Stone Heart (27 page)

Shayla was silent for a moment, considering this most surprising request. She opened her mouth to speak when a cry of alarm rang out.

"
Roland, no!"
Tearach shouted.

Angus turned to see what had alerted the Goblin Leader.

Tearach was racing toward the opposite side of the clearing where a lone figure stood, placing an arrow to a bow. The next few moments passed in agonizing, slow motion. With dawning horror, Angus realized Roland meant to loose his arrow on Karen. He grabbed her body and tried to step in front of her. He wasn't prepared for her response.

With a strength born of love, Karen twisted out of Angus'

grasp and pushed him away. The arrow struck her in the back and she fell at his feet.

"Nooooooo!"
Angus' agonized shout rent the air.

239

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Too late, Tearach descended upon Roland and struck him to the ground. Angus neither saw the Goblin Leader's actions nor cared. He knelt and clutched Karen's form to him. A single drop of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Much more soaked the back of her garment. He pushed her hair back and gently supported her head. "Help me," he begged, to anyone who was near.

Shayla rushed forward with some of the others. "Let me see her," she commanded.

Though Angus would not release his hold, he turned her body so the arrow could be pulled from the wound in her back. Gryphon O'Connor tore off his tunic and handed it to Shayla as a compress. The Sorceress placed it against the wound and the blood seemed to slow. Karen slowly opened her eyes and came back to consciousness.

"He ... didn't ... hurt ... you?" she brokenly whispered as she gazed up at Angus. She saw the tears in his eyes.

Strangely, the pounding in her chest had stopped. There was no pain anymore.

Angus shook his head and sobbed. "'Twas no' me he wanted, lass. 'Twas
you."

"He ... hated that ... that
much?"

"He will neither hate nor breathe again. I
swear!"
Angus growled, even as his tears fell upon Karen's face.

"No, Angus!" Karen placed her hands on his cheeks.

"You're not ... not that man. Not ... anymore!" she coughed and struggled to sit up.

"Hush you, lass. We will mend your wound and..."

240

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

She stopped him with a slow shake of her head. He held her closer. Blood had now soaked through the makeshift compress and covered his hands. He shook with grief.

"
Promise me
," Karen gasped. "Promise me ... Don't hurt him ... So few left."

Angus was overcome with agony. He could not bear the pain tearing into him. If only the arrow had struck
him
. If only so many things had been different. A picture of Elspeth flashed in his mind. He could hear the child saying, as she had so many years before, "
They say you are a brute and a
bully. But I do not believe them."
Karen's eyes were so like Elspeth's. They had
always
kept their promises.
Always
. And he had failed to keep his. Karen was dying because he had not protected her.

"For
you
, my heart. I will
promise
to do anything you ask."

He almost choked on the words.

Slowly and so very sweetly, she smiled up at him. "Love ...

you..."

"And I love you, Karen.
Always
."

Angus watched her draw one more breath. She smiled at him once more, then closed her eyes and drifted away. He buried his head against her shoulder and wept, uncaring who looked on.

Shayla sadly shook her head and quietly murmured. "We are
dishonored!
I promised no harm would come to her." She slowly turned away choking back tears as she did so.

"Gryphon, help Angus take Karen to her room in the castle."

Gryphon moved toward Angus and placed a hand on the grieving man's shoulder. Pluck walked forward and did the 241

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

same. Like Angus, the little Elf openly wept. Finally, Angus stood and held Karen's form close to him. "I will carry her."

Shayla watched them walk away and waited until she could see them no more. Tears burned in her throat. "That girl didn't deserve this!" Her fists clenched, she angrily rounded on the growing crowd. Thunder, caused by the anger she felt, rolled through a clear blue sky. But Shayla was beyond caring about the effect her emotions were having over the elements.

Hugh's gentle arm fell across her shoulders. "Shayla, Tearach has bound Roland. They are waiting for you."

She looked into his eyes and saw sorrow there. "What would
you
counsel, Hugh?"

"I will support whatever decision you make, my Sorceress." He bowed his head as he spoke.

Shayla took a deep breath, slowly released it and forced herself to remain calm. "Very well. There can be only one outcome for treachery so vile."

She turned and walked toward the Goblin Leader. Roland was on his knees at Tearach's feet. His hands had been bound behind him with a leather belt. For several minutes Shayla regarded the kneeling man before she spoke.

"What have you to say, Roland?" She paused and slowly circled him. "How
brave
you must feel! It took a great deal of courage to kill an unarmed, sick girl, didn't it?"

The Goblin looked up. "She was an
outsider
. The only
good
outsider, is a
dead
one!"

"How very
original
," Shayla shot back. "I can imagine anyone from Hitler to your garden variety white supremacist 242

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

saying much the same thing. Shall I rank you among their numbers?"

"If you're going to pass judgement, you old crone, then do it. Or do you intend to
bore
me to death?" Roland growled.

Tearach grabbed the man by the collar and threw him at Shayla's feet. "
Hold your tongue, fool!"

"Very well, coward!" Shayla angrily addressed him through clenched teeth. "I
will
pass judgement. But
not
just yet.

There has been enough blood spilled for one day." Shayla motioned Lore and some of the Fairy faction forward. "Take him to the deepest part of the castle dungeons. Guard him day and night, and don't let anyone near him without my permission."

Tearach jerked Roland to his feet. "
I
will take him, Sorceress."

"
You
will stay right where you are. Roland isn't the only one who'll be
judged
, Tearach Bruce!" Before continuing, Shayla waited until Roland had been led away. Then she approached Tearach so that only he could hear her words.

She was aware of Goblins standing some distance away, waiting to see what would happen.

