by Victoria Zak
Effie was about to fight her way to the courtyard when Tavish grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him as he made his way through the hectic stream of panicked people. “Ye dinnae know when to stop, do ye!” He shoved her forward with a dagger pointed in her side.
Tavish was too strong for her to fight but her will was stronger. She screamed out to Conall and tried again to mind speak. Shift, Conall, please!
~~~~~
Sir Henry, now unarmed, managed to find his bearings, ball his fist and connect. The blow blurred Conall’s vision and he was disoriented. But he could have sworn he heard Effie’s voice, even though she was far away. “Shift, Conall, please!” Her voice was barely coming through to him, like a whisper. He blinked his eyes, trying to shake off the blow.
Then he felt it like a blast of power radiating through every muscle in his body; every fiber of his being tingled. His brothers were here. As if he’d drank some kind of magic concoction, the thickness that he had felt in his veins began to dilute, unlocking his dragon’s cage. The dragon deep inside of him paced relentlessly as he waited for the bars to crumble.
Conall managed to get to his knees while Henry was engrossed with the two dragons laying waste to his garrison. But as Conall looked further, he realized it wasn’t the two dragons that were causing Henry’s armor to rust. Slowly Conall looked behind him and to his surprise a white-scaled, green-eyed colossal beast stood, staring down at Henry with the intent to kill in his eyes.
“Caden,” Conall said, confirming his suspicions.
“Who else would be daft enough to stick around?”
Conall smiled. Never in his life had he been happier to see his Kine. Even though there were many questions that needed to be answered about Caden, they would have to wait.
Finally finding the strength, Conall stood and stared down at Henry who was left speechless and motionless from shock. “Ye English should never underestimate the Highland dragon.” Reaching down soul deep, he called forth his dragon, who itched to be freed. He leaned his head back with arms spread wide open to the sky as his dragon surfaced with force.
Silvery-gray scales erupted where flesh had once been. Eyes billowed with storm clouds with the tiniest black slit in the middle. Large curved blade-sharp talons replaced fingers that were ready to rip through human skin. Conall was a storm dragon through and through.
Conall swept his barbed tail with razor-sharp spikes across the ground, connecting with Sir Henry’s legs. Before the knight knew what had happened, he was knocked to the ground, motionless from fear.
One thing for sure, victory or not, Henry knew when to retreat and today was one of those times when you left with your tail tucked. Henry ran in the opposite direction to the four massive beasts, calling to his troops to retreat.
Blazing arrows whizzed through the air and embedded their ends into Conall’s thick scaled skin as if they were pesky biting insects. As he called to the skies, the graying clouds broke with a flash of lightning, sending rain crashing down to the earth and fizzling out the flames.
“Conall!”
He turned to where Effie had been sitting but she was gone, along with Tavish. He growled and searched the crowd to find her but with all the chaos he couldn’t make out one person from another. He would have to follow her voice. “Effie, lass, can ye hear me?”
“Aye, thank God ye can hear me,” Effie said.
“Where are ye? I’m coming for ye.”
“South tower. Tavish... he’s going to kill me.”
Conall looked toward the south tower and his heart sank. His world halted and time froze. If he didn’t reach that tower now, his life would never be the same again. He roared a desperate cry as he took to the sky.
Chapter 17
Tavish stood behind Effie as he pushed her up the stairway of the south tower, kicking her along the way. “Ye couldn’t leave things be could ye, whore!” His voice, dripping with hate, bounced off the stone walls and chilled Effie to the core. She’d seen Tavish mad before but not like this. His eyes were furiously staring at her, piercing straight through her.
“I had this all worked out.” He kicked her again when she stopped to take a breath. “Father would die. I would become laird and ye would be married off not only for me gain but so ye wouldn’t mess things up.”
“Tavish, I dinnae understand.” She winced in pain and coughed.
As they reached the top of the tower, Tavish pushed Effie toward the battlement wall. He paced back and forth with bitter steps, raking his hand through his hair. “I’ve paved me path to insure me place here in this clan. Even sold my soul and I won’t allow ye to destroy everything I’ve built.”
