by Donna Grant
The creature screamed in pain before she jerked the arrows from her body and tossed them to the ground. Gabriel grabbed his horse’s reins and turned the horse toward the castle. The others had made it through safely.
Gabriel raced through the crack in the gate just before it banged closed behind him. The people of Stone Crest had been warned of an attack so most had kept to their homes unless they had no other choice but to venture out. Those few ran swiftly to their cottages and the safety of the tunnels beneath.
“Its coming,” Roderick shouted as he handed his horse to a stable boy.
Gabriel glanced over his shoulder to see the Harpy flying over the castle, her talons slicing through two of the guards on the battlements.
Hugh stood ahead of him and readied his crossbow and fired, giving everyone a few more moments to find safety. Gabriel felt a rush of excitement as he always did when battling creatures of darkness. The Shields may not hold special powers like the Fae but they had managed to always win against the evil. This time would be no different.
Gabriel leaned over his horse as he approached Hugh. He was just about to jump from his mount when he saw Hugh’s eyes narrow and his face clench.
Then he saw the Harpy’s talons as she sunk them into Hugh’s chest and lifted him from the ground.
“Nay,” Gabriel bellowed as he quickly reached for another arrow. He notched and fired arrow after arrow hoping to get the Harpy to release Hugh before she flew off with him.
He had no idea how many arrows he had gone through when he saw the Harpy stop mid-flight and turn towards him. She screamed her anger into the air just before she released Hugh and flew off.
With a growl, he swung his leg over his horse’s neck and slid to the ground at a run. He reached for the black bag he carried with him at all times, his heart pumping wildly in his chest. He found Hugh surrounded by Val, Cole and Roderick who was trying hard to keep Mina away from her husband.
Gabriel dropped to his knees beside Hugh to find his leader unconscious and bleeding badly.
“The fall he took,” Cole said softly. “I’m afraid to see just how many bones are broken.”
Gabriel gave a vicious jerk of his head. “Don’t touch him,” he said between A WARRIOR’S HEART
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clenched teeth. If he got to Hugh in time he could save him.
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Chapter Twenty Eight
“Hugh,” Mina screamed tearfully. “Hugh, don’t leave me. I need you.”
Gabriel briefly closed his eyes and tried to regain some composure. He looked up at the other Shields to find them looking at Hugh as if he were already dead.
“Cole,” Gabriel barked. “I need some bandages. Now,” he bellowed when Cole didn’t move.
Once Cole raced off to get the bandages, Gabriel turned to Val. “Get me some hot water. As much as you can carry. I’ll also need some cool water. And have servants continue to bring them to me.”
Val jumped up and ran to the castle, leaving Gabriel alone. He could hear Mina sobbing behind him and he knew he would gladly give his life if Hugh would only live.
The cold ground didn’t deter Gabriel as he spread open his black bag then reached to Hugh’s chest to feel a very weak heartbeat. “Hang on, Hugh. I’m coming for you.”
Suddenly, a soft hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to find Danielle beside him. “Tell me what to do,” she urged softly.
“Take his hand,” Gabriel commanded. “And put your hand over a wound, pressing hard to staunch the flow of blood.”
She did as he requested without question. He jerked out his dagger and split Hugh’s tunic open. He swallowed then leaned over to look at how deep the wounds in Hugh’s chest where. The Harpy’s talons had sunk deep, nearly all the way through Hugh and puncturing a lung.
Thankfully, Cole and Val returned then. Gabriel dunked a cloth in the hot water and began to wipe off the blood that continued to flow.
“Put your hands over the wounds,” he ordered Cole and Val.
Time seemed to stand still as Gabriel took vial after vial from his bag. He mixed some herbs together then sprinkled them over Hugh’s body where a thin line of smoke began to waft skyward as it touched his skin.
He then grabbed a goblet Val had brought and scooped up water. Another vial was taken out and herbs dumped into the goblet. Gabriel swirled the cool water with his fingers to mix the herb.
“Remove your hands,” he told the others just before he dumped the water over Hugh’s wounds.
Hugh groaned and stiffened as the herb dropped into the wound. A hissing noise filled the air as the herb began its journey inside Hugh to stop the bleeding.
While that herb was working, Gabriel took two leaves from a vial and tore them into tiny pieces into the empty goblet. Then he took a vial with an orange liquid in it and poured four drops into the goblet. Next, he reached for a small white flower with five petals.
He looked at the flower, then glanced at Mina. Her gaze hadn’t left Hugh since A WARRIOR’S HEART
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she had run to him. Tears coursed unheeded down her face as she allowed Roderick to hold her.
Gabriel knew if he used the flower he would have to go out and look for another.
He was never without one, because the flower, if used with the other herbs correctly could bring a person back from the brink of death.
He tore each of the petals from the flower and dropped them into the goblet.
