Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

V ibrations shook the ground. Hooves? Horses maybe? Gwen tried to sit up, but her body was too heavy. A frigid blanket of snow covered her. Her eyelids weighty, she wanted nothing more than to sleep. Strange that she felt numb both physically and mentally, the only thoughts were hopes that Tristan was safe. Sleet continued falling, heavy ice pellets pounding through her blanket of snow.

Something nudged her shoulder. Forcing her eyes open was difficult, but she managed to crack them open. The wolf shifted. The rumbling became louder, whatever caused it coming closer.

Large white and grey wolves broke through the trees; one picked her up and threw her across his wide back, barely breaking his stride. They were being chased, the pursuers snarling loudly. More wolves?

Bouncing on the wolf’s back, her limbs heavy and too tired to try to do much more than hang limply across his back, Gwen wondered if she would survive. The ice painfully pelted her as they raced through the woods.

Moments later, the warmth of the wolf began seeping into her and she reveled in it. Opening her eyes, she could see the ground whizzing past. Amazed she didn’t fall off, she turned and got a glimpse of their pursuers. Black wolves, barely visible through the falling sleet.

Finally they slowed. The pursuers no longer chased them. Their eerie howls echoed into the forest. No doubt, a promise of revenge.

Arriving in a dense portion of the forest, the sleet didn’t fall as hard. The wolf that carried her crouched down and another picked her up off his back, his teeth grabbing the back of her jacket. She was placed on the ground with surprising gentleness. Too weak to get up, she waited to find out her fate.

Six of the wolves began to convulse. Howls and snarling pounding in her ears, she covered them, curling into a ball. The wolves transformed into Argo and his men. The warriors stood, fully nude. As if waking from a long sleep, they stretched and shook their heads.

They were werewolves.

“You’re werewolves.” Laughter escaped her, an insane sound.

“Shifters,” Argo replied.

“Naked men, in the middle of a blizzard. Why not?” She laughed harder, rolling over holding her stomach. As she wiped away tears from the hysterical laughter, she pointed at the two wolves that remained. “Are they stuck?”

Argo cocked his head, frowning at her. “No, they are sentinels, their basic form is as wolves, but they can shift to human.”

“Well, now that we’re clear.” She began to laugh again, the laughter merging into sobs.

Someone picked her up and they hurried back into the Icing.

“Did Padraig and Tristan get away?” She met Argo’s eyes, hoping to see the truth.

The man shook his head. “I do not know. It is possible.”

Not reassuring in the least.

Gwen remained in the Atlandia Princesses’ guest room for two days. Sleeping most of the time, tucked under heavy furs, she woke only to eat, then fell back into a deep slumber.

On the third day, she woke feeling completely recovered. Dashing from the bed, she made her way to the throne room. Only Esmeralda was present, sitting at a table, parchment unfolded in front of her. The princess’s bright eyes met hers, then she smiled. “I am glad to see you. Have you recovered fully? We were worried.”

“Yes, I feel well enough to travel. Thank you so much. I truly am in your debt. I need to go to the knights’ keep immediately. Please.” The last word cracked, her need to see Tristan immense.

“Argo and his men will escort you as soon as the Icing passes.” The princess’s eyes were kind when she motioned for Gwen to come and sit near her.

“We are not able to leap as they are. Unfortunately, the only one that can do it is our brother Sterling, who does not reside here. He prefers to roam Atlandia, pursuing other matters.”

From the way the princess curled her lip on the last word, Gwen gathered they were on the outs with Prince Sterling.

“Horseback is fine. Or however you travel,” she said, hoping she didn’t have to ride across a wolf’s back again

“Aye, we travel by horse or by carriage, although carriages can be cumbersome in the woods as there are few roads.”

They left the following day, Argo and two others escorting her back to the knights’ keep on horseback. It took almost eight hours. Once they’d arrived on the knights’ lands, Padraig and Liam appeared and guided them to their home. Meliot’s horsemen no longer surrounded the keep.

She hurried inside ahead of them, into the quiet great room. As Argo’s men entered behind her, the men greeted each other. The shifters were invited to stay the night. They’d leave in the morning to avoid the Icing.

