Shadow Highlander

THIRTY-FOUR

The mist was everywhere, choking out the light and the air around Reaghan. It clung to her as if seeking to invade her skin.

In the mist she saw flashes of a mountain she knew instantly as Cairn Toul. There was another, one that brought peace to her heart and a smile to her face. Foinaven. Her home.

She took a step back when a face suddenly stared back at her. The white hair faded into the mist, but the pale skin and white eyes were visible. The lips were twisted in a snarl, hatred and malice pouring from the image.

Deirdre.

The drough’s face faded, and in its place was one of remarkable beauty. Her blue eyes were clear and bright, her hair the color of gold. There were similarities between the woman and Deirdre, but whereas Deirdre was cold and evil, this woman was life and warmth.

No matter how hard Reaghan tried to think of the woman’s name, it eluded her. The more she tried the more an ache in the back of her head throbbed.

And then the woman’s face faded.

Reaghan reached out to touch it, to bring it back. She fell through the mist, falling endlessly. Spiraling downward into a chasm that swallowed her. She tried to scream, but no sound came from her mouth.

Her arms flailed, reaching for something, anything, to hold on to. There was nothing but the mist.

And a voice. Her voice.

You know how to break the spell.

*

Reaghan woke suddenly, her heart pounding in her chest. Her chamber was dark, quiet. Empty. There was no mist, no faces or memories.

Only the voice reverberating in her mind.

She sat up and threw off the covers. Her sleep had been scarce, and when she finally had fallen asleep, there had been the dream.

Galen had not come to her, but then again she knew he wouldn’t. Maybe it was for the best. Though she knew Mairi’s words were false, she wanted to prove to Mairi and everyone that she made her own decisions, not Galen.

Reaghan looked out her window and saw that dawn was not far off. She dressed and combed her hair before braiding it. Then she left her chamber and hurried to the kitchen.

Cara had told her they were all there in the mornings. Reaghan hoped the women hadn’t chosen that morning to sleep in, not when she desperately needed to speak with them.

They had been her salvation the day before. Reaghan hadn’t known what to do about Mairi, but they had. When she suggested she stay away from Galen to prove Galen hadn’t been controlling her mind, they had all agreed, but they doubted Galen wouldn’t come to her.

Reaghan knew what kind of man Galen was. He struggled with his powers and the god inside him just as every Warrior at MacLeod Castle did. Galen was a good man. She knew it in the depths of her soul.

When she entered the kitchen it was empty. Reaghan sighed and leaned against the wall. She went over her dream again in her mind. This one was so different from the previous ones. In the others she had seen places and people she knew, but it had been as if she were reliving events. Never before had there been a mist.

This new dream was different in so many ways. For one, the woman. Reaghan recognized her as she had so many others, but this time there wasn’t a name. Only a feeling, as though this woman were very important.

Then there was her own voice telling her she knew how to break the spell.

Reaghan had always followed her instincts before. Yet, how could she when she didn’t know what could break the spell? Anxiety, deep and immeasurable, had taken hold of her. As if she needed to hurry and end the spell.

But how?

“Reaghan?”

She spun around to find Sonya in the doorway.

“Is everything all right?”

Reaghan fisted her hands in her skirts, unable to explain the urgency inside her, an urgency that told her she was almost out of time. “I had a dream. In that dream I saw Deirdre and another woman. I don’t know the other woman, but I sensed she was very important. Then…” Reaghan paused and took a deep breath. “Then I heard my own voice tell me I knew how to end the spell.”

Sonya’s amber eyes were troubled. “When a Druid has such a dream, it should not be ignored.”

“I agree. The problem is, I really have no idea how to end the spell.”

“It will come to you, I’m sure of it.”

“I pray you’re correct.”

Sonya began to turn away when she suddenly stopped, her head cocked to the side and her eyes closed.

Reaghan remained beside her. She glanced around, hoping to see Cara or Marcail or someone who might know what was wrong. “Sonya? Are you all right?”

The Druid didn’t answer.

“You’re scaring me, Sonya.”

“I’m listening,” Sonya whispered. “The trees are trying to tell me something.”

Reaghan waited for Sonya to say more. She was intrigued. When Sonya opened her eyes, she blinked several times and then hurried off into the great hall.

