Infernal Vices (Resurrectionist #3)

CHAPTER 34

SAVIOUR

With a resounding boom the vestry door was thrown open and hit the wall. Nissa strode into the nave dressed in men’s trousers, boots, and a billowy linen shirt. Her inky dark hair was tied up into a bun. Nissa was our backup; her part was to step in if the police did not arrive by half past twelve. They were clearly late and so Nissa was our saviour. She was instructed to hold the men at gunpoint until Dancer and his team of policemen arrived to take Blake into custody. Where the devil were they?

Gripping a pistol Nissa moved forward with unnerving confidence. She raised the gun and in turn moved her arm pointing the weapon at each man who was not part of our group of betrayers!

“Put your hands up, wicked gentlemen!” she said with a most unladylike growl. Judge Morehead, Spencer, and Faulkner had consumed more of the drugged elixir than I had and they seemed quite discombobulated by the sudden intrusion of a lady into what was a distinctly male affair.

“A girl, what the devil? You can’t be in here,” Morehead bellowed.

“I’m the one with the gun; you don’t hold the power. Now put your withered pricks away and put your hands up. I won’t ask again!” Nissa countered with steely determination. And my god, she was magnificent. I was so very proud of her. She had complained many times about the men she’d met who had underestimated her. I had never been so foolish as to do so. It seemed that despite their inebriated state, Morehead, Spencer, and Faulkner had a little sense remaining, so they did exactly as she’d directed, stowed their cockstands and thrust their hands into the air. The gun was now pointed directly at Lawrence Blake. Sebastian and Cavendish were still wrestling on the floor. Sebastian told me beforehand that should things come to blows he could take care of himself, so I knew better than to intervene. It seems no one else wanted to be within slashing distance of that silver blade either.

“Get that thing out of Leo and let him go!” Nissa snarled.

Blake sent a fleeting look towards the door to the vestry.

“Mr. Monkman has been restrained, so no; he won’t be coming to your aid. Now, step back and let Leopold go.” With a growl and glare of reluctance, Blake stepped back and pulled the Staff of Asklepios out of Leo. The whimpering boy hurriedly rolled off the table. I stepped forward to aid him to his feet. He grimaced in pain because the phallus had torn him and blood flowed down his leg.

“Go my boy, get dressed. We’ll get you a doctor once the police arrive.” Ashe took over, scooping the young man into his arms and then carried Leo to the vestry.

“Meddlesome little bitch! You called the police? Where the bally hell is Dancer?” Faulkner’s booming voice made me shudder.

“Don’t you dare speak to her like that!” I replied, more than willing to put my school boxing practice into use. Faulkner stepped back in fear. “On your knees,” I said to Faulkner, Spencer, and Morehead. The terrified men did as I directed.

Blake removed the staff from its harness and wiped it on his robe, then cradled it to his chest like a newborn. Nissa moved a step closer to the ritual table, the pistol still trained on the American.

“A little girl with a gun,” Blake sneered and then laughed. “I’d bet you don’t even know how to use that thing. Spencer, get up and disarm her, now!”

Lord Arthur Spencer was the kind of coddled fop who didn’t even butter his own toast. He appeared alarmed to have been ordered to do such a thing. He rose on shaky legs .

“I dare you to try, Lord Spencer,” Nissa said with resolute determination, not shifting her gaze from pinning Blake. Spencer looked between the young woman with the gun and the American cradling the ancient phallus.

“Oh, bally-hell. Stuff this for a lark!” Spencer scoffed and then ran towards the vestry door.

“You gaddamn coward!” Blake roared.

A minute later Ashe returned, “I untied Monkman, he’s from my household and will not betray me. He and Spencer are taking Leo down to the house and will see to it that a doctor is sent for.” Cavendish was still giving Sebastian as good as he got and so Nissa’s attention was distracted for a moment.

“For god’s sake, it’s over Mr. Cavendish. Let go of the knife. If you hurt my father, I will hurt you!”

“Your father?” the remaining men all said in unison. Then several things happened at once. Blake saw the distraction as an opportunity to make a run for it with the priceless phallus. Sebastian cried out in pain, and then without warning, Nissa fired her pistol, once, twice. Nissa was an excellent shot and I admit, I was shocked by the sudden, remorseless way she had acted, taking down the two men who were a danger to those she cared for. Blake fell backwards, dead before he hit the floor, wide eyed surprise his expression for evermore. The Staff of Asklepios rolled from his unfeeling hand to rest beside Sebastian. Cavendish was not yet dead from the bullet wound in the chest; he made gasping, choking sounds as he eased himself backward, away from Sebastian. He was still holding the knife…the bloodied knife! It was then that Sebastian rolled over and when his red robe fell open, I saw the blood flowing from his chest.

Sebastian had been stabbed.

I rounded the table, fell to my knees, and pulled Sebastian onto my lap. This could not be true. Sobbing, I cradled my love as his lifeblood pumped out of his body through the wound close to his heart and pooled on the carpet beside the Staff of Asklepios. My thoughts whited out and I became horror-struck with grief.

“Don’t leave me, dear God, please don’t leave me.” Sebastian slowly opened his eyes and smiled. In a slurred voice said, “Don’t be afraid, dear heart,” then he sagged in my arms.

“Father!” Nissa lowered to sit with us. She smoothed Sebastian’s auburn hair back from his brow. My cheek pressed to Sebastian’s chest and I sobbed as his heartbeat slowed and then finally stopped. I let out a keening wail and tears filled my vision. I prayed for God to take me too. I had been blessed to meet the one person who was worthy of my heart, and now he was gone and I was alone. Grief became too much, I couldn’t breathe, my heart burned with pain and then it felt like I passed into darkness. I have no idea how long I was unconscious for, but it was gasps of “What the devil!” and “It cannot be!” that roused me. I heard the hearty thrum of a strong heartbeat where my face rested against Sebastian’s chest. I opened my eyes to see the remaining brothers were standing around us staring in awe.

“Ben, look!” Charles was at my side, “Look,” he said louder, and his tone was not of grief but of wonder. I looked up to see the Staff of Asklepios was…drinking in Sebastian’s blood and an arcane glow was emanating from inside it. I reached for it and held it between us, our bared skin touching the phallus. A wave of peace rolled through me as I cradled my lover, my tears mixing with his blood, both soaking into the glass as if it were sea sponge. I don’t know how long we lay like that, but it was Nissa’s voice that brought me to attention again.

“Father, wake up. Your wound has…closed,” she said, and I was sure for a moment my grief was making me hear what I wanted to hear, and not the truth. But then I looked down to see Sebastian’s chest wound was indeed gone. He was healed and all that remained as evidence he had ever been stabbed was a silvery line. I couldn’t quite fathom what had happened. How was he still alive?

“This is a miracle, a miracle! Praise be! What did you see, tell us, what did you see?” Judge Morehead asked in a desperate, hungry tone. I was confused. It took me a moment to figure out what he meant. What did we see beyond the veil?

Sebastian opened his eyes, “I saw darkness, only darkness.” He turned his head and his whiskey gaze met mine and my god, the explosion of joy in that look.

“And then I saw you!”

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