thoughts together. Darkness edged his vision as he succumbed to the healing draught.
Hugh and Cole caught Gabriel before he hit the floor. Carefully, they laid him on his side so Mina could administer the paste.
“So much blood,” Mina said as she wiped at her face with the back of her hand. “Are you sure we can do this?”
Hugh could well understand her tears. They had already buried one of their own. He didn’t with to bury another. Not Gabriel. “Aye. We have to.”
“What do we do?” Val asked.
Hugh turned to the Roman before looking to Cole. Both men were anxious and frustrated. “We heal him.”
“He’s supposed to be immortal,” Val argued. “I saw it with my own eyes in Scotland, Hugh. He should be healing by now.”
Cole stood and gripped Val’s arm. “Gabriel will be fine. If he healed once, he can do it again. Maybe there was something different about this Harpy. Hugh?”
He shrugged. “In truth, I barely paid attention to her. I was so rattled by having the Great Evil right there. He had Gabriel high up in the tree by the neck. All around us was this thick mist and the reek of evil.”
“Yet he didn’t hurt Gabriel.”
Hugh met Cole’s gaze. “The look on Gabriel’s face...it was pure terror. In all the creatures we have faced, all the evil men we’ve fought, never once has he shown an ounce of fear.”
Val shook his head and sighed. “Who knows how any of us would react if the Great Evil had us in its clutches.”
“He could have feared for Jayna,” Mina said as she lifted her hand, the thick, white paste on her fingers.
Hugh turned to her. “Jayna? Why do you say that?”
She spread the paste on Gabriel’s back gently. “For men who see great detail, you miss many things. Have none of you noticed how Gabriel rarely dines with us, and when he does, he never stays long?”
“Aye,” Cole said. “He likes to be alone.”
Mina sighed. “Nay. Each of you have found your mates. Each of you have love and happiness in your lives regardless of your pasts. Gabriel doesn’t have that. He doesn’t have anyone.”
“We are his brethren,” Val stated.
Hugh watched his wife smile sadly. “She’s right,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t have thought it to bother Gabriel, but it makes sense.”
For a long moment, he watched the rise and fall of Gabriel’s chest. The wound had been deep, but it shouldn’t have caused as much damage as it had.
“Do you think the evil could’ve taken away his immortality?” he asked softly. Val and Cole jerked their gazes to him.
“Nay,” Val answered first.
Cole shrugged. “It’s possible, I suppose. We all know he wants us and the women dead. He has gone to great lengths to do that. It could be why he went after Gabriel and not you or Roderick.”
“But Roderick is immortal as well,” Val said.
Hugh nodded sadly. “I need to speak to Aimery.”
* * * *
He smiled into the darkening skies. A storm was indeed brewing, and not just the one in the clouds. His plan was working out nicely, though he would have liked more time with Gabriel. He needed to speak with him, to make him remember the past.
To remember his promise.
He had been surprised to see Gabriel with Jayna and still alive. The little minx had been fixed on revenge for so long he naturally assumed she’d seek retribution as soon as she found Gabriel.
But then Gabriel didn’t remember her.
He laughed. How ironic. Jayna must have felt let down facing Gabriel after so long and he not remembering her...or the crimes he committed.
“But it won’t be long now,” he whispered into the air.
He gathered the mist around him. He had been angry when he’d first learned that Gabriel had joined the ranks of the Shields, aligning with the Fae. But it hadn’t taken him long to discover that Gabriel had lost his memory.
That’s when he’d realized just how wonderful everything could turn out.
Oh, he hadn’t wanted it to reach this far. He would
Hugh and Cole caught Gabriel before he hit the floor. Carefully, they laid him on his side so Mina could administer the paste.
“So much blood,” Mina said as she wiped at her face with the back of her hand. “Are you sure we can do this?”
Hugh could well understand her tears. They had already buried one of their own. He didn’t with to bury another. Not Gabriel. “Aye. We have to.”
“What do we do?” Val asked.
Hugh turned to the Roman before looking to Cole. Both men were anxious and frustrated. “We heal him.”
“He’s supposed to be immortal,” Val argued. “I saw it with my own eyes in Scotland, Hugh. He should be healing by now.”
Cole stood and gripped Val’s arm. “Gabriel will be fine. If he healed once, he can do it again. Maybe there was something different about this Harpy. Hugh?”
He shrugged. “In truth, I barely paid attention to her. I was so rattled by having the Great Evil right there. He had Gabriel high up in the tree by the neck. All around us was this thick mist and the reek of evil.”
“Yet he didn’t hurt Gabriel.”
Hugh met Cole’s gaze. “The look on Gabriel’s face...it was pure terror. In all the creatures we have faced, all the evil men we’ve fought, never once has he shown an ounce of fear.”
Val shook his head and sighed. “Who knows how any of us would react if the Great Evil had us in its clutches.”
“He could have feared for Jayna,” Mina said as she lifted her hand, the thick, white paste on her fingers.
Hugh turned to her. “Jayna? Why do you say that?”
She spread the paste on Gabriel’s back gently. “For men who see great detail, you miss many things. Have none of you noticed how Gabriel rarely dines with us, and when he does, he never stays long?”
“Aye,” Cole said. “He likes to be alone.”
Mina sighed. “Nay. Each of you have found your mates. Each of you have love and happiness in your lives regardless of your pasts. Gabriel doesn’t have that. He doesn’t have anyone.”
“We are his brethren,” Val stated.
Hugh watched his wife smile sadly. “She’s right,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t have thought it to bother Gabriel, but it makes sense.”
For a long moment, he watched the rise and fall of Gabriel’s chest. The wound had been deep, but it shouldn’t have caused as much damage as it had.
“Do you think the evil could’ve taken away his immortality?” he asked softly. Val and Cole jerked their gazes to him.
“Nay,” Val answered first.
Cole shrugged. “It’s possible, I suppose. We all know he wants us and the women dead. He has gone to great lengths to do that. It could be why he went after Gabriel and not you or Roderick.”
“But Roderick is immortal as well,” Val said.
Hugh nodded sadly. “I need to speak to Aimery.”
* * * *
He smiled into the darkening skies. A storm was indeed brewing, and not just the one in the clouds. His plan was working out nicely, though he would have liked more time with Gabriel. He needed to speak with him, to make him remember the past.
To remember his promise.
He had been surprised to see Gabriel with Jayna and still alive. The little minx had been fixed on revenge for so long he naturally assumed she’d seek retribution as soon as she found Gabriel.
But then Gabriel didn’t remember her.
He laughed. How ironic. Jayna must have felt let down facing Gabriel after so long and he not remembering her...or the crimes he committed.
“But it won’t be long now,” he whispered into the air.
He gathered the mist around him. He had been angry when he’d first learned that Gabriel had joined the ranks of the Shields, aligning with the Fae. But it hadn’t taken him long to discover that Gabriel had lost his memory.
That’s when he’d realized just how wonderful everything could turn out.
Oh, he hadn’t wanted it to reach this far. He would
Similar Books
