Free Dance of Death by R.L. Stine Page B

me.”
    â€œNoooo,” Auntie moaned. She paced around Madeline’s room. Her candle cast weird shadows on the walls.
    â€œThat way lies danger. If you marry Justin, you willdie. You must listen to me,” she urged. She sounded close to tears. “You must believe me, child.”
    It’s probably better for me to let her tell her story, Madeline realized. If I don’t, she’ll never calm down. She’ll wake up the whole house. I don’t want to have to explain her presence in my room to Cousin Deborah and Cousin Marcus.
    â€œAll right, Auntie,” she agreed. She placed her candle on the dressing table. “I’ll listen. I promise.”
    Madeline gently led Auntie to a chair by the bed. She felt so frail.
    â€œOh, you’re a good girl, aren’t you?” Auntie crooned as she sat down.
    â€œToo good for the horrible fate that awaits you. Too good for Justin Fear,” she moaned, shaking her head. “I’ve got to try to save you. I couldn’t save the others. Oh, my Tobias! I failed. I failed.”
    She is mad, Madeline thought. Completely mad.
    Auntie shuddered, rocking from side to side. “The Fears have always been evil,” she whispered. “Evil upon evil for time out of mind. But there is one name that causes even other Fears to hide their heads in terror.
    â€œThat name is Justin Fear.”
    â€œBut he’s so kind,” Madeline protested. “The first time I saw him, I thought he was an angel.”
    â€œA fallen angel,” Auntie insisted. “Do not allow his appearance to mislead you. Justin always was incredibly handsome, even when he was young.”
    â€œWhen he was young?” Madeline echoed. “Auntie, you’re not making any sense. Justin is young.”
    â€œOh, no, my dear,” Auntie answered, shaking her head. “The handsome young face you see is nothingmore than illusion built on evil. Justin Fear is as old as I am. Even older. Why, he’s nearly a hundred years old.”
    â€œA hundred years old!” Madeline exclaimed. She felt like laughing, but didn’t want to hurt the old woman’s feelings. “But he doesn’t look any older than twenty, Auntie. How is that possible?” she asked.
    â€œEvil can make almost anything possible,” Auntie insisted. “In Justin’s case, he traveled the world, studying strange and ancient rituals until he found the one he wanted. The one that would keep him handsome and young forever.”
    Auntie sat up straight and gripped Madeline’s hand. She stared into Madeline’s eyes with a burning gaze. “Justin Fear is a soul-stealer.”
    Soul-stealer? What on earth did she mean? Madeline felt suddenly dizzy. The whole story grew more and more bizarre.
    â€œThat’s simply not possible,” Madeline snapped. She pulled her hand from Auntie’s grasp. “How can you steal someone’s soul?”
    â€œBy using the dark arts,” Auntie replied. “And by twisting love. Justin is still young and handsome because he married four beautiful young women who loved him with all their hearts. But he repaid their devotion by taking their lives and stealing their youth and beauty all for himself.”
    Madeline felt chills course through her body at Auntie’s words. She didn’t want to believe the rambling old woman. Yet deep in her heart, she felt the words ring true.
    â€œThey were just seventeen when he married them,” Auntie continued. “Not one of them lived to see hereighteenth birthday. Their bones are buried deep beneath the roses in his garden. Isn’t that right, my Tobias?”
    Madeline remembered Justin’s beautiful rose garden. She remembered how he kissed her there for the very first time.
    She remembered the strange feeling there. The suffocating perfume of the flowers. The looming presence of the huge bushes, their thick thorns and heavy flowers.
    Had Justin