What happened next was a nightmare. I saw it all happen and was helpless to do anything about it. As I reached for her, she, with sudden and surprising agility, ducked away from me and ran towards her car, well out of the safety of the ward.
Beyland was on her with scarcely an effort.
Devin cried out, “Would that Allora had killed me…before I lived to see this day. Jeremy…do something…cannae ye use magic to save her? We cannae allow him to harm her.”
It dawned on me, even with Beyland’s formidable powers, as Devin had told us, he was unable to see past Jeremy’s spell—he couldn’t see Trinity or Devin!
Jeremy sent a ball of fire spinning at the warlock’s lower body. Beyland intercepted it and growled. “The next time you try anything like that, I shall leave with this human and she will wish for death. I will torture her for hours on end. Is that clear?”
I saw his long, black colored nails dig into Mrs. Tunny’s throat and felt sick to my stomach. I had to stop this! I had to stop him!
“Please, sir…” I tried respect, “she has nothing to do with any of this.”
He eyed me
and I saw something, I am not sure what, click in his dark eyes. He said very softly, very directly to me, “Ah, but she is a way to you, isn’t she?” He smiled and added, “What do you think, Bobbie dear, shall I end her miserable existence now, or do you mean to ask me nicely to save her?”
“Please, did I not just do that?” I cried. “I’ll ask again, please, sir, don’t do this…let her go.”
“Very well, but if I do that for you…it is a favor I would be granting. Therefore, it deserves one in return,” he answered.
“What favor?” I asked.
“No,” Jeremy shouted. “I’m sorry, Bobbie…you can’t.”
“Lass…coom to me…step away from him. Mrs. Tunny wouldn’t want yer death on her hands, Bobbie…for me,” Devin cried out.
“Come here, Bobbie Skye,” the Dark Warlock whispered. “Come to me, and I will tell you what favor it is I require from you, and I will let the human live.”
“No,” Jeremy said. “Not happening.”
“Very well, this woman has lived long enough,” Beyland said, and sighed. He allowed her then to see him.
Her eyes went to his profile and then her eyes met mine and she said, “He is right, lass. Don’t do anything he asks. I’ll go to m’husband in peace. Aye, and gladly.”
“No!” I screamed, and dove at the Dark Warlock before anyone could stop me.
~ Four ~
IT ALL HAPPENED IN SUCH quick succession that time wrapped itself around me and squeezed ‘til I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t hear.
Everything zoomed into play.
I saw the Dark Warlock would snap Mrs. Tunny’s neck without hesitation. I knew he would do so without care or thought. All choices were reduced to one. I dove towards Mrs. Tunny with one purpose, and used my magic to pull her out of his hold even as I crossed the Blood Ward.
The warlock smiled. I saw his smile as he allowed me to ensnare her with magical tentacles and yank her out of his hold. She fell in a heap to the ground, still alive, thank the fates. Even as I started to bend towards her, I could hear her heartbeat, faint but beating. Only a small amount of blood dripping from where his nails had dug into her throat.
All I had to do was touch her to include her in my magical purple cloud and transport us back to safety on the other side of the ward.
A simple thing, but the warlock was ready. He had known what I would do and was totally prepared. I felt his despicable touch, his hand around my wrist, and damn, I knew I was in major trouble. His magical power radiated from his hand and into my body, keeping me from yanking away. All at once, I knew Beyland had won this battle.
Even as he held my wrist with one hand, his free arm, in one fluid move, scooped me up with force and determination. His lips were at my ear and he whispered, “Don’t make me harm you. I will, but it would grieve me to do so.”
He then chanted one word, a word I immediately filed away, Fosgail—open.
His portal had been there, ever-ready all this time. I ignored his threat and screamed, kicked, and called on a spell to escape.
None of these things worked. He chuckled and said, “I could break you, newbie, but I have a few reasons that stay my hand. Would you like to calm down, come with me, and learn what those reasons are?”