Lady X

Exerilla was suspicious of his intentions as she locked her door and brought the lantern close to her bed. She had brought a book up from the library and meant to read it.

She climbed into bed and snuggled down. She enjoyed action and romance in her reads but this novel was nothing like that. She was bored so she put it down and decided to try and get some sleep.

Yeah right, she sighed. Sleep was not happening. All she could think of was his blue eyes, his hands, the feel of his touch, and his hands so skilled in the art of making love. Thinking about it made her burn for him.

Her body yearned for him. The white witch deep inside of her demanded her mate, and for some reason believed that this human was that mate. How could her witch be so wrong? If she could only talk to her mother, she could ask her what was up with her inner witch. She couldn’t get to her mother or even go home. At the moment, she wasn’t sure she would go home even if she could… not just yet. That would mean leaving Mr. Blue Eyes behind, never to kiss him again.

She was up for hours, and just about to nod off to sleep, when something outside her door brought her to attention with a snap.

She knew without using magic who was at her door. She knew as the key dropped onto the floor and the door creaked open, just who would be on the threshold.

“David!” she gasped. “Whatever are you doing, don’t come in here.”

“I won’t hurt you, not the way that Scotsman will if you let him.” he murmured as he quietly entered her room.

Mary and the squires’ suite of rooms were in the other wing. She had no hope of help from that quarter.

“I want you to leave before you go too far,” she said firmly. “Before this gets out of hand and you do something we will both regret.”

His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I only want to sit here and talk to you. You must see that you and I…we… are meant to be together. You must see that and stop all this foolishness with the Scotsman. He will ride off for London, or for his homeland, and he will leave you behind.” He sat on her bed. “You must see that, don’t you?”

She pulled the covers up to her neck. She was repulsed by him. Everything about him triggered her inner senses with dread. “David, this is not the time…”

“Why not?” His brow raised. “You allow a stranger, a Scotsman, simply because of his title and wealth to speak intimately with you—kiss you. Who knows what more?” He reached for her hand, but she yanked it away.

“Get out of my room, David…now!”

“No. I mean to only kiss you. Later I will teach you what more we will do, and I, unlike him, will wed you.” His voice dropped an octave. “You must want me. Women always want me.” He reached for her shoulders and grabbed them roughly.

She couldn’t use magic, for then she would have to use her wand and make him forget what he experienced. To do so would lead her father right to her.

She asked herself what a girl of the times was supposed to do when accosted. She was afraid to be thrown out of the house, and therefore, she would not speak up. She jumped out of the bed and picked up a brass candleholder. “Come one step closer or touch me without my leave, and I shall hurt you.”

He laughed as he reached out and slammed the brass candleholder to the floor and threw her on the bed. “No one will hear you. My parents are in the other wing. The servants are a floor above and at the back of the house. Don’t fight it, Exerilla.” He pinned her with his body as he tried to kiss her lips, but she flung her head from side to side and screamed, “Get off you big jerk!”

He tore at the open bodice of her nightgown and Exerilla realized that she was out of options. This wasn’t the time to wonder what a girl in her position living in this era would do. She had to do what she had to do.

She used as little as she could of her witch’s strength and threw him off of her body. She then jumped up and ran for the door. He gave chase and she turned on him and took a stand. “I’m warning you, David, you don’t want to do this. I will hurt you.”

He laughed and growled like an animal. “You want to play rough? Very well, you and I shall play rough little games.”

She took aim and kicked him in the balls. A flush and perfect hit.

He let out a whopping yelp of pain and bent over. She ran the remaining distance to the door, opened it wide and fled. She took the stairs at breakneck speed, then down the hall and into the kitchen where she hid in the pantry and immediately thought of calling her wand. She thought better of it, and used only a low White Magic spell, saying “Hide me from all eyes.”

Such a small spell that used only a brief flicker of magic. She wondered if her father would be able to trace her to this century because of it.

She could only think that David had evidently lost his mind.

He followed her to the kitchen and on a hiss demanded, “Where are you, she-devil?” He opened the pantry, but could not see through the magic and closed it once again.

“David!” His mother’s voice from behind him made him spin around.

Quietly, Exerilla undid the spell and stepped out of the pantry. She didn’t want to cause Mary Horwich any discomfort, but she couldn’t live in this house if David was going to stay overnight in the future. Something had to be done.

“Mary,” she said softly.

Mary looked from Exerilla whose nightgown was torn and dangling off her shoulder to her son with growing understanding and horror.