By Chelsea Fine
Copyright © 2012 by Chelsea Fine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any methods, photocopying, scanning, electronic or otherwise, except as permitted by notation in the volume or under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the author.
ISBN 9781452484693
Contact the author via
www.TheArchersofAvalon.com
www.ChelseaFineBooks.com
Published by
Firefall Publishing
Phoenix, AZ
Cover photo and design by Jon and Ashley Bugg with Bugg Photographer LLC
Amazon Kindle Edition
Also by Chelsea Fine
Sophie and Carter
Anew
To my husband, Brett, who encourages me to fly. You are my heart, my soul, my Hunter.
1
Tristan watched the brilliant blue light fade from Scarlet’s eyes.
“Scar!” he cried.
No, no, no!
He shifted her gently, drawing her closer to his body. Suffocating in fear, he cupped the side of her face with a shaky hand. “Scar…?” His vision went blurry. “Come back to me, Scar. Come on.” He blinked tears away. “Please….”
Scarlet’s body went limp in his arms and cold panic froze his lungs. He felt inside himself, trying to find Scarlet’s heartbeat amidst the pain and tightness in his chest.
He searched…and searched….
He blinked away more tears and searched some more….
At last, he found it.
Broken and faint, Scarlet’s fragile heart beat out a tiny rhythm. She was still alive.
He heard someone call her name in the distance, but the only sound Tristan cared about was the absence of breath from Scarlet’s mouth.
She wasn’t moving.
She wasn’t breathing.
But she had a pulse.
His hand traveled over the soft skin of her back to where the deadly arrow still protruded. Blood poured from the wound, soaking his fingers in warmth.
No, no, no….
He couldn’t breathe. He didn’t want to breathe. “Scar…?”
Stars filled the December night sky, peeking through the tall forest trees, and moonlight cast a soft glow against Scarlet’s cheek, making her look peaceful, healthy.
The moonlight lied.
“Scarlet!” Tristan heard his twin brother, Gabriel, scream into the forest. The sound cut through the trees and pierced Tristan in the gut. “Scarl—”
Emerging from the darkness, Gabriel ran into the clearing. Out of breath. Desperately searching for Scarlet.
When Gabriel caught sight of her tucked into Tristan’s arms, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes shifted up and down Scarlet’s body and Gabriel went pale.
“No!” His voice echoed off the silent mountains and floated up to the lying moon.
Tristan moved his tremulous hand away from Scarlet’s soft cheek.
“No!” Gabriel repeated as he ran toward them and dropped to his knees at Scarlet’s side. “What happened?” he snapped at Tristan as he looked Scarlet over. “Scarlet? What happ—” Gabriel caught sight of the arrow sticking out from Scarlet’s back and the dark pool of blood gathering beneath her body.
Gabriel choked, running his hands over her body. “S-Scarlet?” He looked up at Tristan. “What happened?”
Tristan tried to swallow, but couldn’t. His voice came out cracked and twisted. “I didn’t mean for her to get hurt. She wasn’t supposed to be here. I didn’t know…I didn’t know….”
Dark fury shadowed Gabriel’s face as he narrowed his eyes. “What happened?”
“The arrow was supposed to hit me. I didn’t know she was here. I didn’t know…I didn’t…. But she’s still alive.” Thousands of memories flashed before Tristan’s eyes.
He couldn’t lose her. Not again.
Not like this.
“She’s still alive,” Tristan repeated, like saying it out loud was powerful and would somehow keep her heart beating.
“Scarlet?” Gabriel’s voice was soft this time, laced with torment as he looked at her empty face. “Scarlet…can you hear me?”
Tristan closed his eyes, trying to hold onto the quiet heartbeat in her chest; the struggling scrap of life he loved so much.
“Get out of the way, both of you.” This time it was Nate’s voice booming into the night. Tristan didn’t know where Gabriel or Nate had come from, but he didn’t care.
He didn’t care about anything but Scarlet.
“Gabriel, move.” Nate crouched down before Scarlet, nudging Gabriel aside. “Tristan, let go of Scarlet.”
Nate sounded authoritative, business-like. There was barely a hint of panic in his voice.
Tristan opened his eyes to look at his friend, but refused to let Scarlet go.
“Tristan.” Nate lowered his voice. “Let go.” He placed his hands under Scarlet’s body and gently pulled, trying to maneuver her out of Tristan’s arms.
“Let go of her, Tristan!” Gabriel barked, his voice singed with grief and anger.
Tristan whispered, “She’s not dead, Nate. I can feel her.” He looked at his friend desperately. “She said…she said she knew where the fountain was…and…and then she closed her eyes…but she’s…she’s not dead…she’s not dead...I can still feel her.”
His thoughts, his reasoning, his heart, his soul…all were lost. All were vacant.
He was empty of everything but the hushed echo of Scarlet’s heart.
Leaning in, Nate looked at Tristan sternly. “You have to stop touching her, Tristan. You’re killing her.”
Tristan blinked.
Nate’s eyes hardened. “The longer you touch her, the weaker she’ll get. Let. Go.”
