A Warrior's Heart (Shields) (24 page)

Gabriel nodded. “Not but a few moments ago. I assumed he had seen you first.”

“Nay.”

That one word, spoken softly and deeply, disturbed Gabriel. “Hugh, he had to have had a reason for not seeking you out.”

“You sound like Val,” he said as he shook his head in disgust. “Aimery has always come when we’ve called for him. Always. Why did he not come now?”

Gabriel shrugged since he lacked any words of comfort. “He does know about Jayna though. I told him.”

“There is that at least.” Hugh ran a hand down his face with a sigh. “I won’t admit it to Mina, but I fear we will not win this battle. The Shields are strong, but how strong against the Great Evil I don’t know.”

Gabriel gripped Hugh’s shoulder. “You’ve never led us astray yet. I have faith that we will win this. Don’t lose hope, Hugh, for if you do, we’ll all know it.”

“Aye,” Hugh said softly, his gaze thoughtful as he looked into Gabriel’s chamber. He blinked then turned to Gabriel. “I had better return to Mina. She’ll come looking for me soon.”

Gabriel nodded and watched as Hugh walked to his chamber. As long as he’d known Hugh, as many times as they’d fought side by side, he’d never seen Hugh lose hope. Not even when it seemed that all hope was gone. Hugh had never given up. It’s what made him a great leader.

The fact that Hugh had doubts began to concern Gabriel. He knew Roderick already worried for their failure. If Hugh cracked as well...it didn’t bode well for the Shields.

* * * *

He had waited too long for the end. He had planned down to the very detail, and not even the meddlesome Shields and the Fae had been able to stop him. Oh, they had managed to trip him up every now and again, but they had never stopped him.

And they wouldn’t be able to now either.

With his latest idea, the Shields and Fae would be hit so fast and so hard they wouldn’t be able to do anything other than stand there as their realms crumbled around them.

But there was one thing he hadn’t counted on. Jayna. Her revenge made her invaluable to him. It had made her unique, and it had kept her going when others would have sat down and died.
 

She had no idea how long he had kept her running in circles after Gabriel. In truth, he could have led her to him long ago, but the longer she searched for Gabriel, the more her need for revenge grew. And he fed off the rage in her.

Because of that rage and need for retribution, he had assumed she would walk into Stone Crest and try to kill Gabriel immediately. Yet, she hadn’t.

When he’d had Gabriel in the woods, he should have spoken to Jayna as well, but he had been so giddy in finding Gabriel all to himself he had completely forgotten that there was someone else with them.

Though entering Stone Crest would be risky, he might have to in order to give Jayna the final push she needed. Her death and the turning of Gabriel were critical to his plan.

He laughed as he recalled the look of horror on Gabriel’s face when they had spoken. It had been invaluable, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Gabriel had remembered all yet.

“Ah, Gabriel. You were my finest weapon. It’s time you came home.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jayna sat with the other Chosen after their morning meal. She had wanted to speak with Gabriel, but she hadn’t had the nerve to seek him out during the night. Then, first thing that morn, he and the other Shields mounted up and headed to the forest.

A shiver raced through her spine as she recalled the Great Evil and his words to Gabriel.

“Jayna?”

She jerked her gaze up to find Nicole looking at her expectantly. “Aye?”

“Is everything all right? You seem to be elsewhere this morn.”

She forced a smile. “Forgive me. I’m just a little dumbfounded to discover I am one of you. What is it that you need me to do?”

Mina scooted forward in her chair. “First, I need you to tell me all that you know of the Chosen.”

Jayna blinked, then swallowed. “In truth, Mina, I don’t recall anything. It wasn’t until the mark appeared on my wrist that I remembered having it. Even now I struggle with trying to understand how I could have forgotten such a mark was on my body.”

Aye, the Great Evil took care of that, you stupid fool
.

“For as long as I can remember I’ve always had it,” she continued. “It was always a part of me.”

“Hmmm,” Shannon said as she tapped her chin with a finger. “That explains why the evil hid it from her and us. Having a fifth Chosen will only make us stronger.”

Elle rolled her eyes. “Only if we figure out what we’re supposed to be doing. I’m not a fool. I know just how upset Roderick is over us not knowing what to do. He’s...anxious about the battle.”

“They all are,” Mina said softly. “The best we can do is try and shift through our memories to see if we can recall anything.”

Shannon rose to her feet and moved to the window. “Easier said than done, especially since we were infants when we were sent to this realm.”

Jayna hid her shocked expression at Shannon’s words. Her heart began to pound fiercely in her chest as she toyed with the idea of telling them where she was from.

“Our parents wouldn’t have sent us here unless we had some knowledge of how to destroy the evil,” Nicole argued.

Elle nodded slowly. “I agree with Nicole, but I have to admit, I’m beginning to worry about whether or not we can actually annihilate the evil.”

Jayna had listened in rapt silence. “What if we aren’t supposed to know what to do?” she said cautiously.

Four sets of eyes turned to her then. Mina furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“What if our parents knew that there might be a chance that the evil found us?
 
If he was able to discern what we did to destroy him, he would then be able to protect himself?”

“My God,” Shannon said breathlessly. “I think she may have it.”

Jayna grew uncomfortable as they all smiled at her. She shrugged. “It was just a thought.”

Mina smiled. “But a good one, I think. Well, if Jayna is correct, we’ll have to trust our parents and ourselves. It also means that until the battle, we’ll have to deceive the men into believing we’re making headway.

Elle snorted. “There’s no way I can lie to Roderick. He always knows when I try to lie to him.”

“Same with Cole,” Shannon agreed.

