Golden Blood (22 page)

“Let’s go.” He tipped his head towards the
entrance.

Gemma dodged the small fire that was sizzling
out in the damp hay and followed them through the path of carnage
that Ruby and Dom had made for them.

She could still hear the odd ring of metal as
they ascended the stairwell and realized with a sinking heart that
this was in no way over. So much for stealth. By the sounds of the
yelling above them, the castle was now on full alert. She just
prayed her father wouldn’t realize and abort early. The struggling
man ahead of her was worth saving and she would do anything to get
him to that forest.

Harrison stepped aside to let Gemma lead the
way. He watched her lithe body pause at the top of the stairwell,
scanning the lightened corridor above. The sword was poised easily
in her hands.

He shook his head in amusement at the fact
that even though she held a weapon that could slice a man in two,
she still looked elegant. She caught his gaze and sent him a look
that made his knees quiver. Then she vanished around the
corner.

The man beside him was getting heavy as his
obvious mistreatment was taking a toll on his body. Harrison
gritted his teeth and hefted the man higher onto his shoulder. They
shuffled after Gemma as quickly as they could, following the sounds
of clanging metal that had to be the effort of Ruby and Dom. He
hoped they were okay.

As he rounded the corner and watched Gemma
immerse herself in the quick disposal of a guard, he realized they
were fine. Dom’s huge leg kicked a guard to his knees and a swift
swipe with the hilt of his sword had the man seeing stars. Ruby was
jumping over her fallen opponent and beckoning them to follow
her.

Harrison wove through the discarded bodies
and picked up his pace as he followed the quick trio. He wasn’t
sure where they were. Dom must have led them to the adjacent tower.
He hoped he knew where he was going.

The sound of pounding feet behind him punched
a vial of adrenalin into his system and he quickly shifted the man
to his back so he could run. The man’s head bobbed on his shoulder,
his ragged body rattling against him as he bounded down the
stairs.

“Look out!” Gemma’s voice made him duck as an
arrow whizzed passed his head. He heard the cry of someone behind
him as he watched Gemma reload the bow in one fluid motion.

She had ditched the sword for a more
effective weapon. She looked like a female version of Robin Hood as
she sent another arrow flying. Her long braid flicked at the base
of her spine as she swung around and pushed him forward.

“Go!”

He turned back to watch her fire one last
shot before spinning after him.

“Run to the stables!”

He did as he was told, ignoring the burning
in his legs as he burst out into the sunlight.

Turn right, right?

He spotted what he thought must be the
stables and felt his belly drop. The open expanse of courtyard made
him vulnerable. He had to get himself and the weight on his back
through the open space and not get hit by an arrow or blind-sided
by a broad sword.

Sure, piece of cake.

He steadied his breathing and set off. An
arrow flew past so close to his head he felt his hair move. Another
arrow shot out from the stables injuring a guard on the turret
above him. He saw Ruby’s arm drop out of view as she backed further
under cover. Moments later he was joining her.

With the help of Dominic, they managed to get
the man out through the wall.

Harrison turned to make sure Gemma was just
behind him. Instead what he saw was a hairy fist flying straight
towards his face.

Chapter Twenty-One

Warwick, England -
1393AD

Gemma shot her final arrow and dropped the
bow as she raced towards the stables. Bursting into the building,
she flew to the end stall and scrambled towards the hole all too
aware that this was not over. They still needed to get to the
forest and the man they were carrying was not in great shape.

Hauling her body out the narrow gap, she
jumped up in time to see a flash of Ruby’s ponytail. She ran after
her sister and easily caught up, ducking beneath the bridge leading
away from the gatehouse. Dom had the man over his shoulder in a
fireman’s lift and was checking for a clear coast as she approached
them.

“We’re going to have to make a run for it,”
Dom said. “We’ll have to move fast. We’re open targets until we
reach that first crop of trees.”

Gemma assessed the distance and decided they
could easily make it. She turned to grab Harrison’s hand and felt
her stomach drop.

“Where’s Harrison?”

