Kiss Of Darkness

But atop the tor, the king gave the signal to his haggard army.

And from the heights, they rode down upon the enemy. Battle cries split the air, and they rode like the berserkers, those maddened Viking raiders whose blood ran in the veins of so many there. The enemy outnumbered them, but they were part of the land beneath their feet, and many of those who rode with the enemy were paid for their services and had no heart for the battle.

The knight could smell the fire.

And in his mind, he heard her cry his name. It wasn’t a cry for help, but one of loss, of sadness beyond life, beyond the grave. In reply, he called out her name, and his fury created a sound like thunder and seemed to shake the earth. He strode through death, defying it, ignoring it. He reached the tree and burst through the flames, ignoring the scorching of his own flesh. He slashed through the ties that bound her, and she fell, still, silent…lifeless…into his arms.

A roar of pure rage escaped him. He looked for the cloaked man, but did not see him.

The enemy rushed him, and he was forced to lay her down. He sensed the death at his back, and he turned, raised his sword, parried and slashed without stopping.

He felt the darkness, deep, overwhelming. Crimson. He spun once more, ready to swing with wearied arms, fighting the burning in his muscles.

But there was no one. Nothing. And she…

She was gone.

The enemy swept closer again, and, stunned, he was nearly taken. Only instinct saved him. He turned in time to smite his opponent, and the battle grew ever more frenzied. He fought on, heedless, his mind numbed.

Swords clashed again and again. Battle-axes split skulls. Soon the footing was treacherous, blood mingling with the dirt. Then came the blast of a horn, and the battle paused. The man before the knight smiled—just before he died. Then, keening on the breeze, came the eerie sound of unholy laughter.

It had been a trap. A trap from the beginning. They had seen only a fraction of the troops riding with the enemy. More were arriving, storming through the pass.

The knight turned in time to slash the throat of the infantryman behind him, who had meant to stab him through the back. He saw the king, and rational thought took over once again. He strode over blood, bodies, limbs, and reached the place where the king fought. Savagely, he battled by his ruler’s side, willing to fight unto death, until he was overwhelmed.

Because death would be welcome. She was dead, his soul cried. Dead and gone. All that was left was to find her remains.

“Go!” the knight roared above the clash of steel. A cohort was there with a horse. The king’s followers thrust him behind themselves, forcing him to the horse. A pipe played, and the defenders began to slip away, heading for the caves and tunnels they knew so well. The battle continued to rage. They could not all escape; someone had to remain so the others might survive to fight another day.

The knight looked up briefly. The moon was full in the sky, as red as the bloody field around him. The mist that had fallen was the same crimson shade. It was as if he stood in a fog of blood. And in his heart and mind, he was dead already.

His time had come. He did not damn God or fate. She was lost, and he could only pray that there was indeed a heaven, that he would find her there. He had killed, true, but his cause had been a righteous one.

He closed his eyes for a split second, then opened them, roared out a warning and strode into the melee.

They fell before him, man after man. He knew his rage at that moment was not for the future, not for a dream.

It was for her.

He didn’t know if blood or sweat dripped into his eyes, for he moved in a red haze. He was dimly aware of someone near him, the sound of an incantation.

And then a blow against his head sent him down, spiraling into darkness, an endless bloodred night.

He opened his eyes. There was darkness, there was shadow.

There was sensation.

He hadn’t expected this. Had God spurned him?

Warmth surrounded him. He heard the crackling of a fire. He blinked and realized he was not dead after all.

A massive shadow loomed on the wall, then resolved itself into Father Gregore. The man came to his side, bringing water. The knight swallowed, his head cradled by the powerful hand of the strange priest.

“The battle…?” he asked.

“It is over. Long over,” the priest said. “Sip slowly.”

The knight looked around. They were in a cave. He couldn’t tell if it was morning or evening, early or late. He knew only that the red mist was gone. Gone, too, was the scent of scorched flesh, the awful smell of blood and death.

Gone, too, was the woman he had loved.

“How long have I been here?” the knight asked.

“A very long time.”

“My lady…I took her from the fire. And then she was gone. I’ve got to find her.”

The priest looked at him, studying him for a long time. “Yes, you do,” he said softly.

“I must hurry,” the knight muttered.

The priest stopped him. “You must heal.”

“But…I have to find her.”

“A little more time won’t matter,” the priest said, and sat back. The glow of the fire touched his features. “You have to help me heal you. I am not entirely a miracle worker. There will be time.”

“But she is in danger.”

“Yes. She is your quest. Her immortal soul cries out.”

“Then—”

“There is time, my son. Much has happened. There’s much I must tell you. Much you must learn.”

The fire snapped and crackled and the knight looked into the priest’s eyes….

It was only then that he began to understand.

1

Jessica Fraser listened to the music, the cool jazz tones. She had closed her eyes, and despite the voices, the scraping of chairs and clinking of glasses, she could filter everything else out and hear the music. She wished she could just give way to it, forget the night, forget work and her upcoming flight—even the very good friends surrounding her. From the moment she had first come to New Orleans, years ago now, she had been in love not just with the city’s sense of history and pulsing life, but with the sounds, especially the music. Tonight, for a few minutes, closing her eyes, she was alone. All she could feel was the music, as if it had entered her body and soul, and soothed her.

Of course, few people actually considered Bourbon Street to be soothing.

Yet even as she listened to the music, savoring the feeling of calm, a sense that all was not well startled her. She opened her eyes and looked around, plagued by a sudden and yet very disturbing feeling that she was being watched.

“Hey, did you hear me?” Maggie Canady asked, nudging Jessica.