Angel's Assassin (19 page)

“Or wanted.” Aurora curved an arm about the
parchment as if preventing him from looking at even that.

Count Ormand entered the solar and bowed
before Lord Gabriel where he stood before the hearth. “It is good
to see you, Lord Gabriel. I’m sure you want to thank me for finding
Lady Aurora –”

Lord Gabriel turned and held up a hand.

Ormand didn’t like the serious look lining
Gabriel’s face. “I would have come earlier, but I am having
difficulty with –”

“You should have been here after the first
attempt on Aurora’s life,” Gabriel said wearily. “For someone who
claims to want to see to her safety, you are sadly lacking.”

“Lord Gabriel, I assure you nothing is
farther from the truth! I left upon hearing word –”

Gabriel shook his head. “Let us drop
pretense, Ormand. I am troubled by your lack of priorities.”

“You are wrong! I came as soon as I
heard!”

“No, Ormand. You came as soon as it was
convenient for you. Aurora’s happiness, even her life, have never
been a priority where you are concerned. Her dowry, her lands,
those are your priority.”

Ormand placed a hand over his chest. “You
wound me! I care deeply for your daughter. She is stunning and
worthy of a man such as myself.”

Gabriel stared at him for a long moment.
“Aurora deserves devotion and joy and love. Can you give her any of
those?”

Ormand grit his teeth. “I am the strongest
man in England. She is the loveliest woman in the country. She
belongs at my side.”

“Your bravado does not give me comfort for my
daughter’s happiness,” Lord Gabriel said. “I am annulling our
arrangement, Ormand. The betrothal offer is withdrawn. You will not
marry my daughter.”

Ormand’s fists clenched. “I will not allow
you to do this.”

“I already have.”

Ormand stood for a moment, his eyes narrowed,
his jaw tight. Finally, he whirled, storming away.

A
urora
concentrated on the parchment and the tally marks next to the
names. She had been working on it for half of the day and had made
progress before Damien’s entrance. It had been lucky she ran into
Sir Rupert in the hallway. He had escorted her to the tally room
and stood guard while she worked. But now, all her concentration
was gone.

Damien had backed away from her and took up a
position near the door. He leaned against the wall, his arms
resting casually at his side.

Aurora wished he would just go and
leave her in peace. Instead, his intense gaze caused goose bumps to
pepper her arms. She refused to acknowledge his presence. No matter
how much she tried to focus on the parchment, the image of Damien
kissing Helen, pressing his lips to hers, continued to resurface.
Her heart twisted, tightening in her chest until tears formed in
her eyes. Foolish, foolish girl. What did you expect? Damien told
you all along he didn’t believe in love. Her hands trembled and she
gripped the quill tightly, leaning over the parchment.
He kissed Helen!
a voice inside her
screamed.

She picked up a grouping of sticks and began
to count them, her mind not really in the work.

Betrayal burned Aurora’s heart, searing agony
through the rest of her body. She did not want to look up. She did
not want to stop working. She stubbornly sat in the chair until the
bell for the evening meal tolled. Fatigue crushed her, pulling her
shoulders down and drooping her eyelids. She sighed and organized
the sticks and parchment before standing. She had not slept the
entire night. She stepped from behind the desk and swept past
Damien to face Rupert. “I will retire now,” she said and tried to
keep her shoulders straight.

Rupert shifted and glanced down the hall
towards the kitchens.

Aurora knew the poor man was hungry. He had
loyally stayed with her the entire day. No matter how much she
didn’t want him to, she knew Damien would see her safely to her
room. And as much as she didn’t want to be alone with him, she
couldn’t deny Sir Rupert his meal any longer. “Go and eat,” she
advised with a patient grin. “When you are done, return to my
chambers.”

He bowed slightly. “Thank you, m’lady.” He
turned and then paused, glancing back at her. “Can I bring you
anything?”

Aurora half-grinned. “No. Thank you.” She
watched him move away down the hall before turning toward her
chambers.

“Aurora.” Damien’s voice was soft and
askance.

She increased her pace.

“You can’t ignore me forever.”

