Freeing a Tiger's Soul (Tiger Series) (8 page)

Her bright blue eyes filled with tears and Euan felt rage building inside him because he could not reassure her.  Then he heard it.  The sound came from behind them and he knew his friends were tracking them.  He closed his eyes and tried to remain calm as Liam and the rest of them came into view.  He didn’t want to see them, but he knew that they would help him protect Krisi if the need arose and with her father’s cryptic remarks he felt better knowing there was more of them around her.

Liam leapt into view and snarled at Euan who rolled his eyes completely unconcerned with Liam’s display of anger.

“Stop snarling at me Liam.  I do not fear ye and ye know it.”

Liam’s cat seemed to deflate and he changed.

“Why
did ye leave?”  Liam asked gruffly.

“My mate left.  I had to make sure she was safe and I feel a need to visit The Stewart.  I think my answers lie there.”

“Aye.  I ken it.  I have heard a voice bidding me to bring ye there.”

“Who calls ye?”  Euan asked eager to know who had been in his mind.

“I don’t ken who it was.  I thought it was Lady Charlotte, but it is different.  We will travel with ye and help ye if we may.”

Euan smiled.  “I would welcome the company and the help.”  He looked to where
Faltrionie
sat on his shining horse. 
“I have been told there are some hard times ahead for me.  I feel better knowing ye’re here to help me through them.”

Liam’s eyes studied the tall elfin man and knew that he was not telling Euan all that he knew.

“Why are ye keeping secrets?  Would we not have a better chance of surviving if we knew what we were to face?”

Sadness seemed to envelope
Faltrionie
.  His shoulders drooped and his face suddenly looked haggard.

“I cannot speak it.  I have been forbidden to do so.  I will do all I can, but I cannot speak of the future.  It would mean the death of all those I love.  In attempting to prevent disaster they would find a much worse fate than even I can predict.
”

Krisi’s quiet sob drew everyone’s attention.

“You are suffering too.  Why must this happen to us?”

“It is said that this trial will strengthen you and make you the warrior your people need you to be.  It will also bring the bond between our people strength that will not be broken.  I believe all will be well in the end daughter or I would never have allowed you to come here.  I have fought against it for many years.  I would not allow the mating until I was convinced that you were strong enough to deal with the trial you would face.  I believe you are.”

As he spoke his demeanor changed.  The pride and confidence he had in his daughter shined in his ethereal eyes.  He straightened and seemed to gather his courage and resolve to see to whatever they were to face.  Euan felt his apprehension melt away in the face of 
Faltrionie
’s assurance.  He held Krisi tightly and kissed her silver hair.

“It will nay matter what happens Krisi.  You are my mate and I will love ye until I am laid to rest in the dust.”

11

Krisi felt the breath rush from her lungs.

“What did you say?”

“I love ye lass.  There is naught in life or in death that can change it.”

Krisi wrapped her arms around Euan and buried her face in his neck.

“I love you.  I have for so long
.  I couldn’t even speak to you, but I watched sometimes.  I watched from my window for hours just for a glimpse of you.  I never dreamed that we would be the way Liam is with Cara or Darren with Eva, but I wanted it.”

Euan closed his eyes and let his feelings flow through the link they shared.  He felt Krisi tremble and knew that she felt what he had sent to her.

“Enough of this.”  Evan spoke up.  “We need to move.  There is no time for any lovin’ so ye might as well forget about that.”

Euan felt his brother in his mind and wanted to rejoice.  The link they had always shared had seemed to be severed when the darkness invaded Euan’s mind, but now it was as if it had never been absent.  It felt right and good to have his brother in his head and he allowed his own mind to drift to Evan as well.  He felt the joy there that mirrored his own and knew that his brother had missed their special link as well.

Euan had to clear his throat before he spoke.

“Aye Evan.  We should be on our way.  The sooner we arrive the sooner I can figure out how to be free of this insanity.”

Euan gave one more kiss to Krisi and helped her mount her horse.  Then he and the others changed and they were once again on their way.  This time Euan stayed with Krisi.  He had hated her desolate feelings earlier when he had outpaced her and he wanted to make sure she knew that he would not leave her behind.

Krisi stirred in his mind and he felt her love heating his thoughts.  He would do anything to protect her and make her happy.  He didn’t understand why he had been given a mate of Fair birth, but he was thankful.  He looked up and found her staring at him from her lofty seat.  He allowed a low rumble to escape his chest and she laughed with delight at the sound.

It was then that the darkness hit him with the force of a timber.  His stepps faltered and he fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.  He writhed in agony as the darkness attacked everything he was.  He felt his chest constricting and couldn’t breathe.
  The pain in his skull made him feel as if his head would split open.  He couldn’t focus on his surroundings.  All he could do was try to take in enough air to survive.

He felt the presence of the others as they gathered around him, but they kept their distance.  He didn’t understand why they wouldn’t help him.  He couldn’t do this on his own.

He heard a scream as if from a distance and he heard Krisi’s voice speaking in the language of her people and he was pretty sure she was cursing.  That was his last thought before he lost himself to the darkness and drifted away from the joy he had known with his mate.

Euan awoke to the enraged snarls of his brother and his friends.  Cool hands pressed against his chest urgently.

“Wake Euan.  You must wake now.  We are under attack and I need you.”

Euan’s eyes snapped open at the fearful voice of his mate and he let a fierce growl escape his throat.

“Oh, thank God!  Can you change Euan?  We must flee!”

He shook his head to try to clear it and understand what was happening.  He looked into Krisi’s eyes and saw absolute terror darkening their blue depths.  He inhaled sharply and recognized the foul stench of evil in the air and something more familiar.  He heard the snarls and growls, but his mind would not identify the source.

