Dawn of the Golden Promise by BJ Hoff

Author:BJ Hoff
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736941631
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.

In the stables, Finola saw Gabriel first. He peeked around the corner of the end stall, covering his mouth, then laughing into his hand as if he had carried off a grand feat.

Aine, holding on to his hand, was also smiling. Finola lifted the lantern for a better look at the two.

“He woke me up,” the girl said quickly. “I was napping, and all at once, there he was, on top of the bed with me. I thought we would pay Pilgrim a visit and let you sleep.”

Finola stood looking at the two of them, too relieved to offer more than a perfunctory scolding. “You must not go off like this again without telling someone.”

Aine seemed instantly contrite. “I’m sorry, Finola. I didn’t think.”

Suddenly struck by another thought, Finola drew in a sharp breath. “You found Gabriel upstairs, in your bedroom?”

At the girl’s nod, Finola hung the lantern on a wall peg, then stooped to confront her small son. “You climbed the big stairway by yourself, Gabriel? Did you?”

The boy’s happy smile wavered. He glanced up at Aine with a look of uncertainty, lifting a thumb to his mouth before turning back to his mother.

“Oh, Gabriel! What am I to do with you?”

The thought of her tiny son groping up the enormous main stairway made Finola shudder. “If you should fall, you could be badly hurt, don’t you see? You must never do that again!”

The child blinked, and Finola saw that his baby pleasure in his grand accomplishment had dimmed. With one hand, he rubbed his eyes, now clouded with tears.

Instinctively, Finola reached for him, but he hung back, his tear-filled gaze avoiding hers.

His wounded expression was like a knife to Finola’s heart. “Ah, now, ’tis over,” she murmured quietly. “You are my fine, good boy. Come, give Mama a kiss.”

His gaze landed on Finola for only an instant, then deflected beyond her.

Thinking him still uncertain, she again opened her arms to him. But instead of running to her as he ordinarily would have, he hesitated, his eyes widening, his small mouth rounding to a wondering circle.

Bewildered, Finola bent lower to coax him, but a strangled gasp from Aine diverted her attention. The girl had gone chalk white. Something about that pale, taut countenance made the blood drain from Finola’s face as well.

Her mouth went dry as she looked from one to the other. Outside, leaves whispered in the wind, breaking the silence of the night. A rope of fear twisted through her.

Aine’s dark eyes swung from Finola to something behind her. Finola straightened, the crawling sensation along her spine spreading across her back like a cold tide rushing over the shore.

She seemed unable to look away from Aine’s eyes, now wide with unconcealed terror. Her heart felt as if it had leaped into her throat, each violent throb almost strangling her.

Only a supreme act of will finally enabled her to turn around.

When she did, she found herself trapped in her own worst nightmare.

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