Karen elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “Sure you are.”
“Come out, Dupré,” Troyington called again. “This is your last chance for this to end peacefully.”
Randall stepped out on the porch, his hands at his sides. He strolled over to Troyington and the men around him. “It’s over.” Randall nodded to the group behind him. “Take your men and leave. The children are with me, and they’re safe. I’m no longer bound by the contract I signed.”
Troyington stepped closer to him. “Look around you. As always, I’ve got the superior position. My men outnumber you.”
Randall smiled, glancing at the woods surrounding them. “Maybe.”
Troyington shoved him. “There’s no maybe about it. Give me the brats, and you and your soul mate can leave. Isn’t that what you want?”
“What I want,” Randall said, “is to see you pay for the crimes you’ve committed against the northeast pack. Let us take them home before you get hurt.”
Troyington picked at invisible lint on his jacket. “I’ve got many scientists that would be interested in werewolves and gargoyle hybrids. You and the pack aren’t leaving here except in cages to go to labs across the country.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Randall said, glancing over his shoulder as Karen, Matt, and James came out to stand behind him. “But you’ve chosen how this is going to end. I almost pity you. You have no chance and no clue.”
Cray hefted the cold iron bar in his hands. “Now can I kill him?” Troyington waved him ahead. Cray pointed the bar at Randall. “You’re dead, southern boy.”
He charged Randall, raising the bar high over his head before bringing it down quickly. Randall dodged away from the blow, slamming his fist into Cray’s stomach, dropping him like a stone. “And you’re stupid.”
Cray grabbed Randall’s ankle, pulling his leg out from under him. As Randall hit the ground, Cray brought his fist down hard on his chest. Cray’s face twisted into an evil sneer as Randall gasped for breath. The two struggled to their feet and separated, eyeing each other.
****
Karen watched as Randall faced off with the bigger man. Suddenly, she saw something black move out of the corner of her eye. Before she knew it, blackbirds swarmed over them, diving at her and the two teens.
“Guys!” Karen cried. “Look out!”
Karen pointed to Harmon standing near the trees. “Harmon’s in the back. We’ve got to stop him!” She saw the wood folk emerge, heading straight for the men circling the cabin. She felt the familiar nudge of telepathic contact.
Karen, Rena called through the telepathic link. Mist, Metamorph, and I have stopped a lot more of the people here from leaving town. Do you need help where you are?
Not yet. Just keep things under control there. I’ve got help here.
“Harmon’s mine,” James said, then fully shifted, his eyes never leaving the stable master for a second as his lips drew back over long teeth, and he growled deep in his chest. He sprang forward, heading straight for the stable master. Animals tried to stop him as he bowled over the larger ones, ignored the smaller ones, and leapt on his target in a fury of brown and silver fur.
Karen glimpsed Troyington move in behind her and swing at her head. She pivoted, throwing her arms up, blocking his punch. Sweeping his arm aside, she countered with an open palm strike to his chest, staggering him back.
She shook her head. “Hitting from behind isn’t nice.” She swung her leg around in a roundhouse kick, silently swearing when he dodged it. His arm came around for a strike she barely had time to block.
He grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her and leaned close to her ear. “All this resistance for nothing. If we win, you’ll be dead. If you win, my men will burn the cabin with the wolves inside.”
She turned to him, her face inches from his. “Bradford, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time now.”
He smiled at her, making her skin crawl. “Oh? And what would that be?”
She stomped on his instep, then rammed her elbow back into his solar plexus. As he fell to the ground, she stood over him. “Stop touching me!”
A yelp of pain to her right drew her attention from Troyington. James, bleeding heavily from a knife wound on his shoulder, had Harmon on the ground. Karen started over to him, but Troyington grabbed her leg, yanking her to the ground as he drew a slim dagger.
“I brought this to deal with Dupré,” he panted. “It’ll do the job on you too.” He swung it in a wide arc, grazing Karen’s arm. She cried out and he smiled, a maniacal gleam in his eyes as he brought the blade down. “It causes you the same pain as Dupré? Good.”
