Reaghan had always followed her instincts before. Yet, how could she when she didn’t know what could break the spell? Anxiety, deep and immeasurable, had taken hold of her. As if she needed to hurry and end the spell.
But how?
“Reaghan?”
She spun around to find Sonya in the doorway.
“Is everything all right?”
Reaghan fisted her hands in her skirts, unable to explain the urgency inside her, an urgency that told her she was almost out of time. “I had a dream. In that dream I saw Deirdre and another woman. I don’t know the other woman, but I sensed she was very important. Then…” Reaghan paused and took a deep breath. “Then I heard my own voice tell me I knew how to end the spell.”
Sonya’s amber eyes were troubled. “When a Druid has such a dream, it should not be ignored.”
“I agree. The problem is, I really have no idea how to end the spell.”
“It will come to you, I’m sure of it.”
“I pray you’re correct.”
Sonya began to turn away when she suddenly stopped, her head cocked to the side and her eyes closed.
Reaghan remained beside her. She glanced around, hoping to see Cara or Marcail or someone who might know what was wrong. “Sonya? Are you all right?”
The Druid didn’t answer.
“You’re scaring me, Sonya.”
“I’m listening,” Sonya whispered. “The trees are trying to tell me something.”
Reaghan waited for Sonya to say more. She was intrigued. When Sonya opened her eyes, she blinked several times and then hurried off into the great hall.
Reaghan followed Sonya, but she paused once inside the hall when she saw Quinn with Marcail, his hand spanning her stomach. He stood behind her, whispering something into her ear that made Marcail smile.
“I need to hear the trees,” Sonya said to them.
Quinn’s head jerked up at the sound of her voice. “You know how dangerous it is, Sonya. To venture outside of Isla’s shield would amount to capture and death at Deirdre’s hand.”
“The trees are calling for me,” Sonya argued. “I must hear them.”
Quinn kissed Marcail’s cheek. “I’ll talk to the others, but I doubt you will be allowed.”
Once Quinn was gone Sonya paced the hall. Reaghan moved out of the way and watched as the others tried to comfort her. Sonya was distraught, her need to hear the trees outweighing reason.
It wasn’t until Broc entered the hall that Sonya stopped her pacing. Reaghan saw the concern in Broc’s eyes and the ease with which Sonya approached him, as if no one else were in the room.
As Sonya told Broc about the trees, Reaghan’s gaze was caught by the man who stood next to the Warrior. Galen. Her heart leaped in her chest at the sight of him. His face was gaunt, as if he hadn’t slept in days.
Reaghan wanted to go to him, to tell him about her dream. Galen would want to protect her as he always had. She took a step toward him when Broc’s booming voice halted her.
“Nay, Sonya,” Broc said, his voice rising above the redheaded Druid’s. “It’s too dangerous to leave the shield. We will no’ put any Druids in danger, not when Deirdre is waiting for us to make a mistake.”
“It’s important, Broc.”
A muscle moved in his jaw. “I know.”
Sonya stormed out of the kitchen, but it was the yearning, the longing, Reaghan saw in Broc’s eyes that made her breath catch.
Larena moved beside Reaghan. “It breaks the heart, doesn’t it, the way he looks at her?”
“Why doesn’t he tell her?”
Larena shrugged, her golden cascade of hair tied at the base of her neck. “I doubt he ever will. Nor will she tell him of her feelings.”
Reaghan couldn’t believe her ears. “Truly? I don’t understand.”
“None of us do,” Larena whispered before she walked away.
Reaghan found her gaze once more on Galen. She had never expected a man like Galen in her life, but now that she had him, she never wanted to let him go.
He brought happiness and joy into her life where there had been none. He gave her the strength to make decisions, and the courage to see them through. She wanted to spend every night curled in the safety of his arms, to feel his heart beat and the rhythm of his breathing.
How had she gotten so used to having Galen near her in such a short time? Now Galen meant everything to her.
Her headaches and her blocked memories kept her from giving him all of herself. There was something wrong with her, and the longer Reaghan stayed at MacLeod Castle, the more she wanted a real life. One without the spell.
A commotion pulled Galen’s gaze from hers. They both turned to find Mairi and Fallon descending the stairs. Behind Mairi were the rest of the Druids from her village.
“You will be captured,” Fallon said.
Mairi glanced at the Druids behind her. “It is a chance we are willing to take.”
“Nay,” Reaghan said as she hurried forward. She looked at the faces of Druids she had known for ten years, people she had shared her life with. “Please, listen to Fallon. He speaks the truth. The wyrran will be waiting to take you to Cairn Toul.”
“We cannot stay here with Warriors!” someone shouted.
Reaghan licked her lips and tried again. “These men protected us from the wyrran. They brought us here to keep us from Deirdre. They are good men.”
There was a loud snort. “They are evil! All of them!”
Mairi’s fingers dug into Reaghan’s arm. “You are coming with us.”
“I’m not.” Reaghan stared down into Mairi’s eyes and saw a madness that hadn’t been there before. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Oh, but you will.”
Reaghan wrenched her arm out of the elder’s grasp and stumbled backward when she saw the evil in Mairi’s gaze. “You aren’t Mairi.”
“I am. My magic is stronger now. You can either come with me now, or you will regret it.”
“Regret it how? You are an old woman with limited magic.”
“Reaghan,” Isla cautioned.
But Reaghan didn’t care anymore. Mairi wasn’t the elder she had known at Loch Awe. The vicious spite in Mairi made a tingle of apprehension race down Reaghan’s spine. Though Reaghan didn’t fear for herself. She feared for everyone else in the castle.
“I will kill Galen.”
“What?” Reaghan couldn’t have heard Mairi correctly. “What has Galen done to you other than save you from the wyrran?”
“He got into my head. He made me do things. He was the cause of Nessa’s death. He told me to poison her.” Mairi latched on to her arm again, and this time her broken nails cut into Reaghan’s skin and drew blood.
Reaghan grimaced as she felt something push into her mind, something that was altogether malevolent. With each word from Mairi’s mouth, the evil grew like a dark shadow, wanting to consume her.
She jerked out of Mairi’s grip, and instantly the evil was gone. “What did you just do?” Reaghan demanded. “How did your magic become stronger?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Mairi asked, as she reached for Reaghan again.
“Stop this. Now.” Reaghan felt something move and shift inside her, something that tingled along her bones and spiraled up inside her. Magic. It was her magic. Her fingertips hummed with it, ready to do whatever was necessary to protect Galen and the others.
Mairi smiled, a flash of white in her irises. “Galen dies now.”
Reaghan reached for Mairi, but not before the elder had raised her hand and directed her magic at Galen.
