Voice Of The Demon (Book 2) (60 page)

Men gathered around, silent and numbed. Then Jacob’s oldest daughter pushed through until she could see her father. She came to a halt, silent in shock.

‘Father!’ Jennifer came down the stairs too quickly for one so heavy with child. But she didn’t stumble. Robert would have moved, but Bella was there, reaching for her.

‘They killed him,’ Jenn whispered, her eyes filling with tears at the sight before her. ‘He defied them and they killed him! Bella?’

The two sisters hugged each other close, Bella holding Jenn’s head to her shoulder as they wept together. Aiden slowly reached out and traced the trium on Jacob’s forehead, then turned to Robert. Their eyes met for a long time and for once, Aiden knew exactly what he was thinking. Then, just like before, Robert’s gaze shifted slightly . . .

‘Oh, hell!’

An instant later, Aiden heard a sound which sent a shiver through his soul. It was the sound of soldiers attacking the castle.

‘Look after them,’ Robert ordered and then, calling the other men gathered in the hall, he ran outside to take charge of the defence.

With his stomach clenched against his own fear, Aiden gave instructions to the servants to take care of Jacob’s body. Remove the arrows, wash him and dress him in his finest clothes. Come what may, Jacob Ross, last male member of the ancient royal family, would be laid out with as much honour as they could manage.

Then, his heart heavy, Aiden put an arm around the two girls and gently ushered them towards the stairs, but, before they could reach the top, Jenn paused, a look of incomprehension on her face. She went to take another step, but suddenly doubled over with a cry of pain.

‘Come, quickly, Father,’ Bella urged. ‘Help me get her to her bed.’

Half carrying her, they crept up the stairs one at a time. The corridor was easier to manage, but Jennifer was in too much pain to move fast. Every few steps she groaned again, shutting her eyes tight against the agony. Bella called out for help and a girl appeared, her plain face horrified. She rushed to them and together they got Jennifer into her room and on to the bed. Aiden stepped back, ready to leave, but Bella threw him a pleading glance.

‘Please, keep an eye on Finnlay. Everyone else is busy on the walls. His room is just across the corridor.’

*

The night sky was lit by a ring of fire around the castle. The air was split with arrows and the cries of men on both sides of the walls. For a moment, chaos reigned.

But the illusion was transitory. As soon as Robert gained his viewpoint on top of the keep, a truer picture revealed itself. Soldiers ran along the curtain walls, fending off attempts to scale the defences. The real threat was the archers. They’d formed a phalanx along the lake side of the castle and from there, wave after wave of arrows rained down on the ramparts, clattering into the courtyard. None were high enough to reach the top of the keep. Elita’s own archers fought back until Robert gave the order for them to save their bolts.

This wasn’t a serious attack. Two hundred men could never bring a castle this well-defended to its feet. That is,
two hundred
ordinary
men. No, with so many Malachi in their number, this first effort was nothing more than a test of resolve. Elita’s soldiers had just lost their lord. How willing were they now to defy the Guilde when he was no longer around to protect them?

‘Keagan?’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘Have the men put out all their torches. They’ll see better in the dark.’

‘Aye, my lord.’

Robert joined Micah as he surveyed the circle of fire surrounding the castle. There was a bonfire every fifty feet, manned by at least three men in Guilde uniform. Already others were at the foot of the nearby forest, the sound of chopping wood reaching them above the rain of arrows.

‘Micah?’ Robert paused and glanced over his shoulder to make sure the other soldiers could not hear him. ‘There may only be one way out of this.’

Micah turned slowly until he met Robert’s gaze. ‘Go on.’

‘I’ll need your help. If worst comes to worst, I’ll need you to get the Bishop to safety. Take him to Dunlorn. Deverin can then get him over the border to Kavanagh.’

As though afraid of the question, Micah’s response was stilted. ‘And what are you going to do?’

‘Try and hold out as long as possible. We might last until my men can get here, but if we can’t – if it looks like the castle will fall – then I’ll take Finnlay and give us both up at the same time.’

‘What? But you can’t . . . And what about Jenn and Bella?’

‘They can say their father was bewitched by the sorcerers and disclaim any involvement. They might be under scrutiny for a while, but Jenn’s husband will protect them both from too many problems. In the meantime, I stand a much greater chance of getting Finnlay to safety if we’re away from the castle.’

