Redeeming Vows (32 page)

When he walked from the water, Fin covered him with a blanket to help dry him off.

“It’s amazing under there. I wish you all could see it. I had no idea.”

“Later, Simon. Did you find her?”

He shook his long hair out and smiled at Fin. “I sure did.”

“How far?”

“How long have I been gone?”

“Nearly an hour and a half.”

“So forty five minutes by sea. I swam quickly coming back. On the way over, I kept surfacing to search. I would say it took me about an hour to find her.” “It will be difficult to know the miles.”

“I could sketch a map of the shore line. There were three peninsulas I swam around and one cove.

Simon slipped into his clothes and told them of a 281

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couple more landmarks. Before they started back to camp, Simon moved next to Liz.

“Thanks for letting me go.”

“You did great, sport.”

“Not bad, kid,” Todd added.

“We’re all proud of you.” Fin’s words brought a smile from ear to ear. ****

“We should go with them.”

Liz agreed with her sister’s words. “How do we convince these Neanderthals that women can help?”

“Ye don’t, lass,” Ian told her.

“All of us together. That’s what Elise said.”

“Like last time, you’ll be with us in here.” Fin pointed to his head.

“That didn’t work last time.”

“It will have to this time.”

Liz stood and started to pace. “I don’t like it. It isn’t right.”

“Our women are not accustomed to fighting.

They will be a hindrance.”

“If something happens to all the men, the women will get a crash course in fighting. Grainna isn’t going to be happy until we’re all dead.”

They had moved into the keep. There were people everywhere. The men suited in armor and geared up for an all out war. Many of the women were more than happy to hide, but Liz had heard a few mumbling women questioning the wisdom of the planned approach.

“I’m coming with you.” Liz declared.

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am! Fin you’re not going to win on this one. I’ll dress as a man if I have to, but I’m coming.”

“I am, too.”

“I’m in.”

One by one the women stood.

Ian started to speak and Lora held up her hand.

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“Don’t ask me to stay and wait for word of your slaughter. If we all go, none of us will have regrets.”

“If something were to happen to you, I’d have more than regrets,” Ian said.

“Do you think it worse for me? The men should go in front, fight with swords and armor. We will fight the war with the witch. Together.” Lora lifted her chin with her last word.

Ian crossed his arms over his chest, his face pinched in stone.

Liz held her breath. She knew without his support, they were screwed.

Fin glanced between her and his father. Duncan mirrored Ian’s expression. Todd seemed a little more resolved with the idea. Then again, he’d worked around female police officers and knew women could hold their own.

“God’s teeth,” Ian muttered.

Liz allowed a smile to cross over her lips.

****

The only tearful goodbyes were for Briac. Tara left him with the safety of Alice and the few capable knights at the keep. The rest of them headed out in the center of the men. Liz, Tara, Myra, and Amber all slipped on men’s leggings and oversized shirts.

Lora refused.

When they left their one designated room, dressed that way, a few women protested. To their surprise, a half dozen more complained, argued, and eventually joined them. From what Liz could tell, all of them were Druids.

As the keep slid into the distance, Liz turned in her small saddle. There must have been over a hundred of them, maybe more.

While in the open field, they brought their horses to a gallop but once they met the forest, they had to slow and spread themselves thin.

Donovan’s sister, Emma found Liz’s side. “’Twas 283

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ye, wasn’t it?”

“I’m sorry?”

Emma lowered her voice. “The angel.”

“Ah, I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”

She laughed. “Ye do, but I understand yer need for secrecy. We’ve all kept quiet.”

Liz glanced behind her, noticed the other women speaking with her family. Worried glances were all around.

“I can call the wind and rain,” she said while she stared ahead. “I’m not certain how I can help, but I’m willing to try so we can survive.”

Liz noticed Myra turn in her direction and shrug her shoulders.

“Fire is easy…and well, you know the other thing I do.” She couldn’t come right out and say it.

