by Unknown
Gwen's heart sprung to her throat. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the hard chest pressed up against her back. He must have been very calm, for she felt no heartbeat. The guards scurried back up the steps when the dungeon was cleared.
The strong hand covering her mouth slowly dropped and Gwen spun around to face her abductor. Gwen opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "Gwendolyn, listen to me," Cain began in a raspy voice, so unlike his own, "ye must leave and never come back. Never think of me, of this place...of this time. Forget everything!"
Gwen shook her head. "Never." Raising her hand up to his cheek, black veins began surfacing just beneath his skin. Cain's eyes were completely black. Her hand stilled half-way to his cheek. "What has my father done?" she whispered.
"This was bound to happen to me eventually, Gwen. Ye had to have known." Cain gripped her shoulders with his hands and she could feel the unnatural strength in him and how he refrained from hurting her. "Ramsey is searching the castle for ye. Dinna let him find ye...ever."
"Come with me! He'll kill you," she said quickly.
Cain made a small shake with his head. "Not anymore. He has taken over the power of the torque. I'm his slave." His lip curled up. "It seems that's all I'll ever be."
Gwen bit her top lip and shook her head. "No, I won't leave you. Not again!"
Cain reached into his pocket and pulled out the amber necklace. "Take this. Keep it close to your heart. Remember me...but as the mon I used to be."
Gwen refused to take it. "Give it to me after we both escape tonight."
Cain took her hand, forcing her to take the amber. "Goodbye, Gwendolyn."
Gwen shook her head as tears pooled in her eyes. "No," she cried out. "I will not leave without you!"
Cain bent down, pulling her to him, kissing her hard and fast on the lips. The kiss finished before she even knew it began. "Go!" Gwen didn't move. Cain clenched his teeth and something hovering just below the surface spoke. "LEAVE!" it roared.
Gwen stumbled back, out of Cain's grip, her lip quivering. She squeezed the amber in her hand. Her father would use Cain until whatever was inside of him came out and destroyed everyone...or just Cain. The man she loved would be no more. Gwen lurched backwards and noticed Cain glance past her shoulder. He made a tight nod and a warm, comforting hand covered Gwen's. Numb to everything, Gwen glanced over her shoulder and found Grimmly standing there, his hand holding hers.
"Come, Gwendolyn."
As Grimmly carefully led her to a secret passageway out of the dungeon, Gwen glanced back for one last look. Cain walked back toward the far dungeon rooms, into the shadows, with a smile that shook her soul.
* * * * *
Gwen sat in a daze as Grimmly shoved a hot cup of mulled spices in her hand to warm her. After he had sneaked her out of the castle, they had traveled by foot most of the night to a small crofter's cottage in the middle of Dundonnell forest. The rain had started soon after they had made their escape, drenching both she and Grimmly to the bone.
"He is a strong mon," Grimmly began, taking a seat next to her at the crude wooden table. The fire in the tiny hearth flickered and sizzled with pops and cracks as rain drops found their way down the chimney. Grimmly reached out and patted Gwen's knee. Her eyes stayed downcast. "I swear I will find a way...."
Gwen glanced solemnly up at Grimmly. "Why do you want to help him now? Why have you changed your mind?"
Grimmly turned his gaze to the fire. "It wasn't safe for ye to be there. Cain had called me down to the dungeon. He asked a favor of me. I agreed." He glanced at her fleetingly. "I can ne'er return to Ramsey's castle. Once I sneaked ye out, I signed my death sentence with that mon." He bent down on one knee before Gwen. "How much do ye ken of your mother?"
Gwen's brow furrowed. "What does my mother have to do with all this? She died giving birth to me. That's all I know." Gwen sat her steaming cup on the table and narrowed her eyes at Grimmly.
Grimmly glanced up at Gwen. "What if I told ye..."
"What?"
Grimmly bowed his head before her. "What if I told ye, Ramsey isn't your da."
After a pause, Gwen spoke tightly. "It would shed light on many things." Gwen's face softened. "Is he...my da?"
"Nay," Grimmly said, darting his gaze back up to her. "I am." Gwen's gaze dropped to the floor. After a long moment of painful silence, Grimmly reached out, placing his hand on her knee. "Say something...please, Gwendolyn. I've wanted to tell ye for so long."
