A Warrior's Heart (Shields)

by Grant, Donna

  Gabriel flipped his dagger in his hand so that he held the blade and waited to throw it. He used the wall to help him gain his feet. Before he could throw his dagger, Jayna was yanked away from the wall just before being slammed back against it.

  “Enough,” Gabriel bellowed.

  Jayna hung limply in the air against the wall, her head hanging to the side and her beautiful golden tresses tangled around her.

  “She’s easy bait. Why not try your hand at me?” Gabriel taunted. “After all, I did manage to nick you in the forest with my arrow.”

  To his relief, Jayna slumped to the ground. It left him just a moment to prepare as a force was propelled into him. Gabriel wrapped his arms around the Shapeshifter and turned so that the creature took the brunt of the fall.

  The impact jarred Gabriel’s teeth as they hit the ground. When he opened his eyes it was to find Aimery looking up at him.

  An evil smile spread over Aimery’s face. “My the secrets you have, Gabriel. They could destroy the Shields if they ever got out.”

  Gabriel reared his hand back and punched the Shapeshifter in the kidneys. Before his eyes, he changed from Aimery to Jayna.

  “Would you hit a woman?” it asked.

  For a moment Gabriel didn’t know what to do. He knew it wasn’t really Jayna below him, but it was her face that stared up at him, her beautiful hazel eyes that beseeched him.

  “I...I....” Gabriel shook his head before jumped to his feet. “No more tricks.”

  “Tricks,” the Shapeshifter asked in Jayna’s sweet voice. “This isn’t a trick. Now, put the dagger away. We both know you won’t hit a woman.”

  “Nay, but I will,” Jayna said just before she punched the Shapeshifter in the face.

  Gabriel could have cheerfully kissed her, but instead, he took her hand and turned to run down the hall.

  “Where are we going?” Jayna asked.

  Gabriel looked over his shoulder to see the Shapeshifter had once again returned to his invisible self. “You’ll see.”

  They were nearly there, just a few more steps to the tower stairs when Gabriel felt the Shapeshifter coming toward them. He pushed Jayna to the floor and raced up the stairs. The door to the tower came into view the same time icy cold fingers began to claw at him.

  Gabriel fell to the stairs as soon as he felt the Shapeshifter attack. A loud whoosh over his head told Gabriel the creature had fallen for the trick, putting him right into the arms of Stone Crest’s ghost.

  The air stilled, and it grew eerily quiet before the door to the tower began to rattle, the boards moving as if they were about to come apart. An unnatural scream rent the air as the Shapeshifter realized what had captured it.

  Gabriel didn’t stay to see what would transpire between the creature and the ghost. He rushed down the stairs to find Jayna staring up at him, her face white and her eyes round with alarm.

  “What is happening?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

  Gabriel glanced up at the tower. “That is the ghost that haunts Stone Crest.”

  “Brilliant.” The smile she gave him was honest and open, one that said she trusted him completely.

  “We won’t have much time. Let’s get to the stables and hope we find the others as we go.”

  She gave a quick nodded and followed him. To Gabriel’s disappointment, they hadn’t run into any of the others by the time they reached the great hall. He glanced to the solar to find the doors shut.

  He took his bow and reached for an arrow. As he notched the arrow he slowly walked to the solar until he stood before it. He motioned with his head for Jayna to throw open the doors. There was no telling what he would find inside, and he hoped it wasn’t Hugh’s dead body.

  The door flew open, and he sighted down his bow. Just as he was about to release the arrow, he spotted a crossbow pointed at him.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Hold,” Val shouted as he came running out of the solar.

  Gabriel lowered his bow and let out a pent up breath. “I nearly killed you,” he said to Hugh as he walked into the solar.

  “And I nearly killed you.” Hugh allowed Mina to help him resume his seat before the door. “We’ve been waiting hours for you.”

  Elle rushed to Jayna. “What happened?”

  “The Shapeshifter attacked us,” Jayna said and pushed her hair from her face.

