Elusive Hope (29 page)

“What does it say?” Mr. Graves pointed to the words as he leapt up and down with the giddiness of a child getting a gift. “What does it say?”

James ran his hand over the ancient Hebrew. “It says,
The Judgment of the Four.”

C
HAPTER
23

M
agnolia’s blood turned to ice. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. The wolf ’s golden eyes locked on her, no doubt assessing her ability to resist her tastiness as a meal. The beast growled again, malevolence dripping from rows of sharp fangs. And Magnolia knew it was all over. She would die here, her flesh ripped apart and devoured by this monster. Foolish, foolish girl. Why hadn’t she stayed with Hayden by the fire?

She flashed to her parents. Would they mourn her? Would Hayden?

Ever so slowly, she retreated a step. The wolf drew back on his haunches. Magnolia’s heart stopped. She closed her eyes and prayed,
God if You’re there, help!

Footsteps thundered. Leaves crackled. The wolf roared. Magnolia dropped to the ground and covered her head with her arms. She sensed the wolf leaping, felt his hot breath on her skin, his ravenous spittle on her hair. Then another growl shook the ground. This one human. Someone shoved her back. She landed in a tangle of shrubs and vines and opened her eyes. A shadow, a man—no, Hayden—had the wolf in a stranglehold, the fiend’s barbed teeth just inches from his neck.

Untangling herself from the vines, Magnolia leapt to her feet. Hayden and the wolf tumbled over dry leaves. Moonlight glinted off the knife in Hayden’s hand as he strained to keep the wolf ’s fangs at bay.

“Oh, God, no. God, please no.” Dropping to her knees, Magnolia groped for a sharp stick, a rock, anything to use against the ferocious animal.

Man and beast fought, growling, tumbling, rolling over the ground like storm clouds on the horizon. Her fingers clamped around a rock. The wolf was on top of Hayden again. Magnolia could smell its foul breath, his animal smell, raw and primitive. She also smelled blood. But whose? Hayden’s heavy breath filled the air. Along with his agonizing moans and grunts as muscles strained to exhaustion. She hoisted the rock, aimed for the wolf, but he twisted and dug his fangs into Hayden’s arm.

Hayden roared in agony. Magnolia lunged for the beast and slammed the rock at his head. Yelping, the wolf released his hold. Golden malevolent eyes swung her way. Magnolia’s blood turned to ice. She tried to scoot back over the ground. He leapt for her. His razor-sharp teeth filled her vision. But then he let out a tormented shriek and fell to the ground at her feet. Hayden’s knife stuck in his side. With a howl of his own that was almost beastlike, Hayden pulled it out. The wolf gave a painful wail and limped away. Within moments, the jungle swallowed him up as if he’d never been there.

Dropping to his knees, Hayden gripped his arm. His breath exploded into the humid night, his knife pointed at the place the wolf disappeared. Magnolia crawled toward him, every inch of her trembling. He turned and gathered her close, pressed her tightly against him, his muscles still twitching from battle. No words were said, just their heaving breath mingling in the air between them, their hearts pounding against each other’s through flesh and bone, their minds reeling in shock. Finally Hayden rubbed Magnolia’s back and kissed her forehead. The metallic smell of blood jarred her senses.

“He bit you!”She backed away, trying to see his arm in the darkness. But she didn’t need to see. She could hear the blood dripping onto the dry leaves.
Plop, plop, plop
.

“Just a scratch.” Hayden’s chuckle sounded weak.

“Let’s get back to camp.” She stood, forced strength into her wobbling legs, and tugged on his good arm. Sheathing his knife, Hayden rose, wrapped an arm around her, and started through the greenery. “You’re still trembling,” he said.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”

Back by the fire, she grabbed the canteen and an old petticoat and sat beside Hayden, preparing herself for the sight that would meet her eyes, trying to settle her nerves. Blood seeped between his fingers and trickled onto the ground below. But his eyes were on her, an intensity in their green depths she’d not seen before. Despite her fear, his gaze sent a flutter through her heart. Without asking permission, she grabbed the knife from his belt, ignoring the wolf ’s blood splattered over the blade, and ripped her petticoat into thick strips. Then turning toward him, she tore his sleeve from shoulder to wrist and pried back the torn fabric.

