“We can’t leave him here.”
“We have to.”
She attempted to pull away, but he didn’t dare release his hold. She’d make a fuss and wake the entire camp if he let her. “Colin, you heard them. They’ll make sport of killing King Henry.”
He paused in exasperation. “Bea, we can’t escape on an elephant without them noticing. It’s the elephant or us.”
She pressed her palms to his chest and peered into his eyes, that amber gaze simmering with tears. In that moment, he could have sworn the woman had her own magical abilities and he’d completely fallen. “Please, Colin.”
Damn her. Didn’t she realize how dire their situation was? But her lower lip started quivering and he knew he’d cut off his own arm just to keep her from crying. What the hell was wrong with him? When had she gone from being Leo’s cousin to more? With a grunt of annoyance, he led her across the campsite, hiding in the shadows along the perimeter.
“We need to take the elephant.”
Raj looked at him as if he were insane. A thirteen-year-old boy, looking at him like he was crazy. Hell, maybe he was.
“Please, Raj,” Bea whispered.
Raj shook his head. “Too loud.”
“Please, Raj, we must.” Bea stepped closer, those pleading eyes taking the lad under.
Raj swallowed, his throat working, but the poor sod immediately nodded. Colin rolled his eyes. All it took was a pretty woman to bat her lashes. Then again, he wasn’t much better.
“Fine then,” Colin snapped. “Let’s go.”
King Henry, aptly named, bent his leg as if he were as eager to escape as they. Raj scampered up the beast, settling behind his head, then held out his hand for Bea. She didn’t hesitate, but clambered onto her wooden chair like a queen ruling over her domain. And she was a queen, in her own way, a titled lady too good to be sleeping in the jungle, too good to be riding a dirty elephant, and too good for him.
“Sir,” Raj whispered. “Hurry.”
Colin glanced behind him, his fingers curling. The camp still lay silent. Were they waiting for them? His mouth went dry. He latched on to the elephant’s rough ear and pulled himself up onto the beast. “Let’s go.”
Raj tapped the elephant’s side with a thin branch and the beast bolted forward. The ground shook, trees bouncing, their leaves rattling. Colin’s teeth chattered with the jarring movement. If the thumping of the elephant didn’t draw their attention, Bea’s screech would. She grasped on to the side of the bamboo chair, her yelp lingering in the gray dawn.
“Dear God!”
“Hold tight.” Colin slid his arm around her narrow waist, worried she’d bounce off the animal’s back and break her neck in the fall.
Vegetation snapped and popped under King Henry’s massive feet, the noise like cannon fire drowning out the soft sounds of waking birds. As the spiny black branches reached out, claws that snagged their hair and clothes, Colin prayed for the first time since he was a child. He prayed that Bea would be kept safe.
He hunched low, pulling Bea with him. “Hurry, Raj.” He wasn’t surprised when shouts rang out behind them. “Took them long enough.”
“They’re coming!” Raj cried.
Colin glanced over his shoulder, peering through the weave of the chair backing. The two Indian guides were stumbling down the trail after them. They were dressed and ready. They’d been waiting in the woods for their escape, but they hadn’t expected them to take the elephant and that was where they had the upper hand. He supposed he owed Bea his appreciation.
“He’s watching,” Bea whispered.
She’d turned, too, her fingers grasping so tightly to the edges of the chair that her knuckles had grown white. Colin followed her gaze. Through the cloud of dust that King Henry stirred, the man named Demyan stood completely still. In the middle of the campsite as chaos swirled around him, the man merely watched them.
Unease whispered over his skin, a memory … a warning of something … but what?
“Colin?” A soft touch on his arm roused him.
Bea waiting for him … to what? Save her? And he knew, looking into her guiless eyes, that he couldn’t endanger her by returning to the campsite for answers.
“Faster!” Raj yelled, nudging King Henry with a stick.
The elephant roared in complaint and shook his massive head, the movement sending the chair trembling. Bea gasped and threw her arms around Colin’s waist. Damn, how he wished Ella was with them; she’d be able to control the animal like no other. But he was helpless. Completely helpless, and Bea’s life was in the hands of an elephant and a thirteen-year-old boy.