Gwen slowly gazed down at him. "I dinna ken if I'm more hurt with the way Ramsey had treated me all these years, or the fact that you knew and stood by letting it happen."
Grimmly dropped his head. "I wanted to tell ye. Every single day of my life."
"Then why didn't you!"
Grimmly stared into the fire, shame falling over his features. "Ramsey said he would have ye killed if I spoke of it. As far as I ken, only Ramsey and I knew. He didn't want the shame of an entire kingdom knowing his only heir was not his, that he couldn't sire a child. He had always despised me. I was a soldier from your mother's home. When they had married, she had demanded I stay on as first knight.
"After finding out the truth...that ye were mine, and your mother dead with our secret, Ramsey concocted the perfect plan. To everyone it seemed he had an heir. To me, a daughter I could never call my own. I couldn't step down from rank, because he threatened to kill ye if I did. He knew how much I hated him and how hard it would be for me to take orders from him, but I wouldn't leave you. I'd go through hell for you."
"No wonder I've always hated him," she barely whispered.
"You're safe now. We'll never go back to that evil place. We'll go to the Lowlands and start a new life," he said wistfully with a smile.
Gwen shook her head. "I can't. I have to go back. I won't leave Cain to Ramsey's ruthlessness. Cain needs someone to help him. He has no one, but me."
"No one can help him now," Grimmly said more forceful.
"If I can get the torque off of him...."
Grimmly shook his head. "'Tis too late. If Ramsey doesna kill him...whatever lurks inside him will."
* * * * *
Cain eyed the snake headed dagger with the black onyx eyes. He hadn't seen it since that day so long ago when the Immortals had made the pact with the Guardians. And now, here it was in the hands of a true evil maniac. How ironic.
Cain stood next to Ramsey who sat in his awful, golden chair. Ramsey barked out orders to find Gwendolyn and have her brought back to him alive, the man who found her, winning a night with her first. And anyone who had helped her escape, to be executed on the spot.
Cain made a vow that he would personally rip out the heart of any man that touched her. Thankfully, Ramsey had been too stupid to think of using Cain to cast a spell and find her. In fact, Ramsey had been so angry that she had gotten away from him, that he had completely forgot Cain was under his thumb for a time.
Cain's fists clenched. The hurt he saw on Gwen's face when he told her to leave.... He had to do it. He couldn't see any other way. He wasn't about to see Gwen get used by Ramsey, stuffed down beneath the dungeons, or worse.
"-if not," Ramsey was saying to a fellow landowner, "then my sorcerer will kill ye, and make your family eat yer entrails." Cain wanted to suffocate the life out of the man next to him. He was cruel, used others against each other, and enjoyed other's suffering. After Ramsey had calmed down, he had put his selfish plan into action.
The plan being, that he'd raise an army to take over...everyone and everything. Ramsey was power hungry. Ramsey's a lot like you, his inner beast whispered. Cain gritted his teeth. Cain wanted to disagree, but hadn't he started black magic to become powerful? Hadn't he fought for the Orb of Light so he could be the one and only?
No, there was a difference between he and Ramsey. He loved Gwen. Ramsey loved no one, but himself.
"Cain!" Ramsey called out, sending shivers of disgust through his body. Cain knew the drill. He glanced over to the poor black bearded m
an sobbing on the step before Ramsey, begging for his family's life. Cain raised his hands and effortlessly made a movie play out in front of the man. The vision showed the man's family dying horrible deaths. "'Tis the future if ye dinna agree to my terms," Ramsey said, nonchalantly picking his nails with the tip of Cain's dagger.
As all the other men did before this one, the man agreed, promising their money and sword arm to Ramsey. After sealing their word in blood, they would stumble out of the hall a soulless shell of a man. They would regret making any deal with Ramsey. Cain knew. Each sorry bastard and his family were doomed no matter what, but at least agreeing with Ramsey, they could postpone their deaths for a time.
A young servant girl hurried over when Ramsey raised his hand. She quickly handed him a goblet filled with ale. Her gaze traveled over to Cain. He locked gazes with her and she immediately cringed, dropping the goblet Ramsey had handed back to her.
