Chapter 28
Watching and waiting, Richard realized the chances of getting out of this situation alive were not good, but at the very least, he would see to it that Malcolm Granger didn’t get his hands on that sword.
He’d bide his time until Malcolm appeared ready to use his explosives and then he’d act.
He wasn’t completely sure what he intended to do, but somehow, he had to stop him, at least until the Campbell’s and Edna made an appearance.
He had already taken note of Nick and the MacKenzie’s arrival.
They had hidden in the brush off to his right.
They were a stealthy bunch and not easily detected by those who didn’t have knowledge of their tactics.
He kept an eye on them, without giving them away.
Richard prayed that Angelina wasn’t with them.
There was no reason to put herself in harm’s way and he hoped that Nick had seen to it that she stayed far away.
Malcolm and his men stopped dead in their tracks a minute later, shielding their eyes from the sun and staring off toward the nearby hills.
Coming up over the rise was an army of Campbell men.
Richard couldn’t see them clearly yet, but he was certain Edna and Angus would be leading the group.
Relief flooded his chest—there was hope yet that they’d be able to stop Malcolm from retrieving the sword.
“Hurry!” Malcolm shouted. His men picked up their pace and worked to get the explosives in place quickly.
They had been using extreme care in dealing with the explosives until now.
With the imminent arrival of the Campbell men, care had gone out the window in exchange for speed.
If Richard was going to do anything, it would have to be done now.
***
The sight of the Campbell’s coming up over the rise sent relief flooding through Angelina’s body.
What could Malcolm possibly do, against such a large number of men and a very wily witch?
Between the MacKenzie’s, Edward and his men, and the Campbell’s, Malcolm would surely have no choice but to surrender.
She glanced around at the others, who all seemed to be taking this very seriously.
There were no smiles anywhere among their group, despite the arrival of reinforcements.
Angelina decided to take the opportunity to get closer to Richard’s position.
Everyone seemed focused on the Campbells, and no one noticed as she slithered through the brush, moving close enough to see and hear what was happening.
She avoided Nick, positioning herself out to his side, far enough away to avoid him discovering she was there.
Malcolm’s men scurried back and forth, with something that looked a lot like dynamite.
In fact, it was dynamite. They were setting fuses and placing them in any crevices they could find in the rocks.
Her heart started beating wildly in her chest. Richard needed to escape before the dynamite exploded, or he would be caught in the blast. With single-minded focus and a stubborn streak a mile wide, Angelina was certain she was the only person who could save him.
When it became apparent that they were ready to light the fuses, Richard leapt to his feet and took a swing at the man guarding him. Knocking him out with a single blow, Richard grabbed the man’s sword and turned on the others, taking up an offensive stance.
Malcolm yelled at Richard, before he pulled a pistol from his waistband.
Malcolm—Mr. Medieval—had bought a gun with him.
Angelina’s heart leapt into her throat. She had to stop Malcolm, but what could she do?
Without conscious thought, she bolted upright and ran straight at Malcolm, intent on knocking him off his feet before he could pull the trigger.
She heard Nick curse and events seemed to move in slow motion.
Just as she reached Malcolm, he turned in her direction, pointing the weapon at her.
Before he could fire a shot, Angelina hit the ground and rolled to safety behind a large boulder.
Richard was charging at Malcolm now, but Malcolm still held the gun.
“Stop!” he ordered, but Richard paid no attention.
He continued barrelling directly towards Malcolm, who cocked the pistol and fired.
The shot hit Richard, and he fell backwards and slumped to the ground.
“No!” Angelina heard herself screaming as she got to her feet and ran toward Richard. Before she could reach him, she was seized around the waist in an iron grip, thwarting her attempts to get away. Tears coursed down her cheeks. “No!” she cried repeatedly.
“Everyone, clear the area. Light the fuse!” Malcolm snapped. Angelina found herself dragged further away from Richard, who still lay motionless on the ground.
The Campbell clan was running towards the scene with Edna leading the way, but it was apparent they were too far away to stop Malcolm.
The dynamite exploded, raining pieces of rock and dirt over the surrounding area.
Angelina couldn’t see Richard through the smoke and debris, and she prayed he was still alive and had survived the explosion.
Before the dust had a chance to settle, Malcolm bolted toward the mouth of the cave. Fortunately, Edna had arrived and she chanted a spell, casting it in his direction. Malcolm was frozen mid-stride, resembling a marble statue.
“Would anyone else care to join him?” Edna challenged with a determined gleam in her eye.
Malcolm’s men turned to run, but Edna stopped them with a firm warning.
“Dinnae move or ye’ll find yerselves in a similar position to yer boss.
” They all immediately stopped. Angelina pried herself loose and ran to where she’d seen Richard fall.
Miraculously, he’d been unharmed by the rocks that had exploded all around them.
Malcolm’s man Nash hadn’t been so lucky.
He was buried under the debris, his arm the only visible evidence of where he lay.
