Wicked Highlander (21 page)

Deirdre couldn't believe how easy it had been to trap Marcail, though she wished she had thought of it earlier instead of putting Marcail in the Pit with Quinn. That hadn't gone according to plan.

In fact, there wasn't anything to do with Quinn that had gone as intended. But that would change now. He was under her control, and it wouldn't take much to have him give in to his god.

Once that happened, she would have the first of the MacLeods with Lucan and Fallon to follow soon after.

She turned to the door to make her way back to Quinn when she heard an inhale of breath. Deirdre paused. She knew that sound. It was Lavena about to have a vision.

Deirdre hurried back to the Druid. Lavena's ice-blue eyes clouded over as the black flames licked at her face. When she spoke, her voice sounded as though it came from deep in a tunnel, soft and airy.

“They are coming,” Lavena said. “You took his woman, and you will pay.”

Anger pulsed through Deirdre. She knew Lavena spoke of Quinn, and she could assume the “they” was Lucan and Fallon come to help their brother.

“Who told Quinn about Marcail?” Deirdre asked.

Sometimes Lavena responded, sometimes she didn't.

This time the seer chose not to. “Your death is imminent.”

Deirdre had never had cause to disbelieve the seer, but she knew she had more than enough magic to battle a thousand Warriors.

“Then let them come,” Deirdre said and faced the door.

 

Quinn released his god. Behind him his brothers and the other Warriors waited for him to open the door that would lead to their greatest battle yet.

“Watch her hair,” Galen cautioned.

Larena grinned. “I'll take care of her hair.”

Quinn faced the other Warriors and looked into the faces of the men—and woman—who had risked their lives for him. Before him stood powerful Warriors who fought for good over evil and hadn't asked to have a god inside them. “Deirdre's power has grown. Be prepared for anything.”

“If she's so powerful how can we defeat her?” Logan asked.

Ramsey smiled slowly. “We attack together and continue attacking. She cannot fight off all of us.”

“She won't be alone,” Quinn said. “There will be wyrran and Warriors with her. If you encounter William, the royal blue Warrior, hold him for me. I owe him a leisurely death.”

“Consider it done,” Hayden vowed. “I'll find him myself.”

Quinn gave a nod to Hayden. “It's time for Deirdre's reign to end.”

“Ready whenever you are, brother,” Fallon said.

Quinn found himself praying to God, something he
hadn't done in centuries. The trepidation inside him for Marcail grew with each beat of his heart.

He turned to the door and kicked it open. Deirdre stood in front of a stone table, an evil smile tilting her lips.

“I've been waiting for you, lover,” she said.

 

Broc left Arran and the twins to free the rest of the prisoners. Ever since he had heard the roar down below, he knew a Warrior was probably chained in the darkness. No one was allowed to take the stairs that led below the earth's surface, but Broc no longer served Deirdre and he would make sure all his fellow Warriors were free.

He walked through the door onto the first step and gaped at the large cavern. Though it would be too dark for a mortal to see, with the god inside him, Broc had no problem.

The stairs would take too long to climb down, so he spread his wings and soared to the bottom.

Broc landed, stunned to find whoever had been held down here had already been freed. He was glad to see it, though he would have liked to know who the Warrior was and why Deirdre kept him separate from everyone else.

The sound of battle could be heard echoing through the rocks. Broc's wings lifted him as he flew back to the doorway.

There was an epic battle raging, and his help would be needed.

 

Quinn bared his fangs at Deirdre. “Did you really think you could deceive me as you did?”

“It would have worked,” she said with a sly grin. “Who told you?”

“Does it matter?” Fallon said. “He knows what you've done. Return Marcail to him.”

Deirdre threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, I'm afraid that's not possible now.”

Quinn followed her finger as she pointed and felt his heart fall to his feet as he caught sight of Marcail. “Nay,” he whispered.

“She will never be yours,” Deirdre said.

Lucan grabbed his arm. “Quinn.”

But Quinn couldn't help his brothers now, not when Marcail stood in blue flames that held her above the floor and immobile. He felt sick to his stomach. Once again he'd been unable to help a woman he cared for. What kind of Highlander and Warrior was he that he couldn't save his women?

“Quinn,” Fallon bellowed.

