Read Online The Unwilling Accomplice (Book 5) by Heidi Willard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heidi Willard
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I suppose if you could call marriage such then yes, I was in league with him," she replied. She turned her attention to Fred and gestured to the young man. "But you can say the same of Fred here. His soul once held love for Canavar, and may still hold some affection for him."
Fred stepped between them and whipped his head from Martley to Ned. "What is going on here?" he yelled.
Martley's expression softened. "Fred, my son. You are truly my son," she told him.
He looked to her with a confused expression. "My mother died when I was young," he replied.
She shook her head. "No, the mother you knew was not your own. She was merely a vessel for your soul until it was reborn. Your true self, the self who's soul inhabits your body, is Cedric Osgood."
"Cedric?" Fred repeated. He turned to Ned. The old castor's face was downfallen. "Your former apprentice? You told me he died."
"He did die," Ned insisted.
"He did not. He resides here in Fred," Martley argued.
Ned glared at her. "Fred is his own person, and you have no claim over either the soul of Cedric or Fred," he returned.
Martley straightened and the air around her swirled as though brought about by a small whirlwind. Her eyes flashed with anger and she glared at Ned. "Claim? As his mother I have the greatest claim for I am Mary Osgood, wife to Canavar and mother to Cedric Osgood," she proclaimed.
"Cedric's mother died long before I met him. You are an impostor," Ned accused her.
Martley laughed. The sound was bitter-sweet as it rang in the small area around the tree. "Ned, you who have seen the works of my husband, Canavar. Do you doubt he suddenly knew how to resurrect dead souls? That he was not at his work for years before he revived Cedric's soul only to see it slip from his grasp?"
"What is going on here?"
The earth shook, and Martley and Ned both turned to Fred. He held his staff in both hands and the bottom was pounded six inches into the ground. His eyes glowed with a strange, unnatural light like what Pat had seen on the shores of the Greater Conchero River short of Galaron.
Martley's anger subsided, and the whirlwind around her vanished. She smiled at Fred and opened her arms. "Cedric, my son," she murmured.
"Fred!" Ned shouted at him.
Fred straightened and the strange light left his eyes. He clutched at his head and stumbled backward. Ned hurried forward and caught him, but Fred pushed him away. Fred's voice was quiet and controlled. "I want to know everything," he demanded. He looked up into Ned's face with his determined eyes. "Everything you haven't told me."
Ned sighed, but nodded his head. He glanced over to Martley who gestured towards the bench. "It would be best if he was seated," she recommended.
"I prefer to stand. I just want the truth right now," Fred argued.
"Then you will know it," Ned agreed. He stepped away from Fred so his back was turned toward his apprentice. "Martley-Lady Osgood, if that is who she is-is right when she says you are my deceased apprentice, and yet you are not." Ned half turned to him and smiled softly at the young man. "You have his soul, but are a different person."
"Have his soul? How was it put inside me? Where is my own?" Fred asked him.
"As Fred you never had your own soul. Your soul has always belonged to Cedric," Martley spoke up. "As the son of the powerful castor Canavar you were gifted with a great many powers of your own, but were always physically weak. Even when you were a babe you hardly ate," she told him.
"Canavar's son?" Fred repeated in a whisper. He stumbled over to the bench. "M-maybe I'd better sit down," he agreed as he took a seat on the wooden seat.
Ned shuffled over and stood before him. "Cedric passed on in your twenty-first year, but when Canavar heard of his death he wouldn't accept. He sought out your-Cedric's body and took it back with him to Palavar. He meant to revive the soul and thus the body, but I followed him from Cedric's grave and stopped the black ritual."
"Then if you
Fred stepped between them and whipped his head from Martley to Ned. "What is going on here?" he yelled.
Martley's expression softened. "Fred, my son. You are truly my son," she told him.
He looked to her with a confused expression. "My mother died when I was young," he replied.
She shook her head. "No, the mother you knew was not your own. She was merely a vessel for your soul until it was reborn. Your true self, the self who's soul inhabits your body, is Cedric Osgood."
"Cedric?" Fred repeated. He turned to Ned. The old castor's face was downfallen. "Your former apprentice? You told me he died."
"He did die," Ned insisted.
"He did not. He resides here in Fred," Martley argued.
Ned glared at her. "Fred is his own person, and you have no claim over either the soul of Cedric or Fred," he returned.
Martley straightened and the air around her swirled as though brought about by a small whirlwind. Her eyes flashed with anger and she glared at Ned. "Claim? As his mother I have the greatest claim for I am Mary Osgood, wife to Canavar and mother to Cedric Osgood," she proclaimed.
"Cedric's mother died long before I met him. You are an impostor," Ned accused her.
Martley laughed. The sound was bitter-sweet as it rang in the small area around the tree. "Ned, you who have seen the works of my husband, Canavar. Do you doubt he suddenly knew how to resurrect dead souls? That he was not at his work for years before he revived Cedric's soul only to see it slip from his grasp?"
"What is going on here?"
The earth shook, and Martley and Ned both turned to Fred. He held his staff in both hands and the bottom was pounded six inches into the ground. His eyes glowed with a strange, unnatural light like what Pat had seen on the shores of the Greater Conchero River short of Galaron.
Martley's anger subsided, and the whirlwind around her vanished. She smiled at Fred and opened her arms. "Cedric, my son," she murmured.
"Fred!" Ned shouted at him.
Fred straightened and the strange light left his eyes. He clutched at his head and stumbled backward. Ned hurried forward and caught him, but Fred pushed him away. Fred's voice was quiet and controlled. "I want to know everything," he demanded. He looked up into Ned's face with his determined eyes. "Everything you haven't told me."
Ned sighed, but nodded his head. He glanced over to Martley who gestured towards the bench. "It would be best if he was seated," she recommended.
"I prefer to stand. I just want the truth right now," Fred argued.
"Then you will know it," Ned agreed. He stepped away from Fred so his back was turned toward his apprentice. "Martley-Lady Osgood, if that is who she is-is right when she says you are my deceased apprentice, and yet you are not." Ned half turned to him and smiled softly at the young man. "You have his soul, but are a different person."
"Have his soul? How was it put inside me? Where is my own?" Fred asked him.
"As Fred you never had your own soul. Your soul has always belonged to Cedric," Martley spoke up. "As the son of the powerful castor Canavar you were gifted with a great many powers of your own, but were always physically weak. Even when you were a babe you hardly ate," she told him.
"Canavar's son?" Fred repeated in a whisper. He stumbled over to the bench. "M-maybe I'd better sit down," he agreed as he took a seat on the wooden seat.
Ned shuffled over and stood before him. "Cedric passed on in your twenty-first year, but when Canavar heard of his death he wouldn't accept. He sought out your-Cedric's body and took it back with him to Palavar. He meant to revive the soul and thus the body, but I followed him from Cedric's grave and stopped the black ritual."
"Then if you
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