Forbidden Fate (Sisters of Danu Book 1)

by Mia Pride

  The pace of the horse had slowed dramatically, not only from the rocky terrain under foot, but from Baine’s disappearing haste as he shared his memory. “On the seventeenth anniversary of your birth, I planned a wonderful trip to celebrate with you. You had grown into a lovely woman, Gwynneth. I was absolutely besotted with you. I took you here…do you not remember?”

  This was not a rhetorical question. He paused and waited for her to respond. She shook her head to indicate she did not remember, keeping her eyes on the slowly passing scenery as they rode closer to the edge.

  “I set up a picnic at the edge of this cliff,” he pointed ahead of him, where the edge was not yet showing on the horizon. “I put out a blanket and even cleared an entire area of rocks so you might be comfortable. I brought you fresh raspberries from your favorite bush, fresh bread and sweet mead. I wanted to show you how much I cherished you. I wanted to, finally, have you as my wife.”

  Another long breath escaped through his nose, as if building up courage to share this intimate side of his emotions. “You did not resist me. We ate our food, drank our mead and I laid you down upon the blanket. When I started to kiss you, you let me and I was so thrilled and aroused. Of course, we had kissed before, but never with the knowledge that it could progress further.

  “I began to undress you and again, you did not fight me. In fact, you were quite willing. You let me remove your dress and touch you for the first time. You were responding well to me, and I felt emboldened. But,” his voice trailed off as his memory replayed the scene. “When I touched you between your legs, instead of opening yourself up to me, you began to sob. At first, I thought I had hurt you and was concerned, but you started apologizing and mumbling something about Liam.” His voice became low and angry.

  “I will never forget that, Gwynn. And I cannot forgive it, though I’ve tried. I packed up our picnic and took us home in despair. But something changed in me that day. I became filled with jealousy and hatred. I already hated Liam, but this was more than I could take. He was ruining my marriage! By the time we arrived home, I was seething with rage and pent up arousal. That was the first night I had you, Gwynn. I made sure of that. It was not gentle and I didn’t want it to be.”

  Gwynneth could hear the coldness in his voice, “I wanted to hurt you, like you hurt me. I realized that day you would never love me or willingly give me what I deserved as your husband. So, I promised to close my heart to you, never again trying to gain your love. I would take you whenever I wanted, because you were mine to take and I had waited long enough.” His chest was heaving and she could feel its rise and fall against her side.

  “This is entirely your fault,” he snapped. “If you could have just loved me, we could have been happy. But you had to make me hurt you. I always loved you, but it was tainted by jealousy and rage, and I meant to show you what you did to me every day.

  “Before your father died, he dissolved our marriage, apparently after seeing what I had done to your body. I wasn’t ready to lose you and I couldn’t stand for you to be free to marry another…to marry HIM. I’m afraid the only solution was, and still is, to make sure he can never have you. This cliff, the very spot where you broke my heart…this is the place where I will break his.”

  Gwynneth’s heart pounded in her chest as he spoke, making her catch her breath. Her memory of that day came back to her in vivid color as he told it. She started to remember the gentle, kind-hearted Baine she had married. All the tenderness he had shown her in the first two years, trying desperately to make her love him the way he loved her. She suddenly realized why she had stayed married to Baine and took his abuse for the last three years. Guilt.

  She felt guilty for not reciprocating his love and creating this jealous monster. Her undying devotion to Liam was a betrayal to Baine that he could not accept, much like her jealousy of Fiona, although Gwynneth would never imagine murder. She used to hope that, if she could repair the damage, she could have her gentle husband back.

  At times, she could still feel him hiding within the shell of the broken man he had become, showing her small moments of affection. This always gave her hope that she could grow to forget Liam and love Baine, repairing his broken heart. But after his visits to the gathering hall in the evenings, he would come home smelling of ale and full of vengeful lust, forcing himself violently upon her.