Quinn turned to his brothers, his soul tearing in half. “You know what has to be done.”

They nodded and as one, the small group launched themselves at Deirdre. Quinn allowed himself just a moment to watch as Larena went invisible and removed her clothes. Hayden launched huge fireballs at any wyrran that he spotted, and the others surrounded Deirdre.

Quinn stepped close to Marcail. As much as he wanted to be the one to drain the life from Deirdre, Marcail mattered more. He touched the blue flames and ice formed on the tip of his fingers.

“Holy Hell,” he murmured.

He didn't know how he would get Marcail out of the flames, but he knew he couldn't do it alone.

Quinn turned back to the battle to find something
pulling Deirdre's hair from behind. Larena most likely. Deirdre screamed as Larena's claws cut off her hair at the neck. A moment later and the hair grew back.

Fallon cheered for his wife before disappearing, only to reappear somewhere else in the chamber. Quinn blinked, unsure of what he saw until Fallon did it over and over again.

“Impressive, isn't it?” Larena's voice said from beside him.

“Aye,” Quinn said.

He didn't take time for more words as he closed his eyes and called up his power.
“Come to me,”
he called to every animal inside the mountain.

A few moments later rats, insects, and other animals began to stream into the chamber. Quinn grinned.

“Attack Deirdre,”
he commanded.

As one, the animals converged on Deirdre. She shifted her power from tossing Warriors aside to killing the animals.

Lucan shifted to shadow and swarmed around Deirdre while Galen, Logan, and Ramsey sliced her with their claws. Fallon would jump in front of her and cut her face, then jump away before she could use her magic on him.

Quinn started forward to join the group in drawing blood from Deirdre when there was a commotion at the door. He turned and found Arran, Ian, and Duncan.

As soon as they saw the attack, they leapt into the fray. A moment later Broc came into the chamber and joined in as well. With so many attacking Deirdre, Quinn could see her weakening. It would only be a matter of time before she was dead.

Hayden continued to kill wyrran he spotted, which
kept Quinn from having to fend the vile creatures off. Quinn was about to join his brothers when a load roar got his attention. He turned to find none other than William coming toward him.

“I've been waiting for this,” William said.

Quinn smiled in anticipation. “Stop talking. Start fighting.”

He ducked a vicious swing from William's hand that was aimed at his head and drew first blood with a cut to William's stomach.

William staggered backward and growled. “What did she ever see in you?”

“More than she saw in you,” Quinn taunted.

William plowed his shoulder into Quinn's abdomen, knocking the breath from Quinn and driving him back against the wall. Quinn elbowed the Warrior in the back of the neck twice before William's hold loosened enough for Quinn to knee him in the face.

As William jerked up from the hit, his claws raked Quinn's side and arm. Before Quinn could deliver another blow, William bit his shoulder, his fangs sinking far into Quinn's skin.

Quinn bellowed and used his claws to tear at William's skin wherever he could. Blood poured down Quinn's arm, but he didn't feel it, not when the need to kill was so strong.

William stepped away, his mouth and teeth covered in blood. “I'm going to enjoy taking you apart piece by piece, MacLeod. You arena fit to be a Warrior, much less rule over us.”

“It isna my fault Deirdre didn't want a child from you. Where were you lacking, William?”

Just as Quinn had hoped, William's anger got the
better of him. He grew more reckless each time he attacked, and it gave Quinn the advantage he needed as he moved closer and closer to the black flames where Deirdre kept the seer.

Despite William's fury, he was able to land several blows to Quinn, drawing more blood. Quinn's body ached from the cuts that covered him from his face to his legs, but he wasn't going to stop, not until William was dead.

William's claws sunk into Quinn's stomach before he jerked them out sideways, leaving a gaping wound in Quinn's belly. Quinn glanced down and saw the damage. He felt his body lean to the side as exhaustion took over.

“Quinn.”

He blinked. It had been Marcail's voice, of that he had no doubt.

“You can do this,”
Marcail said in his mind.
“Finish him.”

Quinn jerked his head to clear it and focused once more on William. Marcail was right. He could kill William.

He smiled at the Warrior and took a step toward him. William sneered and tried to bite him again.

“I've had enough of you.” With one shove Quinn pushed William into the black flames.

