CHAPTER NINE #2
He did not know how great they were. Long ago, there had been promise.
Long ago, he’d begun to experiment with his healing powers, powers no one expected him to have, powers given to him by his grandmother.
The last Innocent he’d healed had had but broken bones.
It had taken intense effort to mend them, even in 1435.
He cupped the back of her head, where her skull was fractured in many places and bleeding in torrents into his hand. He could envision every broken line. He struggled to find the white power within him, a power he had purposefully walked away from.
Surely it was not lost. But it had been so long, and as he delved deep inside himself, he found only shadows and spaces, empty places. He almost succumbed to despair and frustration. Surely, in one of those great hollows within him, a seed of white power lived!
And suddenly warmth seeped from within him, outward, into his hands.
Relief erupted. He removed his hands from her head and stared at the white, starlike energy in his palm, then he showered the white power over her.
A fine white mist began sprinkling over her.
Aidan knew he had to direct the healing power to her head.
He willed more white power from within into his hands.
Clasping her bleeding skull, he somehow willed the mist upward from his palms, into her fractured head.
He did not know how long he sat there, filling her head with healing light. It felt as if he sat with her, her head bleeding in his hands, for hours, but when he realized the bleeding had stopped, the sun remained high and bright. Mere moments had passed.
She had stopped bleeding.
He closed his eyes and felt her carefully with his mind. Her skull was whole. He could not envision a single fractured line.
He gasped in relief and heard her moan. “Dinna move,” he said, for she was as white as a ghost and her eyelashes were fluttering. “Let me finish healin’ ye, Brianna. Ye will be fine.”
Her lashes lifted and her green eyes, filled with pain, met his. “You…survived?”
“Hush,” he said. He realized her ribs were broken, as was her right arm, and he sent his healing light now to both places.
Her labored breathing slowed, becoming normal. Realizing he’d healed her body, he glanced at her face. She was staring at him closely, and when their eyes met, a huge warmth filled his chest.
In that singular moment, he wanted her to look at him with faith and trust.
She lifted her hand and clasped his cheek. He became aware that she lay with her shoulders in his lap, and a stunning desire came. It almost hurled him backward into the tree, hollowing his chest completely. It stiffened his body, raised his loins.
His heart thundered.
He wanted to take this beautiful woman to his bed. But he didn’t want power.
He wanted pleasure, but not for himself.
He wanted to give it to her.
“Ye should have taken more lives last night, instead of playin’ nursemaid to our sweet Brianna.”
Aidan froze.
Brianna whispered, “I owe you my life…again.”
He looked at her in horror.
AIDAN HAD JUST HEALED HER.
Demons could not heal.
He rose to his feet, his face hard and tight. “Can ye stand?”
Brie closed her eyes, recalling Moray’s brutal attack. She had been close to death, and this time it had not been a dream. She would have died if Aidan hadn’t healed her.
She trembled, slowly opening her eyes and gazing up at him. They were connected more than ever before. “You can heal. I didn’t know.”
His expression was grim.
“Demons can’t heal, not ever. Was your mother a Healer?”
“Nay, but she was very devout.” Clearly he did not wish to discuss this topic any further. He added reluctantly, “My grandmother was a goddess.”
Brie sat up, incredulous. His grandmother was a goddess. No wonder he could heal. This new, stunning fact was further proof that there was so much hope. Or was there?
Brie hugged herself now. Moray had taken another man’s body again. Aidan didn’t have to tell her for her to know. But just to be sure, she said, “Was it Moray?”
His eyes blazed. “Aye.”
She exhaled. It was as she had thought. Moray had begun the battle by attacking Aidan, and it had seemed as if they were evenly matched, until he had directed his evil at her.
She hadn’t expected it. She was never going to forget being suddenly hurled by his power, so forcefully that it was like becoming a small tennis ball spinning in a cyclone. She had known she would die the moment she’d made impact with the tree.
She would never forget hearing her skull crack; she would never forget the utter comprehension and then the utter terror; and she would never forget the explosion of pain that had followed.
Brie felt sick. She knelt just in case she had to retch.
Aidan knelt beside her, his hand on her back, but whether to steady or comfort her, she didn’t know. “Are ye still ill?”
She fought herself and twisted to face him. She was scared to death. As nauseous as she was, every hair on her body now stood on end. She almost felt as if Moray lurked upon them both. “Aidan?” His gaze met hers. “He meant to murder me.”
