“I wanted to meet with someone as well,” Gabrielle interjected, not wanting to lose the opportunity to meet Morrigan. She had to see him today. A silence of astonishment fell over her friends as they looked to her in shock.
“You are going to meet your man that we have yet to hear anything about?” Claudie’s words dripped with disbelief and simultaneous taunting. Gabrielle's face warmed and she looked down at the cobblestone street.
“His name is Morrigan, and yes I would like to see him. He…has something of mine from the gala and I would like it back!” she lied, to forgo mocking. Giggling broke loose between her friends.
“Ah, he has something of yours, does he?” Hilde chuckled.
“Perhaps it is her heart!” howled Claudie.
Gabrielle's chest tightened and her heart picked up its pace. She stood in awkward silence for a moment while her friends laughed.
“Well, if my eyes see correctly, it looks as though my two friends wish to leave all the work to me today.” A look of sincerity replaced Claudie’s laughter.
Gabrielle and Hilde stood in silence, guilt filling their chests. Hilde’s eyes found themselves looking to her feet, and Gabrielle continued to trace the edges of the stones beneath her feet.
“Well, would you look at who feels the guilt of the world? You two look as though Madame Toinette found you stealing from the kitchen.” Claudie laughed, hinging at her waist and letting a loud chuckle run from her mouth. Relief washed over Gabrielle at the sound. “Go on, the both of you! I will tend to the chores. Remember that I did this for you and that you must repay this favor in kind!”
Hilde turned on her heels and was off to her rendezvous with Brenton. Gabrielle took a moment to look at Claudie. The warm sun upon her face and cool breeze jostling her hair gave her an angelic glow.
With a sudden shove, Gabrielle was knocked backward as a small child ran past her, swiping her legs. Gabrielle looked in awe at the young child as she continued to run down the street; she looked familiar. The girl that Gabrielle had seen in the garden with flowing hair, and white dress continued down the road without looking back.
She shot a look back at Claudie to confirm that what had just happened wasn't all in her mind, but Claudie had left and was now well down the street. Gabrielle was alone.
Time to go find Morrigan.
She stared down the road at Claudie, then down the road the little girl had run, and finally to the direction that Hilde went. Gabrielle had not remembered to ask how to find the tavern where she met Morrigan. Focusing her scattered mind, she stopped and thought back to the last time they'd all been here, on their way to the gala.
As she alternated between which direction to go, something distracted her.
Off in the distance, almost out of site, she swore that she could see the little girl. She was standing in the middle of the avenue, staring back at Gabrielle. Her sharp eyes were piercing, but with the passing of a group of women, the little girl vanished once more.
Don’t worry, follow me…
The words the little girl had spoken to Gabrielle in the garden came back to her. Without further hesitation, Gabrielle began to walk in the direction of the girl.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
There was an impressive amount of people in the streets this early in the day. Vendors tended to their carts and placed their wares out as Gabrielle wove through thick groups of people.
The air was electric with energy as masses of people wandered around tending to their shopping, working, and chatting in the streets. Gabrielle smiled when she began to recognize some of the buildings. She knew she was going the right way.
As she walked, Gabrielle thought about all the possible things that could happen when she found Morrigan's tavern.
What if I walk in and he lifts me high into the air twirls me around and then we kiss. Or, what if when I come in he catches my eye from across the room and we run towards each other as the crowd parts. We meet somewhere in the middle and look deep into each other's eyes and then we kiss. Gabrielle's thoughts then turned as she looked around.
What if he isn't home? How am I going to find the front entrance to the tavern? The last time Gabrielle had been there, it was dark and although she thought she was going in the right direction, she wasn't sure where she was.
Gabrielle began to increase her speed the further she went, convinced she was getting closer. It was as though she could feel herself closing the distance between her and Morrigan. As a cart drawn by a pair of black horses crossed her path, Gabrielle froze on the edge of the road. This was the location that she'd nearly been knocked down by a horse on that night. She was close.
With a deep breath, she took her step from the curb and ran down what she was sure would be the final road that would lead her to Morrigan.
A dull pain erupted from her back and Gabrielle was thrown forward into the road. She outstretched her hands with enough time to stop herself from smashing into the cobblestones. She rolled to her side and her eyes widened as she opened her mouth to yell.
A woman stood in front of her, dusting off her apron. Gabrielle must have been in her way and the woman knocked into her. As she stood, Gabrielle realized there was something very wrong about the scrunched look that plastered the woman’s face. Immediately, the yelling began.
“You damned dog! Tossing a woman who only wanted bread!” A few people stood on the sidewalk in amazement, watching the spectacle that took place before them.
An alarm went off in Gabrielle’s head, something was wrong. The look on the woman’s face wasn't normal. It was contorted like a fun house mirror at the carnival. The angry woman shot a glance at her for a fleeting moment, before her attention was turned back to the group.
“Dog? You stole from my shop! You’re a thief, is what you are! You don’t belong in any shop. I ought to call the guard and have you arrested!” An older man yelled as he stepped from the crowd.