The Warrior screamed and clawed at his face and skin as he thrashed about. He knocked the seer from the flames, but it was too late for William. The black fire had taken him, leaving him in the same sedate, calm state the seer had been in.

“Quinn,” Lucan said and grabbed him about the shoulders. “We need to get to the castle.”

“I'm not leaving without Marcail.”

“Deirdre is almost dead. Let's get out of here,” Lucan pleaded.

Quinn looked at his brother. “I couldna protect Elspeth. I willna be responsible for Marcail's death as well.”

There was a loud scream that threatened to burst their ear drums. Quinn covered his ears and turned to find Deirdre screaming and Charon holding her by her neck.

The copper Warrior had death in his eyes, and by the way he squeezed, she wouldn't live much longer.

There was a crack as Charon broke her neck with one hand. He removed her head with a yank and let her fall to the ground before tossing her head on top of her body. Hayden then set her on fire.

“It's over,” Lucan said.

But for Quinn it wouldn't be over until Marcail was in his arms.

Isla stood in the shadows and watched the MacLeods triumph over Deirdre, but it was Lavena that Isla focused on. She had come to save her sister from the never-ending life of Deirdre's seer, but it appeared someone had already done it for her.

She didn't need to go to Lavena and check for breath to know her sister was dead. She wanted to mourn the loss of her sister, but she had been doing that for centuries. Finally, Lavena was at peace.

Which only left Grania now.

Isla turned to go in search of her niece. As she expected, Grania was in her chamber. When she saw Isla, Grania rose from her seat and walked toward her.

“What is going on?” Grania demanded.

Isla licked her lips and reached for Grania's hand, forcing back the pain in her body. Her niece stepped away before Isla could touch her.

It wasn't a good start, but Isla was determined to be the aunt her sister would have wanted.

“Grania, I've some bad news,” Isla began.

“Is it about Deirdre?” the child asked. “Tell me it isn't about Deirdre.”

Isla hesitated a moment. “Nay, it's about your mother. I'm sorry, but she's dead.”

“I don't care about Lavena. Deirdre was more of a mother to me.”

“You don't know what you're saying.”

“I do indeed.”

Isla knew in that moment as she looked into the same blue eyes as her own that Grania was lost to her forever. “Please, Grania. Deirdre's time of rule is over. She's gone.”

“Nay,” Grania screamed and tried to run from the room.

Isla grabbed her arm and swung the child toward her. She didn't see the dagger in Grania's hand until the last moment. It was pure instinct that drove Isla to use her magic to turn the dagger.

Grania grunted and fell to her knees, her eyes filled with pain.

Isla knelt beside her niece as tears fell down her face. “Oh, dear God, what have I done?” she asked as she spotted the dagger in Grania's chest.

She hadn't wanted to kill Grania, only to remove the weapon.

“Deirdre will make you die a thousand deaths for this,” Grania murmured. She fell to her side as blood trickled from her mouth and her lifeless eyes stared at Isla.

Isla couldn't believe Grania was gone. She had begun to hate the child, aye, but only because of the evil Deirdre had put into her niece. Isla had hoped time away from Deirdre would turn the child as she had once been, innocent and pure.

But she knew that for the lie that it was.

It took three tries before Isla found her footing. She
no longer cared about anything. She had to get as far away from the mountain and Deirdre as she could.

 

“What do we do?” Fallon asked Quinn as they stood around Marcail.

Quinn had come up with an idea when William had pushed the seer from her flames. “I have to get Marcail out of the flames, but I'm going to need someone to hold me so they can pull me out as well. Once I'm in, I willna be able to do anything.”

Lucan nodded. “I'll hold onto you.”

“We better both do it,” Ramsey said.

Quinn hid his wince as he moved to Marcail. He was losing blood rapidly, and though he was immortal, with serious wounds it took a little more time to heal. He would have to get help soon, but not yet. Not before Marcail was out of the flames.

“Someone go to the other side to catch her,” Quinn said.

Fallon moved opposite Quinn. “I'll take her to Sonya as soon as she's out.”

Quinn met his brother's gaze. He didn't need to tell Fallon how important Marcail was to him. His brother knew.

“Wait,” Larena said as she ran into the chamber. She had dressed and was no longer in her goddess form.

Quinn figured that was a good thing. The fewer people that knew what she was, the better. “What?” he asked.

