by B. J. Scott
“Are you going to just sit there twiddling your thumbs and feeling sorry for yourself, or are you ready to get out of these gracious accommodations?” Blair laughed.
Alex sprang to his feet. “What are you doing here? How did you get past Laurel and Hardy, or need I ask?” The words comparing the guards to a twentieth century comedy team slipped out before he could stop them.
“While I again find your odd choice of words baffling, I took care of the guards if that is what you are asking.” He dangled the ring of keys that unlocked the cell door. “Say please and I will let you out.”
“Open the door, damn it. There is no time to jest.” Alex grabbed onto the bars and rattled the door. “Ciara needs me, and there can’t be much time left before midnight.”
Blair jammed the key into the lock and gave it a twist, the door swinging open. “There is only about half an hour before midnight, so we will have to make haste.”
“If you were going to risk your neck to free me, why did you wait so long?” Alex asked, a little more harshly than he intended. He didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but Blair had left things to the last minute, leaving him very little time to help Ciara.
“I wanted to wait until most of the castle was asleep and the guards would be groggy,” Blair replied with a grin. “I made sure of it by adding a wee bit of belladonna to a couple of mugs of ale. I then sent Maggie, the kitchen wench, to offer the guards a drink. Of course they couldna refuse either the ale or the lass.” He wiggled a brow. “They are both out cold and we are free to pass.”
“Then best we go while we can.” Alex brushed by Blair, almost knocking his cousin off his feet. He rushed down the corridor, past the two guards, and sprinted up the stairs, with Blair on his heels.
When they reached the main corridor of the castle, Blair placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder, forcing him to pause. “Hold. Let me check to see the coast is clear. The last thing we need is someone waking your da and telling him you have escaped. Once we’ve rescued the lass and you are away, I will return to my chamber and climb into bed. That way when the guards wake up and sound the alarm, I will be fast asleep in my room. Or so they’ll think.”
Blair opened the door and peered into the hallway. “There is no one around. Let’s go.” He darted down the hall and out of castle.
Alex followed, but when they reached the bailey he stopped.
Blair came to an abrupt halt and whipped around to face Alex. “Come on, there is na time to dally. It takes at least ten minutes to reach the well.”
“We are not going anywhere. I need to do this alone, Blair. I must face Cailleach on her turf and do it on my own if I have any hope of saving Ciara.”
“I’ve come this far and am na going to turn back now. Go without me if you wish, but I will follow,” Blair snapped. “So we can either go together and stop wasting time or continue to argue and miss the chance to stop the hag from throwing Ciara in the well. The choice is yours.”
“You’re a stubborn, hardheaded, fool,” Alex said.
“Aye. And where would you be right now without me?” Blair countered.
“I have to admit you have a point.” Alex raked his fingers through his hair. “Without your help, I would never have been able to rescue Ciara from the well the other day, and would be sitting in the dungeon as we speak.”
“Then let’s be away, cousin.”
“You can come, Blair. But only under one condition. When we reach the well, I need you to wait outside. Do you agree not to interfere?”
Blair nodded. “Aye, you have my word on it.”
“Fine. Let’s go.” Alex took off running. He intended to offer the talisman in exchange for Ciara’s life, but if the hag refused or he sensed for one minute that she intended to double cross him, he planned to catch her off guard, tackle her about the waist, and hurl them both into the well. He’d not relinquish his hold until Cailleach stopped struggling and sank like a stone. And while he might drown in the process, Ciara would live, he’d honor the promise made to his father, and the amulet would be where the Druids intended.
Chapter Ten
Ciara stood with her back pressed against the wall of the cave, watching Cailleach pace in front of the entranceway, mumbling in Gaelic. She’d given up all hope of being rescued and just wanted to get the inevitable over and done. “If you mean to kill me, why na do it now and get it over with.”
The hag paused and glared at Ciara. “I fully intend to toss you into the well and allow the demons of the netherworld to drag you down. But it must be done after midnight on the second day of February and not before, or the magic willna work.”
