by Grant, Donna
“She acts as though she wants to die,” Gabriel murmured.
“The hell she does,” Hugh thundered and turned her face to him. “Mina. Open your mouth. You will drink. You won’t let Theresa win. Prove her wrong. Prove me wrong.” He waited a moment then whispered, “Please.” This time when Gabriel brought the goblet to her lips she allowed the liquid to pass through. Once that was done, Hugh laid her back down as Gabriel reached for her arm.
“Hold her,” he told Hugh.
Hugh leaned over her and put a hand on either of her shoulders. He watched as Gabriel took out his dagger. “What are you doing?” Gabriel’s silver gaze widened in surprise. “You’ve never questioned me before.”
“Go ahead,” Hugh said and looked away.
“Just what happened last night?”
“No questions, Gabriel. Do your work,” he said.
But he didn’t stop watching his friend as Gabriel set about reopening Mina’s wounds. As soon as the skin was open, a foul odor penetrated the chamber.
“The red jar,” Gabriel called out anxiously.
Hugh reached over and handed it to Gabriel who hastily wiped the yellowish mixture on Mina’s open wounds. Mina cried out and tried to jerk her arm away. Hugh held her down while Gabriel finished putting the mixture on and wrapping her arm.
When he finished, Hugh released Mina. “Will it work?” Gabriel ran a hand through his tousled hair. “I hope so. Whoever, or whatever, did that to her meant for her to die.”
“The only people to touch her were Theresa and Hugh,” Bernard said.
“She was with me all night in the tunnel beneath the monastery. If it was something there, I would also have it.”
“True,” Gabriel said. “Just in case, let me see your back.” Hugh raised his shirt. “Anything?”
“Nothing,” Gabriel said. “The marks look better than I had hoped for. I think you’ll come away without much of a scar.”
“’Tis strange that the creature didn’t kill you,” Bernard said.
“I know,” Hugh agreed. “It has had plenty of opportunities.”
“And it has had amply opportunity to kill Mina as well,” Gabriel pointed out.
“Mina told us that it spoke to her and said she was to be last. That whoever was controlling it wanted her to witness everyone’s death.”
“Well,” Bernard said and slumped into a chair as though he had been punched.
“That either means she is innocent or a liar and controlling it as well as poisoning me and attacking Theresa.”
“She has good reason to want revenge against both of you,” Gabriel said.
Bernard hung his head. “Unfortunately, that is too true.”
“So, Hugh, what do we do?”
Hugh looked at the sleeping woman, the same woman who had come alive in his arms last night, the woman who made his blood pound. “I don’t know. Everything points to her as the culprit.”
“But?” Gabriel prompted.
“She could be being set up. Who hates her the most?” Bernard began to laugh. “That is an easy one. Theresa. But I can honestly say Theresa knows nothing of magic or these blue stones.”
“Are you sure? Would you stake your life on it?” Gabriel asked.
Bernard
paused.
Hugh sighed. “Did you find the blue stone?”
“Nay.”
“I didn’t think you would. Why would Mina place the stone out so that any of us could see it and then hide it again?”
“She could have forgotten to replace it.” Gabriel shrugged.
“True,” Hugh conceded.
“And the evil surrounding the Druid ruins didn’t bother her.”
“Look,” Bernard said as he gained his feet. “Dusk is coming. I don’t wish to see any more of my people die. Do you know of a way to kill the creature?” Hugh walked to the door. “Gabriel, don’t leave Mina. Get your people inside their homes, Bernard. I’ll find your answer.”
Chapter Fourteen
Mina didn’t wish to open her eyes. She wanted to return to the darkness where the pain in her heart and her arm didn’t reach her.
“Mina. You must wake now.”
She turned away from the insistent voice, silently begging him to leave her be.
“’Tis important. Please, Mina.”
Since the nice, but relentless, voice had dragged her out of her darkness and wouldn’t leave her alone, she had no choice but to open her eyes. She blinked and looked around as her eyes focused. She was in her chamber, though she couldn’t remember getting there.
“Hugh carried you.”
She turned her head and found her brother and Gabriel staring down at her. “Go away,” she croaked out.
“Mina, where is the blue stone?” Bernard asked. “Where did you hide it?”
“I don’t have it.” She tried to lift her right arm to rub her eyes and cried out from the pain.
“Shhh,” Gabriel said as he gently took her arm and laid it down. “Don’t move it for a while.”
“What happened to me?”
Gabriel’s silver eyes lowered for a moment before he met her gaze. “Dark magic.”
“What does that have to do with my arm?”
