gave a confident grin.

“Damn, I still can’t believe how lucky I am,” Elliot said. The thought of losing such a precious treasure caused a dull ache in his chest. “Do you remember what you asked me in the garden of Evelyn’s aunt’s house?”

Alexander narrowed his gaze. “What, that I want you to kill me should anything happen to Evelyn? I have not changed my mind. Our pact still stands.”

“Then I want you to do the same for me.” Elliot had never been happier than he had during the two months he had spent with Grace. “I love her deeply and cannot envisage a life without her.”

Alexander sat back in the chair. “I understand completely. Does Grace know you’re immortal?”

“Of course not.” He knew such a revelation would upset her, particularly when she discovered he would never age. “I’ll tell her at some point, just not yet. After all we’ve been through, I’d like a few years of peace and happiness.”

“The words have almost slipped from my lips many times,” Alexander confessed. “But I cannot bear to see Evelyn’s eyes filled with sorrow. While I do not wish to deceive her, I am too weak to admit the truth.”

Elliot forced a smile. “I’m glad our wives have become such good friends. It is important to have support from someone who understands your plight.”

Alexander nodded. “You know I would like nothing more than to lock Evelyn away at Stony Cross and keep her all to myself. But I am beginning to think it is not healthy for her. When we return to England, I am considering spending a few months of the year in London. I would like her to see more of Grace. If you’re in agreement, we will time our trips to coincide with yours.”

Elliot could not hide his surprise. “Then some good has come from spending three weeks together in a carriage,” he chuckled. “We are family in every sense of the word. I think it is important to support one another. With such a debilitating affliction such as ours, we should remain close.”

Alexander gave a weary sigh. “All we need to do now is find that wayward brother of ours and drag him home. Perhaps on our return, we should trawl the ballrooms in the hope of finding a lady willing to tame him.”

“She would have to have golden hair and a desire to let him drink her blood,” he said in jest. “I doubt it will be too difficult to find someone suitable.”

“No. It will be bloody impossible.”

They both laughed, but Elliot’s mood darkened when Grace and Evelyn appeared, their grim faces sending a bolt of fear shooting through him.

“Is something amiss?” he said as soon as they approached the table.

They both sat down. Grace nodded to Evelyn, who said, “Leo left the tavern two nights ago. The wench said she spent time with him in his chamber, saw him climb into a carriage and has not seen him since. All of his clothes and belongings are still upstairs.”

A hard lump formed in Elliot’s throat and he couldn’t speak.

“Does she know whose carriage it was?” Alexander asked.

“It belongs to Frau Lockwood.”

“Thank the Lord.” Elliot was able to breathe freely again. “More than likely he’s found a mistress and forgotten all about this absurd need for revenge.”

Grace winced at his reaction and said after a slight hesitation, “Frau Lockwood lives in the castle high up on the hill. She has lived there for ten years. Frau Lockwood has golden hair, wears a dark cloak and is seen mostly at night.”

With trembling hands, Elliot grabbed the bottle, filled his goblet and downed the potent liquid so fast he almost retched.

Grace sighed. “The wench believes she may have been dreaming, but she thought Leo had a sword strapped to his back. We found an empty scabbard under his bed.”

“But why would she allow him into her carriage knowing he had a sword?” Alexander shook his head. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“You know what this means?” Elliot sucked in a breath. “I will have to go up to the castle. I can’t leave here until I know what’s happened to him.”

“I’ll come with you,” Alexander said.

“Perhaps we should all go together?” Evelyn suggested.

“No!” both gentlemen cried in unison, aware they had attracted the attention of a few curious locals.

“No,” Elliot whispered firmly. “You will both stay here. You promised you would else I would not have let you come. Do not make me compel you to do so.”

Grace’s eyes grew wide. “You wouldn’t.”

When it came to their safety, there was no room for negotiation.

“We both will,” Alexander added ignoring Evelyn’s irate stare.

“We will all go to my room,” Elliot commanded. “We will go to my room now without hesitation.”

They escorted the ladies to Elliot’s room, used mind manipulation on their wives to keep them there as they could not risk them coming up to the castle. Then they compelled them to lock the door behind them.

“I’m going to have to make Evelyn forget about this else she will find a way to punish me. I know it.”

Elliot patted his friend on the back. “I hated doing it, too, but their safety has to be our priority. They will understand. Besides, come the morning they will be free to do as they please.”

“You assume we’ll return tonight?”

“I sincerely hope so. But that is why I told you only to force her to stay in the room until sunrise. If we fail to return, I have instructed Gibbs to take them home.” Elliot removed his pocket watch and glanced at the time before replacing it. “We’ll have nine hours to get there and back. It should be plenty of time. But it would be wise to note how long it takes us to reach the castle, should anything unexpected occur.”

They headed out into the night, followed the path leading up through the forest. No clouds littered the inky sky and the light from the full moon cast a silvery-blue hue to illuminate their way.

“What will we do if she’s killed him?” Alexander asked, vocalising the words Elliot dared not think let alone speak.

“Then we will have two choices. We kill her, or we return to the tavern, jump into the carriage and head back to England.”

They fell silent. The crunching of twigs underfoot and the rustling of leaves in the breeze did nothing to distract from the gravity of their situation.

