~Chapter 40~
“Will!” Her frightened cry tore through him, ringing in his ears and landing in his stomach with a sickening thud of finality. He knew he was too late even as he forced his legs to move faster.
“No!” he yelled when her head disappeared from view, heedless of their pursuers as his shout echoed across the snow-capped hills.
His heart stopped for several beats until she reemerged, choking and gasping and slapping the surface of the water in desperation. “Hold on!” His shout was breathless from terror and exertion. He cried out to her again even after her head went under and it was only the tips of her fingers flailing for a handhold before they vanished, as well. Her dress was pulling her under!
Will felt paralyzed by fear even as his stride lengthened. His feet hit the powdered ice, and he slid several feet, not slowing until the ground began to shudder beneath his feet, threatening to break. And even then he quickly dropped onto his stomach, scuttling across the ice as fast as he could to the hole she had left behind. He gripped the edge of the pit, feeling the shards of ice bite into his palms as he hoisted himself closer. The opening was too small; it wasn’t possible that she had slipped through there.
“Oh, God,” he whispered in dread. The water was too cold—the edges of the hole were already reforming, sealing her in.
Thinking fast, he slammed his fist into the paper-thin sheet of ice closing over the gap, ripping at the edges until the opening widened. He scanned the water, hoping for a glimpse of her, a limb to grab hold of. But it was too dark, and he had no idea how far she had drifted. His worried gaze traveled over the length of the shining lake, wondering if she might be trapped under a different sheet of ice, fading.
The water stirred gently, lapping against the sides of the crude hole. He whipped his head back and thought he saw a shadow move in the depths. Without pausing, Will drove his hand into the water. The frozen lake stung his skin, and an uncomfortable tingling laced up his arm. What must it be like for her to be completely submerged?
He grimaced, plunging his arm deeper. His fingertips brushed something, quickening his pulse. Will struggled to reach for her, driving his shoulder into the water until his cheek was pressed against the ice.
He could feel her drift past him, unmoving. NO! In a panic, he plunged his head into the water before he could suck in a breath, gripping the edge of the hole with one hand. The fabric of her dress slipped through his fingers, and he clutched at the hold for dear life, his lungs feeling ready to burst. It was a struggle to get his head above water, and when his mouth broke the surface, Will sucked in air like it was his first breath in days. Then he dragged her up, releasing the dress fabric to grab her arms so that he could tug her inert body onto the ice. Groaning, he dragged them both away from the hole and onto solid ground.
Huddled beneath a low embankment, he held her in his arms, shaking her, trying to expel the water from her lungs. Will chafed her back, hoping to see some sign of life. “Please, open your eyes,” he rasped. But her face was so pale, so still, her lips a sickening shade of blue: she wasn’t coming back.
The rubbing motions became more frantic with each passing second that life refused to return to her body. He jostled her to upset the water she had taken in, but to no avail. He touched her ice-cold skin, rubbing his palm across her cheek, trying to stroke warmth back into her face. What else could he do? He was worthless in medical matters—he needed Uncle Thomas!
The cold air blew around them, and a rime was already starting to form on her wet hair. Will pushed it back from her cheeks, trying to brush away some of the water crystals from the damp strands.
His voice was choked, teeth chattering when he whispered, “I cannot lose you.” He watched her chest for some sign of movement, but it never rose. Had he already lost her? “No. No, no, NO!” he cried at the thought.
Desperate, Will pressed his lips to hers. He pulled back, searching her lifeless face. Nothing. “I will not let you go!” He clutched her to him, willing life back into her frozen body as he smothered her mouth with his own. But never once did he feel her chest rise. It had been foolish to think that she would respond to his kiss, that it would bring her back from the grave.
Destroyed and angry, he released a heavy breath into her barely parted lips.
Sarah choked, a gurgle deep in her throat.
Will lurched back in time for her to turn her head and expel the water from her lungs. She retched weakly even when her lungs were empty, and then she gasped for air, choking in startled breaths. Will rubbed her back, choking back his own emotions and the desire to crush her in his arms.
