Secrets Of Sealgaire, Chapter 3
Back at the Canasta house, Bruno had come home, and gone right into the study, as he often did these days. Angie sat alone in her room, crying over the diary Bruno gave her. Niall had left her there, because it wouldn't do for him to be caught there, comforting her, when Bruno finally emerged from torturing that woman he kept in the study. He could sense Bruno's joy with each heartbreak he caused Angie. How he hated that man! Some day, he would find a way to get Angie somewhere safe, somewhere Bruno couldn't put his hands on her. Niall knew he could never be with her, because of the monster Bruno had made him, but if she were safe, that would be enough. But she was Bruno's wife; she loved him. How would he ever get her to leave him?
Bruno knew Marta couldn't hold out much longer, not with the punishment he'd been dealing out. He had to give her credit, though. Turns out she could take more abuse than most men he knew! Well, impressive as her ability to take a hit was, the time for games was over. He had to get that diary from her, before she finally died in that cage. And she would die in that cage. If she'd done something stupid to put that diary back into Angela's possession and ruin all his hard work, he'd bring her back from the dead and kill her all over again!
"That's right, crawl over here, just like I taught you." crooned Bruno. Marta dragged her beaten body across the cage to where Bruno waited for her, got to her knees, and kissed the ring he offered. She knew she didn't have much longer to live. She was almost tempted to tell him where the book was, just to bring the end about more quickly. Though her eyes were swollen almost shut, she could still sense the blows just before they landed. Every time she'd think he had done his worst, he would find a new way to horrify her. When the blows stopped, and she felt his familiar hands on her body, it was all she could do to not vomit. But of course, food would be required for that, and she could no longer remember the last time she had eaten.
"Sleep well, my love." Bruno laughed as he dropped her unconscious body to the floor of the cell. He knew she would be dead soon, but first, he had to get that diary! Bruno left the cage, leaving her to rest up for the next round of torture. Perhaps he would even feed her. Get her strength up so she didn’t die before he got the diary back. Perhaps he would have to bring her back from the dead after all.
Bruno found Niall, and had him prepare a meal for Marta, which Niall would deliver shortly. “Do not speak to her, or touch her in any way. Simply leave the food and go. I will pick the tray up myself later.” He commanded. “Also, my wife must stay in her quarters awhile longer. The men who are to finish all the windows in the house with the special tinting had a scheduling conflict, and can’t complete the work just yet. I DO hope you haven’t mentioned this to my wife yet.” snarled Bruno.
“No, No, Master. It’s not my place. I’ll not mention it to her, you have my word.” said Niall, backing towards the counter to prepare the meal.
In the meantime, Bruno had a wife who needed his "special" attention...
When Niall brought the tray, he couldn’t believe this woman was still alive! He’d never seen such injuries. Marta didn’t even look up when he’d opened the door. She was so accustomed to Bruno coming in whenever he was in the mood to make her bleed, that she just assumed it was him. She knew he would kill her, whether she told him where the diary was or not. Niall put the tray down, and asked her, “Are you alright?”
Bruno cleaned up, always careful before leaving Marta to go to Angela. He knew the false diary was twisting her mind, with every word she read. He was still a little heady from beating Marta so severely, so he didn't think he should use a heavy hand with Angela. While he fully intended her to have regular beatings to keep her in line, he had to take his time and make sure she believed she deserved them. It's different with a wife. That's a relationship that must last forever, so it takes special care. He was still so aroused from Marta's beating - he had to calm down before he went in there. 'Remember, Bruno, you're supposed to be a sad, tortured soul because of your horrible wife. Wipe the smile off of your face!' he told himself as he finished up.
