“Let me look at your foot.” Lura knelt in front of her and pulled up the hem of her gown. A frown turned down the corners of her mouth as her fingers gently probed.
Nicoletta managed not to cry out, though it was hard. Lura’s touch was soft, and yet pain radiated up her leg as she pressed feather soft against her flesh. The pain was almost welcome as it took her mind off the impending moment of their final separation.
“I don’t think you broke any bones, but you twisted it badly enough that it’s going to hurt a great deal. You need to have it iced and up.”
“Iced?” She had never heard of such a thing.
“Yes.” Lura smiled again, all traces of a frown gone. “Trust me, ice is the key to getting it to feel better quickly.”
“We have no ice.” She looked around. Snow was on the ground, though the storm itself had passed. She did not know how close they were to a lake or a stream that might have frozen enough to chip away a chunk of ice. The season was growing deep and ice would be forming.
“Yeah, I see that. Do you think you can ride a little longer? I hate the idea of your leg hanging down. It’s going to make the swelling worse, but we’ve got to find some kind of shelter, and then I can get your leg up.”
Nicoletta nodded. Of course she could ride. “I will be fine now.” She believed it too, until she stood and her leg gave way. Lura was there to catch her with strong arms that wrapped around her body. Tears welled in her eyes again from both pain and pleasure. She loved the feel of this woman’s body so close to hers.
“Come on,” Lura said against her ear. “I’ll help you up. The sooner we find shelter, the better.”
Though her horse’s gait was as smooth as could be, given the forest floor, the jarring of each step roared through her body. Sweat popped out on her forehead, even in the coolness of the day. She wanted nothing more than to get off the horse and lie down. It did not matter if she got cold or wet. Anything to stop the burning pain.
Finally, Lura brought the horses to a stop. Her gaze was fixed on a hillside. Nicoletta saw nothing but trees and mountains, not that she looked closely. It took everything she possessed just to stay upright on her horse.
“Come,” Lura said as she took the reins away from Nicoletta. “I see somewhere we can stop.”
Lura’s vision was much keener than hers, for just as she said, there was an outcropping of rocks that provided shelter. Beneath the stone, the ground was cold but clear of snow. Nicoletta gratefully sank to the hard earth. The lack of motion was a gift from God.
With her back against the hard stone, she closed her eyes, listening as Lura tied up the horses. She moved without stopping, and if Nicoletta were not so tired, she would have looked to see what she was about. She did not, though, and was surprised when Lura took hold of her foot and set it upon one of the horse’s blankets folded over many times.
“What is this?”
“Trust me, it’ll help. Now I just have to figure out how to ice it.”
The ice again. A doctor from the future, she certainly had strange ideas. Ice…
Nicoletta screamed and jumped when something bitter cold was laid against her ankle. For how long, she did not know, she had fallen asleep and only awoke to the frigid touch. Lura knelt in front of her again, holding a cloth packed with snow.
Nicoletta started to pull her leg away, but Lura stopped her with a hand on her foot. “It’s going to help, I promise.”
She stared into Lura’s deep, expressive eyes and saw honesty. Whatever else might happen here, this woman would never hurt her. Ice was an odd thing to do, but in her heart, she felt the truth. Lura was her one and only.
And she was going to lose her.
Chapter Twenty-three
The sound of footsteps made Riah stop. She grabbed Ivy’s hand and they slipped behind an unlocked door. Outside voices carried.
“What are they saying?” Ivy whispered into her ear.
Riah was listening hard. She recognized only one voice. “It’s Dracula. He’s telling someone to keep us locked up until he returns.”
“Returns from where?”
Riah shook her head. “Trying to get that, but he’s talking so fast, I can’t quite catch everything. This dialect is hard for me to understand. Everything’s so different than what we hear in modern times.”
Another man was also speaking, and that made it even more difficult for her to understand. As they drew close to the door they huddled behind, she shoved Ivy even farther into the empty room.
