A Dark Guardian (4 page)

“Thank you,” she said and couldn’t believe she sounded so breathless, as if she had run to the gatehouse and back. “I’ll just go and change.” He smiled at her. “There is no threat of rain.” She stopped and gaped at him. “I’ve never known a man who would intentionally lie to Theresa. Every man I have ever known has fallen over themselves to gain her attention.”

“As I told you last night, my lady, I am not like most men.”

“So I’ve noticed,” she murmured and walked from the hall. When she stepped through the door, she found Roderick standing with John holding the horses. John was grinning like a lad who had been given a king’s ransom.

When she reached the horse John had selected for her, a gray mare that Theresa usually rode, she found Hugh beside her. Before she could open her mouth, he lifted her onto the horse.

His large hands had touched her gently and left a strange tingling running through her. He made her almost feel like a woman, something she had never felt.

Could this be what it was like to be Theresa? To have men doting on her? She knew they were just being kind, but their kindness meant more to her than they would ever realize.

“Aren’t you afraid of meeting the creature during the day?” she asked them.

They exchanged looks before Hugh said, “It only comes out at night.” She narrowed her eyes at them, suddenly suspicious. “How did you know that?”

“Like I told you, we hunt them.”

And

he

was
a hunter. Just to look at Hugh’s chiseled face and rugged features was to know that this man would conquer anything he set his mind to. He was a warrior, a leader.

With a nudge, her mare turned and cantered through the opened gate. She was a little taken aback to find the men surround her as they rode. She was used to being alone.

Always.

The ride to the ruins was pleasant. Had the circumstances been different, Mina could almost believe she was a beautiful lady being escorted by her faithful knights.

Almost. She wasn’t foolish enough to actually believe in dreams anymore. She was who she was. Nothing would change that.

The ruins came into view as they crested a hill, and she slowed the mare to a walk. Hugh stayed on her right and Darrick on her left. When she would have continued on, Hugh grabbed her reins.

“Hold a moment,” he said and then motioned with his hand.

She watched as Gabriel rode to the ruins and looked around. It was just a few moments later that they heard him whistle.

“Lead on, my lady,” Hugh said and released her reins.

She cleared her throat and nudged the mare, but the closer they came to the ruins the harder the mare fought to turn around.

“I don’t know what is wrong with her,” she said in exasperation. Sasha had never acted like this when they had come.

It wasn’t until she allowed the mare to turn away from the ruins that she quieted, but she still trembled. Mina dismounted and rubbed the mare’s neck.

“Leave the mare,” Hugh said.

“Sasha never acted like this.”

“That is because Sasha was used to this place. I doubt this mare has ever been here before.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Then why aren’t your mounts acting up?”

“They are used to the smell of evil,” Cole said as he dismounted and dropped his horse’s reins.

She watched Cole walk toward the ruins and found it difficult to swallow.

“Evil?” she asked and turned toward Hugh. “There is evil here?”

“Can’t you tell?”

She looked over the ruins. “I’ve come here many times over the years. Only once was I frightened, and that was the day the creature came.”

“Show me,” he urged her.

She left the mare with their horses and walked toward the ruins. There wasn’t much left of them. Just a few rocks standing as tall as the trees while others had been knocked over and laid on top of each other.

“A child’s imagination made these ruins into a castle of her own,” Mina said as she reached the first stone.

Hugh watched as she touched the standing stone gently. There was reverence in her touch, but that wasn’t what surprised him. It was the fact that the evil didn’t penetrate her.

To him and his men, the evil was so strong they smelled it not long after leaving the castle. There was more to these ruins than what the surface held.

He followed Mina through the stones that had once been an entrance. They found Cole staring at something on the ground.

“You found it,” Mina said.

Cole’s gaze jerked to his, and Hugh knew he had indeed found something.

“This is where the earth opened up and the creature came from,” Mina said when they reached Cole.

Hugh stared at the burnt patch of earth that was about two strides in width.

Around it in a perfect circle were flawlessly smooth bright blue stones. Those stones gave him pause. He stared at one of the oval stones.

