1060

We thought Stokes could be defeated.  We were wrong.  We thought Collinwood was immortal.  We were wrong.  I thought myself worthy of love.

I was wrong.

Stokes, crazed, set Collinwood ablaze.  It was torture to see it, and my shock was allayed only by the knowledge that I was seeing a mere reflection.  However, Roxanne was far more than a reflection.  She was a woman who had the audacity to love me.

Damn you, Angelique.  Even in another dimension, your curse holds dominion over all.  “All I love shall die.”  Well, dearest, you have kept yourself quite, quite safe.  I have now seen one such woman burn alive in agony.  Angelique, this is a women not born of our time or even our world.  Why would you curse her as well?  Mere coincidence?  I have lived with centuries and mere coincidence.  I have seen my loves die time after time to mere coincidence.  You will not file this away under mere coincidence.  You will take responsibility for your systematic destruction of everything I ever loved.

You will answer to the charge.

As the fire at away the great house around us, Julia and I found ourselves trapped in the room which took us to this place.  Roxanne was unable to enter.  She screamed in mindless pain as I was paralyzed to stop it.

Then there was nothing.

Or so I thought.  More anon.

BC