Guardian of the Stone

by Amity Grays

  Federic sat up in his seat, looking from his left to his right. “Is this…?” He turned a bewildered look to Elliot. “It is, isn’t it? It’s the road to the Castle Brines.”

  Elliot simply nodded before rolling down his window and exchanging a few words with the guards.

  “Amazing,” Federic muttered. “I can’t believe she still stands.”

  “I do believe she’s had her fair share of cosmetic surgery through the years,” Father Richard said, “but yes, she does indeed still stand.”

  The gates opened, and their small caravan rolled through.

  “This is where it all began,” Federic said to Edeline. “It was from here we rode to the cliffs and into the lives we have today.”

  Tall, stately looking poplars lined the drive to the castle. Though yet unseen, peaks of the fortress’s grandeur could be spotted in the near distance, rising high above the tips of the regal trees. Edeline leaned forward, laying her hand on Federic’s shoulder.

  His hand covered hers. A second later their path took a turn and opened up into a wide drive sitting in front of a scene from a fairy tale.

  Edeline gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

  Huge, round towers boxed in a castle made of stone, rising high into the air, a beautiful testament to man’s early abilities. Small peepholes appearing sporadically at different levels served as windows. Even color was used to an advantage—shades of red topping simple gray stone, creating an appealing contrast.

  Federic patted her hand and then reached for the door’s handle.

  “Wait,” Elliot warned, opening his own door first and stepping out onto the drive. Once again he exchanged words with security and then ducked back inside. “It’s safe. Feel free to step out.”

  Soon they were all standing upon the immaculately manicured grounds, spinning circles, trying to capture the full extent of its magnificence.

  Federic nodded his head in approval. “I’d say she’s had her fair share of work, but the heart of her still stands.”

  “We’ve tried to preserve her the best we could through these many years,” Elliot said. “She was pretty well destroyed through the pillaging which followed the fall of the Knights Templar. Many believed the treasures once held by the knights were buried somewhere within her walls.”

  “Destroying one treasure for another,” Edeline said. “Only to find they were wrong all along.”

  “They were wrong,” Elliot agreed with a mischievous smile. “The treasure never did lie within her belly.”

  “Of course not,” Federic said, grunting his irritation at such a foolish notion.

  “The knights would never have been so careless,” Elliot said, “though the scavengers weren’t really that far off.”

  Federic’s head whipped toward the man at his side. “Meaning?”

  “The treasure was here long before the castle. In fact, the castle was built to guard it—not in its walls, but beneath its floors.”

  “I lived here for years. There was nothing beneath her but dirt.”

  Elliot nodded. “And under the dirt were tunnels, an intricate web of tunnels. We think at one time they may have been accessible through the castle. That’s not true today. You must enter through the caves beneath the cliffs.”

  “The treasure is still there?” Edeline asked.

  “She’s still there, untouched for hundreds of years, buried deep within a cave that will not open without a key,” he said, smiling toward Edeline. “We have been waiting anxiously to see what lies within. Much sacrifice has been made to protect it, even more to obtain it. With so many years gone by and so much uncertainty around it, it’s time we see exactly what it is we protect.

  “It’s also time we change the guardian and protect the stone. If they know its location—and I believe it’s safe now to assume they do—then these are the only two keys our enemies must obtain. We need to take measures to ensure that they don’t.

  “When we’re done here, a new guardian will be chosen, one whose identity will be as guarded as the stone, a stone which will then be moved and guarded by men who know and understand its true value.”

  “Why did you wait? Why didn’t you bring me here before?”

  “It would have done us no good without the stone. And the powers that held the stone feared only its threat to time. They would not release it, not while the portal was still active.”

  “They still haven’t released it nor do they intend to,” Dane said. “The fake is still locked safe and secure inside a vault. Only General Matthews and Professor Blaine know we have the real stone. Oddly enough, it’s probably a good thing it was taken.”

  Shifting his weight to look Dane’s direction, Graham’s brows pulled as though doubtful. “Are you saying there was some good that came from what I did?”

  Dane hesitated before nodding. “Yes. It was a bumpy trip getting here, but the stone is back where it belongs.”

  A warm breeze slapped sharply against the shimmering waters below, whipping up an ocean spray which released its scent before diving back into the vast blue pool. Scattered gulls squawked from their multiple perches along the rocks below as their white-bellied companions flew by wailing in response.

  Standing at the cliff’s edge, Dane closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh saltwater air.

  It was the peace before the storm, and a storm was certainly coming. In the distance, dark clouds rolled slowly their way. Much like that day centuries ago, when he and Edeline had rode with the knights toward these very cliffs.

  Though it seemed a lifetime ago, it had really only been weeks. Those last few hours still haunted him. Not only because his choices had been so hard, but also because it was the last time he’d really felt she was his. Despite her earlier words of reassurance, he knew their bond had not yet reached that which they had shared back in time. He missed her, or more precisely, he missed what they had been.

  “A penny for your thoughts,” said a soft voice at his side.

