Her Master's Hand Read online

  I will listen to and obey Master Ashcroft.

  Somehow, she didn’t feel like she needed to write it out any longer to remember it!

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Maili! Maili, damn it, wake up!”

  Maili couldn’t understand who was screaming. For a moment, she thought it was Ashcroft! The tone was just so serious, so unremoved from humor, that she thought she was caught doing something bad and was about to get her bottom smacked again.

  “Maili!”

  Suddenly Maili understood—she had been quite certain she’d been dreaming before, but now she was wholly conscious of it. She did her best to shake herself and wake herself up from the scene.

  Suddenly, she was looking at Pierce, she was in the dark with only the moonlight around her face, and the two big, thuggish selkies were behind him in the water, cowering behind a rock.

  She jerked her body up, her neck aching because of the stone she had been lying on and she reached her arm up to it, but her hand was covered in something sticky.

  She looked down, and in horror she realized that she was covered in her own blood. Pierce inched closer to the water. “What happened?” she asked, but she was already beginning to remember what she was doing here, and what had happened: she asked him to cut something out of her, and Pierce had done just that.

  Pierce was covered with blood, too—it was all over his chest and arms. “It’s off…” Pierce told her calmly.

  It wasn’t just off—it was healed. Obviously Pierce had dug out a bunch of flesh, but the evidence of the surgery of it wasn’t gory… in fact, it looked like she might be healed within a day or two; her flesh was mending together even before her eyes, and the bleeding had stopped.

  She gasped and squinted at it, and then at him. “How long was I unconscious?”

  “Maybe two hours,” he replied dryly, and then he swallowed. He looked extremely shaken. “We… we got that off. And then you were just… just bleeding there… Like…” He shook his head and stroked his stained fingers through his hair. “I thought you were dying. We all did. But then you started chanting—not like monks do or anything—but chanting like… like low and not like yourself at all. Then you started to heal on your own.”

  “Wh-what are you?” Moole shuddered.

  Pierce turned around and gave him a glare. “You and Darey go on back to the pride,” he demanded. “Tell anyone what we did, and I will rip your throats out, so help me!” He bared his fangs aggressively, which was something Maili hadn’t often seen him do. Pierce was known in his pride to being a strong but gentle bull, not prone to anger.

  Darey and Moole didn’t have to be told twice; they scurried back a few feet in the water with wide eyes, but in their next movements, they dove into the water, hurrying themselves through the waves with powerful strokes of their fins.

  She looked at Pierce, and she opened her mouth… No words seemed to be coming out. She didn’t know what to say.

  “I know you’re a witch,” Pierce told her quietly. “You don’t have to explain. I know. I’ve always known.”

  She was surprised and blinked rapidly, processing this. “Always?”

  He heaved a sigh and sat back. “Yes. Always. Hoel told me not to tell anyone about it. I’m the one who brought you to him that day… That day I found you.”

  She swallowed, her throat beginning to feel sticky and dry.

  “I was crabbing out by the Hatchet Cliffs over two hundred leagues up shore,” he explained further, even though she was still trying to form her thoughts out to the point where she could ask questions. It felt like there was something caught in her throat. “You fell from a height nobody could have survived… you nearly hit me in the head on your way down. Your body was broken… You were dying. I thought Hoel could fix you if I brought you to him.” He winced. “I was young, you know? I probably should have worried that Hoel was going to make you one of his wives, or a prisoner… I wasn’t thinking. I just thought you were pretty, and I didn’t want you to get taken by the sea, and I didn’t want to let you go. I didn’t want you to die in my arms. So… I brought you here.”

  “The Hatchet Cliffs? That’s where the wizards… execute their own.” She swallowed, feeling her whole body shake. “Pierce—how could you have not told me this?”

  “It was easy not to tell you, Maili! My pride loves you—I didn’t want to tell anyone you were a witch and make them afraid of you… Of what you could be, or what you could do! You’ve been like a sister to me!” He huffed and then hung his head lower. “When Hoel forced you into that marriage, though, it almost broke my heart. I always felt like I was responsible for ruining your life… And that’s why I helped you tonight.”