  “He did a lot more than that,” Gabriel said. “He changed into Aimery then into Jayna right before my eyes.” He shook his head as a chill raced down his spine.

  Cole stood in the doorway and clucked his tongue. “Out of all the creatures, I hate this one the most.”

  “Aye,” Roderick agreed. “Where is the nasty bugger now?”

  Jayna chuckled and moved to stand beside Gabriel. “He had a little run in with your ghost, Mina.”

  There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone laughed.

  “I knew that ghost would come in handy one day,” Hugh said.

  Gabriel put his arrow back into his quiver before he slug his bow over his shoulder. “The ghost won’t hold the Shapeshifter for long. I think its time we make a run for it to the ruins.”

  Val and Cole gave a quick nod before they raced from the solar and out of the castle.

  “By the way, where is everyone?” Gabriel asked Hugh. “It’s dawn, and I’d have thought your people would have come out by now.”

  Hugh glanced at Mina before answering. “We’re not sure where everyone is. I fear the worst.”

  Tension radiated from the solar. Roderick stood guard at the doors while Mina, Elle, Nicole, and Shannon stood off to the side waiting.

  “Where is your bow, Elle?” Gabriel asked. “Mina? Your weapon?”

  Mina hurried to the opposite side of the solar and opened a large chest. “We put them in here.”

  “Good. Get them.” He took the second of his four daggers from his other boot and handed it to Jayna. “Keep it hidden until you need it.”

  Jayna wished her heart would slow enough for her to regain the calm she always had. She was still shaken from being knocked against the wall a couple of times and losing her dagger, but she wouldn’t let anyone know just how much she hurt. There was much more at stake here than the small amount of pain she felt.

  She gave Gabriel a nod and watched as Elle took her bow and arrows, and Mina took her sword. Nicole and Shannon each got a dagger much like hers that they hid as well.

  “We’re ready,” Mina said as they came forward.

  Gabriel motioned to Roderick. “It’s going to take both of us to get Hugh outside.”

  “The hell it is,” Hugh said as he gained his feet. “I’ll suffer what little pain this will give me. You two are needed elsewhere.”

  Jayna could see that neither Gabriel nor Roderick liked the idea of Hugh going alone.

  Thankfully, Mina solved the problem by wrapping her arm around Hugh.

  “I’ll make sure he gets there,” she said stoically.

  Roderick pulled Elle behind him. “I’ll take the lead. Nicole, get behind Elle. Mina and Hugh need to be in the middle.”

  Shannon quickly moved behind Mina and Hugh without being told, which left Jayna and Gabriel.

  “I suppose I go next,” Jayna said as she moved behind Shannon.

  Gabriel nodded. “You’ll be safe.”

  She wasn’t worried about herself, she was worried about Gabriel, but she didn’t tell him that.

  “Roderick will set the pace,” Hugh said quietly. “Don’t stop until we reach the stables.”

  Roderick gave everyone a nod before he trotted from the solar. Jayna and the other women lifted their skirts and quickly followed. She glanced over her shoulder to find Gabriel behind her.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be here. Keep your gaze ahead,” he warned her.

  But it was too late. She had already caught a glimpse of what was coming after them. It was the servants of Stone Crest, and they all held weapons as they raced toward the group. The int
ent to kill obvious.

  “Run!” Gabriel shouted.

  Roderick looked over his shoulder before he sprinted for the door. He jerked it open and pushed the others through. Jayna didn’t know how they were going to make it to the stables. The servants looked ready to kill, and she knew they would given the chance.

  She stumbled and felt a hand on her arm. “Keep moving, sweetheart,” Gabriel whispered as he pulled her to her feet.

  Tears blinded her eyes. The endearment had been something he’d always called her. He’d said it was her sweet heart that had calmed a warrior and turned him into a man of love.

  They raced down the steps of the castle and into the bailey. Roderick ran past them to the front again, pointing to his right as he did.

  Jayna followed his finger and found the guards slumped over dead. With her heart beating like a drum, Jayna saw the stables before them. Thankfully, Cole and Val stood at the entry waiting for them.

