Guardian of the Stone

by Amity Grays

  “How did you manage it?” Roncin asked. “How did you get away?”

  Still holding Edeline’s hands in his, Omont turned to the knight. “They let me go. I am sure they hoped to be led to the treasure, but instead I lost them just outside of Paris.” He turned back to Edeline. “I knew you would be here. I knew you would return. My brother saw it in a vision. Through the Lord’s gates you would find sanctuary, and two moons later, through the Lord’s gates you would return a beautiful woman. And you would be found here, in the forest of mist and amongst men of men.”

  “You knew?” asked Lucas standing behind him. “Why did you not say something?”

  “I hoped,” Omont replied, never taking his eyes off Edeline. “I had first assumed it would be I to walk the journey with her. I gave little heed to the ‘two moons’ until later. My brother’s visions were often marked with symbols. The ‘two moons’ had me baffled. It wasn’t until after my arrest that I gave them serious thought, and even then, I only hoped they be precise.”

  Looking toward the priest, he smiled. “He thought me a mad fool, our dear priest. But I knew,” he said, his gaze returning to Edeline. “I felt you in my heart. I knew you were near.” He studied her, taking in every feature as though burning it into his memory. Grabbing a lock of her hair, he held it gently in his hands only to let it slip through his fingers. A barely discernible smile touched his lips. “It was the only thing which ever marked you as mine.” He touched her cheeks. “You look so much like Jaquette, your mother. She, too, had eyes so deep, so blue.” The smile spread across his face. “You are, indeed, the image of my beautiful Jaquette.”

  His gaze slid to the brooch. He blinked, smiled, then circled it with his finger. “Where did you get this?”

  “We found it at my grandparents’ in Vanac.”

  His thoughts seemed to drift for a moment to a distant memory. Nodding his head, he let go of the brooch. “I had it made for your mother. She was heartbroken when she lost it. I know she would be glad of where it sits. Your mother was a remarkable woman, Edeline. Smart, determined, as magnificent as any the Good Lord ever put on this earth. She would have very much liked to have known you.”

  “I always wished I’d known her,” Edeline said sadly. “I never understood why my father…” She stopped, uncertain how to refer to Federic. He was the only father she had ever known. In her heart, he remained her father. It was the man before her who was hard to place. “I mean…” How could she word it? She had no wish to hurt him.

  “Federic?” Omont asked, lifting his brow as though confused by her dilemma.

  She finally nodded.

  He smiled. “Federic is a good man. I would have trusted no other with my child. What he did, he did at my request. He is an honorable man…your father.”

  Edeline fought the tears which so desperately wanted to fall. “He’s very good to me. I’ve had a good life, a happy life. You can be assured your faith in him was well placed.”

  Pulling her into his arms, Omont kissed the top of her forehead. “It was not easy, Edeline, not one of the choices I made, but ultimately they were all made out of my love for you. You mean everything to me. You and your mother have been the best parts of my life.”

  “I have so many questions,” she said, leaning against him.

  Pulling back to look her in the eye, he answered solemnly, “I will do my best to answer them.”

  A short while later they all sat quietly around the fire, enjoying its warmth and filling their bellies with bowls of stew. They listened carefully to Father Michael as he shared with them what he knew.

  “The treasure has been ours to guard for centuries, but it is not what you think. It is not the many treasures collected throughout time and placed within its walls that are its greatest value, but rather the walls themselves.”

  “The walls?” repeated Roncin. “How could the walls be more valuable than the treasures of the crusades and the riches of our labors?”

  “Diamonds are just diamonds, my friend, and gold just gold. There are many treasures more valuable.”

  “Like the stone?” asked Edeline.

  The priest nodded. “Yes, like the stone. It holds no value on its own, but in the hands of its guardian, it offers the treasure of knowledge through the eyes of time.”

  Edeline leaned forward. “Tell me about the stone? Was it found during the Crusades?”

  “The stone has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years, long before the crusades and the rise of the Knights Templar. It has passed through those both pure enough to be worthy and strong enough to bear the immense responsibility.”

  “Until now,” Edeline said with a sorrowful sigh.

  Taking her hand in his, Omont squeezed it tenderly. “Even now. You are stronger than you think. When strength was needed, you rose above your fear and did a very courageous thing. It took courage to stand against such a fierce opponent.”

  Edeline glanced at Dane. He smiled and nodded his agreement, but she knew it had been something even stronger than courage which had given her such strength.

  The priest continued. “The treasure sits within a cavern deep beneath the cliffs of France. Though within the cavern’s walls are many treasures gathered through the years, it is indeed the walls which hold the true fortune. They tell stories of the righteous—past, present, and future. The stories are guides as well as premonitions of what will be. For centuries we have given our lives to protect it. For centuries they have given theirs to try and make it their own.”

  “Who are they?” asked Dane.

  “They call themselves the Dark Army, for they are the devil’s guards,” said Father Michael. “But we call them the Dogs, for although they are merely men, there are amongst them beasts—men without souls, men without conscience, and yet they have fierce loyalty to their master. Whether they were born as men or born as demons, we are not certain, but many have seen them. I have seen them twice. Though our meetings were in passing, both times I have known, with utmost certainty, I was in the presence of pure evil. I believe it was one of them you met in the field today.”