Tearach raised his head in pride. "I accept responsibility for Roland, Sorceress. I'll do as you wish." Her heart softened only a little. Tearach was
not
Roland. The man was a good leader, but his reinforcement of an eight-year-old hatred had led to the death of an innocent. Tearach would suffer a punishment befitting his actions. "Three days from now, Roland will be put to death."

243

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Tearach let out a slow breath, closed his eyes and bowed his head. "As you command."

"On that
same
day,
you
will be judged as well. Men and women are led by example. Your only example has been a legacy of hatred."

"What else have we been left, Sorceress?" He lifted his head. "Do what you must. I will accept whatever punishment you deem fitting. Perhaps, by the end of the week, you'll only have
forty-six
of us left to trouble you!"

Shayla gasped at his audacity. "Remove yourself from my presence. Your punishment shall be the very
worst
thing, short of death, that I can imagine."

"As you command." He bowed, then turned to walk away.

But the Sorceress' next words stopped him.

"Before you go, you should know that the
outsider
begged for Roland's life just before she died. She has not only shamed you, but outclassed you as well." She saw both confusion and remorse in his expression. Shayla almost felt pity for the Goblin Leader. Clearly, her revelation deeply disturbed him. He slowly turned away. She watched as he strode into the forest. His faction followed.

Hugh walked forward to stand beside Shayla. "Tearach's heart is full of poison, but I knew him when he wasn't like this. Surely, deep down, he's sorry for what Roland did."

"I don't know, Hugh. If he
isn't
, I can promise you he
will
be."

244

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Chapter Twelve

Angus stared out the window. He didn't see the beautiful sunset or the dark green of the trees. A gentle breeze blew and lifted his hair, but he couldn't feel its warmth. There was nothing left to feel. Every single thing he had ever loved had been systematically taken from him—from a tiny brown puppy that died beneath a baker's cart so many years ago, to all those who had ever cared for him. And now he was simply supposed to go on.
How?
How could he ever care about another soul only to have that being torn away? He took a deep breath and turned.

Karen lay so still. Oddly, there was a peaceful, almost joyful expression upon her face. Without the constant pain haunting her every hour, she was exquisite. It seemed she grew more so with each hour that passed. As soon as the Sorceress gave permission, her frail form would be lowered into the ground. Then he recalled why he had been looking for Shayla in the first place. He strode to the bedroom door, swung it open until it hit the wall, and saw Gryphon O'Connor standing guard.

"Please ask the Sorceress if she would come."

Gryphon nodded, then walked away. Angus watched him leave. He had made two promises this day. One was not to seek vengeance upon the cowardly Goblin who had taken Karen's precious life. But the other ...
that
promise was an earlier one made between himself and the dead girl lying on the bed. He had yet to make good on this.

245

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

He began to pace, anxious for the Sorceress to arrive. His request would not be denied. After all, what harm could there be in it now? When voices sounded in the hallway, he knelt beside Karen's body and took her hand. It was strange, but she should be colder. He was no novice to death, and Karen's hand seemed warm. As Shayla entered the room with a questioning expression on her face, he thought no more about Karen's body temperature. His mind was too focused on doing for her what he had promised.

Shayla stopped at the foot of the bed and clasped her hands before her. Watching Angus holding Karen's hand, she couldn't imagine he would ever get over the loss. She spoke quietly. "What would you ask of me, Angus?"

"Remember what I asked you in the clearing? Just before Karen ... Before..."

Shayla was momentarily confused, then she understood.

"You wanted to handfast with her."

"Aye, and I still do. I made her a promise. We exchanged oaths of love in the forest. Surely you could have no objection to our handfasting
now
. She canna' be considered an outsider, for her life is gone."

She shook her head. "Angus, you
can't
be serious. What possible reason could you..."

"I
beg
you," he said as his voice broke.

She studied him for several long moments and then sighed. "All right, man. You shall have your handfasting." She turned and went to the door. "Come in, all of you. I need witnesses."

246

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Hugh, Lore, Gryphon and Heather O'Connor filed into the room. Almost lost in the crowd, Pluck forced his way forward.

Shayla raised her hand for silence. "This night, Angus O'Connor wishes to handfast with Karen Matthews, an outsider who came among us in peace. As tradition demands I have asked you to witness this joining of souls, and I ask if there are any who would challenge this mating?"

Angus looked at the stunned faces of those standing around the room. Some lowered their heads as if they might better hide their sorrow. When no challenge was made, he began his pledge. He took Karen's hand in both of his.

"I pledge you my honor, love, loyalty and life. For now and all time." He finished the promise with a soft kiss upon Karen's lips. When he looked back at the assemblage, it appeared they had been carved from stone. No one moved or made a sound. Angus carefully placed Karen's hand back by her side and rose. Some small part of him began to feel again and the emotion was not unpleasant. In fact, it was warm, as if a tiny part of his heart mended. If only just a bit.

"As they have promised their love, I bind them," Shayla said as she raised her hands. A warm breeze blew through the room. "
Blessed Be
!"

Gryphon was the first to speak. Though he did so softly in reverence of the moment. "This is well done of you, MacGregor. You're a man of honor and I'm proud to call you friend. Well done!"

The two men clasped arms, and then the rest of those present began to speak. They offered words of comfort and invited him to their homes. Angus came to realize he had not 247

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

lost
everything
. He had actually made friends. But, no matter how these people befriended him, his heart would always ache for what might have been.

"Angus." Shayla placed a calming hand upon his shoulder.

"Go with Lore and Gryphon to make her place ready. Heather and Amber will cleanse and properly attire Karen. When they're through, Pluck will stand guard outside the door, as tradition requires. We'll lay her to rest tomorrow."

Angus glanced back at Karen and nodded. This
had
to be done. And the sooner it was over, the sooner he could be alone with her again. He would keep her company in the little glade and tell her everything that would go on in the years to come. The same as her kin had done for him for centuries.