The Sign of Fear (14 page)

Emily pulled Christina up the front steps. She kicked open the farmhouse door and pulled Christina across the threshold. She released Christina's hair and gave her a shove that sent Christina sprawling. Christina crawled across the floor. Then she staggered to her feet and faced Emily across the dismal sitting room.

Blood dripped down from Emily Peterson's chin. It stained the front of her snowy white collar. “You stole from me,” Emily shouted. “And now I am going to make you pay.”

“Oh, no you're not,” Christina shouted back. Her scalp throbbed where Emily pulled her hair.
“You
stole from
me!
My blood is not your property, Emily,” Christina yelled. “You have no right to use it for your evil deeds.”

“But I need it,” Emily shrieked. “I must maintain my beauty. I must have your blood.”

Christina's whole body began to tingle. I know what is different, she thought. Emily's beauty. It's fading.

Before Christina's eyes, wrinkles spread over Emily's face. Brown spots appeared on her soft white hands. Her back curved over—forcing Emily into a stoop.

Emily screeched. “Give me blood. I need your blood.” Her teeth turned yellow, then black. One by one, they began to fall out.

“My beauty!” Emily sobbed, clawing at her face. “You took my beauty away.”

Mistress Peterson dashed into the sitting room. She set a lighted candle down on a table. Then she took Emily into her arms.

“Now, mother,” she crooned, glaring at Christina. “Don't worry. We'll get your beauty back. But first, you've got to calm down.”

“Mother?” Christina gasped. “Emily is your mother?”

“Yes!” Mistress Peterson cried. “She is my mother. I would do anything for her. For years, we've been happy. People may have suspected us of practicing the dark arts. But they could never prove anything.”

“My beauty,” Emily wailed. “My beauty.”

“I never should have brought you here,” Mistress Peterson snarled. “I thought you would be another easy victim. But I was wrong.”

Christina's stomach turned over. Now she knew what had happened to the other girls from the village. Emily used their blood to stay young and beautiful. She drained them dry.

“I am glad I destroyed everything in your room,” Christina cried out. “You are even more evil than I thought you were.”

With a cry of rage, Emily jerked away from Mistress Peterson. She leaped over to Christina and raked her nails across Christina's cheek.

Christina grabbed Emily's wrists. Her muscles trembled as she fought to keep Emily away from her.

“Destroy you. Destroy your beauty,” Emily moaned. She broke free and wrapped her hands around Christina's throat.

“Matthew!” Christina cried out. “Help me.” She heard Matthew's feet on the front porch.

He burst into the sitting room. He grabbed Christina by the shoulders and yanked her away from Emily.

Rriiipp!

The bodice of Christina's dress tore open. Pieces of the fabric dangling from Emily's hands.

Flash!
The candlelight flashed across the silver pendant around Christina's neck.

“That is the Fier amulet!” Matthew cried. “My family's heirloom. That is what I've been searching for!”

F
ieran held the silver amulet up in front of him. You are beautiful, Fieran thought. And you will give me my revenge. A revenge that will last for all eternity.

Dominatio per malum.
Power through evil.

If I can't have love, I will have power. I will take it any way I can.

Fieran stirred up the coals in the iron brazier. Sparks shot up into the air. Above the fire, the white skull of the Roman soldier glowed. But the eye sockets were still dark. They would not burn with their green fire until Fieran performed his deadly ceremony.

They would not burn green until Brianna's blood flowed.

Fieran moved to the sleeping pallet and stared down at her. Oh yes, you are powerful, my beautiful Brianna, he thought. But you are as false as you are
lovely. And you must pay for your treachery. Your power will not save you this time.

This time, it will not be strong enough.

At last, I will have my revenge.

He slipped the amulet around his neck, and bent low over the sleeping figure of his wife. “Brianna,” he called gently. “Beloved, arise!”

Brianna stirred at the sound of Fieran's voice. She opened her eyes. “Fieran, what is it?” she asked. “Is something the matter? It is not yet dawn.”

She sounds so concerned. So sweet and innocent. But Fieran knew better. She would not fool him again.

“Nothing is wrong,” Fieran assured her. He kept his voice low and soothing. “But there is something that we must do. We must perform a special ceremony, beloved. Now, before the rising of the sun.”

“What ceremony?” Brianna asked.

“The ceremony of complete power,” Fieran answered. Brianna sat up quickly.

“You would share the power of the head with me?” she exclaimed.

Fieran almost laughed at her eagerness.

Oh, Brianna, he thought. Your desire for power is so strong. If only you desired me even half so much. We might have been happy.

“Of course I wish to share the power of the head with you, Brianna,” he answered. “You are my wife. I wish to share everything with you.”

“Oh, Fieran!” Brianna threw her arms around his neck. Fieran could feel her heart racing.

