But he may have been too late. The Kelpie screamed in triumph as one of its hooves flung Perry’s broken iron spear away, the man swearing and clutching his hand as the hoof struck it hard enough to send the spear flying. Unarmed, he stared up at it, fear and anger warring for dominance on his face as he weighed up his options. His eyes flicked back toward the road, in the direction of the village, the Keep… was he thinking about what he had to live for? What kind of a life he would return to if he was able to defeat the Kelpie? Then he turned back to the monster before him… and lunged.
Niall seized the same opportunity, and as Perry lunged, so did he. Helen gasped as she watched her lover leap up onto the back of the Kelpie, his strong hands seizing it by the mane as he straddled its back. Completely shocked by this contact from an unexpected quarter — it seemed that the Kelpie’s full attention had been fixed on Perry — it reared up instinctively, lashing out with its forelegs. There was a sickening crack that rang out across the quiet waters of the Loch… and Perry fell to his knees, then slumped over sideways on the rocky shore of the Loch, out cold… or worse. Helen took a few steps forward, horrified to see the crumpled, lifeless shape of Perry MacCullen bleeding freely onto the shore of Loch Ness.
Chapter 59
But the conflict wasn’t over yet. Eamon had had his face hidden in her shoulder, but as he heard his father shouting and the Kelpie screaming in rage, he twisted around to watch. To her surprise, he didn’t seem afraid — his eyes filled with surprise and an odd, clear light.
“Get him, Da!” he shouted, and she saw Niall’s head whip up, surprised and encouraged by his son’s cry. He was straddling the horse, hanging on for dear life as it lashed its head back and forth, its legs skittering under it as it tried in vain to throw him off. It was screaming in pain and rage, and she could see smoke rising from its neck — to her horror, she saw the iron bridle, looped over its head in about the right place — but not quite. Niall was clinging grimly to the reins of the bridle as the iron pressed deeper and deeper into the Kelpie’s flesh, struggling to move forward on its body as it writhed and shrieked beneath him.
“You stink of the foal,” the horse bellowed, its deep voice strained and cracking with the force of its rage and pain. “Is it yours, the helpless whelp? I ought to have eaten it whole, bones and skin —”
“Quiet,” Niall grunted. The Kelpie opened its mouth again, clearly ready to deliver more taunts, and Helen bit her lip, deeply worried that the creature would drive Niall into a blind rage with insults to his son. But the minute its sharp teeth parted, Niall slipped the iron bit between its teeth, and with a yank of the reins, the bridle was secured on its great head.
There was a long, frozen moment as the Kelpie’s sharp teeth gripped down around the iron bit… and for a moment, Helen worried that it was going to bite the bit in half and hurl Niall into the water. Or worse — drag him out there to drown. Hadn’t they been told, over and over, that the most dangerous thing you could do was to climb onto the back of a Kelpie? Iron bridle or no, he’d taken a terrifying risk there… but as she watched, she realized that the Kelpie was still, calm, for all the world like a docile tame horse. Still gripping the reins hard in his hand, Niall slid down off its great shoulder, dropping heavily to the ground — the Kelpie was big enough to make it a big drop for even a man like Niall. He tugged at the reins, and the Kelpie stepped after him obediently, lowering its great head in a gesture that was almost like a bow. Its eyes, which had been flashing red with fury, were back to a dull, glossy black, and all of the rage and scorn in its body had melted away.
Carefully, Niall released the reins… and the creature didn’t move. It simply stood, its eyes resting placidly on him, as though it was waiting for his next command. There was something downright eerie about the way it stared at him — something almost possession-like about the way it had been stilled. But Helen would take it — this eerie silence beat the hell out of the monster that had almost killed her lover.
“You did it!” Eamon shouted from her arms, and suddenly he was wiggling — a very familiar feeling, she thought with amusement as she lowered him to the ground. He went sprinting across the rocky beach toward his father, Helen in hot pursuit, and Niall turned to open his arms and scoop his son up into a bone-crushing hug. They stood like that for a long moment, father and son, embracing — Helen could see tears on Niall’s cheeks as he held his son, his eyes shut tight, breathing in the little boy. Then he pulled back, looking anxious.