‘You’re assuming they won’t kill you both the moment you step outside the gate.’

‘They won’t kill me immediately,’ Robert replied grimly. ‘And Finnlay will offer them too great an advantage for a
public execution of a real sorcerer. No, we’ll be fairly safe at least for a few days – and a few days will be all I’ll need.’

Micah shook his head slowly. ‘You’re wrong. Very wrong. You’re just analysing this as though it were only the Guilde out there. But it isn’t. Those are Malachi down there and they will kill any Salti they meet. You know that. What’s more, Carlan is out there too – and he believes your brother is the Enemy. Do you seriously believe he’ll let either of you live long enough to prove him wrong? In Serin’s name, Robert, Finnlay has already escaped him twice.’

‘Are you saying you won’t help?’

‘Are you giving me a choice?’

Reaching out a hand to Micah’s shoulder, Robert replied gently, ‘Micah, I’ve always given you a choice.’

With an uncharacteristic flare of anger, Micah twisted out of his grasp. ‘That’s not true and you know it! All these years I’ve followed you, served you as best I could, and now, when you need me the most, you want to shut me out again. No, Robert. You’ve done it once too often. I won’t help you. I won’t help you surrender to those murderers so they can kill you. If I’m the only one who can aid you to carry out this mad plan, then you’ll just have to think of another way out because I won’t stand by and let you die!’

Micah stood there, breathing rapidly after his outburst. Robert was in no doubt that he meant what he said.

Defiance. From the man Robert trusted the most.

He took a step back, ready to quell a rise from the demon . . . but there was nothing. No sign, no tremor – as though the demon had vanished all on its own. Just like when Jacob had died.

He felt nothing at all. In fact, he hadn’t even felt anything when he’d heard about Rosalind. All he’d known was that he had to leave the monastery.

What was this?

‘Micah, I. . .’ Robert tried to speak, but he was suddenly breathless. The shouts of his men and the attackers around him faded into the distance. Even Micah seemed to move further away. . .

A sudden flash of light broke the sensation, snapping him
back. Without pausing, Robert whipped around in the direction of the flare to find one of the stable buildings on fire. Flaming arrows had hit the thatched roof and even now fire was eating away at it. Men scurried from all corners, throwing water ineffectually on the flames until someone, experienced, saw the futility and ordered the roof pulled down. As the straw came crashing to the ground, Robert saw again the fire at St Germanus, the enticing orange glow and the suffocating heat. It had been so easy to keep going back. To go back until. . .

He’d killed them all? Is that what his destiny was?

You will destroy that which you love most. . .

He was out there, the Angel of Darkness. And he knew the Enemy was within his sights and he wouldn’t stop until Robert was dead.

‘Find another way,’ Micah intruded, coming close to whisper in his ear. ‘There must be another way.’

*

Finnlay woke again and opened his eyes. For a moment, waves of the nightmare crashed against his awareness. The Angel of Darkness, his voice, his aura seething venom, the essence of corruption – but, as always, it was the face which haunted him. Why? Why would the Angel of Darkness appear in his dreams with Robert’s face? They couldn’t possibly look so much alike in reality or somebody would have noticed his brother’s double roaming around the country.

Then it was something else, some deeper resonance of Carlan’s power sifting in his mind, a more sinister meaning he would have to work out for himself. Either way, Finnlay would die rather than say anything to Robert about it. If it was only Finnlay’s mind playing tricks, his brother didn’t need to know.

Finnlay turned his attention to the room, thinking he was alone, but then he noticed an older man coming towards him, his grey eyes filled with concern.

‘Who are you?’

‘I’m Aiden McCauly.’ The stranger stood before him, his hands clasped together.

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Finnlay tried to sit up. A flash of pain struck his side and his head felt like it would fall off. In an odd way, he almost wished it would.

‘Now that’s being ridiculous,’ the stranger murmured, making no move to help him.

Finnlay favoured the man with his most dire glare. ‘Have you been spending time with my brother?’

‘Why? Does it show?’

‘No, not at all.’ Finnlay tried again and this time McCauly moved forward to help him. With many grunts and bitten-back curses, Finnlay shifted himself up against the backboard of the bed. He took in a few swift breaths until the pain eased a little. He could see nothing from where he was, but he could certainly hear plenty. ‘What’s happening out there?’