“I thought he was behind you.” Ruby looked
over her shoulder.

“I thought he was behind you!”

“He made it to the stables, Gem. You didn’t
see him?”

Gemma shook her head, trying to still the
erratic breathing that was threatening to overwhelm her. Biting her
cheek, she looked at her sister’s worried frown then made her
choice.

“Where are you going?

Dom grabbed her arm and pulled her to a
stop.

“I’m going back.”

“Are you insane? It’s way too dangerous.”

“Let me go!”

“We are not separating. Dad will kill me if I
turn up without you.”

“I don’t care! I’m not leaving him here.”

She turned to walk again, but found Ruby in
her path.

“You can’t, Gem. It’s too late.”

“Ruby, get out of my way.”

“Let’s just think about this.”

“We don’t have time! Look, just get this guy
to safety. As soon as Dad sees you without me he’ll abort anyway.
We just have to pray I’ve found Harrison by then.”

Dom and Ruby exchanged a dubious glance.

Gemma swallowed the lump in her throat and
looked straight at her brother. “Please. I have to try.”

Dom’s determination wavered.

“Buy me as much time as you can, okay?”

He gave a little nod.

“Dominic!”

“Let her go, Rube.”

Ruby’s eyes locked on to Gemma’s. A torrent
of emotions coursed through them before she said, “If you get hurt
I’m going to kick your ass. You understand me?”

Gemma nodded with a quick smile before
rushing past her.

Gemma fought off the nauseating panic as she
slithered around the edge of the curtain wall and back into the
stables. Couching low, she listened for sounds before peeking her
head around the corner. She didn’t even know where to start looking
for her boyfriend. She guessed he would have been dragged towards
the dungeon or the great hall.

Creeping out of the stall, she was about to
head to the courtyard when the slapping of feet had her shuffling
back into hiding.

She listened to the sounds in the stable.
Running feet, a painful thud, a grunt and the crunch of bone on
skin. Frowning, she stole a quick peek. Harrison was on his knees,
blood dripping from his lower lip and a dark bruise forming on his
right cheekbone.

She rushed out of the stall as Harrison
grabbed the man’s ankle and yanked. He fell to the floor with a
thump. Curling his fingers into a tight fist, Harrison smashed the
man in the face, making his head loll to the side. He struggled to
his feet, looking like a newborn giraffe as he flirted with the
after affects of an adrenaline rush.

“Harrison.”

Spinning around, he gifted her a relieved
smile, but it turned into an anguished yell as the guard at his
feet plunged a dagger into his left calf muscle.

Harrison slumped to the floor, clutching his
leg. Gemma ran to his side, kicking the guard into oblivion. She
turned to assist her boyfriend, but was stopped by an arrow
whizzing past her ear and landing in the beam beside her. Four
guards rushed into the stables, armed with daggers and
billhooks.

She studied the long spear-like weapons as
she crouched for battle. With a blade down one side and a hook on
the other, she knew they could do considerable damage.

Weapons leveled at her heart, the guards ran
towards her with confident glares. She turned to the side and let
the billhook slide past her thigh, smashing the first guard in the
jaw with a sharp elbow. She used him as shield against the second
attacker and with a grunt smashed them into the stall.

Spinning around, she deflected the weapon
thrust at her thigh and felt the sharp sting of metal down her
forearm. Ignoring the pain, she grabbed the hook and pulled the
guard towards her. A quick fist finished him off just in time for
her to see a blade inches from her face. The image of her cheek
being carved in two flashed through her mind, but was cut short by
a flying dagger that glanced off the man’s chest. The blow made him
falter just long enough for Gemma to wrench the arrow from the wood
behind her and spear her attacker through the eye.

Gemma grimaced as he crumpled to the ground.
She spun back and looked at Harrison who was slumped, wide-eyed and
pale, on the floor. He ran a thumb over his shaking fingers as he
gazed at the fallen man.

“Let’s go before more show up.” Gemma stepped
over the guard at her feet and reached for Harrison’s hand.
Everything went distorted as she felt her muscles pull apart.