With reluctant movement, Tristan released Scarlet from his arms and watched as Nate slowly picked her up, careful not to disturb the arrow, and strode back into the trees. Gabriel followed after him.
Wiping his face with a shaking hand, Tristan pulled himself upright and stumbled forward. The world started spinning—the dark clouds and bright stars above swirling into one another like a milky whirlpool. He tried to find his balance, but it was no use.
Nothing about the world was right anymore. Balance was impossible.
Scarlet was on the verge of death and it was his fault.
All. His. Fault.
Choking on his heart and coughing through tight lungs, Tristan made his way back to the cabin.
Back to the faint call of Scarlet’s dying heart.
2
England
1538
Scarlet hid behind a thick tree in the morning sun and watched him from a safe distance. He was a practiced marksman, that much was certain. But his target, an unsuspecting deer in the distance, was too far away for even the best of hunters to hit.
From where she stood, Scarlet could not determine what age the stranger was. He looked like a boy, but moved with the confidence of a man. He wore fine clothes with a patch on his arm displaying an unfamiliar family crest, and his dark hair curled against the back of his neck in the morning heat.
His movements were smooth and silent as he retrieved a long arrow from the quiver at his back and drew on his bow.
Patiently, he waited; his eyes steeled, his body motionless.
The deer was grazing alone, looking up skittishly every few minutes. The shot was impossible, not only because of the sheer distance the arrow would have to travel, but also because of the numerous trees that stood between the stranger and his target. The arrow would have to be launched with incredible strength and fly error-free if he wished to hit his mark.
Scarlet held her breath as she watched the
stranger’s steady hand release the arrow.
It shot through the morning forest, silent and swift. And the deer fell to the earth.
Impossible.
Scarlet was so impressed, she nearly forgot why she was hiding behind the tree. Creeping out quietly, she trailed the man for many yards as he walked to claim his prey, keeping herself invisible within the forest.
Once the stranger reached the deer, Scarlet moved from the shadows and pulled out her own bow and arrow. Lining up carefully, she targeted the branch beside the stranger’s handsome head and released.
Bull’s-eye.
Startled, the stranger whipped his head toward her and went for his bow.
“Hello, hunter,” Scarlet said, drawing another arrow and aiming at his head. “I would not do that if I were you.”
He stopped reaching for his weapon and froze.
She watched his chest rise and fall with a deep breath.
“What is it you want?” He looked her over with curious eyes.
She was a bit of a spectacle, she supposed, with her dark hair falling loose down her back and her cloak undone around her dress. Most girls did not hunt alone. And surely none ventured into the deep forest of the earl.
But Scarlet was not most girls.
“I want your kill.” Scarlet glanced down at the dead creature at his feet. She had not seen an animal worth eating in months, and certainly none as large as a deer. Her spirits lifted at the thought of returning home with meat for dinner.
He looked at her for a long moment. “And why would I hand over a perfectly good deer to a thief in the woods?”
“Because,” Scarlet lifted her brow a notch, “I have my arrow set at your skull.”
He seemed entertained. “And you plan to shoot me?”
Squinting, Scarlet readjusted her arrow and let it sail. It landed exactly where she wanted it to: a tree trunk in the distance. But it cut straight through the hunter’s shirt collar on the way, leaving a jagged hole.
The entertainment left his face and, while he was busy checking his neck for blood, Scarlet drew another arrow.
Jaw clenched, the stranger said, “What if I told you, you would have to run your arrow through my head if you wanted the animal?”
Scarlet smirked. “I would say that it would be a shame to waste such a handsome face over a deer.”
He smirked back. “You think I’m handsome?”
“I think you are arrogant enough to get yourself killed by a girl.”
“You mean a thief?” he said. “Because you are no more than that.”
“As are you, hunting on the earl’s land.”
This seemed to shut him up for a moment. Wild game had been scarce as of late, making the earl greedier than usual. This stranger could be put to death for taking a deer from the eastern forest, as could Scarlet, if she were ever caught. She thieved and hunted here nearly every day.
But she had no choice. She needed food.
Happy birds chirped out their morning song as minutes fell between Scarlet and the stranger.
The hunter crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I propose we split the deer.”
Scarlet narrowed her eyes.
He shrugged. “You’re hungry, I’m hungry. If we split the deer, and you lower your bow, then we shall both have food today. And you will not have to murder anyone on the earl’s land.” He smiled. “I’m sure that is against the law as well.”
Bow still poised, Scarlet said, “I’d be a fool to trust a thief.”
He smiled. “Then it is lucky I am not a thief.”
A minute passed.
Against her better judgment, Scarlet lowered her arrow, her arm grateful for the reprieve. “Very well,” she said, still poised to draw. “Cut up the deer.”
He shook his head. “If you are so determined to take half of what is mine, then you can section the animal.” There was challenge in his voice and Scarlet realized he did not believe she could quarter a deer.
Men.
She curled her lip. “Fine by me, hunter.” She moved closer to the stranger. “But as I do, we will both put our weapons away. I can’t have you shooting me once I reach the animal.”
“Fair enough.” He put his bow on his back and sheathed the arrow he’d drawn earlier.