With the stem and leaves still in his hand, he took his dagger and used it to cut open a small wound in his palm. Blood rushed out and he let it cover the stem and leaves before throwing it in the goblet.
Gabriel then poured a small amount of water into the goblet. He held his hands over the goblet and closed his eyes as he felt his knowledge of healing flow through him.
Mumbling the ancient words of his people, he used his power to mix the contents of the goblet, but knowing it would take more than his blood, he allowed a small amount of his life essence to leave his body through his hands and into the goblet.
That small amount of life essence felt as though he had been trampled by a minion of creatures. His body began to ache and exhaustion began to sweep through his body. But he refused to give in until he was finished with Hugh.
“What is that?” Cole asked.
“Ask later,” Gabriel answered. “Hold him still. This will hurt him.”
Once Val, Cole and Danielle had a hold of Hugh, Gabriel lifted the goblet over Hugh’s body and emptied it into Hugh’s wounds.
Hugh let out a vicious scream as he tried to buck his holders off his body.
Gabriel cringed as he heard bones that had been fractured began to break. More work had yet to be done on Hugh, but the bones could be healed once the bleeding was stopped and the damage to the inside of Hugh’s body was repaired.
Finally, Hugh stopped moving.
“Is he dead?” Val asked softly.
Gabriel shook his head. “Nay. The mixture I gave him was repairing the damage the Harpy’s talons had done. When you have that much damage in the body, it can be very painful to heal.”
He sighed as he saw the wounds began to heal before his eyes. Once again his people’s healing had helped him save a friend.
Cole looked up. “Is it done, then? Can we move him to the castle?”
“We’re not nearly done. You were right about the fall. It was from a great distance, which did break bones. It fractured others, but in his attempt to dislodge you, he broke those as well.”
Mina let out a painful cry as she wrenched out of Roderick’s arms and ran to Hugh. Her hands shook as she touched Hugh’s face. “My Hugh,” she whispered as she kissed his forehead. She raised her gaze to Gabriel. “Please, help him.”
“I will to the best of my abilities.”
She nodded and wiped at her tears. “I will get our cham
ber ready. What else do you need?”
“Prayers,” Gabriel said. He waited until Mina left before he looked to the Shields. “I’ve healed bones for each of you, but healing one or two bones is different A WARRIOR’S HEART
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than an entire body.”
Roderick moved beside Danielle and looked at Gabriel. “Is his back broken?”
Gabriel slowly nodded. “I would much prefer if Aimery were here to lend his Fae magic.”
“You can do this,” Val said. “I’ve seen you work miracles on all of us, Gabriel.
You can do this.”
Gabriel rose to his feet to find most of the guards standing behind him. “Get back to your posts. The Harpy will likely return.” He turned back to the others. “I also gave Hugh something for the pain as well as something to keep him unconscious, though moving him will likely cause him more pain than I would want.”
“He’s strong,” Cole said. “He survived the attack and the fall. He’ll grit his way through the move as well.”
Gabriel nodded. “All right. Let’s get him inside.”
Carefully, all five of them lifted Hugh. He groaned and they stilled instantly.
“Slowly,” Gabriel reminded them.
Moving as steadily as a snail they walked into the castle. The narrow stairs poised a greater concern though.
Roderick shook his head. “We cannot get him up the stairs without causing more pain.”
Elle came running down the stairs. “Mina has readied the chamber.”
“I don’t think we can get him to his chamber,” Val said.
Elle glanced at Hugh, then looked at Roderick. She gave a quick nod before lifting her skirts and running back up the stairs.
“To the solar,” Danielle said. “We can make him comfortable in there.”
Gabriel gave her a small smile as they moved to the solar. No sooner had they walked into the room than Mina glided in behind them.
“Hold him for just a moment,” she ordered. “I don’t want my husband on the cold stone floor.”
Gabriel watched as servants rushed into the room and set up the day bed. More servants came in with blankets stacked high in their arms. Mina, Elle, Shannon and Nicole readied the day bed with blankets and pillows.
Mina smoothed the last blanket and stepped back. “Now you may lay him down.”
Despite being as gentle as they could, moving Hugh even an inch caused him considerable pain. He moaned as they laid him upon the day bed.
“My bag,” Gabriel said as he turned to retrieve it.
Danielle stepped forward. “I thought you might have forgotten it.”
Gabriel reached out and ran a hand down her face. He knew then that he had to tell her his memory had returned. He had betrayed her too many times to continue doing so.
“Thank
you.”
She smiled and moved to stand beside Mina.
Gabriel sighed and opened the bag again. His supply of herbs was terribly low and he feared that many he needed wouldn’t be found at Stone Crest, especially with the A WARRIOR’S HEART
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snow piled as high as it was.
“What do you need now?” Cole asked. “I brought the bandages.”
