Malevolent Hall 1666AD (25 page)

“I love you, Tilly,” he said, and lifting his hand to her face, he swept her long, dark hair from her eyes.

“I love you, Mike,” she whispered.  He kissed her, his hands sweeping through her hair, and then running down her back.

She broke from his lips.

“Let’s go and have a shower,” she suggested.   Covered in blood and grime, she really wanted to wash all that horror away. “And then we can fix your wounds,” she added.  He gave her a nod, took up her hand, and led her back down the stairs to the bathroom.

Matilda switched on the shower.  They undressed and she stepped inside.  He climbed into the shower with her.  Reaching for the shower gel, she poured some into her hands and turned him around.  She washed him, ensuring to be careful over his wounds.  She rubbed the soap into his back and across his firm, tight buttocks.  She kissed his shoulder, and purposely pressed her breasts against his back.  She just loved the feel of his skin against hers as it tingled like tiny electric bubbles.  He glanced over his shoulder, and gave her a smile.  For a while, they stood like this.  She hugged in tight against his back and rested her head on his shoulder, as they let the water pound across their bodies, washing away all the blood and heartache.

He poured some gel into his hands, and turned to face her.  His eyes gazed into hers, and he fell into them, his heart beating furiously as he washed her soft, smooth breasts, and then in between her legs.  His hands moved to her waist, around her back, and he kissed her, gently at first, lovingly, passionately.  Matilda leaned back against the wall, her hands combing through his wet hair.   He pulled her under the water, and rinsed the soap off.

“Let’s go up to bed,” he suggested.  “It’s a little tight in here.”

Matilda woke as the sun beamed through the glass of the domed roof.  Curled spoon-like against his back, warm and drowsy, she pulled her arm over him, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest. 

He turned slightly and she lifted her hand and swept his dark hair from his eyes.

“Morning,” she whispered, as he peeked through one eye at her.

“Morning, beautiful,” he said, turning and pulling her too him.  Their eyes met and he thought his heart would stop.  “Happy birthday,” he said, drawing her in even closer and kissing her.

“I wish we could stay like this all day,” she whispered.

“Me too, but we should get up and start looking for the book,” he said.

“I know,” she replied, and he gave her such a beautiful smile that despite the horrors of last night she had to believe they would beat this demon and live happily ever after.

Mike watched her as she slipped out of bed, his eyes lingering on her naked body as she walked to the wardrobe.  From inside she took out her dressing gown and slipped it on.  She glanced at him.

“What?” she asked at his continued stare.

“Nothing, I just can’t help looking at you, Tilly, you are so enchanting,” he replied.  “I’ve changed my mind, I would really like to give your birthday present now,” he said with an impish grin, and patting the bed for her to come back.  She smiled, a flush of heat rising to her cheeks.

“Well, as much as I’d like my birthday present, we need to find this book,” she replied.  Picking up his trousers she threw them at him. 

Catching them, Mike slid out of bed.

“How are the wounds?” she asked.  He looked at the bandages on his arms.

“Fine, thanks, your treatment worked like magic,” he replied, and he gave a sad sigh as he thought of Parker.  As much as he complained about him jumping on the bed, and licking his face first thing in the morning, he was going to miss that little scamp.

Observing his sad face for a moment, she walked to him, lifted a hand and scuffed his hair.  He glanced up at her.

“I’m sorry, about Parker,” she said.  He leaned into her.

“How did you know I was thinking about Parker?” he asked.  She drew him to her and held his head against her chest.

“I just did,” she replied.

“Can I at least make you a birthday breakfast?” he asked.

“Sure, that would be nice, I am kind of hungry,” she replied with a nod.

He stood and drew her into his arms.

“Did something give you an appetite?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Mmm you could say that,” she replied seductively.  His hand slipped inside her robe and he caressed her breast.

“Are you sure you don’t want your present,” he asked.

“Oh I do, very much,” she replied, “just not yet.  Breakfast first and then we hunt for the book,” she said.

He kissed her nose and let her go.

“I’m going to the loo,” she said, and she unbolted the door.

He placed his hand on the door, stopping her from opening it.

She looked at him.

“Are you sure it’s safe, I’m mean that they’ve gone?” he asked.

