Page 79 of Tales of a Monstrous Heart
William gasped, eyes wide.
‘Bitch,’ the man hissed through his teeth. He lurched towards me, a trail of smoke behind him. I could have broken my bonds, should have, but I was frozen in place. Knowing allthe things I wasn’t allowed to do. Knowing that if I struck him … I wouldn’t stop.
I flinched, eyes shut and ready for the strike, certain it wouldn’t be close to the worst I’d endured.
William made a noise of surprise, and then there was a large crash. My eyes opened to see the man was half sprawled on the chaise across from us, the low table broken and his clothes in disarray.
A chill bit at my skin, the fire in the hearth almost extinguished, and there standing over him, like a beast over prey, was Emrys.
As if I’d conjured him.
His dark coat open, only a loose shirt beneath, plastered to his skin with the rain. His riding trousers and boots were speckled with mud as his hair dripped water onto the carpet. Every annoyed breath from his lips forced the transparent fabric of his shirt to cling to the muscular expanse of his chest.
Maybe this was a dream after all.
‘You don’t touch her.’ Emrys’s voice was filled with lethal intent.
‘Blackthorn!’ The man spluttered using the chaise to push himself up, shoes sliding on the polished floor. ‘What on earth are you doing!?’
‘You should be grateful I don’t maim you further, Lord Percy,’ Emrys sneered in response, his voice unfamiliar to me in its rage. A feral nature to his expression and I was glad I was already seated.
‘She burnt me,’ Lord Percy protested, getting to his feet and tugging at his jacket.
‘Count your blessings I don’t do worse.’ Emrys hands formed fists. Dark tendrils seemed to appear in the air around him, but they vanished when I blinked, making me wonder just how hard I hit my head in those ruins.
‘What’s happening, Jonathan?’ came the croaked call of an old man. He stood in the doorway, weedy and holding onto a cane for support. He was clean shaven, with a shock of bright white hair, and stood hunched over his walking stick. Fine clothes of velvet and gold glimmered under the firelight as he hobbled into the room.
‘Trespassers, Uncle,’ Lord Percy sneered, running an unsteady hand through his thinning hair.
‘Lord Blackthorn?’ the old man asked, coming to a stop before myself and William. I could only imagine what a sorry sight we both looked, covered in mud, semi-conscious and tied up.
‘My assistant, Mr Roydon, and my partner mage, Miss Woodrow, Lord Fairfax,’ Emrys said, and bowed to the old lord, gesturing to each of us.
The old man took me in with kind, confused eyes, but it did little to settle me.
‘There has been a misunderstanding.’ William smiled nervously, trying to get comfortable in his chair.
‘This all seems a bit much for trespassing, Jonathan.’ Fairfax frowned.
‘Suspicion of murder too,’ Lord Percy pressed, that sly smile coming back as Emrys’s stiff gaze darted to his face.
He had a mere moment before his expression shifted to indifference once more.
‘Now I’m interested in seeing how you managed that,’ Emrys replied dryly, his eyes finally meeting my own, jet black with fury, and I had the good sense to be worried.
‘We didn’t kill anyone; he was already dead when I landed on him,’ William protested, his voice a little higher than I think he intended. ‘There was a dark fiend, too.’
‘My men didn’t see anything when they located the trespassers,’ Lord Percy mocked.
‘You should be grateful I already contained it.’ I glared at Lord Percy, a ferocity he returned. I wondered if I could get away with summoning another fire beast in the present company but decided against it. That might push Emrys over the edge.
‘Well, we should be grateful for your help, Miss Woodrow.’ Lord Fairfax cleared his throat, stepping forward to address us fully. His gaze then darting to someone behind me in the doorway. ‘Show Mr Roydon to the healing room.’
‘I’ll take care of Mr Roydon, thank you, Lord Fairfax,’ Emrys interrupted before any form of servant could enter. ‘If you don’t mind, I need a moment alone with my partner mage.’
‘Of course.’ Fairfax tried to bow but his clear ill health hindered him. ‘I’ll have the guest rooms drawn up immediately.’
‘Uncle,’ Lord Percy objected, but Fairfax already had his hand up in protest.
