The Wilde West Triad - Chapter 2
A Knight's Heart
Daniel had to reason with Cole to bring Lily home to her husband for a long time but ultimately it was Sam who persuaded him.
"Alright, I got it. We bring her home. But we won't leave her with him when he is making only one wrong move."
Sighing heavily in relief Daniel watched Cole heading to the young woman sitting in front of the fire, guarded by the watchful eyes of three dogs. The Guardian heard Cole whisper reassuring words to Lily. Shyly she nodded and let Cole help her up.
Wilmington finished the drink that stood in front of him on the table. Unconsciously swiping the rest of the liquid off his growing beard he watched the scene with concern. There was a reason why they weren't married. But wouldn't he do the same thing when his love, Shewa, was concerned? Who was he to deny his cousin to love?
*** The Wild West Triad ***
The young woman was ashamed that the men knew what Noah had done to her. Her hand rubbed absently over the bandages on her wrist. But in a way that she couldn't explain to herself, she felt safe in Cole's presence and trusted his judgment.
Still, a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach remained when she let Mr. Wilmington help her off the wagon and into her house in the late evening hours. Lily still felt weak and battered. She clung to the man's hand, swaying slightly with exhaustion.
Noah was absorbed in the Bible when the three entered. The priest raised his head and stood up surprised. "Tanner, Wilmington, what are you doing here - especially with my wife in tow?"
Cole's hands balled into fists, anger clearly on his face. He rushed towards the priest in two quick strides and grabbed him by his collar to push him against the wall. The chair slammed back onto the floor and Noah's face took on a shocked expression. Sky started to growl loyally next to Tanner.
"Didn't you want to know why she's so beaten up?" Cole was almost in Noah's face, his gaze icy. "You don't seem very surprised Noah, what have you done to your wife?"
Noah's expression changed to pity and something else. "Tanner, I'm sorry, I don't understand what you want here, or why it's any of your business."
"Cole, that's enough, calm down!" Daniel approached the two men and pushed back The Knight before Cole could strangle the priest. Reluctantly, Cole let Seaver go and took a step back, still breathing heavily.
The Guardian tried to appease. "He found Mrs. Seaver by the river bank. She was in a bad condition and wanted to end her life." His eyes never leaving Noah. "Cole saved her life."
Seaver's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my, the last thing I want is something happening to you, Lily. Are you okay?"
Lily wasn't sure, but if Noah only played along, he did a very good job. Maybe he was really sorry for what he had done.
Her husband walked over to her and took her in his arms, then cupped her battered face gently and looked into her eyes. She thought about pulling away from his touch, but nothing of Noah's behavior was violent.
"We had a terrible argument, I apologize. I don't want to lose you. Forgive me."
Sky didn't stop growling and Lily assumed it was because the dog saw her master enraged. She was confident that she was safe with Noah - for now. Tanner's hand slid already to the loop of his gun-safety. Daniel stopped his move by grabbing Cole's upper arm to keep him from doing something stupid. "Come on Cole, everything is said and done. Sky, back off!" But the dog didn't react on Wilmington's order.
Daniel nodded to the priest as he walked out of the door. Cole didn't take his eyes off Lily, who shortly afterward nodded reassuringly. She saw that Cole not really want to leave her with Noah, but his hands were tied. Only when The Knight whistled loudly did his white dog back off of the priest and return to Cole's side.
*** WWT ***
The two men exited the house and Cole freed his arm from Daniel's grasp. Still angry he climbed on the coachman's seat next to Daniel who took the reins in his hands. Sky jumped up on her place between the two young men. Tanner ground his teeth and his eyes were dark. "Damn, I have a bad feeling about this."
Samuel was right, now Daniel saw it too. Cole was in love with Lily. That didn't make things easier. The protectiveness he showed with Lily reminded him of Cole's first love. That story didn't end well. He was lost and his broken heart had to heal a very long time. After that he satisfied his needs with the loose women in the cathouse. Daniel wondered what it was that Lily stirred up in Cole. But right now, Cole had to forget about her.
"God, Cole, don't start again. We agreed that this was the right way to do it." Daniel rubbed a hand over his forehead, growing more agitated. "For Christ's sake, man – again, she's married to him. I don't want him to put a bullet in your back. And rightfully so. Man of God or not, when it comes to the heart, we're all just men blinded by love. So, better let it be."