“Richard!” Angelina cried, dropping to her knees. “Richard! Please, wake up!”
Edna joined her, kneeling at Richard’s side. “Richard, ’tis Edna. I’m going to do my best to help ye, lad, but ye must want to come back to us.” She tore open Richard’s shirt to locate the bullet wound and found it in his right shoulder. “Angus, bring my saddlebag, dear.”
Angus did as she asked and placed it by her side.
“Robert, Cailin, I’ll need yer help. Angus yer in charge of the saddlebag.
Cailin, I need ye to hold Richard down in case he wakes while we work.
Robert, I believe ye’ve more experience in treating battlefield wounds than I, so ’tis you who’ll remove the bullet. Do ye ken?”
“Aye.” Robert removed his dirk from his boot and joined Edna at Richard’s side.
Edna instructed Angus to retrieve a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the saddlebag.
He reached in and pulled it out, along with gauze and other bandaging supplies.
“Robert, let’s disinfect that blade, if ye dinnae mind.
” Robert placed the dirk in her hand, and she poured rubbing alcohol over the blade.
She also poured some on Richard’s wound, for good measure.
Robert retrieved his knife and inserting it into the wound, carefully probed the wound to locate the bullet.
When he found it, he asked Edna to pour more alcohol over his hands, before he used his fingers to grasp the bullet and remove it.
“I believe it hit the bone, Edna.” Robert showed them a piece of bone fragment, which had come away along with the bullet.
“Never fear, Robert. Whilst a broken bone in these times can be a death sentence, especially if infection sets in, I assure ye I can make sure that doesnae happen.” She passed her hand over Richard’s wound, chanting a spell as she did so.
She repeated this incantation a number of times and everyone watched in amazement as the wound began to close up, before their eyes.
“He’s going to be alright, dear,” Edna said, resting a comforting hand on Angelina’s shoulder.
“He’s going to be alright. Your tears, mixed with my spell are what did it.
You see, my spell alone would nae have worked, but your love for him seeped into that wound, along with your tears—and that’s what saved him.
” Edna got to her feet with a little help from Angus.
“He’ll need some time to heal. Although the wound is no longer visible, he will still suffer the pain of it. ”
“Why isn’t he waking up?” Angelina demanded.
“He needs to sleep, to recover. Now, I must reset these stones. We cannae take the chance of anyone else getting their hands on the Twin Sword. Believe me, it would be a terrible disaster. The longer the cave entrance remains open, the more likely it is that someone will answer the call of the sword as it seeks its entrance back into the world.” She hurried away leaving Angelina crouched over Richard’s prone body.
“Are ye alright, lass?” Nick asked when he joined her. Edward joined them and knelt beside his brother. Both men gazed on Richard with brotherly love and eyes filled with unshed tears.
Edward brushed the loose dirt away from Richard’s face. “He’s a good man.”
“That he is, lad.” Nick placed a comforting hand on Edward’s shoulder and his other on Angelina’s. The three stayed at Richard’s side, determined to be there when he awoke.
***
Edna was preparing to reseal the vault.
“What do ye plan to do with that one?” Angus asked, pointing at Malcolm’s motionless figure.
“There’s nae I can do fer him now. He chose his own fate.
He wanted the sword, and now he will share its resting place for all of eternity.
” Edna began chanting and waved her arms across the cave entrance.
With each new wave, the rocks began to drop back into place at the mouth of the cave.
She gathered up the rocks covering Nash’s body, returning them to their original positions in the same manner.
When the vault was completely sealed, Edna cast a second spell, leaving the cave entrance seamless.
No one would ever know the cave had ever been there.
With that accomplished, Edna stood over Nash’s lifeless body.
“I see nae need that ye should suffer for the misdeeds of yer master.” She ran her hands over his broken body, paying special attention to the areas in which he had suffered major injuries.
Slowly, Nash came back to life. His eyes opened wide in sheer terror as he recalled what had happened.
“Calm yerself,” Edna soothed. “Ye’ll be well again, lad.
I intend to see that ye and yer friends go safely back to where ye came from with no memory of ever having been here.
Ye will also spend yer days doing good and avoiding evil from this point forward. Do ye ken?”
Nash nodded in agreement, as Edna called his friends to his side to assist him. The power of speech seemed to elude them, so Edna repeated what she had told Nash and left them to care for their friend.
“Angus, my love? Once we are finished here, I would like to go back to visit with the Campbell’s for a brief time. Yer Uncle Tavish will be relieved to hear that the sword is once again safely hidden away.”
“Edna, ye never cease to amaze me.” Angus pulled her into his arms and planted a big kiss on her lips. “I love ye, my wife.”
She snuggled into his embrace. “After visiting the Campbell’s, we’ll head back to Castle Fionn for a wee while, before going home to The Thistle & Hive.”
“That sounds like a wonderful plan, mo chroi.” Angus and Edna stood together and breathed a sigh of relief that it was over.