Read Online Dangerous Magic by Sullivan Clarke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sullivan Clarke
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growing feelings of foreboding, Colin knew the wrong thing to do would be to panic. He was Lark's only hope, and if he were going to get her out of the village before the ominous Reverend Fordham hauled her in for questioning, he'd need a plan.
He ran to the edge of the village, ignoring the curious stares of onlookers, and stopped again at the blacksmith's barn. Hiram was not inside, which was just as well. Colin would have had no good way of explaining why he needed to borrow two horses, which would be essential to his and Lark's escape.
Out back, the corral where Hiram kept his own two horses was empty. Colin groaned in frustration, and then remembered that the blacksmith was keeping the visiting preacher's horse for him. The idea of helping Lark escape with Fordham's own horses brought a smile to his face and - hoping against hope - he turned back towards the stalls where the two animals still stood, regarding him with suspicion.
"Whoa. Easy," he soothed and within moments had both bridled and led to the door. It had begun to drizzle again, and a cold wind whipped around the sides of the barn in eerie shrieks. It was a bad day for traveling, but a good day for stealing; the damp, windy weather had driven everyone inside. Mounting one of the horses, Colin held the other by the reins and fought to keep his seat as both animals danced around nervously. Although he preferred to walk everywhere, Colin was still a good rider and soon managed to bring the beasts under control enough to direct them down and off the regular path to the less-traveled one that led to Lark's cottage.
As he rode, he tried rehearsing what he would say to her, and imagined in his mind eye an understanding and compliant response, perhaps combined with a grateful kiss before she agreed to ride off with him. He decided that they would spend a night or two in the woods before proceeding inland, where he hoped to contact some distant relatives willing to shelter him and Lark before until they could decide what to do next.
He was so focused on his plan that when he arrived at Lark's cottage, he didn't even knock before entering. She was making candles at the table, and had just pulled a batch of partially-coated wicks from a vat of melted beeswax as he came rushing in. Her look of shock gave away to one of irritation as she saw who it was.
"Colin, really," she began, putting her hands on her hips. "You must stop these unnecessary attempts to --"
He cut her off without so much as a 'hello.'
"This visit is entirely necessary," he said. "Get a few things - whatever essentials you can carry in a bag. We're leaving. Now."
Through the door, she could see the two horses tethered to the tree by her cottage and looked at him, questioning, but did not move.
"I don't have time to explain," he said. "Just do as I say."
But rather than springing into action, Lark calmly hung the partially-formed candles on a rack and turned towards Colin, crossing her arms.
"I'm not in the habit of blindly obeying the orders of men, Colin," she said with a calmness he found infuriating. "Not even those I call 'friend.'"
"I told you, I don't have time to explain," said Colin, grabbing a sack and looking around the cottage for things a woman might need to take on a journey. Several chemises were hanging by the fire to dry. Quickly he grabbed them and stuffed them into the sack, prompting Lark to rush over and wrench it out of his hand.
"I'm afraid you have no choice," said Lark, angry now. "You've given me no reason why I should flee my house, and unless you plan to stuff me in that sack as well you'd better tell me because at this moment that would be the only way you could get me out of here!"
For the briefest moment, Colin regarded the sack in his hand and pondered whether it was big enough to hold her. Then, confident that he could appeal to Lark's reason, he turned back to her.
"He's here, Lark. He's in the village."
He snatched the sack out of her hand and began to
He ran to the edge of the village, ignoring the curious stares of onlookers, and stopped again at the blacksmith's barn. Hiram was not inside, which was just as well. Colin would have had no good way of explaining why he needed to borrow two horses, which would be essential to his and Lark's escape.
Out back, the corral where Hiram kept his own two horses was empty. Colin groaned in frustration, and then remembered that the blacksmith was keeping the visiting preacher's horse for him. The idea of helping Lark escape with Fordham's own horses brought a smile to his face and - hoping against hope - he turned back towards the stalls where the two animals still stood, regarding him with suspicion.
"Whoa. Easy," he soothed and within moments had both bridled and led to the door. It had begun to drizzle again, and a cold wind whipped around the sides of the barn in eerie shrieks. It was a bad day for traveling, but a good day for stealing; the damp, windy weather had driven everyone inside. Mounting one of the horses, Colin held the other by the reins and fought to keep his seat as both animals danced around nervously. Although he preferred to walk everywhere, Colin was still a good rider and soon managed to bring the beasts under control enough to direct them down and off the regular path to the less-traveled one that led to Lark's cottage.
As he rode, he tried rehearsing what he would say to her, and imagined in his mind eye an understanding and compliant response, perhaps combined with a grateful kiss before she agreed to ride off with him. He decided that they would spend a night or two in the woods before proceeding inland, where he hoped to contact some distant relatives willing to shelter him and Lark before until they could decide what to do next.
He was so focused on his plan that when he arrived at Lark's cottage, he didn't even knock before entering. She was making candles at the table, and had just pulled a batch of partially-coated wicks from a vat of melted beeswax as he came rushing in. Her look of shock gave away to one of irritation as she saw who it was.
"Colin, really," she began, putting her hands on her hips. "You must stop these unnecessary attempts to --"
He cut her off without so much as a 'hello.'
"This visit is entirely necessary," he said. "Get a few things - whatever essentials you can carry in a bag. We're leaving. Now."
Through the door, she could see the two horses tethered to the tree by her cottage and looked at him, questioning, but did not move.
"I don't have time to explain," he said. "Just do as I say."
But rather than springing into action, Lark calmly hung the partially-formed candles on a rack and turned towards Colin, crossing her arms.
"I'm not in the habit of blindly obeying the orders of men, Colin," she said with a calmness he found infuriating. "Not even those I call 'friend.'"
"I told you, I don't have time to explain," said Colin, grabbing a sack and looking around the cottage for things a woman might need to take on a journey. Several chemises were hanging by the fire to dry. Quickly he grabbed them and stuffed them into the sack, prompting Lark to rush over and wrench it out of his hand.
"I'm afraid you have no choice," said Lark, angry now. "You've given me no reason why I should flee my house, and unless you plan to stuff me in that sack as well you'd better tell me because at this moment that would be the only way you could get me out of here!"
For the briefest moment, Colin regarded the sack in his hand and pondered whether it was big enough to hold her. Then, confident that he could appeal to Lark's reason, he turned back to her.
"He's here, Lark. He's in the village."
He snatched the sack out of her hand and began to
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