by Rosalie Redd
The commitment wound around Mauree’s soul, tightening like a ball and chain. Deep inside, buried in the far reaches of her heart, a little girl cried.
CHAPTER 15
G aetan hobbled down the hall, using his cane to take some of the pressure off his leg. Nicole hadn’t said much after their encounter with Ginnia. She’d been through so much over the past day, he hadn’t pushed her, giving her time to process all the changes in her life. As they rounded the corner into the Grand Hall, the scent of fresh baked bread, eggs, and hash browns permeated the air. His stomach rumbled.
Nicole tugged on his arm. Her eyes widened, and a look of sheer wonder crossed her features. “What is this place?”
Mesmerized by her fascination, he peered around as if seeing the place through her eyes. Rows of banquet tables filled the center of the large room. Along the walls, platters of meats and cheeses sat alongside those with fresh cut melons and grapes. Bowls crammed with scrambled eggs, glasses brimming with juice, and baskets overflowing with rolls completed the spread.
Warriors, merchants, and council members sat on benches alongside the tables, eating their meal. Several glanced his way. Skylar met Gaetan’s gaze. The council member curled his lip, leaned next to his comrade and whispered into his ear.
Heat raced up Gaetan’s back and over his ears. He cleared his throat and focused on Nicole. “This is the Grand Hall. It’s where most residents choose to eat their meals.”
She placed her palm over her chest. “I didn’t realize there were so many others here.”
Gaetan’s appetite waned. Now that Noeh and Melissa were gone and Anlon was out there, somewhere, their chance of survival and winning this war were slim. How he longed to go back in time, prevent Anlon from crawling through the portal.
“Come, let’s get you some food.” He clutched her hand and guided her toward the serving tables. Silverware clinking on plates mixed with the loud murmurs of the crowd intensified the headache building behind his eyes.
He handed her a plate, and she held on to his fingers. His attention flicked to her beautiful sea-green eyes. She studied him, her gaze roaming from his face to his neck.
A spiral of fear tightened inside him. “What is it?” He had an idea, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice it.
“You have a mark around your neck.” Her brow furrowed, and she reached toward him.
He stepped out of her way, and the plate slipped from his fingers. The dish flipped end over end on its descent then crashed against the stone tile. Ceramic shards skittered over the floor.
The room quieted for a brief moment before the murmurs resumed once again.
“How many do I have?” He rubbed his fingers over his neck as if he could tell by touch, but his skin was no different.
She blinked. “One. What is it? Is that bad?”
His head reeled, thoughts spinning in his mind faster than he could track. Pain flared in his knee, sharp and biting, bringing him to the floor.
“Gaetan!” Nicole placed her hands on his shoulders and knelt next to him. Her warm touch penetrated through his shirt and lit up his nerves. Mine…
A low growl erupted from his throat. The mating bond. One band. No! That was a bad sign, a very bad sign indeed, yet he couldn’t ignore the beast’s desire to finish the bonding and claim his mate. Even if he did, because of the one band, she’d be free to seek the bed of another male.
“Haelen. Do you need assistance?” Quentin’s voice broke through Gaetan’s thoughts.
The other male stood close by, too close to Nicole. A flare of energy pulsed through Gaetan, and he rose from the ground with a start, pushing Quentin away. “Keep back.”
Caught in the undertow of his actions, Nicole fell. Her hip cracked against the nearby table. She cried out.
Blood pulsed in his ears, drowning out all sounds. He took a step back, but without the aid of his cane, his leg couldn’t support the weight. He crashed to the floor once again. A tormented scream tore from his throat.
He was responsible for Anlon’s disappearance.
He was responsible for Noeh’s and Melissa’s deaths.
He was responsible for Ginnia’s condition.
He’d hurt his female and doomed her to a dismal life…with him.
The lines on his hand burned, the pain so intense he couldn’t breathe. He glanced at them and watched as they faded from view.
