The Gabrielle Series Boxed Set Page 7

  She kicked her legs as though she were swimming through the air, trying to navigate through the nothingness. She cracked open one eye and could feel the tightness in her cheeks from the grin that covered her face.

  As she reached the other side and began her trip back, she released both hands from the rope, threw them in the air and yelled until her lungs were depleted of oxygen.

  “Push me again!” yelled Gabrielle as she came closer to Fionn and Heather.

  “As you wish!” Fionn reached out his arms to give Gabrielle the next push. He put more strength behind this one and as she flew back over the pit, he pumped one fist into the air.

  As Gabrielle began her venture over the pit for the third time, a pair of glowing red eyes peered at her from beyond the shadows of the forest. Gabrielle’s heart quickened, and she tried to scream out to Fionn and Heather, but they couldn’t hear her over their yells of excitement.

  She squeezed her eyes shut hoping that when she opened them the eyes would be gone. Rubbing the bracelet that sat around her wrist, she cracked one eye. A man with long white hair and red eyes was standing at the edge of the forest.

  His hands were crossed over his chest, and he watched her. Gabrielle flailed and twisted in her seat as she tried desperately to get away from him.

  Suddenly, her stomach leaped into her throat, and she was grasping at the air as she fell into the pit. Gabrielle pawed and reached, desperate to find something to grab ahold of when she was jerked sideways, and her head bounced off the dirt wall of the chasm. Her fingers tangled and gripped a large tree root. Her bare feet finding a small ledge, she dug her toes into the dirt as much as she could.

  “Fionn!” Gabrielle’s voice was hoarse, and her lungs were filled with dirt and dust. She looked up at the patch of sun that shone into the hole and saw Fionn and Heather looking back down at her.

  “Hold on, Gabrielle; I’m coming to get you,” Fionn’s voice was strong and sure, but his furrowed brow and contorted features gave him away. “We’ll be right back; we need to get more rope. Just hold on.”

  Gabrielle couldn't respond. Her body was frozen in place. She licked her cracked lips and closed her eyes. Just hang on until they get back. That's easy enough.

  CLICK.

  The sound forced her eyes open. She looked around the dark pit, but she couldn't see anything other than the root she was holding on to. She closed her eyes again as her heart pounded in her chest and her lungs struggled to get enough air.

  Tap. Tap. Tap... Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound was so distant that at first Gabrielle thought it was in her head. She squeezed the tree root in her sweaty hands and chewed on her bottom lip, tasting the gritty earth in her mouth.

  Tap. Tap. Tap… Tap. Tap. Tap. This time the sound was louder like it was getting closer. Gabrielle squeezed her eyes until black spots formed on the back of her eyelids and then she forced them open.

  A pair of swirling crimson eyes stared back at her only inches from her face. Gabrielle slammed her eyes shut again as she let out a blood-curdling scream and thrashed her body around as much as she could without letting go of the root.

  “You don't belong here. This isn't your world,” the voice was as clear as if someone were speaking into her ear. No, it was more like someone was speaking into her mind. Gabrielle smashed her body against the side of the pit and screamed, but no matter how loud she yelled, the voice was still in her head.

  “You don't belong here. This isn't your world.” It was like the voice was a recording set on a loop…the same inflection, the same words.

  “Gabrielle! Gabrielle! What’s wrong? What happened?” The sweet voice of Heather broke through her terror, and she threw her head up and looked out of the pit. Heather and Fionn stood looking back at her; their faces mirror images of each other's confusion. Gabrielle looked around, the eyes were gone, and the voice recording was no longer playing in her head. When she looked back up at her friends, Fionn was lowering down a rope.

  “Grab onto it, and I’ll pull you up,” he yelled down at her, his voice echoing off the walls.

  Gabrielle grabbed the rope and held on as tight as she could while Fionn pulled her out of the hole and back into the warm light of the forest.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Standing by the opening of the chasm, Gabrielle looked back at the spot where the white-haired man had been standing, trying to understand what was going on when a sound tore her from her thoughts.

