Page 28 of Tanglewood Legacy (The Three Sisters 3)
A sharp crack sounded where her heart once was. He was sending her away. He was dismissing her. Her gaze fell on his still-trembling hands. He feared her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Her eyes burned and her cheeks heated. Goddess, how humiliating. She checked over both shoulders. Once she confirmed no one was watching, she allowed the shadows to carry her home.
ChapterThirteen
Pierre was a man of logic. When he discovered a new plant or animal, a new event in the heavens that had not yet made it onto his chart, he approached it with fascination. The first time he’d encountered the pawpaw fruit, he’d been enchanted by the plant and delighted when it proved safe to eat. But for every pawpaw he discovered, he’d also come across a foxglove. The plant had proven extremely poisonous and almost killed one of the friars who’d mistaken it for comfrey.
As Isis disappeared into shadow, Pierre thought that she was like foxglove. He’d found her as fascinating as the stars when they’d met, and he was sure her secrets were as infinite. But what he’d witnessed with Allyette told him all he needed to know. She was also poison.
He feared her, not as someone feared the alligator in the swamp. She’d never struck out at him with her magic, and her munitions were not designed to shred or kill. No, what he realized today, was that Isis was dangerous in the way of a sickness, as lethal as a case of consumption. Something invisible that he might never see coming. Exposure to her could alter his thinking, cause him to act irrationally. Was there anything more terrifying than not being certain of one’s own mind?
Pierre had nothing if not his own thoughts. The idea that she might tinker with his inner workings, lift ideas from his head and make them disappear, was horrifying and something he never wanted to experience. Still, his chest ached at the thought of not seeing her again. He’d never tell her secret. He admired her too much for that. He rubbed the space over his heart as the immediate shock of what she’d done began to wear off.
Did he actually think Isis would tamper with his mind or any mind if there weren’t lives at stake?No.He sighed. So what exactly was it about the situation that had left him terrified and resolved to push her away?
“Your friend has gone?” Allyette asked, arriving with the tea.
“Yes.” He gestured toward the table. “I will take it alone.”
“But she left… in this?” Thunder and lightning cracked nearby, and the woman stared, perplexed, toward the windows.
“She insisted, but not to worry, she didn’t have far to go, and she’s a supremely resourceful woman.”
Allyette placed the tray on the table. “If you say so.” She gave a shallow bow and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
Pierre drank his tea and waited for the storm to pass. If Isis was dangerous in an innocuous way, it seemed Delphine was an outright menace. If what Isis said was true, Delphine had killed twice now, and he felt a moral obligation to keep that from happening again. He watched the rain through his front windows. Whatever happened with Isis, he needed to do something about Delphine.
Once the rain had stopped, he left the house in search of Étienne. The governor needed to be aware of what was going on. Oh, Pierre was smart enough to know that Étienne would never believe the woman to be a vampire, but she could be placed under suspicion, nonetheless. A few choice words to the right people and she’d be taken care of. He’d make sure of it.
Twilight had fallen on the square, and Pierre’s boots squelched in the muddy road as he made his way to the governor’s door, the only light coming from the occasional lantern. A prickle traveled along his spine on the dark street. Someone was watching him, following him. He spun, searching the shadows.Isis?She could blend into the darkness. It was a possibility. But he didn’t call out to her, just walked faster toward the governor’s home.
Étienne’s servant showed him to a seat by a small fire and went to fetch the governor, who arrived only a moment later, dressed in a long nightshirt and robe. “Monsieur Baron, to what do I owe the pleasure? After the storm tonight, I did not expect to have guests.” He gestured to his appearance.
“I apologize for coming without notice, but it’s important.”
Étienne sank into the chair on the other side of the fire. “Go on.”
“I… learned something today. Lucienne, the wife of monsieur Cavalier, who was drained of blood two days ago, she is the sister of Delphine Devereaux Laurent.”
Étienne’s brow puckered. “The wife of the first victim?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm. That is a coincidence.”
“I saw Delphine at Touze’s the very night after her husband’s death, consorting with other men.” The lie rolled off Pierre’s tongue easily. Although he hadn’t seen Delphine himself, he trusted that what Isis had said was true.
The governor scowled as if the thought made him sick. “You think she’s responsible.”
“We both know that Guillaume was likely not gentle with her. And Lucienne was covered in bruises. I have to wonder if Delphine found a way out of an uncomfortable situation and then did the same for her sister.”
Popping out of his chair, Étienne paced the room. “But how? Surely the woman couldn’t have physically done it. Guillaume was twice her size. How did she drain the blood of not one but two men? And where did the blood go?”
Pierre ran a hand through his hair. He had to be cautious with this next bit. “It is far too coincidental that two husbands of two sisters die in such a similar way, such anunholydeath.”
Stroking his chin, Étienne frowned miserably. “Unholy. That’s the key, isn’t it?” The governor paced the length of the room, growing more agitated. “There is too much evidence to point at anyone but Delphine, and the loss of blood is evidence of demonic involvement. I must talk to Father Raphael about this. If there is a witch among us, he will know how to deal with the woman.”
Internally, Pierre cheered as the man took the bait. It was only a matter of time now until Delphine was dealt with and the parish was safe again. With a nod of appreciation, Pierre stood from the comfort of the fire. “I was confident you would know what to do, and I’m not disappointed.”