‘The Guilde are attacking the walls, but are in no danger of getting through. Robert is commanding the defence.’

There was a calm about the priest that caught Finnlay’s attention. There was worry on the man’s face, but no fear. ‘And what about Jenn? And Bella?’

‘Jennifer is . . .’ McCauly appeared to choose his words. ‘I believe her time has come. Her sister is with her across the hall.’

‘Time?’ Finnlay felt the blood rush from his face. ‘Now?’

‘I think the shock of her father’s death may have—’

‘Here, help me up.’ Finnlay didn’t wait for any more explanation. He had to see for himself. This was too important. He struggled to get his legs over the edge of the bed, but he was too weak. His body just wouldn’t obey, and the pain . . .

‘What are you doing? You can’t go anywhere!’

‘Please, just help me.’ Finnlay kept struggling, leaving the priest no choice. Slowly he stood up, his head spinning. By the gods, this was hard!

Leaning most of his weight on McCauly, Finnlay shuffled to the door. McCauly pulled it open and helped him into the room opposite.

Bella didn’t glance up immediately, but Addie did. They alone tended Jenn. As Finnlay got closer to the bed, Bella hissed at him, ‘What are you doing here?’

‘How is she?’ But Finnlay didn’t need to ask. Jenn lay on the bed, her face white, her lips blue. Her breathing was so shallow as to be almost inaudible. Every minute or so, she would cry out with a sound wrenched from the pits of hell. ‘Something’s wrong, isn’t it?’

Bella tried to get Jenn to swallow something, but she didn’t respond. She just lay there with her eyes closed, shutting everything out.

Silently, Finnlay tried to reach her.

Jenn? Can you hear me?

Nothing.

Jenn?

. . . can’t. . . must fight. . . can’t fight. . .

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Finnlay demanded, his knees beginning to tremble with the effort of standing. McCauly tried to get him to sit down, but he couldn’t. Not yet.

‘Hell, Finnlay, how should I know?’ Bella snapped. ‘She’s in a lot of pain. Too much pain. The baby will never be born like this.’

‘But can’t you give her something?’

‘I’ve tried, damn you! She won’t swallow. Not even water. She’s getting weaker and weaker. I’m afraid that she’ll. . .’ Bella bent again to her sister as another wave of pain made her cry out.

Finnlay drew on the last of his reserves and turned to McCauly. ‘Help me to that seat, over there in the corner, out of the way.’

As soon as he was lowered into it, Finnlay suppressed a groan. ‘Go and get my brother. I don’t care what you have to do, what you have to say, but you must get him in here. Now.’

‘But he won’t leave the battle.’

‘You said there was no danger. He won’t need to be gone long. Please, just go.’

As McCauly backed away in obvious confusion, Finnlay turned his gaze across the room to where Jenn lay on the bed.
Jenn? Listen to me. Hold on. You’ll be all right. Just hold on.

. . .
don’t know . . . the pain . . . not right . . . he’s out there
. . .

Just hold on, Jenn. Don’t worry. I’ll help you.

Her mental voice was fading with each word and the claws in Finnlay’s stomach had nothing to do with his own injuries. What was happening to her?

It was impossible to believe Carlan would want her dead now, not when he could have killed her at any time. No. He’d want her alive. So why would he deliberately interfere with this?
How
could he—?

—of course! He wanted to control her through the baby!

There were footsteps outside the door and then Robert was standing framed by the oak. His eyes merely flickered over the bed and then darted to Finnlay, thunderous with anger. ‘What are you doing?’

Finnlay wanted to drag him over, but had no choice. ‘Come here. I need to speak to you – and don’t argue about having to be outside. The longer you argue, the longer it will take you to get back.’

Robert’s eyes flashed, but he approached nonetheless. McCauly stayed by the door, wary, but not intruding.

Finnlay waited until Robert was close enough for them to speak without anyone else in the room hearing. With the sounds of battle coming through the window and Jenn’s moans, Bella’s murmurs of comfort, it was unlikely anything would be overheard. Nevertheless, Finnlay kept his voice low.

‘She’s in too much pain, Robert. She’s fighting it. Carlan is interfering somehow. The longer she fights, the more danger she’s in. Even Bella agrees there’s something seriously wrong.’