Golden Blood (9 page)

Tearing down the next hallway she made a
beeline for the bathroom hating the self-loathing that followed
her. Rushing to the end stall, she flung open the door. She didn’t
have time to think about it, the tingling had already reached her
shoulders. Bolting the door with one swift click, she closed her
eyes and ground her teeth against the imminent pain.

* * * *

Paris, France -
1793AD

Gemma’s body felt like it had been stabbed
with a thousand knives as she got to her feet. It always took a
moment to adjust and it always hurt. Clothes that smelt stale were
thrown in her direction. The coarse fabric would feel horrible
against her skin and she cringed to think what disgusting things
lay hidden in the folds of the male breeches she was holding.

“Quickly! Get dressed and hide your hair,
Gemma.” Her father’s voice was urgent. Something must be wrong. She
obeyed, in spite of the smell, and watched her siblings do the
same, concern flickering over their faces as they soaked in the
situation. With the help of her mother, she managed to shove her
hair down the back of her shirt. It felt uncomfortable against her
skin, but she knew she had more important things to worry
about.

Scanning her surroundings, she took in the
cobblestone street, the cold stonewalls and the filth that
plastered both. The stench in the air was pungent, but much worse
was the vibration of discontent that swirled around her.

“Where are we?”

“Paris.” Her mother’s voice was severe.
“1793.”

“The French Revolution?”

The distant sound of an angry mob could be
heard wafting in the air and Gemma felt a shiver run down her
spine.

“My timing’s a little off. According to my
analysis, these events shouldn’t be occurring until tomorrow.”

“We’ll be fine, Dad. Just tell us what you
want to do.” Dom was always so calm in crisis situations. He loved
these trips the most.

Gemma’s pulse pounded in her throat as she
listened to her father’s steady voice.

“Marie Neveu and her daughter, Emilie, have
been harboring a clergyman. They are going to be discovered at any
moment. This will send them to the guillotine. I’ve found a safe
hideout for them on the outskirts of the city, but we must get
there before sundown.

“Dominic, I want you to take your sisters.
You three are in charge of getting the woman and her child to this
point.” He pointed at a hand-sketched map and waited until three
heads nodded. “Your mother and I are going to find the man who can
arrange safe passage to England and make sure he gets them out of
here on time.”

“Are these two worth the risk, Alistair?”

Gemma knew her mother’s main concern was her
children. She didn’t care who else’s life could be at stake.

“Nothing is certain, but these two lives
could enhance our future. Emilie is a masterful pianist. Who knows
what she might bring to our culture.”

“We’re risking this for a pianist?” Ruby
said.

“We’re risking this to better someone else’s
life.” Alistair Hart’s eyes bore into his eldest daughter.

“Sorry, Daddy.”

Gemma reached for her sister’s hand and gave
it a little squeeze. “Let’s go.”

It did not take long to find the house. Gemma
cringed to think the palatial Parisian home would probably be in
ashes by the end of the night. Persuading the mother of their
rescue attempt was challenging in spite of Ruby’s excellent French,
but the woman moved swiftly when Dom lifted her daughter onto his
shoulder and began trooping towards the door.

The contingent snuck out the back. The sound
of the violent mob approaching made the hairs on Gemma’s neck stand
to attention. The sun was dropping lower with each passing moment.
Racing through the picturesque gardens the quintet soon skidded to
a halt. The mob had solidified into a ring of fury that was
marching around the outskirts of the property, malice on their
minds, murder on their lips and fiery torches in their hands.

Gemma’s heart thudded out an unsteady
rhythm.

“We’re trapped.” Ruby’s face was pale.

“Not yet we’re not.” Dom lowered the
shivering girl to the ground. He scanned the surroundings, looking
for the safest exit.

“Il y a un passage souterrain sous la maison.
Il mẻne ả la riviẻre qui se trouve ả environ un mile d’ici.”

Gemma looked to Ruby for translation.

Her sister was simmering, she sounded like a
bull ready to charge the way her breaths shot through her nose.

“Ruby, what?”

“There’s an underground passage in the house.
It leads down to a river, about a mile east.”