“I’ll be dead and you will be honor bound to release the land from winter. What difference does it make when you do the deed?”
“If I were to do it now, I’d not be granted the favor of your beauty, youth, and vitality for the next twenty-one years,” the hag snapped. “I accepted the talisman in exchange for a virgin eons ago and it teased me with brief glimpses of youth.”
“And if Alex gives it back to you, you will have that again.”
“That’s not enough,” Cailleach spat. “I want the perpetual youth I’ll gain from your sacrifice and that of those who follow you. What I failed to understand when I agreed to the exchange was that after I’d drunk from the well once, I must continue to do it forever unless I have a suitable sacrifice. But should the time come when a worthy virgin is not available, the talisman will continue to give me what I need.”
“What if Alex doesna give you back to you?”
“He will give it back. A fool in love makes many mistakes.”
“And if he refuses, what happens if there are no suitable sacrifices after me?”
Her smirk of satisfaction turned to a scowl. “If I have neither a virgin nor the talisman, it isn’t only that I won’t gain the youth I desire, I will lose my immortality altogether. That is why the amulet was so important. I was the one who hid it years ago when I desired the stronger magic, but it disappeared. Without its power or the Imbolc ritual sacrifice, I will wither up and die.”
“You hid it? To ensure you’d be offered a virgin sacrifice to remain young? So if you have neither, you will cease to exist?” Her mind reeling, Ciara contemplated jumping into the well before the stroke of midnight. Taking her own life was certainly not appealing, but she’d be spending eternity at the bottom of the well anyway, so it didn’t really matter. If her death meant Cailleach would perish too, so be it. She shuffled toward the lip of the sacred pool.
Cailleach raised her hand and pointed her finger at Ciara. “Dinna even think about hurling yourself into the well. Move any closer and you will live to regret it. Even if it is for just a few more minutes. Mark my words, lass, they will be the worst minutes imaginable.” The hag left her spot by the entrance to the cave and moved to within inches of where Ciara stood and again pointed at the dark water.
Ciara continued to stare at her reflection in the pool. Perhaps the hag was lying to save her own pathetic hide. She, on the other hand, was going to die anyway, so had nothing to lose.
“Jump if you like,” Cailleach hissed. “But as you leap, I will turn the water into granite, and you will shatter every bone in your body as you strike what was once a liquid surface. You will lie there writhing in agony until the time is right for me to take your soul. After which, I will turn the stone back into water again and watch you sink to your final resting place. There, you will wait until others join you. I never intend to appear as a hag again.”
“If you damage my body, will that na make it worthless to you in the years to come?”
“It matters not what condition your physical form is in when you die. It is your soul and spirit that matter. I will emerge from this withered shell as you stand before me now. Every bit as lovely and strong.”
Ciara backed away from the edge. Her time almost up, she dropped to her knees and began to pray. “Grant me the strength to die well and do my clan proud. If I have but one wish, it
would be to see Alex one more time, to say goodbye and apologize for doubting his honor. But I know that isna possible.”
“You are wasting your prayers and your breath,” the hag spat. “You will never see Alex Innes again, nor will he save you from your destiny. Why, as we speak he is being held in his father’s dungeon, and there he will stay until after the Imbolc festival is completed.”
Ciara clutched a hand to her throat. “Alex was imprisoned by his own father because he helped me?” Her heart clenched.
“He defied his father and disgraced his clan. He is where he should be,” the hag replied smugly. Her evil grin broadened. “But I wouldna fash over it. I’m sure in time, he will be released. Perhaps I will pay him a visit once you are gone and I have taken your soul. He will not recognize my face, because it will be as it was when I was a young lass, but he will warm to your body I am sure. I will get the talisman back from him.”
“Alex is na a fool. He would know you for the evil witch you are.”
