Guardian of the Stone

by Amity Grays

  “Really hungry,” Edeline said as he pulled out the bread and tore off a chunk.

  Grabbing her hand and turning it in his, he gently opened her fingers and rested the bread in her palm. “It’s surprisingly good, but unfortunately dry.”

  Her eyes fell to the bread and his hands which now surrounded hers. A small growl rumbled on cue from her empty middle. She withdrew her hand from his and smiled somewhat reluctantly. “Thank you.”

  His dark eyes fell to her lips. There was something about the woman which simply drew him—like a moth to a scorching flame, no doubt. He would be wise to keep his distance. “Don’t worry, Edeline. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Startled blue eyes stared into his. The bread slipped from her fingertips and fell to the ground.

  “Edeline?”

  “I remember you,” she said almost on a whisper. “I remember your voice. I couldn’t see you, but I heard you.”

  It was exactly the break he’d been looking for. “I wanted you to know you’d be all right.”

  “He was going to drug me, but you stopped him.”

  He nodded, thrilled that she could remember. “That’s right.”

  “You saved me.”

  It wasn’t a question, so he didn’t respond.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, her brows pulling just above her nose. “Why?” She looked to him for answers. “Why would anyone take me? Why the clothes? Why here?” she asked, spreading her arms out to her sides. “And who are you, Dane? Why would you come for me?”

  “I am who I said I was. I’m Lieutenant Colonel Dane Walker.”

  She looked away. The shock was wearing off, and the reality of her circumstance was setting in. She seemed lost, so very fragile. He thought about pulling her into his arms and comforting her, but quickly changed his mind. He wasn’t the comfort she was looking for.

  “It’s complicated, and we’re both tired,” he said. “We should eat. We’ll get some rest. Then we’ll talk.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. I—”

  “I’ll tell you. I promise.”

  Wrapping her arms around her middle, she appeared to be giving his words due consideration. Glancing down toward the bread lying on the ground, she lifted her shoulders and grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

  He reached inside the satchel and grabbed another piece. “It’s all right,” he said, handing it to her.

  A tentative smile played across her lips. “Thank you.”

  She’d recovered quickly, yet another show of her strength. Good. There was every possibility strength would become vital. The road ahead was likely to be rough.

  Dane was certain of two things. One, her captors would come for her. Two, even if they didn’t know where they were now, they would know where they were headed. Which meant somewhere between here and there, he had to earn her trust.

  “Her father?” guessed Farrell.

  “No,” said Graham, leaning down by the dirt where the tracks had disappeared. “It’s one of Matthews’ men.” Raising his fist, he loosened his grip, slowly releasing the dirt back into the tracks. The soldier, whoever he was, had purposefully gone off the path and into the hills. Graham rubbed his jaw as he studied the hillside. He’d be damned if he’d follow him there.

  “Just one?” Farrell snorted, apparently relieved or perhaps simply amused by the number.

  “Just one,” Graham acknowledged before standing and climbing back onto his horse. “One is all it takes.” He’d served fifteen years under General John Matthews. The man only recruited the best. And under his guidance, they only got better. Though highly trained himself, Graham had no desire to spar with any of the newest elite. No one understood time better than he, and one thing time always allotted for was improvements. With a heavy sigh, he pulled his mount back the same direction as they had come.

  Farrell grunted. “We’re not just giving up?”

  “No,” he replied, undaunted by the anger in his comrade’s voice, “but we are going home.”

  “Are you crazy?” Farrell raged. “I didn’t take such a great risk only to quiver and give up.”

  Turning back to where Farrell sat still upon his horse, searching the surroundings for more clues to follow, Graham laughed. “You’re a damn fool if you think you can take him alone.”

  “There aren’t many men I can’t handle,” replied Farrell, throwing Graham a deadly glare. The bright sun beat red upon his receding hairline, making his large, rough features appear even fiercer. He was a huge man used to intimidating and having others cower.

