by Reese Rivers
The first thing I notice is a beautiful cushioned window seat with bright throw pillows dulled by dust. Beside it sits a small table with a china teacup on a matching saucer. I can just imagine my aunt sitting there while reading one of her history books. Turning away from the view I spot a dressing table with old pots of dried makeup and a hairbrush scattered across it. On one side of the table there’s a clothing rack filled with what can only be described as period piece costumes and on the other, the most gorgeous full-length mirror leaning against the wall. I feel goosebumps flash across my skin as I take in its stunning beauty. What looks like ancient runes twine around the frame, made up of crystals in every imaginable color. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they were real diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires but that would make the mirror worth millions of dollars.
I’m so in awe of the mirror that I can’t take my eyes off of it and I find myself stepping in front of it. My eyes shift from the sparkly frame to my reflection and I frown as I take in the wild red curls streaked with gold that hang to my waist and the tired, lonely eyes that have faint purple smudges underneath them. The only thing I’m happy about in my reflection is the kick-ass bathrobe I’m wearing and I have a moment to think how sad that is before I see my hair start to lift in a sudden breeze. I try and turn my head away to search for an open window I must have overlooked but find that I’m frozen in place. I can’t move a single part of my body. I see the fear bloom in my eyes as a rushing roar fills my ears and a silent scream chokes in my throat when a light so bright and white fills the mirror and I feel myself thrust forward where my body spins and tumbles out of control. The last thing that goes through my mind as darkness takes hold is…fuck my life!
Sebastian
We ride through the gates of the King’s gardens and leave Versailles in the direction the informant had pointed us. The wolves, Finn and Cade gallop ahead on their mounts, still young enough to be eager for the hunt. Luca and I keep a steady measured gait as we follow behind. In the millennia and a half that I have been alive, time has made me understand that there’s no point rushing anywhere. It’s always the same year after year, decade after decade. There will always be royal intrigue, crises, and wars to fight. Nothing ever changes. If not for my brothers in arms I would find a vault to lock myself away in and sleep away the centuries. As for Luca, it’s been over a hundred years since I saw him eager for anything. He’s only twenty some odd years older than the wolves but the way his human life was ended has left him scarred and hollow even after almost two hundred years. I often wonder if he hates me for turning him into an immortal. I scoff to myself, hate is the wrong emotion for the man riding beside me. It’s much too strong for someone who shows no emotion at all.
“I’m somewhat surprised Pierre didn’t know who is behind this latest threat to the King. Do you think he was holding back on us?” Luca asks. All traces of his Spanish accent lost long ago.
I lift one shoulder indifferently. “Does it matter? There will be another next week or next month and so on until the man dies and then his successor will continue in the same manner.”
“True. However, it seems to me that these assassination attempts are gaining in frequency. Would it not be more efficient for us to take out the root of the threat instead of constantly chasing after the men hired to do the deed?”
I send him a knowing look. “Come now, Luca, you can’t lock yourself away in your studio forever. It’s healthy for you to get out and feel your blood pumping from a good fight. Besides, at the rate you’re going there will not be enough space left anywhere in France to house your creations.”
He turns his head and sends me a bland look with one of his dark eyebrows raised. “That would make sense if health mattered to us or our blood pumped.” He turns back to the trail we are following and nods ahead towards the top of a rise where our companions have come to a stop. “It would seem that the wolves have found our prey. Let us join them and be done with this matter.”
Moments later we rein in our mounts beside Finn and Cade’s. The cousins are the polar opposite to Luca and me in both looks and dispositions. Where we are both dark-haired and stoic, rarely showing emotion, the cousins are both blond with their temperaments mimicking the playfulness of the wolves they shift into.
I look past them and shake my head at what I see, bored already.
“The eejits aren’t even trying to hide! An hour from the castle and they make their camp out in the open for anyone to stumble upon. Bloody hell, they probably won’t even put up a fight!” Cade complains, disappointed he won’t get a challenge.
I sigh in agreement but before I have a chance to nudge my horse forward down the slope to get on with it, a bright flash of white fills the air between us and the assassin’s camp followed by a loud crack of thunder. All four of us are blinking away spots from our eyes when a shout goes up from the camp. Finn is the first to recover.
“What the bloody hell is that?” He asks in surprise.
I narrow my gaze at what’s appeared but it’s Luca that responds in his bland way. “That is a woman and I believe she is vomiting. Based on the reaction of the men in that camp, I would say they weren’t expecting her.”
I feel a small surge of interest. “If whoever mastermind this latest plot has engaged in witchcraft, things have just become more interesting.”
All four of us loose our weapons. Luca and I our swords, Finn and Cade their bows.
Finn hums in the back of his throat. “Aye, witchcraft it might be but those men mean to attack the lass so she must not be on their side.” He turns to me with a grin. “Should we not intercede? Witch or no, the lass is outnumbered six to one.”
I watch the witch shove to her feet and face the six men running her way with swords drawn and tilt my head to the side in consideration. “No. Let us see how this plays out. It’s been decades since I saw a witch in action. We will have to deal with her if she successfully defends so best for us to know how strong she is.”
