Isla lifted a shoulder. “I would disagree. I’m healing and my magic is strong again. I can force my way out of the castle, but I’d rather not. You are everyone’s only hope of ending Deirdre for good, and I don’t wish to harm any of you.”
“I believe Isla speaks the truth,” Galen said.
Broc folded his arms over his chest. “As do I.”
After a nod from both Quinn and Lucan, Fallon said, “Give us as much detail as you can. There’s no reason for us not to investigate this. If it’s real and we reach it before Deirdre, we’ll be that much stronger against her.”
“Tell me one thing,” Lucan said. “Why haven’t you gotten the artifact yourself?”
“I had to guard myself constantly with Deirdre. She didn’t allow me outside the mountain unless I was carrying out her orders, and most of those times she was in control of my mind. When would I have had time to find the Druids and convince them to give me the artifact?”
Lucan grunted. “True enough.”
“The Druids are deep in the mountains,” Isla answered Fallon. “Near Loch Awe in the region of Argyll. The last I heard, they had made their home in one of the dense forests.”
Galen ran a hand down his face. “It’ll take days to search around the loch.”
“Not if I go,” Broc said.
Isla knew it would take Broc no time to find the Druids. After all, his power from the god inside him was to track down anyone, anywhere. It was a power Deirdre had used often.
“Nay,” Lucan said. “I think I have somewhere else we could use you.”
Broc clenched his jaw. “More important than finding these Druids so they can tell us where the artifact is?”
Lucan nodded, a slow smile pulling at his lips. “I think you’ll like this better.”
“I doubt it. What is it?”
“Aye,” Quinn said. “Tell all of us, brother.”
Lucan threw a piece of bread at Quinn who ducked to avoid it. “Because there’s no way of knowing if the Druids will even give us the artifact, I think we might be better using your talents to track down the one person we need to locate, Broc.”
“Deirdre,” Larena whispered, as if the realization just came to her.
Lucan nodded. “Aye. Are you up for it, Broc?”
“You know I am,” Broc replied, his lips twisted in a snarl.
“Good. Verra good,” Fallon said. “And good thinking on finding Deirdre, Lucan.”
Isla licked her lips and looked at Broc. “You might find it more difficult to find Deirdre than you expect. She won’t have a body, not yet anyway. You’ll have to search for her essence.”
Broc stood and glanced at Sonya. “I’ll find her. I’ll leave now.”
“Wait,” Quinn said. “We need to discuss this with the others as well. They should know what we plan.”
Isla didn’t think she could be more surprised by the MacLeod brothers, but the longer she was in the castle, the more they astonished her.
“I’ll go after the Druids and the artifact,” Galen said.
Fallon gave a slow nod. “I want at least one other Warrior with you.”
The men then rose and started out of the castle. Isla raised her gaze to search for Hayden, but he was gone as well. Which left Isla alone with the women.
“We’d like to talk to you a moment,” Marcail said. “We want to help.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Isla said. “I’ve already told you that.”
Larena leaned forward in her chair. “Maybe there is.”
“How?”
Cara shifted around so that she faced Isla. “We were talking as we finished cooking. What if one of the artifacts can, in some way, sever the link Deirdre has with you? Sonya told us they are very powerful.”
It was too heady of a proposition for Isla to even consider. “Deirdre never mentioned anything.”
“Why would she?” Sonya asked. “It was to Deirdre’s benefit to know you would always be under her control one way or another. If any of the relics can hinder Deirdre’s magic, why couldn’t it sever her link with you as well?”
It was true, and Isla hated it. “I only know of the one artifact. That won’t do us any good.”
“Unless we learn of others,” Larena said. “You’ve helped us, Isla. Give us a chance to help you.”
She looked at each one. “Why are you doing this? You don’t know me.”
“Because you didn’t harm us when you could have,” Marcail said. “I watched you while I was in the Pit. I knew you didn’t want to be there.”
Isla folded her hands in her lap and tried to calm herself and the hope growing inside her. “I didn’t harm you, but I didn’t help either.”
“Would you have?” Larena asked. “If we hadn’t shown up? Would you have helped Quinn?”
Isla slowly shook her head. “I wouldn’t chance my sister or niece being harmed.”
Cara glanced at the others. “And now? Would you help us?”
Isla knew it was time to make a decision, one that could do more harm than good. But the thought of being rid of Deirdre controlling her was one she couldn’t ignore or pass up.
“I will help you.”
EIGHT
Hayden listened to Fallon as he explained the plan with half an ear. He’d heard it all in the great hall. Besides, Hayden’s attention was on Isla, or the lack of said female. Why hadn’t she and the women come into the bailey with the others?
Were the women treating her kindly? And why the hell did he even care?
“Shite,” he murmured.
Logan looked over at him, his hazel eyes seeing too much. “Something wrong?”
Hayden blew out a breath. “Nothing I cannot handle.”
Night was taking the sky, turning the world dark — and for some, dangerous. Hayden unleashed his god long enough to light the torches around the bailey. Though the Warriors didn’t need the light, the women did.
He glanced down at his hand to find his skin and claws red. At one time the sight had frightened him, but he’d gotten used to it soon enough. With barely a thought, Hayden tamped down his god until his skin had returned to normal and his claws disappeared.
“Galen is going to find the Druids,” Fallon said to them. “We need another Warrior. Who wants to accompany him?”
Hayden needed to get away from Isla before he did something unwise, like kiss her. Which he could not do. She was a
He opened his mouth, ready to tell Fallon he would go, but another voice beat him to it.
“I’ll do it,” Logan said.
Fallon acknowledged Logan with a brisk nod. “Logan and Galen will set off at dawn.”
Hayden snapped his mouth shut and stopped Logan when he would have walked away. “Why are you going?”
Logan shrugged, but wouldn’t meet Hayden’s gaze. “They needed another Warrior.”
“Aye, and there are plenty of us who could have gone.”
Logan slapped Hayden on the back, a too-bright smile on his face. “Never fear, my friend. I’ll return soon enough. You willna have time to miss me for verra long.”
Hayden threw up his hands in exasperation as Logan walked away to speak to Galen. Logan never took anything seriously. Everything was one big jest to him.
Although Hayden had noticed a decided lack of laughter lately with Logan. It wasn’t obvious to those who didn’t really know him, but he and Hayden were as close as brothers.