“The other woman. She died,” Larena said. “Are you sure we should take Marcail out of the flames?”

“I'm sure,” Quinn answered. “Deirdre had kept the
seer for several centuries. She's probably been dead for some time and Deirdre kept her body alive for the visions.”

Arran swore. “By all that's holy.”

Quinn couldn't agree more. He looked down at the finger that had touched the blue flames. There was no color to his skin and it was as cold as death. He didn't think he would survive the blue fire, and though he longed to be with Marcail, he would do anything to save her.

With a nod to Fallon, Quinn stepped into the flames, his hand held out to give Marcail the push she needed to be released.

Instantly, Quinn was overtaken with cold. He tried to draw a breath but couldn't. He fought the cold, but it took over his body in a matter of moments.

He thought of Marcail and how he would never get to hold her again. Of a sudden he recalled a conversation with his father.

“Son,” his father said, “it's fairly simple. When you find a woman that occupies your thoughts every hour of every day and you dream about her and a future together, that's a sign. When you canna wait to see her smile, feel her arms about you, and taste her kiss, then you love her. When you know you would gladly give up your own life regardless of the pain in order to save hers, then you love her.”

Quinn's heart wanted to burst from his chest as he realized his father had been right about all of it. He loved Marcail, truly loved her as he had always dreamed of loving a woman.

He mourned a future with her that could never be,
but at least his brothers would keep her safe at the castle. There, Marcail would thrive with Cara.

Quinn's last thought before the cold took him under was of Marcail's sweet smile and turquoise eyes.

 

“Get him out!” Fallon bellowed.

He held Marcail's frigid body in his arms so he was helpless to do anything but watch as Lucan and Ramsey attempted to pull Quinn from the flames.

“Dammit, Quinn,” Lucan yelled. “Doona dare give up!”

The two pale blue Warriors who were obviously twins and a white Warrior stepped next to Lucan and Ramsey and added their strength to tug Quinn's body free.

“Thank God,” Larena said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Move,” Fallon said as he walked to Quinn. He needed to get both of them to Sonya. The gray pallor of their skin and the way ice hung from their lashes and hair didn't give Fallon much hope.

The white Warrior lifted Quinn over his shoulder. “You're going to need help.”

Fallon glanced at his wife before he touched the white Warrior and jumped them to the great hall in the castle.

“Shite,” a male voice said as Fallon appeared.

“Get Sonya and Cara,” he shouted to Malcolm as he raced up the stairs with Marcail still in his arms.

Behind him the white Warrior followed. Fallon thought about putting Quinn and Marcail in different chambers, then thought it would be easier on Sonya if
they where together. Without another thought, Fallon strode to Quinn's chamber.

The Warrior moved past him and jerked the covers from the bed so Fallon could lay Marcail down. Once that was done he helped the Warrior lower Quinn.

“I'm Arran,” the Warrior said. “I gave Quinn my allegiance in the Pit.”

Fallon nodded to him. “I thank you for that.”

Sonya and Cara ran into the chamber then. Sonya didn't say a word as she went to the bed and examined the couple. She straightened and turned to Fallon. “I need to know every detail and especially if magic was involved.”

“There was magic. Deirdre's magic to be precise.” Fallon then went on to tell her what had happened.

Sonya's lips flatted. “This is going to take a lot of my magic. If only we had another Druid.”

“Marcail is a Druid,” Arran said. “And she has the ability to heal herself. Does that make a difference?

Sonya slowly nodded her head. “Maybe. If I can get her to hear me, I may be able to have her help me.”

“And Quinn?” Fallon asked.

“I will do my best,” Sonya said.

Cara stepped forward then. “Where are the others?”

“Lucan is safe,” Fallon assured her. “I'm going to get them once I know Sonya has all she needs to see to Quinn and Marcail.”

“I do,” Sonya said, her back to him as she lifted Marcail's hand. “Bring the others.”

Fallon looked to Arran. “There is another Warrior here, Camdyn. Find him and fill him in on everything. Oh, and if Malcolm is still here, he'll need to know as well.”

“I'll see it done,” Arran said before he turned on his heel and left the chamber.

Fallon glanced once more at the lifeless form of his brother before he jumped back to Cairn Toul to retrieve the others.