Secrets of the Sapphires

by T. Sue VerSteeg

  As she made her way to stand next to Garrett, the wolf convulsed and reared back on its hind legs, releasing a deafening howl into the quiet night air. Fur gave way to human flesh. Within seconds a very muscular, naked man stood before them. Nia found herself enjoying his physique against all common sense. Long, dark hair draped his shoulders in tousled, damp strands. A smattering of dark hair shadowed his chest and framed his impressive manhood. His chiseled chin and prominent brow were one and the same of the man who condemned her in the courtyard. Her dander rose again, but a brisk elbow to her ribs from a scowling Garrett brought her mind back to the task at hand.

  Raising a hand, the beast-turned-man uttered, “I have honored your part of the bargain. Now you shall honor mine. Please lay the sword aside. I obviously have no weapon on my person.” He framed his torso with his hands as though Nia and Garrett needed help pointing out his nakedness.

  Nia lay a hand on Garrett’s when he started to lower his sword. “Before we abide your wishes, I have a question. Why do you want us dead? You know I was defending myself in the woods when I shot you. I thought you to be nothing more than a wild animal looking for supper.”

  Hands on his hips, he thrust his shoulders back and laughed. Nia nearly giggled along with him as she watched his penis bounce with each hearty chuckle. She bit her lip and fought to retain her composure.

  After his laughter subsided, he stated, “My dear, you’ve made the acquaintance of my friend Caine Roland, have you not?”

  The name calling no one to mind, Nia’s forehead pinched in confusion. She looked at Garrett. He merely shrugged his shoulders. Laughter again shook the naked man, calling their attention back to him. Nia made an effort to stare into his eyes this time.

  The cold evening breeze picked up, whisking his matted tresses across his face. His evil smile still shone through. “Perhaps you know him better as the good parson.”

  Her jaw and fists clenched simultaneously as Phineas’ face appeared in her mind.

  “Ah,” he purred, “I see flickers of recognition now. You understand my mission?”

  “You bastard,” Nia seethed through gritted teeth, “how can you work for those awful blood suckers who killed my parents for no reason?” Garrett’s hand clasped the back of her dress as she leaned forward.

  “Part of your statement is right. They did, in fact, kill your parents. Unfortunately for them, and you, there was very good reason though. Time travel would not be possible for us without the second sapphire; the sapphire your father gave to your mother. It was in this very time period that a witch cursed a set of them. It was her wish that a very special person be ushered into the future; a future she saw would need him to keep shifters and vampires alike from perishing. She entrusted a family with the second stone. It was to be handed down to each generation with specific instructions. Your father was under strict orders to keep it safe for them.” The naked shifter walked to the tree, leaning against the rough bark. He showed no signs of the cold wind bothering him in the slightest. He released a casual huff, inspected the fingernails of one hand, and continued, “You do realize your father worked for us, right?”

  Nia lunged toward him breaking free from Garrett’s hold on her dress. He grabbed her arm before she could do more than take a step. “Now you’re lying.”

  “My dear,” he cooed, “what possible motive would I have?” His hands splayed from his sides, he looked at her with overstated, wide-eyed puzzlement.

  “Oh, I don’t know, to piss me off maybe?” Nia tugged against Garrett’s firm grasp.

  He leaned against the tree, crossed his arms over his bare chest, and stared up at the star filled sky. “Let me see if I can convince you.” He returned his gaze to her. “Remember when you moved into your shiny new house on Fifth Street? You were about ten years old. The pool in the back yard was a favorite pass time of yours, if I recall correctly.”

  Nia’s jaw dropped at his accurate descriptions. She relaxed against Garrett’s grasp, leaning against him for support instead.

  Turning his body toward her, wolf-man smiled again. “I must be close. How do you think Daddy Dearest paid for that house on his meager wages at the lab? Who do you think funded all of his experiments, in turn winning him all of those awards?” His hands drifted through the air with his questions. “Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. He was very hesitant at first—down right set against it, if you must know. I believe your father’s turning point was when Caine explained—in very precise, vivid detail, I might add—how the deaths of his family members would play out.”