“Are you alright, Eamon? Did he hurt you?”
“You caught a Kelpie! Is it ours now? Are we going to ride it home?”
“Eamon,” Niall said, exasperation mingling with the love in his voice. “We cannot keep it as a pet —”
“He’s fine, by the way,” Helen murmured, slipping alongside Niall and putting an arm around his waist. “I checked. Some rope burns, but nothing that a bit of salve won’t heal.”
“I’m hungry, too,” the boy put in hopefully.
Niall nodded, his eyes on the Kelpie.
“Aye, Eamon. We’ll get you home for dinner, that’s for certain.” He glance down at Helen with a confused smile. “Now that I’ve caught it, I don’t know what to do with it.”
“We can help with that, I think.”
A familiar voice rang out across the beach. Helen turned, surprised to hear old Maggie’s voice — but sure enough, there she stood, Darter at her side. There was something odd about the two of them — she squinted, trying to get a better look at them as the sunlight continued to drain from the sky. It was their hands, she realized. Both of them were wearing what looked like thick hide gloves. What on Earth for?
“Daft idea,” she told Niall without preamble as she strode up to fix a beady-eyed stare on the captured Kelpie. “Getting on the back of that thing. If you hadn’t gotten the bit in its mouth, it would’ve killed you. There’s no getting off a wild Kelpie once you’re on.”
“Aye, well, it worked out, didn’t it?” Niall challenged her, gesturing at the Kelpie. “I’ve caught the beast. It’s tame. It’s harmless.”
“And what exactly did you plan to do with it?” Maggie asked, raising an eyebrow. “Keep it in your stables? The iron would rust eventually. No, you need old Maggie to sort you out. As bloody usual,” she added darkly. Darter, at her side, covered a cough with his hand — Helen realized with some amusement that the little goblin was covering a laugh. A smile broke out across Maggie’s face, too, but she wagged a warning finger at Niall, Helen and Eamon as she peered at them in the last of the day’s light.
“The three of you have done well here,” she said softly. The body of Perry MacCullen was at her feet, Helen realized — there was something a little unsettling about how completely she ignored it. She was aware of it — she’d stepped over it to get as close to the Kelpie as she was — but she didn’t care at all for what it was, for the death of the man at her feet. A shiver ran down Helen’s spine. The Fae truly were a force to be reckoned with… and not necessarily a force for good. “This is the lead stallion, sure enough. And that iron bridle was good thinking.”
“I got the idea from our talk, Maggie. This is as much your victory as mine.” Niall bowed his head.
Maggie waved a hand dismissively. Then she gazed at the Kelpie, her sharp eyes taking in the monster’s face. She reached out with one gloved hand to lift its lip, revealing its sharp, pointed teeth. It didn’t even react to her poking and prodding, completely dull-eyed as it stared placidly at Niall, waiting for his instructions. There was something creepy about it… it looked almost like something out of the zombie films her brothers had loved so much when they were kids.
“Then you won’t mind my taking your prize,” she said brightly, reaching up with one gloved hand to take the iron reins. The Kelpie immediately swiveled its great head to look at her with the same look of doting, placid obedience it had been giving Niall. Clearly a little relieved that the scrutiny was off him, Niall stepped away from the Kelpie, allowing Ma
ggie to take it under her control.
There was a strange sound in the trees… and Helen stifled a scream. Behind them, five black horses were emerging from the trees, their black eyes fixed on Maggie as they walked slowly, almost ritualistically, toward her. They weren’t horses, Helen realized with fear creeping up her spine. They were Kelpies. More members of the herd… was this all of them? Only six? Then she realized that the splashing she’d been hearing from the Loch had changed. She looked out over the water, and stumbled backwards, aghast. There, dotted across the Loch’s surface, dozens of horse heads, sleek and fine, their ears pointed skyward. There had to be at least thirty of the beasts in total — all gathered around their leader, all gazing at Maggie with those identical looks of doting obedience.
