A Dark Guardian (18 page)

She continued to hum as it had always soothed her. She heard movement behind her and thought it was a servant. She didn’t wish her thoughts to be disturbed, so she didn’t speak or turn around.

With her head leaned back against the tub, she closed her eyes and let herself dream of she and Hugh married and starting a family. She would be happy, cherished, and loved. She would have lots of friends and be a part of a true family.

[_In what realm are you living in? _]

__

She laughed at her own imaginings and sat up to begin her bath. That was the way it was with her, she always dreamed too big. She knew by now that things like that didn’t happen to people like her. This was her lot in life, and she had survived this long, she would survive once Hugh was gone.

She would have to.

The water stilled, and it was then she saw his reflection in the water. Her stomach clenched tightly as excitement unfurled within her.

She watched as his hand reached up and loosened her hair. It fell around her and into the water. His image distorted for a moment, and when the water stilled he was gone. She closed her eyes and fought the cruelty of it all. But when she opened her eyes he was once again behind her.

“I shouldn’t be here,” he said, his voice low and husky.

“Nay,”

she

whispered.

“I

should

leave.”

“Nay.”

His hands came to rest on her shoulders as he slowly turned her to him. His dark eyes sizzled with desire, and the ache between her legs began. Her lips parted as she dropped her eyes to his mouth.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he murmured as he lowered his head to her.

“’Tis such a sweet death.”

He smiled. “You only know a part of it.”

“Then show me the rest.”

“Ah, but you tempt me.”

She gathered her courage around her and stood. She watched as his eyes moved down her as the water dripped from her body.

“By the saints, woman, you are magnificent.”

“As long as you think so.”

His eye jerked to her face. “I cannot be here.”

“But you are.”

He reached up and touched her check, then moved his hand to the back of her neck. His touch was soft, but firm, as it scorched her skin.

She licked her lips and heard him groan. The boldness that had never resided in her suddenly sprang to life. She lifted a hand and trailed it from his throat down his chest to the waist of his trousers. How she wished he was as naked as she. She wanted to see every inch of his skin.

That thought was thrown aside as he drew her closer and closer and closer until their bodies touched, and he molded her to the hard planes of his body.

His mouth descended on hers, and his tongue delved deep and rapid as he kissed her as if he hadn’t kissed a woman in a hundred years. She tasted his hunger that only fanned the flames of her own desire. When his hand trailed down her back to cup her buttocks, she moaned and moved closer to him.

She couldn’t stand much more of this. She needed him. Desperately. “Hugh,” she whispered as she moved her mouth to his neck.

“St. Christopher,” he moaned and leaned her back so he could suck on her breasts.

Mina raked her fingers across his broad shoulders as his tongue scraped across her nipples. He straightened her and took her mouth again. This time she wound her arms tightly around his neck and let the fire of their passion consume her.

His rod pressed against her stomach, and she had the sudden urge to feel him.

The fact that she had almost died made her realize that she couldn’t stand in the background anymore, she needed to take what she wanted.

Before she changed her mind, she unwound her fingers from his hair and trailed a hand across his broad shoulders, down his thick chest and chiseled abdomen until her hand rested at his waist. She took a deep breath and moved her hand until his rod rested against her hand.

He gasped and ended the kiss. She looked up to find his jaw clenched and his eyes tightly shut.

“Mina,” he whispered as though he was in great pain.

She immediately let go.

“Nay,” he groaned. He opened his eyes, and she saw his yearning flare. “Touch me again. Know me as I have known you.”

It was all the encouragement she needed. Her hand once again found him and was amazed at the length of him, hot and hard, even through his trousers.

His mouth blazed a trail of tingling kisses along her neck as she continued to learn him, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to see him and touch him without clothes between them.

“I want to see you,” she whispered as she closed her hand around his manhood.

