Thursday, January 26, 2012

Alannah's story excerpt 8


     Alannah’s eyes drifted shut as darkness closed in around her. She’d almost given into the nothingness when the pain of human transformation overtook her consciousness.
     To Jeremy's credit, he did not drop her when her body lengthened and grew heavier. He held her close as feathers became soft warm skin, and blond hair cascaded down over his arms. When the burning stopped, she was being held against him in a strong embrace. Her body was whole and healed from the injuries she'd sustained as a bird. Mary's words about breaking the curse by sacrificing herself for the man she loved echoed through her mind.
     Heat rose to her cheeks when she became aware of the position she was in. Jeremy set her gently on her feet, eyes averted, and turned his back to her while he retrieved his shirt from the hook he'd hung it on the night before. He stood facing the back wall, and held his shirt in the air above his head.
     Alannah ran up behind him, grabbed the shirt, and pulled it over her head. It barely brushed the middle of her thighs. Frustration washed over her. I can't leave the barn dressed like this!
    Jeremy turned around slowly, and her concerns about leaving the barn melted under his intense expression. Once again, time seemed to stop as they stared at each other. The waves of energy rippling between them made her breath catch in her throat.
     He took several quick steps toward her, catching her up in his arms as they collided. With one hand, he cupped the back of her head, and ran his thumb along her jaw line. He pulled her closer and his breath softly brushed her cheek. Then his warm lips were on hers in a sweet intimate kiss. Her response was instinctive as she kissed him back. He deepened the kiss, letting go of his usual self-restraint. The energy passing between them started to wrap around them, nearly drowning her in its intensity. Jeremy groaned and pulled away from her. “Forgive me. I shouldn’t have been so bold…it’s just that I couldn’t…I’m sorry…” He broke off, apparently tongue-tied.
     She grinned and looked down. “I’m not complaining.”
     He grasped both her hands, his eyes searching hers. “You turned into a bird and sacrificed yourself to save me. You could have died—why did you do it?”
     I have to tell him the truth. She looked down. Her voice was barely audible as she answered. “Because I love you.”
      Jeremy fell to one knee in the straw on the floor, still holding her hands. “Alannah Barry, will you marry me?"
     She could not speak for a moment. Finally, her voice returned. "Yes, I would love to marry you, Sir Jeremy Moore."
     He smiled, stood up, and pulled her in for another kiss when Isaac groaned from his place in the horse manure on the floor. Jeremy frowned and turned to look in his direction. Isaac’s eyelids fluttered briefly before his head flopped to the side, and he was still again.
     Jeremy grabbed a clean blanket from the shelf. “I’ll take you home. You won’t be safe if Isaac sees you.”
     She gave him a grateful smile and wrapped up in the blanket. "Can you take me to Mary's cottage instead of my house? I don’t want my parents to see me until I’ve…cleaned up a bit."
     He nodded, took his horse, Chance, from the stall and prepared him to pull a carriage. She turned and gave Isaac one last glance before hurrying out of the barn.
     When she stepped into the carriage, Jeremy gave her a long look before he shut the door. “I’d love to have you seated behind me on Chance, but someone might see us.”
She felt her face grow hot, but forced her voice to be steady as she gave him directions to Mary’s cottage.
     They flew across the countryside in the early morning mist. When they reached the small hut, he helped her out of the carriage. Her skin tingled where his hands touched her when he lifted her down.
     "Please wait here a moment, Jeremy." She slipped into the cottage and shut the door softly behind her. After a few minutes, she opened the door a crack and tossed his shirt out. He caught it easily, smiled, and put it on slowly. She watched out the window of the cottage until his carriage disappeared around a bend in the road.
******
     Jeremy’s thoughts swirled around like debris in a whirlpool. I need to deal with Isaac. He approached his stables with caution, planning to use the element of surprise to his advantage if Isaac was still inside. He was surprised to hear voices when he approached. Tying Chance to the fence outside the stable, he crept up to the open door.
     A man with a high-pitched voice was speaking. He sounded furious. "You still haven't paid me for changing that woman into a dove, and now you want me to do more magic for you?"
     Jeremy peeked through the crack in the door. That's the wizened little man who was chanting outside the library on the night Alannah disappeared. He’s the one who changed Alannah into a bird for Isaac.
     Isaac touched his black eye and winced. "I need you to destroy Jeremy Moore and give me his lands. Then I can pay you."
     "What? You lied to me! You said that you had money sitting in the bank to pay me!"
     "I was desperate then. You know how much this property is worth. If I get it, then you’re guaranteed payment."
     "You have no intention of paying me. You're planning to string me along forever."
He turned dark and starting glowing red. Pure terror crossed Isaac's face when the little man began chanting. Isaac ran, but a whirlpool of black tar opened up in the floor beneath him and sucked him down with it as it disappeared into the floor. The little man vanished and Jeremy backed away from the door. Is it safe to go in my stable?
     Concern for his horses got the better of him, and he crossed the threshold. Everything seemed normal and solid enough, so he went back, untied Chance, and walked him into the stall. The stable boys will be coming soon to feed, water, and curry my horses.
     As he walked back to his house, relief flooded him. Isaac is gone. He can't hurt Alannah anymore.
******
     Alannah soaked in a large tub of hot water in the middle of Mary's cottage. She'd been thoroughly scrubbed after weeks in the wild as a bird. Mary had gone to fetch a clean dress from her parent's home.
     Alannah had just changed into her dress when a messenger knocked on Mary’s door. He held a sealed letter in his hand. Mary took it and thanked him. She handed it to Alannah, who read it out loud. The message was from Jeremy, and he’d written what happened to Isaac in it. She was relieved, but Mary still had a concern. "We need to come up with a believable story about why you disappeared for six weeks. Discussing magic is not an option."
     Alannah was shocked. "Was I really gone for six weeks?"
     "Yes, dear. People told Jeremy and your parents to give up hope, but they refused. Now—about that story…"
    Alannah thought about what had happened to her. "I barely got enough to eat, was always dirty, and almost never saw anybody while I was a bird. Isaac had me transformed because he didn’t want me to be with anyone else.” She paused. “We could say I was kidnapped by someone I didn’t know. Jeremy searched high and low until he found and rescued me. The kidnapper ran off and we don't expect to see him again."
    “Well, it’s not a great story, but it’ll have to do.”

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