“How do you wish to precede, Christian?” Galahad looked up at him from where he sat. “I, for one, do not wish to see Lady Elizabeth harmed. I fear if we let him take her that will happen. I made it clear before the King, Father and the demon that we take our duty seriously. We will protect her, even from her betrothed, if we see him as a threat.”
Lance stopped pacing and stared at his brother in disbelief. “You did what?”
“I told him--”
“I heard what you told him. Holy shit.” He closed his eyes attempting to balance himself as the world tilted. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”
“But--”
“No, Gal. You declared war on him. At least that’s the way a demon would take it.” Lance wanted to scream. The only thing stopping him was the woman on the other side of the door. She was better off not knowing any of this.
“I tried to tell him the same thing.” Zephyr offered.
“Nay, you did not. You stopped me from saying where Christian and Elizabeth were sheltered. From a storm you created. There was no discussion over the beast dining with the King.” Galahad shot back.
“Wait. Hold it!” Lance shot an irritated look back and forth between his brother and the vampire. He finally understood what drove Jared insane. The bickering solved nothing. “I
don’t even want to know what you meant about the storm. Better I’m in the dark there. But now that this is all out in the open, how can we save her from having to go through with marrying him?”
The wolf in him growled. Giving Elizabeth up was not an option. He would die before the demon could claim her as its own.
“Christian?” Zephyr gave a small wave to gain his attention. “I may have a solution.”
“Out with it. I’m willing to hear anything at this point.”
Zephyr removed the pouch on his hip and withdrew the golden rope. “A hand-fasting. We shall bind the two of you and the demon will have to give up his claim on the lady. The betrothal contract will be void.”
Lance rubbed his chin. It could work. But there was still something that made him uneasy. “ One flaw in that, he’s a demon. He’s not going to care either way. Trust me. I’ve known more than my fair share of them.”
The vampire shrugged. “’Tis a better idea than doing nothing.”
Galahad nodded. “He has a point, Christian.”
“Aye, and besides, the Lady has sanctioned it.” Zephyr stated matter-of-factly.
His brother’s gaze pinned the vampire. “You never said that before.”
“The subject didn’t come up.” Zephyr waved off the younger Du Lac. “Now you see, there is nothing stopping you.”
His mind reeled. All this time he tried to keep Beth at arm’s length. Everyone and their mother kept drilling into him that he could not change history. Now, after all was said and done, Sam did a one-eighty and gave her blessing for them to be together.
Lance called bull shit on that. “No way. I won’t believe that unless she says so herself.”
“Fine. Wake your mate and bring her to the lake. But make haste, we must return to the castle before dawn.” Zephyr turned on his heel and walked off into the woods.
Lance and Galahad looked at each other.
“What do you think? Should I believe him?” Lance rubbed his hands over his face.
“Why are you asking me? You have known him longer than I. Has he ever lied to you?”
“In my time?” Lance snorted. “Plenty of times. But not when it was important.”
“Then why do you question his motives now?”
Why did he, indeed? He wanted to believe this was the solution, he did. It seemed too easy. At this point there should be things attacking him or at the very least a lightning bolt strikes him down for even considering what the vampire proposed.
But if it saved Elizabeth’s life?
He would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat.
“Alright.” Lance nodded. “Follow him. Make sure everything is on the up and up. I’ll get Elizabeth and bring her to the lake. This had better work.”
“If not, do I have your leave to run him through?” Galahad grinned.
“Abso-friggin-lutely.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Elizabeth drowsily snuggled closer to Christian. When her hand met with cold bedding, she frowned opening her eyes. The slowly dying embers in the fireplace barely lit the room, but she could see enough to know it was empty.
She was completely alone.
Where had he gone?
The low murmur of voices resonated from beyond the walls of the cottage. Elizabeth strained to hear what they were saying, but couldn’t make any of it out. She sighed in frustration.
Who could he possibly be talking to out here?