He moaned and pressed against her.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything…pressing.” Hugh felt Mina tense in his arms as he ended the kiss. He leaned his forehead against her. “’Tis not meant to be, love.” He turned and shielded her from Aimery’s eyes. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk.”

Hugh nodded and in a blink Aimery disappeared. He turned back to Mina to find her sitting in the water. He shook from his desire, and the flush on her cheeks and her swollen lips didn’t help him find the calm he needed. “I cannot keep away from you.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked as she nonchalantly rinsed her arm.

“For me it is. For you as well. I’ll be leaving here soon. You deserve more than that.”

“You mean if I’m innocent.”

He shut his eyes for a moment. “It isn’t my intention to hurt you. I usually have complete control over myself.”

She nodded and turned away from him, but not before he saw the tears in her eyes. He hated when women cried. Damn. He really hadn’t planned to hurt her, but it seemed that was what he was forever doing.

He sighed, wanting nothing more than to sink into her tight sheath and lose himself in her heat, but he knew that Aimery would only come if it was important. Hugh hurried from the chamber, his clothes and the bath forgotten as he went in search of the Fae commander.

Hugh stalked to his chamber where he was sure he would find Aimery. He wasn’t wrong.

“Sorry for interrupting,” the Fae said as Hugh shut the door.

“Nay. I’m glad you did. I had no business kissing her.” Aimery laughed. “You are a strong man. I’ll give you that, Hugh. But I know something you don’t.”

“What’s new,” Hugh murmured and leaned against the door not even bothering to ask what it was that the Fae knew.

“You can fight the demons inside you, and you can fight the creatures that roam this world, but you cannot fight lust…or love.” Hugh fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Over the years you have trained us, guided us and even helped us. Never in all that time have you given us guidance when it came to our own lives. Not even when that bitch I was sharing my bed with controlled the creatures. Why now?”

The Fae shrugged and ran his hand down the burgundy material that hung around Hugh’s bed. “Would you have listened to me had I warned you about that woman?” Hugh started to say he would but then stopped.

“I knew even then you wouldn’t listen to me,” Aimery said. “Now is not any different, but I thought I would give it a try.” Hugh raked his hand through his hair. “Just tell me if she is innocent. Tell me if she was with you.”

“I

cannot.”

“Cannot or will not?”

Aimery lifted a shoulder. “Take your pick.” Rage simmered just below the surface. Hugh fisted his hands and itched to wrap them around the Fae’s neck. “I don’t know why I bother.”

“None of that matters now. Have you found a way to kill the creature?”

“Mina designed a trap that I think will work.”

“Then I pray it does,” he said and disappeared.

Hugh blew a breath out of his mouth. He had a feeling Aimery had intentionally interrupted him and Mina, and frankly he owed the Fae a debt of thanks for that. He needed to focus his mind on the creature and the blue stone. Everything else needed to be set aside.

Mina bit her lip and looked into the mirror. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and fell nearly to her waist. She rarely let it down because it got in the way, but she liked the way Hugh played with it.

The pink gown she wore was a couple of years out of fashion, but she loved the way the soft material clung to her body and molded her breasts. She wrapped her newer braided leather belt around her waist and hips and let the ends fall down the front to her knees.

She raised her gaze and looked at herself. The pink brought out more of the red in her hair. She had never liked her hair much, but over the past couple of days she had paid more attention to it. When she was with Hugh she felt pretty.

“Ah,” she said and pushed away from the mirror.

Hugh had said it best. He would leave once the creature was dead, and she would fall into her silent world once again. She needed to put some distance between them and most of all she needed to keep from being alone with him. The temptation to taste his lips was too great.

She had always known she was weak, she just didn’t realize how much until he had come along. All those years of telling herself she didn’t need anyone was a lie.

Hugh had proven that. In the end, it would just be her, and she knew she could survive.

Gertie, her mother’s nurse, had taught her all she needed to know. It was time she remembered Gertie’s words.

