by Aliyah Burke
“Dracen?”
“Yes?”
“Do you sense something wrong?”
On the screen he could tell she was checking the area. She was good at hiding the mist from her shoulders when she spoke to them but if a person were looking hard, they’d be able to see a ripple in the air around her when she used her powers. He’d never seen a dragon rise from her shoulders as he’d seen other signs do from the others.
“Yes.” Weapons slid into her hands. She whirled and pointed. Mal and the children ran. “We’re under attack.”
To him it seemed the children had barely made it off the screen when Dracen ran the other direction to intercept a large swarm of people in black that had appeared on a different screen.
Fear poured through him as he and he brethren jumped up and ran. Would he get to Mal in time? Dracen was one of the best but he needed to be there to protect his wife.
Chapter Fifteen
Mal scrambled to keep the children behind her and as quiet as she could. Outside, the sounds of battle grew louder—and nearer. Turning back, she stared at them in the lamp’s light.
“I’m sorry, kids. We have to shut it off. They may see this light and I can’t have them use you as shields. We’re too far from the house to get there and hide. So I want all of you to huddle close, youngest in the middle and the eldest on the outside. Keep as quiet as you can.”
Despite the fear radiating in their eyes, all nodded and did as they had been told. She cast a final look over them all before turning the lamp’s knob and descending them into inky darkness. Around, she could hear water dripping in the back of the cave and the fighting from the front.
She’d been out with the children, learning about the types of trees when the attack had come. Dracen had immediately sent them here while she held off those men in black who poured from what felt like every inch around them. Mal heard Billy and the other men arrive as well to join in. Shelly had been with her then had gone back out to fight.
A cold spear of dread sat in her gut. This wasn’t right. Something was wrong and she didn’t like how it made her feel. Antsy. For the first time, Mal wanted to be part of the battle, not back here with the children. Still, she wouldn’t leave them alone. She knew they needed her. Or was it that she needed them?
The older children gave reassuring sounds to the younger ones as they huddled. A light bounced off the walls but from behind. Mal whirled to face whatever threat approached.
“Mal?”
Taylor’s voice had her exhaling with relief. She hurried toward the woman, who stepped into view, partially hidden by shadows her light cast.
“Taylor? How did you get here? How did you know we were here?”
“Cale told me. I’m here to get them back to the house and into a safe room. Let’s go.”
“Come on kids. You heard her. Follow Taylor.”
Taylor looked at her. “What about you?”
Mal glanced back toward the mouth of the cave. “I have to stay.”
Taylor didn’t argue, just urged the children along. Mal gave her lamp to one of the older boys and as they vanished, she carefully made her way back to the entrance. Although the cave had been dark, outside daylight was strong.
She peered out and grimaced. Bodies were strewn about. Mal frowned. How did The New Order get so many recruits who were willing to die such senseless deaths? She searched for Billy and found him battling. Swiftly. Still, to her, he moved slowly compared to Dracen and Tiarnán. Those two were as exceptional, as they’d said.
To the left she saw Shelly going at it hand-to-hand with some man who must outweigh her by a good hundred pounds. It didn’t deter her friend. At all.
I have to help. What can I do?
Mal knew better than to run down there and get into it. She wasn’t a fighter. That wasn’t her. But she could help, somehow. She just had to figure out what she was going to do. So she crept out and skirted the edge of the fighting, doing her best to remain unseen.
She paused behind a tree and caught her breath. Her heart pounded hard and she struggled to make sense of what she was doing. How the hell did I think I was going to be able to assist them in any way? I should have gone back to the house. Malmuirie, this is officially the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.
Too late now. Even if she tried to go back, they would see her. The battle had moved closer and instead of being on the fringes of it, she was smack dab in it. A man fell beside her, the hole in his head bleeding down over his pale face. Her stomach clenched. He looked so young. Sightless eyes stared beyond her and it was instinct for her to lean over and brush her hand down his face, closing those eyes.
“Mal!”
Billy’s scream snared her attention. She looked up and saw him dispatch two and begin to run in her direction. He continued to point behind her and she turned. There stood a man who radiated hatred. Dressed like the rest of those battling the Guardians, he sneered at her.
“You are going to die, Guardian whore.” He brandished a large, wicked-looking knife.
Mal scrambled back, tripping over the dead body. His grin showed a perfect set of teeth and he raised the blade. Seconds later, that very blade fell from nerveless fingers to the ground. The man followed.
Dead. He had a hole in the side of his head and Mal looked in that direction the shot had come from and found Shelly also heading toward her, lowering her rifle as she ran.
Her friend reached her first, for Billy had been detained by more enemies.
“What are you doing here, Mal?” Shelly demanded as she picked off two others. “Get up. You have to get out of here.”
She bumbled to her feet and stared at her friend. “I can help.”
“You want to help, pick up a gun and start shooting. The ones in black.”
Mal had the basics down of firing a weapon. She didn’t like it, but she knew how. She saw the gun the dead kid had been carrying and went to reach for it.
