Everlasting Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy

ageless eyes as it did now.
    Despite the ring of truth in his words, Millicent didn’t want to believe him. It was simply too preposterous. “But that means Lady Chatterly… and all those other women… They wore it only for a night!”
    Gareth’s lip twitched. “It’s rare a woman refuses me for longer than that.” He gently uncocked each pistol and set them down on a delicate tea tray.
    The duke finally set loose his spell with a negligent toss of his fingers, which Millicent could vaguely see as a dark black cloud. It curved around the knight, dissipating into the paneled wall behind him. “Forgive me, Sir Gareth,” said the duke, looking not a whit sorry. “But I had to try. I find all of this quite fascinating.”
    And Millicent realized the clever duke had found out more about the relic and its powers by his pretense of friendship than if he’d threatened or tortured them. She glanced over at the were-vampire bat, who had returned to the wine cabinet and refreshed her glass. Selena held her drink up in a mocking salute before tossing it down her throat.
    “I won’t do it,” said Millicent. “There must be another way to get this cursed thing off my wrist.”
    “Wasted,” muttered Selena. “The relic is totally wasted on her.”
    The duke ignored the vamp, his intense gaze fixed on Millicent. “I suggest you find a way then. That is, if you ever want to see your Nell. Although personally, I’d recommend you just sleep with the lad and get it over with. The old lady doesn’t seem to do well in captivity.”
    Millicent growled loud enough to make Selena let out a reflexive whimper.
    “Enough,” snapped Gareth. “I’ll not have her forced.”
    The duke chuckled. “Oh, Sir Knight, I don’t think that will be necessary. Despite her protests, the girl wants you. A few hours alone with you and she doesn’t stand a chance.”
    Millicent flushed. Of course she found Sir Gareth tempting. Any woman would. But she hadn’t realized she’d allowed her attraction to show. She must dissuade the duke of the notion that the knight meant anything to her at all. Otherwise, Ghoulston would use that to his advantage. Bad enough that she’d allowed her concern for Nell to show.
    “Do you really think I’d give myself to any man?” she said. “After what my mother—I’d rather you went ahead and cut the relic off my wrist, than allow Sir Gareth to touch me.”
    Selena took a step toward Millicent, her eagerness to suit Millicent’s words to action obvious in the red glow of her eyes.
    But the duke only chuckled, rubbing his hands together again. “This is rich. Ice-cold Millicent Pantere must surrender her virginity for her only friend.” He stilled and glanced at the mantel clock. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a farthing how you manage to get that relic off your wrist. But you had best do it. And you have only a few hours. It would be unwise of you to make me wait until tomorrow night. Selena, my pet, show them to the red suite.”
    Selena pinched her lips but sailed to the door, stepping on the fallen guard with vindictive pleasure. Gareth waited for Millicent, who saw no other option than to follow the other shape-shifter. Perhaps when she was alone with the knight he would tell her more about the relic. Something that would allow her to give it to the duke without giving up the one thing she owned of value. At least to her.
    She felt Gareth’s warm presence at her back as she followed Selena through the cold stone hallways to the upper level of the castle. They climbed innumerable curving stairways until they reached a landing surrounded by doorless stone walls. Selena headed across the space, stopped before a niche, and pulled the carved statue inside. Stone shuddered, and when a square opening appeared, she waved them past her with a glitter of black beads.
    Millicent ignored the smirk the girl gave her and entered a room unlike anything she’d ever seen before. The walls had been painted a