With her resolve in place, she walked from her chamber and slowly made her way into the great hall. She ran her gaze around the hall and noticed that not many were about. It was midmorning and the people had returned to their homes.

She expected to find Hugh sitting at the dais, but he wasn’t there. Her stomach growled reminding her why she had ventured from her chamber. She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed some bread and cheese. She didn’t think her stomach could handle anything stronger.

The weakness from the night before still assaulted her, but she was determined to get past it. By the time she sat down at one of the tables, she was shaking from the exertion.

“You should be abed,” Gabriel said as he sat across from her.

“There is too much to do for me to stay there.” The corners of his mouth titled up in a smile. “Where is Hugh?”

“I thought he was with you. Aimery came to see him this morning.”

“He must be with him then.” Gabriel raised his hand, and she looked over her shoulder to find Cole walking toward them.

“Are you feeling better?” Cole asked as he sat beside her.

“Some.”

Gabriel snorted. “She’s going to make it worse if she doesn’t take it easy.”

“It won’t matter if we don’t kill the creature,” she pointed out. “I take it you didn’t find anything last night?”

“Nothing,” Cole said. “Hugh showed us the design for the trap. I think it just might work.”

She beamed at his compliment. “Thank you.” He smiled in return.

“So,” she said, “which one of you is to watch over me while Hugh is occupied.” Both men refused to meet her gaze. “Surely not the both of you?”

“Nay,” Cole finally spoke. “I have other orders.”

She turned her gaze to Gabriel. “You’re the one stuck with me.”

“I don’t find it hard to be around you, my lady.” She chuckled. “No one has called me that since my betrothed.”

“’Tis what you are, and they should treat you with that respect.” She cocked her head to the side and studied him. His silver eyes intrigued her.

She had never seen the like before. “I’m glad you all came here.” Cole excused himself just moments before Theresa entered the hall. She took one look at Mina and made straight for her. Mina sighed and waited for the verbal onslaught.

But it never came.

She looked up to find Cole escorting Theresa to the kitchens. With food in her stomach, Mina felt her strength return and rose to walk outside.

“I’m not sure that’s wise,” Gabriel said as he placed a hand on her elbow and walked from the castle by her side.

“’Tis a good thing you will be there to catch me if I faint then,” she said with a smile.

“Don’t even tease about that, Lady Mina. Hugh would have my head if he caught you in my arms.”

She laughed, thinking him jesting her, but one look at his stern features told her it was the truth. Never would she understand men. Her feet took her leisurely around the bailey. Where once it was filled with laughter and children playing, there was subdued silence and the threat of death on the air.

It pained her to see her home turned into this. “Why are the creatures being released?”

“That

is

something I cannot tell you.”

She had expected Gabriel to answer in such a way. “It must be a lonely way of life.”

“We don’t have time to become lonely.”

She snorted very unladylike. “Pigs wallop.” He

laughed.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh.”

“In our line of work, there isn’t much to laugh about, my lady.” She nodded and started to turn away when something on one of the castle towers caught her eye.

“What is it?” Gabriel asked and turned to see what had drawn her gaze. “It is only a gargoyle. They are meant to keep away evil spirits.”

“I know,” she said slowly. “They scare me.”

“Then it’s doing its job.”

She turned her gaze to him. “Hugh said the same thing.”

The day passed entirely too slowly for Mina. She caught glimpses of Hugh as he took Bernard and some of their knights to the forest to set the trap. She and Gabriel searched more of the castle, but discovered nothing, much to her frustration.

She found herself gazing out the windows to try and catch sight of Hugh when he returned. Both she and Gabriel became worried as the sun began its descent and Hugh had yet to return.

“Hugh will make you stay,” Gabriel stated as she braided her hair.

“Then he will be the one, not you.”

For the past hour, she had listened to Gabriel ramble about how she was still too weak to venture out, and a woman should know her place. She was becoming so annoyed she could pinch his head off or, at the very least, throw a loaf of bread at him.

“I’ll make sure of it.”