She looked at his round stomach and large hands and was amazed at how far he'd thrown the woman to the ground. The woman standing next to Gabrielle was younger, with a ruffled dress and her hands were clenched in fists as she spoke.
“Me, a thief? In these times, you dare charge these prices? You're nothing but a tax-fencer, is what you are! This country’s in pain and you benefit from us poor! All bakers are dogs!”
The woman had taken another step toward the portly man. She bared her teeth like a dog, her face contorting even more and she snarled with every word that spat out of her mouth.
A larger crowd had formed as the two screamed at one-another. Gabrielle looked around at the onlookers and started to see more faces contorted in anger. She didn't know what to do. She was afraid to move too fast, afraid she would attract attention from the crowd of onlookers.
“You know as well as I that these times are not our fault! Look at the bourgeoisie and L’autrichienne if you want to blame someone other than yourself, thief! Take your disgraces home and be done with it.” The baker shifted his hips and made a shooing motion with his hand in a taunting manner.
Gabrielle knew this would only escalate and she backed away from the situation. Having only taken a few steps, she was stopped by something hard against her back. Looking over her shoulder, Gabrielle found that she was standing in front of a solid wall of people.
“L’autrichienne may be to blame, but that is no reason to raise the prices on bread and flour!” another angry voice rose from the crowd and was met with an angry wave of support.
“We haven't raised prices any higher than needed for our own survi— “
“Garbage!” Another voice interrupted.
“Utter nonsense! You say that I have taken from you, when you are just the same as the bourgeoisie!” the instigator’s voice caused the crowd to still, anxious. The woman reached down to her feet and picked up a palm-sized rock.
“Oh, what do you think you're doing with that rock?” the baker asked as he pulled a small knife from his pocket. “I’m warning you for the last ti
me bitch, turn and leave or you’ll be taught what a woman’s true place is.”
Without a moment’s pause, the woman he tossed to the ground threw the stone with all her might at the man.
The stone stuck the baker above his left eye, opening a wound that immediately began to trickle blood. He let out a loud scream and raised his hands to his face. For a moment he stood, dumbfounded, before his rage boiled over and he charged at the woman.
As he ran with his hands out, another woman from the crowd swept her foot out and tripped the large baker. He fell forward several steps before landing abruptly on the ground and rolling several times. He came to a stop at the feet of the woman who threw the rock.
The knife that he once held slid across the ground and stopped at Gabrielle’s feet. The baker lay motionless on the ground with his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell, but his breath was short and Gabrielle knew that he was unconscious.
“No more will we be the victims of this country and those brutes that condemn us. Today, we take what is ours!” yelled the instigator, as she motioned to the crowd, looking eerily like Madame Toinette.
The woman took a few steps toward the baker’s shop, as if inviting the crowd to relish in the pillaging that was about to begin. The crowd stood stunned for a moment before — like a wave of hatred — all their expressions turned from disbelief and concern into fury and rage. Nods and glances were exchanged by the crowd and Gabrielle was filled with horror.
One, then another, then a group of four, until the entire group of people dispersed in all directions. Some went into shops, others went to street vendors, and some even disappeared down the street.
Gabrielle stood frozen, her eyes wide as she watched the chaos. Her heart was gripped by fear as vendor carts were overturned, people were assaulted and the shouting became unbearably loud. The people of the group were acting like ravenous animals, their piggy eyes and mouths contorted into a wolf’s grin.
The sound of breaking glass made her jerk around as a small group threw a butter churn through a window of a sweets shop. Spinning in a circle, Gabrielle broke from her stature.
She had to get away from here, now. She had to find Morrigan before this got worse. Turning to collect her bearings, another scream emanated from the savagery
“You there! Maid! Yes you, think you can hide behind those clothes, do you? I know a maid’s apron when I see one! What house claims you? Think that you’re better than the lot of us, do you?” a woman shouted from an adjoining corner. Gabrielle shook her head and backed away from the woman, her eyes wide and her heart in her throat.
“Oh, and where do you think you’re off to? Back to your mansion?” the woman snarled as she made her way to Gabrielle.
Gabrielle wanted to turn and run, but she was too afraid to turn her back on the woman. As she took a shaky step backward, she tripped over a broken piece of a cart and fell to her back. Before she could and stand, the woman flung herself at Gabrielle.
With a dull grunt, the woman sat on her chest and began to tear at her apron. Gabrielle lay there, wide eyed and shocked at what was happening.
“Think that you are better than us, do you? Think that you can hide in the shadows of L’autrichienne and live on her coat tails and damn the rest of us?” the woman screamed as she pulled at Gabrielle and tried to rip her clothes off.
Gabrielle slapped at her attacker, but she was so shocked that she couldn't get the upper hand. All she could do was turn her face sideway to avoid spittle from the woman’s foul mouth as she snarled and struck Gabrielle.
There, within arm's reach, was the small knife the baker had only moments before. Gabrielle reached out and took the knife in her hand. She brought the edge of the blade to the face of her attackers and drug it down her pale cheek. The crimson fluid flowed from the wound, and she released Gabrielle, crying out in pain.
