A Warrior's Heart (Shields)

by Grant, Donna

  Aimery yanked his hand away and stumbled back. He knew he didn’t do it, but he also realized he couldn’t convince the growing crowd of that either.

  His entire body jerked as he heard Hugh call out to him. For a moment he almost left, but he knew to go to Hugh now would make him look guilty. And he had to prove his innocence.

  “Theron,” he called silently. “Theron, I need you now.”

  Almost instantly the Fae king stood by his side. “What is it? Did you find who killed the dragon?”

  Aimery slowly raised his gaze to his king. “I’m being told I killed it.”

  “What?” Theron asked softly. He licked his lips and looked around him. “Aimery, what is going on?”

  Aimery stepped aside and motioned to the dragon. “See for yourself.”

  Theron hesitated but an instant before he moved to the dragon and placed his hand on its forehead. His face contorted with pain, then he dropped his hand and raised his gaze to Aimery.

  “I didn’t do it,” Aimery said before Theron could speak. “I know what you saw for I saw it myself, but I tell you honestly, it wasn’t me.”

  The crowd began to grow restless and the woman who accused Aimery walked nearer. “What are you going to do King Theron? Killing a dragon is punishable by death.”

  Soon the entire crowd called for Aimery’s death. He sighed and turned to Theron. His king and the man he had called friend for centuries wouldn’t meet his eye.

  “Take me before they kill me now,” he said to Theron. “I know I didn’t do it, but I cannot prove that if I’m dead.”

  Theron glanced at him before he motioned for the soldiers to surround Aimery. Then he turned and faced the crowd. “Thank you all for aiding us in finding the killer of the white dragon. Aimery will be punished according to our law.”

  All Aimery could think about was the Shields. They would need him soon now. He could leave and go to them, but it would only make matters worse on his realm. He had no choice but to return to Caer Rhoemyr with Theron.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jayna slowly came awake, stretching beneath the blankets. She smiled and rolled over to search for Gabriel, only to find she was alone in the bed.

  She gripped the blankets to her chest and sat up as she searched the chamber. The fire popped in the hearth, but other than her breathing, there was no sound in the chamber. She was alone.

  At first she found she was disappointed to know Gabriel had left, but in the end she realized it was probably for the best. Memories of their lovemaking flooded her.

  It had been better than she remembered, more sensual, more emotional...more everything.

  He had brought her body to life with the simplest of touches, and for a man who didn’t remember her, his body had known her. He had known how to touch her, how to love her.

  Jayna sighed. It would be so easy to forget the past, forget the revenge and find a new life with the new Gabriel. But eventually he would regain his memory. Then what? Would he continue to be the man he had become? Or would he revert to the betrayer?

  It wasn’t a chance she could take. And her family needed to be avenged. She needed retribution.

  She still couldn’t believe how easy she had fallen into his arms. She had told herself it was because she needed to seduce him, but the truth was, she needed him.

  And she hated herself for it.

  She threw off the covers and jumped from the bed to hurry and dress. If she was lucky she could return to the tower and claim her dagger she had hidden there.

  As quick as she could she dressed and stuffed her feet in her shoes. Her hair would have to wait until she returned to her chamber, but she doubted she would see anyone before then.

  She inched open Gabriel’s door and peered into the hallway. When she didn’t see anyone, she slipped out of the chamber and closed the door behind her, then she raced down the hall to the stairs that would take her up to the tower.

  With her skirts in her hand, she ran up the stairs, her breath coming faster with each step until her sides ached and her lungs burned. But she didn’t stop until she reached the tower.

  They had left the door open in their haste, which allowed her time to see if anyone was inside before she walked through the threshold.

  She let out a breath of relief when she spotted her dagger on the table. There hadn’t been another place to put it and Gabriel had been too intent on her face to realize she had removed a weapon to lay in plain sight in front of him.

  Jayna rushed to the table and swiftly put the dagger up her sleeve. She sighed and turned to find Val in the doorway.

  “My lord,” she said as she tried to figure out a way around him without causing suspicion.

  “I followed you up here hoping to have a quiet word with you.”

  She had always thought Val a friendly sort, but she realized she had been wrong. She saw the steel in his pale green gaze. He was first and foremost a warrior, and she would be good to remember that.

  “About what?” she asked, amazed her voice didn’t shake.

  He glanced at the floor. “Gabriel.”

  Her curiosity was piqued now. Of all the things she expected, Gabriel wasn’t one of them. “What about him?”

  “Don’t hurt him.”

  She opened her mouth, but no sound came out she was so shocked. “Wh...what?”

  “I know he’s told you much of his life as a Shield as well as some of his past, at least what he can remember. The Shields, well, we’re a ragged group of men, but we are all the family some of us have.”

  “You care very deeply for him.”

  Val nodded. “Gabriel has saved each of us. He would gladly give up his life for any of us. All of us would like nothing more than to give him the memories he has lost.”

  “What if those memories would only make his life worse?”

  Val narrowed his pale green eyes at her. “Do you know something?”