He looked up. Quentin had his arm around Nicole’s waist, pulling her away from him. Lines creased her forehead, and her mouth moved as if she’d spoken, but Gaetan couldn’t hear anything above the ringing in his ears.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins, fast and furious, fueling his muscles, lengthening his bones. The hair on his arms grew, covering his skin in an instant, his clothes disappearing beneath the fur. Tusks erupted from his mouth. Pain rippled along his nerves. A roar burst from his lips.
Stunned silence filled the Grand Hall.
His panting breaths were quick, filling his lungs with oxygen and the energy his muscles so desperately needed.
Others in the room circled him, but no one approached.
He searched for his female.
Quentin held her in his embrace. Her wide eyes were full of fear.
The rejection stung, penetrating into his heart like a blade. He couldn’t handle the rebuke, and the beast’s need to flee had him bolting for the doorway.
Three warriors blocked the entrance. He plowed into the trio, carrying them into the corridor.
One hit his head against the stone wall and slipped to the ground. Another wrapped his hands around Gaetan’s neck. Gaetan gripped him by the back of the collar and tossed him down the hallway. The third unsheathed his sword.
Gaetan slammed his fist against the blade. The metal broke in two.
He fled down the hall. Gaetan had an awareness he didn’t limp, but then the thought was gone as quickly as it came. In the back of his mind, he understood he was a lost cause, but the beast ruled, and he couldn’t stop himself.
“Gaetan!” Nicole’s distressed scream chased him all the way down the corridor.
“Let me go, you brute!” Nikki kicked, punched, and scratched at the male trapping her in his arms, but she couldn’t break his hold. “I have to help Gaetan.”
The male flipped her around to face him. His nostrils flared. “My name is Quentin, and there’s nothing you can do for him.”
Nikki gasped. “How can you say that?”
Quentin shook her. “Are you blind, female? Did you not see his beast? Unless he can bring himself back, which is unlikely, he’s a danger to us all.”
Another warrior, one with a gold stud in his ear, clasped Quentin’s shoulder. “Quentin, you coming? We need to track Gaetan before he makes it out of the Keep. I’ve alerted Kaelyn and Saar through the sunstones.”
Quentin paused. “Yeah, on my way.”
Nikki pushed away from him, putting all her strength into her shove. Not that it did any good, he was as immovable as a stone. “I’m going with you.”
He shook his head. “I can’t allow that. He’ll try to claim you, inciting his beast into a frenzy. Stay here for his benefit as well as your own. Besides, he had one band around his throat. Your relationship isn’t a good one. Why would you want to be with him, anyway?”
An ache built at the back of her throat. Despite her initial unease, she’d enjoyed Gaetan’s company. To think their relationship didn’t have a chance was something she couldn’t accept. Even if he wasn’t perfect for her, she wanted to help him. She glared at Quentin then crossed her arms. “I don’t agree with you, but it seems you’ve decided for me. Fine, for now, I’ll stay here.”
“Good choice.” Quentin turned and followed his friend to join the other warriors not injured by Gaetan.
Nikki glanced around the Grand Hall. Merchants, council members, and Jixies huddled in small groups. The din of excited voices rose in volume.
“What do I do?” Nikki wrung her hands, her fingers trailing ov
er her rhinestone bracelet. Her jewelry reminded her of Gaetan’s marking. As he’d fallen to his knees, the lines on the back of his hand had disappeared. Fear sent a ripple of goosebumps up her arm. “I need to talk to Sheri.”
She headed toward the corridor and, through the doorway, saw her friend kneeling next to one of the injured warriors.
“Taron, Nico, transport the wounded males to the infirmary. Without Gaetan, I’ll need the two of you to assist me.” Sheri wiped her brow with her palm.
Nikki stopped. Sheri had her hands full attending to the injured warriors. She didn’t have time to deal with Nikki’s insecurities and fears. Now what?
Nikki stepped back, and her tennis shoe crunched on something hard. Shards of the broken plate littered the area. She stared at the spot where Gaetan had fallen to his knees. His cane lay on the floor a few inches away.
