Redeeming Vows (23 page)

Liz reached for Fin and Selma’s hands and waited for their connection to complete. “Here goes nothing.”

Her lungs filled with salt air and blew out in a slow breath. “In this day and in this hour, I ask the Ancients for some power. Give us a window to see the past, make it solid and make it last. Guide our minds to the Scotland sea, as we ask this, make it be.” “Jesus you’ve got to be kidding me. You sound like a fucking television show.” Jake started to walk away.

The wind picked up around the three of them and the ball of flame started turning blue with 197

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white-hot heat.

Liz caught Jake out of the corner of her eye as he stepped toward their small circle and glanced at the flame.

The fire reached toward the sacred stone until the entire piece was engulfed inside.

“Did you do that?” Liz asked Fin.

“No.”

“Ah, Lizzy…” Selma screeched when their feet left the ground.

Stay low.
Liz willed them to stay close to the sand. They rose nearly a foot then leveled down to four or five inches. Before Liz could congratulate herself on directing her new power, the three of them turned clockwise until Liz faced the nearly full moon. “That’s new,” she mumbled.

“Look,” Fin stared into the blaze that now turned white, iridescent.

It’s working. Thank God
. Liz hissed at Jake,

“Watch. Concentrate on Todd and anything you see.

Fin, watch the men. I’ll look for Simon and the women.” She didn’t know how long their connection would last and didn’t want them all looking at the same thing.

“What should I look for?” Selma called out.

“You’re empathic. Hone your gift.”

The words barely left her lips and the white heat swirled into a window of the past.

Images swam at them. The sea rushed on the shore and broke against a camp that resembled their small party while they traveled. Brisbane’s home sat in the distance, the harmony of the people obviously disheveled with the distance between the camps.

“Jesus Christ,” Jake swore behind them.

Liz’s heart surged simply seeing the picture. Her eyes searched the sphere for Simon or Tara. Where were they? She noticed Ian and relief washed over her. They were still there. People rushed past, the 198

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white flame distorted her view.

“No,” she whimpered, fearful the window would close before she saw her son.

Fin drew in a loud breath while Selma held hers tight.

Cian stood still among the trees. Next to him, a gray, dark cloud swirled. The cloud wasn’t right.

Something watched him, reached for him. Liz screeched out a warning, at the same time a hand pulled Cian’s arm away from the cold swirl of despair.

Simon stood at Cian’s side.

Tears stung Liz’s eyes. Her hand gripped Fin and Selma’s.

The image faded in streaks of blue and orange.

For a brief moment, Liz thought she saw her son turn his gaze on her.
I love you
.

Then he was gone.

The flame shattered into thousands of tiny pieces until only the stone remained.

In slow motion, Liz lifted her eyes to Fin who watched her with an intensity that bordered on frightening. “We have to get home.”

“They’re waiting for our return.”

Liz nodded, knowing he was right.

Selma glanced to the ground. They’d elevated over a foot and a half.

Closing her eyes, Liz chanted inside her mind.

I’m grounded, heavy, my feet meet with the earth.

When her body touched the ground, Liz felt the weight of their troubles fall on her shoulders.

Selma squeezed her hand. “Can we let go now?”

Liz sent a silent prayer of thanks and let Selma’s hand go.

Fin held on and quickly pulled her into his arms. The tears that threatened before welled and trickled down her cheeks. She needed her son. Had to get back to him.

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“Lora is waiting for you both.”

Selma’s words registered. Liz twisted out of Fin’s embrace. “W-what?”

“Lora is waiting.”

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“I’ve had a vision.”

Simon shot up from his reclined position next to Tara and shouted out, “Was it about my mom and Fin?”

Lora’s dark eyes leveled to him and filled with sorrow. “No, Simon.”

“Are you sure—?”

Ian waved a large hand his way and halted his questions. “What did you see?” he asked his wife.

Simon sat back, but listened to every word. The days started to bleed together, and he felt as if he was falling into a pit of hell. His mother and Fin were gone because of him. If he’d not shifted into a wolf and caused his mother to be so angry at him, she and Fin wouldn’t have been isolated when they disappeared, and maybe they wouldn’t have left at all. “We need to restore calm among the people here.”

