Chasing Shadows (49 page)

“For a quiet man, you’re pretty good with your words,” she murmured. The back of her fingers brushed over the length of his hand, stroking over his scraped palm and fingers and then back again. The mechanical motions seemed to soothe her. “Does it still hurt?” her voice was barely above a whisper. She was fading quickly, and he knew he would be soon to follow.

Will closed his eyes, not too far gone to smile to himself. His answer was truthful. “Not anymore, love.”

****

Someone was inside his house.

Will’s heart rate was up before his eyes snapped open. It took him a moment to blink away the sand and even longer before he got his bearings. Though it was too dark to see clearly and only a faint, deep blue slice of light cut through the gap in the shutters, he saw enough to remember that he was not in his house at all. The fire had died sometime in the night and only an occasional hiss or crackle popped faintly from the inactive pile of ash and wood.

Shifting to relieve the numbness in his backside, he realized what his chin had been resting on. Sarah’s limp arm was slung over his waist, her head tucked securely against his chest. Even in sleep, he had not loosened his hold on her, and pinpricks shot over his shoulder after so many hours clutching her to him.

With a grimace, he rotated his shoulder, careful not to disturb her. But she was sound asleep, breathing heavily.  

Will suddenly recalled the sound that had woken him and let his gaze wander the room, feeling more alert. A shadow moved from the kitchen and into the main room. He made out the sturdy build and stock of red hair and relaxed his position.

Sneaking by on his way out the door, Seth looked over at them, and Will caught a flash of teeth in the darkness as the man grinned. He took in the sleeping woman. “Saddle sore?” he whispered.

Stretching out his legs, Will resisted a groan as the blood returned to his limbs. Sarah’s hand twitched against his stomach in her sleep, and then he reminded himself that a sore backside wasn’t quite so bad. He thought about sending Seth on to his morning work so he could get another hour of rest, but he was too alert to fall asleep again.

With a finger at Sarah’s head, Will nodded toward the pallet in the corner. Soreness aside, he felt far better than he had last night, but all his strength had yet to return to him. Seth understood and crouched down, gently taking the sleeping woman into his arms. Forcing aside the unnecessary pang under his ribs as Seth cradled her against his chest, Will rose, using the wall for support as the blood rushed from his head down to his feet to offer assistance.

Laying Sarah down on the pallet, Seth retreated a step and allowed Will to lay the blanket over her. He couldn’t resist stroking back the tendrils that had fallen over her face, which had regained some of its color. Crouched beside the mattress, his mind wandered to the previous day, summarizing what they had discussed. She had said the physician was going to be executed
this day.

Her lips were parted, breathing deeply in oblivion. She looked so innocent and peaceful as she slept. Though she hadn’t yet realized, Will knew that if she was the last person to openly suspect Cadius’ involvement in the king’s death—and many others—then she was in immediate danger. That was, if he couldn’t save the only other witness.

Standing, he took Seth aside. Keeping his voice low, he said, “I need to go.”

“You’ve hardly had a full night’s rest,” Seth protested quietly. “And how will she take your leaving at dawn without a word?”

“It’s because of Sarah that I need to go.” At Seth’s confused frown, he explained, “She is involved in something, and I have to intervene to protect her. It’s difficult to explain just now, but I give you my word that I will when it’s safe.”

Seth looked unsure. “You realize both she and Karen will pummel me when they realize that I let you run off headlong into danger.”  

Will frowned, knowing he was right. “Then don’t tell her why I left, just that I had to do something and it couldn’t wait.”

“That’s hardly vague,” Seth replied sardonically.

“Please, just do this for me. I can’t wait any longer. I know she’ll be upset when she wakes, but tell her I will be back and that I’m sorry I had to leave.”

Seth was silent for some time, mulling this over. Twice his eyes darted to Sarah’s sleeping form, and Will could almost see his train of thought: If she was awake, Will would not have the heart to leave.

