Time Travel Romances Boxed Set by Claire Delacroix Page B

fingers of the wind any longer.
    “ Do not cry, Gemdelovely
Gemdelee,” the old crone advised with a gentle tap on Aurelia’s
arm. “What you seek is closer than you might see.”
    She knew something, that much Aurelia could
read in the eyes so disconcertingly like her dame’s. “Will you not
tell me whether you have seen my father? Was he brought to the
caves? Did he escape the new king’s vengeful hand?”
    The woman shook her head slowly, then turned
away to finish her ascent. “Do you not already know the answer,
Gemdelovely Gemdelee? It lies before you, as clearly as can
be.”
    Ha! Aurelia’s heart skipped a beat. The
woman had helped Hekod escape! It was only natural that she was
circumspect, for the new king would not be amused by this
development.
    “ Then, he has not died!”
Aurelia whispered with delight. “He escaped! Do you know where I
might find him?”
    The woman reached the summit and turned to
watch Aurelia scramble impatiently in her wake. The wind lifted a
strand of her silver hair free and the lock waved over her head
like an unruly ribbon. She took the pose of a warrior, her ancient
hands braced on the cane like a man’s on the hilt of a blade, her
shoulders square and her stare unflinching.
    She arched a silver brow. “Oh, you will find
him, Gemdelovely Gemdelee, of that I am certain as can be. Though
you will find nothing as you believe it should be - ‘tis always
thus for the seeker and for thee.”
    “ Then, where shall I find
him?”
    The crone smiled. She looked toward Bard’s
castle and lifted her cane to point in that direction. “The seeker
comes for you, Gemdelovely Gemdelee. Mind he sees what you want him
to see.”
    Aurelia pivoted just as Bard’s outraged cry
rang out across Dunhelm.
    “ Princess! What in the hell
are you doing out here?”
    Aurelia glanced back but the crone was
already a goodly distance away, the sound of her tapping cane
swallowed by the bellow of the sea. The woman’s words echoed in her
mind.
    Bard must not realize that her father had
escaped!
    Well, Aurelia was no witless fool who would
betray her own sire’s plans to regain his holding! She had to
intercept Bard before he drew near the sea cells and guessed where
she had been.
    Aurelia recalled suddenly how Bard had
turned in revulsion when she had kissed him in the well. And he had
beaten a retreat out of that place, without looking back.
    Aurelia squared her shoulders and strode
towards the self-proclaimed king, knowing exactly what she had to
do.

    *

    “ Are you out of your mind?”
Baird stalked across the wet green turf, stunned to find Aurelia on
the edge of the cliff. She wore no more than his sweater and was
obviously soaked to the skin, but her expression was mild as she
walked toward him.
    They might have been meeting for tea on the
lawn, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, not braving the elements on the
edge of a damn cliff! Baird was more angry than he could ever
remember being, though he was sure that was because Julian’s
dreaded liability had been narrowly averted.
    Of course, he had never felt so relieved at
avoiding liability before.
    “ Are you nuts or what?”
Baird planted his feet against the mud when they were only a few
steps apart. “No, don’t answer that.” He flung out his hands, more
than ready to vent his frustration. But Aurelia walked toward him
silently, the mud sliding between her bare toes. Baird caught his
breath at the sight.
    “ You could catch your death
of cold out here in that sweater!” he raged. “Why couldn’t you just
stay warm and dry in your room?”
    His arguments fell silent when Aurelia came
to a halt directly before him. The rain beat down on him with
newfound intensity, the sea churned and he thought he could see the
ruddy pink of her nipples through the lattice stitches of his
sodden sweater.
    Her eyes were so very blue that a man could
drown in their depths. As Baird stared at her, his heart
clenched.
    Aurelia reached up and cupped his face