The wolf dived again and again to get away, but each time, the four dragons cut him off. They drove him back into the ring while he raced around and around in a desperate search for some way to get out.
Callum got to his feet. He squared his shoulders and leveled each dragon with his determined eyes. They came all this way, and he would show them what he was made of. He turned around and took a deep breath. “Lachlan!”
The wolf stopped. He took a moment to realize where the voice came from. When he saw Callum on his feet, he made another few rushes at the dragons, but they always stopped him from getting away.
Sadie wrung her hands in agony. She couldn’t watch this, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away, either. There were all the dragons gathered around Callum. The one with the injured leg must be Jamie. He must have sneaked out of the castle and flown home to bring back help.
Adrenaline burned her guts. This moment would decide Callum’s fate. He faced Lachlan on his own feet. His friends and family wouldn’t let Lachlan cheat. Callum and Lachlan would face each other man to man with nothing but their weapons and their strength to decide who would conquer.
Her heart exploded for Callum, but she couldn’t interfere. Callum would never forgive her, even if it meant letting Lachlan win. She could accept that, now that the other dragons stood around to act as referee.
Her soul cried out to these dragon people. These were Callum’s loved ones. They were more of the same kind. He might be a novelty to her, but he was normal to these people. He fit in perfectly back in his own country. They knew him, and they cared about him as much as she did. She couldn’t contain the sheer happiness of realizing that at long last.
At last, the wolf came to a stop in front of Callum. He stopped running and stood up straight on his hind legs. Lachlan smiled at Callum with his old congenial patronizing expression. “You cinnae defeat me. Ye ken that as weel as I.”
Callum broke his eyes away from Lachlan’s face. He called out to Christie. “Gi’e him yer weapon.”
Christie took a step forward, but at that moment, Lachlan charged Callum in a furious attack. He roared in Callum’s face and stabbed a dirk at Callum’s chest. His powerful attack bowled Callum off his feet.
Sadie cried out. Every blow against Callum struck deep into her being, but she could only stand aside and watch and pray he could handle it. Who was stronger—Callum or Lachlan? Only an all-out fight would decide, but she no longer feared the outcome if Lachlan won. Her heart and soul belonged to Callum. No one could destroy that now.
He hit the ground hard with Lachlan snarling in his face. Lachlan’s feral rage turned him into a creature more fearsome and deathly ugly than the wolf itself. His black nature came to the surface and made him something beyond human.
How did Sadie ever come to care for this hideous creature? How could she ever come close to loving him or giving herself to him? More than once, she tried to turn away so she wouldn’t see him locked in mortal combat with Callum. In the end, she always came back to watching. She had to see this. She had to see her destiny decided, right here and now.
Callum strained his muscles to the utmost fighting Lachlan back, but Lachlan always managed to shove his dirk closer. He succeeded in stabbing the wicked point into Callum’s ribs. Callum groaned and jerked away.
That pinprick of pain ignited his berserk rage Callum. He bellowed to the heavens and kicked Lachlan away. Both men got to their feet at the same instant. They charged each other, and the impact of their collision knocked Lachlan’s dirk out of his hand.
They grappled bare-handed, each stronger and more ferocious than the other. Callum’s roars rumbled from deep inside his chest. He flattened Lachlan to the ground, but Lachlan flipped him over and gained the upper hand.
Lachlan made a grab for Callum’s throat. Callum slapped his hand away in the nick of time, but Lachlan descended on him with his other arm in a trice. He jammed his elbow into Callum’s neck and crushed his windpipe.
Callum choked for air. He did his best to work a hand between himself and his opponent to get hold of Lachlan’s throat in return, but Lachlan overpowered him. Callum flailed in impotent desperation, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
Sadie closed her eyes and turned away when a cry from Lachlan made her spin around again. Callum gave up trying to attack Lachlan from the front. He lowered his hand to his side and slithered it up Lachlan’s back. He snatched a handful of Lachlan’s golden hair and wrenched the young Highlander’s head back hard.
Lachlan’s elbow broke loose, and Callum coughed. He didn’t have time to recover. Lachlan floundered in confusion for a moment. His hand hit the ground, and his fingers closed around a smooth stone. It fit perfectly in his palm.
