Henry and Iexchanged looks and then nodded.
“Holdout yer arms,” she instructed, “and do not break the circle, nomatter what. The spell will cease.”
Iswallowed hard against my suddenly dry throat but held my stancearound the fire. Martha’s eyes closed as she chanted away, spewing words I couldn’tunderstand. The fire came to life and danced before us, castingshadows on the trees and forest floor. Henry and I stared at oneanother, unable to touch, but comforting each other the only way wecould. I saw the fierceness to protect me in his black eyes, and Iwilled him to be okay. We stood and listened to Martha chant andtaunt the fire with her magic for a good while, and I began toworry that it wasn’t working. Was it possible that The Cobhams hadalready fled the area? Were they too far away for theeffects of the spell to takehold?
Suddenly, ashadow caught my eye, only because it was out of place. It didn’tdance with the flames. I narrowed my gaze and focused on two darkfigures, making their way through the trees behind Henry.
Adrenalinecoursed through my veins and my lungs strained to take a deepbreath, but my heart pumped too fast to allow it. This was it. Thiswas the moment I hoped never had to happen. The moment when I’dactually meet the devil woman. The tall, feminine figure steppedout from the treeline and our fire lit her features. My body racedwith heat; fear and adrenaline coursing through me like moltenglass.
There shewas.
Maria LindsayCobham. In the flesh.
Eric soonsidled up next to her and they both looked around in confusion,swords drawn. Her eyes landed on the witch and Maria lunged.
“You!”she spat loudly. “You wretched sorceress. Where is myson?”
“Maria,look,” Eric spoke and pointed to the now glowing glass bottle atMartha’s feet.
The witchdidn’t even open her eyes or break from her chant.
But Henryspoke. “Step away from her, Maria.”
The womanturned her crazed face toward Henry and it washed over withdevilish delight. Her hips swayed, and she danced toward mypirate.
“Pet,”she cooed, and my stomach rolled, “So, you live, doyou?”
Maria motionedfor Eric to stay with the witch and he brought his sword toMartha’s throat. Then I watched as her hands smoothed over Henry’sshoulders and pure rage filled my body. I nearly jumped after her,but the witch’s magic held me in place, told me not to budge. Itkilled me to watch, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. If she hurthim, I would end her life.
My lineage bedamned.
Bile rose inmy throat as Maria’s lips brushed Henry’s ear and I heard her say,“My pet, why did you leave me? You don’t love me anymore?”
“Youhaven’t the faintest idea what love is,” Henry replied throughclenched teeth. It hurt him to have her hands on his body, I couldsee the pain in his tortured face. “You’re a poison upon thisEarth.”
Herexpression turned into a mock frown. “Aww, now you don’t mean that,do ya, Pet?” she continued to smooth his shoulders, his face, whileher head cocked fromside to side, examining him like a vulture. “I spent years cursingyour name, but freedom tastes so good.” Her face tipped up towardthe sky and I saw her eyes roll back like a junkie breathing in thescent of their beloved drug. “I can forgive you for abandoning me.”I watched her pull a small dagger from her side and lightly drag itacross the skin of his neck. He flinched as blood drew from thewound and she stared at it with crazed delight. “Oh, how I miss theway you bleed.”
“Getyour hands off him!” I yelled, no longer able to remain silent.Henry was mine, and mine alone.
Her head ofblack curls snapped to attention and whipped around to find mestanding in my corner. Her eyes, more black and devilish thanHenry’s ever were, burned into me.
“Andwhat do we have here?”
“Henryis mine,” I toldher.
With her swordlifted waist high, Maria Lindsay Cobham took careful steps towardme, her big brown boots crunching the forest floor beneath her. Thetip of her sword pricked the shoulder of my coat and lightlydragged down to its bottom hem.
“That,”she spoke angrily, “is myjacket.” Suddenly, the pointy tip flew up to my throat. “Ishould cut it from your body.”
“Maria!”Henry bellowed from over her shoulder, and I watched the woman’smouth twist into a sick grin. She was just trying to get a reactionfrom him. And it was working.
Maria movedlike a snake and came to stand behind me, her sword raised andplaced across my throat as her free hand reached around and restedon my stomach. “Stop the ritual right now or I’ll gut her like arotten fish.”
“Henrydon’t,” I pleaded.
His bodyshook with anger as he fought to not break the triangle. The Gaelicwitch still muttered her chants, despite being held atknifepoint by Maria’shusband, and the fire blazed before us as wisps of green and redlight danced through the circle like colorful spirits.
“I’m notworth it. They need to be stopped. Think of the lives you cansave.”
He cringed.“Yours is the only one that matters to me.” He looked to Eric, whostill held a sword to the witch’s neck, and then back to us. “Whatdo you expect me to do, Dianna?”
“Nothing, Captain,” a voice spoke from the trees. Its soundfilled me with hope and I risked searching for it. Finn, Gus, andCharlie emerged from the woods, pistols pointed at The Cobhams.“Stay right where ye are.”
Finn andCharlie came toward me while Gus unarmed Eric. But Henry stillappeared shaken. “Do not shoot to kill, they must be kept alive,”he ordered. Yes, they couldn’t die, or I would disintegrate intotime.
“Aye,Captain,” Finn answered. “We caught sight of the two devils andfollowed them through the forest. Good thing, too.” But the secondhis back turned, Maria released me and grabbed a hold of youngCharlie.
“No!” Iscreamed and broke the triangle to lunge toward them. But Mariabegan to back away with Charlie held tightly in hergrasp.
“Comenear me and you’ll be down one man,” she spat. “Drop yourpistols.”
“No,”Charlie shouted, “Don’t do it.”
I couldn’ttake my eyes from his sweet, terrified face. His words told us notto, but his eyes begged to be saved. I wanted nothing more to riphim from
