Authors: Hazel Hunter
“The witch’s suffering lasted only a few minutes.” He drained his glass. “My sentence is eternity.”
He felt no remorse or responsibility.
“So you’re going to keep me here and make me keep healing you,” Audrey said. “There’s only one problem with that. Unlike you, I’m not immortal.”
“Not yet.” He rose and went to stand by the mantle, and stared down into the flames. “But I will bestow eternal life on you in exchange for your loyal service to me.”
“There’s only one way to…oh, no. No, I’m sorry.” She picked up the glass and chugged down the rest of the bourbon. “You can’t do that anyway. You guys are like priests, right?”
He gave her a slight smile. “You believe a vow of celibacy I made as a human would stop me? Think again.”
He didn’t have a conscience, and his faith was one of convenience, Audrey thought. She’d have to go for the big bluff.
“My ability goes both ways, Marquette. I am a powerful healer, but I can also kill with a touch.”
“Even if that were true, you cannot defeat the curse,” he told her. “The witch insured I would suffer forever by making me inviolate. Nothing can kill me.”
“But you wish I could,” she said softly. “Don’t you?”
“Wishing for the one thing you can never have is as foolish as refusing a gift of it.” He came to crouch in front of her, holding onto the chair’s arms to trap her in place. “Think of the work we can do together, Audrey. With you at my side I can be restored to my former glory. Together we can save countless human lives. With my guidance you can abandon the heretical ways of the pagan, and become the devoted servant of the One and True God that you were meant to be.”
He believed everything he was saying, too; Audrey could see that in his eyes.
“I already save lives every day, Henri. My faith and what I do with it is up to me, not you. And while I’m sorry about what’s happened to you, I won’t be your first aid kit anymore.”
He glowered at her. “Don’t you patronize me, Witch.”
“I’m not.” She looked down at his fingers, which were digging into the upholstery. “I pity you. You’re trying to cheat a fate you brought on yourself with your own hatred and brutality. You can’t keep running from what you did, or using me to hold it off. Eventually you have to face what you’ve done.”
Marquette dragged her out of the chair and hauled her out of the study and down a long corridor.
“I did not want it to be this way,” he told her through his gritted teeth, “but you leave me no choice.”
Audrey couldn’t free herself from his grip, and when he pushed her into a room she was hurtled across it and slammed into a stone wall. The room was hardly furnished, and aside from a long bed, a set of drawers, a small desk and a wooden cross over the door, held nothing but musty air.
The Templar dragged her to her feet and shoved her onto the bed. “Take off your clothes.”
She sat up. “You’re going to make me immortal by
raping
me? How well do you think that’s going to turn out?”
“I don’t have time to seduce you.” He began unbuttoning his shirt, exposing his muscular barrel chest. “The violation will be brief. All I must do is spill my seed inside you, and it will be done. I will never touch you again.”
“Wham, bam, live forever, ma’am?” Audrey spotted something and pretended to stagger to her feet as she unfastened the waistband of her trousers. “You’re a sick bastard.”
“I was,” he agreed as he jerked off his shirt. “But now I will have you to make me well again. Always and forever.”
Audrey moved back another inch, and then grabbed the letter opener from the desk and aimed it at a space between her ribs.
“If you try to touch me, I’ll use this. I also know exactly where to put the blade so that it instantly stops my heart. There is no way you can get me to a doctor or a hospital in time to save me. Then it’s bye-bye goose, no more gold.”
Marquette stopped undressing and took a step toward her.
“I’m not afraid to die,” she advised him gently. “Because I know where I’m going, and you know what? It’s a lot better than here.”
Someone hammered on the door, and a frantic voice shouted, “My lord, we are under attack.”
Marquette pulled on his shirt and went to the door. “Keep her secured,” he told the guard. “No one comes into this room but me.”
As soon as the door slammed and was locked from the outside Audrey collapsed onto the bed. Outside the walls she could hear gunfire and muffled shouts, and the crash of something heavy and metallic. What gave her hope was the smell of smoke that drifted under the door and into the room. It meant either Jackson had come after her, or the killer had––and either one would insure that Marquette never touched her again.