  It all made sense now, and she deeply regretted Baine seeing her with Liam last night. That had to have been the single most painful moment of his life. She started to shake her head and make muffled sounds, hoping Baine would remove the wool gag around her mouth and let her speak. She felt his hand come up to the knot of cloth in the back of her head, hesitating to pull it. Finally, he decided to remove her gag.

  She shook her head and turned to look at him, seeing the defeat on his face. His pupils dilated as he looked into her green eyes and she could feel suppressed love radiating through.

  “I’m sorry Baine. I do remember now. And you are right, this is entirely my fault.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she saw his face twitch with sadness. The cliff was in sight now. She was full of remorse and she felt that, in spite of years of his abuse, he still deserved an apology for her rejection of his love. She agreed to marry him and should have tried harder to open her heart, instead of pushing him away.

  “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I never meant to.” She looked into his hurt hazel eyes. He was a very handsome man. Only a love as strong as hers for Liam could have prevented her from falling under Baine’s spell as every other woman in their tuath had. She leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, pity showing in her eyes.

  “Could you ever learn to love me, Gwynn?” his voice was weak, full of hope and a possibility of forgiveness. She knew her very life hung on the answer she gave. She could say “aye” and, out of desperate love for her, he would let her live and mayhap even try to be gentle again. But the past three years of abuse were unbearable and unforgivable. No matter how gentle Baine was capable of being, he was equally capable of cruelty, and that was not something she could ever forget or forgive.

  Part of her wanted to lash out at him and punish him for the years of hurt he had caused her and the scars that still riddled her body. He was going to kill her anyway. Now was the time to release her years of hurt and anger, before he ended her life. But something stopped her. Perhaps it was her internal need for survival, or the last remaining thread of hope that he may still spare her life. Liam’s face materialized in her mind and a calmness came over her. Liam would come. Angering Baine would only worsen her already dire situation.

  Still, he deserved the truth, even if it was the last truth she ever told. Never could Gwynneth love Baine. Never would she agree to be his wife again and risk more years of suffering. She lowered her gaze from his and shook her head, “Nay, Baine. I love Liam, and would rather die than live without him again.”

  Her answer was heartfelt and sincere, and she knew the very moment the words escaped from her lips…they had been a mistake. Swiftly dismounting, he grabbed her bound body and flung her over his shoulder. “Then die, you shall. You are mine. He cannot have you!” he roared. Her head was hanging over his back as he approached the cliff. She knew he was going to toss her over the ledge any second, but she wasn’t struggling. It would be of no use. Begging had not helped the first time and she was certain it would not help now. He was determined to rid himself of the woman who had broken his heart, destroying his enemy in the process.

  Her mind went to Liam and her body began to quake, knowing she would never see him again, never be his wife or have his child, or lie next to him in bed ever again. She lifted her head to look straight behind Baine, and she saw someone approaching. Was that…Liam? She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to decipher between dream and reality. Was he an apparition summoned by her desperate mind in an attempt to see him one last time?

  Day light was just beginning to break, and she could see Liam’s eyes locked with hers as he put a finger up to his l
ips, instructing her keep silent. She bit her lower lip in reflex to his request. She saw Duncan standing just behind Liam, but he wasn’t moving. They were real, she was certain of it. She was also certain he would never reach her before Baine plunged her body into the freezing cold water slamming angrily into the side of the cliff.

  Liam was just two yards away, slowly creeping toward Baine. He knew he would not make it all the way before Baine heard him. His only hope was to get close enough to reach out and grab Gwynneth before Baine could fight back.

  One more slow, calculated step forward on the loose rocks of the cliff, and he could reach her. He could grab on to her bound hands and kick Baine hard, shoving his body forward and off of the cliff. With a move quicker than Liam could predict, Baine raised Gwynneth above his head and threw her over the edge.

