Again, the urge to turn and run washed over him, but he stayed where he was and waited. Dillion reached him first, stopped and stared, then pointed at him and asked, “Who the hell are you?”
Bethany ran past him and took Gabriel’s hand. “This is Gabriel, Dillion,” she said as if it should be obvious.
“What?” Jessie asked, coming up to stand beside Dillion.
Gabriel didn’t move, his eyes locked on his brother’s, until a smile spread across Jessie’s face. “Oh, my God, it’s like looking into a mirror,” he said, but still didn’t move.
Dillion narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t care who you are. I want to know what you’ve been doing with my sister up here.”
Bethany stepped in front of Gabriel. “This is Jessie’s brother, Dillion, and I’m an adult, so what I do is my own business,” she said.
Dillion looked at Jessie and then at Gabriel, then back at Jessie. “How is that possible? I thought he couldn’t turn into a human; I would have never left her alone up here with him if I’d known.”
Jessie looked at Dillion, then over at Gabriel. “It’s never happened before as far as I know,” he said, a big grin spreading across his face.
“Do you want to explain then?” Dillion asked Gabriel.
Michelle stepped up then. “I think I know what happened,” she said, then looked around her at the campsite. “Just give me a second, and I’ll make us comfortable.”
Dillion made a sound of frustration in the back of his throat, so Natalie stepped up and took his arm. “Sweetheart, let’s hear them out before you do something you’ll regret later,” she said, trying to calm him down.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” David said. “Don’t forget that you were in his shoes not too long ago.”
Natalie laughed. “My brother has you there,” she said, pulling him a few steps back from Gabriel.
Dillion groaned but looked away from Gabriel and let Natalie lead him farther away. Only a few minutes later, they were all gathered around the fire, hot coffee in their hands, listening while Bethany and Gabriel tried to tell them what happened.
Of course, they were careful to leave a few of the details out, and Gabriel was glad because it wouldn’t have helped their cause at all. Dillion still didn’t look happy; details or not, it was clear that he and Bethany had become more involved than he liked, and Gabriel knew that he’d have to talk to him soon.
“So, it sounds like as long as Gabriel stays here on the plateau, he’ll retain his human form,” Bethany finished.
There was a long silence, then Michelle said, “It’s the power of the burial ground; it’s scared and holds all the power of the chiefs and medicine men who were buried here. I’ve never seen anything like this, but I’ve heard some stories,” she said.
“So, this is real?” Dillion said.
“Oh, yes. In fact, there are several fairy tales based on just this same thing. The Princess and the Frog comes to mind, although it’s been changed a bit from the original story,” Michelle said.
Dillion made a harrumphing sound, then looked over at Gabriel. “You’re still not off the hook; that’s my sister you’ve been messing with. But that’s over; she’s coming home with us now,” he said, getting to his feet.
“I’m not going anywhere; this is where I want to be,” Bethany said. “I’m an adult now, Dillion, and I’m going to make my own choices for the first time in my life.”
Jessie got to his feet. “I’m afraid that Bethany is going to have to come home with us. I was waiting to tell you all this until tonight, but the judge rejected out last attempt to get Bethany’s case thrown out of court.”
***Bethany***
Bethany wasn’t sure she heard Jessie right. “Court case? What court case?” she asked.
Jessie looked to Sophie, who was sitting next to him. “Just tell her.”
“Your father has filed a suit in court to have you declared incompetent; he says that you’re unstable, prone to fits of hysterics, and likely to hurt yourself if left alone for too long,” Jessie said, sitting down heavily in his chair.
Bethany sank back down into the chair she’d been sitting in and reached for Gabriel’s hand, her heart frozen in her chest, her lungs constricting. Finally, she found her voice and asked, “Can he do that?”
“I didn’t think so, but he’s got witnesses and doctors willing to testify for him. I’ve done my best to have it thrown out of court, but the judge wants to see you, wants to hear from you,” Jessie said. “I’m sorry, Bethany, I really did try.”
Bethany let that sink in, let the memory of the years she’d spent locked away resurface, and felt despair beginning to build. But then Gabriel put his arm around her and said, “All you have to do is go to court and show the judge that you aren’t any of those things,” he said.
Bethany took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “I’m not going to let him do that to me,” she said.
“And we’re going to help you,” Sophie said. “But, Bethany, you’re going to have to come home with us; the sooner you see the judge, the sooner this will be over. We have all the taped statements you made before your father came after you, and we have plenty of people from town who are willing to testify for you. You’ll see: it will all be over quicker than you think.”
Bethany’s heart sank; she knew that Sophie was right, but this was the last thing she’d expected. She looked over at Gabriel, hating the fact that she was going to have to leave him, but she couldn’t hide from her father; he’d only come after her.
“Okay, but I’m coming back up here when it’s over,” she said, looking her brother squarely in the eye.
He opened his mouth, but Natalie put her hand on his arm and said, “We’ll talk about that after we’ve dealt with your father.”