“What has happened Krisi?”

“Wolves are attacking us.  We must run.”

“I must fight.  I will nay run from a dog.”  He insisted offended that she would suggest he run.

“No.  They want you.  I heard them talking.  They want you.”  Krisi was franticly pushing Euan in the opposite direction.

“Why would a wolf want me?”

“I do not know.  Why would a wolf attack us? 
I know of him and what he is. 
I can feel the evil in him.  We must flee.”

“
Ramsey.”  He stated with certainty.  “I ken that stench.  Why would he risk himself to capture me?”

Krisi shook her head and urged him forward.  He planted his feet and pulled her into his arms.

“I will nay run Krisi.”

“Please.”  She begged and he saw the desperation in her eyes.  She knew something she was not willing to share with him.

“Tell me why.”  He insisted.  He tried to enter her mind, but she firmly held him out.

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she was able to speak.  “He has darkness in him.  I know that he was tainted with it before his birth and that he suffers.  He is growing weak from his battles with it.”

“Why does he want me?”  He took her firmly by the upper arms and held her firmly.  “You will tell me now.”

“I cannot!  I have said too much as it is.”  She gasped as her sobs worsened.

“Are ye afraid he will beat me?  Do ye think he is stronger than I am?”

“Nay!”

“Then why must I flee him?  Why should I leave my friends and my brother to fight my fight?  Ye will tell me or I will not leave here.” 

“He wants your soul.”  She choked out.

12

Euan froze as the words sank into his addled brain.  He had heard those words before.  Long ago.

“Evan!  If I am in danger then so is he.”  He began to fight his way toward his brother.

Flee!

Euan’s body shook with the intensity of the voice in his mind.  He knew that the lass spoke to him and he knew he should follow her words, but he was utterly unwilling to sacrifice his brother to save himself.  He force
d
Krisi to release him.

“I will not take the coward’s way.  My place is with my men.  I will fight.”

He saw determination in the set of her jaw and the slight lift of her chin and he knew he would not like the words she would say.

“Then I fight with you.”

He wanted to argue, but there was nothing he would say to convince her to leave.  Besides there was no place she would be safe.  He nodded and they ran to where he could hear the battle raging.  He felt Evan in his mind and felt the concern his brother held for him.

Run Euan!  There is no shame in it.  Ye must flee this madness and conquere the darkness.
Evan forced the words into Euan’s mind.

“Nay brother.”  Euan spoke out loud as he grew near.  “I will fight.”

Euan changed quickly and his eyes found Krisi.  She had climbed into a nearby tree and had an arrow knocked.  Her eyes blazed with determination and he knew that she would do all she could to protect him as he would do for her.
  He flung himself into the battle as she let her first arrow fly.  He was instantly assaulted by a wolf almost the same size as he was.  He fought to free himself.  Teeth sank into his shoulder and he roared in pain.  He reached back and grabbed the wolf with his razor sharp claws and ripped him from his back.  He bit down on the wolf’s neck and shook him like a limp rag before letting him drop to the ground.

The battle lasted for what seemed like hours, but could only been a few minutes.  When they stood heaving over their enemy they noticed that Ramsey was not among the dozens that had fallen.  Somehow he had escaped.  Euan heard Liam’s low growl and knew that Liam regretted not killing Ramsey when he’d had the chance so many years ago.

Euan looked around and found Krisi walking toward him.  She had blood on her arm, but seemed unharmed otherwise.  He sought out her father and saw him leaning heavily against a tree.  His shimmering tunic was soaked with blood and shredded on one side.  He was breathing hard, but he didn’t seem concerned with his wounds.  The tigers began to change and Euan saw then that Evan had suffered a blow to the midsection.  Blood oozed from a large gash across his belly and he was breathing heavily.

Euan rushed to his brother’s side as Balor took a clean rag from Krisi’s saddle bag and tried to stop the bleeding.

“Evan?  Wake up!  We have to do away with these filthy carcasses and you think it is a good time to sleep?”  Euan tried to keep the worry out of his voice as he spoke to his brother, but he knew it was there anyway.

Evan’s eyes flickered, but they did not open.

“Shite.  I am angry.  I would like to love my mate, but I will have to do yer work and mine too I suppose.  I grant ye’ll be ready to go as soon as the work is done as usual.”

Evan groaned and opened his eyes.  Euan
steeled himself against the pain he saw in his twin’s eyes and continued to berate him knowing it was a sure way of getting Evan to fight through the pain.

“Ye’re an arse.”  Evan said in a thread whisper.

Euan couldn’t stop the tear that escaped his eye, but no one mentioned it.  He took the cloth from Balor and pressed it to his brother’s belly.  He felt the warm, stick blood coating his hand and wanted to roar in anguish.  This had been because of him.

“Nay Euan.  They are evil and it doesn’t have to make sense.”  Evan spoke quietly. 

Euan felt his brother’s hand on his and they sat trying to stop the flow of blood and comforting one another as only they could.

Krisi stepped forward and dropped to her knees in the dust beside Evan.

“I have something that will help.  Do you trust me to tend to your wound?”

Evan took a moment to study Krisi and Euan felt a rumble in his chest.

Evan smiled a pain filled smile and nodded his acceptance.

Krisi pulled a small vial from her pocket and held it up to Evan.  It glinted a deep green in the low light of the evening and Euan was confused.  He had never seen anything that color before. 

“What are ye givin’ him lass?”  He insisted as he held her wrist and inspected the vial of liquid.

“This is a tonic that will heal his wounds.  It is of my people and I would be punished for sharing it with him, but I must if he is to survive.”