“Come,” he said. “We must begin the ceremony. It is almost dawn.”

Together, Fieran and Brianna crossed to the brazier. Fieran threw a handful of peat upon the coals.
Instantly, the flames leapt up. They surrounded the Roman head. It sat grinning upon its spit.

Fieran took the amulet from around his neck. He hung it around the Roman head. It dangled down toward the flames. The silver shimmered in the firelight.

At the sight of the amulet, Fieran heard Brianna catch her breath.

You want that, don't you, Brianna? That is very good. Keep on wanting it, Brianna. Let your desire cloud your judgment.

From the belt of his tunic, Fieran took out a black-handled knife. He chanted over it. Then he thrust the blade into the flames.

A low moaning filled the cavern. The eye sockets of the Roman head gave off the faintest green glow.

Now Fieran took up a silver goblet. He poured three drops of water into the flames. Each place the water touched, tiny blue flames sprouted up. The blue stones in the amulet blazed.

Next Fieran took out a long, black feather. When she saw it, Brianna gave a low moan. It was a feather from a crow, the bird of bad omen. Just looking at it could bring bad luck.

“Are you afraid, Brianna?” Fieran asked. “Do you want me to stop?”

Brianna's green eyes were wide. She stared at him as if she had never seen him before.

“I am not afraid,” she answered. But he heard her voice tremble a little. “Continue with the ceremony, Fieran.”

The blood pounded in Fieran's head as he pushed the crow's feather into the center of the fire.
So close. I am so very close now.

The sharp scent of scorched feather filled the cave
and stung Fieran's nostrils. He held his breath and blinked his eyes. A column of black smoke curled up from the feather. Around it danced the three blue flames.

With his right hand, Fieran reached out and retrieved the knife. He held his left hand above the brazier, palm open. He took a deep breath.

My hand must be steady. I must not let my courage fail me. Not now.

Fieran breathed out quickly through his nose. He brought the knife blade down in one swift stroke. The hot tip of the knife slashed across his palm.

Pain shot up Fieran's arm. Blood from the cut dripped down into the fire. The eye sockets of the Roman head blazed a little brighter. Fieran clenched his fist, squeezing out as much blood as possible. Then he turned to Brianna.

“Your turn now, Brianna,” Fieran told her.

Brianna stepped up to the brazier. Slowly, she raised her palm. She held it over the fire, just as Fieran had done before her.

Fieran's heart beat so hard his whole arm trembled.

Now! his heartbeats urged. Do it now! Rid yourself of this traitor. Take your revenge.

He lifted the blade above Brianna's palm. Then brought it down. But he didn't aim it at her palm.

He brought it straight down at Brianna's unprotected heart.

“T
raitor!” Fieran screamed. The blade plunged toward Brianna. “You lied and betrayed me. For that, you must die.”

Brianna raised her arm at the very last second, blocking his.
Crack!
Their wrist bones smashed together. The knife stopped inches from Brianna's chest.

“No, Fieran,” Brianna said. “Conn was right. You are stupid and weak. And it is you who are going to die.”

Fieran howled in outrage. With all his strength, he tried to force the knife point down. But Brianna's arm held steady. Her brilliant green eyes locked onto his.

Look away! Fieran thought. She can cast a spell with a look. Don't stare into her eyes!

Too late. Fieran could feel the muscles in his arms begin to tremble. Then his whole body shook. A great
weariness came over him. He wanted to lie down and sleep. That's all he wanted. Sleep.

Using his last ounce of strength, Fieran tore his gaze away from Brianna's. “No!” he panted. “I won't allow you to do this to me, Brianna.
No!”

Brianna laughed. “You are as weak as a baby. You will never be able to kill me, Fieran. I am too strong for you. I always have been. I always will be. You underestimated me—as all the others did.”

With one sudden motion, Brianna jerked her arm up. Fieran's grip on the knife weakened. Brianna swept it from his hand.

She brought the hilt down upon his head. Fieran sank to his knees, black dots exploding in front of his eyes.

“It would have been better if you had not challenged me, Fieran,” Brianna said.

Fieran gazed up at her.
This is the end of everything.

Brianna plunged the knife into his chest.

Fieran's blood exploded from his body.

He saw it spurt out in a great arc.

His hot blood sprayed across his face, his chest, his legs.

Too much blood, he thought. Too much blood.

He pressed his hands over the hole in his chest. But the blood ran out through his fingers.

Brianna, you have killed me, Fieran thought.

Fieran struggled to stand. I want to see the forest, he thought. Just one last time.

But his legs refused to obey him. He shoved himself to his knees, then tumbled over onto his side. He lay still. Panting and gasping.

Fieran watched his blood spread out like a lake on the floor.

“Watch me, Fieran,” Brianna called. She reached
up for the silver amulet. It twisted on its long chain. The blue stones turned red in the glow of the fire.