  Nia tugged against Garrett’s grip again. “I have two things to say to you before I kill you with my bare hands. One: It’s obvious my father was given little choice in working for the likes of a slobbery, ill-tempered mutt such as yourself.” She purposefully paused to watch the familiar blue eyes narrow, his hackled form slump toward her. “Two: I am not your sweetheart.”

  She yanked her arm free and lunged toward the monster standing before her. He in turn lowered his head, hands at the ready, and charged forward. They met in a heated clash of fists, elbows, and feet. She fought with a flourish of kicks and punches; he blocked them all. His smile grew bigger with each one. Finally getting sloppy due to his growing cocky attitude, Nia was able to slam the butt of her hand up into his nose. The resulting crunch of bones brought a flutter of joy to her gut along with a burst of adrenaline to her waning soul. Her elation was fleeting as his eyes blazed red, while grabbing her upper arms in his hands. Claws formed where fingernails had just been, sinking into her skin, bringing rings of blood to the surface around each one. Flailing her legs, she was able to make contact with his exposed man parts, but this only angered him further. He slammed her to the ground, pinning her flat underneath his shifting form. Dark hair sprouted from every follicle on his convulsing, twitching body. Nia’s heart pounded in her throat. She struggled against his astonishing strength and weight. Rearing his head back, he released a resounding howl before his elongated mouth flew open wide, bearing his razor-sharp fangs.

  Nia swallowed back her fear as his head plunged toward her. The resonating ping and swoosh of what she hoped to be Garrett’s sword helped her call upon her strength. She yanked an arm free and slammed her palm onto the monster’s forehead, shoving it back to buy her a few precious seconds. In sync with one another, Garrett’s blood covered blade jutted between the necks of Nia and the monster. Thrusting upward, it rained down a warm red shower upon her. The vicious wolf’s painful howl lasted a mere second before the blade silenced him, slicing through flesh, crushing bone. His eyes turned from raging evil to compassion filled peace just before he was completely decapitated. Nia thrust his headless carcass off of her and rolled over into a sitting position to wipe her face clean with the hem of her dress.

  Garrett dropped to his knees next to her, throwing the bloody sword to the ground as though it might contaminate him. His hands framed her face, using his thumbs to clear her cheeks. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”

  “By the look of the sword, I’d say you had your hands full. I’m alive and you’re alive. It’s all good.” Nia forced a smile to her face though really felt like doing anything but.

  As he rose to stand, Garrett extended his hand to her. “Yeah, I was a little busy taking out his backup posse hiding in the tree line.”

  She shook her head in disbelief as she rose to stand next to him. “I guess I was in my own little world. I’d normally have scoped out the surroundings better to know there was a bigger threat.”

  He nodded toward the trees where a few lifeless legs and arms protruded. “I doubt they’ll be any more of a threat than our friend here.”

  Without any spoken words, she followed him to the lake. After kicking off their shoes, they submerged themselves fully clothed into the warm water. Nia ducked her head under, frantically scrubbing her hair, popping up only to gasp for air before plunging back into the inky water again and again. The gooey blood from the vile creature clung
to each strand. She became desperate to be rid of it.

  Garrett caught her face in his hands when she surfaced. “Let me help.” His sweet words were a mere whisper resonating in her heart.

  Allowing her head to lay against his chest, she let go of her aggression and lost herself in the feel of his fingers in her hair. The light massaging, combing motions soothed her and soon she found herself void of all emotion.

  Wet, spent and shivering, Garrett led her back to the fire just outside of the barn and moved the wool blankets to the ground next to it. He lifted Nia’s arms into the air and slid his hands down them to her waist where he bunched her dress up in his hands, pulling it over her head. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he removed her cloak from where she’d hung it and draped it over her shoulders, wrapping it around her body.

