A Dark Guardian

by Donna Grant

  “I should have known he wouldn’t follow the plan,” she spat.

  Mina rose to her feet with the aid of the stone wall she had been leaning against.

  “Let me go.”

  “So you can run and spill our little secret to Hugh? I think not. I have waited too many years to see you dead. Nothing is going to stop me now.”

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  Donna Grant

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  Chapter Thirty

  Their steps were light as Hugh and his men followed Bernard. Trepidation twisted through him. His worst fears were taking shape in front of him.

  But it wasn’t until Bernard took the left path in the fork in the road that Hugh knew a moment of pure dread. Everything he had imagined had indeed been true.

  Even where the creature lived.

  “I should have known,” Hugh muttered as they stood outside the monastery’s gates.

  “Mina knew something was here,” Gabriel said.

  “Of course she did. She was part of it. Bloody hell, she led us right to it and we were too dim-witted to see it.”

  Cole looked around them. “I think you have it wrong. The last time Mina was here she wouldn’t go in.”

  “It could have been a trick,” Hugh said.

  “Or not,” Gabriel pointed out. “Don’t condemn her just yet.”

  “After all, you were wrong about Theresa and Bernard,” Cole said.

  “We’ll see about all of it,” Hugh said as he walked through the gates.

  He didn’t need to turn around to see if his men were with him, he knew they were.

  When he reached the doorway into the monastery, he paused a moment and said a quick prayer that he was wrong about Mina.

  “We could use Aimery’s help with this,” Cole said from behind him.

  Hugh looked at his black haired friend and smiled. “I’ve never asked Aimery for help before. I’m not about to start now.”

  Gabriel chuckled. “Let’s get going then. I’m tired of waiting.”

  * * * *

  Mina didn’t fight Theresa as her sister dragged her to the top of the monastery.

  She looked at Theresa’s triumphant expression.

  “Why have you always hated me?”

  Theresa laughed. “You mean you still don’t know? I’m surprised Bernard hasn’t spilled that secret.”

  “’Twas a secret I planned on telling her this night.”

  Mina jerked around to find Bernard walking towards them. She looked about expecting to find Hugh, but there was no one but her brother.

  She watched Bernard and Theresa glare at each other. “What secret?” she asked when neither spoke.

  “Do you really want to know why you were never part of our family?” Theresa screamed shrilly, venting her rage on Mina as she glared daggers at her. “Why our parents all but ignored you?”

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  The verbal barb cut deep, but Mina needed to know. “I want to know.”

  “Mina,” Bernard said softly and came towards her. “’Tis nothing to be upset about. To be honest, I’m glad the truth will finally come out.”

  “What truth?” Mina asked. She was tired of hidden meanings and hints. She needed answers. Now.

  “You aren’t our sister,” Theresa smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Mina couldn’t have been more shocked if Theresa had told her the sky was purple. “What?”

  Bernard turned around and slapped Theresa. “Enough.” He then turned and grabbed Mina’s shoulders. “Mina, ‘tis the truth. I’ve wanted to tell you many times, but my parents made me swear I wouldn’t.”

  Mina tried to step away from him, but he held her tightly. “Who are my parents?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Her head began to ache. “I don’t understand. You have been just as cruel to me as Theresa has.”

  “Only because I was trying to hide how I truly felt. Have you never wondered why I haven’t married?”

  She shook her head. “You’re still young.”

  “How about why I never made you find a husband?”

  “Because of the way I look,” she said and looked down at her feet.

  “Neither answer is right. I didn’t make you find a husband because I couldn’t bear to see you with another man. The only reason Theresa was able to take your betrothed was because I bribed him.”

  Mina’s head jerked up. Nothing made sense anymore, the more they talked the more confused she became. “Stop,” she said and tried to turn away.

  “You need to hear this,” Bernard said urgently. “’Tis for the best.”

  “Nay,” she screamed and wrenched out of his arms only to collide with a wall of solid muscle.

  Just when she was about to fall, she was caught by strong arms she knew very well. She raised her gaze and looked into the hard eyes of Hugh.

  He didn’t speak to her, just set her behind him where Gabriel and Cole stood on either side of her. She watched as Bernard drew his sword.

  “I wondered if you would follow me,” Bernard said.

  Hugh shrugged. “Put that away. You are no match for me.”

  “You won’t stand in my way of getting what I want. Not after all these years.”

  “Just what do you want?”

  Bernard laughed. “You still don’t know?”