“Take this one.” Shelly tossed hers over. Mal caught it and had adjusted it in her arms in the time it took Shel to get the one from the ground ready to fire. “Stay with me. And, Mal, don’t shoot me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Shelly arched an eyebrow at her.
“Not to, I’ll do my best not to.”
“That’s a semi-automatic. You need to pull the trigger for each bullet. You can’t hold your finger and spray.”
“Got it.” Her ears were ringing.
“Where exactly do you two think you’re going?”
The question was grated and sent shivers through Mal’s entire body. The air shimmered and Uma materialized before them. She appeared human today, although her hair was a shade of green that reminded Mal of baby shit.
“Out of here.” Shelly’s voice was hard.
“I don’t think so. And you, human… I owe you for last time.”
“Make me a tab,” Shelly snapped right before she opened fire. The bullets tore into the pale flesh and Uma screeched in anger.
Pain? Possibly, but there was definitely anger.
A roar from behind her had Mal looking to see Billy increasing his efforts to get free of the demons holding him away from her.
“I’m going to skin you alive, human.”
Mal fired and the figure shifted to snakelike before returning to human. Eyes flaring with hatred burned into her.
“And you… I’m going to enjoy taking your life as well.”
“Go, Mal.”
“I’m not leaving you, Shelly.”
“How sweet, you’ll both die.”
“Not today.” Shelly didn’t back down as she made her statement.
Silver stars sank into her skin and Uma’s screech this time was definitely from pain. Billy stood in front of them. When he’d arrived she’d not seen, but Mal was unable to describe how pleased she was he was there.
“Go.” Billy’s order was in a tone she knew not to argue with.
“You are no match for me, Kwan.”
“Says the bitch who’s bleeding.”
“So are you.”
“But not because of you.”
She hissed at him, showing off her fangs. Mal and Shelly backed up. Another being stepped from the shadow of the tree and Mal cried out before jumping to the side. Shelly spun and emptied her weapon into him.
“These things just don’t quit.”
Billy was engaged in battling Uma. Mal realized all she was doing was keeping him occupied. The thing that stood before her now was over seven feet tall. No eyes she could see. Only three fingers on each hand, and it was covered in a yellow-ochre hued slime.
The slime fell away from its face and she saw the eyes. Soulless. She lost her breath when it focused on her. Its mouth opened, huge and cavernous, exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“You. Die.” A sword appeared out of thin air into its hand and it struck.
Mal had been frozen, unable to move from fear but the bite of the blade never reached her. She blinked, trying to make sense of what she saw before her. Shelly, impaled on the blade being lifted from the ground.
“No!” she screamed.
“Run, Mal,” Shelly said, her voice fading with each word. Her friend looked at her—blood ran from the corner of her mouth as well as from her chest where the sword was embedded.
It wasn’t so much the words but what she saw next that spurred Mal into action. The pin to a grenade fell and she knew that Shelly intended on taking that thing with her, one way or the other.
“Grenade!” she cried, lunging back.
Billy grabbed her and moved farther away than Mal had the ability to do. The explosion rocked the area and Mal ignored the tears streaming down her face, just struggled to get to Shelly.
“Shelly! No, let me go. I have to get to her!”
“Tiarnán grabbed her.” Billy’s voice was soft and gentle.
Instantly she knew his tone meant something bad. She jerked from him and scrambled over the ground to the tall warrior who held her friend. Without her needing to order him to do so, Tiarnán laid her out on the ground with a tenderness she’d not seen from him.
Focused on Shelly, Mal tuned everything else out. “Damn you, Shel.”
Blue eyes, at one time filled with so much light and laughter, watched her, clouded with pain and death.
“No…tears. Mal…love…you. Be happy.”
“I can save you. I can!” She put more pressure on the gaping wound.
“No. This…my…destiny. Yours…greater.”
“Don’t you leave me, Shel. Don’t you dare.”
The smile was slight and weak. “Home.” She closed her eyes and breathed her last.
Mal cried and collapsed onto her friend. “No! Shelly, don’t die.”
Billy pulled her away and turned her into his chest. “I’m so sorry, Mal. So sorry.”
She lifted her head and glanced around them. Dracen, Cale and Tiarnán were protecting them. Allowing her to do what she needed to. They weren’t pursuing those retreating—they stood their ground.
“I have to get her home.” She shoved her emotions under lock and key. Drawing away from Billy, she got to her feet.
“I’ll carry her,” he said.
Mal didn’t see any point in arguing with him. She wasn’t strong enough to lug Shelly’s body all the way back to the mansion.
“I’ll take them back,” Cale said.
Dracen and Tiarnán both looked at her and she nodded. They then left and went back to fighting. She shut the battle out—and took Shel’s hand as Billy lifted her.
What kind of friend am I? I let her come with me and die over here. She didn’t speak on the trip back.
Lian was out there with Edmond when they arrived.
“I am so sorry for the loss of your friend, Mal.” Lian bowed as he gestured to the gurney waiting.
She gave him a nod then walked into Edmond’s arms and hugged him. This wasn’t about her right now—she would grieve later. This was about offering comfort to him. She knew that he and Shelly had been involved. While short-lived, Mal realized both had felt very deeply for one another.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, as his strong arms closed around her.