Karen grabbed her arm, the pain from the blade excruciating, making her eyes water. If it hurt her this badly, what did Randall feel from it?
****
Cray twirled the bar in his hands, giving Randall a condescending look. “I guess this is it.”
Randall nodded. “I told you before, there’s not going to be enough of you left for people to mourn over. I mean to keep that particular promise.”
Cray laughed. “Still talking the big talk. Come on, then. Let’s see if you can do it.” He swung the bar at Randall’s head.
Randall threw his arm up, crying out when the cold iron seared his flesh, breaking the bone. He held his arm close to his chest, ducking under Cray’s next swing, then kicked him in the crotch, smiling as the big man grabbed himself and fell to his knees.
Cray glared at him as he climbed to his feet, and swung the bar again, this time connecting with Randall’s side. Randall cried out again, feeling flesh burn and ribs break. He hadn’t thought Cray would fight this long or this hard. The man was a coward. Where had the steel in his spine come from? Cray jabbed him hard in the chest, and Randall felt his skin bubble through his shirt.
Randall slammed his head into Cray’s face, breaking the bigger man’s nose. He kicked out, catching Cray in the knee. Cray rained down blows with the cold iron bar, driving Randall to his knees. The pain seared through his skin, feeling like it was burning his soul.
Randall gritted his teeth as he yanked the metal bar from Cray’s hands, feeling his skin bubble and seeing smoke rise from his palm as the metal burned him. Blood dripped from his hand as his eyes watered and he clamped his teeth together to stop the scream building in his throat. He slammed it down on the big man’s skull again and again until Cray quit moving. Throwing the bar down, he drew a ragged breath as he looked at the damage he’d done to himself. Randall heard a moan from the ground and turned as a blur of black and gray fur streaked by him.
Randall watched the werewolf make short work of the big man and smiled. “Good job, Matt.”
A sparkle of sunlight to his right caught his attention. He turned, seeing Troyington stab at Karen. “No!” He ran toward them.
Randall saw Troyington’s head snap up, and the rich man’s eyes widened. In that split-second, Randall tackled him, taking both of them to the ground. Randall rolled out of it, rising to one knee and cradling his arm while Troyington climbed to his feet.
“Damn you!” Troyington screamed, driving the cold iron blade into and down Randall’s chest, ripping open his flesh in a jagged cut. Randall fell to his knees before crumpling to the ground as Troyington ran for the trees.
“No!” Karen shouted. She dropped to the ground next to him, laying his head in her lap. “Someone, anyone, over here!”
Raesheen appeared next to her. “Great Mother Earth, not him.”
Karen grabbed Raesheen’s sleeve. “He was stabbed with a cold iron blade. Do something!” she begged. “Help him!”
Raesheen waved Matt and James over. “Take him inside. Be gentle now.”
They carried Randall to the small bedroom. Raesheen ripped his shirt open so she could see the wound. The edges of the knife wound had already begun to blacken as the rest of his skin blistered. She shook her head. He must have taken a lot of damage in the fight with Cray for the black to spread so quickly
.
“He’s got cold iron poisoning.” Raesheen looked up at Karen. “I need help. Stay with him. I’ll return soon.” The dryad ran from the room.
Karen took Randall’s hand, kissing his knuckles. “You can’t leave me,” she choked out. “You promised me you wouldn’t be dumb enough to get yourself killed.”
Raesheen returned a few minutes later, followed by a gnome with leathery brown skin and white hair that stood out in every direction from his head. The dryad laid a pile of herbs on the table next to the bed. She gestured to the gnome. “This is Gizel. He’s the best healer in the realm.”
Karen stared at him. “What can I do?”
Gizel stared at her, narrowing his eyes. “You and the guardian are soul mates?” She nodded. “And you’ve shared power?”
She nodded again. “Yes. I can feel his power in me. It’s so dim. I’m afraid.”