In an instant, he raised it off the ground and clubbed Callum with it across the side of the head. Callum let out a stomach-turning grunt. His grip on Lachlan’s hair loosened. Lachlan took the opening. He jumped on top of Callum. He straddled Callum’s chest and smashed Callum’s head aside one more time with the rock.
Sadie heard bone crunch. Vicious hatred transformed Lachlan into something closer to those bloodsucking monsters than anything Sadie ever saw. He was demonic. He was insensible to what he was doing. He slammed his weapon into Callum’s face again and again. Blood gushed from Callum’s nose and mouth. Pulpy bruises bulged along his temples and his cheekbones.
Sadie took a step forward, but Christie caught hold of her. She tried to wrestle out of his grasp. “Let me go! I have to help him.”
“No!” Christie cried. “Look at ’em! Just look at ’em!”
She looked. The four magnificent dragons stood in a circle around their fallen comrade. They watched in silent detachment while Lachlan beat Callum to death. They never moved.
Christie threw his arms around her shoulders to hold her back, but all the fight drained out of her. If they wouldn’t help Callum at a time like this, she shouldn’t, either. If he didn’t win this, he would die on the field. That’s the best she could hope for now.
Lachlan dealt him one more shattering blow across the head. Callum’s head whipped sideways and flopped lifeless from the neck. His arms and legs lay spread-eagled on the ground. Sadie bit her lip to stop herself from crying. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be dead.
Lachlan’s hand fell at his side. His shoulders heaved in ragged breaths from the effort. His throat rasped and wheezed when he inhaled. He glared down at his fallen foe, but the fight was over.
Little by little. Lachlan’s shoulders slumped. His breathing quieted, and his body relaxed. He raised his eyes to face the dragons standing all around him. He lifted his stone and brandished the bloody weapon in their faces.
The dragons didn’t move. Sadie fought back tears. Lachlan would become insufferable, now that he destroyed their champion. They would have to leave, and they would leave her behind, too. Her world crumbled before her eyes.
Lachlan arched his back and threw back his head. He roared in triumph to the skies. He didn’t see Callum’s fingers twitch on the ground next to his knee. In one rapid movement, Callum’s hand closed around Lachlan’s dirk. Callum stayed stretched out on the ground. Only his arm moved.
The dirk flashed through the air. Callum flipped it over in his hand and brought it up with a resounding thunk right into Lachlan’s back. Lachlan shrieked out loud. The stone fell out of his hand, but he never got a chance to react.
Callum launched himself off the ground. He drove the dirk to the hilt between Lachlan’s ribs. Callum hurtled off the ground and tackled Lachlan over sideways. He body-slammed Lachlan on his face into the stony Earth and jumped on top of him.
Callum twisted the dirk in the wound. He bent his mouth close to Lachlan’s ear and shouted over Lachlan’s stricken screams. “Like that? Huh? Like that? Is that the way ye say I cinnae defeat ye? Just like that?”
He gave the blade one brutal twist after another. He crammed it in with all his might and dug it deep into Lachlan’s chest. Lachlan writhed
in agony. The dirk tore at his insides, but he couldn’t stop it. The more he screamed and howled, the harder Callum drove it in. Once, Callum yanked it out, hauled back his muscled arm, and drove it in ten times harder.
Lachlan flailed in all directions, but Callum held him down. At every spine-chilling screech the young Laird made, Callum growled encouragement into his ear. He ground his teeth in sadistic hatred and urged Lachlan to his doom.
Sadie’s jaw dropped open. She stared at the horrible scene in stunned shock. A moment before, this dreadful situation transformed Lachlan into a grinning monster. Now the same thing happened to Callum. Her heart froze at the sight of him twisting the knife deep into Lachlan’s helpless body.
The dragons didn’t react to that, either. They stood aside and watched Callum destroy his enemy. They blinked their fiery eyes until Lachlan stopped spasming and lay still. Blood covered both men and caked Callum’s hair and beard. Even after Lachlan lay still and stopped breathing, he shoved the dirk in and twisted it in cruel malice.
No one moved until Callum collapsed off Lachlan and fell gasping on the ground.