“You may be right, but mortal men are driven by carnal needs above all else. I would wager he will sate those needs with me regardless of his opinion. It has been a while since I was bedded by anyone as handsome and virile as Alex Innes. I actually find the idea quite appealing.” She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her middle, moaning aloud. “I long to feel his caress, to have him enter me on the most intimate level and plant his seed. To—”
“I’m afraid Hell would have to freeze over and the moon to fall out of the sky for there to be any chance of that.” Alex appeared at the entrance to the cave.
“Go back, Alex. Leave while you can,” Ciara shouted.
“Do as the lass says and I will deal with you later, much later,” Cailleach said and stroked her breasts. You will lie with me if I so desire.”
“I’d rather be stretched on a rack and have rats chew off my fingers and toes than bed the likes of you.”
“That could also be arranged,” Cailleach snarled.
“I’m sure it could, but first-things-first.” Alex unhooked the velvet pouch from his sash and held it in the air. “I have something you want more than Ciara. Let her go and we’ll negotiate.”
“Show me. How do I know that that sack contains the talisman?” Cailleach lunged forward with her hand outstretched. “Give me.”
“I will when you let Ciara go and she is far from this place. Once the clock strikes midnight and it is February the second, I will return the talisman to the well and you can drink your fill of the water.” He returned the pouch to his sash. “Refuse and I will do as you asked me to on the day I met you—return from whence I came. I’ll take the talisman with me and it will be lost to you forever.”
“You wouldna dare risk my wrath. Do you forget what I did to you in the croft?” Cailleach asked. “I can do it again. Only this time, I will show no mercy. Make no mistake, I will not only kill the lass, but will have the talisman as well.”
“That isn’t part of the deal,” Alex said. “I overheard you telling Ciara about the history behind the gem and how the Druids intended it to be used. If I heard you correctly, once you started using the magic of the talisman, you must continue using it or have a young willing virgin to sacrifice. I promise you the day will come when you will not receive such an offering. Without the talisman, you will die.” Alex crossed his arms over his chest. “Or am I wrong in my assumption?”
Cailleach grabbed Ciara and dragged her to the water’s edge. “The midnight hour is nearly upon us. Give me the talisman or I will throw her into the water and have my years of beauty and health regardless.”
“You would settle for twenty-one years and risk your immortality?” Alex asked.
“Dinna trust her Alex. She will kill me no matter what you do and still take the talisman the first chance she gets,” Ciara said. “Please leave. If you challenge her, she will kill you too and I canna bear to watch you to die on my account.”
“I knew I’d find you here.” Laird Innes stood at the entrance to the cave, Fergus and Donald entering after, with Blair in tow.
Cailleach raised her arms, a churning of frigid air swirling about her like a small cyclone. “I order you all to leave. The ritual must be completed or I will condemn you to eternal winter. You have chosen this lass and she has offered her life to me. I accept her as worthy and demand I be allowed to finish what I’ve started.” She began to chant, the wind whipping around faster and picking up bits of stone and debris from the ground.
“More magic tricks?” Alex scoffed.
Laird Innes grabbed Alex by the upper arm. “Dinna anger her. She is right. This ritual must be completed. We must leave now and allow Cailleach to finish.” The laird tried to drag Alex away, but he dug in his heels.
“I’m not going anywhere. Not without Ciara.” Alex yanked free of his father’s grasp and glared back at him. “If you’re afraid of this old woman, leave. But she doesn’t scare me and I don’t believe in her magic. We can end this. We can end her. I have the Tal—”
“Silence. I’ve had enough of this. I’m your father and your laird. Continue to defy me and I’ll have no choice but to punish you more severely this time. You are going to leave this place whether you wish to or not,” the laird informed him. “Refuse to walk out of here of your own accord and I’ll have Fergus carry you out over his shoulder if need be. Either way, you are leaving.”
“Not without Ciara.” Alex moved deeper into the cave.
