Toil and Trouble (33 page)

She closed her eyes again and we all followed suit. I pushed myself to the edge, imagining the portal opening wide, imbuing it with my magic.

Mathilda let go of my hand and I opened my eyes.

“She is too strong,” Mathilda whispered.

Mercedes nodded and glanced at me. “Jolie, your barriers are stopping us and we cannot break them down.”

I swallowed hard. “What does that mean?”

Mercedes heaved a deep sigh, which was something that left me feeling nothing but anxious. When she looked into my eyes again, there was nothing I could read in her expression.

“We must recreate the event in which I was able to break through your barriers.”

It took me a second to realize what she meant and when I did, a bolt of despair and panic shot through me. “You mean…”

“We must stab you.”

Twenty one

Rand dropped both my and Mathilda’s hands and stepped away, all the while shaking his head. “I will have nothing to do with this.”

Well, I couldn’t say I wasn’t thinking the same way. I’d been nearly stabbed once and that was one too many times, thank you very much.

“We are losing time,” Mercedes started, pacing back and forth as the full moon highlighted her long brown hair.

“I am finished. I cannot endanger Jolie’s life,” Rand said, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He moved to stand in front of me protectively, as if sheltering me from Mercedes.

“We will not endanger her life,” Mathilda started.

“You?” Rand faced her and his voice betrayed his disappointment. “You comply with this absurdity?”

Mathilda nodded and brought her gaze to the cloud studded sky. She held her hands upward and closed her eyes, looking like some sort of human antenna…well, fairy antenna. She reopened her eyes and let her hands fall, nodding. “It is the only way.”

A cold wind suddenly swooshed through the trees, their skeletal branches swaying with the gusts. The wind howled, chilling us with its icy embrace. I wrapped my arms around myself more tightly.

“Jolie’s protective walls are too impervious,” Mercedes started, capturing Rand’s attention again as she approached us. Her tone was level, informative. “If only we can break through her barriers, our magic will send her back.”

“And if we fail to break through?” Rand demanded, holding me firmly in place behind him.

“Then I die,” I croaked and stepped out from his protection. The moon almost blinded me with its intensity. It was like the God of Night was shining a spotlight on me.

Mercedes shook her head and it felt as if her eyes were boring through my soul. “Mathilda and I will not allow you to die, Jolie. You must trust in providence. You have a purpose to fulfill which does not include you dying here.”

“I hope you’re right,” I started, wondering if the “fulfilling my purpose” stuff was all true or just a way for Mercedes to get me to do what she wanted. If nothing else, she was persuasive. She should’ve been a lawyer.

“Does this mean you agree to this insanity?” Rand asked, turning his anger and pain filled eyes on me.

“What other choice do we have?” I answered in a mouse voice.

His smile was as full of sweetness as it was sorrow. He grasped my hands and rubbed the tops of my fingers with his. “We can choose to forget this foolishness and share the remainder of our lives together,” he started, his voice soft, lulling. “As husband and wife.”

I tightened my grip on his hands, feeling an ache inside that spread like cancer through me. I started to cry and closed my eyes, dropping my attention to the ground in order to get my emotions under control. I didn’t want Rand to see me cry; that would be too hard on him. Granted, he could feel everything I was currently feeling so he knew how depressed I was, but I didn’t want to add to his pain.

“I want that, Rand, more than anything, but we can’t have it here and now,” I whispered. “We will have it in my own time, though, I promise.”

“Jolie,” he started.

“She cannot stay here,” Mercedes interrupted sternly. “The Goddess dictates that she must return to her present time. Her destiny does not include remaining.”

Rand wouldn’t look at Mercedes and instead, tightened his lips into a straight line, never removing his eyes from mine. I could read his love for me in his gaze like I was reading a book. His feelings surged within me so strong that my heart ached and I wanted desperately to agree to his proposal. He sighed deeply, as if expelling the sorrow building within him, and I knew he had come to accept the situation.

Finally, he addressed Mercedes. “Can you ensure me that your blade will not kill her?”

Mercedes nodded emphatically. “Yes, I can.”

Rand shook his head and looked at me again. His smile was warm, sincere. As he gazed at me, he ran a finger down the side of my face. “Then it looks as if I have no choice but to participate.”

