Galen was hurled backward and slammed into the stone wall so hard it shook the castle.
Magic flew from Reaghan’s hands, but before it could do any damage to Mairi, the elder lifted her other hand to block Reaghan’s magic.
Reaghan’s eyes widened when she saw the malicious smile on Mairi’s face.
“You weren’t expecting that, were you?” Mairi said.
Before Reaghan could respond, Mairi threw another burst of magic at Galen. He was held against the wall several feet off the ground. The grimace on his face told Reaghan how much pain he was in.
Chaos erupted in the hall as the Warriors unleashed their gods and readied to attack Mairi. The Druids from the village stormed out the door with hysterical screams, but no one chased them. Everyone was focused on Mairi.
Reaghan tried to use her magic again. She could feel it inside her, but she couldn’t use it. Somehow the spell was preventing it. She stepped in front of Mairi and the magic directed at Galen.
Someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. Reaghan struggled against the hold as she fought to get back to Mairi to stop her from harming Galen.
“Stay out of her way,” Logan demanded.
Reaghan dodged his hands. “Help Galen.”
“Galen is a Warrior. He can handle one old woman.”
Reaghan shook her head. “Mairi isn’t herself. Her strength, her speed, her magic aren’t hers.”
Logan paused, his gaze meeting hers. “Shite.”
As soon as Logan released her, Reaghan started back to Mairi. The Warriors alternated attacking Mairi, but each time she threw them back with magic she had never had before. But the Warriors never stopped attacking her.
Reaghan glanced at Galen to see his god unbound and his lips peeled back to show his fangs. He fought Mairi’s hold, straining against the magic that would bind him.
Galen let out a roar when a gash opened diagonally across his chest. A moment later two more joined the first. Slice after slice scoured Galen’s body, going deeper, running longer with each one. Reaghan knew Mairi was doing it, prolonging Galen’s torture.
Something inside Reaghan snapped. Her magic filled her, and as she stepped toward Mairi, she saw the women of MacLeod Castle do the same.
As one they directed their magic at Mairi. Mairi couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Her magic began to wane. There was a pause when Mairi’s eyes widened as she looked at Reaghan.
For that one instant, Reaghan saw the elder as she had known her, the wise, patient woman.
And then the Warriors moved in. Reaghan could no longer see Mairi, and she didn’t wish to.
Reaghan ran to Galen as he slumped onto the floor, blood coating his shirt and kilt. He met her gaze before he looked around her to the group of Warriors.
“Mairi?” he rasped.
Reaghan swallowed and glanced behind her. Through the crowd of Warriors she saw a body lying still upon the floor. “Dead.”
Galen let out a breath and closed his eyes. Reaghan knew he was immortal, knew his wounds would heal, but the extent of his injuries left her worried.
Logan and Ramsey soon joined her and helped Galen to gain his feet.
“I’ll be all right,” Galen told her when he opened his eyes. “I didn’t think Mairi had that kind of magic.”
“She didn’t. Something evil had taken over,” Odara said from the top of the stairs.
THIRTY-FIVE
Deirdre screamed and threw the ewer beside her against the wall. The shattering did nothing to calm her. The long tendrils of her hair lifted around her, searching for something, anything, to grab onto and kill.
But she was alone.
The spell had been perfect. She had known the Druids would be in MacLeod Castle and knew there would be one who couldn’t withstand her magic. It had surprised Deirdre that it had been the leader of the Druids. Deirdre hadn’t expected the elder to have such a weak mind, and therefore be capable of being manipulated into allowing Deirdre to take over.
It had been a flawless plan. Get into Mairi’s mind and have her convince the Druids to leave the castle. That had been the easy part.
But once Deirdre had realized there was something important about the Druid named Reaghan, she had dug deeper into Mairi’s mind. Mairi didn’t know much other than that Reaghan had cast a spell on herself to keep something hidden in her mind, something Reaghan and the others wanted kept from Deirdre.
Deirdre thought it would be simple to persuade Reaghan to leave with the others, but Deirdre hadn’t taken into consideration the Warriors — and the bond that had grown between Reaghan and Galen.
Galen. Deirdre had known his powers were great. She had seen his potential when he’d been in her mountain, but he had fought against her and everything she threatened him with and offered him.
It hadn’t been just his power that had been immense, it had been his mental strength as well. He stood against her as none but the MacLeods ever had.
Deirdre knew she had lost Reaghan when the Druid refused to leave, but Deirdre had added magic to the pathetic amount Mairi had. She had almost killed Galen. With a little more time she could have eliminated Galen and taken Reaghan.
Instead, Mairi had been killed when the Druids and Warriors worked together to overcome the elder.
The only reward was that the Druids of Loch Awe would now be hers. The brainless wretches had actually feared the Warriors at the castle. It had taken but a little push to send them running right into her wyrran’s waiting claws.
It was only a matter of days before the wyrran would bring the Druids to her and their magic would be hers.
And one less Druid would roam her land.
*
Reaghan lifted her hand covering the wound from Galen’s chest and saw the blood which coated her fingers. Her heart hammered from Mairi’s attack and Odara’s words, but it was enough that Galen was alive.
Galen had risen with the help of others and now sat at the table. Reaghan’s mind was in a whirl with all that had happened and all she had seen.
She could still feel the magic within her, magic she hadn’t thought existed. Reaghan could barely feel it now. It was almost as if it hid unless she was in a situation where she needed it. It was the only explanation she could think of.
“Odara, I think you had better explain yourself,” Galen said, his voice carrying in the great hall.
Odara shrugged. “It’s as I said. Someone was in Mairi’s mind. Mairi might have been a wee bit concerned about so many Warriors in one place, but she trusted Reaghan’s instincts. The things Mairi said … I’ve never heard her say such awful things before. And I’ve known her my entire life.”
“It was evil,” Reaghan said. “I felt it when she touched me.”
“Aye,” Odara said with a nod, as she descended the steps slowly. She walked to stand beside Mairi and sighed. “‘Evil’ is the right word. As elders our first concern is always the safety of our people. Regardless of how Mairi felt about any of you, she should have known we were protected here.”
Reaghan walked to stand near Mairi. “Who would want to penetrate Mairi’s mind? And to what purpose?”
“Deirdre,” Ramsey said.
Fallon nodded. “Without a doubt. But I’m as curious as Reaghan. Why Mairi?”
