Highland Persuasion (The MacLomain Series- Early Years) (17 page)

“Nay, Sinclair. You’ve proven true to your clan this day. Evil,” she hissed. “Gain what you will though any means necessary.” She turned and shoved a hard finger in his chest. “Everything about you is false!”

As if she’d been punched square in the gut, Iosbail backed away, held her stomach and closed her eyes. His heart went out to her. He’d done a terrible thing.

Alexander felt as evil as she’d labeled him… but what choice had he?

Arm still over her stomach she looked at him and shook her head, eyes moist. “You’ve had ample time to tell me of what you were capable of.” She hung her head for several more moments then started back toward Shamus. Alexander grabbed her arm. Bitter eyes met determined eyes. “Now that you know the truth ‘tis clear that the options for our friend are limited.”

Their eyes held.

“We’ve got to get him to the waterfall,” she bit out. “Alongside we need a sharp blade and a hot fire.”

Alexander blinked away the water in his eyes though he knew the truth of her words.
“’Twas no other way. “He
cannae make it one more eve, aye?”

Iosbail frowned miserably.
“Unless you can spirit forth a new arm, nay.”

They lifted and supported Shamus from both sides. The Irishman groaned as they moved him to a spot alongside the waterfall. As instructed, Caitriona began to gather strips of material.

“We’ve no liquor, ‘tis bad,” Iosbail said absently. Her eyes whipped to his. “If not for you we wouldn’t be here.”

“The same could be said about you.”

“But it never will be. Why? I’ve not the power of deceit!”

“Aye, but you do in your own way, Broun.”

Alexander would not take undue blame at such a harsh moment and she was wrong for trying to throw it at him. Crouching on the other side of Shamus he decided to turn all his attention to his friend,
not an infuriating lass
.

“Shamus, lad.”
He held his head. Close enough to the fall, he was able to wet his hand and cool his friend’s face. “Can you hear me?”

“Aye,” Shamus whispered. His face was red, his eyes bleary.

“Do you understand what we’re set to do to save you?”

“It’ll have to be up high as the red runs close,” Shamus mumbled.

“Poison of the blood. So you ken.”

Alexander watched Iosbail prepare and wondered if she’d done this sort of thing before. When she took Shamus’s face in her hands, he seemed to relax. “Do ye remember what we spoke of in the hut, then? About what made a man a man?”

Alexander tried to keep him propped up but his Irishman was near lost.

Iosbail again asked, “Do ye remember then, laddie? Say ye do or I willnae go on.”

Silence fell heavy. There’s no way Shamus could answer such in his state.

“I remember, lassie,” he croaked. “A limb doesnae make a man.”

Alexander wrapped his arms tighter around his fevered friend. How could he mean what he said? Had he said such to the lass? His eyes rose to find hers on his. Iosbail, despite her anger, would not go forward without his approval.

“We’ve not the magic for this,” he said.

“Nay, only the man power.”

Her lip quivered and eyes watered further.

For it was Alexander alone who had the strength to deal the final blow.

It’d have to be clean cut at just the right angle. A fraction in the wrong direction would kill him. Alexander left Shamus with Iosbail and helped Caitriona gather sticks and wood to build a fire. Within little time they had a strong enough flame lit. Both blades in hand he held first one then the other beneath the water to clean them as best he could.

At last he handed one to Caitriona to hold over the fire, propped his against a rock keeping the blade free from dirt and built a brace with sticks that would hold the blade over the flame. When finished, he put the sword into position.

At last, he turned to Iosbail.

The Broun held his friend’s head against her chest as she watched Alexander. Heartbreak shone in her eyes. Even if he had success with the first swing they’d be lucky if they could stop the flow of blood with the hot blade. And even if all went as hoped, Shamus would still experience inexplicably excruciating pain.

But what must be done must be done.

His friend had chosen life.

“Caitriona,” he said and turned to her. “I’ll need your help. ‘Tis time for you to listen closely and be verra brave.”

Wide-eyed, the girl swallowed and nodded.
“Anything, my Laird.”

“Good, lassie. I will need you to be next to Shamus when this happens. We will lay his arm across the rock. Iosbail will hold it in place as best she can.”

If possible, the girl’s eyes grew wider. Though she started to shake slightly, she nodded.

He took her hands and whispered, “’Tis going to be a truly trying thing but the worst will be for the Irish lad, ye ken?”

Her dark eyes flickered from him to Shamus then back. There was welcomed strength in their depths. The
lass was
capable. Caitriona nodded again and said softly, “He chose life. I will help him with that.”

“Good then.” It was a lot to ask of a lassie but he had no other choice. If she didn’t do exactly as he asked, Shamus’s life would be in great peril. With Iosbail’s help they brought the Irishman to the somewhat flat rock and leaned him against it. Thankfully, Shamus was barely coherent.

Iosbail removed Shamus’s shirt then nodded to the lass. “Come now, Caitriona. Move quickly.”