  She looked down again at her bloody nightgown. Dear lord, it must have been a horrific mess! No wonder that he thought she was dead! She surely would have been if she hadn’t started to heal herself. It had been extremely dangerous, extremely heart-wrenching for Pierce. He had to have been worried out of his mind.

  As for forgiving him for not telling her—it was hard not to forgive a man like Pierce. He had always been a friend to her, always listened to her troubles, and was one of the only people around for miles and miles who would give her sympathy.

  Besides, if roles were reversed, she would imagine that she’d have had trouble explaining to Pierce that he was probably an outcast and criminal of his own kind, and had dragged him miles from a notorious place of magi execution.

  She reached out and searched for his hand. When she found it, she squeezed it, and was delighted when he squeezed her hand back. “Thank you for helping me, Pierce.”

  He nodded and frowned. “This is goodbye, then. Isn’t it?”

  Her warm smile became a little shaky at that. He was right—it was goodbye. “I have to leave here.”

  Lightning suddenly lit the sky, and rain began to fall down on them.

  He nodded and sighed deeply, “Well, at least it’s on your own terms.” He glanced up at the sky. “Horrible weather for it, though. This is going to be a big storm.”

  She smirked and nodded. “Don’t worry about me, though. You know me.”

  “Better than anyone, Maili,” he told her firmly. “Don’t forget how strong you are. You might not be a strong immortal, but you’ve survived where others have failed to.” He suddenly grinned and ruffled her wet hair. “Behave yourself, then.” He leaned over her and kissed the top of her hair.

  “I love you, Pierce.”

  “I love you, too, two-legs.” He winked at her, but there was so much sadness in his expression that it nearly made her cry.

  With strength, she kept from tearing up until he sank into the water and, after one more wave, he disappeared into the dark ocean waters. And then she realized—she had no more friends to ask favors from. Nobody was behind her anymore.

  She gave a sob, and then finally turned and trudged slowly back to the palace.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “At least you’ve regained some of your appetite,” Hoel said approvingly over his large mug of tea.

  Maili looked up and saw Hoel’s golden eyes staring as she shoveled about five eggs down her throat. She was absolutely famished. She remembered now that the last time she’d gotten herself to fly a bit back when she had her powers, she would always be in early to have dinner. Her stomach simply felt empty, and her body exhausted.

  When she’d come back in from outside last night, she knew she would never be able to escape out the window. She would wait—besides, Hoel would undoubtedly expect a nighttime escape.

  She shrugged. “I just hadn’t been hungry much when the wizard was in residence. A part of me must have found his visit very unsettling,” she replied aloofly.

  For a moment they both raised eyebrows, obviously knowing that she liked Ashcroft much more than that statement allowed, but then they decided to play along with it.

  “Oh, I didn’t think he was that bad,” Anwen began to argue lightly. “He was quite charming at times, and Hoe
l quite liked him as well. Didn’t you, darling?” she asked, looking toward her husband.

  “Yes. Yes, he was quite enjoyable. It’s not his fault he’s a wizard, after all. It’s not what we’re born as, after all. It’s what we make of ourselves that matters. Ashcroft Medwin is a very learned man. He knows more than I do about quite a few subjects, in fact.” He sighed. “But I could definitely see how he could be seen as unsettling. He does strike me as somewhat off… but not in a malicious way. In the sort of way that makes him a little restless or brooding at times, though most geniuses are a little insane,” he added. “There’s a thin line, there.”

  “What do you plan today, darling?” Anwen asked, worrying her bottom lip. She reached out to put her hand over Maili’s, as if Maili might turn upset at any moment. “I am sorry for this frightful weather, or else probably you and I could have gone on a nice long walk and chatted.”