Taking advantage of this moment Gabrielle brought her knee in and using the heel of her foot, sent the woman backwards. The woman rolled away and tore off down that avenue, holding her face and screaming.
“What in the ring of hell did you do to my wife?” a snarling voice called from across the street.
Gabrielle leaned her head to see an angry man motion to another large man, and the two began to make their way across the street and around the carts to her. She rolled to a sitting position and dragged herself away down the street. The men were almost to her when another booming voice called out over the crowd.
“No gents, doesn't seem right fair now, does it?” the voice said and chills ran down Gabrielle’s back. She swore that she'd heard that voice before. A very large man flew over Gabrielle and charged at the two men. He caught one of them by the throat and brought his other fist to the face of her other attacker.
“There now, seems a bit more fair, no?” he grunted as he threw one of the men to the ground and grabbed the other. Gabrielle's mouth hung open.
Wait…
The larger man cast the second attacker to the floor with ease. Standing over the two broken men with swollen pride, he turned and locked one eye on Gabrielle. A broad smile peaked across the side of his face.
“F-Fionn….” a clatter of people tore across her line of sight and in that moment, the man disappeared.
His two victims were motionless upon the ground. She couldn't believe what happened. It was impossible. Fionn was dead, and from another life. A life hundreds of years ago in another part of the country.
She stood and frantically turned in circles, looking for the man that she'd seen. No one resembled the giant that saved her. Another clatter of shattering glass rang out as a mass of people rounded the corner and threw another stone into a shop's windows. Gabrielle stood stricken as she watched the events that took place before her.
Off in the distance, a large dog jetted across the street and disappeared from sight. The presence of the dog gave her the drive she needed to leave the chaos behind. She turned on her heels and ran across the street.
“I have to get to him,” she said through gritted teeth as she ran, keeping as low as possible.
The windows of many of the shops that Gabrielle past resembled macabre plays and the actions inside rivaled that of nightmares. She was sure that for the shop owners inside, fighting for their livelihoods, it was a nightmare.
As Gabrielle stumbled forward over debris and destroyed goods, a man came crashing through a window and rolled on the ground in front of her. She reached her hand out, but before she could offer help, several women were at the broken window and then on top of him. They beat him with brooms, sticks, and their hands while he lay on the ground covering his head.
Gabrielle couldn't help but to stare at the spectacle that lay in front of her. The man somehow pulled himself to his feet and hit one of the women in the face. He swung an old piece of wood and the women scattered. In his hysterics, he brought his eyes to Gabrielle.
“Are you one of them? You are, aren't you? Here to attack me for what is mine?” the man raised the piece of timber at Gabrielle and began swinging it wildly.
She ran, but the man was right behind her, rage in his glossy eyes and swinging his weapon like a mad man. Gabrielle ducked and he was knocked off balance by the weight of the wood. As he staggered to regain his bearings, she sprinted down the road and rounded a corner out of sight.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The sweat was running down Gabrielle's cheek as she gasped. She stopped to take in the scene as chaos emerged all around her. She pressed her back against the wall of a brick building and focused on calming the terror rising within herself.
“What’s happening? This is crazy!” Gabrielle struggled to catch her breath. She wiped her face with her apron and took and tried to slow her breathing.
Another group of furious rioters passed her, but she remained hidden in the alcove that the molding of the shops entrance provided.
CLICK.
A searing pain crawled up Gabrielle’s arm. Why now? Haven't the riots already started?
She looked from left to right for the threat, but she went unnoticed in her hiding spot. As another wave of pain washed over her, she stepped out of the perch. Maybe something's coming.
Gabrielle moved along the wall with her back pressed up against the stone and peered around the corner. Seeing no immediate danger, she turned to enter the shop and get out of the street.
Gabrielle stood in the entrance of another bakery shop. The front door was broken from its hinges and there was an assortment of pastries scattered around. Several women were clamoring about the shop, destroying everything they could get their hands on.
They pulled shelves to the floor, threw baskets, and broke anything that was not part of the building itself. A man lay on the ground in the middle of the shop. He wore an apron and despite the chaos, she could see flour ground into it.
The man's cold eyes looked up at her. He didn't call out for help. He only looked up at Gabrielle with glassy eyes. She knew that look. He knew he was standing on death's door, and he was allowing the dark to come. At that moment, one of the women jumped on top of him and began hitting him in the face.
Gabrielle reflexively took a half step towards him. The dull tap of her foot on the hard wood alerted the group. The women stopped their attack on the store and turned to face her. Red demonic eyes glared at her, sucking all life from the room.
CLICK.
Her stomach flipped and her hands tightened as the crimson eyes fired at her in sinister silence. Arawn’s monstrosities had the same cold, dead eyes as they looked to her for certain death. Her bracelet still burned on her arm as she stood, eye to eye with the danger that it was trying to warn her of.
“No!” She'd stepped into a trap.
The savage women all maintained the same twisted smile. Their fang-like teeth shown bright in the morning sun coming through the broken front window.
The Gabrielle Series Boxed Set Page 23
