Lady X

“I will never be a part of your coven,” she answered.

Music, hard and dark filtered through as he bent his arm. “It is time.”

* * *

Hunter saw Baudali obviously shaken by the severity of the magic that had been used on him. He smiled as he followed the old wizards’ uneasy steps.

He didn’t know what his woman was, but he damned well meant to find out as soon as he could, after he beat the Dark Magic of Baudali.

“Tis time, old wizard,” Hunter shouted out.

Baudali shakily turned to face Hunter MacTorry. The Dark Wizard was thoroughly dazed as he stood between the fallen bodies and the thunderous sounds of battle in full swing.

Hunter could smell the blood all around and a wave of pity for all the soldiers swept through him.

“You have your mother’s eyes. When I killed your father, she looked at me just as you are looking at me now. You know, I killed him first. I was still hoping she would come with me,” Baudali murmured.

“Why did ye have to enter our lives? Ye are an abomination,” Hunter bellowed. The memory of his fallen parents swept through him like a sharp edged knife.

Baudali shrugged. “I am what I am. Why not call a truce with me and allow me to return to my secret dimension where I shall not ever bother you or yours again?”

Hunter heard the plea in the old man’s voice. He was not the sort that often stood cold against a plea. “Do ye think it is all that simple? Do ye think I will let ye live to fight another day? Think again, old wizard,” Hunter said with a sneer.

“Will you strike me when I am without my usual powers? Three of you against just one old man. Is that fair?” Baudali said.

“`Tis but one now--me. Och aye. It is more than fair. Ye killed m’parents without cause. Without giving them a chance and this is for them.”

Hunter held his sword in place, and with his wand pointed while keeping the Dark Wizard from moving with an electrifying invisible wall that surrounded him.

It was surreal, Hunter thought. Watching young men and boys being killed left and right. Bullets flying, rockets exploding, and cannons blasting through the smoky air.

As he started to put his sword in motion for the Death Blow, the one that would take off the Wizard’s head, something bright and magical interfered and made him blink.

It was Baudali’s twin, Rysdale.

Hunter knew of the white wizard, but had never encountered him before. He was Baudali’s twin, but the two were complete opposites. Rysdale was all white haired, and bright-eyed with a cone hat of blue edged with silver as was his satin robe. His smile was almost angelic.

“I apologize. I would have been here sooner had I known. I did not realize what my brother was about to do until it was nearly too late. I am too late I know, to save your parents, but it appears the fates took care of your brother. It is time I took care of mine. Please, give up on your revenge. Go in peace. You shall not be bothered by him again.”

“You ask too much, for it is not revenge. It is justice,” Hunter said with a dark frown.

“Call it what you will. He is my brother and I do promise you, he will never bother you again. I am not always able to control him, but I have prepared a very potent spell. In the morning he will remember nothing of your parents, your brother, or you. Now, I think you have other matters to deal with…your lady is in trouble.”

Hunter spun around, terror suddenly filling his heart as Rysdale took his brother and vanished. He suddenly didn’t care. All he cared about was getting to Exerilla and that man who reaching out for her.

He ran toward them, but even as he arrived on the scene, he picked up on the scent of the immortal dark warlock. They were gone!

* * *

“Time? It will never be time.” X begged her father. “Papa, let me go. Please. I don’t love him. I love someone else.”

That made her father pause as he grabbed her shoulders. “You love someone else?”

A bright white exploded into the chamber and out of its sparkling center, Rachel Radley stepped in. She was in a silver embroidered satin gown and closed the portal with her wand before she turned on her husband.

She was in agony. Breaking the wards, that had been enacted to keep her out, was tortuously painful. She held her head up high and said, “Darling, don’t do this to our daughter.”

He frowned. “You are in pain. Rachel, you must leave.”