Doward grabbed Katherine’s arm and raised it, exposing the H branded on the soft white flesh. Katherine struggled and freed herself from Doward’s grip.
“That’s the same mark the men who attacked us at the Stone River had on their wrists,” Rebeka said to Doward. She never took her eyes off Katherine.
“You work for Bran?” Doward advanced and stood close by.
“I work for no one. I have no master.”
“Katherine, you wear his mark.” He backed her against the stones, close to the two Cove stones.
“Why do you want to kill Arik?” Rebeka stood next to Doward. Katherine positioned herself even closer to the stones.
“Oh, I’ll kill Arik and soon, a living death. He’ll die a thousand deaths.” Katherine’s hysterical laugh echoed through the stones.
Rebeka saw the madness in her eyes. Katherine was mumbling. No, not mumbling. Chanting. What was she bringing? She advanced, working her staff, battering Katherine and raining punishing blows down on her that pushed her between the stones.
Katherine took a step to the side of the two stones, screaming out the last of the chant, timing it perfectly. At the same moment Rebeka’s staff hit the inscribed stone and opened the portal.
Rebeka felt the wind twist and circle between the two stones. Startled, she stood still, her staff gently glowing.
Katherine took advantage of the moment and pushed Rebeka between the stones, into the portal.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Doward lunge to grab her and pull her out but she was already too far.
She saw Katherine turn toward Arik, murder in her eyes.
She saw Hugo lying dead at Arik’s feet. His blank eyes locked on Rebeka as the portal took her farther away.
Rebeka tried to warn Arik but he just stood there. Soon she wouldn’t be able to see him or the others. If she had to return to her time, she would go knowing that she saved him, but she needed to act quickly. Each heartbeat sent her farther away.
She held her staff tightly, took her dirk and closed her eyes. Her heartbeat rang like a loud drum in her ears. She cleared her thoughts. At the edge of her mind, her father’s voice strongly chanted a new song, one she didn’t know.
She chanted along with him. Her lips glided over the sounds. With each word, her staff glowed brighter. Her mind clear, she envisioned her mark. She could have kept her eyes closed but she had to make certain of her success. She opened her eyes and noticed no one stirred on the other side of the portal. She let loose the dirk with her own war cry. “For hearth and home!” Her words thundered through time.
The dirk pierced the portal sending it off kilter. She steadied herself with her staff and watched the dirk hit Katherine clean and deep. Time once again resumed its pace. She watched all she loved retreat farther away from her.
Arik reached through the portal to pull her out but she was beyond his grasp. He called to her, “My heart!” His voice resonated and she turned ever so slowly to look at him one last time, tears running down her cheeks. She screamed loudly, “I love you.”
Arik stood helpless while the spinning vortex drew her farther away. He grabbed at the portal edges refusing to let it close.
Katherine, lying on the ground dying, laughed. “Look, Arik, all you love is leaving you. And I did it all. I got rid of Leticia and now her.” The grin on her face was a mixture of pain and pleasure.
“What do you mean? Why?” Logan stood over her.
“I convinced Leticia the wards were failing and they must be reset immediately, and she couldn’t wait for you to return. I gave her the formula but it was to weaken them. I even reset her amulet, to weaken her. She was so easy to persuade. I told her everything when she lay dying. The look on her face when she realized she had betrayed you was exquisite. The torment on her face, the agony she felt was magnificent.
“And Rebeka, we kept her from coming back, me and Bran. It is only by accident she got here at all, your betrothed. She doesn’t even know does she? And I have closed the portal. She can never come back now.
“You think you’re safe from him. Bran will come. He’ll avenge me.” She laughed, her laughter punctuated with fits of coughing that brought up great amounts of blood. She leered at Arik and started mumbling a chant.
Logan couldn’t take her taunting any longer and lunged at her. In one sweep of his sword, he severed her head silencing her forever. Logan and Doward lent their backs to holding the portal open.
The vortex spun violently. Gravity seemed to pull Rebeka in every direction, yet she felt rooted to one spot. The glimpses of the pictures she saw in the swirl now made some sense. It took all her strength but she turned her head to look for Arik, the portal opening now only a small aperture.
She thought of Arik with a longing she had never felt before. Her head began to hurt with the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. It kept getting louder and louder. She closed her eyes hoping the pain would subside. But it didn’t go away.
She touched the amulet around her neck and when she opened her eyes she saw Arik’s image in front of her. He spoke but she couldn’t hear what he said. The drum beating in her head distracted her. She looked at his lips, trying to make out the words but couldn’t understand. It was no use. One thought raced in her head—she was going back and he wouldn’t be there.
She cried, the tears flowing freely. Still holding the amulet, she looked at Arik’s face and saw his pained expression. She closed her eyes and felt him kiss her on her neck. Leaning heavily on her staff, she murmured to herself, the words weak. “To hearth and home.”
