Devil's Dominion Read Free Page B

she remain still and unnoticed.
    The Mother Prioress, however, held firm and did not reveal Allaston’s presence. She might have been a proud woman who ridiculed the weak, but she was also inordinately strong. She wasn’t about to permit this warrior, as bold and deadly as he seemed, to gain the upper hand. She didn’t like to be told what to do.
    “Rubbish,” she snorted. “You shalt not have her and since thou hast burned our home, thou will permit us to leave and seek shelter elsewhere.”
    The helmed head didn’t react at first. There was a long and tense pause, one filled with mounting terror as far as the women were concerned. Then, the warrior shifted on his enormous legs and the helmed head leaned forward as if to better peer at the stubborn old woman.
    “Do you mean to actually deny me?” he asked, a hint of incredulousness in his tone.
    The old prioress nodded firmly. “Thou shalt not have what thou hast come for,” she said firmly. “I shalt not give thee any woman in my charge. Be gone with thee.”
    The helmed head didn’t hesitate. One of his massive hands shot out and grabbed the prioress around the neck as the women behind her let up a collective scream. As the women wept and shrieked, the warrior pulled the old woman very close to his helm.
    “If you do not give her to me, then I will kill you,” he hissed. “When you are dead, I will move to the next woman and demand she give me the de Velt. If that woman denies me, then I will kill her and move to the next one until I am either given the de Velt woman or every one of your nuns is dead. Is this in any way unclear?”
    The old prioress was struggling for air. Her vision was dimming but there was fight left in her. She would not be bullied even if it cost her everything. She was far too stubborn to submit and show fear.
    “Then kill me,” she rasped. “I will not give thee the woman.”
    The knight squeezed and an audible snap could be heard as he broke the prioress’ neck. The nuns began to howl, tightening up their ranks in a fearful huddle as a few knights joined their leader and swarmed upon the nuns, grabbing women and pulling the group apart. It was clear that they intended to separate the women, perhaps to intimidate them in order to gain their wants. Surely one of them would break and tell them what they wished to know.
    Allaston stood near the wall with Annie, watching the knights harass the weeping nuns. She was horrified that the leader had killed the Mother Prioress. It has been so quick that they had scarcely believed what he had done until the prioress was lying on the ground in a heap. Allaston had never seen anything so awful in her life.
    But the sight of the woman’s body jolted Allaston. She knew that she could not let these women protect her any longer. It would only get all of them killed. True, she was fearful for her own life but she was not so cowardly that she would let others die protecting her. But she simply couldn’t turn herself over, nay. As stubborn and proud as the prioress had been, Allaston was equally stubborn. Sometimes she was foolish, too. She hoped this would not be one of those times. She had to help everyone, including herself. She had to fight!
    “Stop!” she roared, pushing between the women that were standing in front of her. “Stop this instant! I am the de Velt!”
    The knights, five of them including the one who had killed the prioress, came to a halt in the midst of their assaults. Seeing she had their attention made Allaston second-guess her bravery, but there was no turning back. She faced them with as much courage as she could muster.
    “I am Lady Allaston de Velt,” she said, her voice trembling. “What do you wish of me?”
    The knight who had killed the prioress seemed to be looking at her. It was hard to tell with his visor down, but she was certain he was fixed on her. Before he could move, however, Annie, who had been standing next to Allaston, piped up.
    “ I am Lady