  “Nay, Gwynn!!” Liam screamed from behind Baine. Startled by the sudden jolt of Liam’s voice in his ear, Baine spun around quickly, only to be plowed over by Liam. Baine crashed onto the rocks with a grunt, the wind knocked out of his lungs. Liam knew he had to jump off the cliff and get to Gwynneth, but he would not risk Baine getting away. She would never be safe as long as Baine still lived. With the reaction speed of a feral cat, Liam grabbed Baine by the loose linen fabric of his white tunic and held on tight as he jumped off the cliff, dragging Baine down with him. The two men struggled in the air trying to get a tighter hold on the other before they landed with a violent splash in the freezing cold water. They slowly descended into the depths of the sea, fighting for their lives as they drifted back up to the surface.

  Liam swung his fist hard and made contact with Baine’s jaw, snapping his head back and causing blood to spurt out of his mouth. He took that moment to break free from Baine’s grasp and dive under the water to find Gwynneth. He couldn’t find her in the rush and swirl of water around their struggling bodies. Panic started to rise in his throat. He felt Baine come up behind him and wrap his arms tightly around his neck, squeezing with his all the hatred in his bones.

  Liam threw his heel up behind him, making contact with Baine’s groin, but Baine would not release his hold. Baine grunted in pain, but his need for vengeance was much stronger than the pain.

  There was a loud splash behind Baine as Duncan came down behind him with a grunt. As soon as Duncan floated back up, Liam shouted through his strangled throat, “Find Gwynneth!” Baine whirled around to see who Liam was speaking to, but when he turned, nobody was there. Duncan had already begun his descent into the freezing water, searching frantically for any sign of Gwynneth. He swam in circles as he dove down as far as he could, knowing that all she could do was sink with her arms and legs bound.

  He popped up to the surface to take a large breath of air and saw that Liam had gotten out of Baine’s grasp. He was now holding Baine as he struggled in the water, but both men were, as always, equally matched in size and strength. Duncan knew he had to jump in to relieve Liam, allowing him to find Gwynn. Grabbing Baine’s hair and pulling his head back with a snap, Duncan plowed his fist with full force into Baine’s nose, breaking it upon impact. Baine groaned in pain and was forced to let go of Liam as he held both hands up to his face as blood gushed into his palms.

  “Let me handle him. Go find her!” Duncan shouted as he struggled in his boot to find his dagger. It was missing and Duncan cursed under his breath. He threw a punch into Baine’s gut, but Baine swung simultaneously at Duncan’s jaw and the two men were momentarily separated. Both came back swinging and struggling to stay afloat while sinking the other.

  Liam was frantic. He knew that, even though it felt like an eternity, she had only sunk a moment ago. He could still save her if he found her in time. The water was obscured by tiny white bubbles floating all around caused by both the crashing of waves against the solid cliff wall and the struggling of bodies churning the ocean’s surface into white froth. Liam could not see far enough into the depths. Filling his lungs with air, he held his breath and dove directly down to where she had landed, kicking with all his might to reach further into the depths of the sea.

  Without being able to see in the murky water, he groped around relentlessly, hoping to make contact with any part of her. He was running out of breath and would have to resurface soon. His heart was pounding with fear as he lost hope. Deep down in his gut, he hoped Gwynn could find a way to use her control of water to save herself. She had survived last time, but she was not bound at the ankles and wrists then. It was a wonder the men survived the fall, themselves, and a part of Liam knew it was Gwynneth’s doing. She was down there somewhere, alive, and willing the water to do her bidding, even if she wasn’t aware of it.

  Just when Liam was going to have to come up for breath, his hand made contact with something that felt thin and course, like fabric. It looked transparent in the water, a haze floating around his face. Quickly recognizing it as the fabric of her white linen night dress, Liam grabbed a fistful of the thin material and quickly propelled himself upward, feeling her weight dragging along as he pulled. He popped out of the water and looked down. He could see her silvery blonde hair spread out around him just under the surface. He grappled to pull her up and she lay limp in his arms, hair covering her face in wet chunks.