“What happened?” she gasped at last, staring up at him with a glazed expression.
He shook his head, not fully comprehending himself. “I-I don’t know. I thought you were gone.” He swallowed, but he couldn’t prevent the tears from filling his eyes. They froze on his lashes, and he shivered as the wind found the damp hair clinging to his neck. “I kissed you, and suddenly you came back to me.”
Sarah gave him a wobbly grin, her pale lips pulling into an expression of mock-chagrin. “You g-gave me CPR, and I missed it?”
He laughed in utter relief. Then he crushed her in his arms, clinging to her, feeling the dampness from her own clothes soak the rest of him. Let it. All that mattered right then was that she was back in his arms, alive and well.
Will’s panic faded, replaced by an onslaught of sudden, intense relief. “I thought I’d lost you,” he rasped.
The corner of her mouth twitched, hinting at the barest of smiles. “But you found me.” The words sparked an ember in his chest that smoldered there, filling his freezing body with warmth, cracking the glass walls surrounding his heart until they shattered into a million pieces at her feet. Staring into her eyes, Will drank in the sight of her until he could stand the distance no longer.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, harder than he had intended, every ounce of pent-up fear and elation pouring out in this moment. The sudden floodtide of emotion made him feel light-headed, and he kissed her in the way he had wanted to last night, forgetting every courting convention ingrained in him since childhood.
Sarah shuddered in surprise, and then she clung to him, seeming to fully comprehend that she had just evaded death. Making a low, desperate sound in the back of his throat, he slid his hand to the side of her neck, pulling her closer. Her pulse was beating faster than a frightened rabbit’s, threatening to break through her skin. Beating for him, he realized.
The ember burst into a flame, each rapid beat of his own heart spreading fire into every limb. Will kissed her in reckless, joyful abandon as the flames enveloped them both. His skin thawed, prickling with life as each nerve ending succumbed to the fire. He couldn’t recall ever feeling so alive as when she returned his kiss, hungering for the life she might have lost. Tears pressed between their cheeks, but who had shed them, he couldn’t say.
When the fire threatened to burn the forest around them, he pulled back abruptly, breathing hard. Sarah’s chest was rising and falling rapidly as she sucked in air, her breaths matching his own. Unable to break away completely, Will pressed his lips to her temple and released a shuddering gust of air. “I’m never letting you out of my sight,” he growled against her skin.
He could remain like this for an eternity, holding her in his arms and mirroring each beat of her heart. But then reality came crashing down, too quickly for his liking. He noticed now that her entire being was racked with severe trembling and frowned.
Will forced himself to peel away from her. “We need to get you warm,” he said hoarsely.
Her nod was shaky, lips parting. Eyes wide in the wake of their kiss, she whispered, “’K-kay.”
He stood, kicking himself for being so irresponsible and thoughtless when he needed to get her to safety. However, he couldn’t deny that he would rather spend the afternoon in the snow with her—if she weren’t at risk of freezing to death already.
He was stretc
hing his hand out to help her up when the sound reached his ears: Hooves, trotting lightly through the snow. He felt Sarah’s hand brush his, but he motioned her back. “Stay down.”
The guard came into view then, and Will turned his head to see another approaching from the opposite side. He ducked quickly behind their low covering, watching Sarah with a concerned gaze.
Eyes closed, she shivered uncontrollably. The blood that had returned to her lips during their kiss faded, and her heart-shaped mouth started to turn blue again. Her clothes were soaked through completely, and lying in the snow was not helping matters. But she was in no condition to outrun the guards.
Will pulled her into his lap so she was out of the snow, wrapping his arms around her to shield her from the wind. It was not enough, and he knew she wouldn’t make it much longer if he did not get her dry.
“I lost them.” Will thought the voice came from the left, from the man who had chased them into the woods earlier. “What’d you find?”