Mina sighed. “All right. Then, does anyone have any other suggestions?”

“I might,” Nicole said in her thick Scottish accent. “We keep the men occupied in bed as much as possible.”

For half a heartbeat the solar grew quiet before they all burst out laughing.

Jayna hadn’t laughed so hard in ages and it felt wonderful.

She let her gaze roam over the four unique and vibrant women.
 

They were risking their lives in order to save their realm. Her respect for them continued to grow with each moment she was with them. Their men might be powerful warriors of the Fae, but each woman was strong enough to stand beside her mate.

Jayna suddenly found herself wanting to be with Gabriel. She was so very tired of being alone, and he was a connection to her family, to her realm.

For so long she had been intent on one thing – Gabriel. Yet now that she was with him, learning him over again she found that she remembered more and more memories of her family.

The worst part of all is that she didn’t know if she could kill Gabriel now, not after seeing the man he had become and what he fought for. And the others, they had welcomed her, clothed her, and fed her.

But it didn’t matter what she wanted to do anymore. She had made a promise to the evil, a vow to find and kill Gabriel. She knew better than to try and go back on her word with the evil. He would never let her rest if she didn’t carry out with the vow she made.

Jayna closed her eyes as tears threatened. How she wished she had listened to her mother and let the anger go instead of it festering and growing inside of her. Now, she was no better than when Gabriel betrayed her.

She had turned into the very thing she hunted.
 

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Gabriel watched his breath billow around his face, the cold numbing his lips and his fingers. The storm had finally passed sometime during the night, the snow blanketing the ground thick and heavy. Most of the clouds had departed with the storm allowing the rays of the morning sun to penetrate the grayness of the morning.

They had taken a great chance that morn as all five of the Shields left Stone Crest to seek out the Fae army that was supposed to guard them.

The air was thick with moisture and the animals quiet. It was as if the very air knew that a great battle would soon take place, a battle that could either save or destroy realms.

“I hate when it’s this eerie,” Val whispered from beside him.

Gabriel nodded. Hugh rode in the lead as Cole and Roderick rode behind him and Val. They all knew that if the Fae didn’t want to show themselves they didn’t have to, but they were hoping for the best.

His eyes itched from lack of sleep, and he wanted nothing more than to find Jayna and take her back to her chamber to make slow, sweet love to her then fall asleep in her arms. He had been tempted to go to her last eve when he hadn’t been able to return to his chamber, but he decided against it.

The more he was around Jayna, the more he wanted to tell her how sorry he was and that he understood why she had hunted him.

Each of the Shields gripped their weapons as they rode into the forest. It was the perfect opportunity for the Harpy to attack, and they fully expected her to.

They said not a word as they slowly made their way though the forest, the horses having a difficult time in the deep snow. When they reached the edge of Hugh’s land where the Fae were supposed to stand guard, Hugh dismounted and motioned for the others to do the same.

Gabriel exchanged a look with Val as they tied their horses to a tree. He reached for an arrow and notched it in his bow. He had a bad feeling about venturing so far from the castle, but they’d had no choice. The Fae wouldn’t leave their posts unless Aimery ordered them too.

“Fae army show yourselves!” Hugh shouted into the stillness of the morning.

When nothing happened, Hugh turned to his men and with a slight nod. He reached for his deadly crossbow on his mount and notched one of his unique arrows. Then, he rested the crossbow over his shoulder and motioned with his hand for the men to spread out.

Gabriel and Val moved back toward the forest. Cole and Roderick moved in the opposite direction while Hugh ventured forward. They hadn’t moved two paces before something hit Val in the back knocking him to the ground.

Gabriel glanced at Val before falling to his knee and taking aim with his bow.

There was nothing to see, no creature, man or Fae moved. “Val?”

“Aye,” the Roman answered as he jumped to his feet and readied his halberd. “What was it? Why didn’t you shoot your arrow?”

Gabriel blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I saw nothing.”

“Well I sure as hell felt it,” Val said as he moved his shoulders around. Then he stilled as a flock of birds suddenly took flight, their cries echoing around the forest. “Gabriel.”

But Gabriel already knew. They were being hunted. By something they couldn’t see. “We shouldn’t have left the castle,” he murmured as he jumped to his feet. “Hugh. Cole. Roderick, get back to the castle. Now!” he bellowed as he and Val raced to their mounts.

The thick snow hampered their efforts to get to their horses. Gabriel was nearly to his mount when he felt what he was sure was a foot in his abdomen. He bent over, grasping for breath as something else landed hard and heavy on his back, knocking him on his stomach.

“Gabriel,” he heard Val shout, but he wasn’t able to answer much less breathe.

He forced himself to his hands and knees to see his bow lying within reach. He lunged toward it, rolling onto his back as he notched the arrow and waited.

He didn’t have long to wait as something landed on his jaw. Gabriel hissed in pain as he took aim and let his arrow fly. To his utter amazement the arrow stopped midair and just hovered there for a moment before it jerked back a little then fell to the ground.

“Gabriel,” Val said as he came up to him. “What the hell happened?”

With his gaze on his arrow, Gabriel gained his feet and slowly walked to where they arrow lay. On the tip of the double headed arrow was a dark substance and he didn’t need to lean down to smell the evil of it.

“By the gods,” Roderick stated as he, Cole, and Hugh came running up. “Gabriel, are you all right? I saw you flying through the air as if someone was beating you, but I never saw a thing.”

“Because there was nothing to see,” Gabriel said as he went down on his haunches beside his arrow. “Whatever it was got in some good punches, but I managed to nick him.”