The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,79

ye worried?”

Archie nodded.

“I am home now, twill be okay.”

Zach brought me a warm washcloth and I used it to wipe Magnus’s face so it wouldn’t look so frightening. “How’s that feel?”

“Terrible, it feels like ye are usin’ sandpaper tae wash me.”

“Well, you are covered in sand. Stop belly-aching, I just rescued you and you about scared me half to death.”

“I ken, mo reul-iuil, I ken.” We smiled at each other, the sad smiles of two people who had survived a trauma and it was done, but we weren’t necessarily out of the woods yet.

I brushed sand off his neck and set about brushing it off his arms. “Archie has booboos, too.”

Magnus raised his head. “Dost ye, wee man?”

Archie held up his hands to show off his bandages, now frayed and dingy as only a kid could do.

“How did ye…?”

“I was digging under the guardian tree.”

“Och, ye are a wise boy. Next time I will hide a shovel nearby. Remind me tae return the vessel, ye daena ken when we may need it again.”

We got most of the sand off of him and moved him into our bedroom. Zach asked, “Are we sure he doesn’t need to go to the hospital?”

I said, “I’ve decided I’m going to be watchful.”

James returned an hour later with a pulse oximeter, and we hooked Magnus’s hand up to it. His pulse was steady. His oxygen level were good. I followed James out into the hall and hugged him. “Thank you.”

He pulled away after a moment. “Don’t mention it. He’s my friend too. I mean, if you think about it, I kind of got you two kids together. That makes me kinda the hero of your whole story, am I right?”

“Yeah, you’re definitely a hero now, between the fixing the roof and jump-starting the heart, you’re mighty heroic.”

“I’m headed home for some fresh clothes but I’ll be back tonight. I’m staying in the guest room. I need company after the fight that just went down.”

“Good, I’m glad you’ll be here.”

At first both the kids sat on the bed and just sort of watched him, nervous, not wanting to let Magnus out of their sight, but they soon grew bored and action was happening in the other room, so they rushed away, leaving me and Magnus, alone, finally.

I climbed into bed beside him.

He raised an arm for me.

“I don’t want to crush you. I’ll lie here beside you.”

He lowered his arm. “I am strong enough, ye daena need tae worry over me.”

“I know, probably, but I do.” I turned a finger around and around on his shoulder, tracing a circle, like my thoughts — not okay, oh my god, so scared of that, he almost died — around and around. Then I smoothed and patted his arm and then I burst into tears.

“Ye are cryin’, mo reul-iuil?”

“No. Yes. Sort of… I mean it’s to be expected, right? We all knew I was going to…”

“Tell me of it.”

I hid my face beside his shoulder. “I was so scared. I thought you were going to die and I had to be strong for the kids and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, being strong for them. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I generally like to think about myself a lot.”

“Och, tis nae like you at all, ye are the one we count on tae take care of us.”

“Nice of you to say.” I kissed his shoulder through my wet lips, leaving a soggy smear there. His oxygen pulse machine looked normal and that was good. His face was all beat to hell, but we had been here before. We would get through this, but the heart issues… ugh. I didn’t know if I could…

“So now it’s your turn, what happened?”

He watched the ceiling as he talked. “I met with Padraig, he is furious that Lady Mairead has stolen the Trailblazer from him—”

“She did? Good on her, that’s great.”

“Aye, the Trailblazer was too verra powerful tae be in his control. He embodies evil. But his fury has caused him tae assemble a large army. He has aligned himself with other branches of our family, and he has won the kingdom.”

“What? How? You mean it is won — won? Like lost to us?”

He took in a deep breath. “Aye, tis lost.”

“Because he attacked? You can fight, right? You fought Roderick, you—”

“He becomes the king in the future, nae because of the war, because...” He scowled. “I daena want tae tell ye. His rise happens