Forever Doon

by Carey Corp

  As I plopped onto a floor pallet, Fergus appeared at the entryway. I’d asked him to follow me. I only had one written message, and with so many Doonians hungry for news, I had been waiting to pass the message along. He’d already been given assurances that his wife was well, but that was as much as we’d spoken so far.

  Looking like a true hunchback, the big man had to bend in half to fit inside. “How does Fiona fare?”

  “She’s amazing. I mean, she misses you so much, but she pretty much runs things back in Alloway.”

  “And ye said that there’s hundreds of Destined at your camp?”

  “Yes. They’re all ready to fight for Doon—and your wife is overseeing them all.”

  I watched my big friend’s chest swell with pride. “She’s not one to remain idle when there’s somethin’ that needs doin’. Especially for her kingdom.”

  “She sent you a note.” I reached into the gym bag I had packed for the trip and pulled out a folded sheet of pale purple paper. When I handed it to Fergus, he frowned and held it up to his nose.

  “It’s scented,” I explained. “Lavender like the color.”

  Fergus nodded. “Aye. Do ye mind if I read Fee’s letter in private?”

  He actually looked concerned that I would be offended by the request, which caused me to smile. “Not at all. Go.”

  With a thankful smile, he shuffled out of the teepee. And as soon as he left, Vee darted in. Since we shared a brain, I knew she’d been waiting outside for the right time to enter. Unlike Fergus, she didn’t have to duck at all to fit inside.

  She dropped to the pallet next to me with a frown. “Duncan says you aren’t going to the mountains with us.”

  Since our arrival in Doon, the ache in my heart had subsided. Now it returned so fast and hard I actually clutched my chest. “He said that?”

  “What’s going on with you two? Spill.” Vee arched a brow and hiked up her chin, clearly accustomed to using the Evil Highney to her advantage.

  I opened my mouth only to discover that the lump in my throat prevented me from forming words. Tears stung my eyes as I shook my head back and forth. Finally, I managed to squeak, “We broke up—I think.” With a gasp, I began to sob.

  Vee pulled me to her shoulder and let me ugly cry all over her. As I sniffled and snorted, I choked out the details of my training and Duncan pulling away. “The worst part is—with Jamie alive, it doesn’t even matter. Except that it does because he can’t take back what he said.”

  Vee rubbed my arm, comforting me like she had ever since we were little girls. “It sounds to me like it’s just a misunderstanding.”

  All cried out, I rested my cheek against her shoulder as she rocked us back and forth. “I don’t think so. He’s mad at me for forcing a conversation he didn’t want to have. Sometimes when you say things, you can’t unsay them. And once they’re said, you understand why they weren’t said before. You wish you’d never forced them to be said in the first place.”

  Vee snorted in agreement, prompting me to demand that she spill as well. “Try having the opposite problem.”

  She went on to tell me about Jamie’s escape from beheading and recapture. “I found him when I stormed the castle—thanks for the warning, by the way. But ever since Jamie came back, he’s different too . . . Not all the time—but he can change without warning. And of course he won’t tell me what happened during that time with Addie.”

  She lapsed into silence for a moment before continuing her rant. “I’m not just his girlfriend or his queen, we’re supposed to be getting married—”

  “When?” I demanded.

  “Someday . . .” She paused and twirled her hand to indicate the tent and everything that implied. “Before all this, we were going to tie the knot right after the coronation. But I have no idea how we can build a life together when he won’t open up to me.”

  “You want to know his darkest secrets.” Vee nodded, which I felt rather than saw, and I continued. “I’d settle for knowing what Duncan’s thinking at all. It’s like he’s made some decision that affects us both, but he won’t tell me what it is.”

  Vee’s hand moved from my arm to smooth my hair. “He’s just protecting you. And I guess, in his own way, Jamie’s protecting me.” She sighed. “Why don’t they understand that we need to protect one another?”

  “Because boys are stupid,” I blurted out. Suddenly we were laughing like a couple of deranged lunatics—until our faces hurt and our eyes gummed shut. Wiping my nose on her shirt, I said, “I’ve missed you.”