“If it comes to it,” Elliot continued after contemplating how best to proceed, “if we’ve got no choice but to fight, then I want you to let me deal with it. I want you to leave, take Grace and Evelyn and get as far away from this place as you can.”

“I won’t leave you,” Alexander declared. “I could not live with it on my conscience.”

“You must think of Evelyn. And you must promise me you will take care of Grace.” Hell, just saying the words caused his airways to constrict.

“Hopefully, we will find Leo locked in the dungeon sucking on the blood of rats. The devil woman will have left the key in the door, and we’ll all be in our beds come the morning.”

Elliot admired his friend’s optimism even though he knew it was feigned purely for his benefit. “I’m sure you’re right.”

They trudged on for another fifteen minutes before reaching the stone bridge leading up to the castle. Staying close to the wall, they crept through the arched gatehouse and headed into the open courtyard.

Elliot jabbed his finger at the huge oak door, the entrance as tall as two men. “Is that the only way in?”

Alexander shrugged. “I can’t remember much about my time here and often question if my terrified mind concocted some of the images.” He glanced up and scanned the old building. “They built the castle on the cliff as a means of protection. I doubt there would be any other entrance.”

Elliot glanced up at the eerie facade rising up from the rocky crag, at the winged gargoyles protruding from the stone walls, at the slate conical spires glistening in the moonlight. In its entirety, the medieval building roused feelings of grief, despair, and utter hopelessness.

Swallowing down his apprehension, Elliot said, “Well, I have no intention of scaling the wall, so we’ve no choice but to knock the door.”

“Heaven knows how many of them are living in there.” Alexander scoured the row of windows above, his tone conveying a hint of fear.

“Well, we will achieve nothing standing on the doorstep. And we are one of them now. We must remember we have strength and power of our own. Besides, we have too much at stake to walk away, too much to lose.”

Alexander nodded. “I agree. Knock the door and we will compel her servant to let us in.”

They stood in front of the arched entrance. Elliot pursed his lips as he raised the heavy knocker and let it fall. The hollow thud echoed through the hallway beyond. They stepped back and waited, but no one came. He tried again before turning the iron ring that served as a handle, surprised to find it opened without protest.

“Perhaps they rarely have visitors,” he said noting the confusion marring Alexander’s brow.

“Or perhaps they have nothing to fear as there’s an army of night walkers beyond this door all desperate for blood.” Alexander’s thoughts were bordering on irrational.

Elliot pushed the door wide enough for them to slip inside, the creaks and groans a reflection of its size and age. Peering into the dark hall, Elliot was relieved to find it empty.

“You’ve been in here before,” he whispered to Alexander. “Where would she take him?”

“I remember climbing a spiral staircase up to a tower room that overlooked the village. Other than that, I recall nothing else.”

Elliot pointed to the corridor leading off to the right. “If I’ve got my bearings, that would mean we need to proceed this way.”

They walked stealthily through the hall, over the ornately engraved paving: dusty memorial stones for the dead. Climbing the first staircase they came to, they wandered through wide corridors littered with paintings of solemn-looking ancestors, colourful tapestries of biblical scenes. A vast array of free-standing candelabras lined their way, though the candles were unlit.

Upon hearing the sound of booted footsteps, they hid inside a curtained recess, peered at the hulking fellow trudging along oblivious to the intruders.

When they reached the narrow spiral staircase, Alexander tapped him on the shoulder. “I remember those torch shaped wall sconces and the stained glass window at the top. It’s this way.”

They had taken but a few steps when they heard the deep masculine groan. Elliot’s heart skipped a beat. He stopped to listen, the accompanying words becoming clearer the more he focused.

“Oh, God, what are you doing to me?” The masculine voice begged for help, for mercy.

“I am giving you what you deserve. I am giving you everything you deserve,” came the devil woman’s wicked reply.

Without any doubt, Elliot knew the man she held captive was Leo. Relief coursed through him. Leo was alive but the golden-haired creature that had claimed their humanity took pleasure in torturing him.

“We need to save him,” Elliot whispered. “He will be too weak to help us, but we must overpower her.”

Alexander nodded, and they moved quietly up the stone steps, stopped at the top and peered through the open doorway.

The sight that met them was more horrifying than Elliot had imagined. Leo’s arms were tied to the bedposts, evoking memories of the way she had tied him to the iron rings embedded into the walls of the mausoleum. Amidst the mounds of crumpled sheets, the evil temptress had straddled Leo’s naked body as she sucked and nibbled on his neck like a starving woman would a juicy slab of beef.

Leo’s head fell back against the pillow. He closed his eyes as a weak moan fell from his trembling lips. “Oh, God help me.” Obviously, his poor friend could not take any more.

The devil woman raised her head, and Elliot could see the blood trickling from two circular wounds on Leo’s neck.

Anger flared. To witness such a cruel form of punishment made him want to retch. But he had to be strong for Leo. Noticing the sword on the floor by the bed, he knew he could reach it before she would have time to react.

He waited until she resumed her wicked ministrations, until she bent her head and licked the blood from his neck with the tip of her tongue as she writhed on top of his helpless body.