ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine August 2014 | Page 24

SFP Indie Issue 3
Hel sighed and hunched closer to the fire. His
shoulders bowed as if every word from Bernard’s mouth
added yet another weighty burden to their width.
His steward’s voice faltered but his recount of the
latest catastrophes continued. “Julian Goodman asked for
the makings for brite-weed tea today. He said his wife was
sickening. I told him to come back later. I couldn’t risk the
panic should he learn we had none.”
At the old man’s words, Hel straightened and raised
his eyes to Bernard. “Tessa? Tessa is fading?”
Bernard nodded.
Hel’s body tightened when he remembered the sweet,
erotic surrender of the woman. Ah, Tessa.
Together, they had performed the sexual rites to clean
Nyth Uchel of an ugly remnant of the Haarb wars, soul
wraiths—though Hel preferred the term ‘leeches’. Warm,
giving Tessa—he could not let such a gentle soul die. His
thoughts went to that day in the windswept courtyard
when he had requested a partner for the rites and Tessa
had answered, over her husband’s vocal protests.
Her gentle voice carried in the quiet of the courtyard.
“Julian, please reconsider. Lady Athena is dead and our
lord has no one else. I have enough aristocratic blood to
be of use to him. It will save all of us. It is just the
temporary use of my body.”
Her gentle eyes had shamed her husband and he’d
turned away with a snarling, “Do as you will.”
Julian avoided Hel from that day forward. With
regret, Hel considered he had made a lifetime enemy of the
man; but Tessa, sweet, sweet Tessa had been a revelation,
such a contrast to his dead wife who was cold even in life.
Hel felt a presence at his back and the woman
tending the sick room quietly addressed him. “My lord,
you best come now. I don’t think he has long.”
Hel rose and moved between the ill to a chair pulled
beside the pallet where Rolly lay covered with blankets.
Vivid, suppurating sores covered his scalp and face and his
flesh hung slackly as if melted onto his skull.
“Rolly.” Hel sat, then bent over his former
gamekeeper and spoke his name gently. “Rolly, it’s
DeHelios. I’m here with you.”
The man moaned and moved slightly but otherwise
gave no sign he had heard. Anger born of impotence rose
in Hel’s gut. He wished there was something he could do
for the man. Of course, he wished many things and
thought again of Tessa and all those whose lives depended
on him.
Breath rattled in Rolly’s lungs, and then he fell silent.
His chest no longer rose and fell. Hel listened intently and
watched f