A bony branch reached out, coming straight at them. Colin jerked Bea into his chest. Too late. She cried out, pressing her hand to her cheek. He was always too late.
He grasped her chin and turned her face toward him. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, but when she lowered her hand, he could see the dark slash across her cheek. Such a minor injury, yet an injury all the same. Failure sank into his gut, bitter and heavy. He should never have gone after the statue, not with Bea in his company. He should’ve taken her immediately to Bombay.
He cupped her shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. “Bea, I’m—”
A blast rang out, echoing through the jungle. They both ducked low. A flock of birds burst from the trees, squawking and crying.
“They’re shooting,” Bea whispered, horror written across her ashen face.
“Stay down. Understand?”
She nodded, staring up at him with those trusting eyes. Damn it. If anything happened to her … If the shot was instantaneous and fatal … If his powers didn’t work … Another blast rang out, jerking him from his thoughts.
King Henry lurched forward, throwing Bea’s soft body into Colin. For a moment, he held her tight, savoring her warmth, savoring the feel of her safely in his arms.
“Sir, elephant shot,” Raj called out.
“No!” Bea clung to Colin’s arm. Tears glistened in her eyes, shimmering under the crescent moon just barely visible over the tops of the trees.
“Stay down.” He turned and tugged the pistol from his waistband. His gaze honed in on one of the guides racing after them. King Henry stumbled at the same time Colin pulled the trigger. The shot went wide and nicked a tree. “Damn it.”
Without breaking stride, the native man lifted his arm, the pistol gleaming in the moonlight. The blast ripped through the dawn. Colin ducked. A piece of the chair chipped away, flying through the air.
Bea gripped his knee. “Are you all right?”
Colin didn’t bother to answer. He needed a clean shot, yet if he stayed atop the chair and next to Bea, she might be injured.
“Colin,” Bea insisted. “Are you all right?”
He pulled the hat from his head and pushed it into her arms, then gripped the strap holding their chair in place. Taking in a deep breath, he flung himself onto the side of the elephant. His boots hit the animal’s thick hide and Colin wavered. Like an acrobat he’d seen out West when he was but a lad, he stabilized himself, then focused on the man behind them. He pulled the trigger. The man tripped, then fell.
Wicked glee washed over him. “One down,” he whispered.
King Henry stumbled, sending Colin off balance. He bounced across the animal’s side. His wrist twisted painfully, but he didn’t dare let go of the leather strap.
“Colin!” Bea was leaning over the edge of the chair, her hair in long, dark waves that fell toward him. She stretched out her hand. “Grab on.”
“Damn it, Bea. Get down!”
She hesitated, but did as he said and hunkered behind the side of the chair.
Gritting his teeth, he lifted his right leg atop King Henry’s back and hauled himself onto the animal once more. With a grunt, he fell back into the chair.
“Are you well?” Bea’s warm hands swept over his shoulder, then his chest.
Her touch sent unwanted heat through his body. Colin nodded, br
ushing aside his hands. “Yes.”
She shoved the hat back atop his head. King Henry roared and tripped, tossing Bea into the corner of the chair. The bamboo cracked, the side railings tumbling to the ground in splinters of wood. Bea’s eyes widened. Colin’s heart stopped beating.
“Colin!” She started to fall.
Frantic, Colin latched on to her hand, his fingers tight around hers. Sweat broke out on his forehead. Her legs slipped over the animal’s bloated belly. Colin’s grip was the only thing keeping her from crashing to the ground.
“Bea, don’t you dare let go!” Colin tucked his foot under the strap that held the remains of the chair to King Henry’s back.
“I’m pulling you up, hold tight.” He gripped her wrist and jerked. Bea scrambled onto the animal’s back. She didn’t release her hold, but threw her arms around Colin’s waist. She clung to him, and as pathetic as it was, he needed her touch, reveled in the fact that she was hugging him tightly. This was why knights saved damsels in distress.
His hands trembled with pent-up emotion. “It’s all right.”
