AN ETERNAL LOVE

And Adira suddenly found herself twisted backward and held in Allison's small but strong arms. She felt heat tear through her body at Allison's first touch, as if lightning had struck her. And then Adira's own dagger was wrested from her hand and held to her heart, and Adira cried out, certain her life was about to end.

Allison got her face close to Adira's ear, and whispered, "First lesson, Adira. Trust no one."

Adira shuddered at the familiarity of those words, the way they echoed what her mother had written to her. And then she released Adira and gently pressed her weapon back into her hand as her heart thundered against her ribs.

"I would say, Adira, that it is a very good thing I was the first to find you," Allison said.

"You weren't," Adira told her. "Another one... a man, attacked me before I left England."

"And you defeated him?" Allison's golden brown eyes were wide then with disbelief.

Ashamed, Adira lowered her head. "I escaped him. Barely."

"You survived," Allison told her. "There is no shame in living to fight another day, Adira. Come now, and take me to your home. I will be needing a place to stay, and also a silly dress so I can pass as one of them."

Allison expected her hospitality? After what she had just done?

Smiling, Allison glanced at her dagger. "You can put that away, Adira. It will do you little good, anyway, up until I have taught you to use it properly."

I will hold on to it

approval. "Very

know that?" Adira

bit of a psychic, actually. I can read people. It is just something I picked up on. Besides, after what you have been through, having to flee for your life, start over, you would almost have to be a fast learner, wouldn't you?" She then turned and began walking the road toward Adira's home, glancing

choice but

**********

comfortable cabin he had been given as shelter, turned, and paced again. The fire snapped and popped loudly, drawing his gaze, and he found himself going still, staring into

dropping. The girl falling, the entire weight of her body crashing toward the ground and then stopping short at the end of that rope. The way she had jerked at the bottom. The way her head snapped. And the way it had fallen upon his shoulder when he

been no steel collar,

fireplace leaped and danced, and he thought of the fire he had seen dancing in

No, if he spoke out, she would be arrested. Harmed, killed, perhaps. He could not believe that to be God's will, no

something to him? Put some spell on him? Willed him to feel these things for her? Was such

sounded outside, and he opened the door before old Alex Davies could announce his presence. The man's face seemed

wondered why he was irritated at the interruption. He ought to be glad to be distracted from thinking about her. Seeing her again--God, he was bordering on obsession now that he had

this, Reverend Walter, but upon seeing you in the church with Mistress Thompson this morning, I felt it necessary,"

concerns Mistress Thompson,

hands behind him, began pacing much as Damien had been doing only moments ago. "Reverend... I fear the woman is trouble," he said. "You recall the conversation