“Why didn’t she tell us that before?!”

“She probably didn’t know our intentions
before. Look at the way we’re dressed! She was just chasing after
her daughter.” Gemma pulled some calm into the situation. “Let’s
focus, you guys. Dom, what do you want to do? Soon the house will
be overrun, we don’t have much time.” Gemma was merely stating the
obvious; the fact that it brought bile into her throat was another
matter entirely.

“Take the girl. She’s the one we came back
for anyway.” Dom shoved her towards Gemma.

“Dom, what are you doing? We can’t split
up!”

“What choice do we have, Ruby?” He didn’t
bother masking his anguish. “Gemma’s the fastest. She can make it
with the girl. We can hide out here and sneak Marie out once the
mob has breached the gates. If they catch us, well,” Dom shrugged,
“two of us can still escape.” He looked ashamed.

Gemma shot the French woman a sympathetic
look.

“But…” Ruby’s head was shaking.

“Look, all we need is for Gemma to make it
and then we can all go home.”

“But what about...?” Ruby nodded towards the
mother.

“Ma fille est tout ce qui importe. S’il vous
plaît, sauvez-la.”

Gemma wasn’t sure what the woman said, but
she gave her daughter a fierce hug before placing her in Gemma’s
arms.

She could feel the girl’s tears soaking
through her clothing and tried to ignore the heart wrenching
sobs.

“It’ll be okay,” she whispered into the
girl’s hair. “Just hold on tight.”

Shoving her way through the back entrance,
Gemma tried to remember Ruby’s rushed instructions as she crept
down the passageways. The thud of the front door being smashed open
echoed off the high ceiling, making them both jump. The girl let
out a piercing scream and Gemma bolted.

The roar of the crowd bursting into the house
rose in a crescendo. Gemma tore down the corridor. Ripping back the
door, she descended the stairs at lightening speed. The girl’s
frightened arms nearly choked her as they whipped through the dank
passageway.

She could hear footsteps chasing her and
tried to even out her breathing. Bursting into dusk, Gemma stumbled
her way towards the river. Tree roots assaulted her, testing her
balance. One eventually succeeded. She tumbled to the earth,
smashing her head against a rock and fought the blur that
threatened her vision.

The girl beneath her whimpered. Gemma swiftly
rose, pulling her back into her arms. Glancing back, she saw no
figures, but could sense their chase. Ignoring the pounding in her
head, she dashed across a shallow section of the river and up into
the forest. There was no way she could keep up this pace. The girl
was growing heavier with every step and her vision was spotting at
the edges. Spinning in a circle, she searched her surroundings and
glimpsed a large tree ahead of her. Crawling into the hole, she
dragged the girl in behind her and nestled her between her legs.
She sucked in much needed air and wrapped the shaking girl in a
secure embrace.

“It’ll all be over soon. I promise.”

She kissed the top of the girl’s head and
vanished.

* * * *

St. Augustine, Florida
- 2011AD

Her breathing was erratic as she glanced
around the cubicle. The little girl! Had her father aborted early?
Her heart sank with the knowledge of failure. She wondered how long
that frightened girl had hidden in the hollow of the tree before
she was found. She fought off the tears.

Closing her eyes, she ran a shaky hand
through her hair. A sudden burning made her wince. She touched her
forehead with tentative fingers and let out a soft groan.

Blood. How am I supposed to explain this one
away?

Grabbing her clothes she hastily threw them
on and tied her hair back. Racing to the basin, she used some
toilet paper to stanch the flow. She fought the wave of exhaustion
that always engulfed her in moments like this and pulled in a deep
breath.

Stop shaking, Gemma! You can do this.
Everyone will be heading home. All you have to do is get out of the
building without anyone spotting you.

A shuffling of feet outside the door made her
heart freeze.

Chapter Eight

St. Augustine, Florida
- 2011AD

Harrison waved goodbye to Darren and the
girls with a half hearted smile. They had tried to persuade him to
join them for an after school burger, but it was the last thing he
felt like. Clicking his locker closed, he leaned his head against
it and swore.

The look on Gemma’s face as she departed swam
in his brain, taunting him. He had caused that.

