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Fia hurried to recall if she had seen a mark on her husband as she repeated what the voice told her. “A mark like his father.”
Lord David’s eyes shot wide. “I did not think of that. My father would grow angry and hit me when I said that my brother bore the mark of the devil, a large, dark spot on the inside of his large right toe. Tell me Lord Varrick bears such a mark,” he demanded, his eyes gleaming as if victory was close at hand.
Fia could not say since she hadn’t really looked that closely at her husband’s feet and she braced herself for another slap when she said, “I honestly do not know.” His response surprised her.
“It matters not. I will find out tomorrow before he joins you at the stake to be burned.” He smiled, tasting victory. “The damp wood will not burn fast but your garments will, scorching your skin, unless, of course, your witchcraft can stop the flames.”
A rustling sound came from the woods that surrounded the clearing where Lord David had made camp, and he jumped to his feet.
Abbott John came stumbling out of the woods, more blood soaking his cloak and blood dripping from his mouth.
“He’s here. The God of Death has come for me. I saw him. Help me! Help me!” Abbott John pleaded, then gasped, his hand reaching up to grab at his shoulder as if grasping at something there. “His clawed hand has hold of me. Get it off! Get it off! Help me! Help me!”
Unable to watch him suffer, Fia stepped forward, but Lord David flung his arm out, stopping her.
“The God of Death is welcomed to him,” Lord David said and Fia was forced to watch the Abbott collapse to the ground, his eyes filled with fright, and gasping for breath.
Fia’s heart ached for the Abbott, his death slow and painful, but what disturbed her even more was the joy Lord David seemed to get from watching the man die. She realized then that she was seeing true evil.
CHAPTER30
Dawn was about to break as Fia stood staring at the stake that had been planted in the ground. Branches that looked much too wet to catch a flame were piled around it. She tried to keep her fear at bay, recalling the voice saying that she and Varrick would grow old together. She would not burn today; Varrick would rescue her.
Lord David approached her, calling out to Worth, “Bring the torch. We will see how fast her garments will flame.”
Blow at the torch!
Her breath would never be strong enough to blow out the torch, but she would do as told.
“Light the edge of her cloak and let it burn a bit,” Lord David ordered. “The wood is too wet to burn but not so her garments.”
Fia did not hesitate as soon as Worth reached out with the torch, she blew at it and a strong wind suddenly swept around them extinguishing the flame.
Worth quickly stepped away from her. “She has the power to snuff out the flame. How then do we burn her?”
Lord David didn’t get a chance to respond, howls filled the cold air as dawn began to break.
Lord David grabbed her arm and forced her to walk along with him toward the castle gate, yelling out, “Come join your wife, Lord Varrick. Or are you a coward and will let her die just as you let the God of Death feast on your clan?”
No response came.
“Too fearful to answer, Lord Varrick?” Lord David shouted and cursed when he still got no reply.
It was not until dawn had completely risen, gray and gloomy, that Lord David and the others were able to see clearly. They stared at the battlements, shocked to see them empty, not one warrior stood there.
“They fled!” Worth said joyfully. “They fled like cowards.”
The warriors lining the woods cheered, not so Lord David, he looked around uncertain.
His eyes suddenly went wide, and he shouted, “IT’S A TRAP! Hurry and tie her to the stake.” He shoved her at a Worth.
Worth grabbed her arm and Fia struggled to free herself. He tugged hard and her steps faulted, but still she fought him.
He stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing and tilted his head as if straining to hear something. “What is that?”
Fia felt it as well. It was as if the ground rumbled with anger the pounding felt so strong beneath her feet.
The warriors glanced around, some drawing their swords, some waiting when suddenly, a plethora of warriors on horses burst past the trees and descended upon them.