She kept her chin stiff, her eyes rigidly on
the corridor ahead of her.

“Let me…” He reached out, his large hand
encircling her arm.

She yanked herself free of his touch
violently. “Do not touch me.”

Damien’s face fell, stunned. He held his
hands out before her. “What have I done?”

Her gaze swept his face, and the image of
Helen in his arms came immediately to her mind. She looked away
from him, unable to meet his gaze. “Nothing. You did nothing.”

“Except save you three times.”

“Except do what you are being paid to
do.”

His brows furrowed and his gaze swept her.
“That’s not what this is about. What is it?”

Aurora looked away from him. “I needed you to
escort me to the tally room. Where were you?”

Damien’s eyes hardened. “I believe you were
the one that locked me out.”

Aurora straightened. “I didn’t want to give
up my soul.”

“Only your lips.” He ran a finger along her
jaw.

She pulled away. “I’m glad I locked you out.
If I had not you might have…” Her voice trailed off and her cheeks
flamed red.

“Go ahead. Say it. I would have had my way
with you. Someone should. Lord knows you need a good romp to knock
you off that pedestal everyone puts you on.”

Stunned, Aurora could only stare. That was
all she was to him. She allowed him to kiss her and touch her in
ways no man had ever done before, and all he wanted to do was knock
her from a blasted pedestal! Her eyes shimmered with hurt and rage.
“You do not need me to make love to. You can get any woman you
want. Maybe Helen can satisfy your rutting lust.”

His dark eyes flared and then narrowed.
“Someone should teach you how to hide your jealousy.”

“Jealousy? You flatter yourself,” Aurora
answered. “Disapproval is more the word I would use.”

Damien smiled at her, but his upturned lips
mocked her. “Disapproval? Disapproval may be the word you use, but
it isn’t what I see in your eyes. It isn’t what I hear in your
voice.”

Aurora whirled to continue down the
corridor.

Damien moved into her path. “Would you mind
telling me what you so disapprove of?”

“I disapprove of the fact you were not
available to do your job. I needed you to accompany me to the tally
room and you were nowhere to be found.”

A taunting grimace curved his lips. “And
that’s all?”

“Of course,” she answered quickly. “Is there
something else I should disapprove of?”

Damien’s gaze stroked her face like a slow
smooth caress. Despite her resolve, tingles danced across her body
in answer. Finally, Aurora looked away from him to a chip in one of
the stones of the floor.

“Helen made advances to me, but I refused
what she wanted,” he whispered.

Aurora’s anger surged forward. “You refused
her? I saw you kissing her. I saw you.”

“Spying on me?” Damien’s grin widened into a
wolfish smile.

Aurora jolted left and when he moved to block
her path, she surged right and stalked down the hall, her fists
clenched.

Damien quickly followed her.

She reached her door and dashed inside,
pushing it closed behind her. Before she could lock herself in,
Damien shoved the door open, throwing her back. He entered the room
and slowly shut the door behind him. “Our conversation isn’t
over.”

Aurora straightened her back.

Damien stood where he was, the firelight from
the hearth washing over him, making him look more demonic than any
man she had ever known. Dark, dangerous and seething. He stared at
her for what seemed like an eternity. “Tell me what is really
bothering you,” he commanded.

Aurora’s heart pounded in her chest. “Lady
Helen is my cousin. You are not to hurt her.”

Damien didn’t move, didn’t breathe for a long
moment. His lip curled in angry contempt and his dark eyes snapped
as he stalked toward her. “You are always so good,” he accused, his
words dripping with hostile accusation. “Always thinking of others.
So pure. So virginal.”

His tone made the words degrading and
horrible, not honorable. What he said was true. She was everything
he said. She had to be.

He tracked to her left. “Never thinking of
yourself.” He moved behind her like a wolf circling its prey.
“Every man who sees you wants you because you are so damned
untouchable. The pinnacle of godliness. The glorious, unsullied
angel.”

Aurora stood, motionless, as he tortured her
with his words of ugly kindness.

He continued his stalking. “You like that
power. To be cherished and adored, but never touched. The power you
hold over men. The power of your beauty.”