Throwing back the covers, she hurriedly donned her gown and damp boots. Pulling her cloak about her shoulders, she crossed the room. She reached the door. It swung open, leaving her face to face with Christian. She retreated a few steps, allowing him room to enter.
Christian closed the door behind him, never taking his eyes off her. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I was. ‘Till I reached out for you and found myself alone.”
“About that, I’m sorry.” He held a hand out to her. She sidestepped, putting the table between them.
“You are sorry. That is all you have to say for yourself? Sorry?” She narrowed her gaze. “Let me ask you a question, Christian. Did you bed me for sport? Was I merely a conquest to you?”
His jaw ticked. “Where the hell is this coming from? Why would you even think that?”
“I heard you, Christian. Do not try to deny it. I heard you speaking to someone, someone you know quite well apparently. You told them about what happened here.” She waved her hand toward the bed, her gaze never wavering from his.
“Look, Beth, I don’t know what you think you heard, but it wasn’t like that. Galahad and Zephyr--”
“Wonderful! Shall we let the whole castle know as well? Or perhaps, the kingdom? I am sure you can find a travelling minstrel to deliver the happy news to the surrounding villages.” How many more people knew they were stranded in the forest without a proper chaperone? She shouldn’t have run off without Beatrix. She should have taken her maid along. Bea probably would have talked her out of staying here. Then again, had Bea talked her out of it they never would have lay together.
“Would you calm down and stop being so dramatic?” He slipped around the table, reaching for her.
Elizabeth darted away, holding up her hand between them. “Dramatic? Nay, Christian. Dramatic ‘tis not what I am.”
Christian cursed under his breath. “What would you have me do? Let them in so they could see for themselves what happened between us? Come on, Beth, you know I did the right thing.”
“Why were they here in the first place?”
This time when he reached for her hand she let him take it. “They came to warn me that Lord Rimmon has arrived and he is ready to claim his bride.”
She gasped. Her eyes full of fear. “He cannot. Not after tonight. Not after we . . .”
“I’m afraid he can.”
“Nay.” Her voice was barely a whisper. Elizabeth lowered slowly into a chair Christian slid behind her. “What are we going to do?” Her gaze searched his for an answer in the fading light from the fire. “Lord Rimmon will demand satisfaction for this.” And when he did . . .
“No, he won’t.” Christian lowered on to his knee in front of her. “That’s the other reason they were here. Zephyr came up with a way to get out of your betrothal.”
I shall finally be free. “How?”
Christian held her hands in his. “A hand-fasting.”
Her heart stopped. Was he truly asking her what she thought he was asking her? “A hand-fasting?” She repeated slowly.
“Zephyr and Galahad are waiting for us by the lake. Apparently, The Lady has given her blessing. All you have to do is say yes.” His words were rushed, as if he were afraid to hear
her answer.
“A hand fasting.” She couldn’t believe he suggested such a thing. “Christian, I don’t know.”
Her wedding was supposed to be a grand event. Her family should be there. Her father should be delivering her to her betrothed. She slipped her hands from Christian’s. This was all happening too quickly. She wasn’t ready to be married, her betrothed or not. She was not ready to give up her freedom to anyone.
Christian cupped her face. “Beth, please say yes.”
A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked for even the slightest hint of insincerity. She loved him, but was she ready to tie herself to someone she barely knew to avoid an arranged marriage?
He brushed a tear away from her cheek. “Why are you crying? I thought you would be happy about this.”
“I--I am. Are you asking this of me because of the betrothal or because you truly want to?”
“Even if there was no betrothal, I’d still be right here asking you the same question.” The corner of his mouth twitched, curling into easy smile.
She stared at him blankly. “Why?”
“Why? You really have to ask why? I finally found what I had been searching for and never realized it. I am not about to lose that now.” Christian shook his head, laughing.
