Page 71 of Kick the Candle (Knight Games 2)
"Of course."
"Will you pledge your life to me now? Bind your soul to me, whate'er may come, we will be together into eternity?"
With both hands, he cradled my face. "Yes. I love you, Isabella. For eternity."
Locked deep within his gaze, I reached into my pocket. I'd made the ointment for an emergency such as this. Still, I hesitated. I cared for Enrique, and if the spell came to pass, he'd be cursed by my hand. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
Between us, I opened the tiny jar. Under the lid was a razor sharp barb. I captured one of his hands from my cheek, and positioned it palm up, then jabbed the barb into his finger.
He gasped. "What are you doing?"
"Binding us for eternity."
He did not argue, just searched my face with the trust of a child.
I watched his ruby red gift drip into the balm, then plucked my own skin. My darker, older blood oozed over his. Mixing the concoction with my finger, I commanded him. "Unbutton your shirt."
"Isabella, there is no time."
On my tiptoes, I planted a brazen kiss on his lips, snaking my tongue into his mouth, all passion and wet heat. Rick responded with the inexperienced lips of a virgin and another shiver of guilt passed through me.
He unbuttoned his shirt.
I found the place over his heart, yet unscarred, and drew a scythe with the gooey paste. In the old language, I spoke the spell.
"In the name of my mother
Goddess of night
I bind thee, my vessel,
Caretaker of light
Willingly given
Sacrifice thine
Human no longer
Caretaker mine."
The chanting had grown louder, and I could sense the crowd outside the door. Suddenly my skin felt too tight. Damnation! Where had Monk found that spell?
The door was kicked in and clawing hands swept me from my home. In a sea of black wool and white collars, I lost sight of Enrique. My body, weakened by their chant, was pinched, yanked, and torn until I was brought to a stake near the church. Once they bound me to it, Monk arrived.
The man of little stature approached with a great book engulfed in his arms. I recognized the tome right away, the Book of Flesh and Bone. A sister from Salem had told me about it but I never thought it would make it this far. The pages were made of flayed human skin, the cover layered with the same. The ink contained human blood and the inlaid design on the spine was not pearl but human teeth. Legend said it was written by the devil. I wasn't sure I believed in a devil, per se, but if there was a source of all evil and darkness, certainly he was the author of this tome.
"Finally, justice."
"Justice? You call this justice? Burning an innocent woman without so much as a trial?"
"Innocent? The fire will prove your innocence."
"If I burn, I'm innocent, and if I don't, I'm a witch? That is my trial?"
Monk turned away, and one of the men approached, torch in hand. My heart pounded. My breath came in pants. Enrique had tried to warn me, but how was I to know Monk had the book?
As the flames caught, and licked up my body, I separated myself from the excruciating pain, pulling back from the memory, and becoming an observer of my own death.
