Stone Heart (28 page)
Authors: Candace Sams
* * * *
He nodded. "Let this be done."
Pluck, as guardian, turned to open the door and moved to let Angus through first. Angus slowly walked into the room.
He glanced at the bed and his heart almost stopped. "
What
has happened to her
?" He began to gasp for breath. It was as though he had run an incredible distance and a sense of panic seeped into him. It was
terrifying
. He turned as the Sorceress and some of the others entered the room. "She is no' here.
Someone has taken her!"
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"That's not possible," Pluck declared as he entered the room. "After Heather and Amber left her, no one entered.
No
one!"
Hugh quickly walked to the window. "There's simply no way anyone could have entered through here and taken her.
We're four stories up and the wall is unclimbable."
"Karen is gone. Someone
has
to have taken her," Angus growled, then pushed Hugh aside to look out the window himself. He already knew what he would see. The same view as he had the day before. He ran from the room to inspect the ground below. Lore and Gryphon were close on his heels.
"Heather, Amber, when did you last leave this room?"
Shayla asked. The expressions on the women's faces could only be described as numb.
Heather and Amber looked at one another.
Finally, Heather found her voice first. "It was just before midnight. And I don't think there's a way on this green Earth anyone could have taken Karen down the side of the castle.
Even if such a thing
could
be done, how would it happen without someone in the forest knowing?"
"Exactly!" Shayla muttered. "Everyone follow me." She and the crowd made their way to the ground beneath Karen's window. Lore, Angus and Gryphon were searching every inch of the grass.
Lore stood from his kneeling position and faced Shayla.
"There isn't a sign of anyone having been here. Let alone someone carrying a body."
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"
Someone has taken her!"
Angus gasped. He was beside himself with anger. He thrust his hands into his hair and stared into the forest.
"Sorceress, Angus has had about as much as one man can take. I suggest we take him inside, and give him a potion to calm him. Then we can start a proper search," Gryphon tactfully murmured.
Shayla watched as Angus began to pace. Sweat poured from him, and he had the look of someone about to go mad.
"I agree. You and some of the others take him inside. Tie him, sit on him, or whatever else you have to do. Don't let him go into the woods until I say so. Hugh and I are going to have a talk with Tearach."
"You suspect
he
might know something about this?"
Gryphon asked.
"I don't know, but, by Herne, I'll find out!"
Angus tried to fight them. All he could think of was that someone had taken Karen's poor body and was even now defiling it. Again, three-hundred-year-old words came back to haunt him. "
I hope someone hurts you..."
"Come with us, man. There's nothing you can do the Sorceress won't." Gryphon said, trying to encourage him to stop struggling.
"
Why
?" Angus looked into the other man's face. "She could no' harm another now. Karen was no threat. Why ... would ...
Why
?"
Gryphon sighed. He and the other men renewed their grip on the larger man's arms. "I don't know, Angus. But we're 250
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you're friends. We'll help the Sorceress find out, I promise.
Just stop fighting us and come along."
Angus stopped struggling and glanced at their faces. There was nothing left in his brain but a darkened cavity. He could not summon the wits to take action. Truly, this was another punishment sent by the Goddess. One as bad or worse than anything he had ever known.
"Karen?" he whispered and gazed into the woods. The others shoved him into the castle. Angus would never remember the hours that followed. It was as though all conscious thought shut down.
* * * *
"I'm here, Sorceress," Tearach called and emerged from a dense thicket. He nodded to Hugh in greeting. "There's a problem?"
"As news here travels fast, I'm sure you know all about it,"
she responded. "You must also know the question I've come to ask. Do you know anything about Karen's disappearance?"
"You're right. I
have
heard what's happened. Some of the Pixies sent word through the woods as you made your way here. And that you would
remotely
suspect my people or me of taking the girl's body is the lowest insult, among many, 251
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we've suffered lately." He paused, trying to calm his anger.
"I've already ordered my best trackers to begin searching with the Fairies. Is there anything
else
before I join them, Sorceress?"
Shayla slowly walked forward until she stood within a foot of the Goblin Leader. "If an apology is warranted then you will have it. But if any of your people took that girl to keep her from being buried on Goblin land,
you'll
join Roland in death!"
Tearach watched as Shayla and Hugh walked away.
Threats to
his
life meant nothing. His was a dying race. All the Goblins had left was their honor, and that he would salvage.
Rumors were already spreading that the Goblins had scavenged the body. He turned on his heel and quickly reentered the forest. He was determined to clear his people of any suspicion.
* * * *
Finally, Shayla released Angus from his forced confinement.
Angus immediately bolted into the woods and began to search every inch of ground from beneath Karen's window to the forest. He systematically widened his search to no avail. He neither ate nor drank. He occasionally came across groups of Fairies, Druids or others who had no better luck. In agony at having failed her, he retreated into himself and avoided all contact. He made his way to the little glen where, even now, she should have been resting in peace.
"Forgive me, my love. I should have guarded you myself. I should have never left your room," Angus cried as he plunged 252
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his hands into his hair and dropped to his knees. "This
canna'
be happening."
He would rest only long enough to slake his thirst at the little spring-fed pool, and then he'd begin the search again and never stop. If it took the rest of his life, he would find out where she had been taken and why. It was no accident that Goblins had not crossed his path. He was sure Shayla or their leader had ordered them to avoid him at all costs. In his present state, he could quite easily start a confrontation that would last until someone lay dead.