  Jayna shrugged. She liked the Roman and knew he was only trying to help a friend. “I’m merely asking a question I wonder if any of you have considered. Sometimes it is best if we can forget the past.”

  “Yet it is the past that shapes us, my lady.”

  She smiled. “Ah, I see Gabriel told you of my confession.”

  “We all knew it to be a lie.” He walked farther into the tower until only the table separated them. “You say that it is best to sometimes forget the past. There were times I prayed that I could forget the memories that haunted me. Do you know why I stopped begging for that?”

  Jayna shook her head. The tower seemed to shrink as Val dominated the chamber.

  “I never told any of the Shields of my past. Not a single one of them knew of the nightmares that haunted me, of the pain I suffered every day. It wasn’t until Gabriel and I were in Scotland searching for Nicole, that I had no choice but to tell Gabriel my secrets.”

  “Why did you have to tell him?”

  Val chuckled, his hands behind his back. “History was about to repeat itself, you see. I had vowed to protect Nicole with my very life. The Great Evil was using my past and my sins to weaken me. And it worked.”

  “Yet you live.”

  “Only because of Gabriel. He didn’t bat an eye when I told him of my past and the sins I carried. He simply told me I couldn’t carry the weight of the dead around forever.”

  The weight of the dead. Aye, she had carried the weight of the dead for some time now. How much longer could she continue?

  “Each of us Shields came to the group with specialties. Some of us are immortal, some with great battle skills, and then there was Gabriel. A warrior who could heal all but the dead. I’ve seen him heal wounds I knew would kill. How he does it, none of us know. He doesn’t even know.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  Val sighed. “Gabriel has been alone for a very long time. I see how he looks at you. Whether you know it or not, you have the power to break him as few have.”

  Jayna swallowed and tried to lick h
er dry lips. “I am merely a traveler, my lord.”

  “You are far more than that. I ask you, on behalf of the Shields, do not trifle with Gabriel’s heart. He deserves a strong woman, and if you aren’t it, leave him be.”

  With that, he turned on his heel and left the tower. Jayna stared at the doorway long after Val had departed, yet she didn’t move. His words had touched her.

  At one time she felt just as Val did toward Gabriel. She would have given her life for him had he but asked.

  But what the Shields are doing is worthy. Even you know that despite being aligned with the Great Evil. How can you, in good conscious kill Gabriel, which would inadvertently destroy the Shields?

  In one answer, she couldn’t.

  She had seen what evil could do to a realm, and she had no desire to see another evil take over another realm. But what to do? Wait until after the Great Evil was defeated?

  He would never allow that.

  Or would he? He hadn’t contacted her once she had walked inside Stone Crest’s walls. If she stayed within she would be safe from him.

  Her heart squeezed painfully as she recalled the look in Gabriel’s eyes when he had filled her. She wiped away a tear the fell upon her cheek.

  When had things become so complicated? And how was she going to get out of this mess?

  Jayna walked to the window of the tower and looked over the land of Stone Crest covered thick with snow. The storm continued to howl keeping both man and beast inside.

  It kept the evil at bay for a moment longer.

  * * * *

  Gabriel felt the night fall around him like a blanket of darkness. He had no need to look out the windows into the storm to see that the moon had risen, he knew it just as he knew the Great Evil crept around the castle.

  None of the Shields had suspected anything when he had walked into the great hall. He had told them of Jayna’s confession of lying of being a commoner, of which none of them were surprised.

  But the rest...the rest he kept to himself.

  Now, he sat with a mug of ale in his hand staring into the fire of the hearth. Its flames danced around the popping wood, yet he didn’t see any of it.

  All he saw was the glow of Jayna’s skin as his hands moved over her, loving her, kissing her, learning her again. He could still feel the tremors of her climax.

  He closed his eyes and relived the moment he had entered her, her tight sheath surrounding him, opening for him. And her hazel eyes watching him, silently begging him to take her.

  When his cock began to grow hard, Gabriel opened his eyes and slumped lower in his chair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Val and Nicole watching him. He briefly met their gaze before looking at Roderick and Elle, Hugh and Mina, and Cole and Shannon. All of them watched him.

  “Do I have horns growing out of my skull?” he asked harshly. “Or hooves for feet?”

  Val chuckled. “Nay.”

  “Then why do you all watch me as a hawk watches a mouse?”

  Hugh was the first to speak. “Because we can see something bothers you.”

  Gabriel rose to his feet. “You want to know what bothers me? I’ll tell you. I seduced a woman because we needed information.”

  “Did you both enjoy it?” Shannon asked.

  Gabriel swung his gaze to the brunette sitting on Cole’s lap. “Aye, if it’s any of your concern.”

  She smiled. “What are you more angry with, Gabriel? The fact that we asked you to seduce Jayna, or that you wanted to seduce her?”

  For a moment all he could do was stare at her before he slumped back into his chair. “Both. Equally.”

  “Has seducing her changed things for you?” Roderick asked.

  Gabriel ran a hand down his face. “A lot of things have changed.”

  He desperately needed to change the subject before they asked the right question and he was forced to give them answers he wasn’t ready for. He looked to the women. “Did you make any progress today?”