"Ye clumsy wench!" Ramsey spurted, wiping the splattered ale off his breeches. The servant bowed and quickly tried to clean the mess and leave, but not before Ramsey got a kick into her ribs. Cain knew he was to blame for the lass' punishment. His eyes had morphed into black orbs for good. They wouldn't change back again. Gone were the days of his extraordinary blue eyes. The servant wench had glimpsed the monster within.
Cain had soon realized the torque actually held most of the evil at bay, but he could feel the darkness swimming in his gut, overcoming one little bit of magic from the torque at a time, waiting for the opportune time to rise. The torque wouldn't save him forever. And it didn't help that Ramsey made him cast spell after spell, making the beast grow more and more hungry for a glimpse of the outside world. At least, most of the spells were easy incantations that didn't take a great deal to cast. Cain's concern was the quantity.
Cain stared after the serving wench running out of the hall. The little piece left of his heart yearned for another. Gwendolyn. A lass he'd do best to forget.
* * * * *
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"I will not run, Grimmly," Gwen said, crossing her arms.
Grimmly smiled softly and reached out, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "No, I suppose ye wouldn't. Any daughter of mine would fight 'til the end."
Gwen made a small smile. She wanted to call him father in the worst way, but it still hurt that he hadn't told her years before about her patronage. There had to have been a way he could have told her.
"Come," he said, holding out his hand, "ye need to get some sleep. We have a long way to travel on the morrow."
"I told you I'm going back to Castle Dubh."
Grimmly smiled over his shoulder at her. "I ken...and we are. But first, we need a plan and help." A look of pity crossed his face. "Remember, Cain wears the torque which is controlled by Ramsey. We can no longer count Cain as an ally. He has now joined the enemy. Ye need to remember that. If Ramsey orders Cain to kill ye...love or no, he will take your life."
Gwen sighed. Grimmly was right. Still, she wouldn't call Cain an enemy until the moment he decided to hurt her.
Grimmly lay a torn, ragged plaid over the dirt floor, as there was no bed nor furniture in the cottage other than the table and two chairs. He smoothed out the tartan. "Your bed awaits, madam."
"Thank you...father," she said quietly.
"Gwendolyn," Grimmly said, stopping her from laying down, "ye dinna have to call me that if ye dinna want to. I can wait. I've waited this long. I've always loved ye and I always will, no matter if ye call me da or no."
Tears came to Gwen's eyes. Leaning into his chest, she hugged him. His strong, safe embrace heartened her. Warmth filled her body with love, knowing she had a father that truly cared for her. He placed a fatherly peck on the side of her cheek and cleared his throat as he pulled back. "I better stand guard. Ramsey will have men searching for us. I'll be just outside."
Gwen waited until the door shut softly behind him, and then sunk down to the blanket and the hard surface beneath. A yawn escaped her. She hadn't realized how tired she was until now, on the brink of exhaustion. The adrenaline that had filled her, had now dissipated, leaving her to feel like a piece of limp hay, ready to blow away with the wind.
* * * * *
The next morning, Gwen woke to a soft chirping. She rolled over and found a little chickadee resting on the aged timber mantle. It eyed her, dodging its head in a birdly manner and then quickly flew past and out the chimney. Gwen yawned and sat up. She glanced around for Grimmly. Finding no sign of him, she sprung up and strode to the door, swinging it open. There, beside the cottage door sat Grimmly polishing his sword. A big smile covered his bearded face when he saw her. "Ye awake then? I didna want to disturb ye. I figured ye needed your rest."
Gwen was about to answer, when a loud whinny sounded to the side of the cottage. Craning her neck, she discovered two stallions grazing in a foggy thicket of green grass. Her brow creased. "When did we acquire those?"
Grimmly's smile turned devious. "A couple of Ramsey's men traveled through here last night. 'Twas the darnest thing, they gave me their horses and went on their way."
"Hmm, just handed over their prized warhorses, you say?" Gwen's mouth twitched at the corners. "And here I always thought you a saint."
Grimmly laughed. "Most definitely." After his laughter faded, and his genuine smile disappeared, his expression grew serious. "We better move on. 'Twill take a good bit of time to get to Julianna."
