Her Red Knight

Chapter 22

Baldwin sighed as he was trying to get through the day. The longer he was away from Aspen the more irritated he was getting. So much so that when he got a call from Domenico about Satu he was ready to tear the fucking witches head of. He hated Venice at the best of times and now with Aspen so far away, with the knowledge that one day and hopefully soon. Aspen would finally be with him forever. So he left his office and went to a quiet courtyard in the city. He was watching the canal when he heard the little prick approaching. Standing to his full height he turned to face him. A scowl on his face. 'Well done, Dominico. Where is she? What have you done with Satu?' He growled.

'What happens now? Will you recall the Congregation?' The little prick asked. Baldwin was on the verge of snapping.

'Not just yet. Let's have some wine. And bring her to the back of the palazzo would you?' He said flippantly. He was going to sink his teeth into the witch, to see what she did to his Harp. To punish like he did before the congregation was put in place. When he was emperor, a general, a king.

'It's funny. I always thought you hated Matthew. But it actually suits him, doesn't it? Having everyone focus on our errant witch instead of his one, and your one. Gerbert has told me tales about the De Clermont witch, half witch, half vampire. Ursi. He called her.' It was taking everything in Baldwin not to lash out to kill the prick.

'Satu trespassed on my land, my ancestral home. I want to see her suffer before the Congregation decides her fate.' He said, trying to sound even. But anything that involved Aspen getting hurt meant he saw red and he couldn't lash out. Not just yet.

'You know, I think I'll hold on to her. Just for now.' Dominico smirked. Baldwin took a stabling breath. It was always something with this man.

'What do you want, Domenico?' He never had someone try his patience this much and he wanted to kill the man but his game was waiting. It was always waiting for him, no matter how much he gave to the universe.

'Nothing. Today, but tomorrow, the day after...Who knows?' Domenico smirked as he turned to leave. 'I'll be in touch.' Baldwin wanted to throw a punch and for the most part he restrained it wasn't until he got home and he threw the glass at the wall did he let his anger out.

He was seething for the rest of the morning before he got a call from Aspen. Just hearing her voice made his anger dissipate. He was surprised a page had shown up in the Bishop house, but he should have known Stephen would have planned something to prevent Gerbert and Knox from taking power. He wished he could spend all day with her overlooking the French countryside. Riding through the forest.

He was disappointed when the phone call ended and he had to go back to real life, where he was stuck here waiting for Domenico's next move. He also wished that he was Matthew, able to flaunt the rules, to be with Diana. Though he had to humor himself with the fact he was at least closer to marrying his mate, and hadn't known her for not even three weeks. He knew it would last. All mate bonds did. But there was something so much stronger about his and Aspen's he was sure of that. She always arrived when he wanted her most. They were intrinsically connected somehow. He knew his father and Stephen had an idea as to why but they never shared even as he grew older. When Stephen came and Aspen didn't, he had no idea as to why until he read the news of their deaths and how their daughter was found with them. No one found anything suspicious, Knox claimed she had no power and of course they all believed him. Well almost all. He never believed it, he had seen her terrifying strength. Gerbert too, he was her greatest danger.

Gerbert had wanted her for himself since he met her at sixteen as a senator. He smelled her power and he wanted to control it. Every time she arrived he would too. Philippe protected her by claiming her as family, a blood sworn daughter. Diana now he knew there was something different about her, a different magical signature. It felt familiar and he couldn't figure out why, not that he was going to anyway.