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“Ah, American?” He turned to his mother. “You never mentioned our guest was an American.”
Mary frowned and her hand fluttered, waving this off as she cast a furtive look at her husband, obviously concerned that he might make some objection. “Did I not?” She turned to Exerilla. “It must have been a long and trying day for you, my dear.”
David had X’s elbow as he gently maneuvered her, nudging her toward the fire, “Come sit here and warm yourself.”
Exerilla complied, but all she wanted to do was escape. When Anne reappeared laden with a tray and said, “I brought this for Miss, as she was soaked to the bone when she arrived and I thought she might enjoy a cup of tea and biscuit before she retires.”
“Thank you, Anne, very thoughtful,” Mary Horwich said quietly glancing toward her husband and obviously relieved to find that he made no objection.
“Oh Anne, thanks so much,” Exerilla said gratefully.
Mary murmured, “You think of everything, Anne.”
“Blasted good thing our housekeeper has her wits about her, for you never do,” her husband said scathingly.
Exerilla was shocked and stared at the squire disapprovingly. Holy Sweet Moly, but she was headed for a world of trouble if she was going to have to deal with poor Mary Horwich’s brute of a husband. She bit her tongue. She couldn’t turn on him on her first night. But she knew better. This was so not a good fit for her. She was bound to clash with the squire.
~ Eight ~
“WHERE IS SHE, Rachel?” Exerilla’s father demanded furiously, his hand making a mess of his usually neat white-gold hair. “Do not think that because I still have deep feelings for you, I shall allow you to keep my daughter from me!”
“That is not what I am doing,” Rachel said softly.
He reached for her and brought her into his arms. Spidery veins exploded with bolts of sensation as he bent her into his body. Desire flooded through her as his mouth covered hers. That ever present flame she carried for him, ever ready for him, rose far too willingly to the occasion. She knew he loved her, but she wasn’t sure if it would be enough to save him. She had to find a way to save him, and bring him back into the light.
Rachel gently pulled away from his burning lips and looked into his black eyes. Gone were the stars she had always seen there and in their place were yellow tipped black and red flames and they were hot and angry.
She knew she would always love him, thrill to his touch, want him, and while he was like this, keep him at bay. She couldn’t do otherwise while he gave himself over to the Dark Power.
“Harlan,” she said sweetly, “I am losing you. Is that what you want? To wander into eternity alone? I had always hoped you would find your way back to me, to us.”
“Your world is insipid. I want you and one day, I shall have you again, but you will come to me, you will be a part of my world this time. I tried yours and it was too damn lacking. I needed more. I was meant for more.” He shook his head, “Once my daughter is wed to Galen Debbin, she will be susceptible to the Dark Side. When she joins me, you will follow and we will all be together again.”
“That need for more will keep your daughter and your wife forever out of your reach. Don’t you see… Exerilla is a white witch; she won’t go over to the Dark. You will end alone. Is that better than ordinary?”
“I am not going to argue with you. X is also my daughter. She has my genes and my darkness it would do you well to remember that she was born dark!” He stared into her eyes as he shook his wife’s shoulders, “Where is she, Rachel?”
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t lying. She had no idea where Exerilla was at that moment. She had used her orb of time to look, just look and be certain her daughter was safe, but instead she found everything at Kingston House in disorder and her daughter gone, no longer connected with that broken family. She couldn’t look further without specific magic, a magic that would enable her husband to find their daughter. She was quite sick over it.
She said softly, “Harlan, Exerilla realized that you compelled her to have dinner with Galen. She knew then that you would not respect her wishes and she ran. I told her not to tell me where she was going, or to get in touch with me until after Samhain.”
“How did she break the compulsion spell I used? How could she have run without help? She was compelled!” he was momentarily diverted as a strange light of pride seeped into his eyes.
“She is your daughter and has your strengths,” Rachel catered to his ego.
He laughed, but it was a harsh sound. “In the end, she will obey me in this.” Rachel loved him and hoped he would find his way back to her, she allowed the next kiss, although it was more ruthless than loving.
He set her apart and murmured, “You will always be mine, Rachel. Always.” And in a swirl of dark mist he was gone.
She had taken a very minor chance when she had dared to look into the orb to assure her that Exerilla was adapting to her new environment. She dared not try to find her now. He would be watching and he had the tools to trace her magic to their daughter. For the time Exerilla was on her own and she was out of reach.
Though Rachel was concerned, she wasn’t seriously worried. Her daughter was a strong young woman, with the skills to think things through and find a way out of any predicament.
She hoped she had done the right thing. Would it all be too much for Exerilla—too much for too long?
Her daughter was a powerful white witch, and Rachel was certain she would be able to control her natural impulses to use her magic when difficult occasions and temptation presented themselves.
Rachel Radley was worried, her husband was quite correct. Exerilla did carry his dark