Bruno let himself in to Angie's room, and as he expected, found her in tears. If it wasn't benefiting him, he would almost have been bored with it by now. He used that to help with his tone when he addressed her. "Angela, what is the matter now? Dinner wasn't to your liking? Your jewelry box doesn't sparkle enough? Oh, I know...I must have once again failed to meet your high expectations." Bruno's voice drilled into her already fragile heart. "Oh, Bruno!" she exclaimed, "I can't believe how badly I've treated you all this time! Please, I don't understand why I did such terrible things, but I would never act that way now. We've been given a second chance, Bruno! Let me make things right between us!" she begged through her tears. "You can't expect me to forget how things were overnight, Angela. It's just not that easy. You think you can cry a few tears and it all goes away?" he replied angrily.
Angie cried, "No! Of course not, but let me show you I’ve changed. If we could just spend some more time together, you'd see that-" He cut off her words with a slap across her face.
"There it is!" he bellowed. "I don't spend enough time with you now. I'm stuck slaving away at that job all day, working my fingers to the bone in that study during my evenings, just to get the promotions you need me to have to feel superior to the other wives! And it STILL isn't enough for you!" Bruno shivered, experiencing the thrill of his unexpected slap. He didn't intend to, not tonight, but it was still so close to the surface. He just couldn't help himself. He wanted to throttle her, and then take what belonged to him! But he had to stay in control, or he would ruin all his hard work.
"Come here." Bruno commanded softly. Angie rubbed her reddening cheek as she walked warily towards him. She was clearly terrified of him, yet came to him when he commanded it. She was just where he wanted her. He held her trembling body close, almost trembling himself, intoxicated by her fear. He kissed her cheek, where the bruise would be tomorrow, and nuzzled her neck, one hand gently, then suddenly firmly, at the back of her head. With a firm grip on her hair, he whispered into her ear, "You no longer run this marriage, Angela. I am in charge now. Never again will you disrespect me. NEVER. You are the wife of the most powerful man in Bella Donna Cove, and you will treat me with the respect I deserve. I have given you my love, through everything, and you have withheld yours from me for the last time." He kept his grip on her hair as he walked her backwards towards the bed.
Marta squinted through her swollen eyes at the concern in the voice she heard. “Niall?” she asked. Niall was consumed with guilt for bringing the woman here, now that he had seen what Bruno had done to her.
She reached a weak, shaking hand towards him, beckoning him closer. “There’s not much time.” She began. “There’s so many secrets buried out there in the sand. So many secrets. Guard them well.” She gave a strangled chuckle, just before losing consciousness. Niall felt her pulse, but knew she wouldn’t hold out much longer. He left the tray as instructed, and went outside to think.
Even though he knew in his heart that Bruno would’ve gotten that woman with or without his help, Niall couldn’t help but feel responsible. Being what he was, he could smell death upon her. She surprised him by having the strength to share her hallucination. “Secrets buried in the sand” she had said. She couldn’t have known about the sandcastle - he hadn’t begun to build them until after Bruno imprisoned her. He knew he could not save her, but it made him more determined than ever to find a way to save Angie.
Niall knew that Angie would never betray her husband, no matter how badly he treated her. How would he ever get her to safety? Surely if Bruno were treating Angie like he did Marta, he would know. Then, he thought of all the bruises he'd seen on Angie when she was working out. She told him it was from the workout equipment, and he thought that, perhaps with the balance issues involved with a head injury, that was the case. Now some very unwelcome thoughts were entering his head.
Maybe he should've stayed inside, near enough to help Angie? Until he saw Marta, Niall could only think of trying to bring a smile to Angie's beautiful face. Now, when Bruno arrived home each night, Niall set about building sandcastles; as many as he could before dawn, all up and down the beach, while he planned how to get Angie out of that house alive. Just as his uneasiness at leaving Angie alone in the house was forcing him back inside, he saw a large dog approach down the beach.
Balin had taken wolf form for his own safety. If Bruno were to catch sight of him, he would just appear to be a stray that had run off too quickly to be recognized for what he was. To his great relief, it was only Niall, standing there in human form, no less! “He can change form!” thought Balin, as he began to run towards his king. But he stopped short when it appeared that Niall did not know him. He slowed his approach, stopping at Niall’s feet.