  “We’ve got company,” Roderick shouted as they raced inside.

  Cole groaned. “I see that. We’ll have to go out the back way.”

  Ten horses stood waiting for them, but only five were saddled. Before Jayna could even reach for the reins, Gabriel lifted her onto the horse. He placed the reins in her hands and gave them a squeeze.

  “Ride like the devil is after you.”

  She tried to smile. “I will.”

  He swung up onto his mount and moved beside her. “No matter what, don’t stop. Follow the others to the ruins. And, Jayna, whatever you do, don’t look behind you.”

  She swallowed past the lump in her throat and leaned over to place a kiss on his lips. “I wish you would have let me tell what I need to.”

  “Nay,” he stopped her and leaned his forehead against hers. “Stay alive. That is all you need to be concerned with.”

  “Everyone ready?” Cole called.

  She nodded when Gabriel raised a questioning brow. Just as she threaded the reins through her fingers, the rear doors of the stable were thrown open and they raced out.

  Only then did she think about the gate. The gate was shut and the guards dead. They were trapped.

  Yet as they neared, she saw the door within the massive gate opened a fraction. Val’s mount kicked it open as he barreled through it.

  Jayna leaned low over her horse and gave her a little pat on the neck. “Race like the wind,” she whispered.

  The horse’s ear flickered and then her strides lengthened as she raced through the door and away from the castle. Jayna knew better than to shout with joy. They had a perilous road ahead of them yet to travel.

  With the ground flying beneath them as the horses braved the cold wind and deep snow, Jayna made sure that Gabriel was near her at all times. She could face anything as long as he was beside her. She never realized it was he who gave her strength until now. It had always been him.

  It would always be him.

  When it seemed like they would make the Druid ruins without any problems, the screech of the Harpy resonated around them. It was just a heartbeat later that they heard the unmistakable sound of her metal wings.

  Jayna didn’t know what to do next, but she should have known the Shields would have a plan. They always had a plan. With Mina in the lead, Shannon, Elle, Nicole, and Jayna suddenly found themselves surrounded by the men.

  She looked over at Gabriel who gave her an encouraging nod. Then, suddenly before them was Aimery on a magnificent white stallion, his flaxen hair flying out behind him as his horse sped across the ground.

  Seeing the Fae commander seemed to give all of them the extra bit of hope they needed. As the Harpy swooped over them, her scream of anger nearly froze Jayna’s blood in her veins. It would attack soon if they didn’t hurry and reach the ruins.

  “Up ahead,” Gabriel called over the pounding of the horses hooves.

  Jayna trembled as the cold seemed to seep into her very bones. She looked ahead and saw the ancient Druid ruins. Pillars had been knocked to the ground, some still intact, others broken into bits. A large flat stone lay atop two thick rocks in the middle.

  So this was where the battle for Earth and the Fae realm would take place.

  Val raced ahead and leapt from his horse. He took the reins of those who dismounted and hurried inside the ruins. Jayna slid to the ground and turned to find Gabriel beside her.

  “Get inside with the others,” he said.

  “What of you?”

  He didn’t answer her, but pushed her toward Elle and Shannon, who pulled her into the ruins. Jayna tried to jerk out of their grasp when she saw Gabriel reach for his bow and arrow. The Harpy was bearing down on them, ready to rip someone to shreds, and aiming straight for Gabriel.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Gabriel drew back his bow and aimed for the Harpy’s eyes. Without her precious eyesight, they might be a little harder to hunt.

  He saw her spread her wings as her talons opened wide. She was coming for him. He released the arrow and watched as it imbedded in her eye. Instantly the Harpy vanished.

  “It was as I thought,” Aimery said. “The Harpy and Gargoyle were nothing more than the Shapeshifter.”

  Cole nodded. “It explains why neither creature acted as it did before.”

  “Or attacked,” Mina added.

  “It was toying with us,” Gabriel said as he glanced around the area. “The Great Evil is coming.”

  Hugh leaned against a fallen stone and held his crossbow up. “We’ll be ready for him.”

