She bolted to her room.”
He didn’t tell them about her crying, because he knew Tara would be mortified if he knew. She was a strong person, who he suspected rarely gave in to such emotion.
“What now?” Charon asked.
Ramsey shook his head. “I doona know. I thought to show her she could lean on me, to trust me, but I think I’ve ruined it. If it wouldna be for the snow, she’d already be gone.”
“Shite,” Arran said.
Ramsey took a deep breath. He might have lost any chance of gaining Tara’s trust, but he wasn’t about to give up on protecting her.
“Did both of you learn the layout?” he asked.
Charon nodded as he swallowed a drink of coffee. “Aye. The landscape is easy enough so that we can spot anyone approaching. There are a few spots we could use to our advantage if we need it.”
“Ah. On the left side of the castle, about two hundred yards out?” Ramsey asked.
Charon smiled. “That’s the one. The land naturally dips, and with a little help in making the hole larger, then covering it with snow, it could be used.”
“I’d rather just use our powers,” Arran said.
Ramsey shook his head. “Nay. There could be too many witnesses. If we can get away without calling forth our gods, then that’s what we need to do.”
“Besides, Ramsey has magic,” Charon replied with a sly grin.
Ramsey pushed back from the table and stood. His chest had tightened at their words, but he kept his voice normal when he spoke. “You better hope we can get Tara away so I doona have to use my magic and my power.”
Arran rose to his feet. “Why?”
“I’m going to get some rest,” Ramsey said.
Charon and Arran exchanged a worried look as they watched Ramsey walk away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Declan stared out the window of the inn, his anger growing with every beat of his heart. The weather had changed rapidly. Too rapidly.
“They’re saying this is the worst snowfall we’ve seen in decades,” Robbie said from the chair where he listened to the radio.
“Are they now?” Declan saw Robbie’s reflection in the mirror as he lifted his head.
Robbie frowned. “What is it?”
“Just a feeling, cousin.”
“About Tara?”
“I find it suspicious that we got such a nasty snowstorm as I was on my way to Tara.”
Robbie rose and walked to stand beside Declan at the window. “You think the Warriors are involved.”
It wasn’t a question. “I do.”
“I can take care of them with the X90 bullets.”
Declan turned his head and smiled at his cousin. “For all the Warriors’ strength, the power of their gods, and their immortality, seeing what a bit of drough blood does to them is priceless.”
“And how much pain.”
Declan chuckled. “At least we killed one of them during the last battle.”
“The one who was trying to reach Saffron, that huge hulking Warrior the color of brown?”
“Aye. He’s the one.”
“One down and how many more to go?”
Declan’s smile vanished. “That’s the problem. We doona know. Deirdre had a suspicion of how many were there, but she would never tell me.”
“I still can no’ believe Malcolm betrayed her.”
Declan fisted his hands. “I’m going to make him suffer for what he’s done.”
“We’ll have to find him first.”
“Oh, I’ve no doubt we’ll find him. But first, Tara. Once I have her undergo the ceremony to become drough, we’ll begin taking out the Warriors one by one.”
“It’s taken too long to reach Tara. She could have already run again.”
Declan tapped his finger on the windowsill. He wanted Tara to know he was coming for her. He wanted her terrified, and he knew Tara well enough to know just how to go about that.
He spun on his heels and knelt in the middle of the room. With his palms held facedown, he leaned back on his heels and closed his eyes. He kept Tara’s face in his mind as he began to chant the spell that would allow him to reach her mind if she was close enough.
Declan had tried this many times
He didn’t tell them about her crying, because he knew Tara would be mortified if he knew. She was a strong person, who he suspected rarely gave in to such emotion.
“What now?” Charon asked.
Ramsey shook his head. “I doona know. I thought to show her she could lean on me, to trust me, but I think I’ve ruined it. If it wouldna be for the snow, she’d already be gone.”
“Shite,” Arran said.
Ramsey took a deep breath. He might have lost any chance of gaining Tara’s trust, but he wasn’t about to give up on protecting her.
“Did both of you learn the layout?” he asked.
Charon nodded as he swallowed a drink of coffee. “Aye. The landscape is easy enough so that we can spot anyone approaching. There are a few spots we could use to our advantage if we need it.”
“Ah. On the left side of the castle, about two hundred yards out?” Ramsey asked.
Charon smiled. “That’s the one. The land naturally dips, and with a little help in making the hole larger, then covering it with snow, it could be used.”
“I’d rather just use our powers,” Arran said.
Ramsey shook his head. “Nay. There could be too many witnesses. If we can get away without calling forth our gods, then that’s what we need to do.”
“Besides, Ramsey has magic,” Charon replied with a sly grin.
Ramsey pushed back from the table and stood. His chest had tightened at their words, but he kept his voice normal when he spoke. “You better hope we can get Tara away so I doona have to use my magic and my power.”
Arran rose to his feet. “Why?”
“I’m going to get some rest,” Ramsey said.
Charon and Arran exchanged a worried look as they watched Ramsey walk away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Declan stared out the window of the inn, his anger growing with every beat of his heart. The weather had changed rapidly. Too rapidly.
“They’re saying this is the worst snowfall we’ve seen in decades,” Robbie said from the chair where he listened to the radio.
“Are they now?” Declan saw Robbie’s reflection in the mirror as he lifted his head.
Robbie frowned. “What is it?”
“Just a feeling, cousin.”
“About Tara?”
“I find it suspicious that we got such a nasty snowstorm as I was on my way to Tara.”
Robbie rose and walked to stand beside Declan at the window. “You think the Warriors are involved.”
It wasn’t a question. “I do.”
“I can take care of them with the X90 bullets.”
Declan turned his head and smiled at his cousin. “For all the Warriors’ strength, the power of their gods, and their immortality, seeing what a bit of drough blood does to them is priceless.”
“And how much pain.”
Declan chuckled. “At least we killed one of them during the last battle.”
“The one who was trying to reach Saffron, that huge hulking Warrior the color of brown?”
“Aye. He’s the one.”
“One down and how many more to go?”
Declan’s smile vanished. “That’s the problem. We doona know. Deirdre had a suspicion of how many were there, but she would never tell me.”
“I still can no’ believe Malcolm betrayed her.”
Declan fisted his hands. “I’m going to make him suffer for what he’s done.”
“We’ll have to find him first.”
“Oh, I’ve no doubt we’ll find him. But first, Tara. Once I have her undergo the ceremony to become drough, we’ll begin taking out the Warriors one by one.”
“It’s taken too long to reach Tara. She could have already run again.”
Declan tapped his finger on the windowsill. He wanted Tara to know he was coming for her. He wanted her terrified, and he knew Tara well enough to know just how to go about that.
He spun on his heels and knelt in the middle of the room. With his palms held facedown, he leaned back on his heels and closed his eyes. He kept Tara’s face in his mind as he began to chant the spell that would allow him to reach her mind if she was close enough.
Declan had tried this many times