Waterfall(21)

He spun back to the drive and his carriage. The gray raven sat on a fence. The bird tilted its head to the side, and its green eyes flashed. Jordan jerked, and the vision of the ancient castle, its walls shimmering with rubies and sapphires, surrounded him again. He didn’t have time for this.

In his mind, he stared down at an intricately carved ebony box. Within the box, nestled in a bed of white and blue precious stones, lay four large stone-like eggs. The woman with dark ebony skin and black hair that hung down to her waist stood next to him over the box.

“I shall protect you always.” She waved her hands in the air above the box and sprinkled herbs and brown liquid on the stones.

“Bring frem og beskyt.

“Nære.

“Skjule.

“Transformer disse elementer og æg med magten af mit blod og magi.

“Begyndelse og en unægtelig evig fremtid af kraft.”

She spoke Nordic, the language of the elements, and Jordan understood her words. Bring forth and protect. Nurture. Hide. Transform these elements and eggs with the power of my blood and magic. Inception and an undeniable eternal future of strength.

Her body jerked, her head fell back, mouth open, as she released a primal moan to the ceiling. Her teeth extended into sharp bone shards from her gums. She leaned forward and bit her wrist, then squeezed her hand, and her body convulsed. A stream of her blood trickled down onto the stone eggs. She turned and stared at Jordan.

Jordan flinched. “What the hell?” Then he was back on the Duke of Hudson’s front stoop. The gray bird was gone.

Who was this ebony woman? Twice now she had come to him in visions. He frowned.

Celeste had said a woman now spoke to her. Maybe that was the connection… He had visions of her, and Celeste could hear her.

And the stone eggs… Were they Zir eggs?

Tension clenched his stomach, and he crunched forward to capture the visions of the elements.

Celeste’s fingers wrapped about his bicep from the carriage seat. She knew he would search for her. That he watched her. If she came near any form of water, he would be there in an instant. The carriage passed a wood sign with the painted word Harwich. They headed toward the coast.

He rushed down the steps and back to his own carriage. The family footman held open the door.

“To Blood Cove.”

The footman nodded without hesitation and shut the door.





Celeste sat in silence and stared at Hudson across the carriage. A day before, he was kind, friendly. Last night and today, he had shown another side. She had woken up in this exact position: seated in the duke’s carriage, hands bound with rope, completely dressed. Who had dressed her? The dress they picked was the one she had planned to wear on the day they headed out on their wedding voyage. This was not how she’d envisioned departing for their tour. She shifted her hands, and the rope dug into her skin. What would he do next? My stars, would he kill her? Her skin prickled with fear, and she straightened her shoulders, trying to find some fortitude.

“Why are you doing this?”

He continued to stare at her without answering. Sweat beaded on his brow, its pearly sheen the only indication he was out of sorts at all.

“I don’t understand this. You obviously know what happened with Jordan. Why are you doing this? Why not call him out? Or punish me?” Then again, maybe this was her punishment. She glanced to Hudson’s ungloved hands, which dropped limply to his sides.

“You have not one whit of an idea what happened, nor what is about to.” His lips moved, and his eyes darkened to pure black. “Jordan and his brothers are not the only creatures that possess the power of eternal life, and money buys all kinds of friends.” His tongue slipped out and wet his lower lip. “You are my key at being safe from this world. Sadly, all too late for Laura.”

She jerked her head back in shock. “Pardon?” Why would he mention his first wife? She had died two years back of consumption.

“There is no need to fret, Duchess.” He flinched as he said the word, then leaned forward and placed one clammy, slimy hand over the brown rope that bound her wrists. She held still. “You have my title, and your family has the Ton’s respect. You will never be Laura.” He stared her straight in the eyes. “But you will provide me with a trait more valuable than love, pain and…” He tilted his head to the side and questioned her with his gaze.

Her hands trembled. What did he mean? She bit back her words and continued to stare at him.

“When the time comes, you will do as a good wife does and give me what is rightfully mine.” Hudson sat back. “If you do such, no one needs to know of your connection with”—his throat worked, and he turned his gaze out the window at the passing fields—“him.”