“Whoever used it intended for you to die. Had Hugh not gone to the dungeon when he did, I wouldn’t have been able to save you.” She didn’t want to owe Hugh a debt of thanks. “I would have liked to say good-bye to Darrick. He saved me. I miss his teasing and laughter.” Gabriel nodded. “Aye, he will be greatly missed. He gave his life for you because he believed in what we do. And because he liked you.” That brought a small smile to her lips. “Thank you.”
“About your arm, I have heard of the use of Dark Magic used in such a way, but I have never encountered it. I don’t know if my herbs will assist at all.”
“I wish you would have let me die.”
“Mina,” Bernard chastised her.
“How would you feel if everyone thought you were an evil person setting a creature to kill everyone? How would you feel if no one would believed a word you said?”
Gabriel placed a hand on Bernard. “She needs to rest. Give her some time.” When Bernard left her chamber, she turned to Gabriel. “Thank you.”
“Thank me later,” he said and brought a goblet to her. “Drink this.”
* * *
Hugh walked the battlements in agitation, the sun sinking lower in the horizon every moment. He had been calling to Aimery for some time now, but the Fae wouldn’t answer him. He slammed his fist onto his thigh and walked into the tower only to find Aimery.
“I wondered when you would come inside,” the Faerie said.
Hugh clenched his jaw. “It would have been nice had you let me know you were in here.”
“Now what would be the fun of that?” When Hugh didn’t smile at his joke, the Faerie straightened from the wall. “What is it?”
“Was Mina at the Druid ruins as she claimed or was it she who attacked Theresa?”
“What does your instinct tell you?”
Hugh paced the small tower. “It tells me that it is Mina who controls the creature.”
“But, you don’t want to consider that. Is it so hard to go out on a limb and believe her?”
Hugh spun around and looked into the glowing blue eyes of Aimery. “Aye, it is hard to believe. After everything I have done and witnessed, all I have is my instinct to rely on.”
“That does put you in a bit of a fix,” Aimery said nonchalantly.
“Why won’t you just tell me what I want to know?”
“Because I have been ordered not to.”
Hugh laughed. “And who ordered that?”
“Me.”
Only once had Hugh seen the exquisite Fae Queen, Rufina. He had been stunned speechless by her splendor, and even now he couldn’t string two words together. She had the same glowing blue eyes of Aimery, a trait of a Fae, as well as the long golde
n blonde hair, but it was the simple perfection of everything about her that made her so beautiful it hurt to look at her.
“’Tis no wonder you don’t allow mortals to see you,” Hugh grumbled and turned away from her so he could think again.
She laughed, the sound twinkling like little bells. “You always were a flatterer.” He rolled his eyes and glanced at Aimery. “Is she always like this?” Aimery shook his head. “She’s in a good mood, my friend. If I were you, I would take advantage of that.”
Hugh sighed and gathered his thoughts before he faced Rufina. “Can you tell me if Mina is speaking true or not?”
“Let me ask you something,” Rufina said and threw her long, loose hair over her shoulder. “Do you care for this mortal?”
“If I didn’t care about them I wouldn’t risk my life to kill the creatures terrorizing them.”
She smiled, her full, red lips turning up seductively. “I know what happened between you and Mina in the tunnel. You wanted her, Hugh. ‘Tis been many years since you have found a woman who stirs you as Mina does.”
“Enough,” he said and ran his hand down his face. “I hate that you cannot answer a simple question.”
“You didn’t answer mine either,” she pointed out.
“That doesn’t give you the right to pry into my private life.” She raised a perfectly arched blonde brow. “You are a warrior for the Fae. You and your men are the only things that keep this world living. I pry into your lives to make sure everything is as it should be.”
“Just tell me if Mina is lying,” he said, his voice resigned.
“Nay. That you will have to determine on your own.” He had just about had enough. He turned to Aimery. “Then tell me why my arrows or sword does not kill the creature.”
“What?” Aimery and Rufina asked together.
Hugh laughed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “I thought you were all knowing.”
“Don’t press your luck,” Aimery warned as he pushed off from the wall. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier about the creature?” Hugh shrugged. “Like I said, I thought you knew.” Long, slender fingers with each nail the same length and shape, wrapped around his wrist. “Do you have any idea how many people roam the realms?” Rufina asked.
“Do you even know how many realms there are?”
“Nay.”
“If we opened our minds to everyone out there we would go insane. It isn’t unless we focus that we know what is going on at any given time.” He narrowed his eyes as he saw the concern pulling at Rufina’s face. He slid a glance to Aimery and saw him pacing. “The fact this creature cannot be killed is something you haven’t encountered before?”
