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 pa.s.sing 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 pa.s.sage souterrain sous la maison. Il mne la rivire qui se trouve 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 pa.s.sage 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 plait, 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 pa.s.sageways. 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 pa.s.sageway.

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 a.s.saulted 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 Sat.u.r.day night.

Punching his locker, he hissed at his decision and rubbed his knuckles. At least he could drive home without Rosie hara.s.sing him about his mood. He didn't think he could put on a bright face right now. Thank G.o.d 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 b.u.mp 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.

"h.e.l.lo?" 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 b.u.t.terfly st.i.tches 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.

"Feeling better?"

She looked at him with a tired smile. "Yeah, thanks for helping me out."

Harrison's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mm-hmm." She nodded. "Just a bad day, that's all."

Harrison gripped the steering wheel. "Sorry if I made it worse."

"You could never make my day worse," Gemma whispered.

Her blush sent fireworks down Harrison's spine.

"Here." He leaned towards his stereo. "I've got the perfect remedy."

He watched Gemma's lips rise slightly at the edges as he fiddled with his iPod. Soon soft piano music was filling the car. Leaning back against the headrest, he let a satisfied sigh escape his lips.

"What is this?" Gemma said.

"My mother's cure for the blues."

"It's beautiful. Who is it?"

"A composer from the early 19th Century. She was..."

"A woman?"

"Yeah." Harrison smiled. "I know, but it wasn't like she was famous back then. Her compositions were discovered about fifty years ago in an old manor house near Cambridge, England. But that's not the best part. She has the most amazing story."

"Why? What happened to her?" Gemma swiveled to face him.

"Well, according to her diary entries, she was rescued by an angel during the French Revolution."