The Succubus by Sarah Winn

lover?”
    She glared at him and then quickly turned away, hoping he hadn’t seen her hatred of him. He’d made her do this wickedness because he couldn’t beget his own children, and he’d married her because he could force his will on her with threats against her family. He’d used poor Daniel as though his nephew was something less than human.
    She was tired of being Kendrick’s helpless pawn. The least she could do was tell Daniel the truth and let him escape his uncle’s clutches. Perhaps no babe had been planted in her yet, and they could foil part of Kendrick’s plan.
    She looked her husband in the eye. “I’m just restless from being cooped up in this room. Is the way clear?”
    He stepped aside and gestured toward the door. “Be on your way, but remember you are my wife.”
    Holding her head high, she marched past him. “As if I could forget.”
    * * * *
    Daniel sat in the chair near the fireplace with a wine cup in his hand and waited. He heard the faint rustle of footsteps in the hallway and then his door opened. She came timidly into the room and stopped a few feet from his chair.
    As her gaze raked along his fully clothed figure, she pulled the opening of her cloak more tightly together. “I know you met the real Tess today, and I intend to tell you the truth about who I am, but first let me say I didn’t want to do this. I had no choice.”
    He just stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded by her gall. “Didn’t want to do what?”
    â€œDeceive you. Use you while you were under the influence of a sleeping potion.”
    â€œThat brings up a question almost more fascinating than who you are. Why?”
    â€œTo get with child.”
    He sprang to his feet, flung his cup into the fireplace. The wine created a loud a hiss and short flare. “Who in the hell are you?”
    The woman stepped back and raised her hands as if to ward him off. He followed her, determined to wring the truth from her. “And don’t try to lie to me again.”
    The door flew open banging against the wall. Kendrick limped into the room. With a leering smile, he gestured toward the cowering woman and said, “Allow me to introduce my wife, Lady Isabel. You ungrateful whelp, you accepted my hospitality and then made me a cuckold.”
    Daniel reeled. Of all the things he’d imagined, this had not come to mind. Have I been sleeping with a crazy woman? No. This woman wasn’t crazy. He turned to her expecting a denial.
    She dipped her head and muttered, “I’m sorry.”
    â€œWhy? Why?” he yelled and instantly knew the answer. Turning back to his uncle, he said, “Did you want your own heir so badly that you were willing to whore out your wife?”
    Kendrick’s lips twisted into an ugly smirk. “If you weren’t so stupid, you’d have realized I’d tear Tewsbarrow down stone by stone before letting a son of my greedy, conniving brother inherit it.”
    Daniel shook his head, still finding all of this difficult to grasp. “But you have no problem letting his grandson inherit?”
    Kendrick shrugged. “No one will know, and it keeps the bloodline pure.”
    Daniel turned back to Isabel. Her head was still down, her hair hiding her face. Her shoulders jerked and she made small sniffling sounds. Did the bitch really think tears would wash away her sins? “The first night you came to my room, I thought you were sent by the devil to steal my seed. Now I see I was right.”
    Kendrick grabbed Isabel’s arm and pulled her toward the door as he yelled at Daniel, “Begone from this castle by dawn or I’ll have my guards drag you out!”
    â€œThe faster I get away from you and your sluttish wife the better.” Daniel grabbed up one of the leather bags he brought his belongings in and begin stuffing a tunic into it.
    â€œCome along, my dear,” Kendrick said to