by Grant, Donna
Cole struggled to keep his eyes open. “We cannot return to the tavern. They’ll know it was us.”
“Not unless we get there faster,” Gabriel said as he bent down and picked up the boy. “Aimery.”
As quick as lightening Aimery stood before them. “You have news?”
“Nay,” Gabriel answered. “There isn’t much time. Cole is injured, and I cannot carry the father as well as the son.”
Cole leaned against the tree as Aimery’s gaze swung to him. With each breath that passed through Cole’s body, it became harder and harder to stay on his feet.
“I’ll get the boy and his father to safety,” Aimery said as he took the boy from Gabriel. “Get Cole back to the tavern. Quickly.”
“You cannot return the boy and the father to the village,” Cole said.
Neither answered him as Gabriel slung an arm around him and steered him toward the village.
“Move, Cole,” Gabriel ground out.
Cole did his best to stay on his feet. He forgot how many times he stumbled, the agony of his shoulder squeezing every last drop of his strength from him.
Suddenly, through the trees, he spotted the tavern. As his eyes closed, his last thought was of Shannon.
Chapter Sixteen
Shannon sat on her bed worrying over Cole and if he and Gabriel had managed to save whoever it was that had been taken. If she were a nail biter, her fingers would be gnawed to her first knuckle.
As it was, all she could do was sit and worry—something she was awfully good at.
She jumped off the bed when she heard the scratch at her window. There were only two men that would dare to come to her window, and she raced to discover if it was Cole or Gabriel, praying all the while that it was Cole.
Her heart fell to her feet like a stone when she saw Gabriel holding an unconscious Cole over his shoulders.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I’ll explain later. Help me get him inside,” Gabriel ordered as he struggled to shift Cole.
Shannon took Cole’s feet and lifted them through the window as Gabriel held his upper body. Once Cole was mostly through the window, Shannon situated herself where she was able to hold Cole up by herself while Gabriel climbed through. Her heart hammered in her chest as she feared Benton would crash through her door at any moment.
She had never realized how heavy Cole was, but she quickly forgot that as she spotted the arrow protruding from his back. Her throat burned with unshed tears as Gabriel took Cole out of her arms and laid him on his stomach on the bed.
“I’ll move him to his chamber as soon as I get the arrow out and decipher what poison was used.”
The room tilted around Shannon. “Poison?”
“Get me water,” Gabriel said in response. “Now,” he barked.
Shannon hurried to do as he asked, and once that was accomplished, he bade her get strips of cloth and hot water. She then stood and watched as Gabriel cut Cole’s vest and tunic away to reveal the wound.
Already the flesh around his wound oozed puss and had turned a nasty green.
“I’ve seen this before,” Gabriel mumbled.
It was music to Shannon’s ears. “Can you help him?” Gabriel nodded as he pulled out his black bag from his vest and unrolled it.
Shannon’s gaze was riveted on Cole and how deathly still he lay upon her bed. “I thought…thought Cole was immortal.”
Gabriel gave her a sharp look. “He is, but everyone can be killed by dark magic.”
“What a comfort,” she whispered to herself as Gabriel set out his herbs and then turned Cole onto his side.
When Gabriel reached for the arrow, Shannon held her breath. Her fingernails dug into her hands as he grasped the arrow and pushed it through until the arrow head jutted from Cole’s chest.
“Hold him,” Gabriel urged.
Shannon sat on the bed and held Cole against her, noting his usually tan skin had a paleness to it that frightened her. She had seen numerous wounds as an EMT in Chicago to know that this one was bad. Very bad.
Her stomach rolled as Gabriel broke off the head of the arrow and threw it to the floor. He then reached around and grasped the arrow shaft, and with one good pull, yanked it free.
She shifted her gaze from Cole’s wound to Gabriel as he mixed herbs and other unknown things together. He made one into a paste that he spread on Cole’s wounds and then wrapped a bandage around them.
“Lay him down,” Gabriel said as he turned back to his herbs.
Slowly, Shannon moved and let Cole lay on his back. She was about to ask Gabriel what he had planned when he turned to them with a mug full of some liquid.
“He needs to drink this. All of it.”
“All right,” Shannon said and waited. It took her a moment to realize Gabriel wanted her to get it down Cole. She licked her lips and reached for the mug.
Gabriel rose to his feet. “I’ll return shortly after I make sure no one is in his chamber. Make sure it’s down him by the time I return.” Shannon didn’t have time to blink before Gabriel was gone. She reached over and smoothed the hair from Cole’s forehead.