Reaghan followed Sonya, but she paused once inside the hall when she saw Quinn with Marcail, his hand spanning her stomach. He stood behind her, whispering something into her ear that made Marcail smile.

“I need to hear the trees,” Sonya said to them.

Quinn’s head jerked up at the sound of her voice. “You know how dangerous it is, Sonya. To venture outside of Isla’s shield would amount to capture and death at Deirdre’s hand.”

“The trees are calling for me,” Sonya argued. “I must hear them.”

Quinn kissed Marcail’s cheek. “I’ll talk to the others, but I doubt you will be allowed.”

Once Quinn was gone Sonya paced the hall. Reaghan moved out of the way and watched as the others tried to comfort her. Sonya was distraught, her need to hear the trees outweighing reason.

It wasn’t until Broc entered the hall that Sonya stopped her pacing. Reaghan saw the concern in Broc’s eyes and the ease with which Sonya approached him, as if no one else were in the room.

As Sonya told Broc about the trees, Reaghan’s gaze was caught by the man who stood next to the Warrior. Galen. Her heart leaped in her chest at the sight of him. His face was gaunt, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

Reaghan wanted to go to him, to tell him about her dream. Galen would want to protect her as he always had. She took a step toward him when Broc’s booming voice halted her.

“Nay, Sonya,” Broc said, his voice rising above the redheaded Druid’s. “It’s too dangerous to leave the shield. We will no’ put any Druids in danger, not when Deirdre is waiting for us to make a mistake.”

“It’s important, Broc.”

A muscle moved in his jaw. “I know.”

Sonya stormed out of the kitchen, but it was the yearning, the longing, Reaghan saw in Broc’s eyes that made her breath catch.

Larena moved beside Reaghan. “It breaks the heart, doesn’t it, the way he looks at her?”

“Why doesn’t he tell her?”

Larena shrugged, her golden cascade of hair tied at the base of her neck. “I doubt he ever will. Nor will she tell him of her feelings.”

Reaghan couldn’t believe her ears. “Truly? I don’t understand.”

“None of us do,” Larena whispered before she walked away.

Reaghan found her gaze once more on Galen. She had never expected a man like Galen in her life, but now that she had him, she never wanted to let him go.

He brought happiness and joy into her life where there had been none. He gave her the strength to make decisions, and the courage to see them through. She wanted to spend every night curled in the safety of his arms, to feel his heart beat and the rhythm of his breathing.

How had she gotten so used to having Galen near her in such a short time? Now Galen meant everything to her.

Her headaches and her blocked memories kept her from giving him all of herself. There was something wrong with her, and the longer Reaghan stayed at MacLeod Castle, the more she wanted a real life. One without the spell.

A commotion pulled Galen’s gaze from hers. They both turned to find Mairi and Fallon descending the stairs. Behind Mairi were the rest of the Druids from her village.

“You will be captured,” Fallon said.

Mairi glanced at the Druids behind her. “It is a chance we are willing to take.”

“Nay,” Reaghan said as she hurried forward. She looked at the faces of Druids she had known for ten years, people she had shared her life with. “Please, listen to Fallon. He speaks the truth. The wyrran will be waiting to take you to Cairn Toul.”

“We cannot stay here with Warriors!” someone shouted.

Reaghan licked her lips and tried again. “These men protected us from the wyrran. They brought us here to keep us from Deirdre. They are good men.”

There was a loud snort. “They are evil! All of them!”

Mairi’s fingers dug into Reaghan’s arm. “You are coming with us.”

“I’m not.” Reaghan stared down into Mairi’s eyes and saw a madness that hadn’t been there before. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh, but you will.”

Reaghan wrenched her arm out of the elder’s grasp and stumbled backward when she saw the evil in Mairi’s gaze. “You aren’t Mairi.”

“I am. My magic is stronger now. You can either come with me now, or you will regret it.”

“Regret it how? You are an old woman with limited magic.”

“Reaghan,” Isla cautioned.

But Reaghan didn’t care anymore. Mairi wasn’t the elder she had known at Loch Awe. The vicious spite in Mairi made a tingle of apprehension race down Reaghan’s spine. Though Reaghan didn’t fear for herself. She feared for everyone else in the castle.

