A Forbidden Temptation

by Donna Grant

  Suddenly, the rope gave way and her arm dropped. She reached up and tugged the dagger from the wood and moved to release her other hand when her arm was wrenched back against the wood.

  Tears stung her eyes as pain erupted in her arm and she nearly dropped the dagger. She looked around to see who had stopped her and found the cloaked figure off to her right. She could all but see his power directed at her.

  The flames swiftly rose and scorched the hem of her dress. Nicole cried out as the flames rose higher and higher. Then, as rapidly as they had grown, they were doused. And that’s when she spotted Aimery.

  “Stay out of it,” he yelled to the great evil.

  The great evil turned his hooded head to Aimery. “Never.”

  “You know the rules,” Aimery said and advanced on him. “You cannot interfere.”

  “Neither can you.”

  “I am merely balancing the power,” Aimery said and raised his hands. “I will continue to do so as long as you continue to interfere.”

  The evil laughter reverberated around the village, making Nicole’s skin crawl. “A Fae who has finally had enough. Does your king know of your intentions?”

  Nicole moved her gaze to Aimery and waited for him to answer. When he didn’t, she again heard the evil’s laughter.

  “Since you know the laws so well, then you will know what will happen to you now that you have broken one,” the evil said.

  Aimery shrugged, his long, flaxen hair blowing behind him as the wind picked up again. “It is a chance I am willing to take.”

  “Then you are as foolish as I had hoped you were.”

  The arm that the evil had pinned back against the wood was freed, and Nicole hurried to cut through the ropes on her other hand.

  She threw a glance at Aimery and the evil to see them advancing on each other. She had no idea what would happen if they began to fight, and she greatly feared what the outcome would be.

  And then, just as Aimery raised his hand to attack, the evil disappeared and the wind died down again. With both hands now freed, Nicole reached down and began to free her feet. The village began to quiet as the villagers found their homes and hid.

  Nicole cut through the ropes binding her feet. With the dagger still in hand, she lifted her skirts and quickly jumped over the smoldering wood. She landed heavily and steadied herself as she searched the area.

  Her gaze sought Val’s as he and the Gryphon fought. She stood rooted to the spot as Val used the tip of his halberd to cut open the creature’s chest.

  The creature roared and swung his large front talon at him. She sucked in a breath as Val jumped back just before a talon could cut open his torso.

  Val needed help and she knew there was one person who could aide him as no one could—Gabriel. Nicole’s gaze searched the village until she caught sight of Gabriel. He stood to her right, an arrow notched and sighted, yet he didn’t release it.

  Nicole waited with bated breath for Gabriel to help Val, yet he did nothing more than stand there. “Gabriel,” she yelled. When that didn’t get his attention, she turned and ran towards him.

  “Gabriel, help him,” she shouted again and again.

  She pushed her way through a throng of frightened villagers and raced toward Gabriel. She didn’t know what was stopping him, but she knew if he didn’t help Val soon, Val could die.

  “Gabriel,” she said when she reached him. “What is wrong with you? Why aren’t you helping Val?” she cried.

  Nicole glanced at Val and watched as the Gryphon tried to peck at him with his sharp beak.

  “Gabriel, please,” she begged.

  When it became obvious that Gabriel wasn’t going to help, Nicole lifted her skirts and clutched the dagger as she ran towards Val.

  She was just about to reach him when she stumbled over a dead body and fell to the ground. She watched in horror as the dagger tumbled from her hand to land several paces away. Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to her hands and knees and crawled to the weapon.

  When it was once again in her hand, she turned to Val to find the Gryphon over Val.

  “Nay,” she screamed as she found her feet. Her only thought was to save Val as she ran towards the Gryphon. She knew what the consequences were when she buried the dagger in the Gryphon’s back.

  She just hadn’t expected to feel so much fear when he roared and turned to face her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Nicole?” the Gryphon asked, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Why?”

  Nicole swallowed and backed away. “Just get it over with,” she said and let the tears fall. She didn’t look at Val. She couldn’t bear to see the love of her life watch her cower in fear.

  The Gryphon reached around and pulled the dagger from his back, then stepped toward her. “I never expected this of you. You must care for him a great deal.”

  “I love him.”

  The Gryphon closed his eyes and sighed. “I wish things were different.”

  No sooner had the words left his mouth than his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the compassionate creature she had seen but a moment ago, and in its place was the monster she had glimpsed the night he had tried to kill her.