“Tavish, ye’ve built yer house oot of lies. I know that clan Douglas didnae attack the tower and I know for a fact Conall didnae murder our father.”
Tavish sneered. “Ye think ye’ve figured me oot, huh?”
“I know ye killed father, didnae ye?” The statement came out more as an accusation than a question. She wondered where she found the courage to stand up to Tavish. Mayhap she owed it to her father to discover the truth behind his murder or she owed it to herself for the years she’d kept this part of her life hidden. She just prayed that she wouldn’t be taking the information to her grave.
Tavish stopped in mid-pace. “I did kill the auld goat.”
Effie closed her eyes tightly, trying hard not to cry. How her father must have suffered. For the love of saints, she hoped he hadn’t suffered for long. “But why? Ye were his only son, next in line as clan chief. Surely ye had nothing to gain by killing him?”
“Me dear sweet sister, ye really dinnae know.” He stopped pacing and stalked toward Effie, causing her to take a few steps back.
“Know what, Tavish?” Panic pricked her spine as he advanced. Dark, insidious eyes pinned her and she froze.
“I’m father’s bastart child. I will never claim his position as long as ye live. Ye’re the next true blood-tie to the house of Maxwell. Ye see, I thought by marrying ye off to Sir Henry I’d gain not only a powerful ally but ye’d be far away from here, living in England. Ye’d be no longer a threat.”
“Tavish, I-”
Tavish silenced her with his hand held in front of him. “Why couldn’t ye have done what ye were told?”
Effie couldn’t believe it. All these years she had known Tavish to be her flesh and blood. There was a time in their life before her mother died that Tavish had been a worthy brother to her. Now she understood his motives to break her down so she wouldn’t be a threat to his dreams of becoming a clan chief. Power and greed overcame loyalty and love.
Tavish stalked her until she reached the battlement wall. Rough stone bit into her back as there was nowhere else to go.
The wind blew and there was a chill in the air. A loud clap of thunder broke, shaking the earth as rain began to fall at a slow rhythmic pace. Effie desperately needed to find a way to escape. She turned her head to the side, looking down from the tower; nothing below her could stop her fall. It was a clear shot down into unforgiving ground. She would surely meet her maker if she decided to jump.
As she looked to the upper level of the curtain wall, people were running for their lives, their screams deafening as they ran from the dragons. A trail of English garrison retreated out of the front gates. Sir Henry came into view as he mounted up on his warhorse and rode off. The Maxwell army was trying to calm the town folk whilst defending themselves from a few rogue Englishmen. Caerlaverock Castle was in complete chaos.
As she looked to the center of the courtyard, a massive silver dragon stood, radiating vigorous strength. He stared back at her and she could hear Conall talking to her. She smiled, knowing that her dragon was free.
Pain ripped through her head as Tavish fisted a hand full of wet red hair. She was yanked backwards, close to the edge of the battlement wall. Her hand immediately flew to his, trying to loosen his grip. “Please Tavish, I have no desire to be clan chief. I am no threat to ye.”
S
he struggled against him but he was too strong. He pulled her head back until it hung over the edge of the wall, causing her feet to almost leave the ground. “Please, Tavish! Dinnae do this!”
Tavish clasped her throat with his other hand. Curling his fingers around her neck, he squeezed. “I dinnae believe ye. Ye turned me men against me and started a rebellion with Sir Neil. Tell me, Effie, did ye really think ye’d get away with it?”
“I... had to save,” she choked and attempted to pry his fingers away from her throat, “Conall.”
A sinister laugh erupted from his mouth, as if he had gone daft. “Ye will pay for me losses here tonight.”
As he removed his hand from her hair, he lifted Effie up by the neck until her feet no longer touched the ground. Through the daze of dizziness the fight to stay alive overruled the weakness her body felt. As her arms went limp, she fought to get hold of the object she had sheathed up her sleeve. It wasn’t much of a dagger, but a blade she hoped would save her life.