  “Would I ask if I did?”

  She knew that although Hugh’s tone was light, he was angry. All one had to do was look at the tick in his neck to know.

  “I want Mina,” Bernard said. “And no one,” he glanced at Theresa, “will stand in my way.”

  Cole cursed. “You want your own sister?”

  “I don’t think she’s his sister,” Hugh said.

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  Bernard clapped his hand against his sword. “Very good. When did you figure that out?”

  “Just

  now.”

  “What a pity. I had thought you were smarter than that,” Bernard taunted.

  Hugh shrugged. “Power makes everyone think they are smarter than the rest.

  Tell me, Bernard, why kill your parents?”

  “Why not?” Bernard asked. “Power is a most heady feeling. You should try it sometime.”

  “What power you think you have is misleading. The evil that holds the blue stones is the one with the true power.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Bernard said.

  Mina knew this was the time for answers and truths. She took a little step forward. “Who drugged your ale?” she asked Bernard.

  He laughed but kept his gaze on Hugh. “I did.”

  “Why?” Mina asked.

  “It had to look convincing.”

  “And Theresa’s attacker?”

  Bernard looked over his shoulder at Theresa. “Ask her,” he said.

  Mina turned her gaze to Theresa. “Well?”

  “It was me. ‘Tis amazing how much power the stone holds,” she purred. “It helped me to nearly kill you by infecting your wounds.”

  Mina had never felt so angry and hurt in her life. “Bernard’s knight?”

  “All me,” Theresa said and looked down at the large emerald ring on her finger.

  “Dammit, Theresa,” Bernard bellowed. “I knew it was you. You lied to me.”

  “No more than you lied to me,” Theresa retorted. “You would have killed me along with our parents had I not found the stone.”

  Bernard turned and roared before he raised his sword and thrust it at Hugh.

  Mina turned to Gabriel. “Do something,” she begged him.

  “I am,” he said solemnly. “I’m keeping you safe.”

  She groaned and looked to Cole who quickly threw up his hands and shook his head.

  “Don’t turn those blue-green eyes at me, my lady. I was given orders, and I’ll be doing just that.”

  She had the urge to stamp her foot she was so
angry. It was then she spotted Theresa slowly working her way toward Hugh and Bernard. Something flashed in the sunlight, and Mina caught sight of the dagger.

  Without thought to her own safety, she slipped past Gabriel and Cole and ran at Theresa. She tackled Theresa to the ground just as she was about to plunge the dagger into Hugh’s back. Mina raised her head and looked to make sure Hugh was unhurt.

  Swords clanged as he and Bernard fought. Her eyes were glued to the smooth, graceful movements of Hugh. Bernard was smaller and was able to move a little quicker, but he was no match for Hugh’s strength and ability.

  Her breath caught when Bernard’s sword swung at Hugh’s midsection, but Hugh deftly jumped back and blocked the swing. Theresa forgotten, Mina got to her feet to A DARK GUARDIAN

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  watch the two men when the world tilted, and she was thrown to her back. She tried to grab hold of the roof when she realized that she was on the edge and about to fall off.

  “Die,” Theresa screamed.

  Before Mina could call for help, Bernard had turned and pulled her safely away from the edge. He cupped her cheek.

  “I’ll keep you safe,” he said.

  Her eyes moved past Bernard to find Theresa’s gaze burned with hatred. The dagger was once again in Theresa’s hand, and despite the fear that Mina felt with Bernard, she couldn’t allow him to die.

  At the same time, she yelled for Bernard to look behind him, Hugh also tried to stop Theresa. But Theresa used the dagger to try and slash Hugh’s arm. Mina watched in horror as Theresa moved past Hugh to Bernard.

  “No more shared power,” Theresa yelled. “I want it all!”

  Bernard rose to his feet. He swung his arm around to stop her downward thrust of the dagger, and the force of it sent both of them over the edge of the roof.

  Mina rushed to the edge. Her heart pounded fiercely as she gazed down upon the two people she had considered family. She mourned for them. After all, they were the only family she had known.

  “I didn’t expect that,” Cole said from beside her.

  “None of us did,” Hugh said from the other side.

  She sighed and turned away from the gruesome sight. “Now what?”

  “Where is the stone?” Hugh asked.

  Her eyes closed briefly. “You still think I’m a part of this?”

  His dark gaze held hers. “It doesn’t matter any more. Help us find the stone and destroy it and the creature.”