He stood there, eyes locked on the vapor, saying the sacred words, invoking the powers of the druid Council, determined to succeed. She heard him. She had answered his call. It came to him in a sudden roar.
Gradually the swirling clouds stopped and a stillness set in. He used every bit of energy he had and commanded the portal to bring her back to him. The breeze picked up, barely a hint at first. It spun in the opposite direction. He couldn’t stop now. There was only one very slim chance he could get her out.
The stagnant vapor scattered, and in the distance he saw her coming closer. The edges of the portal strained to close and it took all of Logan’s and Doward’s strength to keep it open.
“Beka!”
Her tear-swollen eyes looked at him in disbelief.
He reached into the portal, his hand open. His meaning was clear.
She looked at his hand and at his face.
“I can’t. I must go back.” Her voice was a mere whisper.
Looking into her eyes, he stretched his hand in closer to her. “Beka, trust me.” He closed his eyes and implored her softly, “My heart, trust me.”
His voice echoed in her head filled with all the promise of the future. The portal tugged on her, straining to close. She closed her eyes, the thought of leaving him too painful to bear. How had she moved so far away from him? Frantic, she tried to move back toward the portal opening. She dug her staff into the ground as an anchor. The wind tore at her. Her feet slipped and the portal tugged at her more urgently. She stetched out her arm, extending her fingers as far as possible. It wasn’t enough. She needed something, anything to reach him. Don’t panic. She looked at her staff. It was the only thing holding her in place. Keeping her eyes on Arik, she pulled her staff out of the ground and reached out to him with it.
He saw her purpose and caught hold. He gripped the lifeline tightly and the runes by his hand began to glow, igniting one by one, and rushing toward her.
“Don’t let go, Beka. Hold on.”
“I won’t let go, ever,” she called.
She watched the runes come to life. She looked at Arik and saw the light fill him. She looked back at her staff. All the runes glowed but still the light marched on, warming her hand, her heart and finally her mind. As quickly as the glow began, it ended. Gently, Arik pulled on her staff and brought her out of the portal, and into his arms. He crushed her to his chest.
She buried her head in
his chest. “Arik, I remember. It was all hidden.” She pulled away from him to search his eyes. “I remember it all now. This is my time, this is where I belong.”
She looked at him. “Arik, you knew? Why didn’t you tell me? How did you know?”
“Your staff, it’s inscribed in special runes with your history. And you have my mark.”
Her hand flew to the nape of her neck.
“I planned to tell you. But, if I had, would you have believed me, a woman of the future who didn’t believe in magic? No, you had to want to stay here before I could tell you the truth.”
“Arik, I don’t want to stay here because of the ritual. I want to be anywhere you are.” She pulled away from him again and looked in his eyes. “You are my heart.”
His eyes devoured her face searching for the truth. He saw it clearly in every movement and every breath. He took her in her arms and kissed her deeply.
She drew away and put her hand gently on his lips to prevent him from interrupting her. “You’re mine by contract and by desire. I pledge you my staff and my heart.” She saw the question in his eyes. “I love you, Arik. Not because of some ancient rite. I love you for who and what you are.”
He swept her up and sealed her oath with another kiss.
Logan and Doward let go of the portal and stood back as it snapped shut. Only a sparkling orb remained dancing by the stone.
The air around them erupted with shouting. The battle was over. Arik’s army, victorious, made their way through the stones to see their lord.
“Lord Arik, the victory is ours.” Marcus, bloody and battle weary, shouted for all to hear. Arik stood with Rebeka where everyone could see them and raised his fist in triumph. His men followed his lead, cheering loudly. Arik went among his men, as he always did, thanking and acknowledging them.
Finally, he returned to Rebeka’s side. “We’re ready to leave.”
He held her close to him. He noticed how nicely she fit beside him. It was as if she were made for the spot.
“Take me home, Arik.”
He mounted up his men and started them forward. “To hearth and home.”
As the last man left the stones, a small glistening orb hovered by the center stones.
The portal waited.
About the Author
Ruth A. Casie is a seasoned professional with more than twenty-five years of writing experience but not necessarily writing romances. No, she’s been writing communications and marketing documents for a large corporation. Over the past few years, encouraged by her friends and family, she gave way to her inner muse, let her creative juices flow and began writing a series of historical time-travel romance novels.
When not writing you can find her at home in Teaneck, New Jersey, reading, cooking, doing Sudoku and counted cross-stitch. Together with her husband, Paul, they enjoy ballroom dancing and, with New York City close by, going to the theater. Ruth and Paul have three grown children and two grandchildren. They all thrive on spending time together. It’s certainly a lively dinner table and they wouldn’t change it for the world.
Ruth is a trustee and on the executive board of Shelter Our Sister (SOS) in New Jersey. SOS is Bergen County’s only shelter for victims of domestic violence. She frequently speaks at various functions around Bergen County on behalf of the shelter.
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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9258-5
Copyright © 2011 by Ruth Seitelman
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