“I’m afraid so.” She impressed Bryce with how confident she sounded when he knew her inner thoughts were anything but. “Angus, you and I should stand at the stern of the ship for better visibility. You navigate the quickest route, tides or not, and my friends and I will handle the rest.”
“Aye, then my wee lassie,” Angus said, his mental wheels already spinning. “Either we can cut between the isles of Stroma and Swona, but that brings us over a sand wave field with the fastest tides and highest waves, dark magic or no.” His eyes met hers. “Or we sail along the coast south of Stroma and ride the shores along Dunnet Head and Tang Head straight past Duncansby Head.” He frowned. “Though that route brings us dangerously close to land on either side.”
“Is one faster than the other?” she asked.
“’Twould all depend on the direction of the winds and the roll of the sea,” Angus replied.
Jessie thought about that for a moment. “I think further away from land is better.”
He nodded and said, “Aye, then,” before he headed for the stern and started giving more orders.
“Why further away from land?” Bryce asked, sensing there was more to this. “Outside of the obvious risk of shipwreck, that is.”
“The closer we are to land, the more threatening the warlock’s influence,” she explained. “And my guess is, the worse the weather and seas will be as well.”
“’Tis a mighty amount of magic he’s using to create this storm, aye?” he said as the winds picked up even more and the skies grew blacker still.
“All he has,” she said softly as her eyes met his. “Angus is already ahead of schedule. If he gets through this as fast as we need him to, we’ll want to convince him to drop anchor for the night so we can go ashore and find the warlock. He’ll be at his weakest then after using so much magic. That will likely be our one and only chance to destroy him.”
Bryce nodded as they joined Angus and presented the idea to him.
He frowned, perplexed. “We’re to risk our lives in the firth because we cannae take an extra day or two to go north yet ye want me to drop anchor for a whole eve?”
“If you hope us to finish off the bastard causing all this weather, yes,” Jessie said. “And we’ll be back bright and early in the morning.” There was a distinct warning to her tone as her eyes stayed with the MacDonald captain. “If I don’t end my enemy he will end your country once and for all.”
Angus eyed her for another long moment before he finally agreed. “Aye then, lassie. ‘Twill be as ye wish.”
She nodded as the oarsmen propelled them forward even faster.
“Keep them rowing until the last possible moment,” she said. “Then, as I’m sure you already know, have them strap themselves down to whatever they can find.” She glanced behind them. “You’ll want your strongest man on the rudder. Maybe a few men.”
Angus nodded and started barking more orders as he handed Bryce and Jessie leather straps. As the ship lolled, Bryce braced for balance on the slick deck and tied her off. When their eyes met, he didn’t miss a flicker of fear for him.
“I’ll be all right, lass.” He shook his head. “But I willnae be tying off.”
“So you can shift more easily, right?”
He could shift either way but wanted to be able to move more freely in case her bindings came undone.
When he nodded and offered no response, she narrowed her eyes and murmured, “It works both ways you know. I’d like to hear your thoughts aloud too.”
“Aye, then, lass.” He cupped her cheek and repeated what she already knew, his voice firm. “I willnae risk not being able to go after you if your bindings come loose.”
“If that happens I’ll likely already be overboard,” she pointed out.
“Aye, and I’ll be right behind you.”
She sighed and frowned. “I won’t be able to concentrate if I’m worrying about you.”
“Aye, lass, you will because everyone’s lives depend on it.” He would not budge on this. “Dinnae worry. I’m verra strong.” Then he reminded her just how strong. “Besides, soon enough I’ll be shifting so you’ll not have to worry anymore.”
The skies darkened even more as they sped not just into the storm but the firth itself. Jessie's eyes went to the horizon then back to him, her words a warning.
“It’s happening fast now.” As their gaze held he felt her inner strength grow and her courage bolstered just from knowing he would be working alongside her. She also knew he would remain resolute in not tying off, and had no choice but to trust he would be all right. “Be careful, Bryce and remain vigilant at all times.” Her voice softened. “I don’t want to lose you.”
He had just enough time to nod his assurance before she looked at Angus and gave the go-ahead. “It’s time to pull the oars in.”
As the men followed the order and strapped down, Bryce contacted his kin.
“Are ye two ready?” he said into Graham’s and Christina’s minds as day became night, and inky clouds swallowed the sky. The air became thick and oppressive and the sea murky and black. “’Tis bound to be verra rough.”
“Aye, we’re ready,” Graham responded.
“We sure are,” Christina replied, a touch of excitement in her inner voice. “Thanks to Graham’s magical influence, I’m not nervous at all now.”
No sooner did she respond than rain came in a thick, pounding wall of water.
Surrounded by so much water, not just in the ocean but in the clouds and rain, Graham was certainly the best wizard to have along right now. His power should be magnified a great deal. And though this wasn’t particularly the sort of battle Christina’s gift was designed for, he suspected her powers would amplify Graham’s just as much as his did hers.
Bryce held on tight when the ship leaned back precariously, and they began climbing a wave that almost seemed to have doubled in height from the ones they had ridden moments ago. Blinding chain lightning electrified the air as it zig-zagged in every direction, webbing across not just the sky but the ocean.