The elephant stumbled again. Colin tightened his grip, his body taut as he fought to stay atop. If he could only hold her, he had the insane belief that everything would be all right.
“He’s limping,” Raj called out. “He won’t last much longer.”
Bea tilted her head and looked into his eyes. “Colin, help him.”
Apprehension whispered through his mind … a warning that her plea was more than what was implied. “What do you mean?”
“You’re … you’re a doctor, right?” Confusion, wariness, and knowledge flashed across her eyes. She knew more than what she was admitting. How much did she remember of her recovery?
“No,” he said, loosening his hold.
The elephant slowed.
Bea gripped his shirt, her hold tight. “Please, Colin, please help him.”
The beast stopped and his massive legs folded under him like a building collapsing. Bea started to slip from his arms. Colin grasped on to her but he was helpless to keep them upright. Together, they slid to the ground, Colin taking the brunt of the fall. He hit the dirt, his hat toppling off his head. Bea hit him, pressing the air from his lungs. But they’d survived, at least he hoped.
Relief quickly gave way to desire. Bea lay sprawled across him, her lush body pressed to his. He wished he could enjoy the moment.
Suddenly, Raj was hovering over them, his eyes as large as saucers. “All right?”
Bea shifted, her knee coming dangerously close to hisman hood. Colin rested his hands on her waist, lifting her from him before she could do any damage.
“Fine,” Colin gritted out.
Bea made quick work of scampering to her feet and grabbing Raj. “How is he? How’s King Henry?”
Raj shook his head, his mouth set in a grim line. Bea sucked in a breath of air and rushed toward the animal, leaving Colin to fend for himself. He sat up and searched for his hat. He found it resting atop a bush. They needed to hide, but he knew Bea would never abandon the elephant. He raked his hair back and shoved the hat atop his head.
She turned toward him, and even in the dim light of dusk, he saw the unspoken plea in those amber eyes. Her hair hung wildly about her shoulders. Her shirt, partially untucked from the waistband of her trousers, was smudged with dirt … as was her face. He’d never seen her look more beautiful.
Damn it all, Ella was the one with the affinity for beasts. He’d always worked with humans. He didn’t even know if he could save an animal. Warily, his gaze traveled the immense gray beast. It would drain him, saving something that large. But Bea was looking at him, waiting for him …
He briefly closed his eyes. “Go, watch for the men.”
Raj didn’t hesitate and raced farther down the trail. But then the lad knew what Colin was capable of and no longer found it shocking. Bea merely stood there as if suddenly unsure.
“Well?” he snapped, annoyed with the woman’s indecision, more annoyed now that he realized he’d do practically anything for her, even risk his own life. “Do you want me to fix him?”
She took her lip between her teeth and scurried after Raj. They had little time, and if the healing drained him, they’d be easily caught. But damn it all, he couldn’t let Bea down. Colin moved around the animal, surveying the wounds. The beast was breathing heavily, his large wary eyes following him. It was the left hind leg that dripped blood. Colin pressed his hands to the leathery thigh. The shot had gone through. He could do this. Human, elephant … they were made of the same thing, surely.
Taking in a deep breath, he pushed his fingertips into the animal’s thick flesh and closed his eyes. Nothing happened. Refusing to surrender, he refocused. Damn, but he didn’t want to disappoint Bea. He concentrated harder, imagining the animal’s heart pulse beneath his fingertips.
“Come on,” he whispered, pleaded, begged. His gaze slid to the heavens, taking in the gray skies of dawn. “Don’t let me down now of all times.”
Suddenly, the familiar warmth jolted through him, an answer from God. This time the power was faster, roaring through his body like a tropical storm. Fire shot through his arms to the tips of his fingers. Colin cringed, but refused to step back, refused to stop touching the animal. Bending his head, he concentrated harder.
Vaguely, he was aware of the elephant shifting under his hands. But Colin didn’t move, didn’t flinch as the energy burned through him. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His body swayed, his limbs shaking. The urge to sink to the ground overwhelmed him.