“No,” Gizel barked. “No fear. When I tell you, call the power forth and pour it into him. You understand?”
Karen nodded, opening her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
“Good.” The gnome turned to Raesheen. “The salve must be very strong this time. Stronger than any you’ve made before.”
Raesheen bowed to Gizel. “Give me a couple of minutes.”
Karen watched Gizel as he examined her soul mate. He muttered to himself as he checked the severity of Randall’s injuries. The black around the wound was spreading, making him check frequently for the dryad.
Raesheen finally entered, carrying a large bowl with both hands. The rising steam filled the room with a pungent, yet sweet, scent. She stood next to Gizel, who spooned a large glob of the concoction onto Randall’s chest. He smoothed it into the wound while muttering an incantation, making the salve glow pale pink. He took what was left, spooned some onto Randall’s hand, and repeated the incantation.
He sat back and looked at Karen. “Call the power. Keep him with you no matter what. I’ll be back before sunset.” The gnome turned on his heel, waddling from the room.
Karen pulled up the power in her, touching his mind as she did. She poured the power into him like she had before. “You’d better be in there,” she told him.
He was, but silent.
Pain filtered into her mind from him. She welcomed it. If he was feeling pain, then he was alive. She pulled more of it into her, trying to take it all from him. She could see her silver dragon fold around his pale purple gargoyle, cradling it in its coils.
She stroked his hair, placing a small kiss on his forehead. “You can’t leave me now that we’ve won. You promised.”
****
Karen sat up when the door creaked open. Gizel entered, heading straight for Randall. He checked the salve on the knife wound, nodding in satisfaction.
He gazed at Karen. “He’ll live, but he’ll have a scar.”
Karen sagged back in the chair. He’s going to live. “I don’t care if he scars.” She dropped to her knees, grabbing Gizel in a tight hug. “Thank you so much.”
He patted her back. “The bond between the two of you is one of the strongest I’ve ever felt. Keep it going through the night. He should wake tomorrow. Stay with him. Watch over him.”
She gazed at Randall in the bed. “I will. I promise.”
Gizel noticed blood on her sleeve and lifted it, muttering something. He took some of the salve and smeared it on her and said the incantation one last time. He nodded and left.
The setting sun bathed the room in low light. Raesheen came in. “Gizel says he’s going to pull through.”
Karen nodded, glancing out the window at the darkening sky. “Will he change?”
Raesheen walked to the bed, nodding as she threw back the covers. “If we got the poison out of his system in time. Help me get him undressed.”
They pulled his clothes off as the last rays of the sun faded. When Karen had lit the last candle Raesheen had brought, the guardian lay there. “Will the change help him heal?”
Raesheen shrugged. “It should. Take a quick break. I’ll stay with him.”
Karen stood and stretched. She watched Randall a few more minutes before forcing herself to leave the room.
She went to the kitchen for some water. As she filled the glass, she saw movement outside. She eased herself out the door, staying close to the cabin wall. As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she saw several men, but they looked larger than normal and deformed.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” she demanded.
The largest stepped forward. “We mean you no harm. We’re guardians. One of our own is here and injured. We were fighting the men in the woods when he was hurt.”
“Guardians?” Karen repeated. She ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist. No wonder they looked odd. Now she could make out their wings and tails and their elongated faces. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Karen.”
The guardian looked down at her. “You’re the one the children call Angel?”
“Yes.” Karen stepped back and smiled.
One of the guardians came forward. His ebony hair fell over his eyes as he stared at her. “Is Randall all right?”
Karen nodded, narrowing her eyes. He had the same deep, southern drawl as Randall. “Gizel seems to think so, and he changed at sunset. I’m hoping he’ll heal faster.”
He grabbed her hands. “That’s great news. If the wound had been any more life threatening, he wouldn’t have changed.” He stared at the cabin. “Can I see him?”
“Who are you?” she whispered.
“My name’s Marshall. I’m his brother.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Karen’s eyes fluttered open and she stretched, arching her back to work the kinks out. She smiled when she saw Randall watching her.
