REALM OF DESIRE

abatian called to the rider beside him whose pri

ng beneath that tree as ripe fo

ave a look at Cassius s defenses-

r stomach slamming against the horse's back with each lift of the

e Wolf. The horrifying stories she'd heard o

the habits of the order of St. Albans which the girls wore, habits that ind

on nuns, or almost-nuns, without conscience or fear of retribution, hu

dead away," Thomas s

, although, were it left to me, I'd prefer that ta

coldly, "and you're not sampling anything until D

t, Jasmine made a tiny cry of mindless, panick

their horses, but God didn't seem to hear her, a

busy, franti-cally tormenting her with all the gruesome tales of the de

ims scream with pain. H

e began to pray, not for escape, for she

d come quickly and that she would

stood in the hall at Jasmine, instructin

nds of the enemy, then do it bravely. Die fighti

und, yet when the horses slowed and she heard distant, unmistakable

it wasn't fair! And now gentle Bailey was goin

with that deed on her con-science. An

hing in his path. Her thundering h

*****

inst metal as men moved about and then she heard the pris

chants were rising to a shout as she w

led out, "stay there-we'

rown over her head, and her arms still bound by t

iley scream her name as

voice was muffled by the cloak, and she k

lowered to the grou

es. Die like a Cassius. Die bravely. Die fighting, the chant rag

oice was his. The voice was gravelly, fiery-a voice straight fr

s the flesh of

age blended with the sound of Bailey 's screa

ns of fear and fury, Jasmine surged clumsily to her feet, her arms flailing

st and swung with all her might at the dark, demonic,

y fai

arian!" and she swung again, but

her head "Devil!" she cried, squirming,

tan! Despoil

, he caught his assailant at the waist and jerked her of

again, catching Dominic squarely in the grois

him drop her, then grasp her by the veil, catching a handful of hai

keening cries, the sounds of clanging metal ceased and a

squeezed her eyes closed and waited for the blow

didn'

y, she slowly opened her eyes and for th

owered before her nearly m

black cloak war billowing out behind him, blowing

at made him look positively satanic; it blazed in his strange eyes, heating

dibly wide, his arms bulging with muscle. One look at

used of doing. Die

and sank her teeth i

*****

d raised, then crashed against her cheek with a force that s

ll, and waited, eyes clenched shut, for the deathblow to befall

s time it was more terrible because it was so ta

you done?" Dominic rage

men are exhausted and hungry, and you bring

minic turned to issue a sharp comm

t, one of them in a dead faint, the other curled into a ball, tremblin

girl enraged him more than

her with the toe of his boot. "You were

round beneath her, she staggered awkwardly to her feet, swa

for an answ

if you'll cease roaring

e heavy crucifix hanging from a black cord around Jasmine

eft him nearly dumbstruck. "

ores?" "Nuns!" Sabati

******

d. Surely be couldn't be so steepe

is men to be u

for this folly, Sa

hey "Sebastian said, yanking his horrified ga

delight "is the Lady Jasmine, bel

ands at his sides unclenching as he turned t

and rings with false rumors, for 'tis said Cas

She is truly his, I hea

mine stared hard at her smudged face, studying it by the firelight whil

beauty?" he said with deliberate, insu

ace as she jerked it out of his grasp, but instead o

e boil up inside him, and he grasped her pale, smudged face and j

to Bailey that Jasmine was somehow acce

elf to an unsteady, standing position, then she molded her body t

*******

Jasmine's continued silence would surely bring terrible retributi

ell are you?" he d

hth commandment in hopes that Bailey might be freed if

ely Sister Ba

true?" Dominic de

Jasmine

Clenching his hands into fists

closed h

a nightmare,

orced march, he was out of food, ou

n manage to get a sensible, honest

ree days and nights without sleep. He turned

recognizing her as the most easily intimidated of the pair and, therefore, th

idened hazel eyes, imprisoning them. "Are you,

o speak but couldn't push a

he bowed her head and m

ellcat in gentle nun's garb, then he tur

stand guard to protect them from the men. I w

*******

ind as she lay in a tent on the ground beside poor Bailey, her wrists and feet bound with le

lf have in mind, she wondered as ex

ers from them, and what answers could he possi b

nna whispered shakily. "You don't thin

INE lied r