CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Phelan wanted to look around the Fairy Pool more. It was the real Fairy Pool, not the tourist pools on Skye that were named after this one.
Aisley’s gaze was trying to take it all in as Corann led them toward the cliff facing. Corann waved his hand in a wide sweeping motion and the rocks began to shimmer. Phelan’s body raced with excitement when the entrance to a cave appeared.
Corann stepped through without looking back at them. Phelan put his hand on Aisley’s lower back and urged her forward when she hesitated. Phelan wasn’t sure how many Druids surrounded them since they remained hidden, but a young black-haired Druid that had spoken to Aisley earlier was the last to enter the cave.
Phelan caught sight of hundreds of Celtic symbols marked along the walls of the narrow entrance before it opened into a low-hanging cavern.
“This is as far as you go,” Corann said as he stopped and faced him.
Fire flared between Phelan and Corann, the flames hopped erratically and danced in Corann’s black eyes that watched him. Phelan had nothing to hide. He remained still while Corann finished his inspection.
“You could’ve done this outside,” Phelan said.
Corann grunted and lowered himself to a log that had been cut to make a stool. He kept his hand on the walking stick and placed his other on top of his thigh. “I could’ve. I preferred no’ to.”
“You wanted to see if I could enter the cave,” he said as realization hit.
A smile flitted across Corann’s aged face. “Aye. Does that anger you, Warrior?”
“Should it?”
“Hmm.” Corann ran his left hand down his beard. “Sit. We’ll talk.”
Phelan lowered himself to another log stool. When Aisley didn’t follow, he turned his head to find her staring at Corann. Phelan took her hand and tugged her down to the stool beside him.
“What is it?” he asked in a whisper.
Aisley shook her head, not meeting his gaze.
“You’ve been attacked,” Corann said to Aisley.
She covered the tears in her shirt with her hand. “Phelan healed me.”
“We saw.”
“You watched as I was attacked and did nothing?”
Phelan was glad Aisley asked the question, because it had been on the tip of his tongue.
Corann shrugged. “We were too far away.”
“Ballocks.”
Aisley said it softly, but the impact was like a punch. Phelan inwardly smiled at the spirit of his Druid.
“Would you rather hear that we didn’t want to help you?” the black-haired girl said.
Corann’s head whipped to her direction. “Ravyn.”
That’s all it took. One word and the young girl didn’t say another.
“You doona trust us,” Phelan said. “We understand this. As I told you, we’ve come for your help and nothing more.”
“Is that right?”
Phelan felt Corann’s question was directed at him, but the old man’s eyes were on Aisley. Phelan leaned forward to brace his elbows on his thighs. “You know of the selmyr.”
Corann gave a single nod.
“Can you tell us nothing of them?” Aisley asked.
“I can tell you that you’ll be safe on Skye. For a time. The selmyr will feed elsewhere until there is no more. Only then will they dare come to Skye.”
Phelan ran a hand down his face, his mind running with possibilities. “How do magical beings fight the selmyr?”
“You can no’. No’ unless you’re a Warrior.”
That wasn’t what Phelan wanted to hear. “So Druids are at risk?”
“Aye,” Corann said.
“How did you contain the selmyr last time?”
“It took my ancestors years. The selmyr should’ve remained trapped. What happened?”
“You seem to know everything else,” Aisley said. “Why don’t you know this?”
Corann said not a word as he looked from Aisley to Phelan.
Phelan cocked his head to the side. “Things happen. We were busy fighting
“That is unfortunate.” Corann stood and began to pace in slow strides. “As I’m sure you’ve known since arriving on Skye, Warrior, our Druids are powerful. We doona have the same potent magic as my ancestors, but we’re still a force.”
“Aye,” Phelan agreed.
“Even with our magic, I doona know if it’s enough to capture the selmyr again.”
“I see.” And Phelan did see. Corann was fearful of the selmyr, which told him that it had taken an incredible amount of magic and skill to trap the creatures before. “Is there any way Warriors can help capture the selmyr?”
Corann halted and faced him. “We lost hundreds of Druids the first time. We doona have those to sacrifice now.”
“I know where there are more Druids.”
“Those at MacLeod Castle, you mean?”
Phelan nodded, not surprised Corann knew. “It seems you know quite a bit, old man.”
“No’ as much as you may think. I know of MacLeod Castle. I know there are Druids who live with Warriors there.”
There was something in Corann’s tone that set off alarms in Phelan. He narrowed his eyes on the Druid. “You might want to watch your tone. Those Warriors you’re so ready to hate are the ones who’ve kept Deirdre and Declan from taking over the world. Those Druids you speak of have done the same while finding mates with the Warriors. For centuries some of them have lived waiting for the time when Deirdre would reappear and we could kill her.”
“Which they did,” Aisley added.
Corann seemed unimpressed. “Be that as it may, Warrior, the last time a Druid teamed up with one of your kind havoc reigned.”
“You’re referring to Deirdre.” Phelan fought to keep calm. “That bitch had set her plans in motion long before she unbound our gods.”
Corann sneered. “That is a story told to young Druids. Deirdre never had the magic for such things.”
Phelan came to his feet. It was only Aisley’s hands on his arm that held him still. “Doona tell me what you
Aisley tugged on him to leave, but he remained rooted to the spot.
“There have been Druids who have refused the offer of help from us,” Phelan continued. “Those Druids are no longer. Deirdre wiped them out. Declan did his share as well. The new
“Is that a threat?” Corann asked.
“It’s a statement. Do with it what you will.”
Corann slammed the end of his walking stick into the ground. “You’re evil.”
“The god inside me is, aye. I didna allow my god control. I’m in control. I call up my god when I need
