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.
69
Tristan was going to die?
Scarlet stared ahead blankly as Nate gathered maps, scrolls and journals into his arms. Mr. Brooks seemed eager to help the team find the fountain as quickly as possible and was loading Nate up with anything and everything he could think of that might lend a hand in the fountain’s whereabouts.
Heather was holding Scarlet’s hand, squeezing it every few seconds or so in reassurance, but Scarlet barely felt her friend’s touch.
Scarlet was killing Tristan. She was literally killing Tristan. She was stealing life from him. For the first time, she understood how he felt.
Gabriel’s voice sounded far away as he spoke to Mr. Brooks. “What can we do to buy time? What do we need to do to keep Tristan alive for as long as possible?”
Mr. Brooks cocked his head in thought. “They should not touch. Not at all. Even a brief contact of skin could complete the transition and send Tristan toward his death.”
Scarlet’s heart kicked away at her ribcage. She was in shock.
Dying over and over again was something she didn’t like, but at least it gave her something to hope for. But dying permanently…Tristan dying forever…that was void of hope.
Dark. Lifeless.
That was something Scarlet could not survive.
Leaving Mr. Brooks’ house was a blur. Someone shuffled Scarlet up the cellar stairs, down the owl-lined hallway and out into the cold February wind, but she wasn’t there.
She was somewhere else in her mind. She was floating along someplace where Tristan was safe and she was healthy and curses were nonexistent.
“Scar,” came a whisper beside her. Had it been any voice other than Tristan’s, Scarlet would have ignored it completely.
But the green-eyed Archer’s voice sank into her pores and she gave in automatically. Looking around, she saw that she was seated in the front passenger seat of Heather’s small car.
Tristan’s hot breath brushed her ear as he leaned in through the window and brought his face close to hers. “Scar, we haven’t lost yet. Look at me.”
Scarlet turned her face to his, barely seeing him.
Tristan said, “There’s no victory without a battle, remember?”
“Seriously, dude?” came Nate’s voice. “Ten foot rule. Come on!”
Tristan yanked his head away from Scarlet and a moment later Heather—seated in the driver’s seat—started the engine and left Peach Drive.
The hum of Heather’s car vibrated against Scarlet’s back as Scarlet let her thoughts roam to Tristan’s words.
They sounded familiar and safe. But they also sounded far away.
Heather drove in silence.
Scarlet felt tears sting her eyes and she wanted to scream. She wanted to wail for her broken mind and cry in frustration at all the things she couldn’t fix. The things she couldn’t change.