The men continued to talk as they tromped by, their boots heavy and loud on the stone floor. As their footsteps faded, Riah let out a breath. Tough as she generally was, she was still nervous to have him so close.
“They’re heading into battle, from the sounds of things. But if memory serves me, he’s off to conquer the rest of Wallachia again to secure his rule.”
“Doesn’t work out so well for him, does it?”
That was an understatement. The problem as she saw it wasn’t that Dracula’s enemies were going to kick his ass. It was that they were right smack in the middle of the mess. Taking him down was one thing; risking their own necks was something altogether different.
They needed to get out of here, and now. This was a disaster. In the time they’d all been together they’d been involved in some tricky situations. Her former lover turned vicious, vengeful vampire, a werewolf killing innocent hikers in a beautiful state park, and a self-involved preacher turned vampire were just a few. This, however, was a completely different beast. They were in a whole lot of trouble.
Not only were they up against a man who embraced violence at terrifying levels, but they also were in a strange land, in a time not their own, and she was the only one with even a passable grasp of the language. That wasn’t saying much either. As an old friend used to say, they were up a creek without a paddle.
They needed to get back to Snagov Island.
Silence fell outside in the corridor. Finally she decided they could risk leaving the safety of the small chamber. Riah went out first, Ivy close on her heels. She moved quickly, silently. A door at the end of the corridor would hopefully lead them outside. Maybe then she could get a sense of where they were and beat a path to the stables where their horses were being housed.
She had to find Adriana.
The door opened easily and Riah pulled Ivy through. Sunlight made her squint after being cooped up inside for hours. The cold air was like a slap in the face. The castle had seemed drafty and cool until the winter weather confronted them.
“What’s up, pussycat?”
Riah screamed, then clamped a hand over her mouth. Behind her, Adriana chuckled softly. “You’re so easy.”
Whirling around, she dropped the hand from her mouth and grabbed Adriana. Pulling her close, she hugged her tight. “You’re here? How are you here? Why are you here? I’m so relieved to see you.”
“Luck of the Irish.”
An uncharacteristic giggle rose in her throat. “You’re not Irish.”
“Details, my lovely doctor. Details. Actually it was dumb luck. We were skulking about trying to find you guys while not attracting too much attention.”
“Yeah, and all of sudden we see a couple of gorgeous women pop their pretty little heads out a door. There you two were, as if we’d ordered you up. Prime example of right place, right time,” Colin said.
Riah turned her head to see him hugging Ivy as close as she was holding Adriana.
“You know,” Adriana said loud enough for Colin and Ivy to hear. “The more I think about it, it probably was my wizardly powers that took us to the right door. I mean, really, with all the ins and outs of this place, what are the odds we’d be right here when you two creep out like a couple of burglars? Yeah, it was definitely me and my mad skills.”
“I’m not going to touch that one, I’ll just give it to you. That said, we have to get out of here.” Riah didn’t even try to tamp down the panic in her voice. Maybe it was Adriana’s growing
powers or maybe it was just plain luck. Truthfully, it didn’t make a damn bit of difference. All that did was the sheer miracle that the four of them were reunited.
“Ahead of you there, girlfriend. We’ve got the horses waiting not far from here.”
That was a welcome piece of news, though she was still astounded by the fact that they were even here. They’d left them fully in servant character with some of Dracula’s people. They wouldn’t have been allowed to simply walk out. “But how did were you able to slip away? Didn’t the guards notice?”
“Ah, baby, you think a few puny guards are gonna be able to stop me and my boy here when we’re on a mission to save our women? I thought you knew us better than that.”
She kissed Adriana. “Now, why ever would I think that? Maybe because your boy is wounded and those guys were twice your size?”
“Such little faith you have in us. Girlfriend, we kicked their asses, didn’t we, hunter boy?”