“Thank you, Rand,” I said, rubbing my sleeve against my face to dry away the hot tears that continued to fall down my cheeks. I was afraid and Rand was feeling it too. I trusted in Mercedes, but it was a wary trust as I knew she was only obeying the Goddess’s bidding. Did I think Mercedes would lie to us? No. Did I think she had my best interests at heart? I couldn’t be sure.

“Jolie,” Mercedes interrupted and I turned toward her.

“Yes?”

“When Gwynn attacked you, where were you standing? Can you demonstrate please?”

I closed my eyes and tried to remember. An image of the battle entered my mind like a nightmare and I could see our little alcove, with Sinjin acting as sentry while Rand looked on in shock. I’d been facing away from Gwynn, looking at Rand. At Rand’s verbal warning, I’d turned and Gwynn had plunged her dagger. But, I’d only ever felt the cold steel of her blade on the surface of my stomach. Why? Because just then, Mercedes had intercepted and saved me. I opened my eyes again and took a few steps away from everyone.

“Rand, you were there,” I said, pointing to a space just to the northeast of where I stood.

Rand nodded and with a heavy heart, walked to the location I pinpointed. I turned away from him, closing my eyes as I tried to recreate the scene in my mind, trying not to think of the gaping hole in my heart. Instead, I focused, focused entirely on staging the scene that had nearly killed me. I opened my eyes again and focused on Mercedes.

“Gwynn came up behind me,” I said and stood beside her, turning toward Rand while trying to estimate the distance between Mercedes and him. I stepped away from Mercedes and asked her. “Will you play the part of Gwynn?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I was facing Rand when he yelled to me to turn around and when I did, Gwynn buried her blade into my gut. At least that’s what I thought happened but you rescued me before her blade could even penetrate my skin.”

Rand’s hands fisted at his sides and Mercedes settled her attention on him. “And I will rescue her again, Rand. Nothing to fear.”

At the mention of “rescuing her again”, I thought I should probably bring up the question of timing once more, just to be sure she hadn’t forgotten. “So, we will go back to my time with at least ten seconds to spare, right?”

Mercedes faced me and her mouth was tight. “It is very difficult to predict timing.”

Not exactly the answer I wanted to hear. “But, you were able to pull me back before Gwynn did any damage.”

“That is not to say I can do it again.”

I shook my head. That wasn’t good enough. “So, I could die?”

Mercedes’ eyes were intense, powerful. “You will not die.”

“But, how,” Rand started, determined steps bringing him closer.

“You must trust in providence,” Mercedes interrupted and held up her hand as if to say she’d heard enough and didn’t want to bother herself with the messy details. Not waiting for us, she turned around to ponder the scene before her. She took a few steps forward, only to rest her chin on her hand as if considering the best layout for our reenactment. She sidestepped me and then nodded.

“Mathilda, please stand beside Rand,” she requested.

Mathilda nodded and approached Rand, holding his hand in her own. She smiled up at him, seeming to say she understood what he was going through, that she was there for him. I could only wonder if Mathilda knew what would happen to him after my departure. Since she was the all-knowing fairy, I imagined she must’ve been very familiar with what happened when one bonded party was forever separated from the other. Yes, Rand would have someone to look after him, someone powerful who truly cared for him. I was leaving him in the best possible hands.

Mercedes glanced at the moon and I followed her gaze, watching the clouds eclipse the great orb. With the wind blowing through the skeletal trees, and scattering the light snowfall that had just started, I had to wonder why I wasn’t cold. It was probably my own raw nerves keeping me warm.

“We must hurry,” Mercedes said, looking back at us. “Rand and Mathilda, at the very moment I approach Jolie with the blade, you must envision the portal to Jolie’s time opening wide. We must time it exactly or it will not work.”

Mathilda nodded but Rand said nothing. His face was expressionless but I could feel his pain, it practically handicapped me.

“We will only have one chance to do this properly,” Mercedes continued and stood behind me. “Are we ready?”

I nodded and turned away from her, facing Rand. I offered him a small smile and didn’t miss the way his eyes filled with tears or how tight his jaw was. I memorized every detail of his face, how young and innocent he looked. How beautiful…

I love you, Rand.

And I you
. He closed his eyes and I could see his grip on Mathilda’s hand tightening as tears coursed down his face.
I will love you always.