With one fluid motion and never second guessing herself, the dagger was unsheathed and she stabbed her brother underneath the ribcage. Twisting the cold steel as far as it would go until the tip hit bone, she held his mortified stare.
Wide-eyed and with his mouth gaping open, Tavish, with all the force he could gather up, pushed Effie backwards as he released her neck and grabbed the hilt of the dagger, pulling it out from his chest. With the force of the push, Effie lost her balance and stumbled backwards over the battlement wall.
In one hopeless attempt, she clutched at the air and prayed that by some miracle the wall of the tower would expand and she could grab the edge and save herself. But alas those kind of miracles weren’t made for her; the top of the tower grew smaller and smaller, faster and faster as she fell. She was going to die.
Funny what goes through people’s minds as they are about to die, Effie thought. Even though her every instinct told her to panic and fight for her life, she let go.
Closing her eyes, she felt the wet sting of rain on her face, the air felt light around her as if she was floating instead of falling. She made peace with God and thanked Him for the time she’d had with Conall. Not everyone could say that they had been truly and fully loved by another. Not everyone found true love and for that she had been blessed, even though it had only been for five short years.
She was thankful for the courage she had shown, rebelling against her brother. It warmed her heart knowing she would see her ma and da again, for she knew Neil would make sure she rested alongside of the lord and lady of Caerlaverock Castle. Tavish on the other hand, would burn in hell for the evil he’d brought upon their family. And for that reason alone she could rest in peace.
Surely God would forgive her, knowing her wrongs were all in the name of love.
“I got ye, lass.”
As if a bird high in the sky had swooped down and scooped her up, large silver talons gently wrapped around her body and drew her up into a scaled chest. “’Tis a fine day for flying, aye?” Conall jested as Effie sobbed and shook uncontrollably into his shiny silver-gray scales. Her arms clenched around his chest, holding on for dear life. She knew she was safe with Conall.
~~~~~
With a few hefty pumps of his wings, Conall caught the wind and flew them back up to the battlements. He didn’t want to think about how he almost hadn’t made it to Effie on time. His life had stood still as he’d watched the love of his life falling from the tower and rapidly plunging to her death. Never in his life had he felt as helpless as he did standing there frozen, not able to move from the horrid scene. Thank the gods that be that his dragon instincts seized the moment, taking flight and aiming for Effie without hesitation.
As soon as he took flight, Caden was right there with him. It seemed as though he owed this stranger for helping him defeat the odds, yet there were questions that needed answering, like how in the hell he ended up in the Maxwell dungeon, and why he had been keeping his dragon a secret. In due time he would find out his cellmate’s past. Right now he wanted to focus on the lass cuddled next to him.
“Are ye alright?”
Conall began to worry, Effie was quiet. Almost falling to one’s death would leave one in a wee bit of shock. Her cold frame pressed into his scales and confirmed his fear; she was going into shock.
“Effie, love, stay with me and focus on me voice. Ye’re goin` to be ok; I’ve got ye. By the way, a grown woman should know better than to stand too close to the edge of the battlement walls,” he jested, trying to make her smile or at least swat at him so he would know she was alright. On the contrary his attempt was failing as she shuddered against his talons.
Banking to the right, Conall flew in with a soft landing, careful not to jostle the fine piece of cargo he carried. He steadied Effie on her feet. Conall had to know what had happened and where Tavish had run off to. But his curiosity was appeased as he saw Tavish lying on the ground face up in a pool of blood with a dagger in his hands. The bastard had gotten what he deserved, yet he wished he was the one carrying the burden and not Effie.
Transforming back into his naked human form, he wrapped Effie up in his arms and held her as Caden made his landing a few feet behind them, still in dragon form. “Lass, talk to me. I need to know ye fare well.”
With her back facing her brother’s body, she asked, “Is... he...” Effie’s voice was a mere whisper and trailed off.
“Dead?”
“Aye.”
