Chapter 13 #2
“What just happened?” Maggie said to Chester.
She slumped heavily onto the bed, wondering if she’d been too forward with Dylan.
Chester curled up on the floor next to the bed and gazed up at Maggie with sad, dark eyes.
She was a bit embarrassed by her actions.
She had thought for sure that Dylan would like what she was doing, and he had, at least for a little while and then—boom—he had taken off down the passageway as if his kilt was on fire.
She had a lot to learn about men. Maybe Dylan was right.
This might not be the best night to learn.
She couldn’t help but wonder though, had she misread the signs and the things he’d said to her?
Her inexperience in these matters was showing and it was doing a number on her self-confidence.
She needed another woman to talk to, but unfortunately, they were all miles away.
Uncle Angus was a good listener and he gave good advice, but he wasn’t here either and this wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with him, anyway.
Thoughts of Angus abruptly made her feel guilty and selfish.
She reached out to him with her mind and she could sense that he had not been harmed, but she could also feel Brielle’s malevolent intentions swimming around his psyche.
Maggie got undressed and snuggled into the bed, pulling the furs up and over her head. As a child, this had always been her way of hiding from the world and tonight she wanted to be that carefree child once again, hiding from all the bad things out there.
It wasn’t working. Her head was full of both possible and impossible scenarios, and none of them ended well.
Was she having premonitions of things to come, or was she just feeling unworthy of the responsibility that had been placed on her shoulders?
Her thoughts swirled around and around, resembling leaves caught in an eddy.
“Good night, Chester.” Closing her eyes, Maggie focused firmly on good thoughts and outcomes, until she was finally able to fall asleep.
***
Loud pounding on the door startled Maggie out of a sound sleep. “Maggie!” called Robert.
“Aye,” Maggie answered. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and squinted at the sun shining through the windows, landing directly on her. She noticed that Chester was gone and the door stood slightly ajar.
“May I come in, lass?” Robert asked. From the sound of his voice, Maggie knew it must be urgent.
“Aye.”
The door flew open and Robert entered, closing it behind him. “Maggie, Brielle is in the courtyard and she has Angus. She’s threatening to kill him, if ye dinnae join her immediately.”
“I’ll be right there. I must dress first,” Maggie replied.
She glanced around for her clothes, remembering she’d strewn them about the floor with no regard before getting into bed.
Robert observed her search and understood what she needed.
He bent down and picked up her belongings, throwing them onto the bed.
Maggie blushed. “I need a moment of privacy, if ye dinnae mind.”
It was Robert’s turn to appear embarrassed, two spots of color appearing on his shaven cheeks. “I’m sorry. Of course. I’ll be waiting right outside yer door. The men are gathering in the courtyard, to be of service to ye if need be.”
“Thank ye,” Maggie put one leg out from under the covers tentatively and watched as Robert backed out of the room.
This is it. No escaping it. She threw her clothes on quickly and upon opening the door, discovered that Robert had been leaning on the wood as he almost fell into the room.
He caught himself just in time, and took her by the arm to lead her outside.
Maggie really didn’t need his help, but he had such a tight grip on her arm, she decided not to try to free herself, instead running along at his side.
It was apparent from his haste that he was deeply worried about the situation they faced.
As the castle doors opened, Robert turned to her. “We’re here to help ye, remember that.”
“I will,” Maggie said. She drew herself up to her full height and emerged into the sunlight, taking a deep breath.
A dozen large highlanders stood at the base of the castle steps, waiting for her.
Others lined the battlements. They were all there—Dylan, Cailin, Cormac, Latharn and many others whom she’d met in the past few days.
It gave her confidence a boost as she stood looking out over all of them.
They were armed to the teeth with swords, bows and dirks.
She had no doubt they would fight to the death, to rid their world of Brielle.
Maggie didn’t have any more time for self-doubt, so she addressed them with the most confidence she could possibly muster.
“Thank ye all for yer support. ’Twill nae be easy, but I believe we’ll be the victors. ”
The men all cheered and raised their weapons high in the air.
“Does anyone have my weapons?” Maggie asked quietly.
Dylan stepped forward, carrying the weapons she had brought with her from Glendaloch.
The same weapons Uncle Angus had trained her to use and that had been magically charmed by her Aunt Edna.
Maggie briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She came down the steps and walked to the center of the courtyard to face Brielle, who stood about fifty feet away.
The men followed, forming a solid wall behind her.
Spotting a large lump next to Brielle, Maggie realized that it was Angus curled up in a ball. Why wasn’t he standing?
“What have ye done to my uncle?” Maggie asked, deliberately making her voice loud enough so that Brielle would hear from her position near the gate.
“He’s merely resting,” Brielle answered. It seemed obvious to everyone that she was lying. Why would he choose this moment to rest? It was more likely he was under some spell Brielle had cast.
“If ye wish to fight me, I’m here. Let Angus go. He has no part in this.” Maggie did her best to keep her voice from quivering and her legs from shaking.
“He has much to do with this. He will stay where he is.” Brielle no longer appeared to be Maggie’s doppelganger.
She stood before them in what Maggie suspected was her true appearance, but as they watched, she turned herself into an innocent-looking young girl of roughly twelve years of age.
Maggie knitted her eyebrows together as she watched.
She’s trying to make us see her as a sympathetic creature, so we won’t harm her.
Maggie wasn’t about to fall for that and as she glanced back at the men, their expressions confirmed they were of the same mind.
“Maggie, I am going to give ye a choice. I can give ye yer uncle and we’ll agree that I am the victor, or ye can continue on with this ridiculous battle yer auntie has arranged.
” Brielle announced this in the sweet voice of a child and with the laugh of an evil witch.
Her eyes glowed and embers shot from them, landing on Angus’s body.
Brielle raised her hand, and as if she were a puppeteer pulling the strings of a marionette, Angus began to rise at her side.
He was unconscious, limp and obviously unable to stand on his own.
Maggie and the others couldn’t tell if he was alive or already dead.
Maggie fought the urge to run to him and instead waited where she was, for Brielle to make her next move. Patience was needed and she dug deep to find it.
“Well, what’s yer answer?” Brielle tapped her foot impatiently and spun Angus on the spot like a top. “Do ye wish me to harm him, or nae?”
“Nae. I dinnae wish ye to harm him, but how do I know ye havenae already done so, and how do I know ye willnae harm us all once ye have yer way?”
“Hmmm … Mayhap yer right. Ye dinnae ken. Ye’ll have to trust me, willnae ye?” Brielle began lifting Angus into the air.