Passion Light (22 page)

Evan was immediately in her mind. “You look beautiful,” he said, without words. “Every eye will be on us.”

He was right. The men looked pretty good, too. All of them had magnificent bodies bulging with muscles, but that was only the beginning. They were dressed to attract attention, too.

Evan wore his black skin pants but no shirt. Instead he wore armor that gleamed with a high polish. The muscles of his upper body bulged and rippled and Isabelle realized he had oiled his bronze skin to make it shine. A black cord with copper beads tied his hair out of his way and he carried an enormous ceremonial sword that was as long as his arm in a scabbard between his shoulder blades. His chest was protected by metal armor that was inlaid with copper stars. His costume was complementary to what Isabelle wore. The hues of his skin and metal armor matched the colors of her costume and hair

Brian was shirtless, too and his skins were dark blue with touches if silvery metal that enhanced his dark skin and black hair. His shorter stature was incidental to the fact that he was incredibly handsome, far more so than Evan who looked very grim and serious. Isabelle noticed Brian’s breastplate had fewer stars than Evan’s, possibly declaring his lower rank.

Olaf had shaved his face and tied his long hair back similarly to Evan’s and Brian’s. He was a really handsome guy with his light hair and pale eyes and sexy, unsmiling face. He was also bare-chested and covered with body fuzz that was tinged red, instead of blond like his hair. He wore caramel brown pants made of skins with light blue decorations and silvery metal armament. It looked great with his straight blond hair and pale blue eyes.

He and Brian were like the most beautiful male guards that had ever existed, compelling and beautiful and so male. Testosterone bled out of their pores.

But Ana was the most spectacular of the four escorts. She was taller than either Brian or Olaf and she had the dark skin and hair that was characteristic of Terrans. She wore scarlet red with black and silver. Her nearly seven-foot frame was innately feminine, but also clearly very strong. The costume had a skirt that was split up the sides so that her long legs were visible. She wore knee high boots similar to the ones the men wore. A sword like Evan’s was strapped to her back and she wore her long hair in a high twist decorated with stars. Her wide muscular shoulders were bare in a sleeveless metal armor vest that only hid part of her magnificently full and feminine chest.

Doris was momentarily speechless but she recovered quickly. “You guys look great. You look like you belong on a stage in Las Vegas. No one in the place will ever forget seeing you dressed like this. Uncle’s going to look like the best entertainer in the world, but none of you are really part of his plan. He may choke on his surprise…at least I hope so.”

“I guess I’m ready,” Isabelle said uncertainly. “Let’s get it over with.”

The others fell into step around her and they marched out of the room and down the stairs. Doris scurried after them determined not to miss anything and more hopeful than she had been in a while.

Chapter 26

Uncle was presiding over the events in the courtyard. He sat on a large chair that he had claimed as soon as he took over the castle because it looked like a throne and he liked the idea of playing at being king. He had even started to believe in his own special power. His throne occupied a raised platform at one end of the space. His friends and supporters were also on the platform. Some were seated in chairs. All were dressed up for a party. They drank and talked and milled around until Uncle shouted for them to sit.

Ana and the others walked through the enormous arched front door and just stood at the top of the stone steps and deliberately waited to be noticed.

Uncle had been expecting them and noticed them first. The woman who stood at the head of the group towered over his guards, and he felt a momentary twinge of apprehension. She looked like a goddess, both beautiful and dangerous. A sword hilt was just visible over one of her shoulders. He comforted himself with the knowledge that he would never be alone with her, whoever she was. He supposed Olaf must have hired her recently. He could see the freshly shaved guard captain standing just behind the woman wearing a similar costume. The woman was even taller than Olaf who was taller than everyone in the castle.

He couldn’t really see Isabelle. The group of giants surrounded her, hiding her from view. One was her new husband and the other was the man who had spent time with Glory. They apparently did not intend to try to rescue her from her fate. He wondered what she looked like in the little bikini. He knew she’d hate it and it made him smile. The priest punched him in the arm and pointed at the group on the stairs.

“They look great,” the priest said. “I had no idea Olaf was so pretty. I wonder if he would join me in a few sexual exploits? I would love exploring that body.”

Uncle knew that would never happen but he was riveted by the sight of the group that surrounded his niece. They were four of the most beautiful and impressive looking people he had ever seen. They effectively hid Isabelle from view, which frustrated him. He wanted her to feel exposed and helpless. That was the reason for the costume he’d had designed and made for her. He wanted to diminish her and make people view her as inferior and flawed. No one could see her with the group of guards around her.

They glittered and he wondered where the costumes they wore came from. They looked magnificent and they made him feel insignificant by comparison. It annoyed him and he stood and raised his voice to announce to the crowd, “Ah, our entertainment, the main event begins,” he shouted raising his hands and indicating the group that waited on the steps.

The crowd had already noticed them. They gasped in amazement and admiration. A sense of barely controlled power hummed in the courtyard, creating a sense of insecurity in most of the people who could observe what was happening. The air positively shimmered with something no one could identify.