  “Good day for this, actually,” Maili gestured at the storm outside the window. “Because I am tired beyond belief. I was hoping that I could eat in my sitting room today? I don’t know why, but I don’t feel much like company. I’m horribly grumpy.”

  “Are you about to start your courses, perhaps?” Anwen said, and Hoel grunted uncomfortably, as if he’d found himself suddenly in the wrong room and in the middle of the wrong conversation.

  Maili had to keep from grinning at that. “Possibly. Anyway—hopefully the wizard will return soon?”

  Hoel nodded and smiled softly. “He said he’d return as soon as he could, my sweet.” She knew that tone—it was patronizing. She knew Hoel well enough to know that he didn’t actually believe that Ashcroft would return even within the month.

  She took another slice of toast and smiled sweetly at him. “Oh, good. That’s a relief.”

  A sharp cough sounded from behind them, and they looked up at their servant, who reached a piece of mail toward Hoel immediately.

  Hoel opened the letter and held the paper between his claws for a moment before crinkling it up. “Tell them I’ll be right down.” The servant nodded and flew off.

  “Well, Madame Thandule is down in the village, delivering her triplets. I need to go down there,” Hoel said, grabbing another piece of toast and standing from his chair.

  “In this weather?” Anwen asked, incredulous. There was a rattle of thunder just then and she gestured to her glass of water, which was still vibrating from the ‘boom.’

  Hoel came up behind Anwen and squeezed her shoulder consolingly. “Most likely it’s because of this weather,” Hoel sighed. “God help all women, they love having babies in the middle of a thunderstorm. Anyway—it’s not like they have anyone else to help. I must go.” He lowered himself and kissed Anwen on the cheek before standing back up. He walked around the table toward the exit, briefly stopping to chuck Maili on the chin and say with a small smile, “Be a good girl, now. Get some rest today—then you’ll have more energy for when the weather’s a bit nicer,” he advised.

  She nodded. “That was my plan, papa,” she assured.

  Actually, her plan was more realized when she went upstairs with a full stomach and asked the cook on the way up for an early luncheon as well, since she planned to take a long nap during the day.

  She needed provisions to take with her, after all. God knows, after all the magic she had planned to do that afternoon, she needed as much as she could get her hands on.

  She packed up for the journey in her bedchamber after sending her maids away. She waited for someone to come up with her lunch.

  She was surprised a couple of hours later when she saw that it was Anwen herself who brought her the food. “I don’t know why,” Anwen said, coming through the door Maili had opened for her. “But I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were doing well. I was just overcome with worry for some reason.” Anwen bent down and kissed Maili on the cheek. “You’re not coming down with an illness, are you?” she asked, putting her hand on Maili’s forehead.

  Maili smiled but then shook her head. “I feel fine. Just tired… I had a nightmare last night and I didn’t sleep well afterwards. But I’m fine; just need some peace and quiet.”

  Anwen smiled and then tucked a strand of black hair back into her updo. “Alright, darling. If you need company, I’ll be down in the sitting room.” She put up her hand and patted Maili warmly on the cheek, and then left.

  Maili frowned at the door and found that there was a deep sadness there. God help them—they might have been her prison guards, but they were also sweet and gentle guardians when they wanted to be. Maili had a pang of guilt that she was going to betray their trust.

  She put on her raincoat with that pang still in her chest. It was off-putting. She glanced at her mirror on the way out, and glared right into her stern expression. “Don’t give me that look!” she told herself. “You know that they pushed you into this. You know what you have to do!”

  She tied her hood closer to her neck and then, after arranging her ‘lunch’ into a second sack, she grabbed her umbrella and opened the window.

  Wind and rain blew back at her. She took a deep breath, then sat on the window ledge, stuck her umbrella outside of the window, and opened it. “You wanted to be a witch, Maili! Well, now you have it!”

  With a strong arm, Maili held her umbrella out and up toward the sky and let the winds take her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Alright, Moriarty, you son of a bitch. I’m here.” Ashcroft was talking to a little clearing that included only his own horse, a shallow river, and a line of trees. He had told Moriarty to meet him there, and he wasn’t there yet. It was irritating to have gotten there first; it meant that he could have spent more time with that unsettling little witchling!