He dipped his hands into the clear water of the pond. One drink and he would begin searching again. The cool liquid ran down his throat, but it did little to calm his shattered nerves.
His hands shook so hard he could barely bring more water to his lips. He gazed down at his reflection. "
Damn you
," he cursed himself. "You should never have brought her here.
Never!" He stood and turned to leave.
"Angus
?"
For a second, he believed he must have imagined the soft, strange voice. It was accompanied by a
tinkling
. As if crystals were striking against one another. And yet, there was something familiar in it. For several moments, he remained absolutely still.
Nothing. No sound could be heard at all.
Angus shook his head.
I must be going mad
. Perhaps it would be easier to exist in such a state.
"Angus. Help me
."
He began to shake. His senses now told him there was a strange being near, but it was unlike anything he had ever 253
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encountered. It was a presence so strong and magical that it had him on his knees again.
"Who is there?" he whispered. Since the sound seemed to come from all around him, Angus was not sure he could trust his senses to discern a location.
"
I-I'm frightened.
"
A reflection in the water caught and held his gaze. He looked up. No words would come. His throat tightened and a mist of tears covered his vision. Above him, curled on the arched branch of an oak, was a
vision
. For surely that was what it must be. She stretched out a hand toward him and long silver-blonde hair fell over her shoulder. Her blue-green eyes held and bewitched him.
"
Please, tell me how I got here. What in the world
happened to me?
"
"Karen!"
he shouted. "By all that's sacred..."
He stood, stretched out his arms and she placed her hands on his shoulders. He pulled her from the tree, crushed her to his chest and believed he
was
insane.
"
Oh, Angus,
" she wept. "
It was so dark. I was so afraid!"
For a very long time, he held her without moving or speaking. He was afraid she would vanish and he would be alone again. Surely, existing in this sweet madness would be better than the last few days of his life.
Finally, she pushed herself away far enough to gaze up into his eyes.
Angus barely noticed that she was wearing some kind of gauzy, silver gown. It was virtually translucent. But he
did
notice that her body was no longer gaunt, but luscious and 254
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healthy. Full, rounded breasts pressed against him, and her legs were incredibly long and perfectly formed. His hands skimmed a tiny waist and stroked her back. He brought them up to cup her face, then plunged his fingers into the pale mane of waist-length hair. He gasped at the sight of her sweet, pointed ears. She had undergone some magical transformation, but she was still
his
Karen. He lowered his head and slanted his mouth over hers. Their tongues met and they sank to the ground.
Angus' hands tore her gown apart and his breath came in gasps. "I dunna' know what enchantment this is. If my mind is crazed, then I want no part of sanity." She helped him shed his own garments, their hands grasping at each others flesh.
Her back arched over one of his powerful arms and he took his fill of her breasts. She moaned his name over and over.
The palm of his free hand stroked the insides of her thighs and she opened for him.
"
Take me, Angus
," she cried.
His body demanded he do so. Any thought of gently entering her fled with his urgent need. He lowered her onto a patch of Irish moss, covered her, then thrust hard. Her entire body responded to the joining. She matched his rhythm perfectly and their eyes never lost contact. She screamed his name. Seconds later, he responded by spilling his seed into her and collapsing upon her warmth. When he tried to push away she held him fast.
"
Don't. Don't pull away just yet. Let me feel you.
"
The tinkling which accompanied her voice had him entranced. Their sweat-glistened bodies fit together perfectly, 255
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despite the fact that her womb was so very tight. Panting, she pushed his hair away from his face and began to place small kisses upon his neck and chest. He cradled her against him and knew perfect serenity.
"
You're crying,
" she whispered as her fingertips brushed away his tears.
"'Tis happiness causes me to weep. I thought I had lost you."
"
Lost? What do you mean
?"
He looked into her azure eyes and saw a measure of
innocence
there that alerted him. "Karen, my heart, what do you last remember?" He watched her gaze scan his features, then saw an expression of horror pass over her face.
"
That man ... that Goblin ... he had a bow and arrow. I
saw him aiming at us.
" She stopped to think. Angus comforted her and spoke soothingly.
Karen knew there was more, but she just couldn't recall it.
"
That's all I remember. Then I woke up on that branch when I
heard your voice
." She pointed to the limb of the oak which arched over them.
"Is there nothing else you can remember?" He stroked her gently and cocooned her body with his.
"
No. But, like in a dream, it seemed I could hear voices. As
if they were coming from a distance. Some seemed sad. And I
think I heard you. I wanted to come to you, but everything
was so very dark.
" She buried her head against his shoulder, but he held her so close she wasn't afraid anymore.
Angus sat up and pulled her onto his lap. He held her as he would a small child and crooned to her for a time.
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She smiled up at him and placed his hand over her left breast. "
Whatever happened, I'm not sick anymore. Can you
feel how strong my heart is beating? There's no pain. I feel as
though I could make love to you for hours,
" she said and smiled brightly.
"That is no' all that has happened. You have ... changed ...
a wee bit." He pulled a thick portion of her long hair forward so she could see it.
"
My hair was never this long! And it wasn't this blond,
either.
" She sat up slowly, but Angus kept his arms around her. She looked down at her body, cupped her own breasts and slid her hands lower. "
What's happened to me?
"