“Good,” he said. “Once I set the bones, we’ll need to wrap Hugh’s chest.”
Danielle had always loved to watch Gabriel heal. Many times he had told her he had no special powers, but she wasn’t a fool. He might know more about herbs than most, but it was much more than that. Gabriel did work magic when he healed. It might not be as great as the Fae’s, but it was still great.
Yet, she saw the hesitation in his gaze. He feared not being able to fully heal Hugh. But she knew just what he was capable of. As much as she hated to admit it, she had come to respect Hugh and the other Shields. With the evil they had to face, they needed every warrior.
It was time for her to tell Gabriel who he really was. She opened her mouth to do just that when Mina gripped her hand, causing Danielle to recall that she and Gabriel weren’t alone.
She swallowed her words and gave Gabriel a reassuring smile. He inclined his head before he turned to the black bag that never left his side. His fingers lightly ran over the many vials and herbs, most she didn’t even know their names much less their usage.
Gabriel’s skill was unbelievable, his knowledge superior to most. It was one of the reasons she had been so devastated when he betrayed her. Of all the people she might have suspected, Gabriel wouldn’t have been one of them. The love they had shared had been strong and their future bright.
She mentally gave herself a shake as Mina’s hand tightened on hers. She clasped her other hand around Mina’s, hoping that she might give her some comfort.
Her gaze followed Gabriel’s hand as he chose two herbs and dusted some of the powder in his hands. He then rubbed his hands together and moved to Hugh’s feet.
“Take his boots off. Carefully,” Gabriel cautioned Roderick and Val.
With mind numbing slowness, Roderick and Val tugged Hugh’s boots off.
Gabriel raised his gaze to Mina. “I need him bare.”
Mina licked her lips and reached for a blanket that she handed to Elle and Danielle. She then looked to Cole. “Will you help me?”
“Of course,” Cole said and moved to the other side of Hugh.
Danielle held her breath as inch by inch they pulled Hugh’s pants lower. When they reached his hips, she and Elle opened the blanket and draped it across Hugh’s body.
She turned to Mina to find her face pale and her hands shaking. Confused, she turned to Hugh’s face to see him moving his head from side to side.
“Let me,” she said to Mina. “Take Hugh’s hand and speak to him. He needs you now,” she urged as she pulled Mina’s hands from Hugh’s pants.
Reluctantly
Mina
released her hold and moved to take Hugh’s hands. Cole gave Danielle a small nod and they began to work on pulling the pants down his thighs. It wasn’t long before Hugh began to moan in pain.
Cole stood and moved away, raking his hand through his blonde hair. “Its not working, Gabriel. He’s in too much pain.”
“Take your dagger then,” Gabriel directed. “Cut his pants away from him, but do A WARRIOR’S HEART
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what you must so I can ease his pain.”
In a heartbeat Cole drew out his dagger and sliced open Hugh’s pants on either leg. Danielle gathered the ruined leather and tossed them aside.
She moved so Gabriel could approach Hugh, and watched mesmerized as Gabriel ran his herb coated hands over Hugh starting at his feet and working his way up.
Gabriel’s silver eyes were closed and incoherent words tumbled from his mouth.
Everyone held their breath as Gabriel worked up one leg then the other before moving to each arm. Finally, he stood over Hugh’s torso and ran a hand over each hip, rib and collar bone and neck. Moment by moment Hugh seemed to relax more as if his pain slowly receded.
Gabriel finally straightened, his face pale, lips pinched and hands shaking.
Danielle knew he couldn’t last much longer.
“Gabriel,” she called, but he just shook his head.
He reached for more of the herbs to sprinkle on his hands, then raised his gaze to Mina. “We must turn him on his side so I can see to his back.”
“His back?” Mina repeated and swallowed loudly. “Was every bone broken?”
Gabriel sighed sadly. “Just about.” He looked over his shoulder at the other Shields who quickly moved to Hugh. At his nod, the Shields gripped Hugh and slowly turned him onto his side.
Hugh let out a loud, painful moan. Gabriel didn’t seem to hear it though as he once again closed his eyes and worked his magic.
Danielle could practically feel the magic from Gabriel as he slowly moved his hands down Hugh’s back. A couple of times he lingere
d over one spot a little longer and Danielle knew the break must have been significant for Gabriel to take such time.
At last Gabriel dropped his hands and stepped away to sink into a nearby chair.
“It is done,” he said hoarsely.
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Chapter Twenty Nine
“Is he healed?” Mina asked.
Danielle watched as Gabriel raised weary filled eyes to Mina. “I don’t know.
I’ve done the best I can.”
Mina sank to her knees beside Hugh as she began to cry. Danielle moved out of the way as Nicole, Elle and Shannon comforted her. She turned to Gabriel to see him staring at his hands as if he were wondering if he had done all he could. Without thinking she moved to him and knelt before him.