Just when he thought he’d collapse, with a roar, the heat receded, sucked back into the universe or wherever it resided and taking Colin’s energy with it. Colin stumbled back, and too weak to stand, he slumped to the ground, his head hitting the dirt with a thud that made his skull bounce.
“Colin, are you all right?” Bea collapsed at his side, but he didn’t have the strength to answer her plea. Her warm fingers cupped the sides of his face, forcing him to remain in the conscious world. “Colin, please, tell me you’re well?”
The elephant rumbled, then shuffled to his feet, a temple rising from the earth and making the ground tremble.
“Hurry,” Raj called out, suddenly appearing before them and hopping up and down in his haste. “You must hurry.”
Colin laughed, a wry laugh. He felt as if he had no muscles, no bones. He could barely move, yet they wanted him to hurry? He stared unblinkingly at the purple sky. Dawn would be here soon, the seconds flying by.
“Colin, please, can you at least climb onto the elephant?” Bea asked, slipping her arm under his neck.
As much as he’d love to race off on an elephant, the most he could manage was to glance at the beast. King Henry seemed as tall as a mountain, an impassable mountain. Exhausted just thinking about moving, Colin gave in to his main desire and closed his eyes.
“We must leave,” Raj said, rushing around him like an annoying gnat.
“Go,” Bea said, giving the lad a gentle push. “Take the elephant and go. You’ll have a chance.”
Raj paused, as if thinking it over. “Yes. They follow me, but I’ll outrun them.” Raj nodded. “You stay here, you go to temple. Creek there, past trees. When it splits, you take creek toward sun.”
Colin lifted his lashes just enough to see Bea’s nod. How he wanted to argue, but he could barely part his lips to form a word. Raj slipped his arms under Colin’s shoulders and dragged him back into the weeds. Leaves and branches snapped under his weight, scratching his back and neck.
“Enough!” he growled.
The boy nodded and dropped Colin. His head hit the ground again, barely cushioned by the hard earth. Bea followed, hunching down next to him, half-hidden by the foliage. The musky scent of earth surrounded them. She’d managed to grab their sack, and the bag hung down around her neck, bouncing against her hip.
Raj paused. “Stay here, hide while men pass by.”
Bea nodded.
Without
another word, Raj raced back to the trail and climbed the elephant. He stopped long enough to throw them a nod, then he was off. The forest floor vibrated withthe steps of the elephant, until they faded into a soft hum. The raucous calls of birds seemed louder now that they were frozen still upon the forest floor alone.
“Colin,” Bea whispered. “Colin, are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine,” he managed to mutter. And he would be fine, as long as they weren’t discovered. It wouldn’t take long to recover; he could feel himself slowly returning to normal. But still, he wouldn’t be strong enough to fight for a good hour or two.
Shouts rang through the woods. Bea stiffened before sliding her arms around his shoulders. “They’re coming.”
Colin swallowed hard. How badly he wanted to fight, yet his weak body wouldn’t allow such bravery. He could only lie there, like a helpless babe. “Stay still. No matter what, don’t move.”
She nodded, but he could see the fear in her eyes, feel the fear in the trembling of her body.
“Down here,” someone shouted, running past them with a torch in hand.
“Stay still,” Colin whispered again.
Two left. Stephan and Demyan. Where were they? The thud of pounding feet interrupted the chirping of birds. The pounding stopped. Stephan and Demyan paused on the path, only feet from them.
Stephan panted, sucking in great gulps of air. But Demyan remained motionless, as if he hadn’t just raced down the trail, as if he’d been there all along.
Stephan spun around, the torch he carried splashing the trees with light. “The elephant went down the trail. They’re fast, but they can’t run long. The animal was hit.”
Colin narrowed his gaze, tilting his head ever so slightly in order to get a better view. He had to see the man; he had to put a face to the voice.
Demyan turned and Stephan’s torchlight hit his features, highlighting his angular profile. Colin’s heart clenched.
There was familiarity in the hook of his nose, the prominence of his chin … Where the hell had he seen the man before?
“Unless they didn’t go by elephant,” Demyan said in a deep, surreal voice of an Eastern European … a voice Colin knew he’d heard before.