man's eyes, Gavin thought they seemed unnaturally dull, and were trained straight ahead, as if staring past the stars and into another universe. His ebony skin was also gray, and lacked its usual healthy glow.
Thanking the young man as he always did, he stepped onto the front porch. Before he could even knock, the door opened, and the old butler greeted him, both his looks and demeanor frighteningly similar to the footman's.“ The mistress is in the drawing room, sir, if you'll follow me.” he said in a hollow voice.
Following the old man's lead, the farther into the mansion Gavin walked, the stronger his sense of foreboding waxed. Where is Knorr? He wondered as he finally stepped inside the drawing room, which was dimly lit.
“You came for that darkie, Knorr?” a mangled, gravelly voice called.
Skin crawling, Gavin's eyes grew wide with shock as his gaze settled on a now hideous looking Mariotte, whom he somehow recognized, by instinct. While it was true she had never been much to look at (some could even call her somewhat plain), she now looked like a hag of at least a hundred. Her hair was white as snow, and was blowing wildly around her head, despite the fact the windows were closed and there was no breeze stirring. Chilled beyond anything in his previous experience, he glanced at her hands and saw they were covered with open sores, the fingers gnarled and twisted, like tiny branches on an old willow tree. “Where is she?” he demanded, ready to kill the woman with his bare hands, despite his fear.
Cackling, Mariotte clasped her knotted hands together and screeched, “She traded her soul for you! Now I will bind you to me forever, we'll be immortal lovers!”
Thunderstruck, Gavin felt as if someone had just reached inside him and tore his heart from his breast. Not caring what happened to him, he dropped to his knees, weeping bitterly.
Standing in the middle of a five-pointed star (with black candles at each point, lit), Mariotte began to chant the spell that would bind him to her forever:
“Oh Lucifer, Oh Shining Star, touch him,
burn him from afar...
Revenge now will have its day, for thine enemy starts to fray...
Bind this man to me so no other may have him...
make him immortal so he can love me....”
Gavin screamed as he felt his large body suddenly being pulled viciously in every direction, as if some unseen entity was trying to rip him, literally, limb from limb. Stop her before she completes the spell! Knorr's disembodied voice screamed in his head. Struggling with all his might, he somehow made it to his feet, drawing a bowie knife that had been strapped to his side. Running to her and screaming, he plunged the knife into her black heart.
As he collapsed to the floor, dying, he could feel his very soul slipping away as he began blacking out. “God help me...” he moaned.
At that moment the room seemed to brighten, and a man dressed in a long white robe, with long, white hair appeared.
Struggling to keep his heavy eyelids open, Gavin tried desperately to focus one last time, wondering if the apparition was an Angel sent from Heaven. Seeing the man had the clearest, most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen, he decided he must be an Angel. Opening his mouth to beg for the return of his beloved Knorr, no words came out.
“Calm yourself. I mean you no harm.” the 'Angel' spoke, touching Gavin's chest and instantly calming him.
“Help me...please...and my Knorr.” Gavin croaked.
“I cannot save your earthly body, nor your lover's soul, but I CAN keep your soul from being joined with hers.” the 'Angel' intoned, nodding in the direction of the dying Mariotte. “She will be banished into the darkness, and you shall remain here.”
Blue eyes seeming to glow, the 'Angel' began chanting:
“Blessed be, thou creature made of art.
By art made, by art changed.
Thou
Thanking the young man as he always did, he stepped onto the front porch. Before he could even knock, the door opened, and the old butler greeted him, both his looks and demeanor frighteningly similar to the footman's.“ The mistress is in the drawing room, sir, if you'll follow me.” he said in a hollow voice.
Following the old man's lead, the farther into the mansion Gavin walked, the stronger his sense of foreboding waxed. Where is Knorr? He wondered as he finally stepped inside the drawing room, which was dimly lit.
“You came for that darkie, Knorr?” a mangled, gravelly voice called.
Skin crawling, Gavin's eyes grew wide with shock as his gaze settled on a now hideous looking Mariotte, whom he somehow recognized, by instinct. While it was true she had never been much to look at (some could even call her somewhat plain), she now looked like a hag of at least a hundred. Her hair was white as snow, and was blowing wildly around her head, despite the fact the windows were closed and there was no breeze stirring. Chilled beyond anything in his previous experience, he glanced at her hands and saw they were covered with open sores, the fingers gnarled and twisted, like tiny branches on an old willow tree. “Where is she?” he demanded, ready to kill the woman with his bare hands, despite his fear.
Cackling, Mariotte clasped her knotted hands together and screeched, “She traded her soul for you! Now I will bind you to me forever, we'll be immortal lovers!”
Thunderstruck, Gavin felt as if someone had just reached inside him and tore his heart from his breast. Not caring what happened to him, he dropped to his knees, weeping bitterly.
Standing in the middle of a five-pointed star (with black candles at each point, lit), Mariotte began to chant the spell that would bind him to her forever:
“Oh Lucifer, Oh Shining Star, touch him,
burn him from afar...
Revenge now will have its day, for thine enemy starts to fray...
Bind this man to me so no other may have him...
make him immortal so he can love me....”
Gavin screamed as he felt his large body suddenly being pulled viciously in every direction, as if some unseen entity was trying to rip him, literally, limb from limb. Stop her before she completes the spell! Knorr's disembodied voice screamed in his head. Struggling with all his might, he somehow made it to his feet, drawing a bowie knife that had been strapped to his side. Running to her and screaming, he plunged the knife into her black heart.
As he collapsed to the floor, dying, he could feel his very soul slipping away as he began blacking out. “God help me...” he moaned.
At that moment the room seemed to brighten, and a man dressed in a long white robe, with long, white hair appeared.
Struggling to keep his heavy eyelids open, Gavin tried desperately to focus one last time, wondering if the apparition was an Angel sent from Heaven. Seeing the man had the clearest, most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen, he decided he must be an Angel. Opening his mouth to beg for the return of his beloved Knorr, no words came out.
“Calm yourself. I mean you no harm.” the 'Angel' spoke, touching Gavin's chest and instantly calming him.
“Help me...please...and my Knorr.” Gavin croaked.
“I cannot save your earthly body, nor your lover's soul, but I CAN keep your soul from being joined with hers.” the 'Angel' intoned, nodding in the direction of the dying Mariotte. “She will be banished into the darkness, and you shall remain here.”
Blue eyes seeming to glow, the 'Angel' began chanting:
“Blessed be, thou creature made of art.
By art made, by art changed.
Thou
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