one entered.
The night hadn’t gone as badly as Hugh had thought it might, but then again it wasn’t over. As soon as that thought flitted through his mind, Bernard sat up in bed bellowing and punching anything he could hit.
Hugh moved as fast as he could from his place beside the hearth, but he didn’t reach Mina in time to block the blow that Bernard aimed at her.
She fell back onto the floor with a loud thud. Hugh glanced to make sure his men contained Bernard as he reached Mina. He gently picked her up into his arms and carried her away from the bed. He sat her in the chair she had occupied several hours before when they had talked. Her hand covered the right side of her face.
“Let me see,” he said and eased her hand away. He breathed a sigh of relief to see it wasn’t as bad as he had feared. “’Tis a busted lip. You might bruise a little on your cheek, but I’ll have Gabriel fix something for you.” He called to Gabriel who threw him a wet cloth. “I’ll be gentle,” he said as he reached up to wipe the blood away.
“’Tis strange to find someone with such strength as yourself to be so gentle.” He shrugged. “I do what I must.”
“How is she?” Gabriel asked as he walked up.
“A cut lip and maybe some bruising on her face,” Hugh told him and moved so Gabriel could look at her injury.
Hugh found himself wanting to yank Gabriel’s hands away from Mina. That emotion hadn’t been experienced since he had lost his family, and frankly he would prefer that it go away as quickly as it had come.
But it didn’t. And the longer Gabriel touched her, the worse it became. When he next looked, he found Gabriel watching him oddly.
“Hugh?”
“What is it?” he asked, afraid that Mina was hurt worse than he had thought.
Gabriel stood and moved away from Mina. “She is fine.” He narrowed his eyes at his friend as Gabriel turned and walked back to Bernard.
“Stay here,” he told Mina as he followed Gabriel. He stopped Gabriel before he reached the bed. “What is it?”
Gabriel stared at him fixedly with his silver eyes. “You.”
“Me? What are you talking about?”
“You growled when I touched her.”
Hugh blinked and took a step back. “I wouldn’t.”
“You did,” Gabriel said. “Not that I blame you. She’s simply stunning, but I wasn’t laying claim to her.”
“I know,” he said and looked away. “I apologize, my friend.”
Gabriel shook his head. “No need. Take what comfort you can, for it never lasts.
Now tell me, why you didn’t inform me of your back?”
“You were busy.”
“I’m never that busy. It can become infected. Let me see to it now.” Hugh sat in a chair as Gabriel helped him remove his tunic. Hugh settled his elbows on his knees as Gabriel set out wiping the blood away. Hugh looked up and found Mina watching him.
He wanted…he didn’t know what he wanted anymore. In truth, there was nothing for him to do but continue. He couldn’t return to his time. Everyone thought him dead.
His hands fisted as Gabriel rubbed a foul stinking mixture onto his back.
“No
stitches?”
Gabriel grunted. “The funny thing is the creature could have killed you, but it didn’t. The talons opened the skin but not far enough to stitch.” That puzzled Hugh. “’Tis almost as if we are sport to it.”
“Could be,” Gabriel answered. “Let the mixture dry for a moment before you put on another tunic.”
Hugh moved to the wall so he could watch Bernard but stay out of Gabriel’s way.
Despite the urge to check on Mina, he was determined to stay right where he was.
His body might be away from her, but his gaze constantly found its way back to her. It was galling that he didn’t have enough control over himself to keep his mind focused.
They all jumped at the sound of the creature’s scream as it circled the castle. He reached down and gripped the hilt of his sword. One could never be too safe.
“I am beginning to
The night hadn’t gone as badly as Hugh had thought it might, but then again it wasn’t over. As soon as that thought flitted through his mind, Bernard sat up in bed bellowing and punching anything he could hit.
Hugh moved as fast as he could from his place beside the hearth, but he didn’t reach Mina in time to block the blow that Bernard aimed at her.
She fell back onto the floor with a loud thud. Hugh glanced to make sure his men contained Bernard as he reached Mina. He gently picked her up into his arms and carried her away from the bed. He sat her in the chair she had occupied several hours before when they had talked. Her hand covered the right side of her face.
“Let me see,” he said and eased her hand away. He breathed a sigh of relief to see it wasn’t as bad as he had feared. “’Tis a busted lip. You might bruise a little on your cheek, but I’ll have Gabriel fix something for you.” He called to Gabriel who threw him a wet cloth. “I’ll be gentle,” he said as he reached up to wipe the blood away.
“’Tis strange to find someone with such strength as yourself to be so gentle.” He shrugged. “I do what I must.”
“How is she?” Gabriel asked as he walked up.
“A cut lip and maybe some bruising on her face,” Hugh told him and moved so Gabriel could look at her injury.
Hugh found himself wanting to yank Gabriel’s hands away from Mina. That emotion hadn’t been experienced since he had lost his family, and frankly he would prefer that it go away as quickly as it had come.
But it didn’t. And the longer Gabriel touched her, the worse it became. When he next looked, he found Gabriel watching him oddly.
“Hugh?”
“What is it?” he asked, afraid that Mina was hurt worse than he had thought.
Gabriel stood and moved away from Mina. “She is fine.” He narrowed his eyes at his friend as Gabriel turned and walked back to Bernard.
“Stay here,” he told Mina as he followed Gabriel. He stopped Gabriel before he reached the bed. “What is it?”
Gabriel stared at him fixedly with his silver eyes. “You.”
“Me? What are you talking about?”
“You growled when I touched her.”
Hugh blinked and took a step back. “I wouldn’t.”
“You did,” Gabriel said. “Not that I blame you. She’s simply stunning, but I wasn’t laying claim to her.”
“I know,” he said and looked away. “I apologize, my friend.”
Gabriel shook his head. “No need. Take what comfort you can, for it never lasts.
Now tell me, why you didn’t inform me of your back?”
“You were busy.”
“I’m never that busy. It can become infected. Let me see to it now.” Hugh sat in a chair as Gabriel helped him remove his tunic. Hugh settled his elbows on his knees as Gabriel set out wiping the blood away. Hugh looked up and found Mina watching him.
He wanted…he didn’t know what he wanted anymore. In truth, there was nothing for him to do but continue. He couldn’t return to his time. Everyone thought him dead.
His hands fisted as Gabriel rubbed a foul stinking mixture onto his back.
“No
stitches?”
Gabriel grunted. “The funny thing is the creature could have killed you, but it didn’t. The talons opened the skin but not far enough to stitch.” That puzzled Hugh. “’Tis almost as if we are sport to it.”
“Could be,” Gabriel answered. “Let the mixture dry for a moment before you put on another tunic.”
Hugh moved to the wall so he could watch Bernard but stay out of Gabriel’s way.
Despite the urge to check on Mina, he was determined to stay right where he was.
His body might be away from her, but his gaze constantly found its way back to her. It was galling that he didn’t have enough control over himself to keep his mind focused.
They all jumped at the sound of the creature’s scream as it circled the castle. He reached down and gripped the hilt of his sword. One could never be too safe.
“I am beginning to
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