Isabelle pulled nervously at her costume and then started to feel more settled as Evan reached into her mind to help comfort her. He stood close enough behind her that she could feel his warmth. It helped, too. She raised her head and tried to think about swaggering out in front of all those people instead of cowering in fear. She and Doris had decided to put her in high heels to make her seem taller. In four-inch heels she was a couple of inches over six feet. The heels did tend to make her swagger a bit or definitely sway as she walked. Her feet didn’t hurt yet or maybe she was too anxious to feel anything so trivial.

The crowd grew quiet, just looking at them. A couple of Uncle’s guards stood on either side of the door, neither taller than six feet. The group, even Isabelle towered over them, some by a foot or more. A noise started in the crowd, a sigh of anxiety or gasps of admiration or some of both.

The breeze tossed the skirts and scarves of her costume and Ana’s, and Isabelle’s thick, curly hair drew the attention she had always avoided by wearing it up in the tight bun most people had grown to expect. She was different. She looked different. She was both beautiful and compelling to see. Most of all she definitely did not look like a victim.

Ana stepped forward confidently, and the others followed. The gathered crowd was riveted to attention by the group that walked into their midst toward the funeral pyre. They passed Albert just as Doris tucked herself under his arm and he held her to him. He was armed and determined looking, though grim. Doris stretched to whisper in his ear. His wide forehead was wrinkled in concentration and sweat was visible on his dark and smooth baldhead.

The sun was setting and it lit up the metal parts of the costumes the group wore with flashes of random light. Isabelle noticed that tall people, all Terrans appeared around the edges of the crowd, seemingly unnoticed by anyone. She could feel the intensity of Evan’s thoughts, now centered on his plans and strategy more than on her.

No one dared try to reach her through the group surrounding her. She saw supporters, people she worked with who were her friends throughout the crowd, many of them armed if she saw correctly, but also unnoticed by Uncle’s friends. The watchers were unaware of the mass hypnosis they were experiencing. The Terrans were at work. Everyone sensed the change that was underway.

She still felt very apprehensive and worried. The priest reached into a pocket and pulled something out and threw it at her. She barely had time to react before Evan’s sword blocked it with a very expert looking baseball swing with the weapon. The rock the old man had thrown flew straight back at the priest and hit him squarely in the face, knocking him to the floor of the platform where he lay clutching his bleeding nose.

Uncle seemed unaware of what had happened to the priest. He stood on his platform and walked to the steps, descending into the crowd and approaching the podium set up near the pile of flammable materials that he planned to use to burn her alive. Ironically, she felt chilled by the sight of him looking pleased and unruffled. He began to speak, addressing his audience as they drew near.

“Today we rid ourselves of the witch, Isabelle. A fiery death is the sentence of the jury. We have allowed you to see what will happen to her. This is a new beginning for all of us who have resented her influence and power over our lives and wishes,” he said. He continued, “It is necessary for our people that have been struggling to survive that we remove negative influences from our vicinity so that we can all return to the prosperity we all enjoyed before the wars.”

A roar of sound came from the crowd. It was as confused as the feelings of the many people who were there. Some wanted to see it, some wanted to prevent it and some were very angry at how Uncle had handled things.

Uncle seemed to sense the wave of disapproval that was rising. Even some of his friends had objected. He was accustomed to having his wishes followed and did not expect effective opposition.

Restlessness overcame Uncle as he lifted a burning torch and waited, seemingly not quite able to do the deed he’d planned. He motioned for Olaf to tie Isabelle to the stake and then seemed to dither and look conflicted and worried. He did not take it and light the fire that might burn Isabelle.

As he stood there confused and hesitant, golden light flashed like lightning through the crowded courtyard startling the assembled crowd and creating fear and confusion among some of them.

But many who waited were not confused. They knew what they were doing and they did it. Those who wanted a better life than the one they had been living were ready for any change, no matter how bizarre it all seemed.

Ana and Evan’s hands were raised toward the sky in supplication and all around the courtyard and the walls others dressed like them raised their hands, also. Terrans were everywhere, but no one was fighting their invasion. Instead many people followed Olaf’s lead as he raised his arms with them. Earthlings and Terrans who loved Isabelle were all united.

Golden light flashed and wheeled through the throng and from hand to hand among the Terrans and Earthlings who were willing to support Isabelle. Magic was happening and it was electric in the air all around.

People screamed and milled around distracted from the central entertainment and concerned for their own safety.

Isabelle found herself free and loose from the stake. Though she felt nearly drunk with excitement and adrenalin she promptly ran toward Evan. He caught her in his arms and then turned her and raised their clasped hands to join in the magic. She flung her other hand high, too, copying the behavior of her friends and the Terrans.

Two of Uncle’s guards tried to reach her and return her to the stake. Ana’s leg flashed upward to kick one in his chin. The other fell under Brian’s fist. Neither moved again. No one else seemed ready to challenge the shift of power that expanded as everyone watched. Not even Uncle’s guests were interested in trying to make the planned entertainment happen. It suddenly seemed like a really stupid thing to go against such strong magic, whether or not the power was witchy.