But then Seth released a heavy breath. “Fine. But come back in one piece.” He stooped down by the fire and came back to Will, handing his coat over. “Found this in the barn last night and had mother dry it out for you. And take one of the mares; I can pick her up from your stable later.”

Gratefully, Will accepted the coat, slipping it on quickly. “Thank you.” He clapped Seth’s shoulder. “Don’t let her walk home alone. And keep her safe while I’m gone, will you?”

Seth’s face was serious when he looked at Sarah lying there. “Of course. You know I care for her, too.”

“That’s why I’m coming back,” Will replied dryly.

The bewildered expression on Seth’s face quickly turned into an amused smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “No worries there, friend.”

Will thought of the redhead and recalled his friend’s interaction with her last night, and he knew there was nothing to concern him. Will nodded and turned to leave.

“And try to stay out of trouble if you ever want to see me alive again.”

Feeling humor twitching his mouth, Will said, “When have I ever sought out danger?”

Seth’s gentle chuckle followed him out the door.

~Chapter 42~

Frosted air bit against his face and hands as he galloped across the cobbled streets, pushing the mare harder with the intent of completing his task before the sun rose; the animal’s hooves pounded against the stones in a rhythmic clicking sound that wouldn’t long go unnoticed. The town was still immersed in darkness and shadows, but he didn’t have much time before light revealed his unwanted presence. A hurried trip to his cabin for rope and his bow had taken longer than he liked, and he had no time for stealth now.

Slowing his mount’s pace abruptly, Will slipped from the saddle in a fluid motion before the horse had jerked to a halt. He wrapped the reins around the hitching post in front of the livery; he would put her inside later for Seth to find.

Four guards were posted at the front gate, and more to the side.
A bit excessive,
Will thought warily.

He moved through the streets at a clipped pace, half-crouched to avoid being spotted if any early-risers or shopkeepers happened upon his path. Picking his way down a side street, the passage opened and he immediately spotted his vantage point on the wall surrounding the castle. The execution yard was on the other side; they would have taken the physician from the tower last night and kept him nearby for easy retrieval.

Hoping memory served him correctly, Will narrowed his eyes at the balistraria—the long and tight arrow slit on the upper portion of the wall, just below the crenellations. He raised his arm, aiming his bow and releasing the chord in a practiced movement that felt as familiar to him as breathing. The arrow sliced into the long and slender notch in the stone, slipping through to the other side.

Will stepped on the end of the rope to stop it from uncoiling entirely, tugging on it until the arrow caught. Though his muscles had not yet fully recovered, he concentrated on scaling to the top and found the familiar pull and strain beneath his skin focused his mind. With his feet planted against the wall for support, he climbed quickly and landed in a crouch on the other side. No guard.
Convenient.

Hoping the length of rope dangling against the outside wall would not be discovered, he moved quickly along the walk toward the stairs. Instinctively, his eyes roved the courtyard and the top of the wall. His steps faltered, and he was instantly filled with suspicious dread.

At the highest point of the wall, the upper portion of the gallows reached out like an extended arm over the courtyard. The noose hanging from it was stretched tight around the opening of the sack draped over the man’s head, hiding his face from view as his body swayed in the gentle breeze. He was positioned high enough that the limp body was above the shadows of the courtyard, swaying in the barest light of morning.

Without edging forward, Will could perfectly make out the man’s slight build, his once noble clothing soiled from the dungeons.

He was too late.

Will’s eyes roved the body out of habit, searching for some sign of life, a twitch of the foot or movement of any kind. He felt a sinking in his gut when he acknowledged that it was useless: The physician had been effectively silenced.

But how could that be? His execution was scheduled for this evening. The only reason for moving the time of the hanging in secret was if they were concerned of interference from the townsfolk, or if they wished to draw as little attention to the application of justice as possible.

Will’s hand balled into a fist around his bow. Of course. It all made sense now—the secrecy, Gabriel’s death, destroying the evidence in the woods. It had been clear to him before that they were tying up every stray end in this little charade, whether a viable threat or not, but they were also trying to remain reticent while silently eliminating key players. It was clandestine deeds like this and the utter lack of respect for life that concerned Will.

