Awry

68

Gabriel felt small hands glide up his back from behind.

“Hello, my earl.” Raven’s voice floated into his ear.

Gabriel turned around and found her gray eyes smiling at him.

“Why are you not happy?” she asked.

He exhaled, annoyed. “My father died and everything is in chaos.”

“I know,” she said, smiling. “Isn’t it perfect?”

He looked at her sideways. “Why do you seem pleased?”

“Because now we can be together.” She leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled away. Her face clouded in anger as she said, “I thought you’d be grateful.”

“Grateful?” Gabriel’s eyes went wild. “Did you…? Did your family kill my father?”

His heart pounded.

She hushed her voice. “No, my love. Ikilled your father.” Raven smiled. She actually smiled. “I did it so we could be free.”

Gabriel’s mouth fell open. “Are you mad?”

Her eyes turned dark. “Mad? No. I am smart. Now that your father is gone, you no longer have to marry that peasant girl. You will be earl and we can be together.”

Gabriel was completely bewildered. “You aremad.”

She placed her hands on his chest. “Gabriel—”

“Do not touch me, woman!” Gabriel flung her hands away. “You killed my father! You killed the earl!”

“For us!” Raven’s dark hair swung around her head as she gestured about wildly. “Without Tristan or your father forcing your will, you are no longer obligated to marry that girl.”

“But I wantto marry her!”

Raven’s jaw dropped. “What? Why?”

“Because I love her!”

Gabriel realized two things the instant the words left his mouth.

It was the absolute truth.

And he had just made Raven his enemy.

“You what?” She lowered her voice to a deadly decibel. “Gabriel Archer, you do not want to betray me.”

Gabriel squared his jaw. “There is no betrayal here other than you murdering my father. I will never marry you.”

Raven raised a brow. “Then you will never marry anyone.”

“You are truly mad,” he said, bringing his face close to hers, “and you will pay for your crime. I will make sure of it.” Gabriel spun on his heel and left the deceitful witch in the forest.

As soon as he returned to the castle, Gabriel sent a dozen men to arrest Raven for the murder of his father. But the silver-eyed witch was nowhere to be found. His men had returned empty-handed and Gabriel was furious.

How had he let it come to this? How had he not seen the wickedness in Raven’s heart before today?

He would hunt Raven down and punish her, even if it took a lifetime to do so. She was a vile woman with darkness in her heart and she would soon pay for her crime.

In blood.

Days later, Scarlet rode alongside Gabriel, laughing and joking with him until they arrived at the lake and dismounted. Gabriel pulled a blanket out of a pack his horse carried and spread it on the ground.

They sat beside one another, looking out over the great lake stretching before them. They had been coming to the lake together for many weeks and Scarlet was grateful that such a beautiful place existed amidst all the heartache of the last few months.

“How are you today, my Scarlet?” Gabriel asked.

Scarlet thought for a moment. “Well. I miss my mother, but I am happy she is out of pain.” It was the truth.

He nodded.

“How are you?” Scarlet slanted her eyes to Gabriel.

He smiled at her. “Very well.”

He pulled at a loose thread on the blanket and cleared his throat, hesitation and heaviness thickening his voice. “My father is dead. Tristan is gone.” He paused. “You are no longer obligated to marry me. If you wish to leave, I will make sure you are safe. Always.”

Scarlet looked at him with a thudding heart. The idea of not marrying Gabriel made Scarlet feel very, very alone. “Do you wish to be free of our marriage?”

“Not at all,” Gabriel said, looking at her sincerely. “But I do not wish to trap you either.”

Scarlet’s heart settled a bit. “I do not feel trapped. I feel…happy. You have become my friend and my favorite companion. I like being with you.”

Something about Gabriel’s presence, his voice, his laughter…something about Gabriel took away the darkness inside Scarlet. Half of her soul was still dead, but the half that remained was finding a reason to wake up in the morning. A reason not to give up.

Gabriel.

He lifted a brow. “Really?”

She nodded.