“Well, no I can’t be sure,” she replied.

“Wait, I’ll come with you,” he insisted, and he pulled his t-shirt over his head, pulled on his jeans and slipped on his boots.

Mike went downstairs first, and he checked along the corridor and in every bedroom.  He opened the bathroom door.

“Okay, in you go,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you,” she replied, with an exaggerated bow of her head.

“I’ll be in the kitchen raiding your cupboards,” he said.  Giving him a smile, she closed and bolted the door.

Mike ran his fingers through his hair, and smiling to himself as he wandered down the stairs to the kitchen.  He switched the kettle on and raided the cupboard for some eggs.  Finding some bacon in the fridge and bread in the larder, he began to make their breakfast.

***

Now dressed Matilda walked down the upper corridor; she could smell cooked bacon and her stomach rumbled.

Stopping at the landing window, she stared outside.  A strange fog crept towards the hall, it was as black as tar, and it seemed to be pulsating like a river of hot lava.

“What the hell is that?” she said, leaning on the windowsill to get a better look.  The fog began to rise like rolling waves and soon the trees behind were no longer visible.

“Mike!” she called with fear rising in her voice.  As she turned, Uncle Joe stood at the other end of the corridor.

“Uncle Joe, what are you doing in here?” she asked startled.  “Did Mike let you in, have you seen that fog?” she said, half-turning and pointing to the window.

He stared at her, his mouth juddering as he tried to speak.

“Uncle, what’s wrong?” she asked.  Shudders racked her body as he came towards her, and she took a step back.  He was desperately trying to say something but he was struggling to get the words out, and the pain she saw rippling across his face scared her.

“Joe, what’s wrong?” Matilda begged fearfully, as he moved closer towards her.

Finally, seeming to gain control of his speech he opened his mouth.

“Run!” he yelled.  She stumbled backwards, not sure what to do, or what was wrong with him.  His body shook and Matilda stared in horror as another man’s image emanated from her uncle’s body.  As the other man broke free, Uncle Joe’s body dropped with a crash to the floor.

“Joe!” she screamed.  Her uncle gasped, his body convulsing on the floor.

“Run,” he managed in a deathly wheeze.

For a moment, he stood and stared at her in full re-incarnated human form.  The shadow cast by his hooded cloak shrouded half his face.  The other half mottled and scarred down one side from a knife wound.  He took in her appearance and even though she was reborn in a different time, she was still stunningly beautiful, and his heart, beat faster, his loins aching to be with her.

All of a sudden, as if a door to her mind opened, Matilda remembered the last few minutes of her previous life and it scared her near to death.

She was supposed to have married him, but she had loved his brother, she had loved Eric.

31
st
October 1666ad

“
You are mine, witch
,”
Richard growled.

“Never!” Tilly screamed, grabbing at Eric tighter.  “Eric, the enchantment
!”
she cried.
“
Eric Tovenaar you are forever my one true love, in this life and all others.  No woman may claim you, nor take you from me
!”
she rushed, barely able to speak.  Eric coughed up blood.  “Eric you must say the words
,”
she begged, her bloodied hands pulling to his face.

“
Tilly, Matilda Rhiamon, you are my one true love, in this life and all others.  No man may claim you, nor take you from m
e
…
”
A beam of light covered them both.

Richard stared at them, anger sweeping through him.  The witch had placed an enchantment on them both ensuring they would be reborn together. Well he was having none of it, he could not break the enchantment, but he could alter it.  His brother would not have her, he was the warlock lord, and he had chosen her as his mate.  Eric and Matilda had gone against the coven; she was to be his, in this time, or any other, as was his right.

“
Ernan pertant, soomor eldrotm
,”
Richard chanted, grabbing hold of them both.

“No, Richard
,”
Matilda screamed, and her body shook with the force of his power.  Let us go!”

“Never!  You are mine, Matilda, if I cannot have you now, I will take you after the rebirth.  You will never be free of me he will never have you.  I will come for you
,”
he cursed, twisting the knife deeper into her gut.

31
st
October ~ present time

“No, Richard, I don’t want you, I never wanted you!” Matilda screamed as she found her voice.  He tilted his head to one side as if listening to something.  The Hall began to shake, and she backed into the wall.  She watched the fog, as thick as pea soup and as black as night, crawl up the window and it turned into thick, thorny branches that crept across the windows and blocked out the daylight.

