Chapter 14 #2
Maggie scrambled around Chester to the site of the injury and gasped when she finally saw the wound.
It was deep and had a foul odor emanating from it.
It had been hard to notice at first because of Chester’s black fur, which had camouflaged the injury, making it almost invisible.
“It looks as if someone stabbed him,” she observed anxiously.
“Don’t worry, I can fix this. It will be a piece of cake compared to healing Angus.
” Maggie placed her hand over the wound and muttered a healing incantation as she did so.
Chester visibly relaxed and leaned into her.
“There, there, Chester. Yer going to be fine. Dinnae fret, my sweet.” Once again, Maggie focused her healing powers on the wound and as she watched, it closed up right before her eyes.
Had she not seen it firsthand, she wouldnae have believed it were possible.
She released a big breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“Wow! Did ye see that?” she asked Dylan.
***
Dylan sat beside her on the floor, his eyes filled with admiration for what she had just achieved.
He had seen a lot of amazing things today—things that tested even his usual acceptance of all things weird and unusual.
“Maggie, you’re absolutely amazing! Thank you.
” Dylan cradled Chester’s huge head between his hands.
“Chester, who did this to you?” Chester cocked his head to one side, as if he understood exactly what Dylan was asking him. “If only he could talk.”
“He was missing from your room this morning when I woke. When was the last time you saw him?” Maggie asked
Dylan gave this question some thought. “Last night when I left him with you, but since we’ve been here, it’s been hard to keep track of him.
He wanders off on his own all the time, something he couldn’t do back in San Francisco.
He loves everyone here and follows anyone he thinks is headed off on a fun adventure. ”
“I’d bet anything that Brielle had something to do with this,” Maggie announced firmly.
Dylan watched her as she silently contemplated a much-happier Chester.
“The wound itself had the touch of dark magick surrounding it. Chester, can ye try to tell me who did this to ye.” She sat perfectly still, closing her eyes and listening intently.
“Are you trying to talk to Chester?” Dylan asked with a touch of disbelief.
“Shhh … I cannae hear him if yer talking to me.” Maggie tipped her head to one side and Chester wriggled closer to her.
He lifted his head and sniffed her hair, nuzzling against her ear.
Maggie began to giggle. “Chester, yer tickling me. Uh-huh … Uh-huh … I see.” Maggie raised her head and turned to Dylan who was watching the exchange with bemusement.
“It was Brielle, just as I suspected. Chester saw her earlier today when she first arrived in the courtyard and he ran down and tried to rescue Angus. She slashed at him with a dirk, which I’m sure was probably charmed, but he was able to get away with only the one wound.
He hid until after she disappeared and then came to find you.
And it’s a verra good thing that he did.
The dirk had some kind of poison on it, which entered his body when he was stabbed.
It created that horrible odor we could smell.
Since I knew it was there, I was able to drain it from his bloodstream.
It would have killed him if he hadn’t found us soon.
Oh, and he says he’s verra sorry he’s been avoiding you lately. ”
“Are you telling me that Chester can talk to you?” Dylan knew he no doubt looked as bewildered as he felt.
“I wouldn’t say talk, but I seem to be able to read his thoughts. That’s the best way I can describe it. I see pictures relating to what he’s thinking.” Maggie eyed Dylan anxiously, wondering if he would believe her.
Dylan leaned in and drew her close. Chester licked Maggie’s hand and then laid his head in Dylan’s lap contentedly.
“Chester, don’t get too comfortable,” Dylan warned the dog. “Maggie and I have things to do. You stay here with Angus, boy.” With a quiet yap, Chester repositioned himself so that he was curled up on the floor by the bed.
“We should go,” Maggie announced. “I’ll go to the kitchen to ask Mary for some food and supplies. You go to the stable and get the horses. I’ll meet you in the courtyard.” She gave Dylan a quick peck on the cheek and quickly left the room.
“Chester, take good care of Angus. We’ll be back soon.” The dog lifted his head and uttered a low bark in response.
Leaving the room, Dylan hurried towards the stables. He trusted Maggie implicitly, but he was a little apprehensive about this undertaking. He shook his head at himself. Who was he kidding? He was a lot apprehensive.
***
They met in the courtyard—Dylan with the horses and Maggie, accompanied by Mary and what seemed to be enough food to feed an army.
Mary was quite proud of her efforts and Maggie had decided it was better not to argue with her about what they needed to take.
Mary was used to equipping the men—all of the men—with whatever they might need for a journey away from the castle.
She had packed far more than Maggie felt was necessary, but as Mary was the one with the experience, Maggie had quietly accepted her decisions.
Along with copious amounts of food, Mary had rounded up clean plaids and a bottle of Sir Robert’s finest whiskey.
Maggie quietly smiled to herself as she watched Mary handing things to Dylan, who packed them expertly into their saddlebags.
They rolled the plaids and tied them to the saddles and while Mary nervously fidgeted, Dylan found a safe spot for the bottle of whiskey.
Just before they were ready to leave, Maggie thanked Mary for her help.
“’Tis nothing. I wish ye a safe journey.
Take care and come back safely to us.” Mary seemed ready to cry as Dylan threw an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.
She covered her face with her hands and hurriedly left them, rushing back towards the kitchens.
“All set?” Dylan asked.
“All set.” Maggie adjusted her saddle and with a leg up from Dylan, climbed atop her horse.
“Where to?” Dylan mounted and then nudged his own horse towards the gates.
“Something is telling me we should take the road back towards the bridge. I believe that’s where we’ll find her.”
“Let’s go, then.”
As they approached the gate, Robert, Cailin and Cormac came rushing from the castle.
“Wait!” Robert ordered.
Maggie and Dylan stopped dead in their tracks and turned in their saddles to look back at the others. The three men came rushing to their side. “If yer going in search of the witch, we’ll be joining ye,” Cormac announced firmly.
Maggie and Dylan exchanged questioning glances before Maggie looked back down at Cormac.
“That wouldnae be a good idea,” Maggie said. “Ye must stay here. Brielle may come back and ye’ll need to be here, to defend Breaghacraig.”
“Jenna will be most upset if some harm comes to ye, Dylan.” Cormac took hold of Dylan’s reins.
“Don’t worry, Cormac. We’re going to be fine.” Maggie did her best to sound as if she believed in what she was saying. “We’ll be back, before ye know it.”
“I left Chester here with Angus. Take care of him for me, will you?” Dylan reached out to clasp Cormac’s shoulder and for a long moment, Maggie wasn’t certain Cormac would agree.
“What if ye cannae defeat Brielle?” Cailin asked. “What will happen then?”
“That’s why ye need to be here. All of ye. I have faith that I can stop her, but just in case something goes wrong, ye must stay here to finish the job and to protect your home from her.”
Cormac reluctantly let go of Dylan’s reins and Maggie breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed they were going to let them go off on their own and Maggie would prefer it that way.
In her time at Breaghacraig, she had seen how they all loved one another unconditionally, and would be deeply scarred by the loss of any one of their clan.
The thought of Ashley, Jenna or Irene being left without the men they loved, wasnae something she wished to have resting on her shoulders.
She was going to take care of this. It’s what she had been training for and what she now understood was her destiny.
No matter what happened, she had confidence that she would prevail.
She was surprised by the level of her confidence.
When she had first started this journey, Maggie had been apprehensive and unsure of herself, but now she had a newfound sense of who she really was and what she was capable of achieving.
She also knew what was at stake if she were to lose to Brielle.
With Dylan by her side, Maggie was sure this was one battle she would win.
With that thought firmly in mind, they left Breaghacraig behind and began the search for Brielle.