You are such an idiot.

He suddenly didn’t give a stuff about the
truth. He just wanted to find her, say he was sorry and spend the
afternoon laughing together like they had on Saturday night.

Punching his locker, he hissed at his
decision and rubbed his knuckles. At least he could drive home
without Rosie harassing him about his mood. He didn’t think he
could put on a bright face right now. Thank God she’d made friends
so easily at this school.

He threw his bag over his shoulder and
slumped towards his car. Something made him walk slowly. Maybe it
was the thought he might bump into Gemma on the way. She hadn’t run
out the front doors like he’d been expecting. Without meaning to,
he turned the direction she’d gone.

A girl scurried past him with a frown. She
glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. Harrison followed her
line of sight to the girls’ bathroom. His legs moved before his
brain did.

Leaning his head against the door, he heard a
hiss of pain.

“Gemma, are you in there?”

Total silence.

“Are you okay?”

After a lengthy pause he heard a sigh. “I’m
fine. I just… I slipped.”

Swinging the door open, he stepped into the
room, not caring who else might be in there. His frown deepened as
he stood beside her and glimpsed the blood.

“What happened?” He grabbed the wad of tissue
from her hand and held it in place.

“The floor was wet and I just… I can be
clumsy sometimes.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re one of
the most co-ordinated people I know.” He pulled the tissue away to
examine the wound. The gash was deep. Purple bruising was painting
its way around the serrated edging. It looked painful.

“You need to see the nurse.”

“No!” Gemma’s eyes flew up to the mirror and
met his gaze with a look of horror. “Please, please don’t take me
to the nurse. I’ll have to explain… it’s humiliating.”

He gave her a dry look as he continued to dab
the blood matting her hair. The wound began to seep again. Grabbing
a fresh wad of toilet paper, he stanched the flow. “You can’t ride
home with blood running down your face.”

“I know.”

Letting out a sigh, he grabbed her hand and
pulled her towards the door. “Come on.”

“Harrison!” She pulled against him, nearly
yanking him off his feet.

He balanced himself and turned to her with a
glare. “Would you trust me, please?”

Pulling her hand with a little more force, he
led her out to the parking lot and opened his car door.

“Where are we going?”

“To buy you a first aid kit and some
ice.”

Her face softened with a smile as she slid
into the car. He raced around to his door, grateful that she had
capitulated without argument. Gunning the engine, he reversed
quickly out of school, listening to the ring of Gemma’s cell phone
as he went.

“Hello?” Gemma bit the inside of her cheek as
she listened. “Hey Mom… I’m fine… I’m sorry, I forgot. I... well, I
slipped and cut my head.”

Harrison drove towards town scanning the
streets for the nearest drug store. Gemma pointed up the road as
she spoke and he followed her signed directions.

“No. No one saw.”

She glanced over at him with worried
eyes.

“I’m alone.”

Harrison kept his expression bland as he
indicated and began to parallel park.

“I’m fine. Really… I think it would be better
if I did my homework in the library then came home. By then my head
should be clear… I don’t want to leave my bike at school… Dom is
not riding my bike for me. I’m fine!”

Gemma rolled her eyes as Harrison cut the
engine.

“Mom, please. I promise I’ll call if I’m
still feeling fuzzy… Five o’clock? Yeah, I’ll be there.” She tapped
the screen and dropped the phone into her lap.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just… my mom can be a little over
protective. I was supposed to text her after school to let her know
my plans… I forgot.”

“I think you had fair reason.”

She returned his grin.

“Back in a sec.” Jumping out of the car, he
headed into the drug store and grabbed some supplies.

The waves rustled against the sand as they
ran up the beach then fled back to the water. Gemma sat quietly,
her fingers holding the ice pack firmly against her forehead.
Harrison had sterilized the wound and used butterfly stitches to
draw the skin together. He had never really done first aid before.
His hands had been shaking, not wanting to hurt her. Thankfully she
was a tough nugget and he only heard a small intake of breath when
he was cleaning the wound. The rest of the time she sat as still as
a statue patiently waiting for him to finish.