“NO!”

Her voice was swept away as her body spiraled
into the future, alone.

Chapter Twenty-Two

St. Augustine, Florida
- 2011AD

The white corridor was blinding. Gemma opened
her eyes and squeezed them shut again. Panicked sobs raced up her
body, one tidal wave upon the next. Scrambling for her phone, she
tore it out of her pocket and touched the screen.

It rang in her hand before she could dial the
number.

“Gemma, are you okay?”

It was her father. His stern voice brought no
comfort as she let out a pitiful wail.

“You left too soon. He’s not here!”

“I can’t understand what you’re saying. Now
slow down and answer my question first. Are you injured?”

“No, I’m fine.” She sniffled, ignoring the
stinging wound on her forearm and the ache in her shoulder. “But
Harrison’s not here. We weren’t touching. We have to go back.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“No, we have to go back!”

“Gemma, it is too risky. I’m not sending any
of us back.”

“YOU HAVE TO!”

“I don’t have to do anything.” His voice was
low and cold. “Debrief is in one hour.”

The phone went dead in her hand. She gripped
the plastic and resisted the urge to throw it against the wall.
Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her
naked body. She rested her forehead on the top of her knees and
sobbed.

This couldn’t be happening. A game of what-if
started up in her head, cruelly taunting her with all the mistakes
she had made in those last critical moments. She should have been
standing closer. She should have jumped across those men and
tackled Harrison to the ground.

“Harrison,” she whispered, her belly
quaking.

He would die. That was inevitable… and there
was nothing she could do about it. The hope that Harrison had
brought into her life fell from its perch within. She could feel it
fluttering down through her body and imagined it lying in a bloody
mess on the white tiled floor.

Her body went numb as the imagery seared her
brain. She watched hope turn towards her with one gasping breath.
She imagined it smiling softly and whispering one final plea.

Her head snapped straight. Her eyes went dry.
Her lips bunched tight. Jumping to her feet, she haphazardly threw
on her clothes and raced to the door.

* * * *

Warwick, England -
1393AD

Harrison slumped to the floor. His eyes were
so wide he thought his eyeballs might drop out. Gemma’s gold dust
had just spiraled into non-existence. He could hear the death
sentence in his head, feel the ominous blackness beginning to
surround him.

The throbbing in his leg was intense.
Stretching it out, he tried to examine the wound, but all he could
see was sticky red blood. Just to be on the safe side, he took off
his belt and fashioned a tourniquet below the knee.

He forced his brain to start ticking. He
needed to get out of here. Gemma would come back for him. He
repeated the sentence a few times to assure himself of this, but it
didn’t work. He knew she would be devastated right now. Would she
have the strength to fight?

Bile rose in his throat. He closed his eyes
and swallowed it back down.

He could hear the clatter of armor still
bustling around the castle. They were probably hunting out the
intruders. Shaking his head against the dizziness, he crawled
towards the back stall. If he could just get out of the castle.

Then what?

He slumped with a sigh. His leg was
throbbing, not to mention his aching face. The sound of pounding
feet sent a shot of panic through his system. He struggled towards
the last stall as two guards rushed into the room. They charged
towards him, billhooks lowered for penetration.

Harrison spun away from the first and it
speared the pillar beside him. Dropping low, he used his good leg
to swipe the guard behind the ankles. He fell with a crash.

With a grunt Harrison pulled the spear-like
weapon from the wood and blocked the other guard’s blow. The
billhook was heavy and awkward in his hands. Harrison wished Gemma
had let him have a play with the medieval weapons instead of
spending so much time teaching him hand-to-hand combat.

If I could just disarm this guy.

Trying to stay light on his feet, Harrison
ignored his gimpy leg and blocked each blow. The shock reverberated
through him each time, making his muscles quiver.

He knew he was running out of options. With a
hefty yell, he swung the billhook as hard as he could and by some
miracle it flicked out of the guard’s hands. They both looked at
each other in surprise, before their faces went hard.