“Mary?” Magnus inquired.
“Do not think me a fool, Magnus. You know of whom I speak. I have learned that you have protected her these many years, but no more. You will surrender Mary to me or you and that quick-witted wife of yours will suffer.”
Magnus stared at him.
“You wonder how I know about your wife’s sharp wit. There is not much I do not know. I have eyes and ears everywhere.”
“Yet you cannot find Mary.”
The only indication that Magnus’s remark angered Decimus was a slight flaring of his nostrils. “But I have found her. You have her and you will give her to me.”
Magnus kept a tight rein on the anger that was slowly rising in him. He detested being backed into a corner, yet how could he honor his vow to Mary’s parents to protect her and protect his wife at the same time?
“I will be generous and allow you a week to surrender Mary to me,” Decimus informed him.
“And if I do not?”
Decimus shrugged as if it made no difference. “Then I will interrogate your wife. I hear she is adept at mapping and drawing.” He stared at the wine in his goblet. “I wonder where her skills originated?” His dark eyes shifted to Magnus. “And what type of drawings does she do? There is much I can question her about, and if I don’t like her answer—” Another shrug. “I will work with her until I receive an acceptable one.”
Magnus remained silent, though his hand clenched at his side.
Decimus leaned forward in his chair. “You would love to kill me right now, would you not, Magnus?”
Magnus wanted to lunge at the man and choke him for threatening his wife’s life.
Decimus leaned back in his chair, not a smile or snicker on his face, but with a subtle shift of his body that let Magnus know his word was law even in Magnus’s own keep. And there was absolutely nothing Magnus could do about it.
“I almost had her, you know,” Decimus said quite irritated. “She was safely locked away in one of my dungeons when suddenly she disappeared. Would you have any notion how she may have made her escape?”
It was Magnus’s turn to shrug and he forced himself to take a swallow of wine, hoping the liquid would prevent his venomous thoughts from reaching his lips.
“Logic tells me that she could not have made an escape on her own. She had given my men quite a chase, and when the idiots finally caught her they mistakenly made her suffer. Of course they suffered for their stupidity. I and I alone pronounce judgment and punish wicked souls.”
The man’s arrogance astonished Magnus. He actually believed that he was a righteous man doing God’s work.
Decimus leaned an elbow on the thick arm of the wooden chair and rubbed his chin. “How do you think Mary escaped?”
Magnus waited as if giving his question thought, then shook his head. “I do not know.”
Decimus lowered his hand. “I think you do. I think you sent someone to rescue Mary.”
Magnus refused to refute his accusation, after all it was true and they both knew it. He would not give him the satisfaction of denying it. His silence would speak for him.
“You were wise in sending someone rather than attempting the rescue yourself, but then I never thought you a foolish man. That is why I know you will not be foolish now. You will surrender Mary to me. You really have no choice. It is either her or your wife, then your friends until there is no one left but you.”
Magnus took another sip of wine to prevent his rage from spewing forth.
Decimus stood suddenly. “I did not know that the Dark One was an acquaintance of yours.” He walked to the table and refilled his wine goblet.
Magnus had already surmised that Decimus knew who helped Mary escape. The man obviously enjoyed playing games with his captive, hoping he would make an error and provide him with further evidence of guilt.
“You choose silence, another wise move.” Decimus returned to his chair. “Most people talk out of fear, hoping to convince me of their innocence until their foolish tongues help pronounce them guilty. But as I remarked before, you are not foolish, Magnus.”
Magnus waited for Decimus to continue. He obviously had more to say or this conversation would have ended by now. What else did Decimus expect from him?
“The Dark One is a thorn in my side that I will one day extract with pleasure. He will suffer more than he ever thought possible.”
Magnus had received word of Mary’s successful rescue and her safety, and he knew that the Dark One would be in touch with him soon so that a decision could be made about her future. That decision had just turned more serious than Magnus ever imagined.
“He eludes me at every turn, which means he must possess powers far beyond the ordinary. And if that is so then you know what that means, do you not?”
Magnus shrugged.
“The man is obviously a cohort of the devil.”
He certainly had that one scrambled. If anyone was a cohort of the devil it was Decimus, and the Dark One the avenging angel here to destroy him.
“The devil always shows himself, you know, and that is when it is easy to snare him. The Dark One will one day be mine and I will torture the devil out of him, purifying his soul and setting him free.”
Magnus kept silent. He would never capture the Dark One, and if Decimus were not careful it would be the Dark One who sent his soul where it belonged—straight to hell.
“Enough of the Dark One,” Decimus said. “It is Mary that matters at the moment.” He stood. “One week, Magnus. You have one week to give her to me.”
“I may need more time.” He knew not where the Dark One had taken Mary, and, besides, he wanted time to see if there was another way to settle this problem.
“One week,” Decimus said and walked to the door. “I know it is not much time for you to make a choice, but then you have no choice.”
“What do you intend to do with her?”
Decimus stopped and turned. “I intend to save her soul and return her to God’s good graces.”
“By torture and death?” Magnus was disgusted with the thought of Mary suffering.
“Nay, by making her my wife.”
Chapter 15
Magnus stared at the closed door. Surely Decimus was insane to think that he would surrender Mary to wed the evil likes of him. He could not condemn an innocent young woman to a life of such cruelty. But what choices did he have?
Magnus heard the creak of the door and watched as it opened slowly. He was relieved to see his wife peek her head in. He had no desire to speak with Decimus again so soon. The man sparked his temper with one arrogant glance.
Reena quickly shut the door and hurried to her husband’s side. He opened his arms and greeted her with a hug.
“Something is wrong,” she said and felt his reluctance to release her.
“Decimus wants Mary as his wife.” He shook his head and dropped down into the chair near the fireplace.
Reena sat on the footstool beside him, her hand reaching for his.
He took tight hold of her hand. “I know not what to do. He insists I surrender Mary to him in a week’s time. He will accept no excuses.”
“Or he will inflict his evil upon us?”
Magnus could not bring himself to tell his wife who Decimus would start with. The mere thought set his blood on fire, and he gritted his teeth to keep from swearing.