"Come!" Lauris cried, sobbing. Beyond all logic, she loved him, and she would take the risk.
The next second was the longest in Lauris's life. Even as the thunder boomed and the heavens opened, there was an equally loud shriek from directly outside her circle. The agents of Darkness and Light vanished. Where they had been now lay, respectively, charred ashes and flower petals.
Blayne shuddered, then collapsed. Color suffused him. He was real, solid, whole—alive. Lauris's own knees gave way beneath her, and she stared, wide-eyed, at the man whom she had given new life.
Groaning, Blayne struggled to his knees. She realized now that he wore the same clothes in which he had been buried; they were partially decomposed, though the human flesh they adorned was whole. She couldn't speak; could only stare.
He lifted his head, his beautiful, wheat-gold head and pierced her with his blue gaze. A slow smile spread across his handsome face. "Lauris," he said, softly, tenderly. "Oh, Lauris, my love..."
Then he stumbled to his feet and reached for her, his boots smudging the circle of wheat flour as he entered her sacred space. Lauris's fear bled out of her. Nothing evil could enter that circle, and as his strong arms went around her she eagerly turned her face up for his demanding, hungry, joyful kiss.
Blayne.
It was sweeter than the dream, at once simpler, more human, and more powerful. She melted into him, and if his wise, wizard's hands had moved to remove her magical garb, she would have made the second move to lovemaking herself. She was dizzy with joy and relief. Blayne, Blayne...!
But he tore himself away from her, panting, and his hands moved from her waist to her upper arms. "I pray to all the gods that there will be a chance to love you afterward... but now, there's no time..."
"Wh-what?"
He was exasperated, but his blue eyes never lost their gentleness. "Lauris, what do you think happened to me? I was murdered!"
A chill that had nothing to do with the night air shuddered through her. "By whom?"
"Aelfric!"
"Impossible," replied Lauris. "I sensed him... every time I talked to him. I would have been able to tell if he were evil!"
Blayne shook his head. "He was able to block your sensing. Who better than a wizard to hide his true nature from another?"
Lauris's heart began to thud in horror. Blayne was right—such a thing could be done.
"Aelfric is an agent of the Dark, Lauris. I discovered his plans and tried to stop him. He killed me; he would have killed you, too. Don't drink from the well in the back; it's poisoned. He did it earlier tonight, just in case he wasn't able to complete the spell."
"But... but this makes no sense... he was the one who asked me to stay, after..."
"He had to! Think how strange it would have looked for a headman not to ask any wandering wizard to abide and protect the town. He never thought you were a real enemy; you're young, and you're a woman." Blayne's lips curved in a harried smile. "This far out of the cities, love, you'll run into that sort of attitude. But we must hurry. Tonight, he completes the ritual. He began it last Lammas. He killed me on Midsummer, a night of High Power for the forces of Light, which is why I was able to hang on to this world." His hand smoothed her hair. "Until you set me free. Come, my love. Together, we can defeat him and hold back the Dark."
Tomas stood naked in front of Headman Aelfric. The dark wizard's powers held the youth motionless, but did nothing to stop the sweat of rank terror that poured off Tomas's body, mixing with the raindrops that hit his skin with stinging force.
Now, he knew why the herds were growing thin. Now, he knew where the missing children had gone. Now, he was about to join them. He stared up at Headman Aelfric, tears creeping out of eyes that were not permitted to blink, and he prayed for reprieve though he knew it would never come.
At the boy's feet inside the bloody circle was a clutter of small objects. He knew their purpose; Aelfric had told him. Each trinket, each bit of nail paring or piece of crockery or baby's toy belonged to one of the villagers. When the dark wizard completed the ritual, sealed his pact with his evil masters by dousing the items with Tomas's blood, the souls of every man, woman and child in Greenhaven would belong to Aelfric. He in turn would then offer them to the Dark, in return for power unimaginable.
Aelfric was unrecognizable. Gone was the stalwart, solid headman Tomas had known all his life. The words spewing from Aelfric's lips were unknown to the boy, but their power and their foulness made his skin crawl. When the incantation was done, the black knife Aelfric held in his left hand would descend, be buried to the hilt in Tomas's chest.
The chant grew louder, the words faster, harsher on the ear. Aelfric's eyes glinted red. His fingers clenched on the evil weapon's hilt.
Tomas wished he could close his eyes.