by Grant, Donna
“Hello, John,” Mina said with a smile. She turned her gaze to Hugh. “He’s wonderful with horses, though he cannot speak.” Hugh smiled at the lad and handed him the reins. He leaned down close to the boy. “Watch the roan,” he warned of Val’s horse. “He’s got a nasty bite if you aren’t looking.”
The lad gave him a bright smile and pointed to his bay. “Oh, this one is as gentle as a lamb. As long as you give him a good rub and extra oats,” he said with a wink.
After John had departed with the horses, Hugh straightened and found Mina staring at him oddly. “Is something amiss?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Most people avoid talking to him.”
“I’m not most people,” he replied. “Now, let us meet your brother.” The hall was quiet and nearly deserted except for the two wolfhounds that slept by the hearth. Mina led Hugh and his men to a table and bade them sit while she found a servant.
Hugh took the seat that faced the stairs in which Bernard would descend, for he had no doubt the young baron would be down shortly, once he was informed of their arrival.
When he should have been watching the stairs he found himself studying Mina.
He smiled when he saw her pull her loose strawberry-blonde hair away from her face to fall in a thick, long braid down her back. Her face was smudged with dirt, but hidden beneath the mud were bright blue-green eyes that took in all around her.
She walked with the grace of a lady and the dignity of a queen, despite her manly attire. It was then he noticed the blood on her arm.
He reached out and grabbed her good arm as she walked past him. “You should have told us you were injured.”
“’Tisn’t much. I will tend to it when I reach my chamber.” He ignored her words and called over his shoulder. “Gabriel, your healing skills are needed.”
Gabriel moved away from the hearth and hurried to the table. He turned Mina’s arm this way and that as he examined it. “It’s deep. I’m going to need a bowl of water and a towel to wash away the blood.”
It only took one look from Hugh to get the servant who had brought the drinks to gather the materials Gabriel had requested.
Hugh looked up to find Mina’s face ashen. He rose and pushed her into his chair.
Gabriel took the seat next to her and pulled out the black packet hidden in his tunic.
Hugh never tired of watching Gabriel sift through the unlabeled herbs and grab a pinch of one or a leaf of another.
This time, Gabriel gathered three herbs and began to crush them. Once that was done, he placed two more in a goblet of water. Then, he turned and reached for the towel the servant had brought and wet it. Gabriel’s big, war scarred hands were gentle as they washed away the blood to reveal a three inch long gash on Mina’s forearm.
Hugh noticed the rest of his men had come to watch Gabriel work. He placed his hands on Mina’s shoulders to keep her still so Gabriel could tend to the wound properly.
Hugh readied himself for her to jump when Gabriel began to pack the mixture of herbs into her wound, but she only twitched slightly.
Every once in awhile, Hugh would hear a sharp intake of breath, but she never cried out. Once Gabriel had wrapped the wound tightly, he grabbed the herbs mixed in the water goblet and handed it to her to drink.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It will help with the pain,” Gabriel told her while he rolled up his packet.
She sat the goblet on the table. “Pain lets me know I am still alive.” Hugh wasn’t surprised to find all five of his men raising eyebrows at her words.
At one time or another, all of them had said the same thing.
“It will also help to heal the wound,” Gabriel added after a brief pause.
With his words, she reached for the goblet and drained it. She placed it on the table and rose on shaky legs. “I thank you for tending me,” she told him. “I will see to your drinks now.”
“They’ve already been brought,” Hugh told her as he motioned to the table.
“Rest,” he said and took the chair on her other side.
No sooner had he reached for his goblet of ale than Bernard sauntered into the hall. Hugh felt Mina tense beside him as he rose to his feet.
“Mina,” Bernard bellowed and staggered against a table, knocking over a chair.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hugh saw Mina rise and walk toward her brother.
Bernard held out a goblet to her and waited. Hugh watched, fascinated, as they stared at each other before Mina finally filled the goblet.
“Have you taken to whoring?” Bernard asked after draining half of the drink.
“Nay, brother,” Mina replied stiffly. “These men brought me safely home, but then you would know that if you weren’t full of ale.”
“I see you are still alive,” Bernard said as he looked her over, his lip raised in a sneer. “Your plan didn’t work.”
It wasn’t a question. Just for a moment, Hugh saw Mina’s eyes flare with anger.
She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. “You ordered the men to return.”
Bernard laughed. “Of course I did, you silly girl. No one believed your plan would work.”
Hugh had had enough. “Her plan might, in fact, have worked had you given it a chance.”
The inebriated lord of Stone Crest turned toward him then. “You know nothing of what I speak of.”
