First Knight: Thornton Brothers Time Travel (A Thornton Brothers Time Travel Romance Book 3) (22 page)
Authors: Cynthia Luhrs
Since Jennifer didn’t have children, at least not yet, she wasn’t sure if he was right, but it made sense to her. “Am I going to have nightmares?”
“I will not tell you lies. You will. But in time they will fade. When my time comes to pass to the next life, I know I will see the faces of all I have killed. But I also know I have done so with honor and have nothing to fear from my maker. And neither do you.”
Somehow his words washed away the worry. While Jennifer knew it might only be temporary, she would take whatever reprieve she could get. She gripped his tunic tightly and tilted her head up to meet his lips. It wasn’t a delicate kiss—it was demanding, yearning for something she couldn’t quite articulate.
He knew what she needed and violently crushed his mouth to hers. Heat poured through him into her very soul, warming her for the first time. The ugliness around them faded away as his kisses burned through her body, destroying the death, ugliness, and worry. Replacing them with light and happiness.
While Jennifer and Edward dealt with the aftermath of Maude’s death, Brom had discovered the hidden passageway behind the icehouse and caught not only Hamish but Gilbert unaware. She knew Edward was disappointed he hadn’t struck the killing blow, but he bore the news well enough when Brom presented the severed heads at Edward’s feet.
She still couldn’t believe Gilbert Armstrong had caused so much death, all because he blamed Edward for his only son’s death. Edward and Brom had told her that the boy died in battle, a warrior’s death, but the news broke something in Gilbert, and he’d been after Edward all these years.
Hamish hated Edward from the scar he gave him when he was a lad in his first battle. Then he’d spread the rumors about Edward eating children to stir up hatred.
Thank goodness it was all over.
The blacksmith presented Edward with the sword.
"’Tis wondrous. It will make a fine gift for my lady.”
The man bowed. “I am pleased.”
Thunder sounded across the sky and Edward went in search of his lady. She was in the rose garden painting, a streak of pink across her cheek.
“A storm is coming.”
“I heard it. I’m just finishing up.”
He looked to the darkening sky and saw lightning light up the heavens. Edward took the easel and satchel from her.
“What do you have there, a new sword?”
He held it up. “A gift for you, lady. ’Tis time you had your own blade.”
Jennifer clapped her hands. “Let me see.” She accepted the sword from him, holding it up. “It isn’t heavy like yours.”
“Nay, ’twas made for you.”
Lightning filled the sky again. “We should go inside.”
But she did not move. The wind blew her hair across her face.
“Jennifer, is aught amiss? Do you not like the blade? I will have another made.”
She touched the stone, ran her finger down the hilt and across the edge of the blade before he could stop her. Three drops of blood fell to the earth.
“Edward. I was so very wrong. All this time I thought it was your sword. The emerald.”
Over the thunder and wind, ’twas hard to hear. He pulled her toward the keep as the rain fell.
“When I cut my palm, I was holding another stone in my hand. I fell, skinned my palm, and bled on the stone, but when I fell I must have dropped it, and I forgot all about it.” She met his gaze, but something was very wrong. She was there but was not.
“It was a ruby.”
Lightning arced and she faded as Edward lunged for her.
“She belongs to me. I defied death to come back to her. You will not take her from me.” He bellowed to the heavens until his voice failed him.
Edward came to, looking around the room. He had lost her.
“Jennifer.”
He heard footsteps. The door opened and there she was.
“I had to use the garderobe. Stop shouting, you’ll have half the castle here.”
“What happened? The last thing I remember was watching you fade…like Connor.”
“You fainted.”
He scoffed. “I do not faint. Women faint.”
She looked properly chastised, and he decided to ignore her chin quivering. Surely she was not laughing at him?
“Of course, my lord. You are much too fearsome to faint.”
“Harrumph. Come and sit with me.” His heart ached, for he knew he had almost lost her back to her own time.
“You stayed.”
She took his hands in hers. “I saw my old life. And I knew I could go back, but if I did, we would never find each other again, in this life or the next.”
A tear fell from her eye. “I saw you in the mist. You were holding on to me. I turned and saw a land covered in blood and tears. Then I saw the anguish on your face as you watched Somerforth and all who live here fall. I took your hand and pulled.” She reached out and touched his face, her fingers making him burn to possess her.
“I should not have stolen you from time. I could not let you go. We belong together. Always and forever.” He had to wipe a bit of dust from his eye and clear his throat before he could tell her the rest.
“I think what we saw was what would come to pass if we were not together. Or if I had gone forward to your time.”
He would not wait another day. “Marry me, Jennifer Wilson. Let this be our first night together as betrothed. We will spend the rest of our days together. What say you?”
He watched her eyes leak. The sound of weeping filled the room, and it took him a moment to know she was happy, not full of sorrow. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his, gently then more urgently as he held her so tightly he was afraid he would break her.
“Yes. Yes, I will marry you. I love you.”
“And I you. ’Tis only with you I am truly whole.”
Books by Cynthia Luhrs
Listed in the correct reading order
THRILLERS
When She Was Bad - January 10
th
2017
TIME TRAVEL SERIES
A Knight to Remember
Merriweather Sisters Medieval Time Travel Romance Boxed Set Books 1-3
COMING 2017 - 2018
Beyond Time
Falling Through Time
Lost in Time
My One and Only Knight
A Moonlit Knight
A Knight in Tarnished Armor
THE SHADOW WALKER GHOST SERIES
Get the Entire Shadow Walker Series
The Shadow Walkers Boxed Set Books 1-3
The Shadow Walkers Boxed Set Books 4-6
August 2016 – December 2017 My Favorite Things Journal & Coloring Book for Book Lovers
A JIG THE PIG ADVENTURE (Children’s Picture Books)
Beware the Woods
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About the Author
Cynthia Luhrs writes time travel because she hasn’t found a way (yet) to transport herself to medieval England where she’s certain a knight in slightly tarnished armor is waiting for her arrival. She traveled a great deal and now resides in the colonies with three tiger cats who like to disrupt her writing by sitting on the keyboard. She is overly fond of shoes, sloths, and tea.
Also by Cynthia: There Was a Little Girl and the Shadow Walker Ghost Series.