  Standing at the bottom of the stairs was a man around Heather’s age with a look of panic on his face. Gabrielle recognized him as one of the men cheering Fionn on when he fought Samuel. His once excited face was now a picture of despair.

  For the first time today, the mighty man that feared nothing looked concerned. He glanced at Heather, who nodded as if they shared some invisible communication.

  With Gabrielle out of danger, Fionn pulled Heather off to the side and whispered something into her ear. Heather’s face went pale, and Gabrielle grew sick in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong.

  “There is trouble back at the village, Gabrielle.” Fionn’s voice was stern as he took control of the situation. “Heather and I have to go back to the village. I need you to stay with William and listen to whatever he tells you. He will keep you safe should anything happen.”

  “What’s happening?” demanded Gabrielle, feeling the fear she saw in Fionn a moment earlier growing deep inside her.

  “Worry not and listen to William. We must tend to something.” Fionn gave Gabrielle a serious look. “Promise me you won’t do anything foolish, little one.” He turned her to face him, picked her up, hugged her, and kissed her on the top of her head.

  “I promise,” Gabrielle mumbled under her breath. He put her down as Heather kissed the top of her head and ran her fingers through Gabrielle’s tangled mass of hair. Heather and Fionn looked at each other as if this was a tragic goodbye. The lovers wrapped their arms around each other and exchanged a passionate kiss as though they would never have the pleasure of such a kiss again.

  Fionn picked Heather up in his arms and squeezed her, causing the black ink of the tattoo on his arm to dance as his muscles flexed. He put Heather down, and the two looked at Gabrielle then ran back toward the direction they came, leaving her and William in a soundless and awkward moment.

  Silence suffocated the two as they stood next to the giant pit with nothing penetrating the void but the sound of running water. William had fiery red hair like Gabrielle’s, and although he looked to be strong, he had nothing like the muscles visible on Fionn. He was sweating from the run and still panting.

  “What’s going on? Is it the man with the red eyes?” Gabrielle’s patience was thin, as she hated not knowing what was happening around her. William stood sheepishly staring at Gabrielle for a moment then sighed.

  “They came back for Heather. We thought it was over with the last girl, but they insist on having your sister. They came to the fields with soldiers. They won't leave until they see Heather.” William was nonchalant, as though none of this shocked him.

  “Who are they? What do they want with Heather?” Panic in her voice rose with each question. William didn’t answer; he just stared at her in silence.

  Something was happening in the fields, and Heather was in danger. There was no way she was just going to stand there with William until it was all over.

  “With any luck, we can persuade them not to take her. Fionn intends on stopping them, but remember what happened to the last guy who tried to protect the girl they chose...” William trailed off and shook his head, looking down at the ground, as if it would reveal all the answers.

  Gabrielle felt a chill come over her and her mouth went dry. I have to go.

  Without warning or hesitation, she spun around and ran back toward the fields. William let out a startled yell and bolted after her.

  Imitating Fionn, she jumped down the stone steps, landing hard at the bottom and rolling. As she came to a stop, she found herself on her f
eet, and she looked back at William, who was rushing to catch up.

  He tried to run the steps rather than skip them and fell, bouncing hard on each one as he rolled. He landed at the bottom on his back and let out a stressed exhale. Gabrielle froze in her place and stared at William, wondering if she should stop to help him.

  CLICK.

  The sound echoed in the silence, and she shot a glance at the silver piece of jewelry that wrapped around her wrist. Taking this as a sign, Gabrielle turned away from William and headed as fast as her legs would carry her toward the fields.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Gabrielle found that in her panicked state, the ground didn’t bother her bare feet as she stepped on small stones and branches. As she ran, it looked like shadows were following alongside her. Gabrielle stole a glance toward the trees and saw several pairs of red eyes keeping pace with her as she ran through the woods.

  Gabrielle thrust her body faster, pumping her arms by her side and pushing her feet harder into the rough ground. When she came to the creek — which now looked much larger and more daunting — she didn’t slow as she leaped into the air.