  But Gabriel knew differently. The Great Evil wanted him, needed him. How Gabriel didn’t realize this sooner he didn’t know. But it made perfect sense. It was why the Evil didn’t kill him in the forest. He had only spoken to him. Gabriel shook his head and placed a hand on his temple.

  “Something wrong?” Jayna’s sweet voice reached him as her soft hand touched his.

  “I thought all of my memories had returned, but I was wrong. There are some still hidden.”

  Her face blanched and her mouth parted in surprise. “You remember?”

  “I’ve wanted to tell you.”

  Her hand dropped limply to her side. “For how long?”

  “Since we made love that first time.”

  “You know why I’ve come then.” She sounded defeated, the light gone from her eyes.

  He took her face in his hands and made her look at him. “I know you didn’t kill me when you had the chance. That’s all that matters.”

  “There’s so much more, Gabriel,” she said as tears fell onto her cheeks.

  Roderick cursed in his native tongue of Thales, drawing everyone’s gaze to the mist rolling toward them.

  “It’s him,” Gabriel said as he released Jayna and readied his weapons.

  The mist was dense and thick as it quickly surrounded them. “Do you think you could hide from me here?” the ominous voice asked.

  “We came out here to fight you,” Hugh bellowed.

  A chuckle sounded around them as mist encircled Hugh. “Ah, the leader of the Shields. Wounded and barely able to stand. What good are you to them, then?”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Roderick said. “He’s preying on our weakness.”

  “Weakness?” the ominous voice repeated. “Weakness is your fear that you won’t be able to stop me from taking over Thales. I hate to disappoint you, prince, but your realm no longer exists.”

  “Nay,” Cole bellowed and hacked at the fog with his massive double-headed war axe.

  The Great Evil only laughed at Cole’s weak attempts. “You cannot kill me. Not even these so called Chosen will be able to carry out your wishes...Aimery.”

  They all turned to the Fae commander who looked bored as he leaned against one of the stones with his arms folded over his chest and his feet crossed at the ankles.

  “What are you doing here?” the Great Evil demanded.

  Aimery shrugged. “The same as you.”

  “You cannot interfere.”

  “Hmmm. It does say
that, doesn’t it?”

  The Great Evil gave a vicious growl before the mist moved to Gabriel. “I’ve longed to speak to you, Gabriel. To refresh the memories that are lost to you. I wonder if the Shields would be most interested in the man you were before you came to them.”

  “The past is the past. It doesn’t matter what I was before,” Gabriel said. He refused to look at the others for fear that he would see the distrust in their gazes.

  “Ah, but it does.” Suddenly, the mist turned from him to Jayna.

  Gabriel felt real alarm then. Jayna had said there was more, and he feared his suspicions that she was somehow connected to the Great Evil had been right.

  She stood her ground as the mist enveloped her. “My Jayna. You aligned your soul with mine just so you could mete out your retribution. How is it that you didn’t know I was the one that ended your realm? Your stupid little mind thought Gabriel had done it, but Gabriel was just my pawn.”

  “Stop it,” she said through clenched teeth.

  The evil laughed. “Nay. I think its time the truth be revealed. Have you told your new friends that you came to kill Gabriel? That you hunted him through time and space just to plunge your dagger in his heart?”

  Gabriel’s heart twisted as he saw Jayna’s eyes close and defeat surround her.

  “I shifted you through time, kept you alive, and gave you the means with which to kill Gabriel.” The Great Evil’s voice had turned hard, cold. “Yet you betrayed your vow to me.”

  The mist suddenly pulled away. Gabriel started toward Jayna when she gave a startled gasp, and her eyes widened. He stood in shock as the tip of a sword pushed through her chest.

  He didn’t know whether to go after the Shapeshifter that had snuck up on them or to Jayna. The look of terror on Jayna’s face propelled him toward her as the sword pulled from her and she crumpled to the ground.

  “Nay,” Gabriel said as he ran to her. “Nay. Look at me, Jayna. Focus those beautiful hazel eyes on me.” He pulled out his black bag and reached for the delicate white flower that would save her life.