Page 68 of The Cruelty of Thorns

“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, no doubt still certain she could charm her way out of her predicament. I knew from personal experience how strong her powers of persuasion were, but a man as fanatical as the bishop was probably immune to her sexual charms.

He stepped closer to her, the fires of righteousness burning in his eyes. “Contessa Anastacia, or whatever your name is, you are under arrest for the crime of witchcraft.”

For a second she looked shocked, then she threw back her head and laughed. “Witchcraft? Surely you must be joking?”

The soldier behind her yanked on the chain, pulling her arms taut behind her. The bishop was unaffected by her indignation. “Just in case you decide to call upon your dark magic to help you…” He nodded to the second soldier, who reached around her head to slap an iron heretic’s fork around her neck, closing the clasp and hooking the chain to the one around her wrists. The twin spikes of the fork bit into her neck and chest, limiting her motion for fear of impaling herself. “This should hold you in place.”

Her eyes narrowed, her expression at once feral. “You are making a huge mistake. I will–”

“You will what?” he sneered. “You will be tried for witchcraft, and when found guilty, you will be burned at the stake.”

A third man approached her with a dark hood. She looked around, her eyes frantic, then spotted me standing off to the side, a satisfied smirk on my lips.

“You!” she spat as the hood was lowered over her head and cinched around her neck. “I will destroy you! I will destroy all of you!”

With her effectively restrained, I stepped out from my hiding place, wanting to see for myself when they loaded her into the wagon.

“Take her away,” the bishop ordered as Tomasso dashed into the hall.

“Contessa!” he shouted, lunging for her. The men pushed him aside and started to lead their prisoner away. “You can’t do this!”

The bishop looked at me. “Who is he?”

“One of her servants. His mind has been twisted by her. He should be fine once she’s gone.”

“Are you sure she hasn’t turned him to her ways? There is room in the wagon for him.”

I thought about that. I owed Tomasso for his part in our capture, but that was a debt I wanted to collect myself. “She captured him when he was but a boy. I’m sure once he’s away from her influence, he should be no threat. Besides, placing him in the same wagon with her would provide her with a willing accomplice.”

He thought about that. “Perhaps you are right. I leave him to you for now, but if he shows any sign of reverting to her ways, I expect you to deliver him to me. Witchcraft is the devil’s work.”

“Yes it is,” I agreed guilelessly. “And you have my word, your Excellency. I will question the staff before dismissing them and see to it that anyone still holding with her practices will be brought to your attention. We can’t let this plague spread among God-fearing people.”

“No, we cannot, but send the staff to me so that I might question them. The guilty will pay, and the innocent may prove their loyalty to God by testifying against their mistress.” He stepped forward, shaking my hand. “You’re a good man, Julianus. You’ve done the Lord’s work here tonight.”

I watched as the soldiers chained a hooded and shackled Anastacia inside the barred prisoner wagon and locked it shut. Their horses surrounded it as they made their way out of the courtyard and down the driveway toward the road to town.

Once they were gone, I turned to face Lucia and Tomasso.

“How could you?” Tomasso snarled at me.

I ignored him for the moment and focused my attention on the housekeeper. “Are you outraged? Feeling in the mood to avenge your mistress? Or do you want to put all this behind you and get on with your life away from this place?”

“She will be back,” she spat.

I shrugged. “Very well.” I stepped closer to her and pulled the knife out of my waistband. “Is she still more important than your life?”

She glanced at the knife warily, then inhaled and brought her eyes up to meet mine with a defiant toss of her head. “She will have your head if you harm me.”

I chuckled mirthlessly. “Have it your way.”

I didn’t give her a second chance, reaching up and slashing the blade across her throat in one smooth motion. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she clutched at the wound and dropped to her knees.

“What have you done?” Tomasso shouted as he bent to help her.

“Only what needed to be done,” I replied, not recognizing my own voice.

Lucia gasped wetly and tumbled over onto her side, her blood pooling on the stone floor. The coppery scent stirred my hunger, but I pushed the odious need aside. I could answer those appetites after I had accomplished my goal tonight.

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