  “But they are not all creatures of the damned,” added Omont. “Most are simply men—men, who when given the choice, for whatever the reason, have chosen the path of darkness. It is hard to know just who they are. They are everywhere—men of power, men of might. One could stand beside you in battle, only to stab you in the back when it was done.”

  “How do they know about Edeline?” Dane asked.

  “My brother, Nicolas, wore the stone for years. He was a remarkable man—strong and faithful and gifted like no other. When he was condemned, we knew we had to move the stone and secure our access to the cavern. We were not sure what would happen if the stone was not passed. Would it bar everyone from its treasures throughout eternity, or would it simply remain unprotected? It was a gamble we could not take. Not only could the riches of the treasure bring the Dogs frightening power, the knowledge held on its walls could do much worse.”

  “What kind of knowledge?” Roncin asked.

  “The cavern walls speak of a final conflict, one we must win. And the means to its victory are to be found on the cavern’s floors.”

  “How do you know this?” Dane asked.

  “My brother saw it in a vision, and I believe we can all agree that his visions should be heeded.”

  Every head nodded.

  Omont continued. “With very little choice, we passed the gift to Edeline. Someone must have become suspicious of my visit and questioned my passage. When they realized it was fraudulent, they ordered my arrest. They weren’t looking for Edeline when they first found me, so I’m assuming it’s my knowledge of the treasure they were after. They probably never imagined I might actually hold the key to their entry. I doubt they even realized such a key was required.

  “When they returned me to the prison, the guard who had led me in and out recognized me and asked about Edeline. One of the men who had brought me back
instantly began questioning the guard in such a way, I am certain he knew about the stone and suspected what we had done. I have to assume he is a member of the Dark Army and that he passed on the information. But apparently not soon enough or I would not be here now. Treasure or no treasure, if they believed I could get for them the stone, they would have seen to it that I was never let go.”

  “Or perhaps it wasn’t the treasure they were hoping you’d lead them to,” Dane said, looking toward Edeline.

  “I never considered…” Dropping his head, Omont closed his eyes and rubbed against his temples. “I am certain I lost them. I was very careful.”

  Lucas patted his shoulders. “If they had followed you here, we would have seen signs. We were very careful on our journey.”

  “If they were here, we would have never made the cabin,” Roncin said, standing and moving closer to the fire. He held out his hands to the flames, then looked back their way. “Even if they realized the child had been used. That still doesn’t explain how they’d know the child had become a woman, the one we now protect.”

  “The cavern walls tell of warriors from the future who come back to visit our day,” the priest said. “Some who worship the cross, some who wear the mark of our enemy. Is there a chance the men who took Edeline have been here before?”

  “A very good chance,” Dane said. “Those I serve believe it is one of our own.”

  “Then that is how they know who you are. The enemies of our future have somehow connected with those of our time,” the priest said, taking Edeline’s hands in his. “We must get you home as quickly as possible. You are not safe in either world as long as the power is yours. But in this world they have the advantage of authority as well as numbers.”

  “You said as long as she has the power? Will she not have the power until death?” Omont asked.

  “There are two ways the power can be passed. One is as Nicolas passed it to Edeline—which is upon a guardian’s death. But there is another way. The guardian can pass the power to another whose heart is pure, but only if their hands sit together upon the cradle.”

  “The cradle?” Edeline blinked. “What does that mean?”

  “It means there is hope,” Dane said, taking her hand in his.

  The priest quickly shook his head in warning. “She can pass the gift, but it isn’t simple, and the responsibility of it is great. The heart of the recipient must be sound and solid. They must understand the enormity of what it is they take. Their ability to stay vigilant, strong, and faithful is crucial. It will not be easy to find such a soul. And do not forget, you will need the stone.”

  “The stone!” Edeline sat forward remembering a very important part of the day’s events. “The dark knight—he wore a brown stone around his neck. He pulled it forward for me to see. It seemed…significant.”

  There was a moment of complete silence. Finally Omont took her hand in his. “As much as I don’t want to let you go, we have to get you home, back to your time.”

  Standing just outside the cottage doors, Dane stood with Edeline in his arms, watching as the distant storm slowly approached. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The morrow was something he both feared and mourned. They would be only a few against many. Their only hope of survival would depend on luck and trickery.

  It wouldn’t be easy. Nothing about the day would be easy, not even the jump itself. This time when he left, he’d be leaving so very much behind. It wouldn’t be like times prior when he’d jumped so willingly through the portal toward home. This time the jump would cost him and cost him dearly.

  “It’s lovely here,” Edeline said, leaning her head back against his chest and pulling his attention back to the moment. She breathed in the pleasant scents of the nearby garden. “I believe I would have been happy here in France.”

  “It’s certainly beautiful,” he agreed, looking back out into the distant skies. Not for the first time he wondered how much to tell her. “Aren’t you happy in Los Angeles, in our day?”

  She touched his face softly as though sensing his sorrow. “Yes, of course. My father is there and my friends. It’s a very happy life. But I’d have been happy here too, perhaps not in this day, but another.”

