A Warrior's Heart (Shields) (25 page)

They all stared at the arrow in silence for a moment. Hugh was the first to speak. “By the amount of blood on that tip, I’d say you more than nicked him.”

“That’s not blood,” Cole said. “At least not blood like I’ve ever seen.”

Roderick reached down and picked up the arrow. “It’s some kind of blood, and its evil. We don’t really need to know more than that.”

Gabriel sighed as he straightened and reached for the arrow. “It got to me and Val without us ever seeing it. I think the Great Evil is cloaking it.”

“Nay,” said a voice behind them.

They turned as one to find Theron, king of the Fae, standing before them. He stood tall and regal in his robes of white trimmed with blue and silver. His long nearly white hair was pulled away from his face and hung down to the middle of his back. His unusual Fae eyes swirled blue as he looked the small group over, though his face was devoid of expression.

Gabriel and Cole bowed low while the others inclined their heads.

“Thank God,” Hugh said as he briefly closed his eyes. “We’ve been calling for Aimery.”

Theron nodded. “I know. Aimery is...busy at the moment with an important matter in our realm.”

Cole stepped forward. “What did you mean when you said the evil wasn’t cloaking the creature?”

“Simple,” Theron said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever attacked you wasn’t cloaked. I would’ve been able to see that. I saw nothing.”

That in itself worried Gabriel tremendously. He felt someone’s gaze on him and turned to find Cole watching him. Since both spent a considerable amount of time in the Realm of the Fae they knew better than the others just what Theron wasn’t saying.

Gabriel looked to Theron. “Is the Fae army still here?”

“Aye,” Theron said after the briefest of moments. “To stay out here is to invite the creatures to attack. Return to the castle. The true battle will be here soon enough.”

There was something in Theron’s tone that told Gabriel all was not as it seemed. He turned toward his mount only to find Cole beside him.

“Something is going on.”

Gabriel nodded. “Aye, but what?” he whispered. He didn’t wish to worry the others until they had proof.

Cole shrugged as they reached their horses. Hugh had already mounted and began to ride through the forest. Val and Roderick were close behind him.

Gabriel took one more look at the arrow in his hand. How he wished he could have seen what he aimed at.

“Listen close,” Theron said as he stopped between Gabriel and Cole’s horses. “Keep to the castle. Do not venture out until you have no other recourse.”

“What is going on?” Cole demanded.

Theron glanced down. “I cannot say as of yet. Aimery will be here as soon as he can. He said each of you would know what to do.”

“Why didn’t you tell the others this?” Gabriel asked.

“Because Hugh feels as though he must lead no matter what. Roderick is afraid of losing Elle almost as much as he fears the Shields will lose. As for Val, he needs to see the proof before he will act. He would ask too many questions. I need to know that you two will heed my orders.”

Gabriel nodded. “We will do what we must to succeed.”

With a nod, Theron vanished.

“Bloody hell,” Cole muttered as he mounted. “I don’t like the ominous feeling I got from Theron’s words.”

Gabriel swung his leg over the horse and settled in the saddle. “Me either, but we don’t have much of a choice.”
 

“Not if we want to live.”

They nudged their horses into a walk and hurried to follow the others. Several times Gabriel could feel eyes on him, yet no matter how hard he looked, he saw nothing. But something was out there. He’d bet his Fae crafted bow on it.

The castle and gate came into view and Gabriel let out a relieved sigh. They were nearing the gate when it began to slowly open. Then, they heard the unmistakable scream of the Harpy just before the banging of her wings silenced all.

“Into the castle,” Hugh cried as he spurred his horse into a run.

Gabriel reached for two arrows as he turned his horse toward the approaching Harpy. He notched the arrows then sighted down them until he found the Harpy. With measured precision, he let loose the arrows and watched as they sunk into the Harpy.

The creature screamed in pain before she jerked the arrows from her body and tossed them to the ground. Gabriel grabbed his horse’s reins and turned the horse toward the castle. The others had made it through safely.

Gabriel raced through the crack in the gate just before it banged closed behind him. The people of Stone Crest had been warned of an attack so most had kept to their homes unless they had no other choice but to venture out. Those few ran swiftly to their cottages and the safety of the tunnels beneath.

“It’s coming!” Roderick shouted as he handed his horse to a stable boy.

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder to see the Harpy flying over the castle, her talons slicing through two of the guards on the battlements.

Hugh stood ahead of him and readied his crossbow and fired, giving everyone a few more moments to find safety. Gabriel felt a rush of excitement as he always did when battling creatures of darkness. The Shields may not hold special powers like the Fae but they had managed to always win against the evil. This time would be no different.

Gabriel leaned over his horse as he approached Hugh. He was just about to jump from his mount when he saw Hugh’s eyes narrow and his face clench.

Then he saw the Harpy’s talons as she sunk them into Hugh’s chest and lifted him from the ground.

“Nay,” Gabriel bellowed as he quickly reached for another arrow. He notched and fired arrow after arrow hoping to get the Harpy to release Hugh before she flew off with him.

He had no idea how many arrows he had gone through when he saw the Harpy stop mid-flight and turn toward him. She screamed her anger into the air just before she released Hugh and flew off.

With a growl, he swung his leg over his horse’s neck and slid to the ground at a run. He reached for the black bag he carried with him at all times, his heart pumping wildly in his chest. He found Hugh surrounded by Val, Cole, and Roderick who was trying hard to keep Mina away from her husband.

Gabriel dropped to his knees beside Hugh to find his leader unconscious and bleeding badly.

“The fall he took,” Cole said softly. “I’m afraid to see just how many bones are broken.”

Gabriel gave a vicious jerk of his head. “Don’t touch him,” he said between clenched teeth.
 