  But Graham wasn’t a small man by any measure, and it took a whole lot more than one arrogant bastard to make him back down. “You know the dangers,” he reminded. “We fight our enemies on our own ground, in our own time. We’ll wait for LaFay to return, and then we’re out of here.”

  “You really want to be the one to tell LaFay we’ve lost the girl? No thanks. I’d rather risk my fate with time.” Farrell looked up toward the hill where the tracks disappeared and where Edeline and her rescuer, no doubt, hid. He nodded that direction. “I’d rather risk my luck with him.”

  Farrell had a point. Dealing with LaFay wasn’t much better than dealing with the devil himself. Still, better an enemy you knew than one you knew not at all. They had no idea what awaited them in those hills.

  The best thing to do would be to wait for LaFay. Hell, perhaps he’d actually bring back the army he so arrogantly said he would. Graham would put nothing past the man. He seemed to care very little about his own fate or the effects their trip might have on time. The fool!

  “We haven’t failed,” he said. “The deal was we get the girl and the stone here. They’re here. LaFay’s quite capable of taking care of the rest.”

  “He’ll have our heads.”

  “No.” Graham shook his head and then added with disdain, “He’ll enjoy the hunt.”

  Farrell’s nostrils flared with temper. “I want my piece of the treasure.”

  “The treasure’s not going anywhere, you fool.” Lifting his arms, Graham swept them around the breathtaking panorama. Untouched by man, it stood in its purest splendor—evidence that this was not their world. He looked back toward Farrell. “Don’t you get it? We’re the only things here at risk of extinction.”

  Chapter Six

  EDELINE AWOKE TO THE SOUND of a light breeze blowing gently through the foliage. A pleasant and comfortable heat wrapped itself around her and cushioned her head. Against her back, she felt the even rise and fall of a chest, moving in perfect rhythm with the wisps of air blowing in and out over the top of her head.

  She opened her eyes to find herself lying in Dane’s arms. He’d been leaning against the tree behind her when she’d first lain down to rest. She had no idea when he’d moved to join her. Exhausted and still feeling somewhat beaten from the effects of the drugs, she must have fallen fast asleep.

  The man smelled good. The alluring mix of leather and musk was now accompanied by the fresh scents of the forest. It pleased her—just as his voice had done earlier that day.

  She was attracted to him.

  How could she be attracted to a man she had every reason to believe was deluded? Sure, the man was gorgeous and at times seemingly sane. But those were merely facts distracting from a puzzle undoubtedly a touch irregular.

  It was the circumstance. It had to be. She was scared, and he was…well, he was all she had. She didn’t know where she was, why she was there or how in the world she was ever getting home. In an absolutely illogical way, he offered her hope.

  She wanted to believe his crazy tales. As odd as they were, they still made her feel safe in this unfamiliar, mixed-up reality she found herself. And if her memory wasn’t playing tricks on her, he had actually saved her. But from what and for what reason?

  He had very few answers, and those he gave were utterly absurd.

  France? Really? How ridiculous is that?

  Though the man behind her might be real enough, th
e world he was living in certainly wasn’t.

  The day’s events came tumbling back to mind with panic on their tail. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying once more to calm her scattered nerves. She needed to take inventory. It was possible things weren’t as bad as they seemed.

  Kidnapped, drugged, in some kind of forest supposedly in France.

  The desire to laugh rose with hysteria.

  Moving behind her, Dane’s grip on her waist tightened. He pulled her close. Snuggling against her, his breathing once again took up a steady rhythm. As much as she wanted to lie there in his arms believing herself safe, she knew she couldn’t.

