Dragon Knight's Medallion (27 page)

“There’s plenty.”

“Humph!” she retorted. Gathering the rest of the food, she went over to Buttertwill placing them in her satchel.

A cool breeze drifted past her face, causing her hand to still on the horse. Something was utterly wrong. Cautiously moving away, Aileen staggered to the edge of the clearing.

Her vision blurred, their voices straining to reach her.

Stephen was the first to notice, rushing after her. Moments before he reached her, Liam blocked his path.

“Don’t!” he demanded. Stephen’s hand went for his throat, but Liam was faster. “Trust
me
. She will be fine.”

Stephen watched in horror. “What is happening?”

Aidan froze in his steps. “What do you hear, Aileen.” His voice calm.

Aileen thought she heard her father, but there was no time to answer him. Giving all her attention and energy to the voices, she clasped her pendant.

The air grew thick. A child was crying. Men yelled at one another. The thread of evil permeated the air and ground. One voice called out to her.

“Hurry, Aileen. They are here,” pleaded Betha.

The voices ceased, closing the door soundly. Aileen blinked rapidly for several seconds. Biting back the bile that rose, she turned toward them.

“We must ride hard and fast. Lachlan and his men have found them at Grenlee.” Her voice barely a whisper.

Stephen all but shoved Liam out of the way to take her in his arms. “Are ye all right?”

She nodded.

“Your mother had the gift of
hearing
,” spoke Aidan. “Your powers have increased, since your contact with the dragon.”

Aileen looked up at Stephen. “I don’t understand what the dragon did to my pendant, because I didn’t experience any pain with their emotions.” She clutched at his arms, adding, “I heard Betha
speak
to me in my mind.”

He drew her more closely. “When we get there, I want ye to stay with Liam and your father.” He tilted her head to meet his gaze. “Will ye do this for me, Aileen?”

She frowned. “Yes, but I don’t...”

“Shhh,
leannan
.” He placed his finger softly on her lips. “For me. I will ken ye are safe.”

“For you,” she whispered.

“Aileen, I need you to do something before we leave,” interjected Liam.

Stephen flashed him a look of warning.

“What is it?” she asked, placing a comforting hand on Stephen’s chest.

“I need you to send a message to Betha. Do you think you can do that?”

“Honestly? I don’t know, Liam.”

“Try, please.”

“I’ll try.” Reaching up, she gave Stephen one last kiss before giving her full attention to Liam.

“What do you want me to tell her?”

Liam seemed to stand taller all of a sudden, as if drawing on his powers. “Tell her they will have the help of two Fenian Warriors.” He glanced back at Aidan for approval.

Aidan stepped forward, placing his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Aye, tell her so.”

Taking a hold of her pendant, Aileen took a few steps back and closed her eyes. Within moments, the wave of sight flooded her vision, carrying her words to Betha.

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Hold fast, my bonny lass, for if you fall into the water, the fae will sweep you away to the stars.”

The moment Aileen could no longer see Stephen and her father in the distance, her inner sight took over. Sensing his need to push hard through the hills, he wasted no time, making it difficult for Buttertwill to keep the pace. And for that reason, Liam rode with her.

With the thud of hoofs pounding the ground, mixed with heavy breathing, her nerves were coiled tight. After she had sent out the message to Betha, it was as if a black cloak descended. Try as she might, there were no more visions or sounds. Aileen didn’t want to panic. The only option was to remain positive, and it didn’t hurt to toss out prayers along the way, too.

They were heading for a dense part of the hills where she knew it would slow them considerably. Again, she reached out to Stephen, sensing his fury and determination. Their connection became stronger by the hour, and she wrapped thoughts of love around his.

Pine boughs smacked against her legs and arms before murky water splashed against them. She dodged one at her face, coaxing Buttertwill onward.

Courage and strength infused her spirit.

The people needed them.
Her people
. In just a short time, they had become her family. A bond had formed, sealed with her destiny. As much as she loved her aunt and the others in her other time, this century had seared its mark into her very soul.

She was home...in this century.