I hear a whine come from both the wolves but ignore them as I wait to see how the witch will respond to the attack. It surprises me when she casts off her cloak leaving her body clothed in form-fitting pants and a shirt that leaves her arms bare. Her stance changes and I see the form of a fighter in how she holds herself. We all make a surprised noise when her first move is a strange spin that results in her foot lashing out to connect with the lead assassin’s face. A drop and a roll have her coming to her feet with the downed man’s sword in her hands and we all watch in slight awe at the dance of her spinning, blocking, and hitting out at her opponents without ever using magic that we can see. When she’s down to the last two, she fights them with a berserker’s rage that shows in the savage jerky stabs and swipes, all the finesse of her earlier movements gone.
With the spell broken, I nudge my mount to head down the slope with the others following me. Closer now I can see the heaving of the woman’s chest and when she spins to block, the blankness in her eyes. Whoever she’s fighting, it’s not the two men in front of her. A vicious thrust from her has the second last man going down as blood gushes from the wound in his throat, his head only left attached by skin. The final man’s eyes are filled with terror as he chooses to throw his sword down, whirling to run away from the banshee instead of facing her in single combat.
“Finn,” I command and he lets loose an arrow that drives deep into the fleeing man’s back.
The witch stands with her back to us for a few moments and we can all hear her gasping breaths before she turns slowly on one foot to face us. Awareness slowly comes to her eyes as I study her. Even with blood and gore covering her arms, she’s the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I feel my cock twitch when I take in the strange clothing that molds itself to every curve of her figure. The partial shirt she wears allows her heaving breasts to display without shame. It’s been hundreds of years since I’ve last laid with a woman or had any interest in one but this witch has my fingers itching to touch. All the shad
es of red are represented in her waist-length hair. It ripples in soft waves and curls as the sun turns it into a living fire. Her cat-like green eyes dart from each one of us in confusion before she glances over her shoulder to the man Finn had dispatched and then back to us.
She zeros in on me and with a trembling voice asks, “What the fuck just happened?”
Eden
When the red haze clears I see a man running away from me. He only makes it a few feet before an arrow flies past my head and impales deeply into his back. His arms throw wide at the impact before he faceplants into the ground. I stand in place with my chest heaving and look at the slaughter I’ve just committed. There are five other bodies littering the ground and each one is covered in blood. I did this. Diesel’s words echo in my brain. I’ve not just hurt people, I’ve killed them. I’m now a murderer. This can’t be real. I must be dreaming or I’ve finally cracked up completely. One minute I’m in my aunt’s house on the third floor and the next I’m in an empty field puking my guts out with a pack of men attacking me with swords. None of this can possibly be real. If there was anything left in my stomach, I would be puking again at the carnage at my feet.
My eyes scan over the bodies again and land on the one who was running away from me. I know I sure as hell didn’t shoot him in the back with an arrow so I turn slowly to see who is behind me that had taken the shot. My eyes go wide at the four men on horses who are staring back at me. My brain has no problem ranking their extreme hotness as I look to each one in confusion. Seriously? Horses? What the hell is going on here?
I finally zero in on the one that just screams leader and ask, “What the fuck just happened?”
I hate having to look up at this guy. He has the sculpted features and smoldering good looks of a Greek god that tells me he’s either going to be a total playboy or arrogant as fuck. Yup, it’s the second. He does that one eyebrow lift thing that just screams “You must be an idiot.”
“It appears you’ve just done our job for us. Who sent you?” He asks in a cold arrogant tone.
“Huh? No one sent me. I…I think we need to call the police.” I stammer out starting to lose it.
When they just keep looking at me like I’m speaking a foreign language, I try again.
“I just killed five people! Can one of you please call 911?”
The second dark-haired man leans forward in his saddle. He has the face of a sweet angel and sad grey eyes with brown curls tied back at the nape of his neck.
“911? Is that a code for your master?”
I feel my body start to shake as I make a noise of confusion and frustration. Who are these guys and why do they not seemed to be bothered by what I’ve just done? I need answers, like where the hell I am and why did the guys I killed come at me the way they did? I finally turn to the last two, blond and smoking hot as well but at least I see some kindness in their eyes along with a hint of amusement.
“Where am I? I think I’m lost.” I plead for an answer.
A grin tugs at the lips of the one holding a bow with an arrow ready to be pulled.
“We’re about an hour from the palace, lass. Do you often get lost in your travels?” He asks me in a teasing tone with a panty-dampening Scottish accent that confuses me even more.
“Palace? What palace?” I ask incredulously.
“Versailles. Were you expecting a different one?”
The cute blond guy beside bow and arrow guy says with a laugh but nothing about this is funny to me. I gape at him in shock.
“France? Fucking France? How the hell did I end up here?” I practically wail.
I go to scrub my face to clear my head and that’s when I realize I’m still holding a sword. My whole body starts to shake harder when I take in the blood practically dripping off my arms. I throw down the sword and crash to my knees, staring at the evidence of my crime. I hear an exasperated sigh come from leader guy before he starts barking commands.