  Why, who, what, and where? She wasn’t even sure which question needed answered first. What on Earth would anybody possibly want from her? If it was her body they wanted, she’d most likely already be dead. They’d had ample time to bestow their dastardly deeds and be done with her. They couldn’t be after money. She, nor her father, had any. They lived very modest lives. No one would mistake them for wealthy. And how would such a scenario introduce Dane—a hero from out of the blue? Ridiculous! Unless…

  Could he have been one of the men who took her but then, perhaps, gotten cold feet? Was he merely saving her from a path he himself had put her on? She closed her eyes and tried to remember. Her last memory was standing in the middle of her kitchen having just finished the dishes. She’d grabbed her popcorn and was stepping into the living room to watch a movie, and there they were—at least three of them. Someone, and someone very strong, grabbed her from behind and covered her face with a piece of cloth.

  Edeline blew out a shaky breath and looked down toward Dane’s powerful arms.

  She never saw the man who grabbed her, only the cloth. It was exactly like the cloth Dane had been holding when she’d groggily opened her eyes in the tall grass earlier that day. Only that cloth had carried a wretched smell. There had been very little odor on the one that had been placed over her airways. Still—she sighed with regret—it was the same type of material, most likely intended to be used in the same manner and for the same purpose.

  Disappointment hit with an undeniable thud. Despite wanting to believe otherwise, she simply couldn’t. What other explanation could there be?

  So where were the other two men, and who were they? She was certain the man she’d first seen upon waking was the same man she’d first seen in her living room. Edeline was also certain Dane was responsible for his disappearance. What about the third? Had Dane also taken care of him as well?

  Her eyes widened as terror caught up with paranoia. She was sleeping in the arms of a killer—a fact which made the experience far less appealing. Lifting his arm, she did her best to move it without being caught. It didn’t work.

  “Not yet,” Dane said. “We’ll need our rest. It will be a long ride to the cliffs.”

  She swallowed. Cliffs?

  She scanned the area. There was no way out but up. He’d have her caught and bound in less than thirty seconds. She’d have to outsmart him. And really—how hard could it be?

  “I have to go to the bathroom,” she lied. Brilliant! Bravo! Old and overused, but totally believable.

  He grumbled unhappily, but eventually sat up. Those dark, mesmerizing eyes stared into hers. His hair was slightly ruffled, his face creased from the pouch he’d been using as a pillow.

  “Don’t go far,” he said, rubbing his stubble-covered jaw while taking a watchful look around. “You need to stay where I can reach you in a hurry.”

  Yeah, right!

  “I won’t go far,” she assured before rolling to her feet. She stood there a moment, trying to pick the best path.

  The trees were dense everywhere she looked. There was plenty of cover for a getaway, but unfortunately most of it ran the steep slopes to the top. She wouldn’t have a chance unless she could escape unseen.

  Finally to the east, she saw where the woods stayed flat a good distance before disappearing behind a stone wall. Perfect. She smiled down toward his watchful eyes. “I’ll call if I need you. I won’t be long.”

  Taking his curt nod as permission to leave, she lifted the hem of her skirt and headed toward the thickest section of forest.

  It was a rough trek through the dense gathering of thick oak and stately ash. Short bursts of light flickered through the tips of the heaven-bound trees, sporadically lighting the snapping assortment of rotting leaves, bark and twigs beneath her feet. She’d have to find a way to silence her steps or he’d realize what she was up to.

  “That’s far enough,” he called, obviously already standing and most likely on his way.

  Stopping on command, Edeline cursed her misfortune. Dang, blasted twigs.

  Standing there like a rabbit caught in a trap, she was nothing but fair game. She had to start moving.

  “There’s a good spot up ahead,” she called back, carefully picking up her feet and moving as fast as she could toward the towering stone wall. The sound of a not-too-distant waterfall sparked her next move. “I hear water,” she called back over her shoulder. “I’m going to tidy up.”

  Her captor’s approach could now be heard coming quickly from behind. Silence was no longer an option even if it were obtainable. No longer caring what clamor she made, she started to run, heading straight toward the sound of the falling water.

  Finally she made it to the rocks. Lifting her skirt, she tied it into a large knot high on her right thigh and began making her way up the rock-covered slope. Thankfully, it was much easier than the slip-and-slide fiasco she’d tackled earlier that day.