Colin nodded, his arm still firmly around Ivy’s shoulders. “Absolutely. I might be wounded, but when it comes to rescuing my woman, I’m a man of steel. Now come on, ladies. The sooner we get out of here the better. I don’t care what they say about Dracula in the history books; the real thing isn’t the kind of guy I’d invite over for a beer. I know you keep saying he’s just a regular human, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. Something about him is very preternatural, and not in a way that bodes well for anyone. I’d like to put some serious distance between him and us.”
Colin was right. They shouldn’t stand here talking, let alone embracing. Given the roles they were playing, the whole thing would be blown to kingdom come if someone discovered them hugging and kissing their servants. And he wasn’t wrong about Dracula either. He gave her the creeps too, and that was saying a lot, given everything she’d seen during her time on earth.
“A really good idea, Colin. Come on, you heard what the man said. Let’s get moving.”
Colin took the lead and, keeping a low profile—not a small feat for him—got them to the grove of trees where the horses waited. As they did when they first entered the city, Ivy and Riah rode astride the horses while Colin and Adriana walked beside with heads down and eyes properly cast to the ground. Once they were off the main road and surrounded by thick trees, Colin and Adriana joined them on horseback. They made much better time as soon as all four of them were mounted.
Though she would have preferred to take the horses at a run and get back to Snagov Island more quickly, given Colin’s injury, it wasn’t a good idea. Instead, as they trotted along at an easy, steady pace, Riah filled them in on what had happened during their audience with Vlad Dracula. She didn’t pull any punches, not that she ever did with her fellow hunters.
Adriana shivered as Riah finished her story, and Riah asked her, “Are you cold?”
“A little, but really, it’s more thinking about what he could have done to you both. Seriously, Riah, the guy’s a psycho, and we’re lucky he just decided to toss you in his morbid jail. I’d have died if I’d have seen your body on one of those god-awful stakes.”
She too shivered, thinking of the bodies in various stages of decomposition currently suspended from sharp-pointed stakes. People in the world she came from wouldn’t even be able to fathom it. She hoped they never had to. But, for Dracula, it was just another day. He didn’t come by the name Vlad the Impaler by chance. He’d earned it.
“Can’t say I’d have liked that option any better myself. I’ve always had to look behind me, worried about who might put a wooden stake in my heart or lop off my head. But this is the first time I’ve ever worried about a wooden stake going somewhere else in my body. Honestly though, I’m not sure why he decided to spare us. He’s got some kind of agenda. You can see it in his face. The wheels are turning in that man’s head. I just have no idea what his secret plan is or why he didn’t kill us.”
“Shhh,” Colin suddenly hissed. His hand up, he motioned for them to stop. Riah immediately reined in her horse.
The sound of pounding hooves cut through the air. The Prince and his men? It was more than possible, except she’d have expected them to be ahead of them, not coming up from the rear. Their approach was most decidedly from behind them.
A flash of color crashed by on the road. Horses and riders raced along again and again. From their hiding place inside the thick trees, they couldn’t see exactly who it was, but she had a pretty good idea, and it wasn’t the Prince. All she could think of as she watched the riders gallop by was that Dracula better watch his ass. The Turks were on the move again, even without his brother.
Radu the Handsome might be out of the picture, but others just as dangerous were on the road this day and out for his head…literally.
*
What Lura wouldn’t give for an ice pack and a couple of hydrocodones right now. Nicoletta’s sprain was severe, and if she had her at home, she’d be in a comfortable chair, her foot up on a couple of pillows with an ice pack on the ankle. Toss a hydrocodone down her along with a cup of nice tea, and she’d have Nicoletta healed up in no time.
Instead, they were in the midst of a forest in the Middle Ages with irrational royals and eager soldiers racing around the primitive roads looking for anyone who might offer resistance. In other words, they were in crazyland…and that wasn’t a term used by people in her profession. It was, however, the only one that fit the bill right now.
The best she could do for Nicoletta at the moment was rip off a section of her dress at the hemline, fill it with snow, and wrap the icy cold, wet cloth around her swollen ankle. The horse’s blanket became a makeshift pillow, and that allowed her to get the foot elevated. It wasn’t great. It was certainly better than nothing.