Tears pricked behind her eyes. She walked to the spot, bent down, and wrapped her fingers around his staff. The exquisite wood grain, smooth to the touch, warmed her palm. At the tip, the orange sunstone glittered in the light, reminding her of the gold flecks that swirled in his beautiful aquamarine eyes. A lump formed in the back of her throat, and she forced it down with a hard swallow. “I’ll find a way to help you, Gaetan. I promise.”
He’d saved her, and despite her fears over his addiction and what it meant for their relationship, she vowed to do the same. She glanced at the others in the Grand Hall. Still huddled in their groups, they didn’t seem to notice her, nor care. Her chin trembled.
Who can I talk to? She didn’t know any of them and certainly not well enough to share her thoughts or her fears. Her gaze tracked to the tables filled with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and pastries. A sugary treat caught her attention. Blueberry muffins.
Ginnia…
A flutter of hope tickled Nikki’s insides. With Gaetan’s staff in one hand, she dashed to the tables, placed two blueberry muffins on a plate, and headed for the corridor.
CHAPTER 16
The fresh scent of pine and cool rain urged Gaetan down the corridor. He stumbled over the uneven floor, and his toe crashed against a stone protruding from the ground. A howl of rage burst from him, reverberating off the walls. As if the Keep shared his pain, sunstones lining the wall flared to life.
His jumbled thoughts were like fireflies, flitting around his mind without rhyme or reason. He continued onward, one foot in front of the other. His goal, to escape these walls, this prison that bound him. Only the fresh air and his need to run free kept him moving.
“He went this way!”
“Hurry, we have to stop him before he gets outside.”
Shouts, distant, but recognizable, filtered down the ancient passageway.
Gaetan growled and picked up his pace, distancing himself from the shouts filtering toward him in the ancient passageway.
Anlon… Nicole… Anlon… Nicole…
Unsure of the meaning, he focused on the mantra for it helped ease the swirl in his mind.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the passage, urgent and rushed.
A soft glow at the far end of the row beckoned him. With each step, the small light grew. An explosion of energy propelled him forward. He ran for the first time since he was eight, the first time since the devastating accident that had injured Ginnia as well as himself, the one he’d caused.
“I see him! Hurry!” a warrior shouted.
Anlon… Nicole… Anlon… Nicole…
Gaetan focused on the words, the light, the words, the light, the words.
The spicy scent of pine thickened. Rain pelted the trees, the brush, and the rocks at the Keep’s hidden entrance.
He burst into the forest. Between the treetops, the setting sun’s rays lit up the clouds in brilliant shades of pink and red. The exposed skin on his face and hands burned. Agony rippled along his nerve endings. He screamed.
Behind him, a warrior shouted, “Craya! The sun’s not down yet.”
“We’ll have to wait until it is. At least in his beast form, if Gaetan stays in the shadows, he’ll be all right. Ten more minutes and we’ll be safe.”
The warrior’s words penetrated into Gaetan’s thick skull. He covered his face with his hands. Leaving space between his fingers so he could see, he bolted deeper into the forest.
Water from the passing rain shower dripped from tree branches, coating his fur and dribbling over his fingers. The coolness was a welcome relief to his burned knuckles.
He ran and ran and ran. How long, how far, to what purpose, only his battered beast knew, but the mantra continued.
Anlon… Nicole… Anlon… Nicole…
Kaelyn checked the strap at her belt. Her trusty mace rested in its leather pouch, ready for action. The rumble of voices, heated and intense, reverberated off the Portal Navigation Center’s walls. She peered around the large room at the warriors under her command.
Strong, loyal, and devoted to their former king, their goal to find the prince was their number one priority. She glanced at the numerous sunstones lining the ceiling. “Alora, please keep the little tyke safe and help us find him.”
“The sun is down.” Saar’s deep voice rumbled between them.
“It’s time to go.” She stepped onto the portal’s platform and blew her whistle. The high-pitched tone echoed through the room.
The warriors quieted. Only the sound of their feet shuffling over the stone floor filled the air.