“But indeed I do,” Hugh said and walked around the table toward him. “We came upon the creature after it had unhorsed your sister and was about to make a meal of her.” Bernard waved away his explanation. “She always gets away from the beast.
Tonight was her night to die.”
Hugh hid his surprise, but Mina’s gasp was heard loudly through the great hall.
Just what type of family had they stumbled upon?
“Why?” Mina asked.
“Why,” Bernard yelled as he rounded on her. “’Twas you who drudged up the demon. ‘Twas you it was after when it took our parents. You have been nothing but trouble since the moment you were born.”
A shuffle behind Hugh told him his men had just about reached their limit. When he turned his gaze to Mina, he was surprised to find her hands fisted by her side, as if she thought about attacking her brother.
Hugh decided to take matters into his own hands. He grabbed Bernard by the neck and dragged him outside. Even though the baron kicked and screamed, no one came to stop Hugh. He continued through the bailey until he came upon the water trough and dunked Bernard’s head.
After counting to three he pulled him free of the water. Curses toward Mina burst from Bernard’s mouth, and Hugh dunked him again.
“Do you plan to drown him?” Val asked as he came to stand beside Hugh, his arms crossed over his chest.
“If need be.” He allowed Bernard another breath of air before dunking him again.
“We need all the men we can find,” Roderick stated.
Hugh sighed. He knew they were right. He released Bernard and let him fall to the earth coughing and gasping for air.
“Who are you?” the baron finally asked.
Hugh reached down for him and almost smiled when Bernard flinched. He didn’t answer until they were once again inside the hall.
When Bernard went to grab for a goblet, Hugh caught his hand. “’Tis the ale that has addled your brains. The world will be much clearer without the blur of it.” For a moment he thought, and hoped, Bernard would fight him, but in the end the baron withdrew his hand. Hugh sighed and returned to his seat.
“My name is Hugh.” After he introduced his men he said, “My men and I are called The Shields. We have come to kill the demon that troubles your village.” Bernard laughed. “We have tried for a month to kill that creature. What makes you so confident?”
“’Tis what we do,” Hugh stated.
The baron’s eyes grew round for a moment then he leaned back in his chair.
&nbs
p; “Who exactly are you?”
“Knights. Of a sort.”
Bernard harrumphed and wiped his wet hair out of his face. “You’re not like any knights I have seen.”
“We’re knights,” Hugh repeated.
The baron’s blue eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward. “How did you know about the creature?”
“Word travels fast these days.”
“And there are many of these creatures?”
“More than you could possibly imagine.”
“Then hasten and be done with it,” Bernard said with a wave of his hand as he leaned back in his chair. “I grow weary of its existence.” When Bernard would have risen and walked away Hugh stopped him. “Why do you blame Mina?”
“It wasn’t until she went exploring in the forest and the old ruins of an ancient Druid temple that the creature appeared,” Bernard explained through clenched teeth. “As usual, she was somewhere she had no business.” Hugh didn’t stop Bernard this time as he walked away. He and his men sat in silence for a moment until Darrick said, “I think there is more to this story than we’ve been told.”
“There is always more,” Val said cynically.
But he had a right to be cynical, Hugh thought. Val came from the time of the Romans. He was a fierce fighter that mastered any weapon placed in his hand, and he was invaluable to their group.
Talk halted as Mina came towards them. “I will show you to your chambers,” she said without looking at them.
They rose to their feet and followed her up the stairs. She stopped at the first chamber. “I apologize, but there are only three chambers available.”
“’Twill be just fine,” Darrick said. “We’re used to sleeping outside, so this will be a treat.”
Hugh watched as she gave Darrick a small smile. Val and Gabriel took the first chamber, and Roderick and Darrick the second. When they came to the third Cole went in ahead of Hugh.
Hugh waited for Mina to turn towards him. Before he could say anything she said, “I also want to apologize to you and your men for having to witness what happened between me and my brother.”
“There is nothing to apologize for.”
There was a sound behind him and when he turned to see who—or what—it was, he only found the darkened hallway. When he turned back, Mina was gone. He shook his head and entered the chamber.
“What do you think?” Cole asked him as the others walked into the chamber behind Hugh.
“I was hoping to find out more tonight, but it looks as if we must wait until morning.”
Val leaned against the closed door with his arms crossed over his chest. “I pray the sister is friendlier than the brother.”
“I have a feeling she is not,” Cole said and leaned back on the bed. “Still, you won’t find me complaining about sleeping in a soft bed.”
“That’s the truth,” Darrick grinned. “And speaking of, I’m headed to my soft bed.”
Hugh waited until the men had left the chamber before he let his mind wander over what had occurred that night. They hadn’t expected to come upon their quarry quite so suddenly.
Their orders had been brief and exact. Hunt down and slaughter the creature terrorizing Stone Crest.