  Her fingers continued to thread their way through my hair. “Me too, Ken.”

  After another long pause, I sat up to face her. “So how do we convince our princes to stop protecting us for our own good?”

  Vee reflected for a moment. “I think we start by going to the mountains as a team.”

  “But Duncan thinks it’s not safe for me to go. I’m sure Jamie feels the same way about you going.”

  “Actually, he won’t go without me. Which is another issue all in itself.”

  Jamie MacCrae wouldn’t do something on his own? That was weird—especially where Vee’s safety was concerned. But I didn’t voice my shock.

  “You know,” Vee drawled. Her lips twisted into a mischievous grin. “There are perks to being the queen.”

  “Yeah, I get it. You can do whatever you want. Are you just trying to make me jealous?”

  She shook her head, the smile growing wider. “You’re the queen’s BFF. So if I want you to come with me to the mountains, you’re going to the mountains.”

  “Do you want me to come?”

  “Of course, Kenna. We’re stronger together than apart.” She threaded her fingers through mine so that our rings touched. Which gave me an idea . . .

  “Hey,” I said. “Remember when Addie had Jamie at Dunbrae Cottage, and your ring showed you where he was?”

  “Yes.” Her brows scrunched together as she tried to fill in the gaps of my seemingly random segue.

  “I want to try something. Come outside?”

  “Okay.” Hands still clasped, I stood and pulled her up.

  The afternoon had become almost warm, with the sun shining through the clouds like a long-lost friend. Camp life seemed to be in full swing and everyone scurried around with a sense of purpose. A group of women hung laundry from ropes strung between the trees. Matteo Rosetti helped his father, Mario, roast meat at the cook fire while the older Rosetti brother chopped wood with a fellow ginger nearby. The red-haired guy paused mid-swing and shot my bestie a lopsided grin that in our middle-school days would’ve rocketed her straight into crush-mode. She lifted her free hand and gave him a wave. He nodded and then arched the ax over his head, grunting as he let the blade fall.

  “Good thing Prince Jekyll & Hyde isn’t around to see that.”

  “Oh, shut it. Ewan’s been a good friend.” Vee tugged me toward a maze of teepees and tents.

  “How good a friend?”

  “You know me better than that.” And I did. No one could replace Jamie in her heart. But something told me that Ewan didn’t know her as well as I did.

  When we reached the edge of the camp, Lachlan and the youngest Rosetti boy raced past chasing a leather ball with two sticks, the Rosetti twins and Blaz on their heels. Twin one and twin two, their moves eerily in sync, flanked the younger boys and stole the ball. With a growl, Lachlan ducked his head and gave chase, his feet moving so fast he looked like the Road Runner. With a powerful swing, he snatched the ball back and wacked it hard toward the makeshift goal.

  “Nice move, Lachlan!” Vee called. The boy turned mid-cheer and answered his queen with a smart salute. With a grin, she saluted him back.

  I marveled at the unity Vee had created in the middle of the forest, in the midst of such dire circumstances. You’d think the people were at a clan gathering instead of hiding from a wicked witch and her evil minions. “How’d you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  I swept my ar
ms outward toward the camp we’d just passed through. “All of this.”

  Not missing a beat, Vee answered, “Believing is half the battle. And we all believe that together we can win.”

  Together . . . just like with the Destined at the bridge. I was sensing a theme in all of this.

  Taking her dainty hand in mine, I turned to face the purple peaks in the distance. Vee’s thoughtful eyes followed my gaze. “What are we doing?” she asked.

  “We’re going to use the rings to locate the people in the mountains.” My voice sounded far more confident than I felt. So far my success wielding Uncle Cameron’s ring had been spotty.

  “You’re brilliant!” Vee gasped. High praise, indeed, coming from a brainiac like her. She tightened her hold on my hand so that the silver of my ring touched the gold of hers. Vee inhaled slowly and then said, “Show us our people in the mountains. That we might find them . . .”

  “And save them,” I added.