His fingers wrapped around hers as he rose, pulling her up with him. “You are my mate, Elizabeth. I thought you understood what that meant.”
“And what exactly does it mean, Christian? I escape a tyrant and become another’s property? I do not think I can live that way.” Elizabeth’s gaze slid away from his. “I will not give up who I am.”
A low growl emanated from his chest. “I’d never ask you to. I would never smother your spirit.” He grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Beth you are my equal. Wolves mate for life.”
“And what if I say no? What then?”
“Then we will most likely end up dead. Rimmon will be out for blood when he learns you and I were alone out here, that I stole you from him. If we are wed, and we get the King to approve of it, he has to abide by it.”
“There is still the chance he may fight it.” She nibbled her lip.
“Yes, there is.” Christian’s eyes gave off a soft amber glow. His lip curled into a snarl, exposing his lethal fangs. “If he so much as looks at you I will rip his throat out. You are my mate. As such I will protect you with my life.”
Elizabeth gasped and stepped back, startled by the wolf’s presence. Even as she saw it emerge, she realized it would not hurt her. Christian would not hurt her. She framed his face with her hands. “I would never ask you to die for me.”
“Cher, you would never have to ask. I do it of my own free will. For my one and only mate.” His eyes searched hers. “For the only one I will ever give my heart over to. I love you, Beth. Will you be my mate, my wife?”
Tears rolled down her face. “Yes, Christian. I will be your wife.”
Christian wrapped his arms around her lifting her, off her feet. His lips captured hers hungrily. The fang she had glimpsed pierced her lip. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth, but this time it didn’t frighten her. For the first time in forever she felt loved and whole.
When her feet reached the ground again, she sobered and a new wave of fear hit. “There is still a problem.”
He frowned down at her. “Problem? What problem?”
She rested her cheek on his chest and sighed. “What happens when you have to leave? I know you will go sometime.”
“You will come with me or I won’t go. It’s that simple and not negotiable. Semiramis will have to see that.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Nothing in her life ever was. One of them would to end up hurt if not dead. She felt it in the bottom of her soul.
Twenty Two
The short walk from the cottage to the lake felt like an eternity to Lance. With each step, sideward glance, and shared smile between them he knew beyond a doubt the hand-fasting was the right solution to their problem. And that’s what the situation with Lord Rimmon was, their problem not her’s alone. Not anymore.
As they approached the edge of the woods, his steps slowed. Lance turned to face Elizabeth, taking her hands in his. The earthy scent of the marsh beyond the trees filled his senses, reminding him of his first night in Camelot. The night he met the fiery red-head with emerald eyes standing before him.
He lifted her hands to his lips kissing the finger tips gently. “Once we go through with the hand-fasting, there is no turning back. You’re positive this is what you want?”
Elizabeth’s eyes met his. “Do we have a choice?”
“Beth, you always have a choice with me.”
Her face lit up. “Aye? Then I choose that after we go through with this we leave this place. I wish to go to your world, your time. As soon as possible.”
“I promise, as soon as my training is done and I pass whatever test they have planned for me, I will take you wherever it is you want to go. Even if that means I give up my life to do so.”
“You do not mean that. You cannot abandon your destiny for me.”
“If it means keeping you, I will.” Lance saw the tears threatening to fall from her eyes again. “No more tears. I think we’ve let my brother and Z cool their heels long enough.” He held his elbow out to her. “Shall we?”
She placed her hand in the crook of his arm. “Aye, we shall.”
They emerged from the forest. Walking along the shoreline toward the knight and vampire standing on the edge of the water Lance chuckled to himself. What a crew they made, a wolf, a vampire and two children of Camelot banding together for one common purpose.
To keep the woman at his side safe.
Little did she know all three men before her would lay down their lives to protect her, though each of them had their own reasons for doing so.