  A scream died in her throat as his large claw wrapped around her throat. She gripped his claw and stared him in the eye.

  “Leave Val alone once this is over,” she said.

  His claw tightened around her throat as he closed his eyes. * * * *

  Val dragged himself off the ground and made his tired, aching hand grip his halberd. One eye was swollen shut after a vicious knock from the creature, and blood poured into his other eye from a cut at his temple.

  But he pushed aside all the pain and moved to help Nicole. His goal was to try and sneak up on the Gryphon then free Nicole so they could make a run for the cave and safety.

  He swiped at the blood running into his eye and lifted his arm to throw the halberd when suddenly the Gryphon turned towards him.

  Val saw the resignation in Nicole’s eyes, and his heart cried out for her. He turned to the creature to find his dark gaze on him.

  “There isn’t much time,” the Gryphon said as though he were in a lot of pain.

  Val’s forehead furrowed as he waited to see if it was a trick.

  “He is controlling me,” the Gryphon ground out. “I can’t hold him off much longer.”

  To Val’s surprise, the Gryphon then moved aside his feathers over his chest, and that’s when Val saw it. The blue stone.

  He moved to plunge his halberd into the Gryphon’s chest and through the blue stone, but stopped. “Why?”

  The Gryphon groaned. “Just do it.”

  Without another thought, Val reared back and hurled his halberd at the Gryphon. It sunk into the creature’s chest and through the blue stone. Bright light shot out in all directions as the Gryphon let out a loud roar.

  Val covered his eyes and waited for the light to disappear. When it was gone, he opened his eyes to find not the Gryphon lying on the ground, but a man with Val’s halberd sticking from his chest.

  He rushed to the man and knelt beside him when he saw he was still alive. “You were turned.”

  “Aye,” the man said, his voice faint and his breathing labored.

  “Aimery. Gabriel. I need help,” Val yelled out.

  The man shook his head. “Nay. Let me go. I need to atone for my sins.”

  Val felt something beside him and looked up to see Nicole. He took her hand as she fell to her knees, her gaze never leaving the man’s.

  “I’m sorry,” the man said. “If it hadn’t been for your eyes, I would have killed you that first time.”

  “My eyes?” Nicole repeated.

  A faint smile touched the man’s mouth. “Our mother’s eyes, Nicole. It was the only way I recognized you.”

  Val’s heart ached when he heard Nicole gasp and reach for the man’s hand. “I thought only infants were sent here.”

  He laughed then choked as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. “My parents were
the king and queen of the realm. They refused to keep me there to die, so they sent me to look for Nicole and help raise her. I failed.”

  “Nay,” Nicole said and took his hand in hers. “You found me.”

  “Almost too late,” he said. “You brought back all the memories my master tried to erase.”

  “What is your name?” she asked.

  “Dane.”

  “Thank you, Dane,” she said and leaned down to kiss his check.

  When she straightened, Dane’s eyes were lifeless. Val reached over and took Nicole in his arms as she cried. He looked over her shoulder to find Aimery and Gabriel watching.

  “I’m so sorry,” Val whispered in her ear. “If I had known….”

  “There was nothing you could have done,” she said as she leaned back and wiped her eyes. “In order to end all of this, you had to do what you did.”

  “There might have been another way.”

  She put a finger to his lips. “It’s all right, Val.”

  He kissed her finger then rose to his feet and held out his hand to assist her. Aimery walked toward them, a cloak over his arm.

  “We will make sure he has a proper burial befitting someone who gave their life for love,” Aimery said to Nicole. He pulled Val’s halberd from Dane’s chest and threw the cloak over Dane’s nude body.

  No sooner had the cloak touched Dane’s body, then he disappeared along with the cloak.

  “Thank you,” Aimery said as he turned to Val and Gabriel. “You both did well. The spell has been broken and we can now take Nicole to the safety of Stone Crest.”

  Val sighed in relief, but he noted Gabriel was acting strange. “Gabriel? Everything all right?”

  “Everything is fine,” Gabriel said and turned to his left as the barmaid walked up.

  “You did well,” Val said and wrapped an arm around Nicole. “Let’s get out of here.”

  All four moved to follow Aimery only to stop after a few steps when an old man blocked their way.

  Val moved his hand to the hilt of his sword the same time Gabriel reached for an arrow, but Aimery’s raised hand stopped them.

  “You are free now,” he said to the old man.