She looked up at Conall and her forest-green eyes pinned his heart, causing it to shatter into pieces. “I killed me brother?”
“Nay, ye defended yerself. Dinnae allow him to make ye feel guilty. He was going to kill ye. I saw him push ye off the edge of the battlements.”
“And ye,” she took his face in her shaking hands, “ye saved me.” Tears streamed down her freckled cheeks. “Ye saved me.”
“Och, lass, we still have a wedding to plan and I surely can no’ do that on me own.” He smiled down at her.
For a brief moment she smiled, however it was replaced by despair. Stepping out from his embrace, she shook her head and said, “Conall, I’m already married to Sir Henry. I had to... Tavish--”
“I do no’ blame ye, lass.” Conall’s jaw ticked and tightened as he thought about his Effie married to another man. “I do believe ye said aye to me first. And I do recall,” he leaned toward her until his lips brushed against her ear, “we sealed the deal, we made love.”
As he straightened up, he forged ahead. “I would bet my dragon on it that Sir Henry will no longer show his face around here after seeing four massive dragons. He’s probably annulling the marriage as we speak as long ye didnae, ye know.” Conall couldn’t bring himself to say it, although she would have had no say so in the matter, it was not like she could have fought off a six-foot tall knight when he wanted to bed his wife on their wedding day.
“Nay.”
“Good thing, lass. Ye have nothing to worry about.”
“No’ true, Conall, before I stabbed Tavish, he told me that he was me father’s bastart child and I was the rightful heir to take me father’s place as clan chief. That’s why he killed me father and planned to marry me off, send me far away from Scotland so I’d never find out.”
“So he did all of this to secure his place as clan chief?”
“Aye.”
Conall pulled Effie back into his arms. “We have time, we’ll figure this oot together, understand?” He pulled her away to look deep into her eyes. “Together.”
“Together.” She smiled.
Bending his head down, he took her head in his hands, captured her lips and kissed her feverishly.
The rain stopped as Conall’s soul settled and the wind died down to a breeze, yet the clouds remained gray. Long red hair whipped in the air, wrapping around him like soft silk, filling his senses with her sweet honey scent. The woman in his arms was his world and he would die defending her. He just wished he could have saved her sooner.
Eff
ie’s body went deadly limp in his arms and he heard a thump. He broke the kiss as she slipped deeper into his embrace. She looked at him confused, as her brows furrowed in pain. “Conall?”
Slipping his hands around her limp body, holding her up, his hand grazed a hard object protruding from her back. Her dress was wet and when he pulled his hand away it was covered in blood. “Effie, nay!” Conall dropped to the ground with Effie in his arms. She had been stabbed.
A snicker of pure evil brought his attention to Tavish as he laughed and coughed up blood. “X marks the whore. She deserves to die.” With one last breath and an undying will for revenge, Tavish had taken the dirk from his chest and flung it into her back.
Gently Conall laid Effie down on her side and strode over to Tavish like an animal ready to go in for the fatal blow. Bending down he grabbed the bastard by his neck until he was hanging in the air. “I will take great pleasure in killing ye for everything ye put yer sister through. Forever may ye rot in Hell.” Conall squeezed until he heard vertebrae crack and pop, and saw the bastard’s eyes bulging from their sockets. When he felt Tavish’s body jerk for the last time, he released his grip allowing the bastard to crumple to the ground.
Effie coughed, bringing Conall’s attention back to her. He ran to the wounded lass lying on the wet ground and scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. “Effie, stay with me.”
At that moment James and Rory flew in, hitting the ground in their naked human form.
“Conall, what happened and who’s this?” James asked and pointed to Caden.
Caden growled at the rude tone in James’s voice.
“I dinnae have time to answer. Effie is wounded and I’m losing her,” Conall said.
James walked over and stood behind Conall, witnessing the severity of Effie’s condition. “The lass needs to see Abigale. And fast.”
“Aye.”
“And whatever ye do, do not remove that blade until me wife has seen her. If anyone can heal her, it’s Abigale.”