Balin tried to communicate telepathically with Niall, but Niall didn’t seem to be able to hear him. What had been done to his king, that he would not recognize Balin? Niall crouched low, scratching Balin’s head.
“Hey, big fella.” Niall began. “This isn’t a fit place for man or beast. Trust me, I know.” The wolf sat down in the sand. Niall gave a humorless chuckle, and said, “So you think you can face off with the warlock, huh Boy? Let me tell you, not as easy as you’d think. He’s a killer.”
Balin listened to the clues that Niall was unknowingly giving him. If there was a warlock threatening his king, how could Balin leave his side? He knew he must, if he were to rescue Niall and Heather both, without alerting Bruno. He continued to listen as Niall spoke to “the stray dog” that had come upon his beach. “He enjoys it too much for this to be his first. I can’t help the stupid lass who tried to get the better of him, but how can I save his wife? I feel like I know her.” continued Niall. “I dream of her. I want to free her, but she loves him, that monster she calls a husband. What can I do?” he asked the dog. “If she knew me for what I was, she’d be more afraid of me than of him.”
Balin now realized that Niall didn’t remember who he himself was, let alone Balin. And could Heather be the “warlock’s wife” he spoke of? He knew what he had to do. He had to leave his king, so he could return with the charm the Gypsy had given him all those years ago. If Niall touched the charm, he would remember everything, and Balin and the others could save Niall and Heather, and finish Bruno once and for all. It was just as hard for Balin to leave his king this time, as it was all those years ago, when Niall set off to find Angelica on his own. He looked at Niall one last time, and sprinted into the trees along the beach.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here at Enigma.” offered Andrea. “Perhaps, when you’re finished with your student teaching assignment, you might find a permanent position here with us.”
“That sounds wonderful! I came here because it’s a top notch school!” replied Polina.
“Well, if that’s the case, you’ll have to impress the Dean. That’s no easy task, so be sharp. That’s our next stop.” said Andrea. “Dean Canasta likes to meet the new ones. You should know a few things about him before we get there, so you don’t say the wrong thing.”
“He has a wife at home who’s bedridden - well, at least she was bedridden. I understand that she’s been on the mend. I wouldn’t mention her, unless he does first.” stated Andrea. “Plus, he’s very powerful and influential in this town. He has the mayor’s ear, and it’s rumored he can affect decisions much, much higher than that. Do not cross this man. He has no time for trite, polite conversation. State your business, and leave him to his. Do NOT try to pry him for personal information. His personal life is very personal.”
“That’s the other new student teacher, Frances McCullough. From the smile on her face, Mr. Canasta must think she holds much promise. Her gift is in necromancy. Who would want to raise the dead? Just the stench alone...” Andrea trailed off, making a face. “But I guess there’s no reason for what turns a man’s head.” The tone was not lost on Polina. Her brother would kill her when he found out she got a job here, all she needed was for the creep she’s supposed to be spying on to start hitting on her!
“Looks like you’re up next,” said Andrea snidely. “Best not keep him waiting.”
“Ms. Gunter, is it?” stated Bruno tersely.
“Yes...Yes Sir. Good to meet you.” stammered Polina. ‘Well, I guess I won‘t be leaving this office with a smile on my face!’ she thought to herself. ‘I’m obviously not his type!’
“I see here that you have no magical background whatsoever. Is that correct?” Bruno asked, giving her a penetrating glare.
“No Sir - I mean, Yes, that’s correct. I have no magical background as of yet. I’m here as a math teacher currently, but I was hoping that I could possibly sign up for some night courses to begin a magical education. It was much unheard of where I grew up, so I never really had an opportunity to-“
Bruno cut her off sharply. “I have no interest in your youth, Ms. Gunter. Please continue on your way.”
And with that, Andrea ushered her out the door without another word.
“What were you thinking, going on about growing up?” demanded Andrea.