If he got to Hugh in time he could save him.

He just prayed he got there in time.
 

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Hugh,” Mina screamed tearfully. “Hugh, don’t leave me. I need you.”

Gabriel briefly closed his eyes and tried to regain some composure. He looked up at the other Shields to find them looking at Hugh as if he were already dead.

“Cole,” Gabriel barked. “I need some bandages. Now,” he bellowed when Cole didn’t move.

Once Cole raced off to get the bandages, Gabriel turned to Val. “Get me some hot water. As much as you can carry. I’ll also need some cool water. And have servants continue to bring them to me.”

Val jumped up and ran to the castle, leaving Gabriel alone. He could hear Mina sobbing behind him, and he knew he would gladly give his life if Hugh would only live.

The cold ground didn’t deter Gabriel as he spread open his black bag then reached to Hugh’s chest to feel a very weak heartbeat. “Hang on, Hugh. I’m coming for you.”

Suddenly, a soft hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to find Jayna beside him. “Tell me what to do,” she urged.

“Take his hand,” Gabriel commanded. “And put your other hand over a wound, pressing hard to staunch the flow of blood.”

She did as he requested without question. He jerked out his dagger and split Hugh’s tunic open. He swallowed then leaned over to look at how deep the wounds in Hugh’s chest were. The Harpy’s talons had sunk deep, nearly all the way through Hugh and puncturing a lung.

Thankfully, Cole and Val returned quickly. Gabriel dunked a cloth in the hot water and began to wipe off the blood that continued to flow.

“Put your hands over the wounds,” he ordered Cole and Val.

Time seemed to stand still as Gabriel took vial after vial from his bag. He mixed some herbs together then sprinkled them over Hugh’s body where a thin line of smoke began to waft skyward as it touched his skin.

He then grabbed a goblet Val had brought and scooped up water. Another vial was taken out and herbs dumped into the goblet. Gabriel swirled the cool water with his fingers to mix the herb.

“Remove your hands,” he told the others just before he dumped the water over Hugh’s wounds.

Hugh groaned and stiffened as the herb dropped into the wounds. A hissing noise filled the air as the herb began its journey inside Hugh to stop the bleeding.

While that herb was working, Gabriel took two leaves from a vial and tore them into tiny pieces into the empty goblet. Then he took a vial with an orange liquid in it and poured four drops into the goblet. Next, he reached for a small white flower with five petals.

He looked at the flower, then glanced at Mina. Her gaze hadn’t left Hugh since she had run to him. Tears coursed unheeded down her face as she allowed Roderick to hold her.

Gabriel knew if he used the flower he would have to go out and look for another. He was never without one, because the flower, if used with the other herbs correctly could bring a person back from the brink of death.

He tore each of the petals from the flower and dropped them into the goblet. With the stem and leaves still in his hand, he took his dagger and used it to cut open a small wound in his palm. Blood rushed out and he let it cover the stem and leaves before throwing it in the goblet.

Gabriel then poured a small amount of water into the goblet. He held his hands over the goblet and closed his eyes as he felt his knowledge of healing flow through him. Mumbling the ancient words of his people, he used his power to mix the contents of the goblet, but knowing it would take more than his blood, he allowed a small amount of his life essence to leave his body through his hands and into the goblet.

That small amount of life essence felt as though he had been trampled by a minion of creatures. His body began to ache and exhaustion began to sweep through his body. But he refused to give in until he was finished with Hugh.

“What is that?” Cole asked.

“Ask later,” Gabriel answered. “Hold him still. This will hurt.”

Once Val, Cole, and Jayna had a hold of Hugh, Gabriel lifted the goblet over Hugh’s body and emptied it into Hugh’s wounds.

Hugh let out a vicious scream as he tried to buck his holders off his body.

Gabriel cringed as he heard bones that had been fractured began to break. More work had yet to be done on Hugh, but the bones could be healed once the bleeding was stopped and the damage to the inside of Hugh’s body was repaired.

Finally, Hugh stopped moving.

“Is he dead?” Val asked softly.

Gabriel shook his head. “Nay. The mixture I gave him was repairing the damage the Harpy’s talons had done. When you have that much damage in the body, it can be very painful to heal.”

He sighed as he saw the wounds began to heal before his eyes. Once again his people’s healing had helped him save a friend.

Cole looked up. “Is it done, then? Can we move him to the castle?”

“We’re not nearly done. You were right about the fall. It was from a great distance, which did break bones. It fractured others, but in his attempt to dislodge you, he broke those as well.”

Mina let out a painful cry as she wrenched out of Roderick’s arms and ran to Hugh. Her hands shook as she touched Hugh’s face. “My Hugh,” she whispered as she kissed his forehead. She raised her gaze to Gabriel. “Please, help him.”

“I will to the best of my abilities.”

She nodded and wiped at her tears. “I will get our chamber ready. What else do you need?”

“Prayers,” Gabriel said. He waited until Mina left before he looked to the Shields. “I’ve healed bones for each of you, but healing one or two bones is different than an entire body.”

Roderick moved beside Jayna and looked at Gabriel. “Is his back broken?”
 

Gabriel slowly nodded. “I would much prefer if Aimery were here to lend his Fae magic.”

“You can do this,” Val said. “I’ve seen you work miracles on all of us, Gabriel.

Gabriel rose to his feet to find most of the guards standing behind him. “Get back to your posts. The Harpy will likely return.” He turned to the others. “I also gave Hugh something for the pain, as well as something to keep him unconscious, though moving him will likely cause him more pain than I would want.”

“He’s strong,” Cole said. “He survived the attack and the fall. He’ll grit his way through the move as well.”