  Warmth permeated her skin again as she sat on the blanket, watching Garrett shed his wet clothing. His tanned skin glinted in the firelight, the telltale shadows accentuating his muscular physique. After he hung his clothes over the railing and tossed his cape over his shoulders, he joined her by the fire. He pulled another blanket over them and wrapped her into his arms. Nia watched the dancing flames, trying desperately to shove the awful memories of the night from her mind. Within seconds, sleep claimed her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Garrett wrapped Nia’s shivering form against him under his cloak as they walked. Snow fell during the night, with huge, fluffy flakes still falling as they made their way through the thick forest. The fresh white blanket had been a blessing, covering the gruesome remains of the evening’s events. Though in traveling, it was a hindrance. At least they’d been able to combine both saddlebags into one, which he had slung over his other shoulder.

  Sparks of pain shot through his side on occasion, reminding him that he wasn’t healed yet. Garrett winced, pushing his palm against his wound.

  Nia stopped in her tracks and lifted his shirt. The fresh crimson stain glowed against the off-white binding material. “We need to find somewhere for you to rest a while,” she insisted, her voice soft and caring. Snow dappled her strawberry blonde tresses and clung to her eyelashes, the cold wind rouging her cheeks and nose. She looked beautiful…and cold.

  Pulling her hand away from the wound, he shook his head. “No, it’s not that bad. We’re running out of time. We have to get back to the church and find the sapphire.”

  Nia’s face lost its caring, intent look and went blank. She looked down at her feet, pushing snow around in a figure eight with the toe of one shoe. Huffing out a breath, the cloud of moisture drifted away on the breeze. “Let’s face facts.” She looked back into his eyes. “Our odds of finding the stone aren’t good. Now that Phineas, or whatever the hell his name really is…”

  Catching her hands in his, he rubbed them together hoping the friction would take the harsh red from her fingers. “Any expletive you’d like to use for his name is fine.”

  “Okay, well then, now that the son of a bitch, ass-hat, good for nothing, waste of skin can’t portray the parson, he could be impersonating anyone by now.”

  “Phineas…Phineas is easier for me to remember,” he chided, hoping to bring a reprieve to her tanking mood.

  Throwing her hands out wide, fluffy snowflakes gathered in her palms. Vehemently she shook her head and exclaimed, “I’m serious! We’re standing in Medieval England with very little chance of ever getting back to a semi-civilized time!”

  Anger welled in Garrett’s gut. He swallowed it back, opening his mouth to speak words of encouragement.

  Nia didn’t give him a chance.

  Poking a finger in his chest with each syllable, she growled, “I want my bed.”

  Watching his good deed being trampled on shoved his anger to the surface. Testosterone kicked in. He poked a finger back at her and spat, “Forgive me, your highness, for trying to divert your mind from what our near future may hold. I won’t let it happen again.” He bit his tongue to avoid blurting out words he might regret, turning around to storm ahead of her. Unfortunately, his mouth overrode his brain, and he flung himself back to face her. “We might be stuck here for the rest of our lives. We may have to fend for ourselves in this God forsaken forest and live off of the land. Worst of all, we may be killed by Phineas and his thugs before we even leave this clearing!” He balled his fists at his sides, drawing a deep breath in an attempt to reign in his blood pressure.

  Nia merely stood there; her face flickered with emotion for a brief moment before pride tilted her chin.

  A cold wind pelted them with heavy, wet snow, which should’ve cooled Garrett off. It didn’t. With every intention of shaking sense into her, he grabbed Nia by the shoulders, his fingers pushing so deeply into her flesh he felt bone. He watched her face contort in pain. Brushing away her cloak, he saw the bruised puncture wounds from the previous night’s battle on her arms. Guilt consumed him as he pulled her into his embrace.

  His lips crushed hers in a hard kiss, easing once Nia responded, opening her mouth to him. Their tongues danced, mixed and mingled, passion sweeping away the anger between them. Garrett maneuvered her backward toward a mighty oak tree, hoisting her off the ground. Her legs instinctively wrapped around him as her back met the rough bark; she reached between them and freed him from his pants. He pushed her panties to the side and entered her in one harsh, swift, animalistic thrust. Each time he plunged into her he released an icy breath. Nia’s fingernails dug across his back and balled the shoulders of his cape into her fists, clinging to his form, grinding her hips against him to meet nearly every movement of his. The pace was frantic, the need was urgent, and release came quickly for them both.

