“Elena,” Gabriel’s voice drifted to her ears making her eyes flutter open. Scanning the room, she found hope swelling in her chest. But when she didn’t see his face, her heart sank.
“Elena, ye need to drink this,” Iona said as she lifted a small cup to Elena’s parched lips.
“Where is Gabe?” Elena asked. “I heard him.”
“She’s becomin’ delirious,” a male voice said. In the corner of her eye, Elena spotted the healer mixing and measuring some concoctions into a cup. “We need to get the child turned, and we daenae have much time.”
“Elena,” Anna whispered so delicately to her, that she couldn’t help but flash a sleepy smile. “Ye need to drink. It’s willow bark tea, it’ll help wit’ the pain.”
With weary hands, Elena grabbed the cup from her mother’s hand and sipped it. The bitterness was almost enough to make her spit it out again.
“Nay, ye must, if ye want this bairn to live, we need ye to relax,” the healer said. It surprised Elena how much he sounded like Gabriel. Trying again, Elena put the drink to her lips. The smell made her stomach flip, but she was willing to do whatever it took to save her child’s life.
“That’s it, a bit more,” Anna encouraged. Elena choked the last sip down and for the first time in what seemed like forever, her body wasn’t tense. Every muscle relaxed as she stared up at the chandelier hanging over her.
“Where is Gabriel?”
“He’ll be comin’ soon,” Iona said. Elena’s heart fluttered as she heard the lie in her mother’s tone.
“Has Jacob left?”
“Aye,” Anna answered. “They’ll be back soon and ye’ll want to have that child in yer arms before they get here. Imagine the look on Gabriel’s face when he sees his child in yer arms.”
“He’d be so surprised,” Elena mumbled as she felt the concoction taking over. It was as if she were drowning in a pool of warm water. Although she could breathe, her body and mind wanted to separate.
“Is she supposed to look like that?” Anna asked as bright colors flashed before Elena’s eyes.
“Nay,” Elena heard the healer growl, although, in her mind, it sounded like Gabriel.
“Turn her on her side,” he ordered. Three sets of hands pressed against Elena as she felt herself roll to her side. The world spun as her head swam about in bliss she’d never experienced before. Elena’s eyes fluttered closed as Gabriel came into view.
“Yer back,” Elena gasped as she threw her arms around Gabriel’s neck and pulled him closer to her. He crushed his lips to her and cupped her face with his hand.
“I’m nae,” he said so tenderly that it made Elena want to cry. “But ye must wake up. Daenae go without me. Do ye understand?”
“Nay,” Elena answered as the vision of Gabriel faded like smoke in the wind. “Gabriel please, daenae leave me. Daenae go.”
“Wake up.” Elena heard the strong forceful voice somewhere in the distance of her mind. Ignoring it, she hunted for Gabriel in the darkness. Somewhere she heard the cries and screams of her sister and mother as the darkness took her.
Chapter 35
“Elena.”
Gabriel’s body twitched as the poison seeped deeper into his body. The trees swayed violently about him as a faint pounding drummed in his ears. Pulling in sharp, shallow breaths, Gabriel tried to hoist himself up to his feet, but each try only landed him back into the mud.
Through blurry vision, he spied the horses tied off. They looked as if they came from the pits of hell. Their breath lingered around their noses like smoke. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pushed through the pain of it all. Although he had no clue what was up or down, there was one thing constant in his mind - Elena.
Her name dripped off his lips like sap from a maple tree. Each time his eyes fluttered closed, she greeted him in the empty space with arms wide open.
“Ye must stay awake,” she cooed as she stroked her fingers through his hair. Gabriel shook his head refusing to let her go. The warmth of her body pressing against him made him shiver. She felt so good beside him, holding him, that he couldn’t imagine ever letting her go.
Reality struck him hard each time his eyes fluttered open. Depression set in as he found himself still trapped in the woods with his limbs going number with each passing moment. Somewhere in the distance, he heard his name rumble through the tree.
“Here,” Gabriel called out in a raspy voice. Mustering all he could, he tried again to get up. But even his body weight was too much for him to bear.
“M’Laird!”
Gabriel felt the pounding of horse’s hooves on the soft ground. It made the earth tremble. He looked to his left. A blotch entered his view and for a moment, Gabriel couldn’t help but wonder what it was. There was color to it and it moved and shifted like a lantern swinging in the wind.