Whoever was involved was desperate and willing to do anything to keep their baleful character immersed in shadows.

A terrible thought struck him, and Will felt his worst fears swaying from the noose along with the dead man. Now that the physician was no longer a threat, how long would it be until the guilty party focused their attention elsewhere? Did they already suspect Sarah? He prayed that wasn’t the case. However, the murderer would not remain ignorant of her suspicions for long, and she was in grave danger if she was the last remaining soul to speak out against him.

Suddenly, the absence of a guard on the wall made sense: with the deed done, he was more than likely assisting the other guards in preparing for retrieval of the body.

As if on cue, three guards entered the courtyard, one pushing a flat cart before him. Will dove into a low crouch, listening to their heavy boots clomp over the stones. He held his breath as one set of boots moved up the stairs, each footfall echoing faintly through the stone wall to reach his ears.

The guard appeared at the top of the stairs, and Will shrank back, his senses on high alert. He breathed a little easier when the man moved away from him along the wall to reach the physician’s body. Bracing himself, the guard detached the length of rope from around a weight that sat at his feet. With a grunt, he allowed an inch of the rope to slip through his fingers at a time.

From his vantage point, Will watched with a twisted stomach as the body jerked downward, the rope slithering around the wooden posts that made up the execution stand.

“So what do you make of last evening?” Will recognized the voice coming from below and dared to raise his eyes above the ledge. Two guards stood with the cart in the courtyard, keeping close to the wall as the body was painstakingly lowered to them.

“Strangest thing I’ve ever encountered,” came the reply. Will hadn’t seen much of their faces the night before, but he instantly placed the voices as belonging to the guards who had discovered Gabriel’s body in the woods. “I haven’t yet inquired about Taylor. Thought it best to do that later, though I’m still not sure. . . .” His voice faded with doubt. Will’s pulse quickened.

“I understand your hesitation about his guilt, but I’ll go along. Never can be too careful, not with all this secrecy going on.”

One head bobbed in the semi-darkness. His voice lowered, and Will strained to catch his words, spoken grimly. “Seems a lot of things are happening in secret lately.”

The physician’s body reached them, and they hefted it into the cart with a dull
thunk
. They loosened the noose from around his neck, and one of them motioned for the guard above to drag the rope back up.

“Best not to ask questions unless you want to end up like him,” the other guard muttered as they wheeled the body away.

The remaining man was pulling the noose back up to the top, and Will took the break in his attention to slip across the walkway and throw himself over the outside ledge. He slid down the rope, ignoring the burn against his raw palms, and dropped onto the ground. Feeling a knot of dread in his stomach, he ignored the tell-tell rope and arrow still trapped in the wall. He left them behind as he ran for home, pumping his legs to beat the sun as it rose over the eastern hills and forcing himself to acknowledge the fact that Sarah wasn’t the only one in trouble.

They were both in their sights now, but Will fully intended to keep her out of the crosshairs.

****

Sarah roused from sleep. Narrowing her eyes tiredly, she squinted against the shaft of soft light that fell perfectly over her face. The way it caused her head to ache, it might as well have been a spotlight shined directly into her eyes.

She rolled onto her side, flipping the blanket over her head to shield herself from the light. The quick movement reminded her how sore and stiff her body felt, but it was nothing compared to last night. And though the silent fire had clearly died hours before, she no longer carried that bone-deep cold. She felt almost normal, aside from her aching head and muscles.

Shifting more carefully this time, she snuggled deeper under the covers and caught the faint scent of evergreen and wood smoke.
Will
. He’d been with her when she fell asleep—she remembered that much from her foggy recollection of last night. When Sarah focused, she vaguely recalled someone moving her from the floor to the pallet beneath her, but after that, there was nothing.

A shuffling noise sounded from nearby, and Sarah poked her head out into the chilly air to find someone crouched before the fireplace. It took her a second to place the back of Seth’s head.

