Page 36 of Beneath the Flames
Brie instinctively shrank away under the intensity of his anger.
Seeing her reaction, he closed his eyes for a moment, reigning in his fury before explaining, “I took my inspiration from history. You see, there once was a famous English philanthropist who wanted to play a joke on fellow humanitarians he admired. He sent out ten letters which read, ‘I know the dark secret you keep and will be contacting reporters on Monday.’
“He thought it was a great lark because these men were highly respected and well-known for their kindness and generosity. He expected they would all have a good laugh over it, but when he failed to hear from a single one, he grew concerned and went to call on them. To his utter dismay and disillusionment, all ten had quietly exited the city without delay.”
Marquis frowned, stating somberly, “It goes to prove that the majority of people you meet hold a dark secret they pray will never see the light of day.”
The idea of that broke Brie’s heart.
“Following the philanthropist’s example, I simply told Holloway that I knew his secret and if he didn’t leave immediately, everyone in attendance at the ceremony would know.”
Marquis Gray’s eyes darkened. “I should have realized his vileness went far deeper than I ever imagined.”
Moved by his obvious suffering, Brie reached out to take Marquis’s hand. “A person with a good heart is incapable of imagining that kind of evil. The fact that you could not is a testament to who you are.”
Pulling away from her, he admitted, “I have recently been confronted by an extremely sobering fact. A person cannot be truly good until they confront their capacity for evil. I had no concept of the depths of my own depravity until I was confronted with the brutal torture Holloway inflicted on his victims…on you. I have come to understand the ravenous need to kill another human being that it induced in me, and I longed to make Holloway endure the same intensity of suffering he inflicted on others.”
Marquis Gray narrowed his eyes, his voice chilling her to the bone. “I not only thought about it, but I also envisioned every gory detail in my head.”
Brie felt immense sympathy for the beloved trainer.
Marquis looked away from her in shame. “I had no idea I was capable of craving such vile things until now.” He let out a tormented sigh. “I find it abhorrent, Brianna, but it is a part of me.”
She said with compassion, “You are a good man!”
He laughed ruefully. “IthoughtI was a good person, but I have come to the conclusion that unless a person can control the beast within, they can make no moral claims of being good.”
Balling his hands into fists, he said in a strained voice, “I am now forced to control my urge to destroy, but make no mistake, Brianna. I am capable of great harm.”
“I don’t believe it,” she insisted.
He confessed in a tortured voice, “I went to speak to him in maximum security. Ineededto confront Holloway in person…”
Brie struggled to breathe, afraid to hear what Marquis would say next.
“Holloway was informed I was coming and I was surprised when he actually agreed to see me. When I arrived, I was impatient as I waited for the guard to fetch him.”
Shaking his head, he told her, “I have never felt such a dark rage, knowing the atrocities he was responsible for and how profoundly people had suffered. When Holloway finally sat down on the other side of the glass, I had to briefly leave the visitor’s room and then return to keep from breaking the glass between us with my bare fists.”
His eyes darkened. “The moment the monster met my gaze, I saw him cringe.”
Brie couldn’t imagine facing the sheer force of Marquis Gray’s anger.
“I managed to keep my voice calm when I confronted the man,” Marquis continued, snorting in disgust. “Although he responded with a malignant smile, I could see the fear in his eyes when I told him, ‘There is no escape for what you have done.’”
Darkness
After speaking with Marquis Gray, Brie left the study in a daze. Sir frowned when he saw her emerge from the room and stood up from his seat. “Is everything okay, Brie?”
She shook her head.
“Can I get you something, sweetheart?” Celestia offered, her voice small and anguished.
Shaking her head again, Brie reached out her hands as she headed to the couch, her movements sluggish as she sat down. She was too distracted by the conversation with Marquis Gray, his words still swimming in her head.
But when she looked up at Celestia standing over her with concern, she felt an overwhelming sense of compassion for her friend. “He is in a dark place, Celestia, but you already know that.”
Tears came to Celestia’s eyes when she nodded. “Yes…”
