Page 86 of Never Leave Me
Thad darted through the brush and twigs with minimal noise.But Harrison was neither as young nor as lithe as the manservant and was soon breathing hard in his effort to keep up.
“Now!” Thad whispered, lunging forward. In the next instant, the clank of clashing swords filled the predawn air. Adrenaline rushed into Harrison along with the realization that he had to participate in this battle. If he didn’t, he might jeopardize the mission.
As he tripped over a loose tree limb, he bent and swooped it up. He swung it hard, aiming for the second guard whose outline was visible in the faint moonlight. The man had already raised his sword to engage with Harrison and was clearly unprepared for Harrison’s unorthodox fighting approach. The branch whacked the man’s head and sent him tumbling backward against the convent wall. He hit it with a heavy thud before sliding down and crumpling into an unmoving heap.
Harrison froze, waiting for the man to move, to prove he was alive. But at the stillness, a sick weight cramped his gut. Had he killed the man? If only he could call for an ambulance. He started to jog toward the man, but a strangled gurgle nearby stopped him. He pivoted to the sight of Thad’s knife deep in the other guard’s throat.
For the love of all that was holy. What madness had he gotten himself into?
A ruckus arose close by. Thad didn’t waste time. He bolted forward, this time charging through the trees without stealth. Harrison darted after him. His pulse pounded in his temples as he dodged logs and branches.
As they broke through a cleared area, Will stood in the middle of the dead and wounded, clutching a blood-coated sword, his expression as sharp and lethal as his blade. His men and Arthur remained a distance behind him.
Had he single-handedly brought down the guards around the well?
“The back gate is secured, my lord.” Thad wiped the blood from his knife before sheathing it in his boot.
“And the front?” Will barked the question at another man trotting toward them from the opposite direction.
The soldier nodded. “We overtook the guards easily.”
Will stomped on the hand of one of the injured soldiers who began to reach for a weapon. “Open the gates to the rest of our men then post guards at both entrances and sound the alarm when Ickham arrives.” Two squires jogged away to do Will’s bidding. The remainder worked at binding the prisoners and carting off the dead.
Harrison aided as best he could and forced himself to face the brutality of the situation, imprinting it into his memory as a reminder of what could happen back in the present time if the source of the holy water was uncovered. The fighting over it would lead to more wars and strife. And with modern weapons, Harrison could only imagine the violence that would erupt.
One thing was becoming clear: although the water could bring healing, it also brought death.
An iron structure rose above the well almost like a mausoleum. The scratches and dents were signs Ickham had tried his best to open the wellspring. He’d stopped short of destroying Will’s protective cover since doing so would cause it to cave in and pollute the water with dirt and debris.
Without the keys, Ickham had been helpless. And now without Ellen, Lord Worth had lost his ability to bargain with Will for access to the keys.
Harrison shuddered at the thought of how close Ellen had come to ending up in Lord Worth’s clutches. And how close she’d been to marrying Nicholas. Not that Nicholas seemed like a terrible fellow. After Harrison’s arrival, thankfully the man hadn’t persisted in Will’s original proposal. Instead, he’d ridden off, offering to spread the news of Ellen’s marriage.
Will produced a ring of keys, knelt in the dirt, and began the process of unlocking a dozen keyholes with a dozen different keys. Harrison had to hand it to him. He’d done an astounding job of securing the holy water and keeping it out of the wrong hands.
After working for long minutes, Will stood and grasped one corner of the covering. “Heave now.”
It took several men to lift away the iron covering. As soon as they dropped it to the ground, Harrison, like Arthur, peered over the edge of the well to the water below. The scent of moist earth filled his nostrils. And the chill of dawn brushed at his perspiring face.
This was real. He wasn’t dreaming. He was here in a place he’d never thought he’d be. Gazing at miraculous water that was related to the Tree of Life in the garden of Eden. From the look of wonder on Arthur’s face, he knew his friend was reveling in the moment too.
The thick iron wall Will had built to surround the well only came to Harrison’s waist, and the inside wasn’t more than the length of a tall man, with a wooden bucket tied to a piece of hemp dangling inside. In the dark chasm, Harrison guessed less than a hand’s depth of water remained. Though it wasn’t deep and endless, the amount was still impressive, since only a tablespoon was required for healing or crossing time to occur.
With the rising of the sun, Sister Christina and several other nuns provided a simple breakfast. A short while later, the head abbess approached them, and though she spoke calmly and softly, anger flashed from her eyes while she questioned the intrusion. As Will pulled out a pouch of coins, she stopped arguing, accepted the money, and left them in peace.
When they finished resting and eating, Will allowed one of his men to lower the bucket into the well. After drawing the water, Will filled a leather drinking flask, then promptly ordered the well’s closure.
When one of the locks jammed and refused to close, Will sent for a locksmith.
As they waited, Harrison remained near the well, even as Arthur wandered off with Sister Christina, who indicated she had located two more of the original St. Thomas ampullae in the convent apothecary.
Tired from the long, sleepless night, Harrison leaned against the ancient ash tree that seemed to be standing guard over the well. In their quest for the holy water, had they unearthed something God hadn’t wanted them to disturb? While healing and health were incredible gifts, was healing always the best course, or did the suffering and hardship that came with disease serve a purpose too?
Harrison couldn’t deny he was grateful for the miracle of using his legs again. Yet, he could look back at his life and see the many blessings that had come through his paralysis. Without it, he might have taken an entirely different course with his life, might never have met Ellen.
His mind returned to the image of her waiting in bed for his arrival last night, and a low flame fanned to life in his gut. Even though they’d spoken wedding vows, he had no right to her, not when their marriage wasn’t real. Though she’d seemed slightly confused, maybe even hurt, she would thank him later for having the soundness of mind to keep them from getting carried away. Maybe some day they’d even laugh about their experience.
But at the moment, all he wanted to do was get the holy water into the vault and rescue her from Dr. Lionel. He was relieved Will had agreed to take enough to aid both him and Ellen, though it was clear he didn’t quite understand why they needed the water. While he may have accepted their tales of future times and places, the reality of it was simply too difficult to grasp.