“I’m sending ye to Iona, where he canna find ye.”
Brie stared. How could she leave him now? But that demon was after her. “He went after me, not you. Why?”
“I mean to keep ye safe, an’ he’s showin’ me he has great power.” Aidan’s mouth was downturned.
“What does he want? He didn’t destroy you in 1436—he destroyed Ian. He didn’t destroy you today. Could he have? Does he want to destroy you, or just hurt you?”
“I dinna ken if he can kill me. He has great power now.” He hesitated. “I have asked the gods fer help an’ they have agreed.”
As hope began, he said harshly, “I bargained with them. ’Tis not what ye wish for. I will never worship them. But they couldna refuse my offer.”
“What did you offer them?” she demanded, in dread.
He stood, holding out his hand. “Ye need to rest after what ye suffered today.”
She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. Brie did not let go, gripping him tightly. “I still don’t understand what he wants. Is this a sick game?”
“He’s playin’ me.” Aidan released her hand. “Aye, ’tis a game for him to toy with me, to torture me, until he breaks me to his will or torments me to death. I dinna think he cares which it is.”
Brie stared. How were they going to survive the return of such great evil?
“How do ye feel?”
She wet her lips, focusing on her body just for a moment. “I seem okay.” She met his brilliant blue regard again. “What are we going to do now?”
He gave her a chilling look. “Ye’ll do naught. I’ll hunt him an’ finish this.”
Dread swept Brie. “And how will you do that? Oh, wait, you’ve made your deadly bargain with the gods. Don’t tell me! I don’t want to know!”
“Come to the tent. Ye’ll feel better after ye eat an’ sleep.”
Brie knew she must fight her rising hysteria, but it was really hard to do. “He possessed Frasier—the man who is going to hang you. That cannot be a coincidence!” Her alarm escalated wildly.
He took her elbow and started guiding her toward the camp, which was quite some distance away.
“You know it’s no coincidence.” She balked, refusing to take another step. “We need help. We need Malcolm and Claire and Allie and Royce and your friend, MacNeil, and all the other white power we can summon.”
He jerked his head in the direction of his tent. “I willna ride with the Masters, walk with them or fight beside them.”
“Then you are a fool!” she cried, distraught. “Does anyone know how to vanquish him?”
He gave her a cold glance. “’Tis nay clear yet.”
“That is exactly what I thought,” Brie cried, near tears. She hurried ahead of him, ignoring the knights and Highlanders she passed. As no one crossed themselves, she guessed that displays of superpowers were not all that unusual.
What were they going to do? How were they going to survive? And what kind of deal had he made with the gods, who were probably furious with him?
Aidan fell into step beside her. “Dinna worry so, Brianna. I dinna fear Moray. I can hunt both men at the same time.”
Brie inhaled. “Oh, so you will hunt Moray, who happens to posses Frasier at will?”
“Aye.”
She felt like slapping him silly. “I have never heard of a more stupid plan! I think this is some kind of demonic setup for you to hang.” She faced him, barring his way, hands on her hips.
“But you can’t hang. I mean, you can simply leap away, into the future or the past, unless a great power blocks you. ”
He stared, not answering.
“And Moray has great power now because he has a part of the Duisean. This is getting worse and worse!”
“I shouldna have brought ye to my time. I brought ye into this.” His mouth was a hard, tight line. “Yer afraid, an’ I dinna blame ye. But ye’ll be safe on Iona, Brianna.” He paused, then said harshly, “Ye need to stop carin’ fer me.”
What the hell did that mean? “If you are warning me to prepare myself for your death, like hell I will!” she cried shrilly.
It really hit her then. She loved him. Maybe it hadn’t ever been a crush; maybe it had been love at first sight.
She didn’t really know. What she did know was that she loved him now, and she wasn’t going to let him hang or go on pretending to be some badass demon. “What did you offer the gods?”
“Doesna matter.”
“It matters, damn it.”
“Ye’ll feel better an’ think more clearly when yer on Iona.” He tried to force a smile but it vanished as instantly as it formed. “The island’s pretty an’ peaceful. Ye’ll like it there.”
“I am not leaving you!” she cried furiously. She realized tears had welled and one had fallen down her cheek. “We’re in big trouble, the both of us, together.”
“There’s nay we, Brianna,” he said harshly. He took her arm. As his hand closed around her, she tensed, but not because of the contact.