  Ashcroft found that he was angry at Moriarty for letting the children get lost or kidnapped or whatever happened to them in the first place! Wasn’t it a parent’s job to know where their children were? How could he have failed at this? He’d seen muskrats do a better job of watching their young, for lord’s sake!

  He kicked the dirt in front of his shoe. He was still damp from being rained on during the journey the day before. His ass was killing him, his chest and his head hurt, and he began to wonder when he’d last ridden so hard for so long.

  It had been decades.

  He grumbled and unbuttoned his cloak. He hadn’t been called anywhere with any urgency in years, yet the moment he was nearly cock-deep in a beautiful young witch was the time he was called away. A young witch who had been depending on him, damn it all.

  “Dear lord,” he nearly dropped his cloak on the ground with that thought, “that would have been a mistake!” he said aloud to himself in a bark of disbelief. Was he actually angry at Moriarty for pulling him away from the girl? Because if Ashcroft had any sense left, he should kiss the man’s boots when he saw him!

  She was a ward of a damn demigod, and the wife of a warlord. In short, she was the last place his penis should ever be. That being said, when he was kissing her… she didn’t taste like a girl who was still nervous from her wedding night. In fact, the girl tasted like coming home. He could have melted into her, and he’d tried. He hadn’t been thinking; he was moving as a man possessed.

  He shucked off the rest of his clothing and then walked with them into the river, scrubbing some of the mud off with his knuckles and nails before walking out and hanging his clothes on a nearby tree. After that, he soaked in the cool water. The cool water that helped him think about what he’d almost done.

  Maybe, if the warlord collected her before he had the chance to get back toward Hoel’s palace, he could visit the warlord directly. Not under the guise of actually checking to see if he was a wizard, but showing up as a passerby, just to see how the girl was getting on. Maybe she’d be far happier once she was the lady of her own palace in her own environment.

  For parting from Anwen and Hoel might make the girl more relaxed. The home that she came from was one that treated her more like a child than a like the woman she
was… Oh, yes. She was a woman, alright.

  Alright, so apparently his raging erection wasn’t going to go away from the cold water. He grumbled, and then closed his eyes and began to stroke himself.

  He tried not to think of Maili at all. He told himself that he didn’t want her firm, apple-sized breasts, her ample hips, her soft skin… Yet thinking about them did seem to make this little chore more enjoyable.

  Suddenly, his horse reared. He whipped his head toward the animal, but it was jumping back from the tree Ashcroft had tied it to, looking up at the sky like a predator was going to attack.

  He looked up as well.

  At first, he thought he was looking at an oversized bird perched on the tree above him. Instead, he saw a black-garbed little witch in a rain cloak, quietly trying to wrap away a frayed little umbrella. They exchanged expressions—hers looked quite sheepish. Ashcroft was certain he was having a stroke and imagining the whole thing.

  “Hello,” the girl finally said. The voice carried through the air as if verifying the existence of its owner. Dirty water dripped off of the girl’s clothes—she was soaked. She pushed her hood back, revealing a white, lace-trimmed cap that seemed to create an innocent halo around her extremely dirty complexion. Maili’s enchanting blue eyes focused on him, eventually staring down at the water… toward his groin. “You’re quite nude,” she informed him simply.

  “What—!” He gritted his teeth. He wasn’t going to sit in the middle of a cold river and yell at a witch in a tree… That seemed even more ridiculous than her appearance. “I’m putting on pants,” he said with great effort at collecting himself so that his head didn’t explode into a million pieces. “When I come back, we’ll discuss what you’re doing up there, why you followed me, and how soon I can get you back home.”

  In the middle of that, he had realized that the girl might have watched him pleasure himself. God even knew for how long; from up there, she might have seen nearly the entire performance before it was cut short.