"I don't think he loves her when he's done this to her." Cole got really pissed. "They had an argument? My ass! Arguments with women didn't call for blood." Tanner had already a hand on Sky's fur and now pulled his dog closer. Leaning down to her, he pushed his cheek in Sky's fur to calm him. It was a strange habit Daniel was used to.
"We still don't know what really happened." To not argue any further, he whipped the reins to get the horses to move through the night towards home.
As soon as they arrived the ranch, Cole jumped down from the wagon and vanished in the barn followed by Sky. Daniel didn't want to get between The Knight and his pent-up anger and preferred to leave him alone for a while.
***The Wild West Triad***
The ax cut through the wood with deadly precision. With every hit, the logs looked more like Seaver's face. Tanner would have preferred to kill something instead of chopping wood, but that would have to wait until the next hunt. Cole had to settle his thoughts and he could do that best when nobody was around to interrupt him while he was venting his frustration. His dog was the only company he accepted at the moment.
"I should have beaten the shit out of his hypocritical face. If he dares to lay a hand on her again, he'll be the one with a bullet in his back. Did you see her insecurity? Of course, you felt it. No matter what. I'll check on her tomorrow morning. I don't give a damn what the great Guardian thinks of it. You have my back old girl, don't you?" He put the ax aside and sank tiredly to the ground, where Sky immediately began to slide her snout under his arm to get some cuddles and to calm Cole further.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, he got up from the cold ground and started to rummage through the lower levels of Samuel's workbench. He knew that his friend had some bottles of his homebrew stocked somewhere here. He needed a drink.
*** The Wild West Triad ***
February 03, 1840 - The boarding house, Canaan, Wyoming
Malachi threw a red powder into a copper bowl and steam of the same color rose up. He slipped a locket into the bowl and swung the amulet over it while mumbling an incantation. The smoke dissipated, leaving only a clear liquid.
Azazel stepped closer, curious about the outcome of the incantation. The demon loved to see how easy the human race was to blind. A little push in the right direction and they would do whatever you want them to do. Maybe he shouldn't have left such visible signs of his abuse on the young woman. But the time frame in which humans could conceive was short. The timing had been perfect yesterday and he had a sick kind of joy taking her by force. Since he didn't want to attract any attention, especially not from the Triad, he had to cover his tracks from last night. It also gave him the chance to meet The Guardian and Knight of the Brotherhood. The whole situation began to take an amusing turn of events when he thought about Tanner's jealous face. The Knight could be a useful bodyguard for his breeder.
Azazel's eyes drifted back to Harris who now drew an identical-looking amulet from the kettle and triumphantly held up the duplicate. "It's perfect. Nobody will notice that we continue to use the real amulet. I'm sure we made a mistake last time. I have to double-check everything. But until then, I'll store the duplicate at the ranch. Daniel would get into a froth when he notices that I took it with me. But in the end, I am sure he will change his mind. With this little piece of jewelry, we could use the abilities of the demons against them. Remember what I told you about their abilities? Imagine you could cause internal bleedings on a monster til it dies, or lit a Wendigo with only a look, not to think about weather-control, teleportation, mindreading. Some even can heal their vessel I have heard. And the witnesses - with the power to manipulate their memory, we don't have to invent lies and strange stories anymore. Maybe some demons can even destroy their own kind." He sighed. "At least Samuel heard me out though these other two dull-witted are so full of themselves and always think they know everything better. Why should we just waste so much potential? Don't they see – it is a gift against demonkind."
The demon raised an eyebrow in interest. He hadn't known the hunters had such a great wisdom about his kind. Did the little witch only hide good what he knew about the price of using the amulet, or was he really that blinded? It was hard to control the Eye of Isis. The Prince of Hell had tried it ages ago and I had cost him a lot of power and self-control. The damn Brotherhood came in between then too. But this time he would be carefully.
Azazel was sure Harris hadn't seen through his masquerade, pretending to be the priest. He would test a little about The Advisor's knowledge. "You are absolutely right. They don't see how much potential lies in it and your powers. But I thought the only way to get rid of a demon is sending him back to hell with an exorcism?"