  “I’d better come with you.”

  Irritation ran as a tightened nerve up her spine, ending in the form of a scowl as she turned her frustration toward the sound of breaking foliage. Dane emerged from the trees. A glint of long silver drew her attention to his side.

  A sword. Great, just what every lunatic needs.

  “It’s for our protection,” he said, catching her look of dismay.

  “Protection from what?”

  “Protection from whatever.”

  After depositing an unwelcoming glare, she continued up the hill, mumbling her annoyance as she did her best to add to the distance between them.

  “Those boulders could be loose. Test their endurance before trusting them with your weight.”

  Probably good advice. She’d take it and ignore him.

  The next few steps would be rough ones. She decided to adjust the knot of material at her thigh. Modesty begged her to lower it. Common sense vetoed the plan for the sake of a quick escape.

  “If you’re worried about your skirt, you needn’t be,” assured Dane. “I won’t look.”

  She shot him a disbelieving glance.

  “You have my word,” he said, bending his elbow and raising his hand into the air to display his palm and three raised fingers.

  “Really,” she drawled, raising her lip into a doubtful snarl, “you were a Boy Scout?”

  He grinned.

  Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the task at hand. “Swell, I have the word of a madman with a merit badge. I feel so reassured.” She reached for her next handhold. “Bet your tracking skills are in top form.”

  “I could track a coyote through a hard and dry canyon,” he admitted, already standing directly below her.

  She jumped, scanned the impressive distance he’d so effortlessly covered, then scowled again. “Terrific. I’m thrilled.”

  “My hearing’s pretty sharp, too,” he added with a grin. “I can hear twigs snap and the pitter-patter of runaway feet from several yards away.” His hands circled her waist as he helped her up the next steep incline.

  “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she snapped, irritated by how easily he’d reached her and realizing her efforts would all most likely be in vain. Her feet hit the ground, and she promptly brushed off his hold.

  “I’m sure that’s true in Los Angeles, but you’re not in the city any longer.” He effortlessly swung himself
up to her level. “Hmm,” he grunted as they both eyed the rock’s surface doubtfully.

  Edeline took a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks and then releasing the air in exasperated puffs. She drummed her fingers against her hips. As hard as it was going to be to admit it, she was going to need his help.

  She half smiled, half grimaced his way.

  “Do you climb?” he asked.

  “In and out of bed on a daily basis.”

  He sighed and eyed once more the rock’s surface. “All right, here’s the plan.” He pointed out the crevices where she’d place her hands and feet once he lifted her.

  A second later she was hanging on for dear life. Heights weren’t typically one of her fears, but then she’d never before been left hanging on the steep side of a stone wall. She hesitated and looked down.

  “You’re all right,” he assured. “Pull yourself up and wait for me at the top. If you drop, the furthest you’re going to fall is into my arms.”

  She reached for the next small crevice and pulled herself up. In two relatively short moves, she found herself at the top of the rock’s rough peak. “It’s beautiful,” she exclaimed as she caught sight of the tiny waterfall and gentle stream. Sunbeams fell through the trees and danced against the water like sparkling crystals. “Truly beautiful.”

  “Hold up. I’ll help you down.” Dane jumped toward the first crevice where he’d directed Edeline. He missed, tried again, and missed again. “Okay.” He frowned and looked around for another.

  “Problems?” She smirked from her safe vantage point.

  His eyes narrowed, but still he grinned. “No problem,” he assured and reached for his next target. The surface chipped, and the crevice disappeared. “Not good,” he said, unable to find another crevice within reach. He jumped down a level and searched for another route.

  Edeline turned her head to hide her amusement. It was then she spotted it. A path tucked just beyond the waterfall. The trail was vague, and the brush to its sides thick, but it definitely was a trail. A trail has to lead somewhere, doesn’t it?