  “I would if I knew where it was,” she hollered. She had had enough. Hadn’t he heard anything that Bernard and Theresa had said?

  “All right,” Hugh said.

  That made her pause. “You believe me?”

  “I don’t have any other choice.”

  She turned away before she gave into the urge to wrap her hands around his thick neck and squeeze. Or attempt to.

  “Just what happened before we arrived?” Gabriel asked.

  She opened her mouth to tell them when Hugh cut her off.

  “We don’t have time for that,” he said. “We must find the stone and the creature before nightfall since we won’t get any answers from Bernard or Theresa now.”

  “Why?” she asked. “With Bernard and Theresa dead they can no longer control the creature.”

  “That’s just it. Without someone to control it the creature will destroy everything in one night.”

  She nodded and looked around. “Right then. Where should we begin looking?”

  “My guess is here,” Hugh said. “You wouldn’t have been brought here otherwise.

  Both the creature and the stone are somewhere very close.”

  “Cole and I will take the lower levels,” Gabriel said as he and Cole walked away.

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  Mina wrung her hands together and looked anywhere but Hugh. “I’ll look around here.”

  Hugh watched her. There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to begin. The first thing he had wanted to do when he had seen her was take her in his arms. Instead, he had pushed that emotion aside.

  He knew he should look at the level below them, but he didn’t want to leave her.

  He told himself it was to make sure she didn’t leave with the stone, but he knew it was because he wanted to be near her.

  When he couldn’t stand it another moment he reached out and took her arm. She turned toward him, and he pulled her into his arms. For a moment she stiffened then melted against him. It was the sweetest moment of his life.

  “Will you help us find the stone?”

  She pulled back and looked at him. “Of course. I’ve already told you I would.

  Why are you asking me again?”

  “I want you to know that it doesn’t matter that you were part of it with Bernard.

  Help us destroy the creature and the stone and everything else won’t matter.”

  She stepped out of his arms. He should have known by the darkening of her eyes that anger swelled just beneath the surface.

  “I was not part of anything. I am innocent.”

  He sighed. “No more lies, Mina. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “Aye, it does. I won’t have you believing me to be guilty of something I’m not.

  You never once considered Bernard, yet he fooled you completely.”

  Hugh took her hands in his. “Mina, I’m telling you the truth. It doesn’t matter anymore because I love you.”

  Her mouth dropped open then snapped shut. “I cannot believe you,” she said and walked away.

  Hugh couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. He knew she had feelings for him. He hadn’t expected her to say that she loved him in return, but he had expected more than what he had gotten.

  He stalked off after her. “We aren’t through talking.”

  “Aye, we are,” she said as she walked down the stairs.

  He tried to grab her, but she yanked her arm away from him. To his dismay, she lost her balance and began to fall backwards.

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  Chapter Thirty-One

  Mina reached for anything that she could grab hold of. Her hand caught on a stone that stuck out from the others in the stairwell. Frankly, she didn’t care why it was sticking out as long as she was able to right herself.

  She sighed loudly when she had once again gained her balance, yet she still held on to the stone. And in an instant, the stone slipped out, and she began to fall again.

  Only, this time, Hugh grabbed hold of her. She locked her arms around his neck.

  “Are you all right?”

  She shook her head. “That’s the third time I’ve almost fallen to my death. I think I’m beginning to fear heights.”

  He chuckled and set her at the top of the stairs. “You’ll be fine up there.”

  “I’ve got to walk down sometime. I don’t like this place. I wish to leave soon.

  Immediately would be preferable.”

  She hadn’t expected him to agree since they had to find the stone and the creature.

  It was then both of them looked at his feet to see the stone that she had pulled free.

  “You don’t think.…”

  She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

  “It would be too easy,” he said.

  But he took a step up and looked into the hole where the stone had been. Mina held her breath as Hugh pushed his hand into the dark hole. When he pulled it out he held something in his hand.

  He unwrapped it to show the smooth round blue stone.

  “I can’t believe it,” she whispered.

  “And all because you were about to fall,” Hugh said as he wrapped back up the stone.

  Her heart squeezed as she recalled his words. He loved her. She longed to tell him that she loved him too. She had known for quite some time how her heart felt, but she had tried to keep it from herself and him.

  “I
wasn’t a part of it,” she said. “I swear to you.”

  His dark eyes raised and looked at her.

  “I know you think the evidence points to me, but the fact is that it was Bernard and Theresa. I didn’t realize Bernard was part of it until he had the creature bring me here last night.”