“I’m sorry; I tend to babble when I get nervous. He’s very intimidating, isn’t he?” Polina asked.
“Honey, you have no idea.” replied Andrea. I suggest you get to registration as soon as possible and start those night courses. You can’t explain how mathematical calculations are needed for proper potions-making without having that knowledge yourself!” Andrea turned on her heels and left Polina standing in the hallway alone.
‘What have I gotten myself into this time?’ Polina wondered as she made her way to registration.
‘What a waste of my time.’ Thought Bruno, as the airhead blond left his office. ‘They think they can just walk in here off the street and learn magic like it was a course in cooking! She won’t be here long, unlike young Frances. Now THAT girl had promise! You can see the old magic dripping off of her! She will do great things, someday. And she’s so willing to get the boss to like her. Yes, this could work out quite well indeed.’ The smile Bruno had on his face from thinking of Frances vanished when his thoughts drifted to going home. It was time to deal with Marta once and for all. She thought she could take her little secret to the grave? Well, he’d show her that the grave held no secrets for him, now!
Bruno had left their wedding arch up, out on the beach, all these years. He said it gave him joy to see it and think back on the happiest day of his life. So when Angie was caught looking out the window at Niall’s castles, she quickly shifted her gaze to the arch.
“What are you staring at that put such a smile on your face?” asked Bruno menacingly.
“Why, our wedding arch.” Answered Angie quickly, turning to face him. She could see by the look on his face that he was in another black mood. She’d have to work hard to change it, or pay the price. “I wish I could remember it. Do you think we could look at the photo album again? When you describe it to me, I feel like I’m right there with you.” She asked cheerfully.
“Not tonight, Angela. I have much work to be done in my study, and I can’t be disturbed. I just came to tell you not to expect me for dinner, or at all, for that matter. Good night.” Bruno said. He turned and left the room without another word.
Angie was relieved. She hoped he would be true to his word, because any visit from Bruno in that mood would not end well for her. She wondered how her marriage had gotten to this state. Were they ever happy together? Could they ever be again? Angie was beginning to wonder.
She walked back to the window and looked out at the sandcastles once again, smiling at her good fortune for the evening.
“Do you know what day it is, Marta? This is the day you will be set free, or die. Now, for the last time, where is that diary?” Bruno said through gritted teeth.
Marta turned her head towards the sound of his voice, and managed to speak. “Don’t you think I know you’ll kill me anyway?” she asked. “You may as well get it over with. I intend to die with my secrets. All of them.”
‘What did she mean by that?’ thought Bruno. ‘Is this a ploy to get him to spare her, or is she hiding something more?’
Marta put her hands on her stomach, and remembered when she first found out she was going to have Bruno’s child. She was tested, just to be sure. She had thought at the time, there was a future for them, and she didn’t want to ruin it by appearing to try and trap Bruno. So she hadn’t mentioned it to him. When she saw the writing on the wall, she planned to leave town, and never tell him about the child. But it was too late for that now. They were both done. She could never leave a child to suffer Bruno’s cruelty. They would leave this world together, her and her daughter. He would never know.
And she was sure he’d never find that diary, buried out there in the dunes, right on his own property. He would never think to look there, while she was sure he would level the house he had given her right next door, trying to find it. She’d left a clue for that brainless fool, Niall, but would he understand what she told him? She couldn’t worry about that any more. She didn’t have to worry about anything, anymore. It would all end today. She welcomed the end with a smile.
“Your childish attempts to stall for time won’t work on me, Marta. You’ll leave this world, not by magic, but feeling my hands around your neck.
Fighting for every last breath.” said Bruno, as he knelt to put his hands around her neck. “But what’s this? You don’t seem afraid, Marta. Why is that? Is it because you think it will all be over soon? Look over there, Marta. Do you see my cauldron, and the device next to it?” He actually had to turn her head and pry open an eyelid for her to see them.