“Mina, did you put those stones there?”

She shook her head, wisps of blonde hair with a hint of red gathered around her face. “Those stones were scattered throughout the ruins, and I took one back to the castle with me once, but it soon disappeared. I think someone took it.”

“You have no idea who?”

“Nay, I’m sorry.” She looked down at the burnt earth again and wrung her hands.

“Are Bernard and Theresa correct? Did I unleash that creature?”

“I don’t know,” Hugh answered as he stared at the ground.

“Hugh,” Roderick called out.

“Stay here,” Hugh told her and Cole as he hurried to Roderick.

Instead of walking around the huge stone, he jumped from stone to stone and landed beside Roderick. “What is it?”

“Trouble,”

Roderick

answered.

Hugh looked up and suddenly found Aimery before him. Whenever the Fae visited, it did mean trouble. “We’ve only just arrived, Aimery. Give us a few days.”

“’Tis not that,” the commander of the Fae army said. “It’s something else.” The haggard look on the face of the ever regal Faerie alerted Hugh. “What is it?”

“More creatures have been released.”

Hugh ran a hand down his face and leaned against a fallen stone. “What is going on, Aimery? We’ve been tracking these creatures for so long now that I have lost count.

Their numbers aren’t dwindling like ours. They grow stronger. Just how many more are there to be released?”

“I wish I had an answer for you.”

“We can’t leave here yet. There is more to this than we’ve yet to uncover.”

“You mustn’t leave until this is finished,” Aimery said. “Choose two men and send them on the next mission.”

Hugh opened his mouth to answer him when he saw Aimery’s gaze move over his shoulder. Hugh turned and found Mina staring at them.

“Can she see you?” he turned and asked the Fae.

Aimery gave him a droll look. “Of course she can. Invite her over. ‘Tis time we meet.”

Anytime the Fae said those prophetic words it brought a chill to Hugh’s bones.

“Leave her out of this.”

The intense blue eyes of the Faerie landed on him. “Her Fate is out of my hands.”

“Mina,” Hugh called without taking his eyes off Aimery. He smelled her fresh, clean scent as she approached.

“Aye?” her soft voice questioned.

He moved his gaze to her face and saw the doubt shine brightly in her blue-green gaze. “You have nothing to be afraid of. Aimery is a friend.”

“Who just appeared out of nowhere?”

He would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. Most people, when they saw a Fae, immediately forgot them because their minds wouldn’t allow them to believe what they saw.

“I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, Mina,” Aimery spoke, taking a step toward her. “You have shown much courage over the years.” Hugh almost groaned aloud, especially when Mina took a step away from Aimery, which brought her up against his chest. “Mina,” he said as he took hold of her arms. “He is a friend. Trust me.”

She stared at Aimery for a time before she finally moved toward him. Hugh dismissed the anger her absence brought. After all, no mortal could withstand the pull of the Fae.

Mina watched the stunning blonde man before her. Nay, stunning didn’t describe him correctly. There was something about him that pulled her to him. He was incredibly handsome, so much so that he was perfect. Everything was perfect, down to the shiny leather of his mid-calf boot.

He wasn’t human, of that she instinctively knew. But what he was she didn’t know. “What are you?”

“You know what I am,” Aimery said, his unearthly blue eyes intent on her.

“What am I?”

The answer came immediately to her lips, but she disregarded it.

“Don’t ignore your instincts,” he warned.

Her gaze drifted to Hugh who watched her just as carefully. “Fae,” she said and looked to Aimery. “You are of the Fae.”

He smiled, displaying even bright white teeth, and nodded. “Very good. You learn quickly.”

His praise should have boosted her spirit, but the silence of the men around her disturbed her. “What is going on?”

“These men, The Shields,” Aimery answered, “have been sent to destroy the creature that terrorizes your village.”

“I

know.”

“They work for the Fae.”

Now that did surprise her. “I don’t understand. Why do you not kill them yourselves?”

The Fae smiled sadly. “If only we could, but we have our own demons to battle.” He turned to Hugh. “Choose your men. I will return later with the destination.” And in a blink he was gone.