Sophie stood up. “Well, since that’s all settled, I think we should have a picnic; it’s a beautiful day, and I think we’d all like to spend some time with Gabriel before we leave,” she said, turning to Michelle. “Can you whip up something for us all?”
Michelle grinned, “Lunch al fresco or old-fashioned picnic?” she asked.
Later that afternoon as everyone was getting ready to leave, Michelle pulled them off to the side. “I have something for you. Margot sent these,” she said, pulling two ceramic pendants out of her pocket and handed one to each of them.
Bethany took the pendant in her hand, surprised when it felt warm to the touch. “Oh, it’s warm,” she said, turning it over and looking at the back.
“On the front is a protective and binding symbol, one for each of you. Gabriel’s matches yours,” Michelle said, then grabbed Bethany’s hand. “Let me see your finger.”
Before Bethany could stop her, Michelle pulled a sharp little knife out of her pocket and pricked the tip of Bethany’s finger. Then she took Gabriel’s pendant, turned it over and pressed Bethany’s finger against the back. She said a few words and the blood seeped into the pendant; then she turned and repeated the procedure with Bethany’s pendant.
“As long as you two are wearing these, the bond between you is stronger, and you’ll be able to sense each other,” she said. “Margot says that there’s something evil on the mountain, that there’s a test coming, a test that will determine all of our futures.”
“Do the others know?” Gabriel asked, then turned to Bethany and explained, “Margot is the oldest witch on the mountain; if she’s worried, then we should be too.”
“I haven’t told them yet. I was going to tonight. I just saw Margot this morning,” Michelle explained, then pulled something else from her pocket and handed it to Gabriel.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“It’s a mirror,” Michelle said, as if it was obvious, and grinned at Gabriel when he gave her a dirty look. “If you want to see Bethany, all you have to do is look in there; this way you’ll know what’s going on without leaving the mountain.”
Gabriel looked at Michelle with gratitude. “Thank you. I don’t know how I�
��m going to watch her leave,” he said, pulling Bethany into his arms.
“Don’t worry; I have a feeling that she’ll be back,” Michelle said, “I’m going to give you two a few minutes alone; looks like we’re about ready to leave.”
Once she’d walked away, Gabriel pulled Bethany closer and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her until they were both breathless, then let her go. “I’m going to miss you,” he said.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Bethany said, resting her head on his chest.
Gabriel pulled away from her and turned to look out at the forest, as if he couldn’t face her and said, “Are you sure that’s what you want? I can’t help but think that if you’re with me, you’re exchanging one prison for another. Don’t you see it? I can never leave here, Bethany; if I want to stay in my human form, I can’t ever leave. What kind of life would that be for you?”
Bethany’s heart sank. “Don’t you want me here?” she asked, her heart feeling like it was going break.
When Gabriel didn’t answer, she walked over to him, grabbed him by the arm, and made him turn around. She reached up and tipped his head down until he was looking at her, “If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want me, I won’t come back,” she challenged him.
Chapter Fifteen
***Gabriel***
In the end, he hadn’t been able to tell Bethany not to come back; his heart wouldn’t let him. “That’s what I thought,” she’d said, then reached up and kissed him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Until then, just know that I’ll be thinking about you.”
He’d kissed her once more, then sent her down the trail with Jessie and Dillion, but only after he made them promise to watch over her. Then he found Michelle and begged for just a little more of her magic; if Bethany was coming back to him, she wasn’t going to sleep in a tent when she did.
It would be days before they’d take Bethany into Nashville to see the judge, and that might take several more days if the judge wasn’t on their side. But that still wasn’t that long for what he had planned: a snug warm cabin where they could spend the winter together.
Now that he’d abandoned any plans of leaving Bethany to live her life without him, he was determined to make the life they’d have together as comfortable as possible. He had no idea how long she’d stay with him, how long she’d be able to face the loneliness that would come with living here, but he’d make the most of every day.
Realizing that he already missed her, he wondered how he’d ever thought that he’d be able to let her go. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and there was nothing wrong with being happy for as long as he could.
He wasn’t keeping her here, and he never would; when the day came that she wanted to leave, he’d send her away with happy memories. It would break his heart, but it was worth the pain to come to have her for as long as she wanted him.
Pushing away the thoughts of that day, he turned and headed for the forest to search for the first trees he’d use to build the cabin. But on his way, he stopped by the shrine, sank to his knees, and said a silent thank you to the spirits who had given him the gift of a new life.
Then he went out into the forest to begin building that new life; it would only happen one log at a time, but he was filled with energy. After hours of chopping and hauling the big trees back to the edge of the plateau, he was exhausted and starving, but satisfied with the day he’d put in.
He built a fire, wishing that Bethany was there to throw together one of her wonderful dinners. But when he opened the cooler to see what he could put together, he found a note from Bethany and at least a week of meals stacked in the ice.