He was too trusting. A hunter like him was sure to die young.
Scarlet slowly put her bow and arrow away as well, and retrieved her jagged hunting knife from her belt.
“Now, how is that fair?” The hunter eyed her sharp blade.
She raised her eyebrow as she walked around him and kneeled beside the deer. “How am I supposed to divide the meat without a knife?”
He smiled down at her and two dimples framed his mouth. He was handsome. And younger than she’d first thought, a teenager like herself. He looked carefree and strong and she thought of how he probably had a family somewhere that he was trying to provide for.
Guilt stung her soul.
But survival quickly soothed it.
Scarlet blinked away the handsome hunter and started cutting into the fallen creature.
He watched her for a moment. “Are you not scared that I might overtake you without a weapon? You are quite small. I could probably shove you away from my kill with one hand and run off with the deer without sharing.”
Scarlet did not look up. She felt no threat from the hunter. In fact, she felt as though he was amused with her. “That would be risky, hunter, since I’m the one with a butcher’s knife in my hand and all the skills necessary to dismember you.”
He laughed softly. “You are brave, I’ll give you that. And you speak without fear, which is refreshing only because you are a girl covered in the blood of a deer.” A moment passed. “Tell me. What is it you steal for?”
“Pardon me?” Scarlet looked up from her bloody task.
He smiled. “Most thieves are broken men, desperate to pay back debts or poisoned with greed. You, however, are a young girl who hardly looks broken.”
Scarlet went back to the deer. “Some thieves steal with a purpose outside of themselves.”
“Interesting.” He squatted down in front of her, only the deer separating them. His bright eyes bored into hers shamelessly, and warmth spread through Scarlet’s body. She quickly looked away.
“And what is your purpose?” he asked with a kind voice.
Scarlet paused and looked at him warily. Why was he speaking to her? Why did he care?
“Family,” she said simply.
The hunter spoke quietly. “Ah, the most noble of reasons.”
Guilt returned to her heart. What if he had a baby to feed? Or a sick wife? An elderly father? “Is this deer for your family?” She looked up at him.
He was silent for a long time as his eyes canvassed her appearance.
“No,” he finally said.
Standing up, he started walking away. “The deer is yours. I do hope you have the means to carry the creature by yourself.” He stopped and turned around. “And please be careful out here on your own.”
Scarlet raised a mocking eyebrow. “For fear of thieves?”
His eyes darkened. “There are worse things in the forest than thieves.” He turned back around and marched away, leaving his kill, and his warning, at Scarlet’s feet.
3
Gabriel’s legs were numb as they carried him through the Avalon forest. His eyes locked on the sight of Scarlet’s lifeless body draped over Nate’s arms as they ran to the cabin.
This can’t be happening.
Only moments ago, Scarlet had been running through the woods. Healthy. Alive. Chasing after Tristan, trying to save his life.
And now….
Fear clogged Gabriel’s throat as he followed Nate through the cabin’s front door and into the kitchen. Nate gently placed Scarlet on her stomach across the large dining room table, turned her face to the side, and positioned her body so the arrow in her back was fully exposed.
The black corset top she wore was stained crimson
and her full, gray skirt hung off the table onto the floor, blood running down the fabric.
She’s not dead. She can’t be dead.
Nate hurried about the kitchen, grabbing rags and a large white medical box from a cabinet Gabriel had never noticed before. Opening the white box, Nate pulled out several surgical tools, lining them up on the table beside Scarlet.
Gabriel, Nate and Tristan were immortal and throughout the centuries, they had all learned emergency medical care. Some more than others.
Nate was the most skilled physician of them all, having worked in hospitals and warzones for many years. Gabriel trusted him without question.
“What happened?” Nate began cleaning the area around Scarlet’s wound, smearing blood away from the deep gash.
“I don’t,” Gabriel swallowed. “I don’t know. Tristan was trying to kill himself and…” Dear God, Tristan had been trying to kill himself? Was nothing right in the world anymore? “And I don’t know…Scarlet just…she just ran after him.” Tears stung his eyes. “And I…I followed her but…but I was too late.” His voice cracked. His heart cracked.
Scarlet still wasn’t moving.
“Too late for what? What happened?” Nate demanded, his eyes steady on Scarlet’s flesh as he made an incision around the wedged arrowhead.
“I think the arrow was set to shoot Tristan. Scarlet must have gotten in the way. I don’t know.” Gabriel felt sick. His hands and heart were shaking, his body was revolting against itself. He stepped closer to Scarlet, reaching his palm out to try and stop some of the bleeding.
Nate knocked his hand out of the way. “Don’t touch her. I need space, so back up.”
Nate sounded upset. He sounded scared.
Gabriel’s heart rattled in his chest.
He pulled his hand away, but refused to back up. “Is she going to be okay?” He coughed as a tear fell down his face. “Is she—”
“Dead?” Nate blinked, his voice wavering. “No. Not yet. She’s just…” He shook his head. “She’s hurt. And I need to fix her.” Nate gently began to pull the arrow tip from Scarlet’s body, withdrawing it through the careful incision he’d made.