“You think I like that?” Aurora demanded in a
thick voice. “Do you think I like the reverence others give
me?”

“Yes,” Damien hissed. “You do. It’s your
power. And you play the role of saint well. Giving yourself for the
good of your people. For others.”

Her chest heaved and tears rose in her eyes,
blurring her vision. “You think I like having to do that? Being a
lady? Being a figurehead to all these people? Always level headed.
Always calm to dole out justice.” Her lips quivered. “Never able to
be angry. Or hate. Do you think I didn’t want to rip out Helen’s
heart when I saw you with her? I wanted to dismiss her. I wanted
her far away so you could not kiss her again. So that you could not
touch her. But I could not do that. I am a lady. I am --” Her voice
broke, her body shuddering with a sob. “-- above that.”

“No, you are not,” Damien whispered, stopping
inches before her. “Because if you were, you wouldn’t be standing
before me with tears in your eyes and pain in your heart.”

She recoiled from him, from the truth in his
words, and stared at him, trembling in body and spirit. Tears
rolled down her cheeks. For the first time in her life, she knew
she was not above anger or hate. The wretched agony in her heart
made her want revenge, made her want to hurt Damien as he had
her.

“It’s called jealousy, Aurora,” he told her,
softly.

Her body trembled, wracked with sobs of
anguish. No. No, she could not be jealous. She was betrothed! She
could not have feelings for Damien! She did not want them! He would
use them to hurt her.

Suddenly, a knock sounded softly at the
door.

Damien was at her side, his hand on her
wrist. “Yes?”

“It is Count Ormand.” The arrogant voice
sounded offended even through the thick wood of the door. “It is
urgent.”

Aurora looked at Damien through blurred
vision.

He lifted a hand, running his thumb across
her cheeks to clear the tears. He jerked his head at the basin near
the bed. “Go rinse your face,” he said softly.

Aurora moved to the basin and splashed her
face with water, trying desperately to get control of her emotions.
They spun inside of her like a tornado of confusion. She grabbed a
nearby cloth and wiped at her face.

“What do you want?” Damien demanded as he
opened the door to face Ormand.

Aurora heard Ormand’s quick response, “Lord
Gabriel wishes to speak with you in the stables.”

Damien cast a glance over his shoulder at
Aurora, meeting her gaze.

“I will stay with Lady Aurora until you
return,” Ormand insisted. “By Lord Gabriel’s orders.”

Aurora straightened, reaching for the cloth
beside the basin as Damien opened the door to allow Ormand
entrance.

“He said it was quite urgent,” Ormand
added.

Damien came to her, moving close so Ormand
didn’t hear. “Your father wishes to speak to me,” Damien said
quietly.

Aurora nodded, but didn’t miss the
trepidation in his gaze. “Perhaps I should find Rupert to stay with
me.”

Ormand joined them. “I am quite capable of
protecting you,” he insisted.

Aurora cast a glance at Damien and then at
Ormand. “I have no doubt.”

Ormand faced Damien. “We will be fine. Until
you return.”

Damien’s hand rested on the pommel of his
sword.

“Really,” Ormand protested. “You don’t need
your sword to speak with Lord Gabriel.”

“I always wear my weapon,” Damien answered
and departed.

D
amien crossed
the inner ward, moving toward the stables. He didn’t like leaving
Aurora alone. Not for one moment, but whatever Lord Gabriel wanted,
it must be very important to risk summoning him away from
her.

Darkness had descended over the ward, which
suited Damien fine. He thrived in the darkness. It was where he
felt the most comfortable, the most hidden. It had been his home
for so long, a home that harbored him against taskmasters,
comforted his pain, gave him solace. It was strange now to long for
Aurora’s light.

He saw the wooden building of the stables
ahead. Why was Gabriel in the stables so late? The courtyard was
almost completely empty. Through the gaps at the top and bottom of
the stable door, Damien saw no light. He paused, every one of his
instincts shouting in warning. Something was not right.

“Good eve, bodyguard.”

Damien slowly turned.

Harold stood about ten feet from him, his
hands resting on his hips. “An adequate bodyguard would have heard
me approach.”