“Those are what I will use to bring you back as a completely obedient, rotting corpse. A corpse that will do anything I say, or tell me anything I want to know.” Bruno smiled, as fear brought Marta’s face alive, and made her fight for every breath as he strangled her.
“What a rush!” thought Bruno, as he let Marta’s lifeless body hit the floor. ‘And to think, I almost used magic, and missed feeling the life leave her body. Still finding new, exciting ways to please me, even in death, eh Marta?’ Bruno chuckled to himself. He felt so incredibly good, he knew there was no way he could go back to his room alone now. ‘Well, that IS what a wife is for, after all...’ thought Bruno, as he left Marta’s body in her cage in the study, and headed for Angela’s door.
Niall could smell death in the air, along with fear. He knew Marta did not go quietly. Now trapped in this half-wolf form, he couldn’t even go check on his Angie. HIS Angie? Where did THAT come from? What a cruel joke that idea was. If she ever saw him like this, she’d probably die from fear. There was no future for them together, but he couldn’t stop trying to make a plan to see her free of Bruno. Especially since he’s killed. Once men like Bruno develop a taste for killing, there was no stopping them. The only thing that was keeping Angie safe was that people knew about her. It wouldn’t be easy to make her disappear. Niall wondered if anyone knew about him, but he already knew the answer to that.
He set to work building more castles. It helped him to think if he kept his hands busy. As he was working on the next castle, he hit something hard, buried beneath the sand. He pulled up a plastic bag that held something solid. He opened it to find a book. A diary. He thought back to what Marta had told him. ‘Secrets buried in the sand’ she had told him. Niall didn’t dare bring the book into the house, where Bruno might find it. He set out to a dark corner of the property, to read as much of it as he could, before he would bury it again to hide it from Bruno. ‘Guard it well’ he would.
Alexa knew Normund would be furious with his sister, but this was serious. He needed to know what she was doing. Just as she was about to tell him, Balin came rushing in. “Normund!” he shouted. “We must act now! Our King is being held in that house!”
Normund tried to calm everyone as chaos erupted from the announcement. “Silence!” he bellowed, as his voice seemed to come from the very walls. “Balin, have you gone there without the pack?” he asked.
“We don’t want to start pulling rank here, Normund. I respect your leadership of this pack, but you know that I sit at the right hand of the King.” replied Balin with a dark look.
Normund bowed his head. “Please, Balin, tell us what you know.”
“Look, I know we were making plans to take this slowly, to keep everyone safe. But I went to their beach as a wolf, just to see if I could get an idea of the grounds. There before me was King Niall, as a man! I was so glad to see him that I almost ran him down but the closer I got, I could tell that he didn’t know me. He spoke to me as though I were a stray dog. He has no idea who he is, or what he is. He talked of saving a woman, but he spoke of her as though he didn’t know she was Heather. He said the warlock there held them all prisoner, and had murder on his mind. We can’t wait another second! This has to happen tonight!” thundered Balin.
Before we do anything, there’s one more detail I need to share with the pack. All heads turned to Alexa, as she began to speak.
“Polina has gotten a job at the Academy.” She began.
Normund jumped so far out of his chair, he almost hit the ceiling.
“She WHAT?” he shouted.
“Normund, just listen.” Alexa said, trying to calm him. “She got a job as a student teacher, so she could keep an eye on Bruno at work.”
Normund was beside himself with anger. “Where is she now?” he asked Alexa with a growl.
“Well, she’s still at the school. She’s signed up for evening classes in magic and witchcraft.” She added quietly. Normund's anger overcame him, and he began to change to wolf form. As Normund transformed into a wolf, she added, “It’s actually a really good idea, to have someone on the inside, and since she doesn’t know magic, he’ll never think of her as a threat.”
“There’re enough of us to cover the house and the Academy, and we were doing that anyway.” Alexa continued. “Knowing King Niall is being held at his home, it’s more important than ever to have someone at the school keeping tabs on him.”