A heavy thud directly outside the door made her jump to her feet, but when it opened Norman Palmer walked inside and grabbed her by the arm.
“Come on,” he said roughly as he forced her out into the hallway, where he stepped over the unconscious guard. “We’re leaving.” When Audrey resisted, he bent down and put his shoulder to her belly to lift her like a fireman. “I’m trying to save your life, you stupid bitch.”
She kicked him with her legs. “Why would you care what happens to me?”
“Get out of my way,” Norm said, and pushed at someone.
He then went still and dropped to his knees. When Audrey wrestled free of his limp arms he stared up at her in shock as his hair turned pure silver and wrinkles spread across his face. She spotted a small bundle of fur sticking out of his shirt pocket and reached for it.
“Please don’t touch that, dearest.”
Audrey heard a hammer cock and turned around slowly to see the unsteady form of her bloodied, blackened godmother pointing a gun at her. She felt energy rushing past her, and saw Hannah’s bruises and burns begin to fade.
As Hannah’s broken nose straightened she smiled brightly at Audrey. “I’m so glad I found you, darling.” She breathed in deeply. “Ah, that’s better. Why don’t we see if we can find a way out through the back?”
Audrey saw Norm’s body disintegrate at her feet. “What have you done, Hannah?”
“Oh, please. That man would have used you like a whore. Just like all men do.” Hannah seized Audrey’s long hair and yanked it until Audrey walked along with her. “Besides, you owe me for what Justine did to me. It’s about time you learned the truth.”
As Hannah told her what had happened when Justine Mather had found her with the body of the boy she had sacrificed to work her vengeance spell against her former lover, Audrey felt tears of pain and horror spring into her eyes. Her mother had died trying to stop Hannah from harming a human.
“I told her he had to pay for what he did to me, but she didn’t understand,” Hannah insisted as she kicked open the door leading out of the building. “She was always like that, running around trying to save them. Just like you.”
“You didn’t have to kill her,” Audrey protested.
“I didn’t plan to, but when two witches battle things can quickly get out of hand.” She pulled so hard on Audrey’s hair she could feel chunks of it beginning to separate from her scalp. “I killed your mother by accident, but I know she took my immortality on purpose. She knew what that would do to me. So did Mariah. She could have found a way to restore me, but she never would. I had to find a solution on my own.”
“You should go to Mariah,” Audrey said as her godmother dragged her behind some large straw-filled archery targets. “I know she would help you if she knew.”
“Unfortunately I killed Mariah this morning. Sucked all the life right out of the old bat. She was actually kind of delicious.” Hannah gave her a mad smile as she took out a small bundle of fur. “Now who do you think I should taste next?”
WHEN HE REACHED the gates to the sanctuary Jackson drove his truck into them, forcing the guards posted inside and out to dive out of the way. The truck burst through with a horrific crash, and as it hurtled toward the house Jackson opened the door and jumped out before he flung a bolt of power at the gas tank.
The enormous, violent explosion lifted the truck six feet off the ground before enveloping it in a fiery black cloud of smoke and flames. The force of the blast knocked out or disabled every man within a fifty foot radius, which cleared a path to the house for Jackson.
He sprinted for the front entry, using his power to shield himself from behind and each side as the Templar’s guards began firing at him. Three more emerged from the house, but with another volley he melted their weapons out of their hands and left them on their knees and howling with the pain of their contact burns as he entered the enemy’s lair.
All he could think of was Audrey, which allowed him to pick up the scent of her and follow it through the structure. Each time he turned a corner he saw men running, but they were racing outside and paid no attention to him.
By the time he found the room where Audrey had been he could feel another power, and stopped to kneel at the pile of dust in the hall. When he saw a small, half-melted EMT pin his heart skipped a beat, but the moment his fingers touched the ash he knew the remains weren’t Audrey’s. He spotted footsteps outlined by ash and followed them down the hallway and out into the back of the house, where the property had been cleared and used as a training area.
“Warlock.”
Jackson turned to see a sword bury its tip in the ground before his feet, and raised his head to see the Templar wielding another just a few feet away.
“Where is she?”
“It doesn’t matter. You won’t live to find her.” He nodded at the sword. “Pick it up.”