“Bloody hell,” Angus roared, his eyes wild as he offered an insane smile.
Wind speeds increased and jerked the ship forward even faster, causing it to grunt and groan as it crested another monster wave and they raced down the other side. The firth itself was a frightening sight to behold. Dark and foreboding, it seemed like they were racing into the gaping hole of Hell. The sound of its very water was both roaring and haunting. As though the ocean itself was crying out in pain at how harshly it was being treated.
Ear-piercing thunder cracked and boomed, vibrating the ships and even the seawater.
Rain slashed down from every direction, as the ships listed violently. Waves crashed over one side then the other, in a heavy, almost painful deluge. Though it was a tremendous strain on his muscles, Bryce never let go and certainly never left Jessie’s side.
“It’s time,” she said into his mind as her eyes met his and she repeated what she had said before. “Be careful.”
“Aye, lass, you too.”
Though loathe to leave her, he knew they had no choice. So he waited for the perfect opportunity between ship rolls, raced to the edge, leapt and shifted. His vision hazed with the red of his dragon as he struggled to gain altitude in the rough weather. He had never experienced such turbulence. Yet his dragon was strong. More than that, his need to keep Jessie safe and protect his country was even stronger.
Well aware Graham was already bonding his magic with Bryce’s and manipulating the water around the fleet, Bryce looped around. Once he had a firm hold on Angus’ ship, he began to steer it. As he did, Graham’s magic ensured that all the other boats experienced the same. It would be as though Bryce were at the back of each and every one.
As it turned out, he had never experienced anything so challenging as navigating that firth.
The waves seemed like wild, shifting mountains. The rain was brutal and the icy winds ferocious. Even with Graham manipulating the water and t
rying to keep them heading straight into the waves, Bryce’s dragon barely managed it.
If nothing else, this was an enormous show of power on the warlock’s part.
“Whatever happens,” Jessie said into his mind, her inner voice remarkably strong and level. “Keep doing what you’re doing until every last ship and man is free from this storm.”
“I dinnae like the sound of that,” he replied. “What are you up to?”
“It doesn't matter,” she responded. “Just promise you’ll do as I ask...not just for me but for your country.”
Though he didn’t like her vagueness one bit, he grunted, “Aye, then.”
That’s when he spied the warlock in the far distance standing on the shore. His arms were raised in the air and his fury a twisting, rotten blackness around him. A fury Bryce sensed had more to do with betrayal than anything else.
By the looks of it, they were already about halfway through the firth.
Frustratingly enough, though he continued utilizing all his strength, his dragon was beginning to struggle. Everyone was as they tried to keep the fleet from being demolished. Graham and Christina’s ring had ignited and threw forth as much power as it was capable of. Jessie was manipulating the air and grappling with getting the winds under control. Even his mother and Aðísla’s magic were wrapped up in this, as lightning was kept from hitting the ships.
Yet he sensed the storm overwhelming them anyway.
The warlock was winning.
“It’s time Sven,” Jessie said into their minds, alerting Bryce as well that things were about to happen above and beyond the maelstrom they were already in.
Seconds later, Sven shot into the air and headed for shore.
Protecting himself, the warlock directed some of his wrath at Sven’s dragon. That meant his full power wasn’t directed at them anymore. This, it seemed, was when Jessie intended to make her move.
And what she did utterly shocked him.
Hands flung in the air, she manipulated all four elements at once and created a magnificent manifestation. A display only intensified by her own newly discovered dragon magic.
A monstrous wall of fire.
A barrier of roaring flames, it expanded across the entire firth and went as high as the eye could see. Strategically placed between them and the warlock, it crackled and hissed, steaming the ocean though it didn’t put off much heat. Good thing because it would have likely turned the entire firth into one big boiling cauldron.
Moments later, a wave far larger than any before it swelled behind them and carried the entire fleet forward. By manipulating the wind, Jessie kept the fire away from them. And by manipulating the Earth, she kept the ships from cracking apart under the pressure of a wave propelling them forward so quickly.
Meanwhile, Bryce held on tight, braced his wings and kept them steady as they flew forward at an alarming speed. Men far and wide roared in what was likely a mix of terror, excitement and maybe even triumph.
By all appearances, they were going to do this.
They were going to make it.
Or so he thought until they were minutes away from clearing the firth. That’s when his worst fear happened.
Jessie’s strap snapped.
Though she initially fell forward as momentum dictated, she must have used her magic to veer right and go overboard instead. He roared in denial and was about to dive after her when her sharp words slammed into his mind. “No, Bryce, see this through and keep them safe.”
Infuriated because he was so helpless, he roared in denial again. She had used her dragon magic to order him. A magic so strong that his dragon literally could not break free from it. He became a puppet to her wishes.
And those wishes about broke his heart.
“Hell, no,” Christina said. “Hold on, Jessie. I’m comin’ for ya, honey.”
He felt Graham’s distress as Christina suddenly went overboard, somehow managing to dive off the side of the ship despite its momentum. She had embraced her godly magic, glowing brightly as she vanished beneath the dark water.