  Instead of the red-and-green glow that preceded the white light, the rings flashed yellow and the streak of light zigzagged through the trees. Astonished, I watched it weave across the mountains until it disappeared in a small burst on the horizon.

  Vee giggled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the Protector of Doon had the Flash working for him. That’s where the rest of the Doonians are.”

  There was no way that Duncan could leave me behind now—despite how mad he was. Our gift, mine and Vee’s, would enable us to find the others. And perhaps the journey would give me the opportunity to figure out where Duncan stood. But the truth of the matter was, I was scared I’d already lost him.

  CHAPTER 27

  Jamie

  One of the songs on Veronica’s tiny music box claimed that the best love is insane. As I watched Veronica hike up the mountain beside Ewan Murray, laughing at his jokes, letting him touch her, and help her over muddy patches of earth, I had to agree. Waves of heat pulsed across my skin and I had to keep rolling my neck to loosen the knot between my shoulder blades.

  It didn’t help that it was my own blasted fault. When we’d first set off, she’d walked by my side, but then she’d begun to probe into my time as Addie’s captive and I’d dismissed her, saying we needed to focus on finding our people. Now I walked alone.

  Melting rivers of snow and mud made the crag treacherous, so Duncan and I were switching off taking point. We’d all agreed it was best to only use the rings’ guidance when absolutely necessary, since their light could attract unwanted attention. Currently, I was guarding our flank, which put me in perfect view of everyone in our small party.

  Directly behind Duncan, Alasdair MacCrae hiked the trail like a mountain goat despite being centuries old. Still unsure if we could trust him, we’d surmised it was better to keep him in our sights. Next, Kenna kept pace with surprising endurance and minimal complaints, but Duncan didn’t acknowledge her presence except for a brusque order now and then. Their interactions had been thus since their return home. I had a good notion why, and if my suspicions proved true, intended to speak to my brother of his folly.

  Eòran trudged on in forced silence. The man had stepped directly back into his role as the leader of Vee’s personal guard and since our confrontation at the bridge, spent most of his time watching me. And maybe he was right to. Since my escape from the castle something dark and volatile simmered just below the surface, begging for release.

  Murray had been invited along to help old Alasdair, which turned out to be unnecessary, and left the farm boy plenty of time to assist the ladies. Or one lady in particular.

  Vee’s boots began to slip on loose pebbles. I lurched forward and reached out, but Ewan got there first, wrapping an arm around her waist and then trotting her to the side in a little jig. Her soft laughter floated back to me and I drank it up like ambrosia.

  A pain shot into my left eye and I forced my jaw to unclench. I used to make her laugh like that. But now, I felt wrong, different, like I’d never be the person I was before my capture—that confident bloke who had been sure every decision he made was indisputably right. If truth be told, humility had not been one of my virtues. But that was before I’d thought and done things I could never escape—horrendous things. My fortitude had been tested and I’d failed.

  I dropped my hand to my side, realizing I’d been rubbing the witch’s brand burned into my skin. What would Vee think when she saw it? She would grieve to be sure, but would she secretly hate me for not being strong enough or smart enough to find a way out sooner?

  “Jamie!” Sharp knuckles cuffed my shoulder and on reflex I spun and punched my attacker square in the chest. Not expecting it, Duncan stumbled back, his feet sliding back through the mud before I caught him by the arm.

  Once he’d regained his balance, I released him and ran a hand over my eyes. “Apologies, mo bráthair. I’m a wee bit edgy.”

  Duncan stared at me hard as he rubbed his chest. “A wee bit? What on earth is wrong with ye? I said your name three times.”

  Choosing not to answer, I watched as the girls stopped up ahead and linked hands.

  “There’s a huge fissure cuttin’ the path in two,” Duncan explained. “We need to find an alternate route.”

  The rings ignited and golden light shot up and to the east. Shielding my eyes from the late afternoon sun, I followed the ring’s sparkling ray through a dense patch of forest, to a field of boulders that ended in an almost vertical cliff face. The trail had been steep in places, but this would require a whole new level of skill. “Isna Gilgog’s Face just beyond that ridge?” I pointed northeast.