He smiled at her. “So you will still marry me?”

“If you still want me,” Scarlet said.

“I want you,” Gabriel said. “Very much.”

Scarlet smiled at him. “Then I am honored to become your wife.” She scrunched her nose. “But I’m afraid the arrangement is unfair for you.”

“How so?”

“You have a girl, do you not? The girl with the dark hair who used to meet you in the forest?”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “Were you spying on me?”

Scarlet raised a brow. “My eyes saw things.”

His jaw flexed. “The girl you saw was named Raven. She and I grew up together and she wanted us to marry. I thought I loved her, but I was sorely wrong. I will never marry her.”

Guilt overwhelmed Scarlet. “Because of me?”

“No,” he said. “I will not marry Raven because she is evil.”

Scarlet did not know how to respond to that. She swallowed. “I’m sorry you did not find love with her.”

Gabriel looked out at the water for a moment. “Love is rare.”

“Yes.” Scarlet looked at lake as well. “But always worth pursuing.”

Gabriel nodded. “Always.” Minutes of silence passed as birds flew over the lake and trees swayed in the wind.

Scarlet absently played with the engagement ring Gabriel had given her weeks before. He did not need to give her a ring. But still he had.

Scarlet looked over at him, watching his pleasant face in the sun for a moment. She loved him.

Without a doubt, she absolutely loved Gabriel.

He was silly and brave and caring and patient. And he had filled her with light in the darkest of days.

Her love for Gabriel was new and fragile, but it was real. And it filled her with hope.

Gabriel looked up at the sky and said thoughtfully, “The sun is brighter than it used to be.”

Scarlet looked at the sun, shining down on them like they were brand new, and smiled.

“Yes,” she agreed. “The sun is brighter.”

Two days before their wedding, Gabriel lunged for Scarlet beside the river, just to hear her giggle as she bounced away. Scarlet ran along, just out of his reach as she teased him.

She was incorrigible, stubborn and loud.

And he loved every part of her.

Which scared him and made him feel alive at the same time. How had this stubborn peasant girl made her way into his heart?

He still had not found Raven, but she could not hide forever. He would find her soon enough. But until then, he would not let Raven distract him from the goodness in his life. From Scarlet.

Gabriel jumped into the water beside her, making sure to drench Scarlet with his splash. After pulling his head up from the water, he heard her gasp mockingly.

“Why you wretched, terrible—“

Pushing water with both his hands, he splashed her again.

Giving a wicked smile, Scarlet walked into the water just far enough so she could kick a giant splash back at him.

“Splashing water at me when I’m already all wet? Is that the best you have?” Gabriel raised a brow.

Scarlet shook her head and went to kick water at him again, but lost her footing and fell completely in.

Gabriel laughed heartily. When Scarlet emerged from the water beside him and caught his laughter, she tried dunking him under, which made him laugh harder.

”You think your chicken arms can hold me down?”

“I do not have chicken arms.” Scarlet laughed, still trying to push his head down.

He gently wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. “Yes, you do. Look at this,” he wiggled her arm, “you are so tiny. How have you even survived this long without me?”

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “You are so arrogant.” She splashed at him and tried to dunk him under again.

Gabriel caught her wrists and gently trapped them in his hands, pinning her against his chest.

Her laughter quieted as he looked into her blue eyes.

“You are beautiful,” he said.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and tried to turn her head away, but he released her wrists and cupped her face in his careful hands.

Her eyes met his and shone with doubt.

“You are beautiful,” he repeated.

She parted her lips, her eyes running up and down his face until they landed on his lips.

Gabriel’s eyes traced her mouth and he slowly leaned in and set his lips against hers. He kissed her carefully. The sound of the river water lapping against the shore filled his ears as Scarlet kissed him back.

At first her kiss was hesitant. Unsure. Timid.

But then she tilted her head to the side and brought her hand up against Gabriel’s back to hold him closer to her. She wanted him.

Love surged through Gabriel.

He loved Scarlet. And he would protect her.

Always.