“As am I. She was your sister and will be greatly missed.”
She stepped back from Edmond and looked at Billy. “I have to take her home.” She noticed Cale leaving and knew he was rejoining the battle. She didn’t care. She had no desire to fight right now. She longed to cry but she had to be strong.
“I will see to the arrangements, Mal. You need to grieve.”
She met Lian’s dark gaze. “No. I have to notify her family.”
“I can do that.”
“Thank you for offering but no, this is something I have to do myself.”
“As you wish.”
She wished this nightmare would be over.
* * * *
Mal stared at the large group of men facing her, clad in the MacKinnon colors—all of them somber and with tears in their eyes. She remained focused on the father, Aonghus MacKinnon. He stood ramrod straight as he looked at the coffin holding his only daughter. He caressed the top, smoothing over the wood.
He looked at her and Mal felt lower than a snake. Aonghus beckoned to her. She walked toward him, unashamed of the tears falling from her eyes. When he opened his arms, she never slowed, just entered the circle of his embrace.
“Don’t cry, wee one.” He spoke in his native language. “She loved you, so much. The sister she never had. It was her honor to give her life for yours.”
“Had she just stayed here, she’d still be alive.” Her words were muffled as she spoke against the worn wool of his fly plaid.
“No. We all have a destiny and that was hers. She knew a long time ago and so did we.”
She wiped her eyes and looked up into blue eyes so like Shel’s. “You knew?”
“Don’t fret, wee one. She accepted her destiny with honor. We are proud she saved you for when it’s time, you’ll save others.” He kissed her and hugged her once more.
Mal was passed from Aonghus to his sons. They all gave her similar words of encouragement and loving support—Bearnard, Cameron, Dunmore, Fergus, Gunn, Kerr and Leith.
She wiped her eyes and leaned into Billy, who had stepped up beside her. All eight of them stared and she sniffed again. As one, they surrounded the coffin and lifted—four per side. Mal watched them go, not needing to follow, for she knew exactly where their destination was going to be. She had to wait to see if they wanted her to accompany them now or come later.
“Are you okay?” Billy asked, as the men slid the wooden box into the back of a truck.
“No. I will be some day.”
“I wish I could make you feel better, Mal. I know how important she was to you.” He kissed her cheek. “To us all.”
She knew his words were meant to offer comfort but they didn’t. She wanted to be allowed to mourn.
Kerr turned back to her and held out his hand. She looked up at Billy, whose gaze had narrowed slightly.
“I’ll see you back at the hotel.” She took a step but halted when his grip tightened. “Please, let me do this.”
“Alone?”
“I’m not alone. They’re with me.”
She knew he was wounded by the words but it was true—she wasn’t going to be alone. Mal kissed his cheek and walked to take Kerr’s hand. She barely reached his shoulder and his warm body banished away the rest of the chill in the air. He assisted her into the front of the vehicle carrying Shelly. Aonghus slid behind the wheel and they drove away, the others following in another truck.
Billy clenched his fists as the two vehicles drove out of sight, leaving him alone at the airstrip. Sure, another car waited to take him to the hotel, but Mal was supposed to have been with him. Not away with eight very large men.
“How is she holding up?”
“She’s crying but she’s yet to allow herself to mourn. She just left with Shelly’s family. Cale, there are
eight men who make Tiarnán seem average around her.”
“So she’s safe then.”
“She should be with me.”
“Billy, this is her best friend’s family. Probably her family. Allow her this.”
“I’m her family. As are you and the rest there.”
“We’ve been family for a short time. You should get some rest while you can. You know once she’s back, you’ll be awake watching and hovering over Mal.”
“You make me sound like an old nursemaid.”
“Take it as you will.”
Billy walked toward the waiting car and slid in the back seat. The driver didn’t speak, just drove on. Leaning his head against the back, Billy closed his eyes, wishing he were with Mal. To offer her support. Be at her side.
* * * *
His rest, once he reached the hotel, was sporadic at best. The sun had long gone down when she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. He rose immediately and went to her.
Mal accepted his embrace and wound her arms around him in return. Her sob tore at his heart and he lowered his head to her ear. “It will be okay, Mal.”
“I lost my best friend. Nothing will be okay again.” Her tears wet his shirt.
He guided her back to the bed and lay with her still in his arms. “Let it go, baby. Let it out. You don’t have to be strong all the time. Allow yourself to mourn.”
She shuddered and cried some more. “All I can see is her pushing me back and taking the blade meant for me. Is this what my life is going to be now? Sword fights and gun battles? Never knowing who I can and can’t trust. Even at the house? The children aren’t even safe there.”
He held her tighter, wishing there were some way he could assuage her fears. He hadn’t any. She was dead on for all accounts. This was going to be her life now, at least until the battle. And that outcome had yet to be decided.
Maybe if we knew who or what the hope of the world was, we could be a bit more prepared. As it stands, we seem to fighting uphill. They know more, They don’t follow rules, They do what they want and take from us.
“It’s not an easy life, Mal.”