He had him, and Malachi kept lecturing. "Usually yes, though there are one or two exceptions but my dear Samuel has developed another way. He still needs to find a way to reproduce the special metal, but I'm sure he will find a way. He is a genius! I've never seen such accuracy and perfection. We only have to test it at the next opportunity." Malachi looked at the amulet in his hand. "The disadvantage is the host will die together with the demon." Harris got up cleaned the copper bowl and put his utensils and the real Eye of Isis back to its usual places. Harris swung on his coat and shepherded Azazel out of the room. "I'll take the chance, because the Triad wants to meet a few members today. I'm supposed to stay back at the ranch like the good old watchdog I am. They don't even consider me as a part of them. But so be it. I won't get such an opportunity to replace the amulet again anytime soon."
Outside the boarding house, the crafter climbed onto his horse while Azazel held the reins. Harris pulled the brim of his black hat briefly for a goodbye and spurred the horse towards the ranch.
The Prince of Hell watched him ride away until he was out of sight, then turned around to enter the boarding house again. Without someone around to notice him, he went back upstairs to the Advisor's room. The lock was no hindrance for him a hand gesture was enough for the door to make a slight klick and swung open.
The demon knew where Harris had hidden the amulet. With a devilish smile, he pulled the tarnished thing out of the drawer and lifted it in front of his face, swinging slightly on the silver chain. Under the demon's touch, it began to shine in full splendor in the sun. Dots of red and white light were reflected at the walls. He grinned. "Fate is a strange thing."
*** The Wild West Triad ***
Tanner woke slowly, still smelling Lily's scent in his pillow. Inhaling the flowery aroma, he turned to the side and heard a small whimper next to his ear. Then a wet nose tipped his cheek. His eyes opened and met Sky's. "Oh god, girl let me sleep." He growled.
"Cole, did Sky manage to wake you from your wet dreams of the priest's wife?" Sam's voice called from downstairs, mockingly.
Lily! He wanted to check on her! "Damn it!", he swore and rose in a rush forgetting his almost healed but still somewhat hurting leg. The pain was short and sharp but thankfully subsided soon. The headache was worse and lasted longer. Cole fought his body to the basin on the sideboard and filled it with the ice-cold water from the jar next to it. The water cleared his mind and sleepy eyes. He should have kept his fingers off Samuel's homebrew. Slowly the pounding in his head subsided to a bearable level. He vague remembered Daniel dragging him in his bed to not freeze his ass off in the barn. God, I have to sober up. Shouting downstairs Cole haltingly slid on his trousers and the first boot next to the bed. "What time is it, Sam?" Cole turned in the room and searched for his second.
"It's ten, we're leaving in two hours."
Further swearing he finally found his second boot and slipped it on. He took a second to breathe. The headache was better. Tanner hurried down the stairs as fast as he could without triggering a new wave of pain. Peeking on the table, he stole a wrinkled apple from Sam's plate.
"Hey, that was part of my breakfast!"
Grinning he replied. "I'll repay, Brother! But you really need to learn how to share!" Tanner grabbed his warm winter coat and rushed out taken aback by the cold. The door opened again and Sam shouted after him. "Cole, where are you going? You know we want to leave by noon!" Sky rushed out of the house ignoring Sam and followed her master to the barn. He turned to Sam in the open door. "Just a quick check in town I'm back in time." Then turned before Sam had a chance to talk into him and fumbled at the barn lock.
Devouring half of the apple, he opened the door and headed to the second box. Caringly, The Knight stroked Savior's blaze and spoke to the horse while feeding him the rest of the apple. "Hey buddy, live up to your name and save the day." Cole placed the white saddle blanket decorated with blue triangles on his spotted stallion's back and swung the saddle over it. Then closed the buckle. He led his horse out of the barn and got practically on to let himself be carried save and fast to Canaan.
Panting heavily, Savior passed the first houses. They had made the way in record time, Sky close on their heels. The church building came into view and Cole stopped his horse in front of the cottage of the Seavers. He slid from Savior's back and knocked on the door. When he got no response, his pulse shot up and without further thought, he just stepped inside the building.
Lily's head jerked up from her work on the table where she formed a bread dough to a loaf, as he pushed the door open. The morning sun flooded the room, illuminating the floor together with the dark shape of a man's shadow. A sharp scream escaped Lily's throat. Stumbling startled back against the wall where she finally sank to the floor. Sky barked briefly and rushed to Lily's side.