Gwen pulled Padraig aside. “Where is Tristan? Can I see him?”

Uneasiness was quickly covered up. “He is here, upstairs in his chamber. Niall is with him. He has not quite recovered as yet.” Gwen began to move toward the stairs. Padraig stopped her, his hand catching her elbow.

“I’m sorry, Gwyneth. He doesn’t want to see you.”

Her widened eyes flew to his face. “What? Why not?”

“He’s been through a lot. It’s discomforting for a man to be seen in such a vulnerable state. Give him a couple of days.”

She sank into a chair and stared blankly into the fireplace. Had Tristan specifically told them he didn’t want to see her? She’d come so far to save him, and this was the result? Two days she’d been stuck recovering. It was a long time here in the alter-world. They didn’t have the luxury of indefinite time.

“He and I need to begin working the spell,” Gwen murmured. “There is much to do.”

Padraig nodded. “I know.”

“Would you like some tea?” Liam neared and held out a steaming cup to her. “You must be hungry. I’ll get food.”

Gwen took the cup, but didn’t drink from it.

Dinner was a somber event. They ate from large wooden platters full of meat and what looked like boiled potatoes. The shifters ate only the meat. Gwen had her fill, more than she expected.

“I need to speak to Tristan. It is ridiculous to give in to his sense of male pride at a time like this.”

Liam frown. “He is being healed. Needs to conserve his strength.”

“And I can help,” Gwen insisted.

When a visibly pale Niall came down the stairs and sat at the table, he acknowledged the visitors before looking toward her. “I am glad to see you are well.”

He piled his plate with food and began eating. His hand shook as he drank from his cup. No one asked him any questions, allowing him to eat in peace.

The shifters finished eating and left to check on their horses before bunking in the great room for the night, where pallets were already set out for them. Liam, the perfect host, began adding wood to the fire in the large fireplace.

“How is he?” Gwen asked Niall, who glanced at Padraig before answering. “His injuries are healing.” The curt reply did not satisfy her.

“I’ll take his dinner up,” Liam said, grabbing a plate piled with food.

Uneasiness filled the room.

“Tell me the truth,” Gwen snapped. “What is going on? Something is wrong with Tristan. What is it?”

Gavin cleared his throat, his amber eyes looking around the table before meeting hers. “You are correct, something happened to him. We’ve tried to talk to him, but he refuses to budge.”

“Budge? About what?”

“Tristan does not wish to be freed any longer. He insists you be returned. He is choosing to remain here, in the alter-world.”

“Tristan does not wish to be freed any longer.” Later that night, Gwen sat on the bed, the words repeating in her head.

“The hell with this,” she muttered. If Tristan didn’t want to see her, too bad. He’d just have to deal with it. She’d confront him and find out the truth.

The hallway was empty as she made her way toward Tristan’s room. She stopped hearing the men inside in a heated conversation.

“You’re deciding all our fates based on something Meliot showed you!” Padraig shouted. “What the fuck did he do that would make you decide to keep us all here?”

Liam spoke now. “You are aware the wizard will use any and all manners of deception to keep us here, aren’t you? If you tell us what he said, or showed you, we can help.”

“Our entire existence is an illusion, the enchantment, nothing is real. What does it matter?” Gavin’s voice was full of bitterness, he seemed to be on Tristan’s side. “Let’s just resign ourselves to the truth. We’ll never leave.”

“At least tell us the reason our fate is sealed.” Padraig asked.

Gwen slid down to the floor. She’d learn more by remaining out of the room right now.

Tristan’s entire world was upside down. He hated everything at this moment. Hated the faces of his best friends that registered everything from panic to sadness. He hated himself most of all.

He’d brought this upon them. From that fateful day when he’d summoned them to go with him to meet with the council of knights.

The years of imprisonment, losing their families, their entire lives. It was all his fault.

Gwen remained in the keep. He sensed her presence. How he wished to find comfort with her right now. Needed her more than ever but didn’t deserve to be comforted. He deserved nothing but the stabs of pain shooting through him when looking at the men who’d been through so much, and revealing to them that they were never leaving.