  Duncan moved to my left to get a better angle. “Aye, it appears so.”

  “Armpit’s Cave,” we said at the same time as we exchanged a grin.

  We’d discovered Oxter’s Cave as boys. Narrow at its mouth, it opened into a domed cavern dripping with thin stalactites that Duncan and I had thought resembled underarm hair—thus the nickname.

  “Verranica,” I called. “Tha’s enough.” The girls disengaged the rings and the glittering beam winked out.

  Duncan and I trekked into the forest and scouted until we found the trampled grass and broken brush of a narrow deer trail. It wasn’t ideal, but it would make the going a bit easier for the others. “I’ll take point for this leg. Ye should speak to Mackenna.”

  My brother spun around, crossing his arms and widening his stance in the classic MacCrae defensive posture.

  I ignored it and pressed on. “I’m no’ blind, ye know. Ye’re pushing her away because you’re afraid of losing her.” Like you thought you lost me. I didn’t say the last bit, but I didn’t need to.

  Duncan’s eyes narrowed and his mouth pressed into a flat line, telling me I’d read him accurately. “Why don’t ye mind your own affairs?”

  “Dinna look so costive.” I gripped him by the shoulder, giving him a little push back toward the main trail. He walked ahead. “What ye feel for each other is no’ a vulnerability if ye use it to your advantage.”

  “Ye dinna understand.” He wacked at a low branch with his dirk, cutting it out of his path. “She’s more concerned for my welfare than her own. She’s impulsive and reckless. In battle, tha’s a liability for us both.”

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes to the heavens, glad he couldn’t see me. “And how do ye think you’d react if ye saw her get cut down? Would ye continue to fight or drop everythin’ and go to her?”

  His silence gave me the only answer I needed.

  “In unity there is great power.” I spoke the motto that accompanied the Doon coat of arms, as I’d done in different situations throughout my life. This time the words cut into my own pain, making me question some of my recent decisions.

  Not far from the main trail, Duncan spun to face me. “Ye mean fight wi’ her back to back? Keep her close?”

  “Aye.”

  “But if I do that . . .” He stared past me and scratched his brow. “I canna see her.”

  “Ye canna see me either,
when we fight.”

  “But I trust that ye can take care of yourself. And me, should it come to that.”

  I was already nodding. “Exactly. Ye’ve trained the girl, ye love her, now trust her.”

  My brother’s eyes shifted down and he ran his mud-crusted boot through the pine needles at our feet. And I knew the one thing I could say that would taunt him into listening. A mantra that I’d repeated so often in my head during my capture that it had lost all significance. But for Duncan the meaning would still ring true. “You’re not scairt.”

  His head snapped up and a grin tilted one side of his mouth just as a scream echoed through the forest. I spun and ran, drawing my sword as I crashed out of the trees and onto the main path. Six of the witch’s guards converged on Vee and the others. Eyes glowing incandescent violet, their moves uncannily synchronized, I didn’t recognize any of them. Whether they’d once been Doonians, I couldn’t say. These men had become soulless beings, irrevocably surrendered to the witch’s control.

  As if in slow motion, I saw that Eòran was already down and ran toward the soldier raising his sword to the queen. Veronica spun, braid flying out behind her as she hurled an ax into the dead center of the creature’s throat.

  Make that five.

  Another guard rushed her and I rammed into him, knocking him off his feet. The sword flew out of his hand and I finished him quickly.

  I leapt to my feet as Mackenna took out another with a left jab, followed by a knife to the thing’s gut. Duncan and Ewan fought the remaining three and I rushed to join the fray. Not one to be left out, Alasdair brandished a dirk in front of him. “Come at me, ye witless neffits!”

  A guard stepped toward him, and without hesitation the old man threw the knife and it stuck in the creature’s shoulder. The wound wasn’t deep, but the soldier froze and stared into space before taking off down the path like a shot.

  “Murray! Don’t let him escape!” I ordered.