Only an immortal could kill another immortal, and Jackson had no doubt the Templar’s sword could do just that to him. When he touched the hilt of the weapon in the ground, he was surprised to feel a killing spell clinging to the cold steel.
“I have some honor left,” the Templar told him.
“No, you don’t, Henri Marquette.” Jackson knew exactly who his opponent was. “I can duel you from now until the end of time, but I couldn’t kill you even if I dropped a nuclear bomb on your head.”
The Templar inclined his head. “Obviously I can’t allow you to leave her alive, Warlock. The least I can do is give you the illusion of a sporting chance.”
“Where is Audrey?”
“She’s right here.” Hannah Gardener emerged from behind a wall, and held Audrey like a body shield in front of her. “It was very rude of you to leave me tied up like that. Luckily the ropes were partially burned, or I would never have gotten out of there.”
“Aunt Hannah,” Audrey said, her voice strained. “Please don’t do this. Let Jackson and me help you.”
“Shut up,” her godmother snarled. To Jackson she said, “I’ll kill the Templar for you, Captain, if you agree to give me complete immunity. The Magus Corps must guarantee that I will not be persecuted for any of the murders I’ve committed.”
Jackson eyed Marquette before he said to Audrey, “Are you all right?” When she nodded his gaze shifted to Hannah. “The Magus Corps does not offer immunity, Ms. Gardener, and we don’t use killers as weapons against our enemies.”
“He knows who I am, Hannah, and that no one, not even you, can kill me,” Marquette chided. “Give up the girl and admit defeat. I’ll slay him, keep Audrey, and you can tell the other pagan scum any story you wish. You can even blame me for the murders, if you like.”
“As if I would ever trust you again after the horrible way you’ve treated me. Captain, I will make one more offer.” Hannah showed Jackson a small bundle of fur in her left hand. “Take this in your hand, and I’ll release her.”
“Jackson, no,” Audrey said, struggling now. “It’s what she’s been using to steal the life from humans. She used the same charm to murder Norm and Mariah.”
“If you don’t take it,” Hannah warned, “I will use it on Audrey.”
“No.” Marquette took an involuntary step forward. “You cannot kill her. She is my only hope.”
“Decide, Captain,” Hannah said flatly. “Her life, or yours.”
Jackson met Audrey’s eyes and smiled as he opened his heart and released all the love he felt for her in a cascade of brilliant amber power. Tears spilled down her face as her cool, silvery glow met his and melded with it, and he saw in her eyes the same determination he felt. If he did not grab the charm now, Audrey would.
Their powers blended into a lush, beautiful green that expanded in the air between them and spread to envelop them and their enemies.
Hannah made a choking sound as her hands fell away from Audrey and she totted past her like a robot. At the same time Marquette did the same, moving past Jackson toward Hannah, and the sound of bells and brass horns began to fill the air. The bundle of fur flew from Hannah’s fingers to float in the air between her and Marquette, drawing them to it like a magnet.
Jackson saw their eyes change to glowing white and burning gold, and ran to Audrey, scooping her up in his arms and taking her behind the wall.
“What’s happening?” Audrey had to shriek to be heard above the din.
“The Lord and The Lady,” Jackson shouted back as he wrapped his arms around her. “They have decided this.”
An enormous blast of power punched a hole through the concrete blocks beside them, and when Jackson looked through he saw Hannah and Marquette hovering in the air, their bodies turning around the charm as it began to drain them. Power and flesh infused with the white and gold light flew into the charm as it absorbed them both, their forms dwindling away to nothing. When they had vanished, the charm kept contracting as if feeding on itself, until it also winked out of existence.
The silence when it was over was almost deafening, and Jackson held onto Audrey as he offered up a silent prayer of thanksgiving to their ancestors.
After a long time she lifted her head and looked.
“They’re gone.” She swallowed a sob. “Oh, Jackson I was so scared. If you’d touched that thing–”
He cradled her face between his shaking hands. “I would have died for you, my heart. Just as you intended to die for me. That is why they came to save us. Only the purest hearts and noblest sacrifices invoke the will of The Lord and The Lady.”