Blood dribbled down biceps bulging and bunching from exertion.

Bracing herself, she peeled his hand from the wound. Punctures littered his skin like bubbling wells. His flesh hung open, revealing muscle and bone. Magnolia gasped, groaned, looked away. Her head swam.

“That bad, huh?”

“No…yes…” She pressed a cloth over the wounds, wondering how he could even talk, let alone joke, with the pain he must be enduring. “But you’ll need stitches.” Stitches she had no idea how to apply. Though she’d seen Eliza stitch wounds a dozen times, she’d never done them herself. She drew a deep breath and faced him again. She had no choice. They were at least a day or more from New Hope and she couldn’t very well leave Hayden’s flesh hanging open to the insects and filth of the jungle.

Gathering her strength, she poured water on a cloth and wiped blood from the gashes. He winced. “Sorry, but I need to clean the injured area.”

He took one glance at his arm then swerved his gaze to the jungle. “I’m suddenly glad you learned nursing from Eliza.”

“Some.” Her heart scrambled into her throat. “Enough.” She hoped. “Here, hold this.”

Hayden pressed his hand on the cloth while Magnolia retrieved the flask of rum.

“This is hardly time for a drink, Princess.” His grin turned into a grimace.

“Alcohol prevents infection.”

“You would waste your precious rum on me?”

She uncorked it. “Hard to believe, isn’t it? Now, this will hurt.”

His jaw knotted but he gave her a nod.

She poured the pinga on his wound. He didn’t move. Didn’t scream. But pain seared in his eyes. What had this man endured to make him so tough? “You don’t have to play the valiant hero for me,” she said.

“You’re not impressed?”

Of course she was. More and more each day. “Does it matter what I think?” She rose and sifted through her valise, not wanting to see, by his expression, what his answer was. There. She found the tiny leather purse and pulled out the thread and needle she’d brought just in case she needed to mend her skirts. Not that she’d ever mended anything herself before, but in lieu of a lady’s maid, She was sure she could figure it out.

When she returned to his side, his eyes were squeezed shut. So he wasn’t as tough as he pretended. After pouring rum on both needle and thread, she sat beside him and drew a deep breath. “This will hurt.” Her hand trembled. Doubts flooded her. Who did she think she was? She couldn’t do this. Other than her mother’s failed attempts to teach her to embroider beads onto her skirts, she’d never sewn a stitch. Let alone human flesh! Her father’s words pierced her confidence:
“Magnolia, God gave you one gift and one gift alone, and that is your comely appearance. So, focus on that, my dear, and forget the rest. Then you’ll attract a wealthy man worthy of such beauty.”

She gulped. Firelight flickered over the needle, taunting her to continue. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.

As if sensing her hesitation, Hayden opened his eyes, their intensity diving deep into hers. “Go ahead, Princess. You can do this. I trust you.”

Trust me?
Yet there it was in his eyes. Faith. Belief—belief in her abilities, that she was more than a face and figure. Warmth swirled through her, bolstering her courage.

He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. The gentle gesture nearly melted her on the spot. She dropped her gaze to the wound.
Focus, Magnolia. Focus!
“No distractions.” Her nerves ignited like flint on steel.

“Then I
do
distract you.”

“Be still.”

“Aye, ay—”

She pierced skin and slid the thread through. His Adam’s apple plummeted. A tiny moan reverberated in his chest. She hated hurting him. Making another pass, she looped flesh together. He faced her. His rapid breath spread hot waves over her cheeks.

He grabbed a lock of her hair and twirled it between his fingers. He smelled of sweat and blood and…Hayden. “I told you to be still.”

“Touching you helps keep my mind off it.”

She shifted her eyes between his. She still could not believe he’d risked his life to save her. Could not believe he’d leapt between her and a ravenous wolf.