I gritted my teeth, wanting only to run to him and tell him I wouldn’t go through with this, that I would stay with him forever.

But, I never had the chance. Instead, my ears caught the sound of snow crunching behind me and I watched Rand’s eyes open wide in alarm.

“Jolie!” he yelled, surging forward.

I whirled around at the same instant Mercedes plunged the dagger’s blade into my stomach.

* * *

It was like time was standing still, only to go into fast forward. There was a bright flash of light and then utter blackness. I opened my eyes and blinked against the garish display of moonlight accompanied by the incessant twinkling of stars.

“Jolie!” It was Rand’s voice screaming at me.

I turned to him in shock, noticing the familiar standing stones behind him, the cairns beyond the stones. We were back in the alcove of trees; Sinjin was standing there, staring at me. He looked as shocked as Rand. Wondering what the hell was going on, I spotted Mercedes standing just beside Rand.

And then it dawned on me.

Gwynn…

I whirled around and caught only the ire in her eyes, the anger in her tight-lipped expression. Then I felt myself thrust backward as an incredible burning in my stomach overcame me. I glanced down and screamed at the sight of her blade buried in my gut. It seemed like slow motion as I hit the ground.

A cacophony of voices sounded over the pounding of my heartbeat as it reverberated through my head. Rand was yelling, punctuated by the raucous sound of metal on metal and whooping of war calls. The battle still raged around me.

I’d hit the ground hard but never felt it. I was too consumed with the burning in the middle of my stomach. My heartbeat was suddenly slowing. I saw Gwynn standing over me and before I had the chance to do anything, Sinjin leapt on her, his fangs exposed. He tore into her neck like an outraged animal. Gwynn dropped and in an instant Siinjin grasped her by the hair and ripped her head off. Her carcass exploded into ash, her head dangling in Sinjin’s grip. A few seconds later her head exploded just as her body had. I pulled my attention from Gwynn’s ashes that now sailed on the wind and found Sinjin. His eyes were full of an emotion I’d never seen on him before—pain, it was the look of extreme loss.

And that was when I realized I was dying. Mercedes had lied to me. She’d promised I wouldn’t die but it looked like that’s exactly what was happening.

I felt the touch of warm, soft hands on my hairline and glanced up. Rand’s face met my eyes. He looked like an angel, even with his hair mussed and the dirt mixed with blood that speckled his forehead and cheeks.

“Jolie, can you hear me?” he demanded. Tears fell helplessly down his cheeks, making tiny rivers through the dirt.

I tried to answer but had no voice. So, I nodded, suddenly feeling like I was choking. I tried to inhale but couldn’t take in any air. Panic started a slow twist up my body, amplified by the feeling of liquid rising up my throat. I tasted hot, metallic blood gurgling out of my throat and dribbling down my cheek into the moist earth below. Breathing in a wispy breath, I felt my lungs filling with liquid, with blood. The panic was little by little fading into oblivion and my eyelids were becoming so heavy.

“No,” Rand cried and cradled my head in his lap. His tears flowed unrestrained and I wanted to reach out to him, to tell him it was okay, that I was not afraid. But, I couldn’t. I couldn’t even feel my body anymore.

Rand hugged me tightly. As I lay in the warmth of his embrace, I took one last glance at the battlefield, hating the violence and carnage. Now I would never know the outcome of our battle. My thoughts were interrupted by a woman screaming. She was pinned by a tree behind her and in front of her, a snarling wolf. Her face was familiar. Her long dark hair and wide dark eyes tore at my memory. Anne. I had seen this vision once before, right down to the wolf growling at her. Behind this wolf, another wolf with a reddish coat suddenly leapt up and buried its teeth into the wolf threatening Anne. The creature fell to the ground while the attacking wolf bit into its throat, gnashing its teeth while the wolf bled out and died. The victorious wolf shape-shifted back into a man and I recognized him as Trent, my ex. Anne ran to him and he embraced her.

I couldn’t help my smile. I felt a kind of lightweight happiness, the feeling of warmth penetrated me and I knew everything would work out. Just in watching Trent defend Anne, it was enough for me to trust in providence, to trust that everything would go as it had to go. And, suddenly, I was okay with the fact that I’d played my part, the fact that I’d been a pawn in a game I’d had no control over. Rand…and Sinjin were safe. That was really all that mattered.