Raule stepped up to Normund, and tried to calm their pack leader before he ran into the night and brought his sister back in his jaws. Raule was able to calm Normund down enough that he could take were form once again. The diversion also gave Balin some time to calm down and think.
“Listen, everyone. Much has happened tonight. I know we can’t rush in there to save Niall, because if anything happened to Heather because of that, he would never forgive us. For the same reason, we can’t pull Polina out of the Academy now, because it would draw suspicion towards her. We do need to end this soon, before there’s a tragedy. I have a plan.” said Balin. “Remember that pendant the gypsy gave me in the story? The one that foretold the return of the evil. If I can get Niall to touch it, he may remember who he is. If he does, then we’ll have someone who can keep Heather safe until we can figure out how to get rid of Bruno. Let me go back to the beach as a wolf, with the pendant.”
“Why can’t we just get them out while Bruno’s at the school? Surely, we can take care of one little nurse who might call him.” Normund suggested.
“If this is the same evil that befell the King and Queen all those years ago, then his magic is too strong. He can find them wherever they go, and take them to realms we could never reach.” replied Balin.
“Just like he did with Queen Angelica.” added Alexa.
“Exactly right.” said Balin. . “The pendant told us that the evil was back, and it seems to have wrapped itself around Bruno Canasta.”
Balin had Alexa fashion the pendant into a collar, and put it on him once he transformed. While the others waited for Polina to come home, Balin, with Raule as an escort, returned to the beach where he had seen Niall.
As he read the diary, something nagged at the back of his mind, telling him he was missing something important. He stopped thinking of the words, and just held the book away from him, looking for a clue. Why would Marta hide her diary? There was nothing incriminating in here, at least not so far. Just as he decided to start at the back instead, it struck him. The handwriting. All the days he spent studying with Angie, looking over her notes. This was Angie’s handwriting. Angie’s diary? He flipped to the back to look at the most recent entries. On the very last page, the writing changed.
“My name is Marta Glencoe. This is the real diary of Angela Canasta. Her husband, Bruno, had me write a false diary, detailing a life that is a complete lie. I don’t know why he has done this, but something is very wrong. I have come to fear for my life, and the life of my unborn daughter, Cassandra. The child is Bruno Canasta’s. If I end up missing or dead, look to Bruno Canasta as my killer. He is a clever warlock, and can make things seem differently than they appear. He is a liar, and I believe he is a killer. If anyone finds this diary, it means that Bruno has found me out and killed me. I am sorry for what I have done, but I must live with the consequences of my actions. I’m so sorry, Angie. Forgive me. Marta.”
Niall dropped the book in the sand, and ran for the house as quickly as he could. He flew to the top of the stairs, growling the whole way. He reached out to Angie’s doorknob, and stopped dead, looking at his fur covered hand. Niall bit back a howl of rage and despair, as he turned around and slowly walked away from the door. She was in there right now, with the man she loved, and he, an animal, a monster, was going to break down the door? ‘Calm down, Niall. Think.’ he told himself. How could he think when all he wanted to do was rip Bruno’s throat out?
First, he had to get back to the beach and hide that book, but he was reluctant to leave Angie in the house alone with Bruno. He thought back to the words he’d read in the diary. He’d just skimmed it, believing it was Marta’s, but even the small amount he’d remembered didn’t sound at all like that witch Marta. It sounded like his beautiful, sweet Angie. He longed to go get the book and bring it back to the house, so he could read more, and still be near her. How could Bruno be so cruel to her? What did he have to gain by making her believe she was a terrible person? What else had Bruno lied about to get Angie to believe what he wanted her to believe?
As Niall looked out the window, trying to puzzle out Bruno’s plan, he saw the dog that had shown up earlier coming back up the beach. ‘Boy, you’ve picked the wrong house to get attached to.’ Thought Niall, watching the dog sit itself down and look towards the house. He knew, because of the tinted windows, the dog couldn’t see him. ‘Tinted windows?’ thought Niall. Bruno had said the workers couldn’t come to tint the rest of the windows yet, but he knew from being outside himself that they already were tinted. Every window in the house was. Was there another coating needed to protect Angie’s sight, or was this another lie by Bruno to keep her imprisoned?
