Immortal Love (32 page)

“You bitch!” Picking up the dagger, he eyed
the tip. He seemed fascinated by the candlelight’s reflection off
its surface. “You want to play with knives?” He leaned toward her.
“Let’s play with knives, shall we?”

Eleanor’s blood ran ice cold. Edges of
darkness threatened to render her unconscious from fear. Shaking
her head violently, she tried squirming away from him, but his hand
came around her throat, pressing her against the bed. As he leaned
over her, blood dripped down his cheek, splattering on her
face.

He eased the knife down upon her breast.

“No, please don’t.”

He smiled a wicked smile. By pleading for her
life, she’d given him exactly what he wanted. She was sickened with
herself.

“An eye for an eye, my dear. But I wouldn’t
want to ruin such a beautiful face.”

The blade cut into her chest, sending a trail
of fiery pain. It wasn’t deep, just enough to draw blood. She knew
he intended to torture her slowly to add to her agony.

With all her might she tried to pull his hand
away, but with his weight on top of her and his other hand at her
throat, he couldn’t be moved. The next cut went deeper. Eleanor
could not help herself. She let out an ear-piercing scream that
came from her gut, more out of fear and anger than of pain.

Suddenly the door burst open. Before Robert
could react, Liam had pulled him off her. Eleanor crawled to the
farthest corner of the bed as Robert turned on Liam. Robert
McPhearson swiped with the dagger, but with ease Liam knocked the
weapon out of his hand then pummeled Robert into unconsciousness.
Dark rage clouded his features. Finally, her rescuer looked up at
her, his breathing hard and ragged with rage.

Eyes narrowed, he took in her appearance.
Fury flared in his eyes.

“You son of a bitch!” He gave Robert’s
unconscious body two more kicks. Stepping to the bed, he held his
hand out to her. “Come, we have to get out of here.”

Instinctively, Eleanor took Liam’s hand. She
jumped over the body of her guard who lay face down on the floor.
Liam led her down flights of stairs that took them deep into the
bowels of the castle.

Grabbing a torch out of its holder at the
bottom of the stairs, he held her hand and kept her close as he led
her through a tunnel. Eleanor didn’t want to think about the
scurrying sounds around her feet, or the nearly overpowering
smells, nor the cold dampness that seeped through her clothing.

Once out of the tunnel, she saw the handful
of men she’d traveled with sitting on horseback, waiting. Liam
quickly threw her onto a horse, mounted his own, then took the
reins and led them away from Aurora.

It was near dawn when Dominick met up with
Randolf and his men. They waited just outside McPhearson’s
border.

“Tell me what happened,” Dominick said as
Randolf approached.

Regret shadowed Randolf’s face. “I allowed
her to go berry picking.” He shook his head. “The patrols I sent
out that morning came back without sighting any trouble. I sent
Eleanor and her maid with four guards. They were ambushed, and
Eleanor was taken.”

“I know, brother. You did everything you
possibly could to make her safe. Now we have to concentrate on
getting her back.

“We will wait for
nightfall then approach the castle just the three of us. We can
better assess what we’re up against," Dominick said.

T
he shadows of the
forest hid their presence. Dominick, Randolf and Erik approached
the castle walls with caution. He watched the guards standing near
the portcullis. Torches illuminated the opening. He was about to
move closer when a familiar cold touched his shoulder. Looking over
he saw Isolde standing in the moonlight.

She’s not in the castle.

“Where is she?” he asked.

Erik and Randolf stirred behind him, but
remained silent.

This I cannot see. She has been taken to a
place I’m not permitted.

“I don’t understand. Why can’t you go
there?”

I cannot explain. Find her.
Isolde
disappeared.

Anger and frustration nearly split him in
two, and he struck a tree with his fist.

“What’s wrong?” Randolf asked.

“Eleanor isn’t here and I don’t know where to
find her.”

Erik turned toward Aurora. Dominick and
Randolf observed him closely as his eyes closed. They knew his mind
was reaching out to any animal that would answer inside the stone
walls. Moments passed before Erik turned back to them.