"Lily, you alright?"
The priest's wife let out a sigh of relief when she realized that there was no danger coming from that man. "Cole, you scared me! What are you doing here?" Lily's voice was trembling and she unconsciously reached into Sky's soft fur for safety.
"I told you I would check on you. Are you okay? I knocked and got no answer. Where's Noah?" He knelt on the floor next to her and took her still trembling hands in his.
Still not over the shock the woman answered. "He left this morning. Said he got a telegram that his brother was sick and he wouldn't be back for a few weeks."
"Sorry for bursting in like this." Tanner smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you. Come on, I'll help you up and we can talk." The two took a seat at the table and soon Lily relaxed again.
"How are you?" He pointed on her bandaged lower arm, good visible with her rolled up sleeves.
Embarrassed she pulled the fabric back down to her wrists, where Cole fixed the dark spots where Noah obviously had grabbed her brutally. "Uhm, better, thank you."
Cole tried to find a start in a normal conversation to take both their minds off Noah and the events of last night. "This smells good, what are you baking?"
"Ciabatta bread." She answered still reluctant.
"I love bread in all versions."
Her smile was back. "My Mamma taught me. She makes the best bread ever. I just have to bake this one, if you like, you can taste it. It has not long to bake."
Their happily chatting soon filled the room. Talking to Lily was as easy as breathing, it felt natural and pure. Cole had never been able to talk like this to a woman before. He was used to impressing a lady with heroic stories and exaggerations. But with Lily, he was just himself. Her dry sense of humor was totally to his liking.
"Mmhh, this is so good." Tanner enjoyed the fine taste of the fresh bread. And he welcomed the unexpected breakfast with Lily's company. "Where did your mom come from, Italy?"
"Yes, she left with my dad for a better life in the New World when they were around my age. She runs a small bakery in Independence." Lily proudly told. "And your family? Where do you come from?"
Cole usually didn't talk about his parents but he wouldn't deny her an answer. "I was born in Rhode Island. My mom died when I was five and my dad...he is dead to me. My uncle Wade, Daniel's father, raised me. We lived in Connecticut before we came to Wyoming."
"I'm sorry about your mom." She made a pause before she asked further. "That is quite a distance. So, your uncle was one of the first settlers here?"
"Yes, we moved when I was twelve..."
They talked further over the late breakfast until the light changed by the wandering sun, Tanner took out his pocket watch with a frown and swore softly. "Damn it. Lily, I'm sorry, but I have to go. We want to visit some friends today. I promised Daniel and Sam that I would be at the ranch by noon. I'll check on you as soon as we get back, okay?"
Lily smiled warmly at him. "Of course. You know where to find me."
*** The Wild West Triad ***
Harris ripped drawer after drawer out of the dressers. He was sure he had hidden the amulet here, but it wasn't to be found anywhere. The longer he searched, the more agitated he became. Maybe he hid it somewhere else? He had left in such a hurry to not be late at the ranch. He should have taken more time to store it properly, especially since Cole was late anyway and the whole undertaking way behind its schedule. Tanner had been distracted, though he denied it. Harris knew what these distractions usually looked like. Most of the time it had something to do with big bazooms and way too little clothing at the cathouse.
It also took two full days until his Triad showed up again at the ranch, precious time in which Malachi could have searched for the Eye of Isis. The duplicate had long since safely placed and all the books rolled over by the time Tanner, Wilmington, and Colt arrived. Harris hadn't stayed much longer than necessary and rode back home to test more theories.
Now he was sitting in the utter chaos of his room without the amulet. He felt sick. It couldn't be lost. Seaver – maybe the fool had taken it. He left the room as it was, which was completely contrary to his usual behavior, and hurried out of town towards the church building.
It hit him like a punch when Mrs. Seaver announced that her husband had left the city for a longer trip to his brother the morning Noah had last seen him. Mrs. Seaver tried to hide it, but Malachi could see that she didn't want to talk about her husband. She seemed relieved that he was gone.
The wheels in his head began spinning and a terrible possibility occurred to Malachi. Was it possible, that the ritual had worked after all and Seaver was no longer himself? Even after checking the ritual several times, he had not found any fault. But if it had been successful and they had summoned a demon that was possessing Seaver, it would explain a lot. Like Mrs. Seaver's cracked cheek and black eye.