Niall thought back on all the times Angie tried to get him to join her in her quarters, and he’d refused her to appease Bruno. That poor girl was trapped in there, and he’d refused her this small kindness. He felt much better about his decision to defy Bruno and spend his days with Angie. Angie. What was he going to tell her? He had to get the real diary back to her, that went without saying, but how? How was he to tell her that the man she loved was a monster? First things first, he had to go and hide that diary. In his rush to get to Angie, he’d left it out on the beach in plain sight.
As he walked back out to the beach, he saw the dog get up and start approaching him. In this half-wolf form, the dog would likely attack him. He couldn’t allow anything to happen to himself while he had Angie to protect. He picked up the lit torch, and walked slowly towards the dog.
He held a hand out in front of him, inching closer with the torch, talking to the dog in his soft, growling voice this form gave him. “Now, be gone, dog. Nothing for you here. Go on, now. GO!” he said, flourishing the torch. The dog cocked his head to the side, sat himself down, and appeared to be smiling.
Balin couldn’t believe the sight before him. Not only was Niall in full were form, but he was trying to scare him away! ‘Not happening, friend’ thought Balin, as he sat himself down. He watched, as Niall sidestepped carefully past him, heading for the back corner of the property. ‘No you don’t!’ thought Balin. ‘You’re not going anywhere until you touch the charm!’ Balin got up, slowly trotting beside Niall, as he continued on his way. Balin knew what he had to do next. Someday, when he had his friend back, he would make his King pay dearly for this. He shot forward, and then rolled on his back, giving Niall his belly. Balin cringed inwardly, knowing Raule must be seeing this and would tell everyone of his embarrassing pet tricks.
Niall watched the dog warily, waiting for an attack. The dog didn’t seem upset by his form at all, but these situations could change quickly. As he sidestepped the dog to get to the diary, the dog shot in front of him and rolled onto his back. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” said Niall. “You came all this way to get your belly rubbed? I donnae have time for this, you! Now be on your way!” Niall continued down the beach, towards the book. Balin couldn’t believe this! He had embarrassed himself in front of Raule for nothing? He sighed as he rolled back over, and headed off after Niall again.
‘This is it, you great buffoon!’ thought Balin. He pulled the biggest pet trick he knew; begging. He could just imagine Raule hanging back, rolling around in the sand, laughing. Niall stopped, looking at this dog who clearly wanted his attention.
“Look, boy. If the Master catches you hanging around here, you’ll be tomorrow night’s dinner. Now off with you!” he told the dog. At least he felt more confident that the dog wouldn’t attack, so he planted the torch in the sand, and headed for the diary.
‘No way. No way could he pass this up.’ thought Balin in complete disbelief. He would have to kill Raule to keep his silence. Not an unpleasant thought, but back to the matter at hand. ‘You’ll thank me for this, later, my King.’ thought Balin, as he began a running lunge at Niall.
Niall turned, as the dog ran towards him, preparing for a lunge. He looked around for the torch he had just put down as the dog became airborne. He had tried to be nice, but he’d kill this dog before he’d let the noise of an attack alert Bruno to the window and the diary. Seeing he was too far from the torch, he planted his feet in the sand, and met the attacking dog with his hands around his throat as they both hit the sand growling.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you come back for Chapter Four, coming soon! Thank you to Karollinka1942 for her fabulous sims, to AussieKarima for Balin, to TinaG13 for her awesome cover, to Joandsarah77, Holleyberry, and Sue (boolProp, Desirable Discourses) for their much needed help in learning how to use LJ, and all my friends at DD & S2WG who read my stories and encourage me to keep writing! If I've forgotten anyone, please let me know so I can correct that unintentional error!