“Your mind is going to explode with those deep thoughts,” Cole said.
Hugh turned to the bed. “Go to sleep.”
“Why?” Cole asked and sat up. “And leave you to your dark thoughts?”
“I’m just reviewing what we learned tonight.”
“We learned nothing.”
Hugh looked at his companion. Cole was an immortal found wandering between realms as a child. His world had been destroyed and he had been taken in and trained in weapons and fighting by the Fae.
“How old are you, Cole?”
Just a slight narrowing of Cole’s blue eyes let on that the question had surprised him. “Three hundred and twenty-one. Why?”
“How long have we been fighting for the Fae?”
“Seems like forever sometimes. What are you getting at?” Hugh leaned forward and raked his hands down his face. “With every beast we kill, two more take its place. They are coming faster and deadlier every time.”
“Aye, ‘tis the truth,” he said and scooted to the foot of the bed. “Do you know something we don’t?”
“Nothing.” Hugh signed heavily. “I know nothing more than you.”
“Ask
Aimery.”
Hugh chuckled at the thought of asking the commander of the Fae army. “I’d rather not have my thoughts in a jumble, thank you very much.”
“Aye, he does manage to do that to all of us.”
“I’m glad I’m not alone in that.”
A moment of silence ticked by before Cole asked, “How much time do we have?” Hugh let out a pent up sigh. “Not nearly enough.”
Chapter Three
Mina stared down at her bandaged right arm. She had slept like the dead last night and woke feeling refreshed for the first time in months. Even her arm didn’t ache.
It was the truth she had been relieved when Gabriel had seen to her injury. She knew nothing of treating wounds and had been afraid she wouldn’t tend to it correctly, and it would become infected. It was a downfall of hers to refuse help from others, but it had also helped her to realize she could do things herself.
Thoughts of the new guests had her contemplating what she had heard last night.
Hugh and his men found and hunted creatures like the one that terrorized Stone Crest. It explained their odd dress and weapons for sure, but she couldn’t imagine there to be other creatures. If she were the type of woman to be frightened, that bit of news would have her hiding in her chamber.
She pushed aside the covers and swung her legs over the bed. In her quiet, dull life, her days had never changed until the creature came. She had a feeling these men could rid them of the creature, and, if she was lucky, she might have an adventure or two before her life went back to the usual monotony.
With the morning sun peaking through her window, she combed her hair as best she could with her injured arm and said a prayer that Bernard and Theresa stayed away from her. It would be a test of pure strength of will if she could keep her temper under control and her mouth closed until Hugh and his men departed Stone Crest.
Dressing was extremely difficult. She threw the gown aside and reached for another, one that she might manage on her own. It was while she was buttoning the gown that Theresa walked into her chamber without knocking.
It was the norm, but today it irritated Mina more than usual. She bit her tongue and refused to look at her sister as she continued fastening the gown.
Theresa’s tongue could flay a person alive. Mina had a sneaking suspicion she had come to rile her this morning before they went down to the great hall. But Mina wasn’t a fool. She could control her temper when need be.
Her sister laughed as she walked around Mina. “Are we dressing to impress our guests, because there is nothing that you could put on that would make you look any better. You are ugly, Mina. You’ve only to look in the mirror for confirmation.” Mina didn’t even bother to raise her eyes to her sister. Theresa’s words used to cut deep, but they had become so constant that Mina rarely paid attention to them anymore. She used to gaze upon Theresa’s light blonde hair, blue eyes, and angelic features with admiration, but, despite Theresa’s beauty, her attitude made her hideous in Mina’s eyes.
“I know what I am,” Mina said evenly. “I am simply getting dressed.”
“Ah, but you are wearing one of your nicer gowns.”
Mina’s gaze rose to her sister’s this time. In an instant, she knew today would be worse than what Bernard had done last eve. By the time the sun set on this day, Mina knew Theresa would embarrass her royally if she wasn’t careful.
After a moment, she said, “I don’t want to humiliate you or Bernard by wearing my man’s attire.”
“Your presence embar
rasses us,” Theresa spat, her red lips pursed tightly. “Do us all a favor and stay in your chamber.”
Mina didn’t let out her breath until the door had closed behind Theresa. The urge to slap her still raced through Mina. It was going to take some doing to calm down, and she knew Theresa had planned it all very carefully. Mina had hoped to reach the hall before her sister met their guests, but she had been too slow. Now there was no reason to go down unless she could control herself around Theresa.
Mina sank slowly to the bed, her thoughts of adventure flying out the window like her hopes of a happy life. A tapping at her door brought her to her feet. No one begged entrance into her chamber, so it was more curiosity than anything that made her open the door.