  With a smile that came so easily in her presence, he turned. “A penny? Is that the best you can do?”

  Laughing and shrugging her shoulders, she confessed, “Sadly, at the moment, I doubt I could even do that.”

  Reaching out his hands, he took hers captive. “Then we will have to barter. Shall we say a kiss?”

  She reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

  His lips were still poised as she pulled away. He scowled. “That will only buy you a small portion of my thoughts.”

  “Then I will have to make a larger purchase when my guardians are not present.”

  They both turned their heads back toward the path leading to the mansion. Federic and Father Tom quickly looked away.

  “This feels oddly familiar,” Dane said, remembering the night they had shared outside the cottage.

  “Did you really think they’d let me come this far without protection?”

  “I should have realized.” Though the cliffs, like the yards, were well guarded and secure, the men behind them were no different than he. With Edeline, they would take no chances.

  Linking her arm with his, she leaned in against him. “I’ve been here before.”

  He bent his head to rest against the soft blond curls at his side. “Are you sure this is the place you remember? You were awfully young when you last stayed at the castle?”

  “I don’t mean as a child. And I wasn’t exactly here,” she said, pointing to the cliffs further north. “I was there.”

  Dane followed her finger to the cliffs from which they’d jumped, and by “they” he meant him and the future Edeline. The present day Edeline hadn’t been there.

  “Edeline, how can that possibly be?”

  She looked up and blinked. “It was a dream I had when I was being held at the mansion. But in my dream there was a forest right behind it.”

  He doubted strongly it was merely a dream. Choosing to ignore, at least for now, the unease which settled in his stomach, he pointed toward the northern ridge. “Ther
e was once a forest which ran right behind it. It’s where we hid that night.”

  Edeline shivered. “In my dream, it was frightening.”

  Dane couldn’t help but grin. “In my experience, it was the same.”

  “Perhaps it’s best that it’s gone,” she said, looking back to the sea.

  He followed her gaze back out toward the ocean. Its endless waters stretched far into the horizon, broken only by its sparkling waves and a few distant vessels. “Tell me about the dream.”

  “There wasn’t much more to it. I was in the forest, I could hear voices behind me, but what called to me came from the cliffs. It was a woman’s voice. She called me clear to the edge. I believe she wanted me to follow her into the sea.”

  “Into the sea!”

  Edeline laughed at his look of concern. Squeezing his arm tight, she quickly reassured him. “I don’t believe her intent was to harm me, though I’m not entirely sure what she was after.”

  “It was a vision.”

  “Yes, I believe it was.”

  “You’ve never had them before the mansion?”

  “No, never.”

  He took a deep breath. “I was told your uncle was a man of vision. He had the gift long before he took custody of the stone. By the way they spoke of him—he must have been an incredible man.” Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. “Not so unlike his niece.”

  “I fear you give me too much credit. I’m merely a girl with a stone that works as some kind of magical key. I was not specially selected because of any remarkable traits. I was selected because I fit the bill and was there.”

  “It’s not the stone which makes you special, Edeline. It’s your soul. With or without the stone, you are a beautiful woman inside and out. You have a giving heart, true compassion and a strength which might surprise even you.” He took her face in his hands and smiled. “Make me a promise.”

  She covered his hands with hers. “What kind of promise?”

  “Promise me you won’t follow any visions off a cliff.”

  Edeline wandered the long hall admiring the many paintings adorning its walls. Replicating work from the fourteenth-century renaissance period; most were depictions of faith, hope and promise.

  “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Father Richard asked, walking down the hall her way. “I’ve always been particularly partial to the period.”

  “I’m partial to it myself, and these really are quite captivating. It’s as if there’s more to the picture than what is visually present in the scene.” Edeline shook her head and laughed. “That sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it?”

  Stopping beside her, he studied the portrait. “Not at all. They speak of love. Love’s an emotion that takes us beyond canvas and oil.”

  “Yes, I believe that’s it.” Edeline turned from the portrait to face the priest. “I get the feeling this isn’t the first time you’ve seen them. Have you been here before?”

  “Oh, yes, several times through the years—usually for business, but occasionally for pleasure. I find the castle enchanting and the area charming.”

  “It is. If it weren’t for the circumstances, I’d feel like a princess in a fairy tale.” She looked once more up and down the hall. “I’m curious—how did the Knights Templar manage to keep the castle for so many years?”

  The priest grinned. “You forget, Edeline, the Knights Templar does not exist and hasn’t, to the world’s knowledge, for many centuries.”

  “Yes, but we both know that’s not true.”

  “No, it’s not true. It never was. In truth, it was both arrogant and naïve to assume such an order could be so easily dismissed and dissolved. The Knights Templar, even then, was a huge order, numbering in the thousands and filled with men built of strength and devotion. Of course they didn’t crumble and fall. They simply reorganized and refocused their efforts on their original plight—service to the Lord.”

  “How did they regain the castle?”