As he ate his dinner, he marveled at how much his life had changed and nursed the intense feelings of longing he had for Bethany. He’d just put another log on the fire when he heard a noise in the forest and froze, knowing that his sense of hearing wasn’t as powerful as it used to be.
But then he heard Jessie calling his name, and relaxed. When he came striding into camp, Gabriel smiled at him. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight,” he said, gesturing to a chair.
“I thought we needed to talk,” Jessie said, sitting down. “Dillion’s about to go out of his mind, and I don’t blame him. What do you think you’re doing? Do you think this is going to end well?”
“It’s nice to see you too, Jessie,” he said, buying himself some time. Then decided that his only choice was to be honest with his brother. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Jessie said sarcastically. “Dillion is going to love it when I tell him that.”
Gabriel sighed. “I didn’t ask for this, Jessie, and I’m doing my best to deal with it. I was all set to send Bethany away today, but I couldn’t do it. I love her, Jessie, I want to be with her all the time. I can’t get enough of her,” he said, sighing again.
Jessie sat back in his chair. “Well, shit. What are we going to do? Dillion is dead set against letting her come up here and live with you, and I can’t say that I blame him. It’s going to get cold soon, and neither of you has any experience living this way.”
“If I leave the plateau, I’ll change back, Jessie,” Gabriel said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” Jessie said, “but you can’t spend the winter in a tent.”
“I’ve already started a cabin,” Gabriel said, pointing to the pile of logs just out of camp.
Jessie shook his head. “You always were stubborn,” he said, “but I’ll send someone up here to help you.”
Gabriel grinned at him. “Thanks, Jessie,” he said, feeling his throat get tight. “For the first time in my life, I feel whole, and it’s not just because I’m finally in human form; it’s Bethany. She completes me.”
Jessie reached out and slapped his brother on the back. “I’m happy for you. I just hope you’re ready to fight for Bethany; her father isn’t going to give her up easily, and don’t forget about Dillion.”
“We beat her father once before; we’ll do it again. Just get her back here from Nashville, and she’ll never have to see him again,” Gabriel said, feeling frustrated because he couldn’t be there. “I just wish I could be there.”
“I’ll bring her back to you, but then it’s up to you to keep her. Dillion’s going to fight this; he’s convinced that you’re going to break her heart one day,” Jessie said.
“That’s the one thing I’ll never do,” Gabriel promised, both to himself and the spirits that roamed the plateau around them. “She’s given me the one thing I’ve longed for my entire life.”
***Bethany***
Bethany reached up and stroked the pendant she wore around her neck with her thumb and finger, finding some solace in its warmth between her fingers. Each day that she was away from Gabriel, she found herself missing him more, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to last.
After days locked away with the lawyer that Jessie and Sophie had hired to defend her, she knew what she was up against, and she was terrified. Her father had concocted a long and convoluted story about her mental instability, and it had been difficult to hear his description of her from the lawyer; it was going to be even harder to hear it in open court.
But her entire future was resting on this, and she couldn’t afford to let her fear get the better of her. It had been spelled out quite clearly what her father had planned, and she was going to fight him every step of the way; there was no way she was going to let him win.
She’d spent her entire life letting her father rule her, letting him bully her into believing that she was worthless. But meeting Gabriel had changed all that; he’d shown her that she was an intelligent and resilient woman, capable of more than she thought she was.
Thinking of Gabriel made her heart throb with longing, but she pushed it away, knowing that she had to be at her best that day. As the city of Nashville flew by her window, she took deep calming breaths, reminding herself what she had to look fo
rward to once this was all over.
When they pulled up to the courthouse and she saw her father climbing the steps, she had the insane urge to turn and run, but Sophie took her hand and together they climbed the steps.
The courtroom was full, one side filled with people from Gypsum Creek, making her heart swell with gratitude. The other side was filled with people she’d never met before; one was clearly a doctor, and a nurse sat among the group as well.
As she walked down the aisle to the table in the front where she would sit, the people from Gypsum Creek smiled at her and called quiet greetings. But no one on the other side would even meet her eyes, and several also began to fidget in their seats when she stared at them.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that these were people her father had paid to lie to the court to prove his case. But Jessie had promised that they’d handle them, that her lawyer would show them to be the frauds that they were.
When she sat down at the table, her father looked over at her and gave her a nasty smile. “You should have just come with me like a good girl; now you’re going to pay. I haven’t decided just how long I’m going to leave you in that place; maybe I’ll leave you so long, you’ll really be crazy when you get out,” he whispered.
Bethany’s heart began to pound in her chest as fear swept through her, but then the pendant began to warm where it rested on her chest, and a sense of calm washed over her. When her lawyer sat down next to her, he looked over at her father and scowled at him, then turned to her.
“Are you ready?” he asked, smiling at her.
Bethany wasn’t ready at all, but she nodded her head and smiled back at him. Just then the judge came in, and everyone rose; once they were seated, it didn’t take long for her father’s team of lawyers to begin their destruction of her character, with lies that began to become more ridiculous as the morning wore on.
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