the sunlight. His bellow would make any Highlander proud, as would the way he rushed into the battle with his gold claws swinging and his fangs bared.
He glanced at her, and she stared into the gold eyes of his god. The metallic color went from corner to corner, but she knew he was looking at her. Then he turned away.
All she could do for him now was protect him and his family. Aisley pushed aside the pain wracking her body and listened for the drums.
* * *
When Wallace ran away, Phelan was free of his magic. He pulled out the knife and let it drop to the ground as he stood beside Aisley, looking down at her broken body, unsure of what to do.
It was the selmyr coming toward her that propelled him into action. He leaped over her and rushed by the creature, reaching around to grab its spine as he did.
The feel of his claws sinking into the selmyr’s skin and the feel of its spine ripping out of its body made Phelan smile. Until six more selmyr started toward Aisley.
He stood between her and them. There was no way he was going to allow them to touch a single hair on her head.
Phelan bellowed as a selmyr sank its fangs into his shoulder. He elbowed the creature off while he kicked another in the head. Phelan spun and thrust his hands into the backs of two selmyr before he jerked his arms back, their spines in his hands.
He looked down to see Aisley’s eyes closed, but her magic was still there. That’s the only thing that kept him going.
CHAPTER
FIFTY-TWO
There was a huge explosion of magic that made Aisley’s eyes fly open. The selmyr hovered over the clearing in their gray mist, as if waiting to begin their smorgasbord.
“Aisley.”
Her skin tingled at the sound of Phelan’s voice so close. She bit back a cry as agony swallowed her when he rolled her onto her back, supporting her in his arms as he sat on the ground.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, noting he tamped down his god and all that glorious gold skin was gone. “For everything.”
His blue-gray eyes held no emotion. “You saved me.”
“I couldn’t watch you die.”
“The child?”
She glanced away. “My daughter.”
“Created with Wallace’s magic,” Aiden said as he knelt near Aisley’s feet. “I heard everything.”
“I need to speak to your Druids.”
Phelan shook his head. “In a moment. You’re injured. Tell me where so I can heal you.”
He didn’t let her answer before a gold claw cut open his wrist and his blood dripped into what she suspected was a rather nasty wound in her gut. The pain was ebbing away. It cleared her mind, but she knew it had nothing to do with Phelan’s blood and everything to do with the fact she was dying.
“We don’t have long,” said a female from out of Aisley’s line of sight, her voice clipped with anxiety.
Aisley swallowed. “I need to talk to them, Phelan.”
He gave a nod and several more faces came into view. She knew who they were from the red book Declan had created and Jason had used. Yet, she’d never met any of them except for Laura.
“It will take the magic of every Druid here. Do you have anything to contain the selmyr?” she asked.
Phelan’s gaze jerked to her face. “You know who can perform the spell?”
“Yes.”
A moment later Fallon stood behind Phelan holding a wooden box. “This is what they were in originally.”
“Perfect,” she said. It still held magic from the first time, so it would do wonderfully to trap the selmyr.
Phelan’s grip on her tightened. “Why is your wound no’ healing?” he asked angrily.
Aisley placed her hand over his arm and the cut that had already healed. “I wanted to tell you who I was from the beginning. But being with you made me happier than I’ve ever been. I was selfish to take that time and lie to you.”
“Nay,” he said with a shake of his head, his dark hair falling on either side of his face. He jerked his head around. “Sonya! I need Sonya!”
Aisley knew her time was short. Unimaginable torture awaited her in Hell but being in Phelan’s arms made it easier to bear.
“Who can contain the selmyr?” Charon asked.
Aisley swallowed as tears gathered. She couldn’t look away from Phelan. He was all that was handsome and good and brave. She hated to leave him, but by doing so she would save him and the others.
It was Aiden who answered for her. “She’s the one.”
Phelan brushed her hair away from her face. “That can no’ be. Corann said the spell would likely claim the Druid’s life.”
“I’m already dead,” she told him.
“I can save you.”
“No. It’s what I tried to tell you. Jason made sure of that. No amount of magic, or even your amazing blood, can help me.”
Phelan felt as if the weight of the world rested on his chest. He couldn’t draw breath, couldn’t wrap his head around what Aisley was telling him.
“What did he do?”
Her smile was sad. “A spell to prevent anyone but him from healing me.”
“It’s just one wound,” Sonya said as she hurried up. “We should be able to combine our magic and get past Jason’s.”
Phelan knew by the way Aisley wouldn’t meet his gaze that it was more than one wound. “What did he do to you?”
“Tortured her,” Aiden said. “Bringing her to the brink of death. Repeatedly. He said he’d do the same to me once he won this battle.”
Phelan couldn’t wait to get his hands on Wallace. He was going to flay the skin from his body an inch at a time.
“I’m running out of time,” Aisley said.
He looked around helplessly. “There has to be a way.”
“The selmyr are breaking through my shield,” Isla said tightly. “We need to do something now.”
Aisley’s fingers, stuck at different angles, touched his face. “You know what I have to do.”
“It willna kill you. Do you hear me? Doona let it. Stay alive so we can get around Wallace’s spell.”
She smiled, her fawn-colored eyes swimming in tears. “Put the box on the ground and keep everyone away from it.”
“Aisley,” he urged.
“I’ll do my best.”
It was all he was going to get from her, but Phelan knew it wasn’t enough. Isla’s shield began to crack. The selmyr would once more descend upon them. Everything hinged on Aisley.
Something dripped from his arm that was holding her. He looked down to see it was blood. The idea of someone as beautiful and wonderful as Aisley tortured made his soul and his god bellow in fury.
He looked up as the mist began to pour through the crack in the shield.
“I know you won’t believe this,” Aisley said. “But I love you.”
Phelan looked down at her, unsure of what to say. He’d have time to think of it after she was healed. Then he would know how to respond.