A familiar caw could be heard above them. Sorcha circled through the trees as a beacon of light. They were near the crest that would take them down into Grenlee.

Aileen slowed her mount, taking a position behind some heavy pines.

Liam rode up beside her and cast a quick glance in all directions. “We are a few miles out.” He narrowed his eyes upward. “Friend or foe?”

“Definitely friend. She belongs to the druid Cathal.”

“Good, one can never be too sure...” Liam blanched. “Cathal is here?”

A look of surprise passed over her face. “You know him?”

He arched a brow. “Oh yes, and I can say that we have strength on our side. Cathal is a verra powerful druid. If there is anyone who can take out Lachlan, he can do it. There is only one problem.”

“And what would that be?” asked Aileen, frowning.

“Is it possible for Cathal to kill his own brother?”

“Great Goddess!” she gasped. “They’re brothers?”

Liam nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid to say they are.”

Aileen continued to watch Sorcha fly overhead; wondering how one brother could kill his own family. “Do you know this Lachlan?”

“No. Lachlan was never known to favor the fae. In fact, he spent most of his life degrading our kind. He believed we had too much power and should share it with the druids.”

“In the end, it always comes down to power,” she said sadly, glancing back up at Sorcha.

“It always has, since the dawn of your mankind—the battle for higher power,” Liam responded.

“Now what?” she asked.

“We wait. Stephen and your father will survey the situation. When the time comes, he will place you in protection with the others.”

Aileen gritted her teeth. Being patient was not on her agenda today. Slipping free from Buttertwill, she sat down on the ground.

Dismounting from his horse, Liam removed his sword. He stood before her, sword arm crossed over the other.

“Liam, my father told me you risked your life by bringing him back in time. Why did you do this?” she asked plucking at the leaves scattered about her.

Liam gritted his teeth. “Is it always thus?”

“Excuse me?”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Humans and your questions. Always striving for the answers before they can be shown.”

She shook her head. “We are a curious sort, I suppose. Yet, I am only half human.”

He smirked, shifting his stance. “To answer your question, it had to be done. Your father would have had my head.”

“So I wasn’t supposed to go through the veil?”

He gave her a quick glance over his shoulder. “Aye, you were destined to go back.”

“Do you know how this will all end?”

He gave a deep sigh, “Not anymore, and before you ask any more questions, I am still a Fenian Warrior, bound by an oath as ancient as your sun. Even if I knew, I could not share future events with you.”

Aileen flinched. “But you went against your own people by bringing him back.”

He cursed softly. “He is
still
my brother. I would die for him.”

“Brother as in
fae
, right?”

He gave her a curt nod, resuming his watch.

“Thank you, Liam,” she whispered.

Hours slipped past in silence. Birds chirped around them, and several deer ambled along, mindless of their position. Aileen had dozed off briefly, only to be awakened by a squirrel scampering over her feet.

Rubbing her eyes, she observed Liam still standing in the same position as before. Standing, she brushed out the dirt and leaves from her gown.

“It will be dark soon. We may have to seek better shelter,” Liam said quietly.

“Shouldn’t they be back by now?” Concern filled her voice. She cupped a hand over her eyes to filter out the sun as it started to make its descent in the west.

Liam didn’t answer. Instead he asked, “Have you tried to contact Betha again?”

Aileen’s shoulders slumped. “Yes, but I’m getting nothing. I can’t even sense Stephen anymore.”

“Just as I feared. Dark magic has sealed everything. We shall wait until dusk, and then we’ll depart for higher ground.”

“But how will they find us?” she blurted out.

Liam placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “That’s where your help and power will be necessary.” He gave her a reassuring smile and went to get the horses.

Dusk came too quickly for Aileen. With a heavy heart, she followed Liam to higher ground. They stopped within an hour, for the trail was too narrow to go further on horseback.

Finally, when she thought she would scream at him to stop, he led them to a thick group of pines. Ducking underneath, she emerged against the side of the hill. Water trickled down the rocks on the far edge.

Liam went directly over, splashing the water onto his face. “Get the water skins, and fill them. Then I’ll let the horses have their fill. I’m going to climb on the rock’s ledge to get a better view. It has the perfect vantage point, and I’ll be able to easily scan the horizon.”