“McPhearson’s brother Liam took her away,” he
stated.

“Liam? Why would Liam take her?” Randolf
asked.

“Because Liam hates William,” Dominick ground
out. “He would do anything to see him lose the throne. He turned to
Erik, do you think you can track them?”

His friend gave him a sly grin. “What do you
think?”

“Have the men mount up.
We will find Eleanor before the next night fall, I swear it.”

L
iam’s party rode
through the night and most of the next day. As they got further
away from Aurora, Eleanor felt her fear begin to dissipate. The
beating Liam gave Robert would only set him back a day or two.
Robert was an evil man bent on revenge. He would have his soldiers
combing the land to find Liam and kill him.

When they entered the village the night
before Eleanor saw the faces of the people. They looked as though
they had suffered years of torture and abuse, and had been taxed
into poverty. These people had no more to give.

Robert had to be stopped, but with only a
handful of men, Liam was outnumbered. If he took her to Godwin he
would have allies there. But Liam’s hate for the King wouldn’t
allow such an alliance.

Finally, after they had put enough distance
between them and Aurora, they stopped to set up camp. The men
dismounted, gathered wood for fire and tended to their horses.

The weight of what had happened to her
finally sunk in. Her cheek throbbed and the gashes on her chest
burned with every jarring turn her horse made. She sat there
listening to her breathing. She was conflicted. She was safe from
Robert, but she was still Liam’s captive.

“Eleanor, would you like to come down
now?”

She stared off into the distance. Liam
squeezed her hand. “Eleanor, it’s time to come down off the horse,”
he said patiently, but more insistent.

His voice drifted into her mind and she was
pulled outside of her dark thoughts. He held up his arms and she
willingly slid into them. Once on the ground, she quickly stepped
away.

“Will you be taking me to my husband?”

“No Eleanor, I won’t.”

He confirmed what she thought. “Then you
still intend to take Godwin from my husband?”

“No. I don’t want Godwin.”

“Then why do you keep me?” she asked in
frustration.

“I want your husband to send a message to the
King, that we will no longer tolerate any more invasions on our
land.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then you will continue to be my guest until
he does.”

Moments passed. She could feel the tears
welling in her eyes. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Eleanor surveyed her surroundings. They were
camped near a group of stone pillars standing like sentries in a
circle around what looked like an altar. An ancient forest was just
outside the strange monument.

“What is this place?” she asked.

“It’s where the ancients held ceremonies
celebrating Mother Earth.”

“How did you find it?”

“It was more like it found me.”

Confused, Eleanor shook her head. “I don’t
understand.”

Liam stared at the great stone structure.
“Nor do I.” He looked back at her. “Come, a tent has been set up
for you. You must eat something and rest.”

The thought of food made her stomach turn.
Fatigue weighed heavily on her shoulders. “I think I will rest
first.”

Liam led her to a small tent at the edge of
the forest. He held the flap open as she walked in. “Sleep now. If
you should need anything, I will be right outside.”

Once alone, Eleanor collapsed on the pallet.
Her jaw and cheek throbbed. Pulling away the torn fabric, she
looked down at the cuts McPhearson had made in her flesh. Upon
inspection they weren’t very deep, and they had stopped
bleeding.

Tired
. She was so very tired. Laying
her head on the pillow, she wrapped herself tightly in fur robes.
Her body trembled when she thought of Robert McPhearson. Bile rose
to her throat at the thought of him. If Liam hadn’t rescued her,
she and her unborn child wouldn’t have survived. Her hand went to
her stomach.

“We will be all right, little one, we will
see your father soon.

Dominick’s image came to the surface of her
mind. Her throat tightened. How she longed to be lying in his arms.
The pain of their separation gripped her heart, and despair
threatened to settle in, but she pushed them away. Dominick would
find her soon and take her home.

To keep thoughts of
McPhearson at bay, she fantasized about Dominick wrestling with his
son, or doting on his daughter. She imagined the look on his face
when she told him she was with child. All these pleasant thoughts
led her into a dreamless sleep.

