The Devil’s Diadem

The Devil’s Diadem
Sara Douglass

Sara Douglass has won legions of fans around the world for her epic tales of sorcery, forbidden love, and heart-pounding action. Now, with the The Devil’s Diadem, she reveals her biggest adventure yet.In a world gone mad, is the Devil’s word the only one you can trust?A foolish monk stole the devil’s favourite diadem and the devil wants it back.It is mid-twelfth century Europe and Maeb Langtofte joins an aristocratic household to attend Adelie, the wife of the Earl of Pengraic. The earl is a powerful Lord of the Marches, the dark Welsh borderlands.Then a plague that has swept Europe overtakes England and as life descends into chaos and civil disorder, Maeb is about to discover that the horrors she survived at Pengraic Castle were but a prelude to the terrifying maelstrom which now envelops her and all of her countryfolk.Hell has come to desecrate England, and the only thing that can possibly foil its plans are the wits of one lonely, isolated and terrified woman.

Sara Douglass

The Devil’s Diadem

Dedication

Karen Brooks, you beautiful, amazing, courageous woman,

this is for you, with all of my love and all of my thanks.

Epigraph

Speak not the word, for remember that the wind shall carry your word to all the corners of the earth, as also to the ears of God and of the Devil both.

Traditional folk saying

Contents

Cover (#ulink_37bb993d-aab1-5f48-87c1-3860bdcc6e21)

Title Page

Dedication

Epigraph

Author’s Note

Map: Twelfth-Century England & Wales

Map: Pengraic Castle

Map: Twelfth-Century London

Map: The Conqueror’s Tower

Place Names

Maeb Langtofte That Was, her Testimony

Part One: Rosseley Manor

Chapter One

His footsteps tripped down the great stone staircase as if…

Chapter Two

I waited in that wretched little alcove for what felt…

Chapter Three

My days fell into an easy routine within the Pengraic…

Chapter Four

The next day began as had all my previous mornings…

Chapter Five

Naturally, fate and Lady Adelie conspired to make me break…

Chapter Six

I found Yvette and she went to Lady Adelie.

Chapter Seven

The next day passed in a blur of activity as…

Chapter Eight

We departed Rosseley shortly afterward. The king, Summersete and Scersberie…

Chapter Nine

We reached Oxeneford late in the afternoon. The king had…

Chapter Ten

The next day Evelyn woke me. She’d been up early…

Chapter Eleven

We left very early the next morning. I was glad,…

Chapter Twelve

If Lady Adelie had been too tired to pursue me,…

Part Two: The Death

Chapter One

Pengraic Castle was a marvel, but it also disconcerted me…