SECRET OF THE AMULET

CHAPTER 14

Bridgette Montgomery shouted when the Duke of Hartwell passed out before her eyes. He was wounded, and she was worried that the scent of his blood would attract more animals from the woods. As hard as it could be, she tried to move his body. Little by little, she made progress in leaving the forest, but the howling of the wolves seemed to be closer.

The sound of her heartbeat was deafening, and she took a deep breath before making a decision that could alter the course of her life…forever! When she looked up at the sky, she gasped in surprise when the moon started to appear. It was believed that the wolves would become more powerful during a full moon than on regular nights.

Another deep sigh escaped from her lips before she closed her eyes and recited the spell of Demoenis repeatedly until a dark, teal wave of fragments appeared, and both of them were able to move at more incredible speed. From a distance, the wolves howled louder as if they were searching for someone no longer there. She tried to lift his body on top of the horse, but the Duke of Hartwell proved to be heavier than he looked.

Bridgette Montgomery decided to use the spell of Mystiferis and chanted the magic words to summon a magical guardian spirit. When a vibrant and sanguine glowing shaft appeared, she smiled and gestured for the spirit to lift the Duke’s body into the horse.

“Hiya!” She urged the horse forward as soon as the Duke was placed in front of her. In the middle of the night, she rode like crazy, and she didn’t dare to look back while the animal galloped to its total capacity.

“Milady!” The groom’s eyes widened in shock when he noticed that only one horse had returned.

“I need your help!” Bridgette informed the groom with urgency. “Help me to carry him into his chamber! He is wounded,” she said but immediately added some words of precaution not to inform anyone about the situation.

“Aye, Milady.”

With the groom’s help, Bridgette managed to bring Zacharias back to his chamber. Unfortunately, Thomas Montgomery learned about the event and hurried to check about the Duke’s situation.

“What have you done?” Thomas Montgomery questioned the woman who tended to the Duke’s wound. “How did he end up being wounded?”

“I’m sorry, Father,” she immediately asked for forgiveness about her irresponsible action which led to the Duke of Hartwell being bitten by dangerous animals in the forest. “Please don’t worry about him because I will take responsibility for my action. I will stay with him tonight to take care of him,” she suggested.

“Stay with him for the entire evening? Do you think it’s going to work? Once the word gets out that you spent a night with a man, your reputation will be ruined,” he stated a fact.

“Father, we both know that nobody in Greenhill would know how to treat this man. Only I can do it, so please, stop making a big fuss over this matter,” she requested for the man’s understanding. “We have to save his life first before worrying about anything else,” she explained.

Thomas Montgomery sighed deeply as he stared at his niece. “What else can I do? Will he be okay? Please be aware that he is betrothed to the princess,” he informed Bridgette. “Dear, we can’t afford to do more damage to this man, or both of us will be in danger!”

“I understand, Father. Just leave it to me,” she assured him that the Duke of Hartwell would be alright under her care.

“What should I do to help?”

“Hmmm, can you make his men intoxicated? They shouldn’t have any recollection of what happened tonight,” she answered.

Thomas nodded his head because it wasn’t hard to do it. He had to provide more liquor to the Duke’s men, and Bridgette would be able to tend to him without being found. “I will do it,” he said.

As soon as Thomas Montgomery left the Duke’s chamber, Bridgette immediately gathered the herbs she would need to treat his wounds. While preparing the herbs, she occasionally called for his name, but the man would only stir for a moment, and he would close his eyes again. Honestly, she was worried about his condition, but she couldn’t let her emotions bother her. She had to treat him immediately before something dangerous would happen to him.

“Your Grace?” She tried calling him again, but the man just stirred in his bed. Since he remained unconscious, Bridgette didn’t waste any more time and stripped his clothing one by one. She shouldn’t be the one to do it, but she had no choice. There was no way of finding out if he had other wounds unless he was naked.

“I will apply for some medicine on your wounds now. It might cause a little discomfort, so please bear with me,” she said before putting a suave of different herbs into his wound, and the man didn’t even flinch. As she watched him sleeping or unconscious, Bridgette convinced herself that the man was alright and the mandragora was effective.

Bridgette waited patiently for the man to come to his senses, and when he finally regained consciousness, he was incoherent, and she began to worry. It was expected for wounded people to experience a fever while the wound was being treated, so she immediately checked his temperature.

He has a high fever! Good thing she had prepared some coriander that could help lower his madness, and Bridgette tried her best to remain calm in the middle of a crisis. Words about the Duke’s mishap in the forest shouldn’t get out, or Thomas Montgomery would be in trouble. She shook her head to dismiss the thought because it was unsettling in her stomach.

“Your Grace,” she whispered for his name again, but he just groaned as if he was in so much pain. When she looked at him again, she couldn’t imagine him dying in Greenhill, so she must do everything to save him!

When she recalled that drawing some blood from an unconscious man could help, she immediately looked for a knife that she could use. She was desperate! She looked around until her eyes caught something shiny on the table!

A weapon!