“I only need a bite. I won’t be gone long.” She marched toward Charlotte to get the bag before she could add in anything else.
“Marcellus will be hungry, too.” Charlotte grabbed dried fruit and stuffed it in the bag before handing it to Brielle with an impish smile.
Brielle took the strap and leaned close to slip an arm around her sister’s neck. She planted a kiss on Charlotte’s smooth hair. “Thank you,ma soeur. I’ll be back soon.”
Slipping the strap over her head, Brielle turned back to Jeanette. “Stay here and visit with Charlotte. I’ll bring him back to you here.”
But Jeanette shook her head. “Louis is worried, too. Bring him to our home when you return, will you please?”
Brielle placed a hand on her friend’s back. “I promise.”
21
When Brielle stepped out of her family’s apartment, the wind slapped hard. She parted ways with Jeanette on the threshold with a final wave. The thick haze of snow made visibility more challenging, but there were no signs of anyone else around. The large flakes had turned to icy crystals, dusting the air in a thick cloud.
She raised her gloved hands to cup her mouth and aimed her voice toward the gate. “Marcellus!” She kept up a steady march as she listened, but only the howling wind answered.
Her feet sank in the snow halfway up her knee-high moccasins. She really should have taken time to lace on her snowshoes but hadn’t thought about it in her hurry. Surely this would be a quick journey. Marcellus must have gotten disoriented as the wind and snow thickened. She knew all the places around where he might’ve taken refuge, and if he could hear her voice, they would find each other quickly.
After passing through the gate, she shifted under the trees on the left side of the trail, the exact place Evan had taken refuge after she’d shot him on that fateful day. She could still feel the thickness of his arms when she’d pressed himfacedown on the ground, pulling his wrists behind him. Even then, she’d been impressed by his strength as he fought the power of the potion on her arrow tip.
What was he doing now? At least he was safe and warm, tucked in the storage room with Leonard to guard him. Maybe he was still eating the food Audrey had brought for his morning meal.
The thought made her own belly grumble, and she reached into the bag Charlotte had packed. As she called again for Marcellus, she pulled out the first bundle and opened it to find roasted caribou. That would give her enough energy to accomplish this mission and get back. She could save the rest for when she was warming by the fire. Just the thought of a warm blaze moved her feet a bit faster.
“Marcellus!” She strained to hear a response as she bit into the meat.
Walking under the trees blocked some of the buffeting wind, so she should be able to hear him respond.
But no voice called back.
Maybe he’d found refuge in the clutch of cedars tucked against the rocky cliff ahead. There weren’t many trees there, but the protection of the stone wall on one side would stop much of the wind, and the branches would keep the worst of the snow off him.
Lord, let him be dressed for the weather. Please.
If he’d not covered every bit of himself with furs, he could be frozen stiff by the time she found him. An awful image flashed through her mind, pressing her faster. That would explain why he’d been gone so long.
But no. Marcellus couldn’t be ... dead.Lord, please. Let him be safe.
He brought such joy to everyone around him. She hadn’t meant the times she became frustrated with him. He always intended kindness.
And Jeanette. What would her sweet friend do if something happened to her boy?
When Brielle left the shelter of the trees and plunged across the open land, the wind nearly bowled her over with its gale-like force. Snow pounded her cheeks, and she pulled her scarf higher to cover every part of her face except her eyes.
Her breaths came harder as she pushed against the wind, and it seemed to take forever to reach the group of cedars beside the cliff wall. If she hadn’t traveled this way so many times before, she might not have found the spot. The snow was so thick, she could barely see more than a few strides in front of her.
When she reached the trees, she wove her way through them. Nothing. “Marcellus?” She shook every branch, kicking the lumps of snow to see if he’d been covered.
Still nothing.
Her heart hammered into her throat. Where else would he be? Everyone knew better than to leave the village walls with the threat of snow. Even him.
The knot in her stomach pulled tighter. Maybe he’d seen an elk or other game and thought to bring food home for his mother. Even though they all knew hunting wasn’t his forte, if he set his mind to something, it was almost impossible to waylay him.
She stood at the edge of the trees and stared at the white beyond. Should she go south or north? With one mountain at her back and Laurent ahead of her, those were the only two immediate choices. But no matter which direction shechose, a medley of options would soon become available to her. There was no way to track him at this point, not with so much snow covering his prints. Her voice wouldn’t carry very far through the howling wind.
Lord, show me.She closed her eyes and let her mind roam over the possible directions. Whether Marcellus knew the trail or not wouldn’t matter to him if he’d been focused on whatever he was following. Maybe she should go where an animal would have gone. Most of the near herds grazed to the north, but she’d already checked those areas when she hunted this morning. So perhaps she should head south and search the trails she hadn’t yet traveled that day.