“We’ll see about that.” Fergus leapt forward, tackling Alex to the ground. “You heard your father. We are leaving this place now and you are na going to interfere with the sacred ritual.”
The two men grappled on the ground, coming dangerously close to the edge of the well on more than one occasion. Despite being outweighed by at least three stone, Alex refused to surrender. He was fighting to remain with the woman he loved, and somehow found the strength to fight back. Using a few of the wrestling moves he’d learned in university didn’t hurt either.
“I demand you stop this at once,” the laird said.
“It matters naught, the time of the sacrifice is nigh, Cailleach announced. She grasped Ciara by the collar of her gown and hauled her to the edge of the well. “The hour of sacrifice has arrived. I offer this virgin to you, the god of—”
“Wait!” Alex found the strength to throw Fergus over his shoulder, then staggered to his feet. He opened the pouch, took out the talisman to prove he really had it. “Push her in and you’ll never get this.”
Fergus rose and lunged at Alex again. It was clear he had more than following his laird’s order in mind. The man was obviously determined to make Alex pay for giving him so much grief.
Alex dodged his first attempt, but found himself with his back against the wall and nowhere to go. He glanced at the talisman clenched tightly in his fist and as Fergus advanced and knew what he had to do. Perhaps it was the magic of the talisman at work, but he was certain, if he tossed it to Ciara and the willing sacrifice possessed the talisman, the hag wouldn’t be able to use either brand of magic.
The gem landed at her feet, but Ciara swiftly scooped it up and put it around her neck.
Cailleach glowered at the gem. “That belongs to me and I want it now.” She reached for the talisman, but she couldn’t seem to touch it.
“Don’t give it to her, Ciara. No matter what happens. It will protect you from her.” He turned his attention back to the fight at hand, knowing Fergus would not give up until one or both of them were dead, Alex gritted his teeth, lowered his stance and charged forward, encircling his opponent’s waist.
Caught off guard and knocked off balance, Fergus stumbled backward, toppling into the well. But as he did, he grabbed Alex’s tunic and pulled him in as well.
Fergus refused to let go, pulling Alex under over and over again until he could no longer fight.
“Alex,” Ciara shouted.
His name was the last word he heard as the water closed over his head. His lungs robbed of air,
he prayed not for his own life, but that the talisman worked as he believed it would. Cailleach would be unable to touch Ciara or the talisman and as the sun rose on Imbolc, the winter hag would die.
Chapter Eleven
Alex groaned as he tried to suck in a short shallow breath, a crushing pain lancing across his chest. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear his entire body was on a medieval rack with some sadistic bugger tightening the crank. Even his hair hurt. Nausea tugged at his belly and the slightest movement caused his head to pound like a hammer set to anvil.
“Lord be praised, he’s waking up.” A woman’s voice filtered through the heavy fog clouding his mind. She clasped his hand and held it to her breast. “Can you hear me, love?”
He heard the desperation in her voice, recognized the scent of her rosewater cologne, and forced himself to open his eyes. “Mom?” he muttered.
“Yes, son, it’s me. Your mother.”
“Where…where am I?”
“In Scotland, dear. You’re in the hospital. The plane crashed and I—” She was unable to finish, her voice quivering as she spoke.
“I remember.” He narrowed his gaze, straining to focus on her face. “What are you doing here?”
“Where else would I be?” his mother replied. “As soon as they called and told me you were alive, I caught the first flight over.”
“Your mam hasna left your side since they brought you back from surgery.” A tall, middle-aged nurse carrying a metal tray entered the room and set it on the bedside table. She removed a small bag from a protective wrapping, rolled it between her hands to mix the contents, and hung it on the IV pole—replacing one that had run dry. After she adjusted the drip rate and checked the monitors, she faced Alex’s mother. “This is a miracle, to be sure. He’s breathing on his own and his vitals have stabilized.”
“Thank God.” His mother gazed skyward and folded her hands in prayer. “I was so afraid I might lose him.”