Chapter 28
The red dragon reacted first. She hopped up on her hind legs, and her gleaming body shrank to the shape of a thin woman in a clean, plain dress. The sun caught her red hair the same way it played over her red scales.
She rushed forward and went down on her knees next to Callum. “It’s all right, Callum. It’s all over now.”
He tried to sit up, but he fell back on the stones. He raised his hand. “Save him, ’Azel. Save him if ye can. I didnae mean tae…”
She stroked his cheek. “It’s all right, Callum. You meant to, and you did good. I’m proud of you. Don’t worry. He’s gonna be just fine.”
Sadie rushed to the scene. “Hazel! You’re here.”
Hazel threw her arms around Sadie. “It’s so good to see you. Everything’s gonna be all right now. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Sadie stared down at Lachlan’s motionless body. “He’s dead.”
“Not by a mile.” Hazel touched the dirk. She ran her finger around the hilt where it stuck up out of Lachlan’s blood-saturated shirt. “It’s nothing.”
In front of Sadie’s eyes, Hazel pulled the dirk from the wound. Black blood dripped from the blade. Sadie’s stomach turned, but Hazel cocked her head to watch the droplets fall one after another. They dropped into the gaping wound, and the two flaps of skin closed together in a perfect seal. No sign of the wound remained.
Sadie gasped. “How did you do that?”
“Forget it. You there.” Hazel turned on Christie. “Get him inside. He’ll need a lot of rest after this. Make sure he’s comfortable so he doesn’t try to move when he wakes up.”
Sadie stared at her friend, but Hazel paid no attention. She knelt down next to Callum again. She laid her hand on Callum’s cheek where the rock did the most damage. “Are you all right, Callum?”
Callum took a deep breath. He felt her magic coursing through his veins and healing his head. He opened his eyes to see Robbie, Fergus, and Elle coming forward. “I’m awright. I’m just grand now that ye’re ’ere.”
“Let’s get inside,” Hazel told him. “It sounds like we’ve got some work to do to get this place under control.”
“Can ye walk, lad?” Robbie asked. “If ye can, I’ll ask ye tae take yerself inside. I ha’e tae tend tae this bairn instead.”
He rounded on the golden dragon that still stood aloof on three legs. The dragon gave a low chuckle in its throat and transformed into Jamie. He laughed at Robbie. “Come alaing, then, and carry me tae me cradle.”
Robbie took a step forward, but Callum caught his hand. “No, Rob. I’ll deal tae him.”
Callum got to his feet and approached the spot where Jamie hopped on his good leg. Jamie didn’t know whether to smile or not. Callum scowled at him, but when he got to his brother, he caught him up in a bear hug. “Thanks.”
Jamie laughed and clapped him on the back. “Ye wouldnae listen tae me. Ye allus were too stubborn fer yer own good.”
Callum turned around. He took hold of Jamie’s arm and looped it over his shoulder to support his brother. “Come on. Let’s go.”
The whole party headed for Duart Castle. A few wolves trotted out onto the empty battlefield after the party left, and when they changed into men, they carried Lachlan inside, too.
Callum put Jamie down in a chair by the dining room fire. Jamie sighed. “Phew! I dinnae mind restin’ in this castle, now that ’Azel’s ’ere. I dinnae mind facin’ those things wi’ ye around, lassie.”
“What are they?” Hazel asked. “I don’t see anything.”
“They’re vampires,” Sadie replied. “They started across the island, at the Tower House. They slaughtered hundreds of men, and they followed us here. They seem to keep getting stronger.”
“Koto says they come from the curse,” Callum told her.
“Who’s Koto?”
“I guess she’s summat like their wizard—or witch, I dinnae ken,” Callum replied. “She’s no a witch like ye, lassie. She fills Lachlan’s head wi’ a bunch o’ nonsense. She told him he had tae marry Sadie tae break the curse. They wouldnae listen when I tried tae explain it didnae work that way wi’ Angus and Carmen.”
Hazel’s eyes widened. “Wow. Sounds complicated.”
“It is,” Sadie added. “It’s ridiculous. Anyways, I don’t think Lachlan will be trying to marry me again after this. I’m thankful for that.”
“If Koto’s right,” Elle chimed in, “we’ll have to break the curse all over again to get rid of these things.”
