Free Falling Into Place by Brandy L Rivers Page B

this
place.”
    The girl finally let go as she collapsed
onto the bed. Edmond turned to her. “This next part, Rosemary, it
will be painful. Please forgive me for that.”
    “I have survived worse,” she whispered.
    Edmond nodded, but before Liz could turn to
leave, he was standing before her. “You’re right, we should
hurry.”
    “You should feed,” she said, looking into
his eyes.
    “Not from you.” He smiled back. “I do not
drink from anyone not quite human. It can be quite intoxicating,
and at this stage of the hunger, I will not risk it.”
    She took a deep breath. “Very well, but can
I suggest that you find a new home. The Silver Council won’t like
my conclusion, but I know I can convince Tremaine this is the right
decision.”
    Edmond nodded. “I never stay after I bring a
child back from the brink of death. They need to start fresh in a
different part of the world, without the ties to their past.”
    “If you want the council to leave you alone,
burn this place down.” She took a deep breath. “Disappear for a
while, let them think you are really dead.”
    “That was my plan, but if it will make it
easier for you, I will make sure the ruin of the castle looks
believable.” He placed his hand over his heart. “You have my
word.
    She smiled. “I can honestly say that I’m
pleased to have met you.”
    Bowing, he took her hand, placing a kiss.
“The pleasure is mine.” With that he swept her into his arms and
carried her into the night.
     
    * * * *
     
    Tremaine stood at the edge of the beach. He
feared he was wrong and something had gone horribly wrong. The
trail had disappeared. He spun back to find Preston on his hands
and knees heaving his guts. Robert was pacing through the sand.
    There were no words of encouragement. He had
failed, and he wanted to wail to the heavens. He made a stupid
mistake and Liz was gone.
    “Robert,” Preston groaned. “Stop walking
past me, you’re making the nausea worse.”
    Robert halted, but he threw his head back
and screamed. At least they were far from anyone or anything. No
one would notice three men losing their heads.
    An unnatural breeze brought Tremaine’s head
up. Liz stood before him, her hair wild and tangled as it whipped
around her.
    Preston started chanting.
    “Don’t,” Liz said. “Just hear me out.”
    “He took you,” Robert yelled as he stormed
in front of her, and took her arms in a firm grasp. “He took you,
Liz. You could be dead now.”
    Her hands landed on her hips as she glared
back at Robert. “I’m not. I’m a little windblown, but that’s it.
I’m fine.”
    Tremaine shoved Robert out of the way and
pulled Liz into a hug. She leaned into him, laying her head on his
shoulder. “You scared the hell out of me, Liz. I was beginning to
think I had made a huge mistake in letting you play the bait.”
    Her laugh was nervous. “I’m fine, Trem. I
promise I’m fine. I even have a good explanation.”
    “That doesn’t sound promising,” Robert
snapped.
    Her gaze whipped to him. “You had better
stop. Edmond has a perfectly good reason to change these children.
They would be dead otherwise. You didn’t see the shape Rosemary was
in.” She shook her head, anguish twisting her expression into
something sad and heartbreaking. “She was nearly gone, her skin
eaten away by some illness. When he asked if she wanted to live,
she said yes, and he changed her. Can you fault him for breaking
the rules to give these children a chance at life?”
    Preston threw his hands up, his eyes wide.
“They’re children forever. They’ll never become an adult. How will
they ever accomplish anything?”
    “Yeah, well, she wouldn’t have been a child
for more than a few more hours. It was that or death. You tell me
which is worse? A child who wants to live and will choose, and she
did make that choice, to stay a child, or one who withers away and
dies when she wants to live?
    Tremaine had already started to suspect that
was Edmond’s