Dark Sword 05: Shadow Highlander (39 page)

The MacLeods stood as one, fighting side by side and slaughtering wyrran who climbed the castle wall. Among the Warriors she glimpsed, there was no green-skinned one.

Reaghan was about to return to the castle when she saw the postern door unbolted.

“Nay, Braden,” she whispered in torment.

But even as she prayed the boy wouldn’t leave the castle, she knew he had. The sounds of the battle were thunderous, more terrifying now that she was in the thick of it.

Reaghan took a deep breath and stepped through the postern door. She came to an immediate stop as she saw the sheer mass of MacClures and wyrran. Among them were Druids who were trying desperately to reach the castle.

Broc swooped down from the sky and lifted two of the Druids to fly to the castle. The wyrran had cornered a small group of Druids, most likely for Deirdre, but the MacClures were killing any Druid they saw.

And then she saw the red cloak.

Reaghan’s heart pounded so loudly she feared it would jump from her chest. Dunmore, the man from the loch, the man who wanted to take her. Reaghan couldn’t allow him to see her.

She framed her back against the castle wall and slowly sidestepped so she could look for Braden and not bring notice to herself. He would be difficult to see amid the battle, but she had to find him.

Reaghan drew in a ragged, broken breath when she caught sight of Galen. He was fighting without his shirt, his dark green skin splotched with blood. But it was the violence in which he fought, the utter strength and power he wrought with his body, that held her entranced.

Just as when he had battled the wyrran in her village, Reaghan couldn’t take her eyes off him. Galen moved effortlessly, dominating and annihilating any and all who came near him.

His roars were booming, the strikes of his claws ferocious. He was a Warrior.

And he was magnificent.

Some feared the Warriors, but Reaghan had known from the beginning Galen was different. Her love for him had only grown each day she had been with him and had seen the man, the Warrior he truly was.

It was that love which gave her the strength to search for Braden. Galen would stop at nothing to protect those he cared about, and Reaghan could do no less.

She tore her gaze from Galen and focused on finding other Warriors. Braden had wanted to help them. Reaghan guessed he would stay near a Warrior to render whatever aid the lad thought he could.

It didn’t take her long to find Braden standing not far from Logan. She tried calling out to him, but the boy couldn’t hear her over the battle. Reaghan could go back into the castle and get the attention of a Warrior on the battlements, but they were busy fighting wyrran.

She was on her own.

Reaghan squared her shoulders and lifted her skirts as she raced toward Logan and Braden. The lad had found a sword lying on the ground and was trying to lift it as a MacClure came at him.

A scream lodged in her throat when the MacClure struck Braden with a sword. His small body fell to the ground without a sound as the sword dropped from his hands.

Reaghan rushed to Braden’s side. She stood over him, the sword he had attempted to lift in her hands, as a wyrran came at her.

She had never been so petrified in her life. The wyrran smiled at her, its lips unable to cover the mouthful of teeth. Its long claws clicked together just before it swiped a hand at her.

Reaghan leaned back to avoid being scratched. She tried to swing the sword, but she was more effective in using it to keep the wyrran’s claws at bay than to harm the ugly creature.

Suddenly, Broc fell from the sky behind the wyrran and severed its head from its body. “Reaghan, what in the name of all that’s holy are you doing?” Broc demanded.

Reaghan set the end of the sword on the ground and leaned on it. “Braden. He’s hurt. Take him to Sonya.”

“I’ll take both of you.”

“Nay,” Reaghan said. “I’ll make my way to the castle. Just take Braden before he dies.”

Broc frowned but lifted the boy in his arms and jumped into the air, his wings spread wide. “Get as close to the castle as you can. I’ll come for you.”

Reaghan kept the sword in her hands as she started toward the castle. She smiled when she saw Broc reach the castle with Braden. She had saved him.

An icy chill overtook Reaghan, one of menace and evil. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Dunmore had spotted her. He spurred his horse toward her, his gaze intent on her and her alone.

Reaghan lifted her skirts as she began to run. Behind her she heard a man yell the MacClure name.

A sharp, ferocious pain slammed into her. Reaghan stopped, her feet refusing to move. The sword dropped from her fingers as her vision swam and the world tilted. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees.

The pain was cruel and brutal as it stole her breath and her ability to move. Something had struck her in the back. But she had promised Galen she would stay safe. She wouldn’t give up now. She would crawl to the castle if she had to.

But no matter how many times her brain told her body to move, nothing happened.

It grew more difficult to breathe. Each time her lungs emptied, her body struggled to fill them up again. She felt something warm and heavy slide down her back.

Reaghan toppled to the side and cried out from the unbearable agony. All she could do was watch from where she lay as Galen and the other Warriors battled back the MacClures and the wyrran.

Reaghan, however, knew her time was at an end.

THIRTY-NINE

Sonya rushed from the dungeons into the great hall when she heard Broc bellow her name. It had taken all of them to keep Fiona inside the dungeon as Reaghan searched for Braden. Fiona’s grief-stricken cries had broken Sonya’s heart.

Exhaustion and weariness weighed heavily on Sonya. She had slept little. Not even Broc’s promise to fly the Druids into the castle had helped ease her worry. Nor would it until her sister was beside her.

Then it had taken all she had to save Odara. At one point, Sonya hadn’t thought she would be able to help the old woman. She worried that the fear she had long had of losing her magic was coming to pass.

And it couldn’t have come at a worse time, when others would need her so desperately.

“Sonya, hurry,” Broc yelled as he carefully laid something on the floor.