“The whole herd,” Niall whispered, gazing around with a mixture of horror and awe on his face. “They’re all here…”
“Aye, they’re all here,” Maggie said, narrowing her eyes at them. “And they’d all eat you the minute they got the chance, bear that in mind.” She heaved a sigh. “I’ll take them back through the Burgh, I suppose. The things I do for you people,” she added crossly. “You’re lucky I’m not the favor-tracking kind, or you’d all owe me an army’s worth of firstborns. Come on, Darter. You’ll play sheepdog.”
She stepped scornfully over the body of Perry MacCullen as she lead the Kelpie stallion to the water’s edge. It followed as placidly as it had followed Niall — clearly it owed no particular loyalty to any owner, only the one who held the reins. As it moved, the whole herd fell in line, too — the half-dozen that had emerged from the trees trotted into the water to join their fellows, Darter leaping into the water after them, his agile little hand and feet moving him with surprising speed through the water. Eamon was watching his new friend with intent fascination.
“Before I go,” Maggie said, turning back with an oddly formal tone in her voice. “I invite you, Niall Grant, and you, Helen Washington, to carry this warning to the folk of the Keep and the folk of the Village. The next attack on a Seelie Fae will not be without consequences. Either the Laird and his men get the fools in the village under their control, or they will be met with retribution the like of which none of ye have the imagination to fathom.”
“Heard and witnessed, Maggie,” Niall said, a formal note in his voice as he bowed his head. “Pass on our sincere apologies to the Sidhe, and our assurances that we’ll be more vigilant in future.”
Maggie’s bright eyes turned to Helen. She bowed her head too, feeling a little out of her depth but using what Niall had said as a model. “Heard and witnessed, Maggie,” she said softly. “I’m sorry we couldn’t keep the Monster from harm.”
“Do better,” Maggie said simply. And with that ominous warning, she turned and lead the Kelpie directly into the waters of the Loch, walking for all the world as though she was just crossing a road to get to where she was going. Within minutes, the water had reached her head — and then she’d disappeared under its surface. Can she breathe underwater? Helen wondered curiously, watching as the Kelpie, too, disappeared into the water of the Loch. Did she even need to breathe? She realized she knew precious little about the old woman — or about the Fae more generally. That was probably by design… but she bit her lip as she watched Maggie go, the warning still resounding in her chest.
“What if we can’t stop the next attack on the Seelie Fae?” she murmured to Niall as the last of the Kelpies disappeared. “What if someone goes after the Monster again? What if —”
“Shh,” Niall said simply, pressing a finger to her lips.
Eamon giggled in his arms, and Helen couldn’t help but smile at that, fiercely grateful that the little boy seemed none the worse for wear after his traumatic experience. They stood on the shore of the Loch for a long time as the last of the Kelpies disappeared, Eamon waving to Darter as the little goblin brought up the rear of the progression. Then they were gone — and the three of them were alone on the shore of the Loch. The sun had set completely now, and the stars were beginning to come out. There was a chill in the air, but it was a beautiful, clear night, and Helen leaned against Niall’s side, gazing out over the water, grateful for the simple fact that it was no longer dangerous out here — that they no longer had to worry about rushing back to the castle before dark. The village was safe from the Kelpie threat.
“We did it,” Niall said softly, as though he was reading her mind.
She smiled, reaching up to kiss him. “We did.”
Chapter 60
It was a long ride home. Niall was clearly torn between taking it easy on the horses, who’d been ridden hard all day, and wanting to get back to the castle as soon as possible to spread the good news. They were hindered, too, by the body of Perry MacCullen. Despite his disdain for the man, Niall was unwilling to leave his body out for the animals to maul. In the end, they chose to dig him a grave on the shore of the Loch, inland enough that the waves wouldn’t disturb it. They buried him there with a cairn of stones to mark his place, and Niall heaved a deep sigh as he stood over it, clearly conflicted about what to say… but determined to say something, at least.