  She fell short and slipped backward, landing in the water. With determination, she forced herself up. Whipping the speckles of mud that landed on her face, she pushed herself forward.

  I must get to Heather and Fionn. I have to help.

  The reality of her circumstances overcame Gabrielle as she ran through the wooded paths ahead of her. Unsure why she felt so scared for her friends or why her heart hurt with such foreboding and concern, she pressed forward.

  She could swear that her bracelet was burning hot, but with the shadows in the trees and the icy chill that ran down her spine, she wasn’t sure if that was the case, or if it was her panic playing tricks on her.

  Her legs burned, her lungs felt like they would burst at any second, and her feet were numb, yet she carried on until she could see the sun through the trees. Relief washed over her as she grew closer to the opening. The bright sun poured through the edge of the woods, and she could almost feel the heat of its rays on her face.

  In the distance, Gabrielle could hear the rumble of people. She pushed herself harder, pulled by the need to reach the end of the forest. Just as she was feeling the warm sun on her face, something grabbed her from behind and wrapped itself around her, pulling her to the ground.

  Gabrielle and her captor rolled over and over. Hands and feet kicked, grabbed, and clawed at one another as she attempted to free herself with all the energy she could muster until they came to rest against a tree a few feet from the field.

  Gabrielle banged her head on a protruding root, and her vision blurred as she fought to free herself from the monsters. She flailed her arms, hands hitting at everything in her reach as if her life depended on it. The salty taste of sweaty flesh saturated her lips as a hand pressed down on her mouth to silence her. She stopped struggling as her vision cleared, and she saw that it was William that sat atop her.

  Not the monsters.

  “Quiet!” he whispered, bringing one finger to his mouth in a silencing gesture. “If you're seen, it might mean the end of you and me both. Calm down! Nothing bad has happened yet.” William’s rough voice was the sweetest sound in the world. Not the monsters.

  “If you follow me and stay quiet, I will take you to where you can see what is happening. If I will remove my hand from your mouth, will you stay quiet?”

  Gabrielle nodded her head in a silent ‘yes’ and William removed his hand, poised to replace it if she screamed. Gabrielle looked up at him through tear-blurred eyes.

  “That’s better. Now, follow me and do whatever I tell you. If something happens, I want you to run as fast as you can back to the pit so you can be safe. We will find you when all of this is over.”

  The pit isn't safe, Gabrielle thought as she rose into a crouch next to a tree and began to walk across the tree line, placing one foot in front of the other, so she was just out of the sunlight.

  After a short distance, William stopped and looked over his shoulder at Gabrielle and again gestured for silence as their heading changed from along the tree line toward the open field.

  He got on his hands and knees and motioned for her to do the same. Together, one right behind the other, the two crawled to a large tree that was half bathed in sun.

  Gabrielle placed her hands and knees in the divots that William left so she wouldn't make any unnecessary noise. Stopping behind a tree, she could hear voices.

  As she squinted and let her eyes focus in the light, trying to keep hidden behind the tree, Gabrielle could see a large group of men forming a crowded circle, and a set of soldiers standing at attention.

  Fionn and Heather stood at the front of the crowd talking with someone. He had no armor or weapon, so she knew he was not a soldier. As she squinted in the light, she could see Fionn’s face red with fury. The eyes from one group to another burned furiously in the sun as disdain and pure hatred flow freely between the gathered mass and the stationed regiment.

  “—you wish to deny the lord his right, peasant?” the leader demanded, unshaken even thought Fionn was twice his size and less than half his age. The stale sense of self-righteousness and entitlement hung from every word the man said as his arrogance filled the space between them.

  Fionn ground his jaw and tightened his hands. His chest swelled, and his face reddened. His eyes were a lifeless black, and Gabrielle knew if they could speak they would only say one thing: murder. Gabrielle brought her gaze to Heather, who was hiding behind Fionn, a look of sheer terror marring her beautiful face.