Aileen numbly did as she was told, but not before taking huge gulps of the crisp, cool water. After splashing the water on her face, she filled all of their water skins.

“Aileen, try and reach out to Stephen. If you can, visualize the path we just took to get here.”

Hope flared at his words. “Do you sense them? Can you see them?”

“No, Aileen. For now, we’ll use your gifts,” he answered.

Aileen took the water skin and poured some of the liquid onto her hands. Letting it soothe her, she thought only of Stephen, as she grounded herself.

Water. Stephen. Their love.
It became her mantra in her mind. Over and over the words flowed. Seconds passed. Minutes passed. And she sensed...
nothing
.

Taking a hold of her pendant, she tried again searching for anything.

A faint whisper touched her mind.

Her eyes flew open. “They’re coming!”

“Show them the way, Aileen,” commanded Liam.

Breathing deeply, she let her mind drift back to the path they took. She almost choked on a sob, when a ribbon of love wrapped around her thoughts.

Collapsing onto the ground, she rasped out, “He sees the way.”

Liam jumped down, taking Aileen into his arms. Brushing his fingers along her forehead, he spoke in words she couldn’t understand. Instantly, a surge of energy slammed into her, wiping out the draining effects she had previously encountered.

Her eyes sought his, which flashed with such brilliance Aileen had to blink several times. “What did you do to me?”

“Just a bit of healing, lass,” he answered. “Come, let’s get you standing before your beloved arrives. We don’t want him to get any ideas.”

Aileen snickered. “No. I don’t think that’s wise. He might put a blade through you.”

“As if he could,” he scoffed. “Let’s go greet them, shall we?”

Making their way on foot part way down, Liam halted her from going any further.

Within moments, Stephen was stomping through the trees. Aileen almost threw herself into his arms from sheer relief.

“It’s about time,” she cried out as he crushed her against him.

“I’m happy to see ye, too,
leannan
,” he chuckled softly, before kissing her deeply.

When Stephen broke from the kiss, he eyed Liam. “Thank ye, for taking her to safety. It is worse than we feared.” He looked back down at Aileen. “Lachlan and his men have the entire village surrounded.”

Aileen saw her father emerge from the trees and went over to embrace him. Seeing the weary look on his face, she said, “You both need to rest. We have some water, too.”

After they were settled, Stephen went into detail on where everyone in the village was positioned. “They have the women and children separated from the men. It is as if they are searching for someone, or something.”

“Did you locate Cathal?” Liam asked.

“No. He is not among them,” her dad replied.

“What do you mean?”

“He and several of the other druids are not with the men, nor are they anywhere else.”

Aileen frowned. “Could they have left?”

“Can’t say.”

“Or they could have been killed,” interrupted Stephen.

A chill crept down Aileen’s spine. “No, it can’t be.”

“Lachlan is a sadistic and evil man. I wouldn’t put it past him,” uttered Liam.

“So what do we do?”

All eyes bored into hers.

“
Ye
will do naught, but remain here,” responded Stephen with a scowl.

Aileen looked aghast. “Bullshit!”

Stephen’s eyebrows rose a fraction.

Liam coughed a remark into his hand.

Her dad loomed large over her.

“You can all stop trying to protect me,” she clipped out. “I could be mauled by some animal, or taken prisoner just staying here all alone. I can help by getting the women and children to safety.”

Stephen’s jaw clenched as he looked at the others. “Her words ring true. However”—his gaze now directed at her—“if ye do this, ye will heed my words at all times.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not a fool, Stephen. I will be careful, and
heed
your words.”

“I don’t like it,” interjected her father.

Aileen grabbed her father’s hand. “Please have faith, Dad. You need my help, too.” She waved her hand out at all of them. “There are only three of you, against how many? Until you can free the men, I’m afraid you’ll require my strength, too. Let me do this.”

Reluctantly, he relented.

“I hate to add more bad news to this scenario, but if you haven’t noticed we’re up against something else,” uttered Liam.