However, he could not turn to the Triad without revealing that he had stolen the Eye of Isis and smuggled a fake amulet into the Hort. No, the Triad wasn't an option. He had to ask other contacts for help.
*** The Wild West Triad ***
February 26, 1840 – Canaan, Wyoming
Soon the third week of Noah's absence came to an end and Lily had been anything but relaxed for a few days since her period was ten days overdue. She had to talk to Cole, he hadn't come for a visit the whole week. Sure, he was busy, but it drove her insane if she couldn't speak with someone she trusted and he was the closest to a friend she had.
Lily buckled up the horse. She was once again glad her father had taught her to ride, though she never liked to work in the stables at home, riding a horse was a handy thing not all women were taught at. She climbed on its back and liked the freedom of wearing trousers. She could get used to it.
It was a short ride of roughly 20 minutes to the ranch. During her ride, she worked out what exactly she was going to say to Cole. But as she crossed the gate of the ranch, Tanner came right out of the barn and looked curiously at her. Her heartbeat sped up, her mind reeling. Cole stopped her horse in the yard and helped her to get off.
*** The Wild West Triad ***
The Knight was tired and exhausted. His shoulder hurt from the Rougarou hunt last night. The damn thing had thrown him hard against their wagon. Gladly, it was only a bruise. They had their plates full all week. The Crow shaman was firmly convinced that a storm was coming and he sure as hell wasn't referring to the weather. Sam and Daniel were still gone to investigate a case of cattle mutilations. He knew he should have checked on Lily when he arrived this morning but after they had killed the Rougarou the night before and their bitching Advisor this morning, he needed a rest.
The fact that Lily stood in front of him now didn't calm Cole's uneasy feeling. He hoped nothing bad had happened while they were gone that would explain her appearance at the ranch now. "Lily, what are you doing here, you okay?"
Instead of an answer, she just looked desperately into Cole's eyes and threw herself into his arms. Slightly surprised by her intimate behavior, he put his strong arms around her and tried to calm her sobs. A little teasing comment would help to make her smile.
"Hey, it's ok, did you miss me that bad?" She didn't laugh. Today she seemed to have lost all sense of humor. He checked her over with a look. She had no visible injuries. "Is Noah back? Did he hurt you again?"
"No, he's not. But I don't know what to do... I - I think I'm pregnant."
Cole frowned at her distress. She had actually told him that she had been praying for a child for a long time.
"But you wanted a child so much, didn't you? Why are you sad about it then?" Cole wasn't happy about the thought that Noah had gotten her pregnant, but tried to be a friend.
"I don't know either, I think it's the way it had happened. I mean it was the day when you found me at the river. It all just feels wrong. My whole life falling into pieces and I don't know how a child will fit in right now."
"Come on in, I'll make us something to drink."
Tanner brought Lily's horse into the stable since it was still too cold for the animals outside before following her inside. She had already set up a kettle with water and started to clean up the mess three men could accomplish while living together in one house.
Cole stayed at the door a moment longer. With a cocky grin on his lips he watched her cleaning up. He loved how her beautiful shaped body was showed to its best advantage in the tight pants she wore. Stop staring like a school boy. Do something! She needs a friend. Heordered himself.
"Lily, you don't have to clean up anything here."
She was about to fold the shirt Samuel had thrown messily over the chair. He grabbed the shirt out of her hand and stepped closer. Lily kept her eyes averted until Cole gently put his hand under her chin to lift it up. One look into her warm brown eyes was enough and he was completely lost in them. Lily looked back into his. The priest's wife made a move forward. She cupped Cole's cheeks in her soft hands and pulled him down to her.
When their lips met, Cole could hardly believe his luck. A tingling sensation rushed through his entire body and he felt alive.
God, he loved this woman. To hell if she was married or whose child she was carrying. He would give his life for her if he had to.