“Bloody hell,” Graham roared but kept steadfast and never stopped utilizing his magic. While terrified for Christina, Bryce sensed Graham’s faith in her superhuman strength. His faith that she would be all right and save Jessie.
That, as it turned out, helped Bryce more than his cousin knew.
Determined, refocused, he helped his cousin and Aðísla keep the fleet on course, riding a wave the likes of which mankind had never seen. It was definitely a ride for the ages for Angus and his men. One that finally lost its momentum as they, at last, sailed out of the firth.
Half a breath later, the wall of fire fell, and a majestic stream of sunlight broke through the blackness. The rain stopped, and the winds died. Shortly after that, the wave dwindled down to nothing, dark clouds curled away, and the sun shone brightly.
Roars of happiness rumbled through the ships as ashen-faced men unstrapped themselves, cheered and clapped each other on the back. Wide smiles and laughter abounded as they continued celebrating.
Bryce wasted no time but tucked his wings and dove into the ocean, roaring Jessie’s name telepathically. Fear struck him anew when he couldn’t sense her at all. She was gone from his mind, leaving a gaping hole of intolerable emptiness. That’s when he knew how incomplete he had truly been before he met her.
Though the ocean was calming down on top, the currents remained harsh underwater. Where were they? Despite his superior sight it was difficult to see through all the sediment being churned up from the ocean floor.
“I’ve got her,” Christina said. “But I sure could use your help, sugar.”
He noticed she didn’t mention Jessie’s status, but that was probably for the best right now. He needed to focus and get them to safety.
“I’m coming, Christina,” he responded, his dragon senses homing in on the direction her voice was coming from. “Just keep talking.”
“You got it.” He could hear the forced smile in her voice. “You and I were in a similar position not too long ago, eh?”
“Aye, lass.” She was referring to when she had been kidnapped and taken to Stirling Castle. No one but Bryce could hear her then. “You don’t have to describe things this time. Just keep talking.”
So she did. About random things. Mostly how impressed she was with Graham. How well he used his magic. How happy she was to be with him. How she swore her unborn child helped them back there.
That would not surprise him. Yet he felt for Graham as he considered it. Just knowing how he feared for Jessie’s safety before all this, Bryce couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be if he knew she carried his bairn. Naturally, that brought him straight to thoughts of sharing a child with Jessie. How very much the idea appealed to him. How, for that matter, he couldn’t conceive of it not happening.
So without meaning to, he managed to upset both himself and his dragon even further about Jessie’s state of well-being right now. How she might be gone before they had a chance to experience the wonders of a child together. Infuriated at the injustice of it, he picked up his pace, eager to find her.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long.
Christina was closer to shore than anticipated and pulling Jessie right along.
“Jessie?” he said into her mind. “Are ye well, lass?”
Dead silence.
Renewed terror filled him as he realized he was only detecting Christina’s and her unborn child’s heartbeat, not Jessie’s.
“Hold on to her,” he roared into Christina’s mind before he swooped below them, then surfaced the water with them on his back before he lifted into the air.
Thankfully, Sven was still alive and battling it out with the warlock on the craggy shore.
“Can you save Jessie?” he pleaded into Sven’s mind. “Is she dragon enough?”
Unfortunately, Sven’s magical abilities to heal only applied to fellow dragons.
“Maybe,” Sven replied.
Maybe
was better than nothing.
“Aye then,” he responded. “When I land, ye see to Jessie, and I’ll battle the bloody warlock.”
Sven agreed. “He’s weakened a great deal but still very strong.”
Good. He was up for some vicious fighting before he ripped him to shreds.
The moment he deposited Jessie and Christina, he and Sven raced by one another. The Viking to save Jessie and Bryce to avenge his lass.
The warlock was a pathetic looking thing up close, his inky black skin hanging on a boney frame. Bryce roared fire at him as the warlock deflected and taunted him. “You think you’ll ever truly get her, Scotsman? That my granddaughter will ever be free of us? Of me and all I created.”
Bryce didn’t bother responding but kept attacking him in every way he could think of. He used his wings and tail as a battering ram, his talons as non-stop blade thrusts and always his fire. But it wasn’t enough. The warlock held him off, his raspy words challenging. “She will always belong to the darkness no matter what happens. You will never free her.”
Like hell, he wouldn’t.
He would free her if it were the last thing he did.
For a warlock who was supposed to be so intelligent, he wasn’t very bright instigating a dragon. Especially one fueled by as much vengeance as Bryce felt.
With fresh fury in his heart and an undying rage for all Jessie had been put through, he roared fire at him again. This time, the stream of flames was even longer and more powerful than before. An inferno of searing death that seemed to get past the warlock’s defenses enough to singe him.
Or so said the steam rising off him as he staggered back.
Bryce didn’t back down but kept coming at him with everything he had and everything he felt. This warlock contained the essence of her grandfather. The man who was responsible for so much pain and heartache. The man responsible for stealing Jessie’s life from her for so very long. Beyond angry, enraged, he roared fire again, and the ground shook.
This time, it burned the warlock even more, and he stumbled and fell on his back.
Avenged by a Highland Laird (The MacLomain Series: A New Beginning Book 4) Page 14