  He covered her hand with his as he looked down into her beautiful eyes, so warm and welcoming. Pulling her palm to his lips, he kissed it tenderly. “It may sound selfish…and perhaps foolish, but I’m glad you came to my world. Chances are I’d never have met you in yours.”

  She smiled. “It may be both, but I feel the same. I’m thankful every second it was you who came for me.”

  His gaze dropped to her lips. He smiled. “I’m going to kiss you.”

  “I know.”

  “Your father may not like it.”

  “My father’s inside.”

  He bent low and claimed her lips. Soft and tender, his hands cupped her face as he drew from her lips a passionate response. Her arms wrapped around him as she turned, her fingers teasing the nape of his neck as she melted against him.

  “Careful,” he warned. “I know it seems we’re alone, but believe me we’re not. They would be fools not to guard, and they’re not fools.”

  Sighing with disappointment, she buried her face into his chest. “I can’t wait until we’re finally alone—really, truly alone. Isn’t there somewhere we can go? Somewhere we can hide?”

  Dane laughed. “Not in this century, I’m afraid.” Running his hand lovingly down her face, he glanced back toward the cottage where behind the window Hemart’s startled face quickly turned to look away.

  The knights, her father—they were right to worry. What the priest had said was true. This world, even more than the future, was a great danger to her. These precious days borrowed from the past could not last. He had to get her home. Then he’d have to find a way to win her heart again. “We’ll be together, Edeline. I promise you. I’ll find a way.”

  “So,” she said slowly, her disappointment seeming to mount with the weight of that one simple word, “we’ll watch the coming storm?”

  “Yes,” he said, reaching for her hand and looking up toward the dark rolling clouds, “tonight we’ll watch her fury. Tomorrow we’ll jump into her arms.”

  Looking back toward the cottage, she sighed. “I’ll miss them. All of them.”

  The sadness in her eyes nearly broke his heart in two. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Dane pulled her against him.

  How could he possibly tell her the truth? She wouldn’t even remember them.

  Later that evening, as he and the priest walked across the small yard toward the woodshed, Dane expressed his concerns. “Perhaps I should tell her? Not telling her is beginning to feel more and more like deception. It’s becoming harder and harder to bear.”

  Father Michael shook his head. “I wouldn’t tell her. In this case, the truth can do nothing but bring her pain. When you leave, take with you her memories. When the time is right, you will give them back to her.”

  “It feels so deceitful. She trusts me.” It was nearly eating him alive, making her promises he wasn’t certain he could keep and listening to her speak of their time here as though it was all a wonderful gift she would forever treasure. If he could grant her this time, he would. He’d do anything for Edeline.

  Catching his troubled expression, the priest pulled him to a stop. “Yes, she does trust you. She trusts you to do what is in her best interest. That just happens to be a little complicated, but nonetheless clear. She has to go back. There really is no other option. Have you considered that telling her might make her wish to stay?”

  “I have,” Dane said, taking a long look around the peaceful forest Edeline had so adored. “Perhaps the choice should be hers.”

  “And perhaps it is a choice you would like as well,” the priest said. His look was one of compassion as he patted Dane’s back. “This world holds nothing for her. Everything she is, every dream she’s held, lies in another.” Once again he began walking toward the makeshift shed. “I
can see you have feelings for her. It’s important you make sure those feelings don’t overshadow your good judgment.”

  The warning took him by surprise. He’d never let emotion lead him on a mission. He was always a soldier first…always, until now.

  The priest was right. His feelings for Edeline had left him distracted, driven a few decisions, caused him to loss focus…blinded him to what should have been obvious and should have been avoided.

  He was falling in love with her—a dangerous truth he never would have imagined. They’d barely known each other two days. If he’d been asked before if it were possible, he’d have thought the notion ridiculous. Perhaps that’s why he had never put up his guard.

  But the truth was it had happened that quickly.

  Whether it was the fierce attraction between them, their circumstance, or fate, it really didn’t matter. It was foolish. No matter if they stayed or returned home, destiny was waiting to take her.

  He stumbled as he mindlessly moved toward the woodshed.

  The priest was right. He knew what he had to do, and it might be the hardest thing he’d ever done. He had to take her home. He had to let her go.

  “I’ll get the wood,” Dane said, hurrying to catch up with the priest.

  A few minutes later, his arms loaded to full capacity, they headed back toward the cottage.

  “There’s something else,” Dane said hesitantly. It was the thought which had been haunting him since they’d met up with the three knights the day before. “I’m not even certain what my world holds anymore. Without a doubt, I’ve pricked the fabric of time. I have no idea if it has changed the look of the future.”

  The priest smiled and once more came to a stop. “You give yourself far too much credit, young man. Destiny is the path which leads to the future. It is made of much stronger material than you give it credit. The roads may curve, twist, and fork, but they all lead the same direction.”

  “But—”

  “Trust me, nothing is as random as it seems.”

  “Then why worry?” Dane asked as he shifted the heavy pile in his arms. “If destiny is so powerful, why bother to hide the treasure? Why bother to fight?”