*** The Wild West Triad ***
A painful twitch went through Cole's hand and the strange feeling of foreboding he had felt all day came back with a vengeance. Something was wrong. The feeling came from his ring. Hissing sharply, he grabbed his hand. Lily looked up and frowned. So far, she had been lying in Cole's arms, cuddling on the chaise lounge with flower print in the corner next to the book shelf. He had assured her to be there for her. But now his thoughts were suddenly somewhere completely different. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
Cole let go of her and rubbed his hand. "No, it's fine." He lied. The Knight knew that something was wrong. A member of his Triad suffered. They were connected with the hunters rings they wore. He just hoped no one was seriously injured. "I'll go check on the animals. I'm right back."
Cole got up leaving the young woman slightly confused in the care of Sky and her pack.
Stepping outside into the ranch yard, he let his gaze wander to the horizon to look for Daniel and Samuel, but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Most of the snow had melted, leaving only some spots here and there. Everything was quiet and peaceful, but Cole felt restless.
He turned inside again and took Lily's coat from the hook. She came over to him with a frown on her face. Cole hoped she wouldn't take it personal and softly laid a hand on her small shoulders. "You have to ride home now. I have to go to meet Daniel and Sam."
"Of course, where are the two of them?"
"Out." Cole needed to hold his thoughts together he had to find them quickly.
Lily raised her eyebrow skeptically but said nothing more. She took her coat and waited for Cole.
Tanner didn't know what to expect so he took some bandages and a jar of ointment with him. Then buckled on his gun belt and donned his coat. Lily watched him with a curious expression as he vanished upstairs to get his Dragon's Talon. He came down again shoving the knife in the special inside pocket of his jacket as he saw her stare. He had no time for explanations right now. The Knight rushed past her through the door together with three big white dogs. Lily followed the pack into the barn, but when Cole tied a sack of salt to his horse, she did ask. "What exactly are you going to do with this?"
Fortunately, The Knight didn't have to answer this, because Daniel's pressed shout interrupted the conversation.
"Cole! Hurry!"
Cole ran out of the barn like a bat out of hell. Out there he saw Daniel riding through the gate to the house steadying a semi-conscious Sam in his arms. Samuel's horse trotted behind.
The blood had already soaked through Samuel's entire side, plastering his clothes to his skin. Tanner came to a sliding halt next to the two men, helping Daniel pull their injured friend from the horse. Together they managed to carry the tall man into the house. The horses trotted into the shelter of the barn on their own.
The Guardian groaned in pain and let Tanner handle Sam. He placed him on the table, to have a better look at the mess that drenched Colt's jacket with fresh blood. "What the hell happened?"
"A second Rougarou. He ambushed us just outside the ranch property. Caught him on the right side."
Cole carefully rolled up Sam's shirt and worriedly studied the injury. Fresh blood was oozing out of a ragged slash. He turned his gaze to Daniel, who rubbed his chest in pain, grimacing. "What about you? Did he get a piece out of you too?"
"No, my horse busted me off. Hit the ground pretty hard. Can't breathe right. Give me a moment." He wheezed. "Just take care of Sam."
Tanner started cleaning the wound with holy water. "You should ask Grey Feather if he will trade a horse from his breeding with you. Shewa's father knows how to breed horses. They don't throw a rider off just because something like a little monster appears out of the blue."
The door was suddenly opened and Lily entered breathlessly. Cole's surprised gaze shot up. He had completely forgotten about her over his injured friend.
"I took care of the horses. Can I help?"
Time was of the essence, so Cole decided to accept her offer. "Take care of him for a moment. I have to gather some things. Then see if you can help Daniel."
He had to mix the herbs Malachi had stored here together with some of his blood. His freely given blood mixed with the special herbs would fight the infection of the poison. Thank God, Sam was unconscious and wouldn't feel the searing pain.
*** The Wild West Triad ***
Lily stepped closer to Samuel and brought a caring hand on his forehead. Then she watched Cole opening one of the cupboards and pulled out various paper bags. She couldn't see what he was doing further since his back was turned to her. Sam groaned and Lily began to speak to him reassuringly. She studied the wound it looked bad. The ragged edges were oozing red. Thin green lines began to show around the edges. What in the world causes such a wound and then this green lines? Cole met her perplexed look over the wound. He turned back to Sam and let the bad-smelling brew he had mixed in the mortar flow over the open slash. That last application elicited a pained groan. Lily's gaze went to Cole's hand, which he had wrapped in a cloth now soaked red. She raised her eyebrows and looked at him questioningly but his hard look made her avert her eyes. Now was not the time for questions. Swallowing hard, she turned her attention to Daniel.
