"Until your father demanded an heir."

"I would have ignored him if not for your urgings."

"I adore your sister, Ash, but neither she nor her offspring are fit to rule. I'd like to see light overcome darkness within my own lifetime."

For a moment Ash looked lost. He spurred his horse on, but at trot. "The magic hardened my heart to the point that I didn't recognize my Violet when she was in my arms."

"Whoa," Daniore said, and not just to his steed. "When was that?"

With his mount still moving he explained about finding Violet in the pub being tormented. "I felt something for her, but I ignored it. I'd like to blame the Dark Master for having manipulated events, but this didn't have anything to do with outside influence. My greed for power led to blindness and I accept responsibility for that, but I will not lose my way again. Violet is spiritually mine by the One's will and she will soon be mine in reality, too."

With that, he urged the mount into a gallop and didn't even check to see if Daniore kept up.

The stone inn with its turrets and ivy-laced facade had a fairy tale quality about it that extended to the nuptial chamber. Scarlet roses, springing from numerous crystal vases, scented the air. Hand woven carpets rose above polished hardwood floors. Sheer, white silk draped the four-poster bed and crisscrossed windows below arches of stained gla.s.s. Candlelight and a crystal chandelier cast golden hues over the entire chamber. Outside, spider-wolves brayed at the emerging moon, night creatures stirred, and the wind scurried through dying leaves.

Violet stood in the center of the chamber, trembling. The dream had shaken her. More than ever, her lover seemed real. What if he truly existed? What if he was her destiny? Then again, what if he was from the Dark and this was a lure to capture her, much as her mother had been captured?

Besides, soon she would be wed to a lord of light. She never even considered such a possibility. And, Lord Darth appeared to be such a good man. He was the epitome of kindness and patience, a.s.suring her that she'd have a good life with him, that he'd further her craft, that he'd awaken her spirits and sensuality to levels she couldn't even imagine. He begged her to give him that chance. How could she refuse? It seemed too n.o.ble to be genuine. Or was she just seeing spider-wolves behind every tree?

Pacing, she fiddled with one of the twenty knots binding the nuptial robe together from neck to ankles. Scarlet in color to symbolize that their marriage was a blood bond, it seemed more like a wash of color than an actual garment. Once Lord Darth shed the robe and possessed her body, she'd be his wife until death. If he wasn't all he appeared, death might be a welcome alternative. She had already been prepared for it, but having escaped the blade made her anxious for another chance at life. She glanced at the window, wondering if there was a trestle outside it.

"We are too high off the ground to climb down from the window," Lord Darth said as if reading her thoughts.

She turned to him, hand held against her throat. For once a retort escaped her. "I wasn't...."

"You were," he said with a smile. It was a nice smile, coaxing, but it was his eyes that trapped her,

suckled at her will, eased her tension. She smiled back. Somehow it didn't seem of her volition. Theroom seemed a bit darker, the shadows longer. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't discern thesource of her unease.

"Come here," he ordered his voice a trifle stern.She obeyed. That wasn't like her either."I wanted to wait until we arrived at the castle, but without consummation, the marriage is void."She nodded as if that were consent to proceed, but she didn't want him to proceed, she wanted to crawl back into the dream.

A fist knotted in her hair, yanking her head back. He looked down at her, his breathing raspy. He

seemed to absorb her essence. For a split instant, she swore his gaze turned ebony, but a blink a.s.sured her it was still clear and blue. Her body tensed as his fingertips slid along the side of one breast.

"Be at ease," he murmured, as shadows swirled beneath their feet.

And she obeyed.

"Let go of your barriers."

Her guard shattered.

"Respond to my touch."

She sucked in a tattered breath as heat crawled through her body.

"That's it," he purred.

Her lips parted and she watched, mesmerized as his mouth claimed hers, a total expert ravishment

intended to melt her from the inside out. His tongue found hers, sucking, nipping, and probing. His body pressed into her, his hard maleness against her gentle flesh, his seeking hand ma.s.saging her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She had expected to feel as she had in the dream. She didn't and the strangeness of his touch triggered rebellion. She pushed against him, struggled, even as he kept muttering a.s.surances and possibly even spells to break down her resistance.

"Yield," he urged.

"I can't."

"Do it now!"

"No!"

Candles sputtered out. Dark hues deepened. A jumble of words spilled from him, indistinguishable

sounds that twirled around her, intensifying the heat that he had originally stirred. It was as if she were on the outside of herself, watching her arms go around him, watching her body surrender, hearing a moan spill from divided lips. Waves of pleasure swept through her, encouraged her to spread herself open to him, submit totally, beg for everything.