Alexander lifted the sword and waited while Caitriona went to Shamus and sat next to him. It was hard to miss the compassion in her eyes as she wrapped her arm around his waist and held tight, her lips murmuring silently what he could only assume was a prayer.

Iosbail took his arm and laid it across the rock then held his wrist with one hand and his hand with her other. Even the Broun whispered words as her sad eyes met Alexander’s.

It was time.

With a sharp eye he slowly lowered the blade to where he aimed to cut then brought it up over his shoulders. If ever he’d swung a blade true, now must be it. Eyes closed he said his own prayer to God that his friend feel no pain and swung.

Only to hear Iosbail yell, “Alexander, stop!
Now!”

Chapter Nine

Alexander stopped mid-swing and slowly lowered his blade.

Iosbail could hardly believe what she was seeing.

Shamus’s skin seemed to glow softly.

For that matter, so too did Caitriona’s.

Though her legs were shaky from the intensity of the moment, she stood alongside the Sinclair and watched the Norman lassie and Shamus. “She’s the gift about her.” While she watched in amazement the two seemed to become immersed in soft white light. She whispered, “I’m without me magi so could not sense it. Why could you not?”

Alexander smiled.
“Because ‘tis just unleashed.
A dormant magic born when first needed. Not even she knew she had it.”

“Blessed be.” Iosbail made a symbol in the air and released a deep sigh.

“God bless,” Alexander whispered.

They continued to stare in awe as the light lasted for several long minutes. When it eventually faded away, Caitriona and Shamus were sound asleep. Though scarred, his wound was healed. Many times she’d seen the art of healing but never did it mean so much. She wiped away an errant tear. The afternoon had chilled even more so she grabbed the fur cloaks and wrapped them around the two.

“’Tis snow on the air.
We’ve got to move them away from the waterfall.”

Alexander removed the blade from the fire and walked off. While she supposed he sought shelter she knew he was as emotionally charged as she. Iosbail warmed her hands by the flame and kept a keen eye on the other two. Though without magic, Iosbail had sensed something about the girl all along. Could it be that was the reason Innis held her in such esteem? Perhaps that was somewhat his reason. But she guessed there was more and it had to with the Stewarts and MacLomains.

This journey was proving to be more and more of an intrigue.

First the Sinclair’s ability now this.

Iosbail frowned and glanced over her shoulder. Alexander was nowhere to be seen. He’d hurt her like no other. To see her parents after five hundred years only to learn they were an illusion was heartbreaking. They’d appeared just as she remembered. They’d sounded just as they had before. Her chest tightened. No, she refused to keep dwelling on this. Chiomara and Erc were long dead. Ma and Da were gone.

All along she should have seen the wrong of it. She’d fled Eire without telling them. Why now would they come back to save her? They wouldn’t of course. Still, it would have been so nice if they had. Was it so far-fetched to feel that way?
Perhaps.
She hadn’t led the most exemplary life.

“I’ve found a spot.”

Iosbail hadn’t heard Alexander approach. Though still hurt by his deceit she felt not the anger she had before. Aye, he’d done a terrible thing but even she saw where they were now because of it. All were safe and Shamus was healing. The Sinclair had done what he thought best to save his own.

Even if it had been at her expense.

“We should try to wash up the best we can. Have you any more cloths in those satchels?” she asked.

Alexander watched Shamus and Caitriona, gaze distant, haunted almost. “Only what we received from the Masons.”

“That’ll do.” She walked to the waterfall and stared, caught in deep thought.

It could have been a second later or maybe an hour before Alexander stood next to her. She reached out and let the icy water spray her hand. “A fraction longer and Shamus would not have had the ability to do this with one of his hands.”

“But he would have with the other.”

She rubbed the fluid between her fingers. “We came
so
close to doing it. We should have known better.”

“We were doing what we thought
best
. No harm was done.”

Iosbail shook her head. “There’s been nothing
but
harm done from the start.” She looked at him. “You and me, enemies, acted impetuously and foolishly all along and caused harm to all around us. Dinnae you see?”

“Nay.”
Alexander shook his head and splashed water over his face. “A lad discovered life was worth living for.”

“I doubt Shamus just discovered such. It seemed he knew it all along.”

“But this gave him the opportunity to test his own beliefs.”

“Too much a trial for any one man even if it proved good.”

“No trial is too much if a man discovers the best of himself.”

Iosbail rubbed water over her neck and arms. “And what of those of us on this journey who discovered less of themselves?”

Alexander’s eyes cut to hers. “Did you then because I didnae. I learned of an enemy with a good heart. I’ve said it before and this will be the last time, I’m sorry for my deceit. I only meant to save us, not hurt you.”

Though it was the very conclusion she’d come to earlier she remained impassive. “Did it not occur to you to create Adlin from thin air instead of my long lost parents? Innis would have cowered before him just as surely.”