Maybe by the time all was over there wouldn’t be a need to say anything.

Emma nodded, understanding. “What of the others?”

This was where Liz refused to offer more. “You’ll have to ask them, but leave my son out of the questioning.”

“I suppose I’d say the same if I had a child.”

From there they rode in silence. At some point Myra and Emma switched places. Myra confirmed that the woman speaking to her had similar questions. In the end, Liz knew that all the women held some power. It would be easy to deduce that the men in the clans with the same name would have Druid blood as well.

That brought their number to over thirty.

No bad. Not great, but not bad.

After riding for over an hour, the lead knight brought them to a stop. Ian moved forward and hoisted his falcon from his arm. Simon rode alongside Fin. Her son’s eyes were closed.

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Are you looking through the falcon’s eyes?

Yup. Can you move over to Ian and let him know
what I’m seeing?

Liz guided her horse from beside the women.

The men stared her way but paid little attention to her.
Oh shit.

What is it?

We’re riding into a trap. There are at least a
dozen men, some on horses, others on foot. They’re
spread out and not more than a half a mile ahead.

Some look like they’re starting to surround us.

Ian spoke with Lancaster and MacTavish.

Between him and her were a dozen men. One pulled his horse in front of her when she tried to reach him.

“Ye may be dressed as a lad, but ye have no business up here.”

Not a Druid, Liz decided. “Get out of my way.”

He refused to move.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me…” She flicked fire from her finger, hit the backside of the horse, and surged forward while the misguided knight tried to stay atop his mount.

The commotion brought many sets of eyes toward her.

“MacCoinnich.” Liz pointed to the right and left.

“I saw men on both sides of us.”

The men in charge quickly surveyed the brush.

This close to the sea, the low-lying vegetation gave them some security.

“Anyone in front?” Ian asked.

“Yes, several.”

The men surrounding Ian didn’t ask how she knew. They simply reacted.

Swords were drawn, shields raised. A hush went over the men. The women knew better than to utter a word.

A twig snapped. Eyes shot to the source.

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Then hell broke loose.

Duck!
Simon yelled in her head and aloud.

“Get down,” she hollered at the top of her lungs.

An arrow lodged into a tree to Ian’s left. His eyes slowly lifted.

Men scurried and the women banded together.

Liz felt no shame in retreating to her sister and the others. She would do better there anyway.

“What do we do? ’Tis our death. I know it,” the woman next to Emma screamed.

“Calm down,” Tara yelled.

Several of their men let out warrior cries and forced their horses forward to meet their enemy.

Liz slid from her horse, followed by Tara, Myra, Amber, and Lora. Soon the other women followed suit. Arrows flew and swords met with the steel of the enemy.

Liz grasped Myra’s hand.

Simon ran his horse in their direction, fell from his mount, and tumbled into their path. As soon as he managed to fall at her feet, Liz forced fire from her hands, forming a circle around the women.

Some gasped, probably out of surprise, but all eyes held understanding.

Amber reached for Tara’s hand, then Lora’s.

Soon all of them stood holding hands.

“Give us protection within the fire, keep us safe in this day, in this hour.”

The flames grew until they reached above their heads.

Liz’s eyes grew wide, her heart beat so quickly in her chest the thought of it splitting in two distracted her.

She heard Duncan’s voice calling a warning to Fin. More steel met with steel but they couldn’t see a thing.

“Simon? Do you see anything?”

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“No, nothing.”

Liz pulled Myra’s hand to Emma’s who’d grabbed hers until she stood in the middle of the circle. She met Lora’s eyes and yelled, “Come on.”

“Where?”

Liz looked above her head.

Shaken, Lora nodded and followed Liz to the center of the women’s circle.

With no time to waste, Liz grasped Lora’s hand and the two of them shot into the air. Above the flames, and above the fighting, they found the top of the trees and witnessed the fighting below.