  Mina shook her head. “None. I don’t know what we’re doing wrong. None of us can remember what we are supposed to do.”

  “Maybe we aren’t supposed to know until its time.” All eyes turned to Elle who sat twiddling her thumbs. She shrugged and gave a small smile. “It’s what I’m hoping for at least.”

  Gabriel nodded. “You might have the right of it.”

  “I called to Aimery today,” Hugh said into the silence. He looked to each of his men. “He never responded.”

  “Aimery always comes,” Val argued.

  Hugh shrugged. “He didn’t this time. I’m not sure what it means, though I suspect something must have kept him from coming here.”

  “But what?” Roderick asked.

  “Only Aimery knows,” Hugh responded.

  Gabriel leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees and blew out a breath. Too many things were going wrong. The feeling in his gut wasn’t a good one, and he feared that all their fighting had been for naught.

  Cole rose to his feet and paced in front of the giant hearth. “Call for him again, Hugh. Hell, why don’t we all call for him?”

  Together, the Shields called for Aimery. Heartbeats later the Fae commander still didn’t appear.

  “Something has happened,” Roderick said tightly. “Aimery would never leave us like this.”

  Hugh shook his head, his face weary. “Nay, he would not. Yet, we cannot find the answers since none of us can venture into the Fae realm without aid.”

  “We can do this,” Gabriel said as he set his empty goblet on a table and stood. “We’ve battled countless creatures, each stronger than the last. We can do this.”

  He met Hugh’s gaze, praying that Hugh would not let his hope dwindle.

  Hugh gave a brief nod as he too gained his feet. “We’ve no other choice but to go it alone. The worst of the storm should pass tonight. Cole, you and Roderick will ride out and see if you can discover if the Fae are still guarding Stone Crest.”

  “And if they’ve left?” Roderick asked.

  “We’ll deal with that as well,” Hugh said. “Gabriel is right, we can do this.”

  Cole crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. “We’re sealing our doom, Hugh.”

  Hugh turned and looked at Cole. “Aye, but we all knew that when we joined the Shields.”

  “You still have us,” Mina said as she stood and took Hugh’s hand. “The Chosen haven’t been hunted for nothing. The Evil knows we can defeat him.”

  Gabriel saw the spark of interest flare in the other Shields’ eyes. They were all ready for a battle.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “What in the name of all that is magical is going on?” Rufina demanded as she walked into the chamber where her husband held Aimery.

  Neither man spoke, so Rufina walked to Theron and glared at him. “What is this nonsense that I hear of you holding Aimery prisoner to be executed?”

  Theron wouldn’t meet her eyes as he turned away. “He killed a white dragon.”

  Rufina turned to Aimery who stood in the middle of the chamber. The look of utter despair in Aimery’s eyes squeezed her heart. She walked to the Fae commander and saw that her husband had bound him as well.

  “Aimery, tell me what happened?” she urged.

  His head bowed slightly. “My queen, it appears as though I was the one that killed the dragon.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  Aimery’s head jerked up, and he searched her eyes. “Why?”

  She smiled then and rubbed her hand over her swollen stomach that held the future heir to the throne. “We have known each other for countless centuries, my friend. I know you would sooner rip out your own heart than harm a dragon.”

  A small smile of thanks pulled at Aimery’s lips.

  Rufina turned to her husband then. By his rigid posture and refusal to look her in the eye, she knew he was having a difficult time. With a deep breath, she moved to him and placed her head upon his shoulder.


  “Talk to me, my love.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking that I may very well have to kill my closest friend.”

  Rufina lifted her head and turned Theron to face her. “Nay. Aimery says he didn’t do it, and I believe him.”

  “I wish I could believe him as well, but I saw it.” His blue eyes held such anguish that for a moment she couldn’t breath.

  “You...saw it? You looked into the dragon?”

  He nodded solemnly. She clasped her hands in front of her as her mind sorted out the details. It was a great risk to look into a dragon’s last thoughts. It had been known to kill or drive people insane. Only in dire circumstances did anyone dare look.

  She swiveled her head to Aimery. “Did you look?”

  He nodded gravely.

  “Dragon’s breath,” she cursed as she began to pace the small chamber. “Aimery, for the love of magic, why didn’t you leave?”

  “Would it not have labeled me a murderer if I had?”

  “Aren’t you labeled that anyway?” she retorted and regretted it instantly. “You cannot be here. The Shields need you.”

  “I know. They have been calling to me,” he said as he tested the invisible bonds on his wrists.

  Theron spun around and stalked to Aimery. “Why haven’t you told me before now?”

  “You didn’t ask,” Aimery said between clenched teeth.

  “Enough,” Rufina said as she stepped between the two of them. “Aimery, tell me what happened?”

  He sighed long and low. “I arrived and sent troops to speak to the people while I went to inspect the dragon. I could tell by the way it landed and its torn wings that it had been in mid-flight. I got no farther before a woman rushed out and said she had seen me kill it. No one asked questions after that as they began to demand my death. I knew I didn’t do it, but I needed to see what the dragon had seen.”