Rufina shook her head and walked to the tower door. “We knew that the creatures were becoming stronger and lasting longer with each of their deaths, but I had hoped this day was farther off.”
This isn’t what he needed to hear right now. “What day are you speaking of?” She turned her shimmering blue eyes to him. “I think ‘tis time we told you what you’ve been fighting for.”
* * *
Hugh walked into Mina’s chamber and found Gabriel alone. “How is she?”
“She woke briefly, but I gave her another draught to keep away the pain while she heals. She will sleep the rest of tonight.”
“Good. Did she say how she was attacked?”
“She doesn’t remember anything.”
Hugh nodded. “Where’s Cole?”
“Following
Theresa.”
Just then the door to Mina’s chamber flew open, and Theresa stood there with her eyes wide. “I was just in the dungeon. Why isn’t Mina there? Have you allowed her to escape?”
Hugh took a step toward Theresa as both Cole and Bernard walked up behind her.
“We haven’t allowed her to escape.”
Theresa’s eyes moved beyond him to Gabriel and the bed. Her already wide eyes nearly bulged with indignation. “How dare you,” she screamed and ran toward the bed.
Hugh caught her in time and held her as she clawed and kicked him.
“She tried to kill me,” Theresa shrieked. “She wants me dead, and she’ll stop at nothing until she succeeds.”
“She was attacked herself,” Hugh said.
Theresa continued to fight and shriek, and it took both Cole and Bernard helping Hugh to subdue her.
Hugh took her face in his hands. “Enough!”
“I don’t understand why you can’t see it,” she said as the tears spilled from her eyes.
Hugh straightened and sighed. “Bernard, I think it might be best if you took your sister to her chamber. Did you get everyone inside their homes?”
“Aye,” Bernard answered as he dragged Theresa to the door.
Once Bernard and Theresa left, Hugh turned to his men. “We need to talk. I had a visit from Aimery and Rufina today.”
“The queen?” Cole asked, stunned. “I only met her once, when I agreed to become a warrior.”
“Me as well,” Gabriel added.
Hugh found himself staring at Mina as he recalled his conversation with the Fae.
“They have no idea how to kill the creature.”
“Well, that isn’t good,” Cole said and sat in the chair beside Mina’s bed.
Gabriel rubbed his chin. “They didn’t give you any hints either?”
“Nay. In fact, they were both very worried. It seems that they knew this day would come, but they hadn’t expected it this soon.” Cole blew air out of his mouth. “What does that mean for us?”
“It means it is up to us to kill this creature.”
“If it can be killed,” Gabriel said.
Cole studied Hugh for a moment. “There is more.” Hugh nodded. “’Tis the beginning of the end of this realm.”
Chapter Fifteen
“The beginning of the end?” Cole repeated. “What is Rufina referring to?”
“It seems,” Hugh said, “that the creatures are becoming immune to anything we have to kill them. The first sign was how they leaped from this time to nine hundreds years from now.”
“So, even if we manage to kill this one, the creatures will continue to evolve,” Gabriel said.
“Exactly. Whoever is releasing them is growing in power and giving that power to the creatures.”
Cole snorted. “And the Fae can’t help us?”
“Nay.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Gabriel asked.
“They aren’t sure what needs to be done. The realm of earth has always been open to them because they once roamed here, but the other realms are as closed to them as the Fae world is to us.”
“There has to be some way to stop these creatures and the people controlling them,” Cole stated.
“There is. We just have to find it.”
Gabriel sighed. “Aimery told us long ago that it was someone from another realm using people from earth to bring forth the creatures.” Hugh stared at Gabriel for a moment as he recalled that conversation with Aimery. “And I bet that if we find that blue stone Mina had we could begin to solve this puzzle.”
“Mina said she didn’t have the stone,” Gabriel said.
“It has to be in this castle somewhere, especially if she brought it here and it disappeared.”
He turned to Cole to find him staring at the bed. He followed Cole’s gaze to find Mina staring at him. “You are supposed to be sleeping,” he said.
“How can I sleep with Theresa yelling?”
He walked to the bed and reached for her hand, but she flinched away from him.
The pain that caused bothered him more than he cared to admit or show.
“Tell me where you put the stone when you first brought it to the castle?” She laughed dryly. “Why? You won’t believe anything I say anyway. I’ve told you I don’t have the stone, that I don’t know who put it in my chamber after it had been stolen.”
“If you truly are innocent, then you w
on’t let what is between us stand in the way of seeing you proven right.”
She tried to sit up and cried out when she put her arm down. Hugh reached to help her, but she jerked away from him so hard that she fell off the bed. He stared helpless as Gabriel rushed to her side and helped her back onto the bed.