Chapter Thirty
Dyna
Dyna strolled toward the hearth where the bairns played with their fabric puppies, her mother nearby. A sharp pain caught her in the belly, so strong her knees buckled. Then a headache struck unlike any other. “Da!” She crumpled to the floor.
Tora began to run in circles. “Gwandda. Gwandda. I need Gwandda. Where is Gwandda?” Her mother ran over to Tora and shouted to Derric above stairs, “Derric, help Dyna. Something’s wrong.”
The door burst open and Logan stepped inside. “What the hell is happening? You should see the cloud formations outside, something strange.” His gaze swept the hall. “What the hell? This cannot be good.”
Gwyneth, in a chair by the hearth, said, “Sit down and shut up, Logan. Something is happening, and you don’t need to make it worse.”
Sylvi sat on the floor and cried, “Grandda. Bad man stabbed Grandda. Someone save him. Help Grandda. Help him.” She lay back flat and cried and kicked her feet. “Grandda!”
Avelina entered from the kitchens. “Dyna, my head. Drew? Where are you? Find my potion.” She collapsed into a chair.
Maitland and Maeve entered with Grant tied to Maitland’s chest, now crying and kicking furiously. “Bwia, Wia, Bwia, Wia.”
Maeve reached for Grant. “Here, help your mother. I’ll take him, Maitland.” She held him on her hip so he could look out over the hall, shock covering her face as she stared at the chaos unfolding in front of her. “What is happening?”
“Wia, Wia, Bwia.” Wee Grant’s hands were both in tight fists. “Wia!”
Derric ran over to Dyna. “Diamond, are you hale? Is this a feeling or real? What is happening? The bairns are screaming for your father. Do you see something?”
Dyna rolled over onto her back, holding her head. “Something is wrong. Da is hurt. I can feel it in my belly. Oh, Da. I hope it’s not too bad. I’m sure they’ll get him back here as quickly as possible.”
Brenna entered, picked up Sylvi who was sobbing on the floor, and moved straight over to Dyna. “What’s wrong? It’s Connor, isn’t it? How bad?”
Sylvi began to sob. “Grandda hurt. Grandda. Lia, help him.”
Dyna looked at Sylvi and asked, “Is Lia there, Sylvi? Tora, is Lia with Grandda?”
Tora broke free from her grandmother, who looked like she was about to pass out, and ran to her mother. She leaned over, cupped her mother’s cheeks and said, “Lia and Bwia are there. They twyin to save him.”
Her mother paced, a sick look on her face.
Then Tora ran over to her grandmother and said, “Uppy. Gwandda hurt. Lia dare too.”
Her mother fell into a chair. “Dyna, is this real? Is your father dying? Oh my Heavens, nay. Please say nay. I can’t live without him.”
Dyna didn’t know what to think. Derric picked her up and sat in a chair by the hearth, cuddling her. “Take your time, Diamond. Do what you must. We’ve got the bairns.”
Sandor began to run in a circle, giggling furiously. “Top it, Unca Shakee. Top it!”
Dyna heard that and had to find out the truth, pushing herself to a standing position, ignoring the pain battering her head. “Jake! Uncle Jake. What is happening to your brother? You cannot take him yet. Do you hear me, Jake?”
Sandor ran over and stopped in front of her. “Unca Shakee say Gwandda hurt.”
Dyna twirled in a circle, staring at the rafters.
“Stop it right now, Jake, and you listen to me. Are you listening? You. Cannot. Have. My. Father. Not yet! Do you hear me? He’s too young!
Leave him be. Do something to save him, Jake.
Get over there. We don’t need you here. You need to help your brother!
Aline, Grandda, Grandma, not yet. You can’t have him yet! ”
Sandor followed his mother and pressed on her leg, “Unca Shakee twyeen.” Then he sat down. He broke into a giggle immediately, then stopped and said, “Awex say he comeen. Awex bwinging Gwandda hewe.”
Sylvi stopped crying and said, “Lia is with him now. Do not worry, Mama.”
Tora cupped her grandmother’s cheeks and said, “Gwandda need Brenna. He comeen home now.”
Dyna said, “Start saying your prayers.”