Gwen whipped her gaze around. "Julianna's alive? You know where she is?" she asked breathlessly.
"Aye, I ken where she is."
"But she is alive?" Gwen asked, when her father wouldn't meet her gaze.
Grimmly finally looked up with a solemn expression. "If my prayers have been answered."
* * * * *
After riding South the entire day and discussing plan after plan on how to save Cain, Gwen spotted a large nunnery in the distance. Its white stucco walls were nestled neatly in-between trees and a well manicured lawn. A large statue of an angel entwined with a cross stood in the center of a trickling fountain at the edge of the fenced grounds.
As they pulled their horses up to the fence, a small, frail looking sister strolled up to them in a long, grayish-white habit, wimple, and veil. "My brother, sister, all we ask is no weapons be entered with ye. This is a house of God and of peace. Leave yer weapons with yer horses and I will stable and tend to them."
Grimmly slid down and Gwen followed suit. After fastening his longsword and a razor-sharp dagger from his waist to the horse, the nun gave him a once over, along with a tight smile. Gwen watched as the little woman led the horses down a cobblestone path toward the stable on the far side of the complex.
Grimmly grasped Gwen's hand and led her in the opposite direction to a large, arched door made of heavy, distressed cherry. Reaching out, he pulled a cord off to the side of the door, sending a shiny, brass bell ringing. Moments later, a robust, happy nun answered the door. "Welcome, Lord Grimmly," she said, holding her restless hands together in front of her. "Please, come in," she said, moving off to the side. "Will ye be staying long this visit? May ye be in need of a room for ye and...?"
Grimmly cleared his throat. "This is my daughter, Gwendolyn," he said edging her in front of him. "Julianna is like a mother to her." Grimmly bowed. "We would be forever grateful for a place to stay for the night."
"Och, of course," the woman said with a chuckle. "Would ye want to freshen up first?" She bobbed her head eagerly waiting for an answer.
"Nay," Grimmly said. "If we may see Julianna straight away please."
"Aye. Follow me, my lord."
Gwen watched the sway of the large woman's hips as she cheerfully bounced down the corridors in front of them. As they followed, they passed numerous alcoves with statues of Jesus and Mary and various Saints. The lighting was dim with only a few torches illuminating the halls. A soft pitter-patter of water echoed through the surroundings. Outside, dusk had arrived. Gwen inhaled deeply. It seemed time flew by, along with
the opportunity to save Cain before it was too late.
Gwen had discovered, upon reaching the nunnery, that Julianna had left her in the twenty-first century because Ramsey had been hunting for Julianna. As Ramsey's men grew closer to discovering their house in the twenty-first century, Julianna had decided to return to the thirteenth century to confront Ramsey herself, before he also found Gwen.
When Julianna confronted Ramsey and wouldn't give him the information he demanded, Ramsey had her tortured by burning her face, severely disfiguring her. After the incident, Grimmly had secreted Julianna out of the castle, whisking her off to the nunnery and his close friend, Sister Margaret. Sister Margaret tended Julianna's wounds and promised to keep her hidden from Ramsey and his men.
"She may be sleeping," the merry nun said, stopping in front of an aged oak door. Quietly pushing the door ajar, the nun held out her hand, gesturing for her guests to proceed her. Once inside the dark chamber, Grimmly turned and nodded his thanks and Sister Margaret left them.
Gwen froze as she reached the end of the tiny cot. An overwhelming smell of mildew and incense filled the chamber, making it difficult to breathe. The only furnishings in the stone apartment were a cot, a night stand, and a bed pan. Gwen brought her gaze over to the figure who slept. Sheets lay knotted and twisted between Julianna's legs, from what appeared to be a fitful night's sleep.
Grimmly lit two candles that sat on the tiny window sill and instantly brightened the room.
"What happened?" Gwen asked, noticing Julianna's sweaty hairline and pale skin. "I thought she was only disfigured. Is she ill as well?"
"Aye," Grimmly said softly. "Some of the burns turned putrid. A fever plagues her, I'm afraid. Sister Margaret did inform me, however, that the fever broke just this past eve." Grimmly patted Gwen's shoulder. "She's a fighter. Dinna worry."