Her steps wavered when she caught sight of Braden. Tears gathered when she saw the boy’s chest and the deep slash that cut him diagonally from hip to shoulder. Sonya knelt beside him and held her hands over the wound.

It took a moment for her magic to come to her, once more bringing to mind her unease that she might one day lose her healing magic when it was needed most.

Braden’s wound was severe, but his little body was strong and he fought for life, which helped Sonya’s magic. Still, it took everything she had, pouring all of her magic into Braden, before the wound began to close.

The fact that the wound was large and gaping meant she had to use her magic even longer. She couldn’t rest, couldn’t rebuild her strength, for fear Braden’s body might give out.

When the last of the wound had come together, Sonya lowered her hands and nearly fell over.

Broc’s strong arm came around her. “It’s over now.”

She wanted to do nothing more than sleep for a sennight.

Then they heard the anguished, heartbroken roar.

*   *   *

Galen swiped his claws across the chest of a MacClure and watched as the mortal fell backward, his lifeless eyes staring at the sky.

He glanced around for his next victim, only to discover that the few remaining MacClures were running away. Galen looked around at the carnage. So many lives had been taken, and all in Deirdre’s bid for dominance.

Galen started toward the castle to help the others with the wyrran when auburn locks lying amid the grass caught his eye. He paused, his heart suddenly unable to beat.

“Nay,” he whispered, refusing to believe what he saw.

Reaghan was in the castle. Safe from harm. It wasn’t her. It couldn’t be her.

It’s one of the other Druids who just arrived.

It didn’t matter how many times Galen told himself that, he had to know for sure.

With heavy feet and a sinking heart, he started toward the woman. He saw the spear sticking from her back. She lay at such an angle that Galen couldn’t see her face.

He took a few more steps then halted. All his breath left his body when he glimpsed Reaghan’s face. Galen ran the remaining steps to her, the roar which tore from his throat stripping him of his soul.

Galen dropped to his knees and smoothed Reaghan’s hair from her face. His hands shook, his god having ducked away at the grief that assaulted Galen.

Carefully, he put his hand under Reaghan’s shoulders and brought her against his chest. He buried his face in her hair, unable to believe she was gone, that he hadn’t known she needed him.

“Galen?”

He opened his eyes to see Duncan behind Reaghan, his hand on the spear. Galen nodded. A scant heartbeat later Duncan yanked the spear from Reagan’s back.

She cried out, her hands clutching him. Galen stroked her hair and her back. “You’ll be all right.”

“I’m going to get Sonya,” Duncan said.

Galen barely heard him as he lowered Reaghan so he could look into her eyes. Her skin was deathly pale, her breathing weak.

“Galen,” she whispered with a slight smile on her lips. “I had to save Braden.”

“It’s all right. Doona talk. Sonya is going to help you.”

Reaghan swallowed and slowly licked her lips. “I cannot feel my legs. I know … now I know how to break the spell.”

“Shh. You’re going to be all right,” Galen whispered. Blood poured from her wound, soaking his hand. He pushed against the wound to try and stanch the flow, but it continued to seep between his fingers to coat the grass.

She touched his cheek as she smiled, her eyes drifting closed.

“Please,” Galen said, choking. He felt the tears roll down his face, felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. “Reaghan, please doona leave me.”

Her eyes closed and her hand dropped. Galen cried out and pulled her to him, rocking her. He willed her to stay alive until Sonya could reach them, silently praying that God not take Reaghan away from him, not when he needed her.

Loved her.

Galen could feel the life draining from Reaghan’s body. He called to her, saying her name over and over again.

“Sonya’s here,” he dimly heard Logan say.

Galen lifted his face and found himself surrounded by Warriors and Druids. “Help her,” he begged Sonya.

Sonya closed her eyes and tears began to fall from them. The healer knelt beside Reaghan and lifted her hands. Galen waited for the blood flow to slow, for the wound to begin to heal.

But nothing happened.

Sonya’s tears increased. “I’m trying.”

“Please, Sonya. I need her. She’s dying, and you’re the only one who can save her.”

“Bring Isla!” Fallon bellowed.

But Galen knew it was too late. A shudder ran through Reaghan as her last breath passed her lips.

Grief. Agony. Rage.

They all ripped through Galen like lightning. He could do nothing but hold Reaghan. He had possessed the most important thing in his life, and he’d let her die.

“I’m so sorry,” Sonya whispered, and stumbled to her feet.

For a few short days Galen had held Reaghan, loved her … been loved by her. He’d been able to enjoy the simple pleasure of touching her, and being touched by her. Something he would never experience again.

How could he continue without her?

How would he even try?

Suddenly, Reaghan’s skin began to glow. She grew brighter and brighter, the light so brilliant Galen had to shield his eyes.

A white light burst from Reaghan’s eyes and mouth and shot from her fingertips. Galen never loosened his hold. He buried his face in her neck while he heard Fallon shout his name.

Galen paid no attention. Wherever Reaghan was going, he wanted to be with her.

Wind rushed around Galen, pushing him against Reaghan, against the ground. It grew stronger and stronger until it paused of a sudden. A heartbeat later there was a loud boom and the wind picked up again, swirling up from the ground as if it came from Reaghan.

The magic Galen had come to recognize and crave as Reaghan’s grew more solid. It filled the air and his very body, touching every fiber of his being.

Galen took a breath, the magic filling his lungs and burning him with its intensity at the same instant it soothed him with its purity.

He raised his head to find the white light was gone. As he gazed at Reaghan, he thought he saw her chest move. And then she took a gasping breath. Her body went rigid as she reached for him.

“I’m here,” he said. His heart was bursting with joy, his world once more complete. As long as he had Reaghan, he could do anything.