“I’ll ask Father Caleb to come out and do a proper blessing,” he added, almost apologetically, as though telling Perry MacCullen’s ghost that this wouldn’t be his only eulogy. “But for now… um. Here lies Perry MacCullen. He was… a troubled man. We were friends, for a good long time. He always had the courage of his convictions… that courage is what undid him. He loved his brothers dearly. May he be with them again.”
“Beautiful,” Helen said softly. Eamon was asleep in her arms — the day had clearly taken a lot out of him, and Niall dusted his hands off, picking up the torch from where he’d wedged it as they did the work of burying Perry.
“It’s more than he deserves,” he muttered, half to himself. The deaths of the fishermen, as well as the threat from Maggie about retribution from the Sidhe, were clearly still weighing heavily on his mind. They made their way back to the horses, who were happily grazing on the side of the road and set off for home.
Eamon barely stirred the whole ride home — but he did wake up when the castle lights came into view, immediately complaining that he was hungry. Niall chuckled, reaching over to tousle his hair — he was sitting in front of Helen on her horse. “Take him to the castle, will you? I’m going to stop in at the village to let them know the good news.”
She nodded, and Niall peeled off. It wasn’t long before they’d reached the castle — there were guards on the wall peering down at her, and when she waved up at them, Eamon waving too, a raucous cheer of celebration went up.
“Safe and sound!” she yelled up, grinning widely as she waved. Brendan was there himself, a look of acute relief on his face as he grinned and waved welcome. They rode into the courtyard and Helen swung them both off the horse, Eamon peering around cheerfully, clearly happy to be home. The grooms who had been there that morning came rushing over to take the weary horse, both clearly delighted that Eamon was safe.
They headed for the dining hall — and Helen couldn’t help but laugh at what a tiny celebrity Eamon’s big day had turned him into. It seemed that everyone in the Castle was determined to come up and check in on him. He was constantly being given little presents — sweets and treats here and there, several of the pastries he so loved, and from Blair, who was almost — but not quite — hiding her relief behind her gimlet gaze, a big basket of shortbread. That prize was particularly welcome — he stared up at the headwoman with enormous eyes, murmuring a thanks in an uncharacteristically shy voice. When had she gotten the time to bake the batch, Helen wondered? There was definitely something magical about that woman.
But the sweets didn’t put him off his dinner. He happily went through several plates of food, eating with an appetite that would have been more suited to his father than the tiny four-year-old. Helen laughed, letting him eat his fill. After all, he’d had an extremely trying day — she was delighted he had such a big appetite. But af
ter dinner, and with Niall back from the village, it was clear that the little boy needed some peace and quiet. She’d already made promises to all of the other time-stranded women to tell them the story of the Kelpies’ defeat in detail the next day — but for now, all that remained was for her and Niall to take their tired but happy little ex-captive down the stairs and to the quiet of the docks.
There was something nice about being able to look out over the water and feel only peace. She paused before they went inside, and Niall put an arm around her shoulders, gazing out over the water too.
“The docks will be good as new in a few days, now that we can work on repairs with no fear,” he said softly, gesturing to the damaged docks. “Soon the Monster will be back in action. The fishermen can go back to working at whatever time of day their hearts desire… everything’s back to how it was.”
“Not quite,” Helen pointed out.
Niall sighed. “Aye, you’re right. We’ll be treading on eggshells with the Sidhe for quite some time —”
“I didn’t mean that,” she chuckled, giving him an exasperated look, “I mean me.”
“What about you?” he challenged, his eyes twinkling. Then he swept her into an embrace, holding her tight. “Of course you. You’ve changed my life completely, Helen Washington. That goes without saying.”
Needed By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (Highlander Forever Book 5) Page 36