Read Online WeresDigest by Desconhecido - Free Book Online

his death,
including this castle, would go to Mason.
    “If you ever want to see your daughter again, you’ll
change this blasted will.”
    The duke shook his head, guessing Mason had already
murdered his poor daughter long ago. He smashed his eyes shut readying himself
for the pain he knew would soon riddle his body. It wasn’t long before he heard
Canton Mason mutter indecipherable gibberish, before pain tore through the
duke.
    Sweat poured from him yet he made himself breathe
deeply in order to help bear the pain. God, he prayed one of the servants would
stop soon to check in on him, prayed it wouldn’t be too late. Already, Mason
had been with him for a quarter of an hour.
    Blessed relief soared through the duke’s heart when he
heard Simon’s boisterous laughter sounding out in the hallway. How could he
have forgotten about Simon’s daily visits, at the same time of day,
mid-afternoon?
    The wizard cursed again, knowing his time here was
short, then held his hands aloft, all fingers pointing at the duke. “You fool!
You’ll never see your daughter again, even if you had signed it! She’s dead, do
you hear me,” he seethed. “Dead. I killed her within months of taking her.”
    The Duke felt pain and sorrow twist like a knife into
his heart, a pain worse than what the wizard inflicted upon him. “You will sign
the will—all of your goods over to me next time I visit, your lordship, or
die,” he sneered.
    Mason knew, if he met and fought each of the duke’s
sons singly, he’d win, but together, a power of three, he was uncertain. He
would have opportunities to pick them off, one by one, but not here in this
castle filled with fighting men, he decided as he twirled a knife around his
body.
    In a black cloud of smoke Mason disappeared, but not
before Simon saw him.
    Simon rushed to his grandfather’s side and sank onto
the bed beside him. “What in the hell was that? Tell me, Grandfather!”
    The duke shook his head wearily, opened his mouth to
speak, but not a sound could he make. Simon gently lifted him higher in the
bed. “Can you tell me what happened?”
    * * * *
    Chills swept through Simon when his grandfather
pointed to his throat and shook his head. Gently stroking hair back from his
grandfather’s forehead, Simon knew then he couldn’t speak. Whatever that thing
was that he’d caught but a fleeting glimpse, had done this to him. Simon could
feel the evil still lurking in the room. Leaning over, he kissed his
grandfather’s cheek. “Rest. I’m sending Dora in to stay with you the rest of
the night.”
    Simon caught the slight smile on his grandfather’s
face as he rose from the bed and stalked from the room. He took the steps
swiftly down to the kitchen, calling out, “Dora! Dora, I need you.”
    Dora, second housekeeper in command, rushed from the
kitchen. “Yes, my lord, what is it?”
    Pausing in front of her, he took her old, gnarled
hands in his. “Something has happened to my grandfather. I want you to stay
with him, and stay awake and watch over him, for as long as you can. I’ll
return in a few hours with Max and Jake to relieve you.”
    “Yes, m’lord, I shall be happy to sit with his
lordship.”
    “Thank you.” Simon sighed and tried to form an excuse
to tell the woman—other than the truth—which could frighten her. “I believe he
may have had some sort of fit, and can no longer move or talk. I’ll be back
shortly.”
    He strode into the great hall, satisfied that Dora
would watch over his grandfather. Just as he called out, “Jake, Max! Where in
the hell are you two?” Jake appeared from the kitchens, gnawing on a turkey
leg.
    “We need to talk,” Simon said. “Where’s Max?”
    Max entered the great hall then, towing a petite,
curvy woman with gold-rimmed spectacles on her small nose. Ah, so this is
Max’s mate. Knowing who the woman was, Simon couldn’t reach Jake in time to
warn him of the fact, somehow guessing Jake would poke fun, believing the young
woman