Chapter Seven
Truth Set Free
Roxton led the search party, desperation to find Marguerite overriding everything else. He had to get to her. He feared what she might be experiencing and his fright was heightened by the last few days' events. Her unnatural behavior was unnerving and scared him more than he was willing to admit to himself.
Hours into the hunt, he finally spotted her standing on a ledge at the edge of a waterfall clothed in only her negligee. If the situation weren't so dire he would've made a quip about her attire with a teasing smile, but the circumstances were too solemn. Quietly, as to not disturb her, he approached from the side. "Marguerite," he spoke softly. When he got a better look at her face he was shocked to find her eyes closed. "Marguerite, what are you doing?" He cautiously inched forward, his weapon and eyes darting all over in search of a threat.
Malone finally caught up, huffing from the strain of running after Roxton. He stopped a few yards away, keeping a look out for danger as Roxton moved closer to Marguerite. "I've got you covered, Roxton. Go out and get her."
Roxton set his rifle down and held out his hands to her. "Marguerite, please, come away from there." When she didn't so much as twitch, he reached out to take hold of her, but her head snapped around and her lifeless eyes bore into him. "Marguerite…please…I don't want you to fall."
"This way," her voice was deep and scratchy. Then she flung herself off the cliff.
"Nooo," Roxton cried, his body impulsively jerking forward in the attempts to catch her, but knowing it was too late. He watched in horror as her slender body plummeted towards the water. When her body disappeared from view beneath the roaring waves Roxton dove in after her.
He felt the breath torn from him as he plunged head first into the river. Struggling against the current, he fought his way to the surface where he took a deep breath before going back under. His eyes stung from the river water, but he forced them to remain open. He held out as long as he could then, came back up for air. "Marguerite!" he yelled. "Marguerite, answer me!" He whipped his head around, but saw no sign of her. "Marguerite!"
He swum down stream, every few feet going under in search of her, but yielded no result. Flooded with adrenaline, he grew fierce in his search. Finally, two hundred yards from where she had jumped, Roxton saw her floating face first in the water. He fought wildly against the water until he was at her side. He rolled her over, dragging her to the shoreline. "Damn it, Marguerite, why'd you jump?"
He laid her body on the bank and dipped his ear close to her mouth. She wasn't breathing. Roxton compressed her chest then cupped his mouth over hers to administer air. He continued CPR all the while demanding, "Wake up, Marguerite. Damn it, Marguerite, this isn't how our first kiss should go. I'm doing all the work, which is rather typical. You need to help out a little."
Finally, she squirted out the river from her mouth, coughing violently. Roxton gathered her to him and kissed the top of her dark head. "You scared me to death, Marguerite. I thought I'd lost you. What the hell were you thinking jumping off that cliff?"
"She was coming to me."
Roxton snapped around to see a man cloaked in a black hooded cape standing at the water's edge. "Who the hell are you?" He withdrew his pistol and aimed it dead center at the stranger's chest. "What the hell do you want?"
"I am Klor. I want what is rightfully mine. Marguerite and I made a deal and she lost. Her loss is my gain. She now belongs to me."
Roxton leapt to his feet. "Like the hell she does you bastard. Marguerite belongs here with me, not with you." He cocked his weapon. "And I will kill you if you dare so much as take a step. Actually, I have it in my mind to shot you where you stand. You're the one who has been tormenting her, taunting her…I ought to kill you."
"And I you."
Marguerite, finally revitalized, stood solid behind Roxton. "You liar! This wasn't part of any deal you deceiving bastard!" Then her eyes went wide as she realized what she had said. "I remember!" She patted Roxton on the shoulder. "I remember, Roxton! He was at the Zanga festival and he approached me with an offer. If I picked the right hand, then he would send me home. If I picked the wrong one, it would be emptiness."
Klor's face crunched up in confusion. "You…remember?"
"That's right, Klor the Sorcerer of Malia. I remember you and your little trick."
"But…how? I do not understand. You cannot remember. I placed you under a spell. Only a sorceress or powerful witch can undo my magic." He backed away, eyeing Marguerite in wonder.
Without warning, Veronica came flying out of a tree and landed on top of Klor, knocking him to the ground. Challenger and Malone rushed from the tree line and shoved their rifles into Klor's face, but he seemed unconcerned with their weapons; instead gazed wild-eyed at Veronica. "You! No, it cannot be!" In a flash he vanished into thin air.
End Chapter Seven
I'm thinking there will only be one more chapter after this. I hope you enjoyed it so far.