“I will kill Galen.”

“What?” Reaghan couldn’t have heard Mairi correctly. “What has Galen done to you other than save you from the wyrran?”

“He got into my head. He made me do things. He was the cause of Nessa’s death. He told me to poison her.” Mairi latched on to her arm again, and this time her broken nails cut into Reaghan’s skin and drew blood.

Reaghan grimaced as she felt something push into her mind, something that was altogether malevolent. With each word from Mairi’s mouth, the evil grew like a dark shadow, wanting to consume her.

She jerked out of Mairi’s grip, and instantly the evil was gone. “What did you just do?” Reaghan demanded. “How did your magic become stronger?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Mairi asked, as she reached for Reaghan again.

“Stop this. Now.” Reaghan felt something move and shift inside her, something that tingled along her bones and spiraled up inside her. Magic. It was her magic. Her fingertips hummed with it, ready to do whatever was necessary to protect Galen and the others.

Mairi smiled, a flash of white in her irises. “Galen dies now.”

Reaghan reached for Mairi, but not before the elder had raised her hand and directed her magic at Galen. Galen was hurled backward and slammed into the stone wall so hard it shook the castle.

Magic flew from Reaghan’s hands, but before it could do any damage to Mairi, the elder lifted her other hand to block Reaghan’s magic.

Reaghan’s eyes widened when she saw the malicious smile on Mairi’s face.

“You weren’t expecting that, were you?” Mairi said.

Before Reaghan could respond, Mairi threw another burst of magic at Galen. He was held against the wall several feet off the ground. The grimace on his face told Reaghan how much pain he was in.

Chaos erupted in the hall as the Warriors unleashed their gods and readied to attack Mairi. The Druids from the village stormed out the door with hysterical screams, but no one chased them. Everyone was focused on Mairi.

Reaghan tried to use her magic again. She could feel it inside her, but she couldn’t use it. Somehow the spell was preventing it. She stepped in front of Mairi and the magic directed at Galen.

Someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. Reaghan struggled against the hold as she fought to get back to Mairi to stop her from harming Galen.

“Stay out of her way,” Logan demanded.

Reaghan dodged his hands. “Help Galen.”

“Galen is a Warrior. He can handle one old woman.”

Reaghan shook her head. “Mairi isn’t herself. Her strength, her speed, her magic aren’t hers.”

Logan paused, his gaze meeting hers. “Shite.”

As soon as Logan released her, Reaghan started back to Mairi. The Warriors alternated attacking Mairi, but each time she threw them back with magic she had never had before. But the Warriors never stopped attacking her.

Reaghan glanced at Galen to see his god unbound and his lips peeled back to show his fangs. He fought Mairi’s hold, straining against the magic that would bind him.

Galen let out a roar when a gash opened diagonally across his chest. A moment later two more joined the first. Slice after slice scoured Galen’s body, going deeper, running longer with each one. Reaghan knew Mairi was doing it, prolonging Galen’s torture.

Something inside Reaghan snapped. Her magic filled her, and as she stepped toward Mairi, she saw the women of MacLeod Castle do the same.

As one they directed their magic at Mairi. Mairi couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Her magic began to wane. There was a pause when Mairi’s eyes widened as she looked at Reaghan.

For that one instant, Reaghan saw the elder as she had known her, the wise, patient woman.

And then the Warriors moved in. Reaghan could no longer see Mairi, and she didn’t wish to.

Reaghan ran to Galen as he slumped onto the floor, blood coating his shirt and kilt. He met her gaze before he looked around her to the group of Warriors.

“Mairi?” he rasped.

Reaghan swallowed and glanced behind her. Through the crowd of Warriors she saw a body lying still upon the floor. “Dead.”

Galen let out a breath and closed his eyes. Reaghan knew he was immortal, knew his wounds would heal, but the extent of his injuries left her worried.

Logan and Ramsey soon joined her and helped Galen to gain his feet.

“I’ll be all right,” Galen told her when he opened his eyes. “I didn’t think Mairi had that kind of magic.”

“She didn’t. Something evil had taken over,” Odara said from the top of the stairs.