  With a shaky hand, he moved all the hair off her face and saw her lips were blue and her face was white. His entire body started to convulse with grief at the sight of Gwynneth limp in his arms. “Nay…nay…Gwynn.” He started to choke on his tears, but desperately struggled to keep himself from falling apart. Using all of his remaining strength, Liam dragged her to the shore and rolled her onto her side, banging on her back with his opened palm to try and force the water out of Gwynneth’s chest. He leaned over her face to check for any sign of breathing. He heard nothing. He repeated his efforts, fighting back the sobs that stung his throat with every pound of his hand against soft tissue of her lifeless body.

  He saw her hand twitch and looked up at her with hopeful desperation. Gwynneth started to cough as water streamed out of her mouth. Liam rolled her over onto her side further, allowing the water to flow freely out of her lungs and expel into the sand. She was coughing violently as her lungs simultaneously took in air while releasing the invasive water. Liam stared at her face with grave concern and saw her lips start to turn pink again. Her face was less white, though he knew she must be in shock. He tugged her close to him and started wiping the wet hair out of her face. Her entire body was rigid and cold, but she weakly opened her eyes. “Och Gwynn, I thought I lost you,” he croaked as tears started to stream down his face.

  He looked toward the water to see if Duncan needed his help, when a gleam in the sand caught his eye. The sun had pulled above the horizon and the beams stretched out across the sand, giving life to a metal object twinkling among the otherwise beige sand. He stood up and took a few steps toward it. It was a long iron dagger, the metal of the blade shiny and smooth, winking at him in the light. The handle had knot designs engraved within the metal, a string of leather wrapped around the hilt for grip. He picked it up and instantly went over to Gwynneth, who was still bound. He untied her wrists and her ankles and she moaned in pain as blood trickled down from the raw, damaged skin.

  “Wh-where did you find that?” Her voice was raspy and she could barely get the words out. She stared at it with fascination.

  “Just there. It was in the sand.”

  “That,” she cleared her throat, “that’s Baine’s. It dropped…into the water with me…the first time.” She held her throat with the pain of talking.

  Just when Liam was ready to run into the water to help with Duncan, he saw that Baine had broken away from Duncan’s grip and was looking in their direction. Both men appeared completely bedraggled and exhausted from their relentless water struggle, neither wielding a weapon nor having the strength to overcome the other.

  Baine was barreling out of the water with a look of pure loathing on his battered face, blood flowing freely from his nose and mouth. He was a crazed man with murder in
his eyes. Duncan was running behind Baine, trying to get to him before he got to shore, but he was tired and his legs wobbled as he left the water. He was ready to collapse in exhaustion, his red hair dangling wildly about his face as blood dripped from his lip and his left eye swelled up with a purple bruise.

  Gwynneth saw Baine striding across the shore with a new surge of energy, fueled with years of rage. His eyes were locked menacingly on Liam. “Baine! Please don’t do this!” Gwynneth pleaded with him as he came closer.

  He shifted his glance to her quickly. She was soaking wet and covered in sand, her hair hanging in wet waves around her face, the sun casting a glow through her shimmering hair as if she were the sun itself. He stopped in his tracks and stared at Gwynneth with a look of longing on his face, the look of a man who had lost everything. He glanced back at Liam, standing protectively next to her with Baine’s own dagger ready to strike, ready to protect Gwynneth with his life.

  Shifting his gaze back to Gwynn, his shoulders slumped. “I never had a chance, did I Gwynn?”

  Liam’s brows drew together as his eyes narrowed in consternation. He looked down at Gwynneth and saw her gaze locked with Baine’s as she slowly shook her head with a frown set on her face. “I’m sorry, Baine.”

  Suddenly, without warning, a deep growl escape from Baine as he lunged at Liam and knocked him down, ripping the dagger out of Liam’s hand. Baine had the dagger poised for the kill as he leaned down over Liam’s unarmed body. Duncan was surging forward, ready to knock Baine over. Gwynneth saw it all happening as if in slow motion, as if this one second would last forever. Her heart stuttered in her chest as she screamed, “Nay, Baine! Don’t!” and threw her body over Liam’s, ready to sacrifice her own life for his. Liam pushed her away quickly, protecting her, preferring his own death to hers.