  “Most believed the order had, indeed, fallen. The castle, like many of the order’s properties, was pillaged and nearly destroyed by those looking for the treasure. Knowing the treasure would never be found, we stayed away for many years, allowing the castle to fall near to ruins. It wasn’t until the fifteenth century we dared return.”

  “And took claim?”

  “Sir Michael Barton purchased the castle under the guise of an investment. No one ever knew of his relationship to the Knights Templar. Similar transactions have transpired through the years, moving the title from one household to another and keeping the castle from falling under suspicion.

  “We are more than what you see here, Edeline. Our numbers are many, our members quite powerful. There isn’t a lot we can’t manage.”

  “How do you know the Dogs know the treasure is here?”

  “They at least realize it’s near, or there would have been no reason for them to take you back to fourteenth century France, nor would they have made such a desperate and brazen attempt to get to you at the airport. They know it’s here, and they know why we’re taking you to it.”

  “How do you think they found out?”

  “The Knights Templar is thick in France. I imagine it was not so very difficult for them to figure it out. Over the last twenty-two years, we’ve been particularly strong here in this region.”

  “Twenty-two years?”

  “Yes, we tightened our guard when we learned of your existence.”

  “Why?”

  “Even a locked door needs security when the key is dangling near.”

  “Will they try and attack?”

  Taking her hand, the priest wrapped it through his arm. “I’m surprised we haven’t seen them already,” he said, walking her back down the corridor.

  Edeline swallowed. “You say it so calmly. Doesn’t it scare you?”

  “We won’t lose, Edeline.” He patted her hand. “It simply cannot be.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “How can I not?” He stopped and swept his hand back toward the portraits so beautifully portraying the truth of God’s love. The man had amazing faith.

  “I wish I knew for sure it would work so easily for me. I fear this may be my life forever, with or without the power.”

  He stopped and turned to her, his eyes warm and full of compassion. “I understand why you’d feel that way. You’ve been through a lot, one terrifying ordeal after another. But I believe you will have your life back. Not only will the Dogs realize there’s no longer any point in taking or harming you, but they’re also about to have their priorities shifted.

  “When this is over and the treasure secure, the Dogs will be on the run and not only from us, but also their own. We’ve taken too many alive who are bound to talk. Those of high-ranking will move quickly to silence those beneath who know their names and ties to the Dark Army. It will take years for an organization like theirs to rebuild the strength and power they have today.”

  She closed her eyes and imagined the life she’d once had, and then imagined it with Dane. She smiled and opened her eyes. “I hope you’re right. I hope…” She looked back to the pictures. “I hope you’re right about all of it.”

  Rushed steps sounded from the stairwell near the great hall.

  Exchanging a brief glance, Edeline and Father Richard picked up their pace to hurry down the passageway. Neither wanted to miss hearing whatever news was in route.

  Two messengers emerged from the steps and into the corridor only a couple long strides ahead of them. By the looks on their faces, the news wasn’t good.

  Looking past them and into the room, Edeline noted the men were still all huddled around the large table near the west corner, looking over old maps of the caves.

  The two new arrivals stopped just inside the doors. “The caves have been infiltrated and the entrance sealed,” the older of the two men announced.

  Every head turned, looking their way.

  Elliot split from the huddle to walk their way. “How
?”

  “From inside.”

  “From inside?” Father Richard repeated, looking past the men at the door to the men inside the room. “How can that be? We’ve had the entrance well secured.”

  “It wasn’t our entrance they used,” said the younger of the two messengers. “They found another entrance.”

  “There is no other entrance,” Cole said. “We’ve searched high and low. There is but the one.”

  Raking his fingers roughly through his hair, Elliot sighed. “Yes, but we always knew we could build one. We just weren’t willing to take the chance and risk losing or harming any part of the chamber.”

  “A concern they wouldn’t share,” Dane said, stepping up beside Elliot.

  “I believe it’s safe to assume that’s what they’ve done.” Elliot let his hand drop to his side. “What we need to find out is how and from where? They wouldn’t use anything too powerful for fear of being caught, and anything less than explosives would take months, maybe years.”

  “They’ve certainly proven their patience,” Dane said, stepping around the men at the door and heading toward Edeline. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it reassuringly. “I’m guessing they’re waiting for us to find the entrance and join them.”

  “They wouldn’t bury themselves in the caves unless they were sure they could get out,” Elliot said. Turning his back to them, he walked back into the room and across to the window. Placing his hands against the walls at its sides, he leaned forward, peering out into the yards. “They’re waiting for us, all right, and whatever they’ve got planned, they believe it’s infallible.”

  A couple hours later, Dane stood in front of the same window staring at the distant cliffs and wondering what kind of hell hid beneath their unbreakable cover. The knights would be expected, and the Lord only knew exactly what that meant.

  All they knew for sure was that a frontal assault was absolutely out of the question. There would be marksmen and traps covering the man-made entrance. The route offered only one certainty—slaughter.

  The advantage had shifted and their opponents had the lead. They held the only access. They had plenty of time to plan. Worst of all, they had nothing to lose.