  “Right to what, exactly?” demanded Fionn, unshaken by the soldiers before him. His fists were clenched so that his fingers were void of all color. He took a slight yet intentional step toward the threatening man, establishing himself as a reckoning force.

  “I can tell you it was not a right we gave him, nor one that God gave him!” Fionn turned his head, as though to address not only the man but the entire crowd.

  Gabrielle wriggled herself forward and leaned to the side so she could get a better look at the faces of the soldiers.

  The man speaking with Fionn smiled, a jagged grin stretching from one side of his wicked face to the other. He seemed amused at the way Fionn was acting; like he knew he’d won the argument already and he looked past Fionn to Heather.

  “What have you to say on this matter? Do you wish to stay amongst these… animals?” he asked as he gestured to the crowd that stood behind them. His high-pitched voice reminded Gabrielle of a weasel or small rodent. The mass of villagers shifted but didn’t speak up in their defense.

  “Has Lord James not taken a kind liking to you? Have you not been offered a life of luxury?” The man’s face reddened as he became more and more irate.

  “I see you are not wearing the gift he sent to you—” The man gestured at Heather’s wrist with a jagged finger as he tried to control his anger at her betrayal. Gabrielle looked down at her wrist and wondered if he meant the silver bracelet that Heather had given her as a gift.

  This is only a dream, she reminded herself as she shook the cobwebs from her mind. Alexandra gave me this bracelet, not Heather. As her eyes traced the silver engraving on the bracelet, her mind fogged and she felt a welcoming calm. The love she had for these people was real, dream or not.

  “A kind liking to me?” Heather’s voice pulled Gabrielle back to reality. She stepped out from behind Fionn, a new fury burning within her.

  “What? His kind offer for me to live with him in his castle and be his little love slave? He could not be proposing marriage since it is not as though a noble could ever wed a commoner. THIS is my home you disgusting little rat!” Heather pushed forward until she was nose to nose with the leader of the soldiers.

  With an elegant cock of her head, she spat at him, hitting him in the face. He didn’t strike back as Gabrielle expected; rather, he wiped the moisture from his eyes and continued as if it had never happened.

&n
bsp; “Ah, but is that not a better life than living in the squalor you live in now? Would you not at least have a better life in the castle?” The man chuckled as though Heather were a spoiled child having a tantrum.

  “What of the last girl your Lord took for his own pleasures? Was she not later found in the woods, cast out as though she were waste? Skin and bone, as though she had not eaten in weeks, and covered in bruises! Did she have a dream life living as a concubine to that bastard?” Heather’s voice quivered and stabbed through the air like a dagger into flesh.

  With a serpent's grin, the man stared at her as though he had already won the fight and only waited for his moment of victory.

  “Well, she was an — unfortunate situation, my girl. We did what we could with her, but some just can’t learn their place. My Lord was only ever kind to her. She couldn’t be helped.” His weasel voice irritated Gabrielle’s ears, and she had to resist the urge to cover them with her hands.

  “I can make you a promise,” Fionn interrupted, “the only further ‘unfortunate situations’ to happen in this county will happen to you and your Lord if either of you attempt to touch this girl, or any other, ever again!” His rage was so great that with each word, he inched closer to the man.

  Heather was grabbing onto Fionn, trying to stop him from enraging the weasel man. Fionn was the strongest man Gabrielle had ever seen, but even he couldn’t take on the force of several armed soldiers. The weasel man chuckled and looked over his shoulder, waving down the guards as they went to retrieve their blades from their sheaths.

  Gabrielle’s heart beat so powerfully in her chest she thought it might burst out right here in front of her. He turned to face his soldiers — giving a slight nod — and then brought his gaze back to Heather. His demeanor changed from anger and frustration to calm and in control, which was much more frightening than reassuring.

  “Well, it seems you have made your decision. I regret that for it will not please my Lord. I was instructed to come and claim you and not to return without your accompaniment. What do you think I should do with myself now?” The man turned and tapped the soldier in front of him, giving him a nod and then rotated back to face the large crowd of spectators.