Read Online A Warrior's Heart (Shields) by Donna Grant - Free Book Online Page B

after one meeting.
    “I suppose you might be right,” he answered. “I’ll take whatever opportunities present themselves.” He finally looked around the solar. “Where is everyone else?”
    “To their chambers,” Mina answered.
    Gabriel had seen the many looks over supper. Everyone was worried and frightened, and they were spending as much time together as they could. He looked to Mina and Hugh. “What are you two still doing down here?”
    “We wanted to hear from you,” Hugh said. “But now that I have, I’m going to take my wife to bed.”
    Gabriel grinned as Hugh and Mina smiled at each other as they walked from the solar. Once they were gone, Gabriel sank into the chair Hugh had vacated and looked at the chessboard.
    The wind howled outside. The storm Hugh spoke of would be here in a day or so. Tomorrow would be a good time to take another look in the woods.
    He released a breath as he thought of Jayna. He would bring her and have her show him her bow and just how well she had hidden it. If she even had a bow.
    The smile vanished as he thought of his brethren. The Shields were all he had, his only family. He could not – and would not – let anything happen to them. As much as his body might be attracted to Jayna, he still couldn’t help but think she might some how be connected to the Great Evil.
    But how?
    What harm could she do? Before, the Great Evil had sent creatures bent on killing, but no matter how Gabriel looked at it, he didn’t see how Jayna could harm them.
    There was always poison, but in order for her to tamper with any of their food she would have to get into the kitchens. And he knew that would never happen. It was a testament to Hugh’s leadership that his people were loyal to him. They would gladly die for him rather than see him come to harm.
    Other than killing each of the Shields off, Jayna couldn’t touch them. Just in case she was aligned with the evil, Gabriel would make sure she wasn’t privy to any information that could harm them.
    He sighed and ran his hand down his face. Jayna had asked many questions about his past and his memory loss. Questions that no one else had dared to ask.
      “Aimery,” he called out softly. “Aimery, please.”
    In a blink Aimery stood before him in his silver tunic, and pants threaded with the same unusual blue that matched his swirling eyes. His long flaxen hair hung straight down the middle of his back, and as usual, he had several rows of tiny braids near his temple. “What is it?”
    “I need to know what happened the night I was found.”
    Aimery sighed and took the chair opposite Gabriel. “I’ve told you this many times.”
    “I know, but I’m looking for anything that might trigger some memories. I haven’t asked about that night in a very long time.”
    “Aye,” Aimery nodded. “I wasn’t there when they originally found you, but I was called in soon after. You were almost too gone for us to save, but we combined our magic and brought you back from the brink of death.”
    Gabriel nodded, remembering this from previous tellings. “My wounds. What kind did I have?”
    “Too many to count. You were covered in blood. Besides the many cuts along your arms, chest, and face, you had a broken leg and the burn on your palm that you keep hidden from everyone.”
    Gabriel swallowed and fisted the hand Aimery spoke of. There had always been something about the burn that bothered him, almost as though it would speak of an evil past.
    “The cuts must not have been very deep for I have no scars.”
    Aimery studied him a moment. “Some weren’t, but others were.”
    “If I’m immortal, then how was it I was near the brink of death?”
    “Do you forget so easily that though Roderick is immortal, he can be killed? The Fae can also die. Now, tell me, what do you remember?”
    “Nothing,” he answered automatically. Then his mind flashed a scene in his head of several Fae leaning over him. “I...I told you what herbs to