Upon reaching the pair, he noticed that Zephyr had planned the occasion more thoroughly than expected. Strategically place candles illuminated the small clearing with a welcoming light. On the edge of the water stood a simple alter made from a fallen tree. Draped over it was sheet of blue silk. It rippled in the slight breeze, taking on the look of water flowing over the log. In the middle of the silk stood a gold chalice adorned with sapphires and filled with wine. The gold rope from Zephyr’s pouch lay loosely coiled around the base of the chalice. Lance was speechless.
The clouds above drifted apart to reveal the full moon. The altar and its contents glowed in the bright light raining down upon them. A soft wave hit the shore, pulling their collective attention to the lake. The water began to ripple as a woman rose from the depths and walked on the surface toward them. When she reached the shore, her lips curved into an easy smile.
Semiramis held out her hands. Lance and Elizabeth each placed a hand in one of hers. “Christian and Elizabeth, you have defied the odds and found each other in this place and time, I give you my blessing.”
Elizabeth smiled back. “Thank you, my Lady.”
Lance frowned. Something wasn’t right. He sniffed the air, only to inhale a nose full of marsh. Tilting his head, he regarded the woman holding his hand. It may look like Sam, but it wasn’t. Although her hand was soft and warm, when he looked into her eyes, there was dark void in their depths. A darkness he had never noticed before. She frowned under his scrutiny. A veil seemed to lower, closing him off from whatever darkness he saw.
“Yeah, thanks Sam.”
He raised a questioning brow in Zephyr’s direction. The vampire shrugged and waved them over to the altar. The four of them joined the vampire. Lance and Elizabeth stood in front of Zephyr. Sam moved to Beth’s side while Galahad stood next to Lance.
“We all know why we are here.” Zephyr’s gaze touched each one of them. “We are all in agreement that this is the best course of action for Lady Payne’s situation. We are also in agreement that the bonding of these two souls has been written in the stars even before each of us came to be. T
his union is fate.”
The Lady Semiramis nodded in agreement. “I concur. The Fates will not be denied no matter how we try to alter the course.” The rope floated off the altar and drifted toward her. It landed in her grasp and began to glow. “What this rope binds tonight will stand the test of time. I infuse it with the power to strengthen the bonds that already exist. The two of you will need it.”
The Goddess handed the rope to Zephyr. He bowed to her as he took it. Something unspoken passed between them. The vampire placed the rope back on the altar. He turned to face Lance and Elizabeth.
“On this night we are gathered to bear witness to the binding of these two soul mates.” Zephyr began. “Christian Lancelot Du Lac and Lady Elizabeth Payne, do you come here of your own free will with the wish to be hand fasted before the blessed Lady of the Lake?”
They answered in unison “We do.”
Zephyr picked up the chalice, lifting it up to the moon. “The wine in this cup symbolizes the blood that flows within each of you. By committing yourselves to each other, the two become one. Drinking of this chalice further affirms your vow and fills you with the essence of your mate once consumed you will be one for eternity.”
Zephyr handed the chalice to Lance who lifted it to his lips and drank a long deep gulp. Elizabeth turned toward him. He held out the chalice to her. Their fingertips brushed. A spark passed between them. Elizabeth smiled, raising the cup to her lips and drank. When her turn was done she passed it back to Zephyr who placed it on the altar.
“Christian, Elizabeth, please join hands.”
They did as Zephyr bade. Lance winked at Elizabeth in encouragement as he squeezed her hand.
“Goddess, we ask you to bless this union.” He wrapped the cord about their joined hands tying it off loosely.
Semiramis hands hovered over theirs and the cord began to glow. “Forever and always.” She stepped back, taking her place once on Elizabeth’s right.
“As the ends of this rope are joined, so shall your lives be bound. Your hopes, dreams, love, and desires will forever be intertwined. The vows you take this eve shall strengthen that which you already hold within your hearts. Shall you forever be as one, in this time and the next.”
Beyond Time: A Dark Order of the Dragon Novel (The Dark Order of the Dragon Book 2) Page 17