Before she’d tended to Nicoletta, she’d tied the horses to a couple of trees ten or so feet away. She wished she could do something for them as well, except she had no grain to give them, and the snow had covered any grass that might still be edible. All she could do before she sank down next to Nicoletta was heartily pat them both.
Leaning back against the rock face she asked Nicoletta, “Feel any better?” She was pleased to see some color had returned to her cheeks and the lines of pain eased.
“A bit better. The sickness seems to have passed.”
“Your leg?”
She wiggled her foot a little and then gasped. “Like a blacksmith is using his poker on it.”
That’s what she was afraid of. Even though she’d tried to cut their time on horseback as short as possible, it had still taken longer than she’d hoped to find a spot that could provide them at least a little shelter. By the time she did, the swelling in Nicoletta’s foot and ankle had blossomed.
“We’ll need to stay here for a bit. Let your foot rest.”
“It will be too dangerous. The Prince will send his men to find us once he discovers we have left the castle.” Fear wavered in Nicoletta’s words.
True. Danger was so near she could almost taste it. Didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to let Nicoletta get back on that horse until at least some of the swelling went down. They had some measure of cover here, and the snow, thank goodness, had stopped. For at least a little while they could rest, dry and safe. It worked for her, and whether or not Nicoletta liked it, it was going to work for her too. The rocks weren’t going anywhere, so they could wait.
“We’ll be all right. You need to have this leg up for a bit before we go any farther.”
Nicoletta leaned into Lura at the same time she gazed down at her wrapped foot propped up on the blanket. A tiny smile graced her lips. “It does feel better.”
Lura kissed the side of her head as she put her arms around her to pull her close. “Of course it does. You just have to trust me. I’m a doctor, after all.”
Nicoletta shook her head slowly. “A healer. When we were told you were coming, I did not think you would be so much as you are. I expected someone wonderful, and you are far more than I ever dreamed.”
“I’m nobody spe
cial.” Wasn’t that the truth! She was a healer of sorts, for the mind, not the body. She couldn’t banish illness and injury to make a person whole like Vic had done. She didn’t give of her own time and resources to go to places where care didn’t exist. No, she’d hidden away in her own little office pretending to be someone she wasn’t. He was the true healer and he was gone. Nicoletta was wrong; she was definitely not special.
“You do yourself dishonor,” Nicoletta said sternly. “You look too closely at your own heart and decide it is not good. We are not fit to judge ourselves, for that belongs to one much higher than we.”
Like she’d ever pass through anything even close to the beautiful gates of heaven. Pretty sure those would stay locked up tight when she showed up. Saint Peter would be foolish to give her a pass after what she’d done to Vic.
“Judging is easy when I look in the mirror.”
“It is the man you were promised to, yes?”
She had to stop and think about that for a moment. “Not exactly. In my time, we are not promised to a man, and that’s the real problem. I made the promise to him, no one else. Me, standing before God and family, promising to love, honor, and cherish. I broke that promise. He never did.”
It got quiet, with neither of them saying a word. A breeze ruffled the trees and the horses whinnied softly. For at least a little while it felt like they were the only two people in the universe and her broken promise hadn’t sent a man halfway around the world to die alone.
Only it did, and she didn’t think she’d ever be able to reconcile to it. Even if she couldn’t, she would at least own up to it. It was too late to save Vic. It wasn’t too late to honor him with honesty. With Nicoletta’s head resting on her shoulder, her arm around her tiny waist, Lura began to speak.
She told Nicoletta the story of growing up with Vic, of meeting him again in college. Explained how they rekindled their friendship and embarked on a marriage full of promise. With careful words she told of how she tried to love him and tried to be the wife he deserved. She’d wanted to be and had tried to be the proper wife to Vic and daughter to her parents.
Vermilion Justice Page 20