“I don’t like seeing you like this. You told me you were immortal, and where I come from, that means nothing short of hacking off your head will kill you.” She adjusted herself so that she sat closer to his head. After moving her hand under his neck, she tilted up his head, parted his lips, and put the mug to his mouth.
When she tried to get the liquid down him, it spilled out the corners of his mouth.
“No, Cole. Drink for me,” she said as she laid her forehead against his. “Please.
Drink for me.”
She straightened and again tried, this time some made it into his mouth, but more spilled out.
By now tears spilled from her eyes. She was going to fail, and because of her, Cole would die. Silently, she screamed at herself. She was an EMT, a person trained to save lives, but she wasn’t trained on magic and immortals.
She took a deep breath and dashed the tears from her face. Then she moved near Cole’s ear. “Listen to me, Cole. I am going to put this mug against your lips, pour the liquid into your mouth, and you’re going to swallow. I refuse to let you die on me.
Please. I’m begging you. I need you.”
This time, she sent a silent prayer to God to help her get the liquid down. But, before she put the mug to his lips, she gave Cole a light kiss.
She placed the mug on his lips, briefly closed her eyes, and then tilted the mug.
To her relief, he swallowed.
Tears of joy ran down her face unheeded. Each time that she put the liquid in his mouth, he swallowed. She didn’t know what had worked and didn’t care. By the time Gabriel returned, she had just finished putting the last of the liquid in Cole’s mouth.
“He drank it?” Gabriel asked, incredulous.
Shannon slowly nodded, drained emotionally and mentally. “You sound surprised.”
“None of us have ever gotten him to drink it.” Shannon chuckled and ran her hand down the side of Cole’s face. “I refused to give up.” When she looked at Gabriel, his stare unsettled her. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Actually,” he said softly. “You’ve done everything right. Let’s move him to his chamber.”
She jumped from the bed and went to the door as Gabriel picked Cole up over his shoulders just as a firemen carried victims. When they finally got Cole in his chamber and on his bed, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Hurry and return to your chamber,” Gabriel warned.
Shannon didn’t want to leave Cole, but she knew she must. Reluctantly, she backed out of the room and returned to hers.
* * *
Cole opened his eyes and found everything around him unfocused and hazy. He blinked several times and tried again. Slowly his eyes came into focus and looked around his chamber. By the light he could tell that the sun was just beginning to rise. Instantly, im
ages of the previous night flashed into his mind, including his wound.
Gingerly, he tested his shoulder and found it sore but nothing like it had been after he had been shot with the black magic.
“How do you feel?”
Cole allowed his gaze to move to the window where Gabriel lounged. “Like I was stampeded by dragons.”
Gabriel chuckled. “The poison used was the same poison given to Mina.” Cole vividly remembered how Mina, Hugh’s wife, had nearly died from the vicious black magic. “I owe you my thanks again.”
“No need,” Gabriel said and moved to the table where he reached for a mug.
“Time to drink.”
“You know I don’t drink that.”
Gabriel raised a black brow and stared at him. “You did last night. For Shannon.”
That brought Cole up short. “What?”
“I gave it to her to give her something to do while I dispatched of the guards around the tavern and inspected your chamber. By the time I returned, she had the entire mug down you.”
“What is in that stuff anyway?”
Gabriel grinned. “Let’s just say that it’s a bit stronger than the mug I gave you for your knife wound.”
Cole sat up and swung his legs over the bed. “Let’s hope it did its job since I know I’ll be receiving a visit from Gyles today.”
“No
doubt.”
“Did you happen to see who shot the arrow?”
Gabriel shook his head. “Wish I had. These men aren’t playing around, Cole. I think its time we did something about it instead of waiting on them.”
“And I agree. How did your disguise work yesterday?” Gabriel laughed. “No one suspected a thing. I discovered the town is terrified of the baron, and everyone knows there is something in the castle, but no one knows what.
What Shannon told you is correct. No one is allowed to leave the village.”
“Interesting.”
“Aye. By the way, I heard there was a man that might be able to give us even more information. I think I’ll pay him a visit today.”
“Get back here as soon as you can. After last night, I have a feeling the guards won’t wait until midnight.”
A roar split the air then, loud and long, as if all the fury of the realm was being released in that roar. Gabriel and Cole exchanged a look before Gabriel slipped out the window and down the wall.
Cole rose from the bed and saw his tattered tunic and leather jerkin on the floor.
Thankfully, being a Shield, the Fae took care of clothes in case something like this happened, which was quite often.
Sure enough, when Cole looked at the end of the bed, another tunic and jerkin awaited him. He stretched his arm as far out as he could, needing to know his limitations before they were put to the test.
He normally rebounded from a wound faster than this, but black magic had been used which meant there was no telling exactly what it had done to him or when he would fully recover.