S
he came instantly
awake when a hand came down on her mouth. A scream balled in the
back of her throat. In the darkness, she could not see her attacker
and fought against him, until she heard him whisper her name.

“Eleanor, it’s me, Erik.”

“Erik?”

Instantly his hand was back on her lips.
“Shhhh.”

He pulled her off the pallet and through a
slit in the back of the tent. Once outside, he led her away from
the camp.

The forest was pitch black. He pulled her
close, so as not to be overheard. “Eleanor, I want you to trust me.
Don’t worry that you can’t see in the darkness. Allow me to lead
you safely.”

“I trust you.” Confused, but knowing
Dominick’s friend wouldn’t lead her into harm, she followed.

“Good.” He held her hand and pulled her
quickly through the forest. At first she struggled with her
instincts, but the farther they went without mishap, the more
willing she became to blindly follow his lead.

Her inability to see heightened her other
senses, and she could have sworn something ran ahead of them. She
could hear the rustle of bushes. Erik stopped often to turn and
lift her over a fallen tree or bush. She wondered how he was able
to see them. Deeper and deeper they went into the forest. She heard
an owl hooting in the distance. Night creatures stirred as they ran
by. Eerie cackles and whistles pierced the darkness. Frogs croaked
in a nearby pond. Eleanor had to force her childhood fears of the
night aside and concentrate on keeping her feet under her.

Her lungs began to burn, and her legs grew
tired.

“Erik, I have to stop.”

He never broke stride. “Just a little
farther.”

Ahead she could see a dim light through the
trees. It grew brighter as they approached. She saw Dominick’s
gigantic form standing near the campfire, and her heart nearly
burst with joy. New life flowed into her legs.

“Dominick!” she shouted.

He turned toward her. She didn’t stop running
until she leapt into his arms. He clasped her tightly, lifting her
off the ground as she hugged him like a lifeline.

The dam holding back her emotions broke away.
She no longer had to be strong or live in fear. Everything inside
her let go. Tears ran down her cheeks. She felt like a wine skin
being emptied of its contents.

Dominick buried his face into the nape of her
neck. His warm breath solidified the reality that she was safe. She
kissed his cheeks, his nose, and his forehead then, finally, his
lips. It was beyond passion. It was affirmation that she was alive
and everything would be all right.

A cheer rose up around them. The laughter
bubbled up inside her.

Dominick’s large hands gently moved her hair
from her face, and she watched the smoldering embers of anger grow
in his dark eyes as he saw her bruises. Her right hand went to her
cheek even as she put her left on his chest to reassure him.

"I’m all right, Dominick.”

His expression softened as his fingers gently
traced her cheek and jaw. Then to her surprise his hand went down
to her stomach.

“And what of the babe? Is it safe?”

Eleanor had to step back. “How—how did you
know?”

“Isolde.”

“My mother knows?”

Dominick pulled her back into his arms.
“Remember, she’s not of this world.”

“Yes, but she ruined the surprise.”

“Eleanor, you have not answered my
question.”

“The baby is fine. It must be strong and
stubborn,” she raised her head to look up at him, “like its
father.”

Dominick smiled. Pulling her close, she stood
in the circle of warmth, listening to his heartbeat. This was where
she belonged.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Erik
petting a large gray wolf. She pulled away. Understanding dawned as
to Erik’s strange behavior. The hawk that had found her in the
meadow was Erik’s hawk. Then the kitchen cat, and now the wolf.
Slowly, she approached him.

“You can talk to them,” she stated.

He rose to his feet, and she saw the pain
behind the mask of indifference.

“Yes.”

Moving toward him, she stopped close enough
so only he could hear. “Thank God for such a wonderful gift.”

His façade slipped away to be replaced with
genuine surprise.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled
him into a tight embrace then kissed him on both cheeks. “Thank you
for coming after me.”

“You’re most welcome, my lady.” His face
beamed with a warm smile.

Randolf walked into view. She hugged him
gratefully.