Fergus spoke up for the first time. “We cinnae break this curse. I dinnae ken how we get rid o’ these things, but we cinnae break the curse. I’m certain o’ that.”
Everybody whipped around to face him. “What makes you say that?”
He waved his hand around the room. “This place is definitely under a curse. I can see that plain as day, but it doesnae come from ye….” He nodded at Sadie. “Or ye….” to Elle, “or tae ye.” He pointed at Hazel. “It doesnae come from any o’ ye. It’s summat else.”
“What do you think it is?” Hazel asked.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I cinnae see’t, but it’s there awright.”
“Do ye ha’e tae see the vampires tae understand it?” Callum asked.
Fergus’s eyes snapped open. “No. I dinnae ha’e tae see ought. It’s ’ere. The McLeans are under a curse, the same as we were. These vampires come from that curse, but it’s naught tae do wi’ us. ’Azel cinnae use her magic tae get rid o’ ’em.”
“Does that mean they’ll just keep attacking…forever?” Sadie asked.
Fergus and Hazel exchanged glances. Robbie interrupted. “First o’ all, this curse has naught tae do wi’ us. It belaings tae the McLeans. We’ll all o’ us take flight and scamper alaing home, and it’s naught tae do wi’ us. As laing as it’s outside Urlu, it’s summat other Clan’s problem.”
“We cinnae do that,” Callum replied. “We cinnae leave another Clan tae die while we scamper alaing home in perfect safety. I’m surprised at ye, Rob, fer e’en suggestin’ it.”
“Ye’re one tae talk, mon,” Jamie murmured. “Ye just almost lost yer worthless life out on that field tae save another Clan when ye wouldnae scamper alaing home when any reasonable mon would ha’e headed fer the hills. Listen tae Rob and take yer hide where ye belaing. These McLeans’ll deal tae their own business withoot us.”
Callum shook his head, but Sadie interrupted. “I hate to say this, but I agree with Callum. The McLeans have played this the wrong way from the beginning. Lachlan has done the worst he could possibly do to both of us, but we can’t leave the whole Clan to die. If there’s a way we can help them, we should do it.”
“Ye’re just as daft as he is,” Robbie snapped. “Do ye want tae hang aboot and wait fer Lachlan tae try another dirty trick? Ye’re both o’ ye suicidal. That’s what ye are.”
“I know it sounds crazy, but think about it,” Sadie told him. “He thinks he can break the curse by marrying me. That’s how this whole thing got started, and the only reason he thinks that is because Koto told him so. Now you’re telling me this curse has nothing to do with me. If we can find a way to lift this curse and leave his Clan in peace, we could convince him the solution lies somewhere else. You’ll only make an enemy out of him if you leave him in the lurch when you could be turning him into a valuable ally.”
The others listened. Robbie shrugged and looked away.
The words tumbled out of her faster than she could think them. “Think about it. Callum has been telling us for days he couldn’t cross Lachlan because the McLeans are next door neighbors to Cameron land. If you make an enemy of Lachlan, he’ll attack your relatives the minute your back is turned. He’ll annoy you and hurt you any way he can, and those Camerons aren’t dragons like you are. They won’t be able to defend themselves against the McLeans. Just imagine what you could accomplish by making a friend of Lachlan. You could ensure peace between the McLeans and the Camerons for generations to come.”
She searched one face after another. Callum gazed down into her flushed face, and she read her victory there. He approved. He admired her for speaking out.
Elle glanced at Robbie. “There is something in what she says. We should give it a try.”
“What can we do?” Hazel asked. “How can we get rid of them if I can’t use my magic?”
“We’re dragons,” Robbie replied. “We’ll get rid o’ ’em. Dinnae worry yerself aboot that.”
“They’ll only come back,” Fergus told him. “We could stand out there all day and mow ’em down wi’ our fire. They’ll only come back stronger until we lift the curse.”
“There must be a way,” Sadie exclaimed.
“There is a way. We just have to find it.” Hazel stepped forward to Jamie’s chair. “In the meantime, we’ve got other business to attend to. Let me take a look at you, boy. I don’t even want to know how you did this.”
Wolf Castle Page 19