  Nia dropped her head back against the tree. “This won’t work every time you want to win an argument or shut me up.”

  “I’m willing to test that theory.” Garrett pulled her away from the tree, letting her slide down the front of his body. The sensation of her breasts gliding over his chest made him swell again. Tempted to push her back where she was and take her one more time, his damned agent brain kicked in with common sense instead. “We need to see if we can make it to the church before we run out of daylight. Phineas was working out of there. He’ll at least have gone back to get the sapphire and anything else important he’d stashed.”

  Nia’s blank stare puzzled him until she spoke, her words lifeless, monotone. “I love it when you talk shop right after sex. Take me again.”

  He slid his hand down her arm, grabbing her fingers within his, tugging her along behind him. “We’re wasting daylight, woman.”

  “Oh, gee, another of my aphrodisiacs,” she huffed while jogging to keep up with his large steps. “Call me that again,” she paused only to punch him, surprisingly hard, in the arm, “and I’ll kick your ass a second time.”

  Garrett released cloud of breath, pulling her along at a quickened pace. “One more time for those in the cheap seats: no one’s ass was kicked. Besides, I have now received a key to the golden gate and would much rather have my way with you than fight.”

  Nia giggled, sputtering, “The golden gate?”

  Coming to a sudden stop, he turned around and waggled a brow. “The carpet does indeed match the drapes, my dear.” He coiled a long lock of her hair around his fingers and pulled it between them. “Golden.”

  As she leaned in, Nia rubbed her breast against his abs, purring, “Remember, you must get past the gate keeper before you can use that key.” She backed up, patting her thighs before turning around to take the lead.

  They walked hand in hand most of the way unless it was necessary to fit between close trees or hop small streams. Each time the bond of their hands broke, Garrett found he anticipated the return of her cold fingers within his, regardless of the numbing chill. He mentally chided himself for acting like a girl and stopped reaching for her after a while. He was pleasantly surprised when she slipped her hand into his instead.

  “What’s the smile for?” Nia asked, tugging him to a stop. Her feet crunched i
n the deep snow as she jumped in front of him. Her nose and chin were now bright red. Her hood framed her face keeping any hair tucked from view. He fought the urge to push the material away.

  Garrett forced away the undoubtedly dorky grin “What?”

  “This.” Nia morphed her features into a cross-eyed version of his, complete with overstretched, toothy smile.

  Tossing his hands between them in an attempt to block her mockery, Garrett gushed, “That’s all kinds of wrong.” Male pride coursed through his veins as he lied, “I was merely picturing you propped against that tree with your legs wrapped around me. You know, yelling my name and screaming for God’s help for…” He waved a hand through the thick veil of falling snow, watching her brow arch before finishing, “Well, only He knows, I suppose.”

  Nia’s smile turned genuine. “So, I’m vocal. Are you saying you don’t like that?”

  Tugging her into his embrace, he purred, “On the contrary. Knowing I’m doing the right things is a huge turn on.” He leaned down, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth before claiming her mouth with his.

  She laced her arms around his neck and broke the bond of their kiss. “That tree behind you looks very sturdy.”

  “If I’ve remembered my landmarks correctly, we should be coming on the church right over the hill.” He gestured off in the distance to more of a mountain than a hill. “I can drape you over a pew and have my way with you there, that way you can be closer to The Big Guy and maybe get an answer from Him this time.”

  Nia’s eyes widened. “I was evidently raised a little better than you. I can’t have sex in the sanctuary of a church.” She shook her head and backed away from him, a look on her face as though he’d just caught fire. Turning away, she walked off toward the hill.

  Garrett called out after her, “We’ll see about that.”

  “Yup,” she nonchalantly replied when he caught up to her. “We’ll see you not getting past the gate keeper.”