Page 1 of Black Castle

Part One

Their Duel

Prologue

Clement Baudin

BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2002

“Guilty!” the Judge roars, his voice shaking the foundation of the building. “He shall now be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.”

The gavel thunders and Clement’s fate is sealed—a once admirable college professor, now a convicted felon.

The severity of the news leaves a sour taste on his tongue—perhaps justice itself has a flavor, after all.

“You monster!” A furious man fights through the crowd, his face beet-red. “This is what you deserve. You shall rot in there!”

Clement scoffs. They are pathetic if they think this is over. They believe they have won, and he has lost. But this is merely just a setback, a brief hiccup, a timeout for him to recharge and re-strategize. He will be back, so swiftly, like a ghost, they won’t see him coming.

He has to come back. Because he needs to protect her. And he can only do that if he is with her, and she, with him.

His little rosette. His darling lotus.

She is simply untouched by the filth of this world, her innocence untainted, delicate, perfect. Way too unblemished to be handled by greedy, careless hands. She needs protection. And who can do that job better than him, her father?

He has done it before.

He has protected her mother, his wife.

Ah, his wife, Elodie Anne. His highland rose.

She was a dream wrapped in silk, soft-spoken and pure, a creature spun from light itself.

God, how he was beguiled by her. It was more than just love. It was something deeper, darker. It was an obsession, a disease, a hunger that sunk its claws into his soul and refused to let go.

Her innocence was a drug, seeping into his bloodstream, rendering him powerless beneath its spell. He wanted to bottle it up. Keep it locked away, untouched by the world.

But life is far too cruel, merciless. For he closed his eyes, just a second, and death sprung in, snatching her away from his embrace.

Death took his Elodie away from him.

Or so it thought.

No, she isn’t really gone. She lingers still, in the girl with her green eyes, her red hair, her soul-binding voice, her quiet, haunting beauty. A reflection of what once was. A second chance.

Elodie never truly left. She lingers in her daughter. Juliette.

And this time, Clement will not fail to protect her. He will return to keep her safe, no matter the cost. He will spill more blood if he has to.

He will return for her.

His little rosette.

His darling lotus.

His Juliette.

Chapter One

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