“To do that, we need to stay.”

Simon had overheard several conversations and debate over the family leaving and returning to the safety of their home. The only reason they’d stayed as long as they had was in hope that his mom and Fin would somehow return. Hearing the Ancients’

desire to keep the MacCoinnichs where they were gave him some measure of relief.

“We must stay.”

Myra spoke up. “How are we to restore calm?

The people are at arms over the atrocities Grainna 201

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spread among them.”

“The poison of her magic has touched everyone here,” Duncan added.

“If we hold any hope in defeating Grainna, we will do so here, with these people. Alone we will fail.”

Lora’s words hung in the air.

“Since Grainna’s black magic penetrated the people, maybe we could counter that with spell of our own,” Amber offered. Simon caught her gaze but shifted it quickly to Lora.

“Did you speak to one of the Ancients?” he asked.

“I only listen to the Ancients, Simon.”

“Why? When Elise came to us before we spoke to her, asked her questions.” Simon’s heart fluttered in his chest. He could have sworn he’d felt him mother earlier in the day. He searched their small camp for her after that, hoping to find her.

“I listen to their guidance and seek to understand their messages.”

“Why not ask where my mom is? Why not find out if she’s coming back?” He hated the tears stinging his eyes and wished he could fight them off before any of the men in the room saw them.

“You can’t question the Ancients,” Cian clipped.

“Why not?” He dragged his hand over his eyes to brush away the tears.

“It isn’t done.”

“I would have asked, if the Ancients came to me.” Cian rolled his eyes. “You need to grow up, Simon.”

Cian’s harsh words didn’t completely surprise him. “Cian,” Lora scolded him. “Simon wants answers, we all do.”

“Crying about Liz and Fin being gone won’t bring them back.”

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A hush went over the room and all eyes sprung between Cian and Simon.

“You’re just mad at me because I interrupted you and Tatiana earlier.”

Cian’s jaw tightened, his eyes turned to hard stones. Simon scrambled to his feet and forced any more tears away.

“Who is this?” Ian asked.

Simon’s need to get back at Cian forced the next words out of his mouth. “Cian’s girlfriend.”

“Is there a girl you’ve met?”

When the youngest MacCoinnich son didn’t offer any explanation, Simon went on. “Yes, he has. And something isn’t right about her.”

Cian fisted his palm and stepped toward him.

Simon knew he was going to be hit. A part of him wanted to hide behind his aunt, but another part made him step toward Cian and stick out his chin. Todd stepped between the two of them before any arm was raised to strike. “Okay you two, knock it off.”

“You’re jealous,” Cian told him.

“Of what? She isn’t even all that pretty, and something about her isn’t right,” he taunted.

Cian pushed his way around Todd and managed to shove Simon back two feet. Duncan restrained Cian’s arms while Todd placed a calming hand on Simon’s chest.

“You’re a child. What do you know about anything?”

“More than you.”

“You don’t belong—”

“Enough!” Ian shouted, stopping them both. “We have real enemies to defeat. We do not need the two of you at arms with each other.”

When Simon looked beyond Cian’s hateful glare, he realized that everyone stared at Cian. Even 203

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Tara’s sorrowful expression didn’t shift to his. Lora placed a hand on Cian’s shoulder, and Duncan patted his back.

He didn’t belong. Not really. Without his mother or Fin around, Simon didn’t feel connected as he once did. Now that Cian divided his attention with his girlfriend, Simon often felt alone.

“I think you should apologize to Cian, Simon.”

Tara told him. “We are all missing Lizzy and Fin, but it isn’t right for you to take your hurt out on him.”

The heat in the tent crushed in on him with the weight of everyone’s stare. He wasn’t sorry. Didn’t want to apologize for anything.

He caught Amber’s eye before she turned away.

He couldn’t do it.

Simon rushed from the tent and didn’t stop running until he met Logan who stood guard by the mouth of the forest.

