Chapter 23
“Mulled wine!” Elizabeth sighs as she sips from her cup. “I haven’t had this in years. I need it after three hours of shopping.”
Aiylin laughs and watches Tinley drag Sebastian to the table with dolls. “I’ve gotten all of my shopping done, almost.” A table catches her eye. “Elizabeth, I’m going to look at the glass, you rest.”
“Yes, dear,” she turns as a couple greets her.
The table is covered with beautiful hand-blown glass ornaments. She points to two white doves with a red heart, and the owner holds it up for her.
“It’s almost as beautiful as you, Aiylin,” a familiar voice says from behind her.
Aiylin turns in and gasps, “Langdon!”
“I suppose I should be grateful that you remember my name,” he sneers and leans in close to her. A strange scent ripples around him, causing her to back away from him.
“What are you doing here, Langdon?” she looks past him praying that Sebastian will see her.
“I wouldn’t even think about calling for him, it’d be a shame for something to happen to him or that cute little girl.” Langdon grabs her arm roughly and starts walking her away from them.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about, Langdon. Let’s go get some cider and talk,” she is desperate to buy some time.
He jerks her into his side and sneers into her face. “You know exactly who I’m talking about, Aiylin. The little girl you gave your scarf to. You remember the man who was with you and that trash you cut the tree down with. How could you let him paw you like a common strumpet!” he hisses.
Shock has her stumbling when he starts walking again. “You’ve been watching me?” Anger replaces the fear, but before she can move, he begins dragging her towards the alley between two buildings.
Aiylin’s heart drops. If she calls for help, he could hurt someone, but that doesn’t mean she has to go along with him.
“You're mine, Aiylin. I need to make you understand that. You’ve left me no choice. You have to pay for your indiscretions with that person!” His voice has grown louder, and she glances at him.
“Langdon you're sick. Let me take you to the doctor,” she pleads.
“Sick?” he stops walking and spins her to look at him. He grabs her by her upper arms and shakes her. “Sick of waiting for you to understand that you belong to me!”
“No,” Fear replaces reason when she comprehends the madness reflected in his eyes. “Langdon, let me go!” People are starting to stare, and he grabs her wrist, dragging her.
“Bastian!” Aiylin screams and starts fighting back.
Her voice tears through the village and people turn to find the source. No one moves for a moment. Sebastian whirls around, and she can feel the moment he sees her. He grabs Tinley and runs with her towards his mother.
“Yes! Call him to me. You can watch him die!” he grins and reaches for something in his coat.
Terror strikes when she understands that he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her with him. “I’ll go with you, Langdon. Don’t hurt him,” she pleads and stops struggling.
Sebastian watches her turn to speak to the man hurting her and hisses when she stops fighting him. “Aiylin!” he roars and runs.
Elizabeth watches with a scared child as her son runs towards a dark alley between buildings and gasps, “No!”
Tasha runs over and sits next to Elizabeth, pulling her close. “It’s okay,” she pulls Tinley onto her lap, and they huddle together.
“Langdon, you’re sick. Let me help…” Aiylin pleads.
“Because of you!” he throws her against the wall just as Sebastian runs into view. Stars explode behind her eyes when her skull slams into the wood. “You’re mine! I’ll kill you before I give you to him,” he screams.
Aiylin’s hears his roar of outrage and covers her head to wait for the next blow. Sebastian launches himself at Langdon, hitting him at a run, sending both tumbling to the ground. He punches Langdon and fists the front of his shirt, rearing back to hit him again.
Sheriff Dane runs in from the backside of the alley and draws his pistol.
“Sebastian, let him go. It’s okay now.”
Trembling, he looks at Jacob and nods no, “He threatened to kill her, Jacob.”
“Aiylin needs you,” Jacob insists.
Sebastian’s eyes flick to her, and he tosses Langdon to the ground. His heart trembles when he sees her cowering on the ground.
Jacob marches forward and flips Langdon over, sending the glass bottle of morphine rolling from his pocket along the dirt.
Aiylin holds her hands over her throbbing head, covering her ears and sobs.
“It’s okay, beautiful,” Sebastian touches her, and she screams, backing away from him.
Lifting her tear-streaked face to his, she stares behind him as Langdon grins at her. It sends terror into her soul. “He’ll never stop,” she whispers.
“That’s right, your mine, just like the others!” Langdon lunges at her, causing Jacob to swing the butt of the pistol down on his head, knocking him unconscious.
“Get her out of here, Sebastian!” Jacob insists. “Go back that way, I’ll tell Stanley and send the Doctor.”
Sebastian nods and scoops her up into his arms, and she burrows in his neck, sobbing. “You heard my call,” she weeps.
“You did good, Aiylin, did he hurt you?”
“My head hurts,” she sniffs. Closing her eyes, she runs the scene through her mind.
“Who is he?” Sebastian asks.
“I can’t,” she whispers and lifts her face to his when they reach the carriage. “Thank you,” she traces his face with her fingers and sighs when he kisses her softly.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Aiylin.” She nods, accepting his promise, even though her heart tells her differently and crumbles into pieces at her feet.
Aiylin knows