“Matilda,” he said, taking a step towards her. “Don’t you recognise me?”

“Richard,” she cursed, lifting her hands in defence.  “
Belcara,”
she screamed, and emanating a massive beam of light she directed it towards him.  It hit him full on in the chest and he stumbled backwards, seemingly stunned for a moment.

She screamed as something grabbed at her ankles. She looked at her feet, a pair of hands coming up through the floor held her tight.  Matilda struggled against them.  Richard recovered and started towards her.

“Tilly, stop!” he yelled.  “Don’t struggle.”

“No, don’t come near me!” she screamed, and pointing to the hands holding her, she blasted them with her magic.  The hands incinerated, instantly freeing her.  She turned, running to the stairs, and stumbling down them, she fled.  Richard was behind her, and he was gaining fast.  Matilda knew she was never going to have enough power to defeat him on her own.

“Mike,” she screamed, as she ran.  “Mike, Eric, help me!”

Mike dropped the pan of bacon into the sink as he heard her scream.  He shot out of the kitchen.

“Tilly,” Mike screamed from ahead of her.

“He’s here!” she yelled, running across the hall towards him and falling breathless into his arms.  “Richard’s here, he’s going to take me!”

“No, I won’t let him,” Mike yelled, holding her protectively against him.  “Come on, run,” he said, and grabbing her hand, they made for the back door.  He pulled it open but they came face to face with a wall of black pulsating fog.

“What the fuck is that?” Mike yelled slamming the door shut.

“It’s Richard’s magic,” she cried.  “Oh God, Mike, I remember him, please don’t let him take me,” she wept burying her head into his shoulder.

“
Tilly,”
Eric called.  Matilda looked up and over Mike’s shoulder, and Eric stood at the end of the hall. 
“This way,”
he urged with a wave of his hand.

“Mike, come on,” she yelled, pulling him towards Eric.

“Where are we going,” he asked.

“It’s Eric, he wants us to go this way,” she replied.  She spun around, watching as Eric disappeared through the wall.  Her hands ran across the wall, and on finding a slight raise in the stonework, she pushed on it.  A secret door opened.

“Come on,” she urged, hurrying through.  Inside it was pitch black.

“Lluminare,”
she said, lifting her hand and her orb appeared lighting up the area.  They appeared to be in a corridor hidden within the walls of the Hall.

“Tilly,”
Eric called.  Her eyes lifted to his voice.

“This way, Mike,” she whispered, grabbing his hand.  Together they hurried through the corridor, sweeping aside cobwebs and layers of dirt as they hurried after Eric.  A terrible growling sound came at them from behind.

“What the fuck was that?” Mike asked, squeezing her hand tightly.

“I don’t know,” Matilda replied in a shaky voice.

Bang, bang, thud!

Mike screamed as something grabbed him, his hand wrenched away from hers and he flew up into to the air, ricocheting off the wall.

“Mike!” Matilda screamed, as an invisible force lifted him back up into the air and slammed him hard against the wall again.

“Get fuck off me!” Mike yelled, fighting kicking and punching against his invisible attacker.

“Balatoor revealar!” Matilda chanted, lifting her hands towards Mike, and sending a wave of magic towards him.

“Mike!”  Matilda’s terror overwhelmed her as her magic revealed his attacker.  The wolf-like demon turned to her, its lips pulled back over its teeth and it growled at her.

All of a sudden, the glowing man appeared and he shot forward at lightning speed towards Mike and the demon.  A shockwave boomed down the corridor and the demon howled as he grabbed hold of it.

Released from its grip, Mike dropped to the floor.  He scrambled to his feet and ran towards Matilda.  “Run!” he yelled, grabbing at her hand, and pulling her down the corridor.

“Eric!” she cried, her heart rising in panic as she glanced back over her shoulder towards him.

“Go!”
the glowing man yelled as he fought against the demon.

As Mike dragged her around the corner, the glowing man disappeared from her view.  There was a sudden, massive explosion, the corridor shook, and a blast of energy rippled toward them.  Mike and Matilda lurched forward with the force.