“Turns out it wasn’t just a fire.” The second man’s tone was bleak. “Found a smoldering corpse back there. The flames were still going, but I put enough snow on it to get most of it out. It appears someone was trying to cover up a murder.”
“Any notion of the victim’s identity?”
Will held his breath, hunching further over Sarah when the men neared, trying to hide their heads from view. His chest constricted in pain as her teeth chattered audibly. Not daring to murmur assurances to her like he wished, he instead brushed his thumb back and forth across her trembling lips, trying to quiet her.
“Not much left to identify, sir.”
The first guard sighed. “Well, I’ve lost the trail. I didn’t catch any faces, but there were four of them—three male and one female. Although”—his voice turned thoughtful—“I really only saw him from the back, but the one running with the woman reminded me of that blacksmith in town.”
Will sucked in a sharp breath. He thought Sarah’s body stiffened before the trembling overcame her once more. He gritted his teeth, knowing there was nothing he could do for her at the moment. It was the waiting that was killing him, the inability to do anything for her with the knowledge that their only chance was to wait the men out.
“Taylor?” The second guard sounded surprised and doubtful. “You don’t honestly believe he was involved.”
“I have my doubts, but it might be worth looking into tomorrow.” The man’s disgruntled exhale was audible. “You might as well show me what you’ve found.”
One of the horses nickered uneasily, probably sensing Will and Sarah’s anxiety, and then it snuffed loudly as its rider turned the animal down the path.
Will risked a look, stretching his neck until he could see both guards’ backs as they moved back towards Gabriel’s body—what was left of it, that is.
He shifted, getting up to move, but Sarah grasped at his shirt, her frozen fingers stiff. “C-can still h-hear them,” she croaked.
He understood her concern, but he felt too antsy to wait any longer. She needed warmth and safety, and he felt that it couldn’t come soon enough. “They have their backs to us now,” he said lowly, shooting a wary glance at the guards to ensure this was true. “If we’re quiet, we can make a run for it.”
“B-but—”
“We’ve wasted enough time,” he whispered, pulling her to her feet. She tottered a few steps and then stumbled to the ground. Will wrapped his arms around her waist and kept her close to his side, carrying most of her weight as they staggered through the snow together. They were both shaking uncontrollably now, and Will kept his jaw clenched in an effort to conceal his shivering.
His eyes scanned the whitewashed landscape—a tangle of trees and limbs, a sloping embankment—no sign of warmth or shelter. Then he spotted the crest of the hill rising in the east and felt a spark of hope. He cut off to the left, going around it when he realized they would never make it over, his legs moving faster with renewed purpose.
“Almost there,” he mumbled, keeping his eyes focused directly ahead. Sarah never bothered to answer; she was so quiet now, except for the sound of her chattering teeth. She stumbled and went practically limp against his side. With a grunt, he hefted her into his arms, staggering under the added weight. “Almost . . .” His voice faded with the promise.
Will saw the faint shadow of brown amidst the snow and forced his legs to move. The barn was closest, but they had a fire going in the house. He stumbled that way, so intent on his purpose that he wouldn’t have noticed her if she hadn’t gasped audibly. Will turned toward the redhead, and it took him a moment to place her after so many months.
“Sarah!” she cried, aghast. Karen Ashmore ran a few steps toward them and then whipped around and jogged back to the barn, holding the door open. “Quick!”
Gritting his teeth, he moved Karen’s way. A gust of wind had Will’s neck breaking out in gooseflesh, and the petite redhead gripped the door harder to keep it from slamming closed.
“She fell through . . . the ice,” he gasped as he stumbled inside, shifting Sarah’s weight in his arms. Karen quickly closed the door, and the warmth of the barn had him sagging in exhaustion. “She was under for a long time.”
Karen hurried over with a thick quilt slung over her arm. “You can put her down now.” Will realized that she was speaking to him and jerked his eyes to her face. The redhead was grinning up at him in compassionate understanding. He nodded, realizing that he was still clinging to Sarah even now that the immediate danger had passed. Uncurling his aching muscles, he slowly placed her feet on the ground, and his arm was the only thing holding her upright.
