The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,100
low, I can see you.”
I nodded. He was right, there would be others watching the clearing, I might be noticed. I twisted the empty sack slung across my shoulder tae my back and lowered myself down onto the dirt, hidden in the ferns and moss.
M’skin crawled, as if electrified, and the air smelt burnt. My head ached. Fraoch’s voice amplified inside my head through the earpiece in m’right ear, “It feels as if the Trailblazer is at work.”
“Och,” I said, “I daena like the feel of it.”
Everythin’ went verra dark. The air was heavy. Sound echoed and it felt as if time slowed down. I raised an arm tae see, naething, a black pitch around me. The faint buzz of the ATVs comin’ this way.
James’s voice, “Hiyah!” Hurley’s hooves thunderin’ as James rode toward the castle tae stop the Campbell men.
The storm built in intensity until it was wreaking havoc around the clearing. The sound was a roar of thunder that went on and on. Wind pummeled the trees. The branches creaked and cracked against the onslaught. My skin crawled as lightning electrified the ground. The full force of the brutal storm was upon me. I covered m’head in my arms, and prone, was buffeted side tae side.
I woke in a rush. There was a heaviness upon me, dark and crushing. There was someone unconscious on top of me, skin and breath, limbs splayed, pinning me tae the earth. I shoved a heavy arm off my chest, and pushed legs away. I kicked a space clear for my feet. And forced a torso from my face. With the weight off me I gasped for air.
Twas exactly like my dream.
Above the clearing a weakened storm continued tae blow. The night was very dark.
A man standing near me called out in another direction, “Who are you? We’re armed!”
Beyond him Quentin’s ATVs revved and I caught a glimpse of their lights as they charged us. I burrowed down intae the pile so I wouldna be seen. The man standing near me began tae shoot and the ATVs were returnin’ fire. I wrapped around my head and held still.
Finally, the man who had been firing at the ATVs yelled in pain and fell. The gunfight ended.
I heard Quentin’s faraway voice, “I got a vessel!”
And then Kaitlyn’s voice, “I got one too…” Their voices turned inaudible until I heard, “Do you see Magnus, yet?”
Quentin’s voice. “Nah, maybe Reyes didn’t—”
And then Fraoch’s voice, “Hie!” Cynric’s thundering hooves as Fraoch drove him intae the clearing. Fraoch was roaring, a sound both loud and terrible. The ATVs roared tae life, and he chased them from the clearing, yelling, “Thalla! Thalla! Get away! Thalla!”
As soon as he had them on the run, I pushed my way out from under the unconscious bodies and clambered to my feet. My eyes adjusted tae the lack of light, all the bodies were wearing white winter coats as if twas a uniform. Some of these men were now dead, some unconscious. I would need to go fast afore they awakened.
I picked through the pile grabbing strewn vessels from the ground, counting as I dropped them intae the bag slung across m’shoulder. One… two… three… I counted. Under one man I found what I assumed was the Trailblazer, and another similar lookin’ machine.
Four more vessels, then Lady Mairead stepped from the shadows. “Magnus Archibald Caehlin Campbell, what are ye doin’ here?”
“I might ask ye the same thing.” I put another few vessels intae my bag, nae taking time tae stop. I had twelve a’ready.
She shoved a dead guard to the side, pulled the back of his hair up and pulled gold threads from the back of his head. “Ye must work fast, there is nae enough time.” She tucked the threads intae her sporran and searched for more threads on the head of another guard. She shoved another person over and fumbled at their neck, a flash of a golden band in her hands.
“Tis where ye hae come tae take what is nae your own?”
“Ye are doing the same thing.” She pocketed more from the pile as I found two more vessels.
Fraoch returned tae the clearing, “Och! Why is…?”
She drew her blade. “Is this man a friend?”
“Of mine, aye, ye canna kill him. He and another are watching for the Campbell men for us.”
She stood straight. “Magnus, ye only hae another minute. Reyes will be here, and ye canna be seen. Ye must hurry, cabhaig!” She rushed away toward the woods.