Flashbacks of the torture assailed him, and he fell back, covering his face. When the shaking began, he tried to force it away. It only got worse.

“Leave!” he yelled past chattering teeth. “Go and leave me be.”

“It will pass.” Liam spoke from experience. No one left the room.

Niall came to him and placing his hands on his shoulders. Heat engulfed Tristan and he gulped air, trying to stabilize. Niall had to be weak by now.

Regaining some semblance of normalcy, he pushed Niall’s hands away gently, owing the Scot a great deal.

“Thank you,” he told Niall, “I don’t deserve your help. You are right, Paddy. You deserve to know.” Tristan took a deep breath.

“Meliot has my daughter. He will never release her if I leave.”

“It has to be an illusion,” Padraig yelled. “Don’t fall for his tricks, Tristan.”

“If he’d held her prisoner for this long, he would have used her against you before now,” Liam said.

Tristan let out a weary sigh. “It has to be true. Clara disappeared right after our enchantment began. I heard talk about it in the house.” Tristan shook with anger. “I was nae aware of having a daughter until after the enchantment. There was talk about it. My family sent out men who searched for her for days without success.”

The men remained silent seeming unsure how to respond.

“I have a recurring dream she’s being chased through the woods. I don’t see who or what chases her. It always ends the same, with her scream of terror. I’ve always suspected Meliot’s involvement in her disappearance.” He leaned over and rubbed his hands over his face. “I cannot imagine what she has gone through all these years.”

The men were silent. Padraig shook his head. “I don’t know what it’s like to have a child, but I understand why you are reluctant to test him in this. I pledged my fidelity to you from the beginning. I agree to remain. If she is there, we must find her and free her.”

Niall glanced around the room, meeting each of their gazes. “Are all in agreement that we will stay?”

Everyone nodded and replied together. “Aye.”

“It’s decided then,” Niall told them. “We stay.”

“I’ll take Gwyneth back,” Gavin told them.

Gwen burst into the room. Ignoring the other men, she went straight to Tristan and planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips. “This is bullshit and you know it. We haven’t come this far only for you to allow that wizard to trip you up with a trick. Because that is all this is.” She glared at him, not allowing the agony in his eyes to affect her. “I had the same dream not that long ago. Don’t you see, it’s one of his many ways to get you to stop trying.”

“You cannot possibly understand.” Tristan covered his face with both hands and rolled to his side. The defeated posture tore through her. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Tristan, I do understand. I have sisters that I love more than life. But at the same time, you have to know that Meliot is probably lying.”

The others left to give them privacy, Gwen kept trying to dissuade Tristan out of giving up until he finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

Niall returned, went to the bed and placed his hands over him. Gwen watched, fascinated as light came from his palms and radiated into Tristan’s body. Other than moaning, he didn’t wake up.

“He’s badly injured, but he will want to be healed so that we can go and rescue his daughter,” Niall told her, his grey eyes meeting hers. “Gavin will take you back to your world as soon as you are ready.”

“I won’t be until morning,” Gwen replied. Expecting an argument, she continued. “Just give me a few hours. I’m trying to figure this out. I don’t know that I can leave you guys here, trapped forever.”

“What proof did Meliot give? I refuse to believe it is true?”

. “None that I heard.” The large Irishman glanced at the bed. “Were ye willing to carry out the sacrifice?”

“I was never told what it was.” Gwen’s mind spun. “Tristan said he wasn’t clear on what it is. I haven’t had the opportunity to consider it.”

He shrugged, “It doesna matter now. Our fate is sealed.”

She reached and placed her hand on his forearm. His eyes widened, his entire body tensing. She snatched her hand back. Bad idea. The man had not been touched by a woman in centuries. “How can you give up so easily? Niall, talk him out of it. He seems to listen to you.”

“He will not change his mind. We can’t keep you here verra much longer.” He gave her a crooked smile, melting her heart, and without thinking, she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. Hearing his intake of breath, she moved away.

“Thank you, Niall. For everything you are doing for him.”