“Finn, Luca, go search the bodies for any sign of who sent them. Cade, assist the witch. We will be taking her with us. The King’s men will throw her into the lower levels for the inquisitors before burning her. I want some answers before that happens.”
The words, witch and burn register in the back of my mind but I’m going into shock staring at the gore dripping from my arms. A pair of muscular thighs encased in tight, fawn-colored riding pants tucked into tall boots appear in front of me causing me to blink up at one of the blonds. He cocks his head to the side and scans my face with a furrowed brow like he’s trying to figure me out before shrugging one of his broad shoulders. Blond guy, wait, leader guy called him Cade, so Cade pours water on a white linen handkerchief, who even uses those anymore, and proceeds to wipe my arms down as best as he can. My voice shakes when I try and speak.
“I…I th-think we really need to call the police. I…need to turn myself in.”
He looks at me with his twinkling, blue-green eyes as he finishes wiping blood from my face.
“Are you meaning the magistrate? The King’s watch? That would go very badly for you, lass. They will torture you for answers and then burn you at the stake. It’s best if you come with us and answer Sebastian’s questions. We will be much more forgiving of your nature than the King.”
My mouth drops open in disbelief and confusion. Last I heard France doesn’t torture or burn women at the stake and it’s been like centuries since it had a King. My heart starts rapidly pounding in my chest again at the creeping suspicion of just how fucked I am so I whisper,
“What year is it?”
Cade’s eyes narrow at the question but he goes ahead and wrecks my world with his answer.
“1667.”
I’m left sputtering in disbelief but am interrupted by the other blond hottie. “Here you go, lass.” He says as he holds out my bathrobe. “As much as I enjoy the look of you in those breeches, it’s best if you cover up with your cloak.” He tells me as his cobalt blue eyes track down my body in admiration.
“Cloak? Uh, right, my cloak.” I play along and snatch the robe from his hands and quickly slide it on. If these guys aren’t punking me and I’m really in 1667 then I need to get with the program right fucking quick. There’s like a hundred and one ways I could end up dead in this era, from drinking the water to the previously threatened burning at the stake. Down the rabbit hole or mental breakdown, I still feel like there should some kind of consequence for me killing five men beyond my own crushing guilt so I ask, “You shot the last one with an arrow, right?”
“Aye, although you did the bulk of the work for us.”
“Why? Why did you kill him? Who are, were these men?” I ask him with a catch in my throat.
“Och aye, lass, dinnae fash yourself about it. They were assassins sent to murder our King. They were bound to die today. By your hand or ours.”
I swallow some of the guilt choking me. It makes what I did somewhat better but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m now and forever will be a killer. I have a lot of questions but before I can ask any of them, sad eyes, Luca, strides past us calling out, “Riders coming!”
Leader guy, uh, Sebastian, merely nods from on top of his horse. “Finn, the witch can ride with you.” That earns a glare from me at being called a witch again but he doesn’t react to my death glare in the slightest, just nudges his horse to get it moving.
With one last probing look at me, Luca turns away and vaults into his saddle following after mister cold and frosty. The other guy, Cade, sits atop his horse waiting for us. I feel a hand press against the small of my back and glance toward Finn.
“Come, lass. Best we be gone before the watch arrives else you will have trouble this day.”
I take one last glance back at the dead bodies before swallowing hard and follow him to his horse. I don’t really have a choice. If what they say is true about what will happen if the King’s men take me, I have to go with these guys and hope I will be safe with them until I can figure out what the hell is going on.
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nbsp; He motions me to climb into the saddle first and even though it’s been years since I’ve last ridden I still remember well enough to get up and straddled on its back. A snort of laughter has me looking down at Finn’s amused face with a look of confusion. He shakes his head before vaulting up behind me. The way he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls my butt snugly against his crotch has me letting out a small gasp. It’s been forever since a man had his arms around me. As he gets the horse moving in the direction the others went, I feel his hot breath against my ear.
“Most ladies choose to ride side saddle but like your breeches, I much prefer this position.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes as I settle back against him cautiously. It seems men are players no matter what century they’re in. If I’ve truly traveled into the past, I’m going to have to tread very carefully and make some allies to survive here. Before my life turned to ashes a few years ago, I had an A-plus flirting game so I channel the old me and reply with,
“Well, I’m not a lady and I prefer ALL the positions.”
The choked noise that comes from behind me tells me I’ve hit the mark dead-on. Huh, good to know that twenty-first century flirting works in this one just as well.
The shock of what’s happened as well as the adrenaline starts to wear off and at some point in the ride, I must have fallen asleep. You would think that the crazy I was living would have me on high alert but apparently time travel, mass killing and being held by a pair of strong, warm arms really tuckers a girl out. I had bombarded Finn with question after question but only received grunts in reply to most of them. The only question he actually answered outright was who his King was. I was as relieved as I could be, considering, when he told me that Louis the fourteenth was the current monarch. Digging deep into my high school history, I realized that there were still a hundred or so odd years before the royalty of this country would lose their heads so that meant no revolution to live through for me. Not getting any other answers, the boredom of riding through forests and fields as well as the warm hard body cradling mine pushed me into sleep.