Kaelyn scanned the soldiers. “Our main goal is to find and retrieve Anlon. Mauree is searching for him and, for all we know, may have him. Three-quarters of the team will proceed with Saar and myself to the lake house. The rest of you will search for Gaetan. Don’t kill him unless you have no other choice.”
Several warriors nodded in agreement, their sullen faces representative of the task at hand. The chances of success for either group didn’t look good, but they’d battle the odds and win anyway.
As she stepped away from the platform, she glanced at the Portal Navigator. “Rin, do your magic.”
“Ya don’t have ta ask me twice.” Resolve glinted in his blues eyes.
He turned and swirled his gnarled fingers over the concentric circle of sunstones lining the giant portal stone. The gems in the outer circle ignited, brightening to a soft glow. He moved with grace and power, churning his hands over the precious crystals. One by one, the concentric rings ignited until the solitary red sunstone in the center filled the room with a faint red glow.
A mist appeared over the platform, opening to a forest bathed in soft moonlight. The eerie hoot of an owl filtered into the room, along with the scent of pine and cedar.
“Squad one, let’s go.” Kaelyn’s muscles tightened in readiness. If Mauree found the prince, she’d better not have hurt him. The thought of meeting up with her nemesis sent a tingle of excitement over Kaelyn’s shoulders. This time, Mauree would get her due. One way or another, the evil bitch wouldn’t last another night.
CHAPTER 17
N ikki sped along the corridor, holding tight to the plate of muffins. She scrunched her brow. All the passages had the same cut stone, the same polished floor, and the same mixture of sunstones embedded in the walls. She couldn’t quite remember if the strong room was down the hall to her right or around the following corner. Frustration beat at her temple.
“Gaetan? Is that you?” Ginnia’s quiet voice echoed down the corridor.
Relief fluttered over Nikki’s shoulders. She picked up her pace, rounded the bend, and the light from Ginnia’s cell flooded into the hallway.
“Ginnia, it’s Nikki,” she blurted out, eager to see Gaetan’s sister.
The seer gripped the bars and pressed her forehead against the metal. Her blue eyes glowed with an eerie luminescence, reflecting the light from the sunstones embedded in the wall. “Hi, Nikki.”
As Nikki approached the cell, Ginnia focused on the sweet treats on the plate. She clapped her hands and squealed. “You brought me a muffin!”
Ginnia’s in
fectious enthusiasm warmed Nikki, reminding her of Toby and his love for pizza. He’d reacted the same way every time she brought home a box after her shift at the pizza parlor. That was many years ago, during high school, and long before the accident that had taken him from her.
“I sure did. Here.” Nikki slid a muffin through the bars.
Ginnia bit into the dough. A piece of frosted sugar clung to her lip. She smiled as she chewed, and Nikki had to fight the urge to ask her to hurry. Gaetan could be anywhere by now, maybe even caught or killed. No, she couldn’t go there.
“You gonna eat yours?” Ginnia pointed to the lone remaining muffin on the plate.
Not wanting to scare Ginnia, Nikki decided to play along for a moment before she brought up Gaetan. With a quick smile, she forced a wink. “I guess I better.”
Ginnia giggled and took another bite of her muffin.
Nikki propped Gaetan’s staff against the wall and bit into the pastry. Although the berries’ juices filled her mouth, the muffin tasted like sawdust. She swallowed, and the dough scratched her dry throat.
Ginnia finished her treat and licked her fingers then leaned against the bars. She glanced at her brother’s cane. “Don’t be sad. Gaetan wouldn’t want that.”
The hair on Nikki’s nape rose. She placed her half-eaten muffin back on the plate and set it on the ground. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“No, you don’t. I already know.” She blinked and innocence shone from the depths of her eyes. “His beastie took over. He’s in the forest, but lost. You need to help him.”
Nikki clamped her jaw so tight pain flared at the joint. She banged her palms against the bars. “How do I help him?”
Ginnia recoiled from the rails, turned her back, and shrugged.
Nikki’s heart twisted for the little seer. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I’m not mad.”
Ginnia peered over her shoulder. “You promise?”
“Yes, I promise. Please tell me, what can I do?”