He held out his hand and she hurried to his side. “Morning, beautiful.”
She sat on the bed, taking his hand in hers. “Morning, yourself. Gizel said if your wound looks better you can keep the bandage off.”
“I’m all yours.”
He lay still while she checked his chest. “All closed up. I think you should keep it covered for at least one more day.” She took clean gauze from the night stand.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” he said, watching her work.
She smiled at him. “How’s your arm?”
He flexed it. “Still aches, but the bones have mended.”
She took the bandage off his hand, nodding in satisfaction when his skin was pink and healthy, not the angry red mass of blood and blisters that had covered his palm the day before. “And your ribs?”
He nodded. “The same as the rest of me.”
“That good, huh?” She dropped her gaze to his bare chest with the stark white bandage. “Gizel says you’re going to scar.”
He curled his fingers around her hand. “Badge of honor. It was worth it to save you.”
She leaned over, stroking his hair. “The guardians came to the cabin last night. One in particular wants to see you. His name is Marshall.”
Randall tried to sit up, grimaced, and rubbed his chest. “Marshall’s here? He promised me he’d stay away.” He glanced up at her. “Marshall’s my brother.”
“I know,” she said, grinning. “I met him last night. He’s very worried about you.” She went to the door and turned to him. “I’ll go get him.” She stabbed her finger at him. “And you, stop moving.”
She opened the back door, stepping into the bright morning sun. The guardians patrolled close to the cabin, their eyes watching the surrounding area for threats.
She waved to them. “Good morning.” Are all guardians this extraordinarily handsome? she thought. As humans, the ease and grace with which they moved and their extreme good looks could make a sinner out of a saint. Misty would have a lot of candidates for her list. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
Marshall trotted over to her. His eyes were stormy gray, perfect with his midnight hair. He must’ve broken a lot of hearts in
high school.
“Good morning, Angel.” He kissed her cheek. “Can I see him?”
Karen smiled. “He seems a little upset with you. Go on in. He’s in the bedroom.” She watched as Marshall hurried through the door and down the hallway. She turned to the others. “It’s not over, is it?”
“Liam,” he said, introducing himself. “And no, it isn’t. As long as Troyington lives, the threat remains. Caledon wants the children home as soon as possible. Marshall and I are going to stay with you and Randall. The rest will escort the children home as soon as they are ready to go.”
She nodded. “That sounds great. The children need to be home with their families and to get a decent meal.”
He laid his hand on her shoulder. “You and Randall have done enough. We can finish it if he wants.”
Karen stared into Liam’s eyes. “He’ll insist on taking down Troyington. As he’s the one that’s suffered the most, it’s his right.”
“I hoped that would be your answer.” Liam nodded toward the cabin. “I know where you’d rather be. Go on. We’ll talk more later.”
“Thank you,” she said. “The rest of you will come see him, won’t you?”
He gave her a slight smile. “Of course. Just because we’re from different clans doesn’t mean we aren’t tied together. All guardians are bound by who we are and what we do. We’re brothers in the truest sense of the word.” He gave her a little push toward the cabin. “Now go. He needs you.”
As Karen made her way to the bedroom, laughter drifted toward her. She stood in the doorway, watching the brothers. She could see the resemblance now that they were human. Even though Marshall was bigger, with broader shoulders, longer legs, and more muscular arms, they had similar shaped faces and the same impish smiles.
“You guys catching up?” she asked coming into the room.
Randall smiled at her. “Yeah.” He turned to Marshall. “See what I mean?”
Marshall’s eyes narrowed as he watched her walk closer to the bed. “Yeah. You’ve got a seriously powerful soul mate. The High Mother is going to love her. She complements your power perfectly.”
“I know.”
Karen folded her arms, staring at the two of them. “But he’s got this annoying habit of talking about me like I’m not here.” The brothers were seriously sexy. Thank goodness Marshall’s smile didn’t affect her like Randall’s. There were many benefits to having one love, after all.
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