Calypso Magic (Magic Trilogy 2)

Patricia didn't hear him. One moment, she was alone, walking swiftly back toward the great house, the next Daniel had grasped her arm.

Oddly enough, the first words out of her mouth were, "What have you done with Diana?"

"She is dead," Daniel said, his voice deep, calm, sounding so very normal in the bright sunlight. "I really didn't want to kill her, but she was discovering things, too many things. It was just a matter of time and I had her alone. And my mother, she is very close to breaking now. No, I had no choice, and she came with me so willingly. As for you, my dear wife, you will deserve your death."

"You're insane," she whispered, her voice ground nearly away in her fear. "You can't, Daniel, no!"

His grip tightened on her arm and he dragged her inexorably toward the southern end of the front grounds, toward the narrow, very sheer cliff that overlooked the only rocky shore on the island, some thirty feet below.

Patricia screamed, a high, piercing scream. It was the last thing she did. Daniel's fist slammed into her jaw and she crumbled.

"Oh, my God!"

Lucien grabbed Lyon's arm. "He's got Patricia. Lyon, he's going to the cliffs!"

At least he didn't strangle her immediately, Lyon thought. He shook his head. God, had he strangled Diana? The two men were standing on the second-floor veranda, guns in hand.

"Let's go," Lyon said.

"Don't kill him, Lucien! Don't!"

Lucien touched his wife's arm. "Stay here, Deborah. There's nothing you can do now."

Deborah fell away from him, sobbing wildly.

r /> The men took the stairs two at a time.

Dido, Lila, and the other household slaves stood huddled next to the front door.

"See to your mistress," Lucien said over his shoulder to Dido. "Keep her inside!"

Lyon ran faster than he'd ever done in his life. He would make Daniel tell him where Diana was.

Dear God, she couldn't be dead.

His booted feet pounded the earth. Suddenly, he burst through the thick growth of oleanders. There was Daniel, an unconscious Patricia in his arms, standing only about ten feet from the edge of the cliff.

And there was Grainger, not fifteen feet away from him, pointing a dueling pistol at him.

"Ease her down, Daniel." The overseer's voice calm, strangely detached. "Do as I tell you, boy. Set her down."

"No, Grainger, I can't do that." Daniel's voice sounded strangely apologetic. "She betrayed me, you see. She is like all the others."

Lyon came to an abrupt halt, uncertain what to do.

"Daniel," he called out, "where is Diana?"

Patricia moaned at that moment and began struggling. Daniel eased her to her feet, but kept his arm clamped around her.

"Where is Diana?"

"Dead," Daniel said. "I didn't want to, Lyon, but I had no choice."

"Release her, Daniel!" Grainger took a step forward, and Lyon wanted to yell for him to stop, for he realized that the overseer was trying to find a better vantage point to get a clearer shot.

Lyon stood stock-still, not wanting to accept Daniel's flat words. No, she couldn't be dead. No!

"She deserves to die, Grainger," Daniel called, crushing Patricia against him until she stopped struggling. "She did betray me, you know, with that little fool, Swanson. She's like all the others. They were all cruel, they didn't care. They laughed at me. And why do you care anyway, Grainger? Did she bed with you too?"