The emotion overwhelmed her. The plea became alive, tangible, poised on her lips, ready to escape.Deep within, though, it still didn't seem right to give herself to this man she barely knew even if it werelegal. Yet ... yet ... A silent prayer rose through the confusion, begging the One to decide what shecouldn't hope to discern.

Darth intensified his invasion and Violet slipped into an erotic abyss she couldn't fight.* * * *At Daniore's insistence, they watered the stallions at a creek and draped a feedbag off the horses'

muscular necks.Ash stared at his mount as if that could make it eat faster. "Don't you think they've had enough?""If you expect them to tear turf, you must allow them time for fuel. Don't worry, my friend, we'll get there in time."

"It is already nightfall. For all I know, he could have taken her in the carriage. Some do that to seal the marriage before any can interfere."

Daniore looked at his feet, and then up at Ash. "What do you know of the dark lord?"

"You mean besides being a brutal soul thief who tortures and kills for pleasure?"

"That description could be applied to many of the dark lords."

"Aye, but Lord Darth has presented more souls to his master than a legion of his caste combined."

"Do you know why his appet.i.te is more ravenous than most?"

A decisive chill rode the wind as it whistled through pines. Moonlight, spilling through branches and dried

leaves, provided the only illumination. "Nay, and cease with the questions and be done with your

thought."

"He was once a lord of light, and fell in love with a rare beauty who was sold to another lord at the nuptials. Not to be deprived, he contacted the Dark Master and bargained his soul in exchange for the woman's love. The couple fought the spell, but in their arrogance they failed to seek the One's help. Only He could have saved them. In the end, Darth, using the power of shadows, abducted the woman. She died loving and hating Darth simultaneously. Yet, rumor has it that he never recovered from the loss despite having killed her through endless torment."

"How do you know all this?"

"Had an ale with a shadow lord the other night by the name of Slith, young, chatty, and proud of the fact that he got Darth to attend the nuptials."

Although Ash already knew the answer, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "How did he do that?"

"Showed him the invitation. Violet is a replica of her mother."

Face tightening, Ash tore the feedbag off his steed, mounted, and without a word to Daniore, spurred the stallion forward.

Fight him!

The words cut through the haze of abandonment. They weren't her words. They came from a distant voice that spoke in her head.

He's not what he seems.

She gasped. The voice was familiar.

You are mine, not his. Fight!

Now that she knew the story of her mother, confusion gushed through her. Was the voice that of a dark

lord, seeking to lure her from Darth? Or was it the voice of sanity, urging not to surrender too quickly?

If she surrendered to the sensations, she would never know the answers. Besides, she finally realized thiswasn't her will, but Darth's."It isn't me," she managed between heated kisses. "You are forcing responses. They aren't mine.""Don't fight it, la.s.s.""It's not natural."Darth growled softly and pushed her away. Violet didn't notice how the room brightened considerably.

Stumbling backward, she fished for the edge of the bed trying to land on it rather than the floor. Finding the soft mattress securely underneath her, she sighed and felt chills chase away searing desire.

"d.a.m.n you, girl, this is the most natural thing in the world. You are mine and I will have you!"

"With a spell? That is no better than rape."

He froze. Indiscernible emotions fled across his handsome expression. He swallowed several times before responding. "It was only to take away your fear so the joining would be more pleasurable."

"But wouldn't it be better to coax a real reaction from me? Wouldn't that be sweeter, knowing you did it without trickery?"

Again she couldn't read his expression, but his response settled upon her like a warm wash."Aye, it would be something to savor. I do not wish to rush you, Violet Haze. I guess I am just anxious tohave the nuptials finalized. Now that I found you I don't want to lose you. I saw how that dark lordl.u.s.ted after you at the auction. Such as he stole your mother from your father soon after you were born."

Her gaze widened. "How did you know?"

He offered a soft, compa.s.sionate smile. "Many tales have been fashioned from the reality. It is those tales

that have some mages consummating the nuptials right outside the Seraglio in any dark corner they can find."

"They said she loved the conjurer."

"It is rumored, but he would not have gotten to her if her love for your father had been stronger."

Every muscle within Violet tensed. "She loved him more than life."

"Aye, but the conjurer loved her more than his soul. Your mother put her dedication to the One before

her love. If both she and your father bargained their souls, they would have remained together."

"In darkness?