  The old man shook his head, his long, white hair moving slightly with the motion. “I’ll never be free.”

  And then, before their eyes, the old man’s age began to diminish until the man standing before them was a young, vibrant man.

  “The spell is broken,” Aimery said. “The great evil is gone from this place.”

  “He’s left his mark here, Aimery,” the man said softly, though great authority carried in his voice. “That will never go away. I may once again have my youth and young body, but the horrors will forever plague me.”

  “I’ll have one of my men stationed here, Lord MacNamara.”

  The man nodded and turned on his heel.

  “Who was that?” Gabriel asked.

  Aimery looked over his shoulder at them. “Lord MacNamara.”

  “I always wondered what he looked like,” the barmaid said. She smiled and turned to the group. “Your journey continues on, but mine stops here.”

  “Thank you for everything,” Val said.

  The barmaid smiled and moved toward Gabriel. She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. For long moments she stared into Gabriel’s silver eyes before she turned to Nicole. “I’m so sorry for the way you were treated before.”

  Nicole smiled and took the woman’s hands in hers. “You’ve more than made up for all of it. I’m just sorry that the village has turned out this way.”

  She shrugged. “With Laird MacNamara once again himself, I think the village will revert back to what it was once. Good luck to all of you,” she said and walked away.

  Val looked at Gabriel. “Are you sorry to see her go?”

  Gabriel grinned. “I confess I’d have liked to have one night with her, but duty does call.”

  Val wasn’t fooled by Gabriel’s cheerful tone. There was something in his friend’s silver gaze that was troubled. What it was Val had no idea.

  He took Nicole’s hand and pulled her to a stop as Aimery and Gabriel walked on. When her violet eyes turned to him and he saw the questions swirling in them, he found himself nervous. He didn’t know how to bring up that he had heard what she said to her brother. Hearing that she loved him had broken through all the barriers he had erected so long ago.

  Val took a deep breath and faced her. “There is so much I want to say.”

  “Just say it,” she said and smiled brightly.

  “There are many horrors in my past, things that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave behind.”

  “If you mean your sisters’ deaths, I know,” Nicole said softly. “Please don’t be angry, but I overheard you telling Gabriel.”

  Val blinked and nearly sighed out loud. “I’m not angry. I’m relieved. It took so much just to tell Gabriel, that I didn’t know if I’d be able to speak of it again. But I would have. For you.”

  A soft smile pulled at Nicole’s full lips. “Really?”

  “Aye. I may not deserve you, but I refuse to let you go. I’ve lost count of the many years I kept my heart guarded, but somehow you broke through and made me feel again.”

  “Say the words, Val. I need the words.”

  He chuckled as he pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to her lips. “I love you, Nicole.”

  “And I love you.”

  A chuckle sounded behind Val. “If you two are finished, can we now leave for Stone Crest?”

  Val turned and found Gabriel behind him with his arms crossed and Aimery a few feet away with a big smile on his face.

  “Are you ready?” Val asked Nicole.

  “With you by my side? Always.”

  “Then let us go. I’m eager to see the rest of the Shields,” he said to Aimery. He leaned down and whispered in Nicole’s ear, “Not to mention a nice bed chamber with some quiet time for us.”

  She laughed and smiled up at him just as Aimery opened the portal.

  Epilogue

  “You can open your eyes now.”

  Nicole sighed when she heard Val’s voice in her ear. She had never traveled through time before and was a bit worried, but Val had assured her all would be well.

  She slowly opened her eyes to find herself staring at the beautiful castle with a thick forest surrounding it. “Is this Stone Crest?”

  “Aye,” Aimery said as he moved to stand beside her. “This is where you will stay until the evil is destroyed.”

  “And there are others like me here?”

  Val wrapped an arm around her. “Aye, my love.”

  Her heart warmed at his words. She was wondering how long it would take them to reach the castle when she spotted horses thundering at them.

  “I think Hugh spotted us,” Gabriel drawled from behind them.

  Nicole stood back as six horses came to a stop before them. A large man with dark brown hair and kind brown eyes leapt off his horse and approached Val and Gabriel first. They clasped forearms and slapped each other on the back.

  The other two men in turn approached Val and Gabriel, welcoming them before the three men moved to stand beside the women on horseback.

  Val took her hand and moved her before the couples. “Nicole, I’d like to present the leader of the Shields, Hugh, and his wife Mina.”

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