Karen directed her attention to the woman trembling against his side and winced as she took in her condition. “Come on, let’s get you into some dry clothes,” she murmured soothingly, easily taking control of the situation as she wrapped her arms around Sarah’s shoulders and gently tugged her away. When Will’s hold seemed unflinching, the redhead shot him an encouraging look. “I’ll take care of her.”
She held the blanket out to him, and he slowly relinquished his grip. Karen immediately sagged as Sarah’s full weight leaned against her. With the lack of her presence, Will’s body felt offset, and he staggered to the side where her form had been. The redhead was already moving to the other side of the barn with Sarah safely tucked against her side, whispering words of comfort to her as they moved slowly along.
Unable to stand any longer, Will sank onto a large haystack just behind him, body sagging in relief. Stripping off his sopping coat, he rubbed his head and face with the warm, scratchy fabric of the blanket, trying to be rid of as much water and frost as possible. Wrapping the thick fabric around himself, he allowed his head to fall back against the wall, feeling his eyes close against his will. Now that there was nothing to occupy his thoughts and keep him moving, exhaustion overcame him as the immediate danger passed and his body at last registered that they were safe.
Several minutes passed before the redhead reemerged from somewhere in the barn’s depths. Sarah was slumped against the young woman’s side, face devoid of its typical color as she trembled. Her hair had been tousled, and the soaked gown was nowhere to be seen; she was dressed now in a garment of gray wool that looked enviously warm and cozy. Where had she found that? Will vaguely recalled opening his eyes momentarily to find the redhead rifling through a trunk, but he had been too wearied to keep his lids open for long.
He forced himself to sit upright, pressing his back against the wall for support. “How is she?”
“Dry now, at least.” Karen shuffled over, her eyes trained on her charge’s slow footsteps to ensure that she wasn’t moving too quickly. “I need to run up to the house to get some hot water ready,” she was saying to Sarah, whose lids were already at half-mast. Then she looked up at Will, nodding her head at the blanket. “Wrap that around the both of you to share warmth.”
He quickly obeyed, opening the quilt as Karen shifted her weight, softly coaxing Sarah into
letting go. He was momentarily taken aback when the redhead plopped Sarah directly in his lap, but he quickly recovered, turning her shivering body so that she fit snugly in the small space.
“I’m t-tired, Karen,” she whispered, teeth chattering loudly. Will thought they could both use a little rest and nearly closed his eyes at the delectable notion of sleep. But when he glanced up for Karen’s approval, she shot him a worried look as she pulled the blanket around to cover them both.
“I know, honey,” she said soothingly, brushing Sarah’s hair back from her temples. “You can sleep later. But right now you gotta stay awake for me.” Will suddenly understood her apprehension: If she fell asleep at this point, would she ever reawake?
Sarah mumbled something incoherent into his chest, causing both he and Karen to exchange concerned glances.
“Give me five minutes to get some water heating. I don’t want her out in the snow before we can get her warm inside,” she said to him, her worried eyes flickering to Sarah’s face. “Do not let her fall asleep. Slap her if you have to.”
“Heard that,” came the muffled complaint.
Some of the tension eased from Karen’s young features, though the worry clung to the corners of her eyes. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor or sense of hearing.” She straightened to her petite height and shot Will a piercing look. Five minutes she mouthed, and he nodded. Then she left in a flash, the wind slamming the door closed.
Will hugged Sarah to his chest, rocking her softly as he ticked off the seconds. After two minutes, he realized that it was completely silent in the barn. He angled his neck to see her face and her closed lids. Jostling her gently, he called her name and felt his heart begin beating once more when her eyes fluttered open partway. He released a breath of sheer relief through his nostrils. “Your friend said you need to keep awake.”
Chasing Shadows Page 45