She tugged on the thread.

Wincing, he ran the back of his fingers over her cheek. She allowed the familiarity if it helped him cope with the pain. What it did to her insides was anything but painful. She slid the needle through again. “Almost done.”

The fire cracked and spit.

He fingered the lace at her collar and brushed fingers over her neck.

Magnolia’s skin buzzed beneath his touch. She finished the stitch, snapped the thread, and tied it off. “I don’t know how long that will hold, being common thread and all.” Taking clean shreds of petticoat, she wrapped them around his arm, his muscles still rock hard even with the wounds. “But that’s the best I know to do.” She just prayed it wouldn’t get infected. Prayed she’d done it right. Done something right when it mattered most of all.

Hayden couldn’t take his eyes off Magnolia. Instead of curling up into a ball and whimpering as he would expect someone of her station to do after they’d nearly been eaten by a wolf, she’d taken charge, hadn’t faltered in her task, and had stitched up a wound that would make most women swoon.

“You are a brave girl.”

Shock blinked on her face. “Hardly.” She washed her hands with canteen water and gathered the bloody cloths.

Placing a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her gaze to his. Those blue eyes, normally flashing like lightning, were soft, even timid. “You didn’t run when you had the chance. You stayed. Risked your own life to knock the wolf off me.” He eased a thumb over her chin, not wanting her to move and rob him of the look of ardor in her eyes.

“How could I do any less after you saved me?”

“Any other woman would have run. And most men I know, as well.” He snorted.

She jerked her chin from his touch, one brow arching. “You always said I was crazy. Now you have your proof.” She bundled the bloody cloths in her arms, inching away from him.

Yes, crazy and brave and charming and wonderful. And apparently uncomfortable beneath his complements. He flexed his arm, not showing the pain in his face. Though the wounds still throbbed, the bleeding had stopped. With his good hand, he tore off the remainder of his shirt and tossed it aside. “Guess that leaves me without a shirt.” Since he’d returned the one he’d “borrowed” in Rio. When he looked back at her, she was staring at his chest.

A flood of pink crawled up her neck, and she fumbled with her skirts in an attempt to stand.

He gripped her arm, gently, yet firmly, keeping her beside him. “Thank you. For stitching me up. You did a good job.”

She gave a little smile and stared into the jungle. A breeze stirred her loose curls, tossing one onto her cheek. “Why did you come after me, Hayden? You haven’t spoken to me for days. I thought you hated me. Couldn’t wait to be rid of me.” She moved her gaze to his chest then quickly dropped it to the ground between them.

He took her hand and raised it to his lips. So soft. “I could never hate you.” Before he’d even entered the clearing, he had heard the wolf ’s growls, knew she was in mortal danger. Yet, oddly, not a single thought of self-preservation had entered his mind. The great Hayden Gale who always put himself above others had rushed headlong into certain death to save another.

She searched his eyes, as if trying to assess his sincerity. There, the affection he’d seen moments ago returned. Was it possible that a woman like Magnolia could care for him?

“But you—but I thought—” she stuttered. “Didn’t you just say, not moments before, that you blame me for not having enough money to…?”

But Hayden wasn’t listening anymore. Her rambling faded into the background as he absorbed her with his gaze, longing to take her in his arms. Zooks, the woman could argue about anything, even their affection for each other.

“…and when I asked you to look in the mirror, why the very sight of me caused you to run off into the jungle. And every time I’ve tried to stir up conversation you…”

He grinned, delighting in her feminine gestures and expressions while she prattled on.

“So as you can clearly see—”

His lips met hers.

C
HAPTER
24

H
efting the heavy book they’d found at the temple, James trudged through the jungle back to New Hope. Behind him, Blake and Eliza discussed what to do with Mr. Graves, while behind them, Dodd and Lewis argued about the best way to extract the gold moon and stars from the temple wall. But James didn’t care about the treasure. Or Graves, if he were honest. He was still trying to shake off the foreboding presence he’d felt in the tunnels. In fact, he hadn’t been able to get away from that place fast enough.