Page 7 of Curse of the Healer
When he spoke, the heat of his breath warmed my lips. “Because I care, Talia. I’ve always cared, and it grieves me to see you so unhappy. I would see you smile again, hear you laugh and dance, carefree, with no worries.”
My heart turned over in my chest and tears sprang to my eyes. His words touched my soul with something more powerful, more precious than the sensation spiced wine provided. It gave me hope. My hand closed around his arm, holding on to him so he would save me again. Save me from turning into a beggar, a drunk or worse. I held on, breathing in his masculine scent while the snowflakes drifted around us.
“I did not know you felt this way,” I whispered, unable to make my voice any louder. “I…” my words drifted away, for I was unsure what to say or how to explain my own feelings. Instead I settled for this. “Wilhelm, I accept your help.”
Chapter 9
Wearing a borrowed cloak, I followed Wilhelm into the enchanted wildwood. The light snow could not penetrate the thick tree boughs, and dead leaves and twigs crunched underfoot. Thoughtful as ever, Wilhelm had brought the rest of my breakfast, and I nibbled the slice of bread, leaving a trail of crumbs behind me. A green haze hung over the forest, filtering out daylight. I jumped at every creak of the trees and rustle in the underbrush. My imagination was vivid with thoughts of dark creatures, hiding in the foliage, watching us.
At first, Rex trotted along with us, before disappearing into the thick woods. Wilhelm followed an invisibility trail and within an hour I was hopelessly lost. I glanced up at his broad shoulders now and again, when I wasn’t watching the path, trying to keep my feet. Even though it was winter, there was much for me to slip, slide or trip over.
“How long will it take?” I asked, my words falling to the floor of the forest.
There was a sense of oppression in the air making me want to run. Run far away before I was devoured.
“The realm of the queen is three days from here,” Wilhelm admitted. He paused, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes studying my face. “Will you be okay?”
I nodded, twisting my cold fingers into the folds of my cloak. My life was ruined. Even though I should feel devastated, walking through the frightful wood with a man I had feelings for did not seem so bad after all.
We walked in silence until my legs ached, and a dullness in my stomach told me I was hungry. Despite the cool air, a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. With my head down, I almost walked into Wilhelm’s back. He’d stopped and stiffened. Noticing me beside him, he wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me to his side.
“What is it?” I tilted my head to look up at him.
He moved his mouth closer to my ear, his breath warm as he whispered back. “I think we are being followed.”
Dread thudded in my chest, and memories of the ogre flashed in front of me. As if sensing my fear, Wilhelm squeezed me tighter against him. “Don’t worry Talia, I will protect you.”
A smile came to my lips, yet fear squeezed my heart in its foul grip. “I just don’t want any harm to come to you.”
What would I do if he got hurt and left me in the forest alone, with a wounded man to care for? Especially when my healing powers was gone. It was selfish of me, but the smoldering look in Wilhelm’s eyes told me I’d said something right. He leaned closer, his lips hovering close to my neck, drinking in my scent. The moment broke as he let go of me, and his hand went to his belt.
Instead of taking off his pants and taking me right then and there like I’d secretly hoped, he handed me a knife, handle first. “I’d feel better though, if you had this. In case anything happens.”
A blade instead of a kiss? I grasped the handle firmly in my hand. “Thank you,” I said, trying to keep the edge of disappointment out of my voice. All the same, I trembled, aware of what the knife meant.
“Stay close,” he whispered.
We crept forward again, my footsteps stirring up the sleeping leaves and dead underbrush in the wood. In the distance I heard a low moan. Was it the wind? Or a spirit? The undead spirits of the forest should be asleep after the festival of Samhain, but no, it came again. My hand trembled and then came a thrashing in the underbrush. Something big was headed toward us, running.
“Come Talia,” Wilhelm ordered, his hand closing around mine, pulling me forward as he broke into a run.
The thrashing grew louder, and then a growl, a sharp cry, and a bark. We ran as though the devils were at our heels until I tripped over a root and went flying. My hand ripped out of Wilhelm’s, and my body hit the ground with a thump, knocking the breath out of me. I lay on my belly, gasping for air even as I struggled for my footing.
A roar split the air, and a monstrous beast surged out of the underbrush. I rolled onto my back and sat up as it leaped over me, a blur of black fur and curved claws. Out of the corner of my eye, Wilhelm spun and hurled his axe at the creature.
The axe sank into flesh and bone with a resounding crack. With a whimper, the monstrous beast lay still. I staggered to my feet, frozen in shock as I stared at the thing. It was the size of Wilhelm, with two long legs like a human and what looked like arms, yet it had run on them like a four-legged creature. Thick clumps of mattered black hair covered its body, and I gasped. What I’d first assumed was a wolf was actually a grotesque mix of human and wolf. Eyes wide with horror I reached out for the tree trunk to steady myself, but Wilhelm was already on his feet. He snatched the axe out of the creature and leaped over the prone body to me.
"Talia," he murmured, "we have to go. Can you run?"
I nodded in shock, for words refused to escape my throat. Unsaid questions rose in my mind, but my feet gave in to panic. Wilhelm took my hand again and dragged me onward while his bloody axe dripped from his other hand.
The forest shook again and there came another combination of a bark, a growl and then a cry. Another monster leaped out of the road, this time in our path, and knocked us down. I sprawled on my hands and knees, a scream ripping out of my throat in terror for my life. But the beast wasn't on me, it was on top of Wilhelm, curved fangs snapping as it growled and golden eyes blazing. It would rip his throat out if I did not stop it.
Without thinking, I snatched up the dagger and drove it into the creature's throat. It gave a final growl, then rolled off Wilhelm. He buried his axe into its fur as he stood, ensuring the creature was dead.
When he faced me there was sweat on his forehead and blood on his shoulder. "Thank you." He reached for my hand. “I hear Rex out there fighting, but more will come if we don't keep going."
My lips trembled as I eyed him, surprised at his calm composure. "Where are we going?"