“Where are ye going this late, lad?”

Simon didn’t care. He just didn’t want to be anywhere near anyone.

“I’ve got to pee,” he said the first thing he thought of.

Logan laughed. “Well then, be quick about it and don’t go in far.”

Simon sprinted toward the darkness of the forest until he heard Logan call out to him. “’Tis far enough.”

Turning to the other man’s voice, Simon stared past him to the torch that lit up the space beside the MacCoinnich’s tent. Amber was the only one walking toward him.

“Hurry up, lad.”

Simon turned in a full circle, knowing he had nowhere to run. He’d be hungry and cold if he stayed away from the MacCoinnichs for long.

Then again…maybe not.

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Before he lost his nerve, Simon turned his thoughts inside his head and knelt to the ground.

“Don’t, Simon,” Amber yelled.

The bones in Simon’s neck stretched, his hands shifted, and fur covered his body as his clothes ripped and fell to the ground. Within seconds, he bounded forward on four legs and met Amber’s frightened stare.

Logan noticed him, pulled Amber away, and drew his sword. “Get back, lass.”

Simon pivoted and ran into the thick of the forest, ignoring Amber’s plea for him to return.

****

Slivers of gray and silver sparks exploded in the glass until images emerged and took the form of people.

Tara held her son with Myra and Amber at her side. Ian bellowed orders Grainna could not hear.

Duncan and Todd mounted horses and led several men into the forest.

As much as her black heart soared at the obvious turmoil in the MacCoinnich’s life, she loathed the fact that she couldn’t see what caused their agitation. What motivated the Druids to scramble as they were?

She searched further and peered deeper into the glass, and summoned her power to hear something, anything.

The women gathered in a circle and clasped hands, but she couldn’t see into their minds.

Somewhere a wolf howled, breaking Grainna’s vision of the women. “Damn.”

Fog covered the glass until swirls of darkness engulfed the entire piece.

Pushing herself away from the table, Grainna screamed and started to pace. Her palms itched and her head ached. She stepped from her shelter and 205

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turned her gaze to the nearly full moon. The closer she examined the deep crevasse of the dead rock floating in the sky, the clearer the image of Liz stared back at her. Just like the crystal ball, black clouds covered the moon as a gust of wind blew from the west and distorted her vision.

“Something is coming,” she whispered to herself.

A chill ran down her spine and the hair on her arms stood on end.

Grainna swiveled in a full circle and extended her arms to the sky, allowing her shape to change in the space of one breath. As her black wings took flight, she studied the specks of trees below until she landed on a highest tree staring down on the MacCoinnich’s camp.

She dipped her head and followed the sounds until she hovered over the large tent.

“He’s running,” one of the women inside said.

“He’s angry, hurt.”

Grainna perched on a nearby fallen log.

“Let’s try and get into his head and tell him to come back.”

Grainna tucked her wings into her sides and listened. Who did they speak of?

“Shhh! Do you feel that?”

The voices inside the tent faded until Grainna couldn’t hear anything but the sound of men shouting around her and horses hooves hitting the dirt. Before she could turn her head, a buzz of wind raced toward her wing, catching the tip she’d just stretched out.

Pain burst inside her morphed state, nearly forcing her body to shift into her human form.

Forcing her raven-body to the air, she found the wind and ducked another arrow as blood dripped from her wing. She dipped and nearly plunged to the ground. No simple bird would have continued their flight.

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Trees hid her escape until the voices behind her drifted away. The strength in her wing wavered until it couldn’t hold her weight any longer. She needed to change back quickly, she could feel something rushing into her bloodstream and causing the earth to pitch.

Poison.

In the shape of a bird, she didn’t hold the power to overrule the effect of the drug. As her body dove to the ground, Grainna willed the morph to roll through her frame.

She hit the earth with more force than expected and felt the impact travel in waves over her skin.

Naked and panting, Grainna lay on the forest floor until the pain of the fall ebbed. She closed her eyes for a moment and allowed her mind to rest.

Heat fanned her chin and sprung her eyes open.