He turned at the sound of her rustling. “Sorry to wake you,” he whispered. “I thought I’d warm the place up before you woke. You look better, though.” Sarah felt so groggy and disheveled that she wondered how bad she had appeared last night.

“I feel better,” she croaked. She struggled into a sitting position and wrapped the blanket around herself, snuggling deeper into the warmth. It felt a little strange to wake up with Seth there—maybe it was embarrassment over having a man see her so unkempt in the morning—but he appeared unbothered by her appearance. She relaxed, supposing that growing up in such small quarters with women had somewhat desensitized him.

Clearing her throat, she whispered, “Is everybody up yet?”

Seth ducked his head to light the fire, blowing gently on the budding flame. “Karen and Leah are still asleep, but Father and Josh are out tending the animals already, and Mother’s in the kitchen doing her best to keep quiet.” He grinned back at her.

Now that she was aware of Mrs. Jones’ presence, Sarah made out the faint clang and scrap of pots and utensils every now and then.

Craning her neck to glance around, she winced at the pain in her head. Probably mild dehydration—ironic, considering she’d half-drowned yesterday. “Where did Will go?”

Seth hesitated. Setting the remaining kindling on the larger log, he sat on the ground facing her. “I saw him this morning. He said there was something important that he needed to do and was sorry he left so early.” Seth gave her a sympathetic grimace. “That’s all I really know. I’m sorry.”

She was a little wounded at first that he’d left without saying anything, but then she realized that he had probably wanted to let her rest. Resisting the urge to shake her head, she settled for saying, “It’s all right. If he took off, it was for good reason.”

A grin started to crawl over his lips.

“What’re you thinking?” Sarah asked suspiciously.

He shook his head, still smiling. “Nothing. Just that you and Will work rather well together.”

Ducking her head, she admitted quietly, “I hope that’s true.” Now more than ever, she desperately wanted it to work out between them, but it always came back to the question of if she could leave home and her family for him. She was only eighteen, and although she sensed she was on her way, Sarah wasn’t even sure if she knew what loving someone looked like.

It wasn’t just the matter of moving to Florida and visiting for holidays: if she chose to stay here someday, an idea she couldn’t even fathom at this point, it would mean never seeing her family again. And she couldn’t disturb the rift between times, breaking it to have Will come home with her. As much as the thought tempted her, she knew there could be massive consequences to such a selfish decision.

Sarah rubbed her gritty eyes in annoyance. She used to think being able to travel through time would solve all her problems, and now it was turning out to be the source of most of them. Hopping through time had become more of a nuisance than anything, and she felt more uncertain and indecisive than ever before.

“Sarah?” She looked up sharply, half-forgetting that Seth was still there. He looked concerned, his face open.

She huffed a breath, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. Though the fire was starting to grow, she felt colder inside, somehow. “You like Karen, don’t you?”

Seth appeared startled by her straightforward question, and then his face broke out in a self-deprecating grin. “I guess I wasn’t trying that hard to hide it. But I would be grateful if you kept this between the two of us. I’d like to be the first to tell her.”

Nodding, Sarah fell into silence, wondering why she had even asked in the first place. She felt Seth’s curious gaze on her. “What’s on your mind?”

She bit her lip, thinking. “Would you do anything for Karen?” she whispered, watching the flames danced elegantly in the fireplace.

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation. Sarah grinned at his quick, assured remark, but her smile faded.

“But could you leave your family, all that you’ve ever known, for her?” She planted her chin on her upraised knees, angling her head to see his face.

Seth’s gaze was focused on the floor, brow drawn in an intensely thoughtful expression she had never seen on his face. “I think,” he began slowly, “that there comes a time when every man needs to leave home and find his own way. I suppose that’s when his life really begins.” He grinned suddenly. “Whether or not that entails chasing after a dame or two is entirely up to him.”

Unable to hide her grin, Sarah rolled her eyes. “C’mon, be serious.”

Smile fading, he said earnestly, “Yes, I would do anything for her.”