Duncan matched swords with an enemy but didn’t hold back using his Druid gifts. Fin followed suit, each matching thrust for thrust. A man Liz didn’t recognize was thrown from his horse. Lora threw out her hand until a ball of fire met the chest of the one aggressing.

“One of McLauren’s men,” she said.

Fire shot everywhere. Swords crashed. One man lay down in the center of things, but Liz couldn’t tell who it was. Cian slid from his horse, found the man, and knelt by his side. Blue light lifted from the wounded until Liz noticed him moving again.

Her eyes found Fin again, fighting on the ground, his horse nowhere in sight. The man he fought was twice his size, but less agile. They moved beyond the trees one thrust at a time until Liz couldn’t see what happened.

She held her breath, waiting for something.

Chaos filled the scene below them.

Lora continued to blast the enemy with fire for those who didn’t have the gift. Most didn’t think to look up to see where the spark came from, others did. Fin finally emerged from the brush, his claymore in front of his face and ready for battle.

Some of Grainna’s men started to retreat, 287

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knowing their defeat was certain.

Liz saw the calm before she felt it and lowered her and Lora’s frame to the ground. Only when the noise beyond the protective circle dissipated did Liz will the fire to diminish.

When calm replaced chaos two of their men were wounded, one almost gravely, but once Cian tended his wounds, the grateful man lifted himself upon his horse and took his position a second time.

Fin came to her and Simon’s side, dirt marked his face and blood splattered over his chainmail.

“Are the women all right?”

“We’re fine.”

“How much farther to her fortress?” he asked her son.

“A mile, two at the most.”

Tara mounted her horse and pushed forward.

“Maybe I can help us find her easier.”

Her horse drew up along Duncan’s. The two of them exchanged a few words before they both moved forward in front of their party. Tara spread her hands and the brush parted a path to lead the way.

Liz watched Tara use her gift like never before.

A clear path parted the forest floor, leading them to their destination.

****

Grainna felt them long before they arrived, the large self-righteous lot of them.

She commanded her men to fall into position and then stood on the highest point of her towers to watch.

“You met my little four-legged friends, but what about these?” Lifting her hands above her head, Grainna swooped up every insect, bee, and creature she could control and told them to swarm.

Screams and yells came from the approaching party until lightning split the air and rain fell, dispersing the insects she called.

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They moved closer.

Grainna called her dogs, some domestic, others wolves. They stood beside her men, waiting.

When the first horse penetrated the clearing, the hounds burst in their direction. The unmanned horses reared, fled and the dogs followed. In fact, Grainna couldn’t see any of MacCoinnich’s army.

She knew they were near, but couldn’t smell them, taste them.

Wings flapped in the air in the distance, followed by chirping, squawks, and guttural cries of gulls. The sound increased until it gained the noise level of a jet airplane.

Grainna glanced behind her and dropped to her knees as the first of thousands of gulls flew over her.

The birds latched onto her men. Women in her compound fought off the flock, screaming.

Then the MacCoinnichs came.

She shouted a warning, willed the men to attack, then whipped her hand across the sky. Half the flock fell to the ground, dead or wounded. The other retreated, leaving the men to battle.

****

“There.” Fin pointed toward Grainna standing over them all. Her long black hair and signature black dress and cape fit the color of her soul.

Todd drew his gun from his satchel, pointed at the witch, and fired two rounds. One hit, but only pissed her off. She pushed her hands his direction and pulled him from his horse.

Fin heard Myra scream. Two things happened almost simultaneously. First Myra thrust both her hands in the air, forcing Grainna to a far wall. Even from Fin’s distance, he saw Grainna crack her head on the bricks and slide to the ground. The second was Cian meeting Myra at Todd’s side.

Grainna and Todd stood at the same time.

Before Grainna could let off another blast, the earth 289

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shook. Only Fin wasn’t the one making the action happen. When he glanced to his right, he noticed one of Lancaster’s knights spread his fingers to the earth. Fin smiled and added his own punch.

“Hold on,” he yelled to anyone who could hear.