Mina turned toward Hugh. “You’re leaving?” The sudden apprehension of his departure frightened her in ways she couldn’t understand. “The creature still lives. You cannot leave yet.”

“Only two of my men will be leaving. They have another assignment.” He stood and held out his hand for her. “Now come tell me what happened the day the creature came.”

She didn’t hesitate a moment in placing her hand in his. His hand was warm and strong as it enfolded hers. She told herself it was just because he chose her over Theresa, but it was more than that. If she didn’t watch herself, she could find herself becoming besotted with him for the simple fact he paid her attention.

But she had to remember the real reason he was with her was because she was here the day the creature had come, not Theresa.

“What were you doing?” he asked when they were once again standing beside the burnt earth.

She pointed to the stone over his shoulder. “I was sitting there.”

“Doing what?” Cole asked.

“I come here for solitude,” she said after a moment. She hadn’t wanted to admit she came to escape her sister.

Hugh stepped closer to her. “Then what?”

“The sky became black as if night had fallen in the middle of the day.” She looked up at the sky. “I looked up at the clouds and then the earth began to shake. It knocked me off the stone, and it began to lightening so fiercely that I knew I would be struck.”

She stopped and wrapped her arms around her as she gazed at the burnt earth.

“When the lightening stopped, I heard the most awful, bone chilling scream. When I looked up, it was to see the creature flying towards the castle.”

“And that is all that happened?” Hugh asked.

She nodded. “After that I ran toward Sasha and raced to the castle. Since then we’ve been plagued by the creature every night.”

“How many has it killed?” Val asked.

“So many that I have lost count. The castle and village used to be full of people, but they soon ran for their lives. The ones that stayed have been picked off, one by one, every night.”

“I find it odd that in a month it hasn’t destroyed everything,” Gabriel said as he put his foot on one of the fallen stones.

She looked from Gabriel to Hugh. “What?”

“The creature’s mission is to kill off everyone in your village,” Hugh explained.

“Whoever is controlling it is keeping it from killing too much at once.” Gabriel turned and looked at the castle in the distance. “The question is why.

The creature could have killed everyone in a week’s time.”

“By the saints,” she whispered and slumped onto a stone.

“Then ‘tis time we put a stop to it,” Hugh said and gently touched her hand.

Hope blossomed in her heart. She raised her gaze to him. “Do you have a plan?”

“I always have a plan.”

Hugh looked over his men once they were inside his chamber. They hadn’t been separated since their first assignment, and he wasn’t happy about this. But he also didn’t have a choice. Mankind depended upon them, whether they realized it or not.

“Any of you wish to volunteer?” he asked.

All five of them stared at him and waited. It was just as he expected. None of them wanted to go, but they all knew someone had to. It would be up to him to make the decision.

The role as leader of The Shields had come upon him without him even wanting it. The decisions he made would affect them all for the rest of their lives, however long that might be. Truthfully, he didn’t want to send any of them. He should be the one that went, but as soon as that thought entered his mind it was replaced with the thought of Mina.

He gazed at his men again and took a deep breath. “Roderick, you and Val will take Aimery’s new orders,” he said. And as he anticipated, neither man disobeyed him.

“Aye,” they replied.

His chamber suddenly seemed too small. He longed to stretch his legs and walk around without carrying weapons hidden in his clothes or wondering when the next foul creature that Hell spat out would attack.

“Did Aimery say where we’re headed?” Val asked.

But before Hugh could answer Aimery appeared next to him. “You will be going to the future,” the Fae said.

None of them thought much about that. Hugh himself had been brought forward from 1036. Traveling through the realms of time was something that occurred often in their line of work.

Roderick rose from his seat by the hearth. “Where exactly?”

“To a place called Texas.”

That
got everyone’s attention.

“I’ve never heard of this place,” Hugh said. “In what realm is it in?”

“This one,” Aimery said. “Just nine hundred years from now.” Val whistled softly as he placed the dagger he had been sharpening back in his boot. “Then I suppose Roderick and I had better prepare. When do we leave?”