Daniel lifted his gaze and frowned at her. "Mrs. Seaver, what are you doing here?"
A little bit caught off guard she answered. "I had to speak to Cole and was about to leave when you got here."
Daniel leaned forward to get more air in his lungs, his arms propped on the edge of the table. The gesture spoke of bruised or cracked ribs. So did his wheezing.
"Let's check you over Mr. Wilmington."
"Women I let undo my clothes can call me Daniel." He gave her a pained smile.
Lily smiled weakly and started to undo the buttons on his jacket. Daniel stiffly let her help him out of his jacket and shirt. Without a word, Lily pressed various points on Daniel's back and chest to determine where the pain was coming from. She knew her way around busted ribs and had helped her brothers often to bandage them to ease the pain. She frowned at all the scars that marked Daniel's upper body, some of them had strange shapes, a few looked recently. She found the tattoo even stranger. A five-pointed star in a flamed circle. She paused, frowning again. Wasn't that a sign of Satan? She kept looking for a broken rib. He only seemed to have bruises from the fall, no cracks. From time to time, her gaze wandered back to Cole who had started stitching Samuel up. Cole apparently wasn't bothered at all by this situation. Worried, yes, but not panicked or scared. How could he be used to such situations? Question after question rowed up in her head. But now was definitely the wrong time to ask.
*** The Wild West Triad ***
Sam blinked, opening his eyes. Even the dim light hurt them and made them water. Muffled voices reached his ears. His vision was blurry, but he recognized Cole's familiar bass. The woman's voice confused him though. The Scholar blinked two more times until he was fully aware and his vision cleared. A small movement was enough and he groaned in pain. Steps. A familiar hand came to rest on his cheek. Samuel's voice sounded rough when he spoke. "Cole, is Daniel ok?"
"Don't worry big boy, Daniel is here. He's fine."
He sighed relieved and turned his head to his friend. Lily Seaver's pretty face appeared behind Cole's broad shoulders, showing a worried expression. "Shouldn't we get him to the doctor? He's feverish."
Samuel grabbed Cole's arm concerned. His eyes finally clear. "No, I don't need a doctor, you have to hunt it down, Cole."
"It's ok Sam, don't worry, I'll take care of it. Lily will stay with you." He tightened his grip on Samuel's arm to bring him back down in the cushions.
"Why? You said Daniel is fine."
"Well fine like in one piece. He fell from his horse, maybe cracked a rib or two. And now rest and drink your medicine."
Cole poured him some of the medicine. Sam swallowed it without question though the taste was awful. A little calmer, he sank back into the pillows and was soon breathing evenly.
*** WWT***
Lily stepped outside the door following Cole. He had put on his fur coat and turned to look at her, a concerned expression on his face. "I want you to stay here until I come back. It's not safe out there."
"What makes it safer here than anywhere else?"
He stepped closer in front of her and cupped her cheek softly.
"The land is protected and Daniel is here. I would also appreciate knowing that someone is around to take care of them while I'm not here. Can you do that for me?"
Lily studied his deep blue eyes for a moment then she nodded. Sure, she would have an eye on the two, she knew as honorable men. Lily would not leave before she knew him back safe. She had just found the strength to admit what her heart told her for weeks.
Cole bend slightly down to her and kissed her carefully then turned to go, but Lily worriedly grabbed his arm. "Cole, be careful." He smiled lopsided at her. "Don't worry. I'll be back."
Lily watched him disappearing into the barn with Sky. She felt another presence behind her and knew it was Daniel. He steadied himself on the railing of the front porch. The woman exhaled slowly. "Is it true what Noah said? Do you hunt monsters and demons?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow as he looked over the hills in the distance. "I didn't know that your husband was so talkative. I am just saying this much. The ignorant sleep better, Lily."
"A woman knows how to read between the lines."
He grinned lopsided. "Quite a few men understand that too. I give you some advice. Cole tends to lock his heart away safely, though once you've found the key, the damn thing doesn't want to close. Don't play games with him, he doesn't deserve that. You have to decide which man you love. But I fear whatever choice you make it will cause problems."
Lily watched Cole leaving until he disappeared on the horizon, thinking about Daniel's words she already knew the answer.
TBC