His gaze caught the mug awaiting him on the table. Maybe Gabriel’s brew had helped, and if the guards attacked tonight, Cole was going to need to be healthy.
Gabriel had never failed them when it came to healing, but being immortal, Cole had left the mixtures to the mortals. Now, though, his mind had been changed. He picked up the mug and drained the contents.
It left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, but worth it if he was indeed fully healed by nightfall.
He unwrapped the bandage and saw the wound healing as it always did. Once his inspection of the wounds was done, he donned his tunic and jerkin, noting his ruined clothes had vanished, and made for the door.
Shannon had information for him she hadn’t been able to share last night.
Chapter Seventeen
Shannon hurried from one table to the next, Benton barking in her ears the entire time. She was exhausted from the night before and desperately worried about Cole. Try as she might, she hadn’t been able to check on him that morning. Every time she had tried to go up the stairs, Benton was there.
She had even attempted to catch Gabriel as he walked past the tavern, which had earned her a good yelling from Benton that nearly made her deaf. Her ears still rang from that encounter.
As she moved away from a table, she backed into someone. Silently cursing her luck, she turned, intending to apologize when she heard the deep voice that always managed to make her a puddle of goo.
“I beg your pardon,” Cole said, his voice low.
Shannon jerked, amazed to see him standing after the wound he had received.
She knew people stared, but she couldn’t stop the smile from showing.
“It was my fault actually. May I get you something to eat?” she asked, wishing they were alone so she could fling herself at him and kiss and lick every inch of him.
“Aye. I’m famished.”
She hurried off to get his food, eager for just a moment alone with him so she could see how he really felt. Her hand reached for the plate when Benton’s meaty fisted closed around her wrist.
Her gaze jerked to his. “What have I done this time?” she asked, not trying to hide the irritation in her voice. She wanted to speak with Cole, and Benton dared to detain her.
“I want you to find out what he is doing here. The Baron wants the information immediately.”
Shannon swallowed. “You want me to spy for you?” He nodded slowly. “Do you have a problem with that? Should I take you in the back and change your mind?”
“No,” she quickly replied. “I’m just curious why you are interested in him.” Benton’s gaze moved over her shoulder then back at her. “The reason is none of your business, wench. Get the information and you’ll be rewarded.”
“With
my
freedom?”
“Nay. You’ll be allowed to live another day,” he said and released her.
Shannon took the plate of food and rushed to Cole. “Don’t look at Benton,” she said as she sat the plate down.
“What did he want with you?”
She met his chocolate brown gaze. “He wants me to spy for him.” The smile that spread over Cole’s face made her knees weak.
“Just what I was hoping for.”
His words stunned her. “What? Are you nuts?”
“I have no nuts,” he said softly.
Shannon shook her head. “Are you crazy? Mad?” He laughed, the sound pouring over her like a warm blanket on a cool autumn’s day. His hand reached out and took hers. “This allows us to spend more time together.
No more hiding.”
“You wanted this.”
He nodded. “I had hoped the baron would ask for more information, and who better to get it out of me than the woman I stopped from a beating that first night I arrived.”
“Amazing.”
“I try,” he said with a wink.
She laughed, unable to stop herself. “So, what’s the next plan?” He continued to smile, but the light had faded from his gaze. “I need the information you were going to give me last eve.” She had completely forgotten about that. “Damn,” she murmured. “I cannot do it here. We need to be alone.”
“That can be arranged,” he said as he released her hand and reached for his fork.
“Tell Benton that I have requested you in my chamber in an hour.” As she walked from his table, she couldn’t believe Benton wouldn’t know she was really helping Cole and Gabriel. Could the man be that dense?
“Well,” Benton said as she walked to the kitchen.
She shrugged. “It seems our visitor has taken a fancy to me.” Benton snorted loudly. “That was obvious the first night he arrived. Did you learn anything?”
“Not yet. He has asked me to his chamber in an hour.”
“Make sure you’re there,” Benton said as he turned on his heel.
Shannon blinked. Acting had never been her forte. In truth, she had nearly failed drama cla
ss in high school, but somehow she had managed to pull off this little stunt. For now. The longer it continued, the more lies they spun, the trickier it would become.
If they wanted to escape with their lives, Shannon was going to have to be extra careful.
Their very lives depended upon it.
“Nothing like a little stress to keep me on my toes,” she mumbled as she picked up more plates to deliver.
* * *
Cole had counted the moments until it was time for Shannon’s arrival. He sat, he twiddled his thumbs, he paced, he sharpened his axes, and he even tried to sleep. Yet, it was all impossible.
