Donna Grant: Wicked Highlander

Quinn followed her finger as she pointed and felt his heart fall to his feet as he caught sight of Marcail. “Nay,” he whispered.

“She will never be yours,” Deirdre said.

Lucan grabbed his arm. “Quinn.”

But Quinn couldn’t help his brothers now, not when Marcail stood in blue flames that held her above the floor and immobile. He felt sick to his stomach. Once again he’d been unable to help a woman he cared for. What kind of Highlander and Warrior was he that he couldn’t save his women?

“Quinn,” Fallon bellowed.

Quinn turned to his brothers, his soul tearing in half. “You know what has to be done.”

They nodded and as one, the small group launched themselves at Deirdre. Quinn allowed himself just a moment to watch as Larena went invisible and removed her clothes. Hayden launched huge fireballs at any wyrran that he spotted, and the others surrounded Deirdre.

Quinn stepped close to Marcail. As much as he wanted to be the one to drain the life from Deirdre, Marcail mattered more. He touched the blue flames and ice formed on the tip of his fingers.

“Holy Hell,” he murmured.

He didn’t know how he would get Marcail out of the flames, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone.

Quinn turned back to the battle to find something pulling Deirdre’s hair from behind. Larena most likely. Deirdre screamed as Larena’s claws cut off her hair at the neck. A moment later and the hair grew back.

Fallon cheered for his wife before disappearing, only to reappear somewhere else in the chamber. Quinn blinked, unsure of what he saw until Fallon did it over and over again.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Larena’s voice said from beside him.

“Aye,” Quinn said.

He didn’t take time for more words as he closed his eyes and called up his power. “Come to me,” he called to every animal inside the mountain.

A few moments later rats, insects, and other animals began to stream into the chamber. Quinn grinned.

“Attack Deirdre,” he commanded.

As one, the animals converged on Deirdre. She shifted her power from tossing Warriors aside to killing the animals.

Lucan shifted to shadow and swarmed around Deirdre while Galen, Logan, and Ramsey sliced her with their claws. Fallon would jump in front of her and cut her face, then jump away before she could use her magic on him.

Quinn started forward to join the group in drawing blood from Deirdre when there was a commotion at the door. He turned and found Arran, Ian, and Duncan.

As soon as they saw the attack, they leapt into the fray. A moment later Broc came into the chamber and joined in as well. With so many attacking Deirdre, Quinn could see her weakening. It would only be a matter of time before she was dead.

Hayden continued to kill wyrran he spotted, which kept Quinn from having to fend the vile creatures off. Quinn was about to join his brothers when a load roar got his attention. He turned to find none other than William coming toward him.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” William said.

Quinn smiled in anticipation. “Stop talking. Start fighting.”

He ducked a vicious swing from William’s hand that was aimed at his head and drew first blood with a cut to William’s stomach.

William staggered backward and growled. “What did she ever see in you?”

“More than she saw in you,” Quinn taunted.

William plowed his shoulder into Quinn’s abdomen, knocking the breath from Quinn and driving him back against the wall. Quinn elbowed the Warrior in the back of the neck twice before William’s hold loosened enough for Quinn to knee him in the face.

As William jerked up from the hit, his claws raked Quinn’s side and arm. Before Quinn could deliver another blow, William bit his shoulder, his fangs sinking far into Quinn’s skin.

Quinn bellowed and used his claws to tear at William’s skin wherever he could. Blood poured down Quinn’s arm, but he didn’t feel it, not when the need to kill was so strong.

William stepped away, his mouth and teeth covered in blood. “I’m going to enjoy taking you apart piece by piece, MacLeod. You arena fit to be a Warrior, much less rule over us.”

“It isna my fault Deirdre didn’t want a child from you. Where were you lacking, William?”

Just as Quinn had hoped, William’s anger got the better of him. He grew more reckless each time he attacked, and it gave Quinn the advantage he needed as he moved closer and closer to the black flames where Deirdre kept the seer.

Despite William’s fury, he was able to land several blows to Quinn, drawing more blood. Quinn’s body ached from the cuts that covered him from his face to his legs, but he wasn’t going to stop, not until William was dead.

William’s claws sunk into Quinn’s stomach before he jerked them out sideways, leaving a gaping wound in Quinn’s belly. Quinn glanced down and saw the damage. He felt his body lean to the side as exhaustion took over.

“Quinn.”

He blinked. It had been Marcail’s voice, of that he had no doubt.

“You can do this,” Marcail said in his mind. “Finish him.”

Quinn jerked his head to clear it and focused once more on William. Marcail was right. He could kill William.

He smiled at the Warrior and took a step toward him. William sneered and tried to bite him again.

“I’ve had enough of you.” With one shove Quinn pushed William into the black flames.

The Warrior screamed and clawed at his face and skin as he thrashed about. He knocked the seer from the flames, but it was too late for William. The black fire had taken him, leaving him in the same sedate, calm state the seer had been in.

“Quinn,” Lucan said and grabbed him about the shoulders. “We need to get to the castle.”

“I’m not leaving without Marcail.”

“Deirdre is almost dead. Let’s get out of here,” Lucan pleaded.

Quinn looked at his brother. “I couldna protect Elspeth. I willna be responsible for Marcail’s death as well.”

There was a loud scream that threatened to burst their ear drums. Quinn covered his ears and turned to find Deirdre screaming and Charon holding her by her neck.

The copper Warrior had death in his eyes, and by the way he squeezed, she wouldn’t live much longer.

There was a crack as Charon broke her neck with one hand. He removed her head with a yank and let her fall to the ground before tossing her head on top of her body. Hayden then set her on fire.

“It’s over,” Lucan said.

But for Quinn it wouldn’t be over until Marcail was in his arms.

Isla stood in the shadows and watched the MacLeods triumph over Deirdre, but it was Lavena that Isla focused on. She had come to save her sister from the never-ending life of Deirdre’s seer, but it appeared someone had already done it for her.

She didn’t need to go to Lavena and check for breath to know her sister was dead. She wanted to mourn the loss of her sister, but she had been doing that for centuries. Finally, Lavena was at peace.

Which only left Grania now.

Isla turned to go in search of her niece. As she expected, Grania was in her chamber. When she saw Isla, Grania rose from her seat and walked toward her.

“What is going on?” Grania demanded.

Isla licked her lips and reached for Grania’s hand, forcing back the pain in her body. Her niece stepped away before Isla could touch her.

It wasn’t a good start, but Isla was determined to be the aunt her sister would have wanted.

“Grania, I’ve some bad news,” Isla began.

“Is it about Deirdre?” the child asked. “Tell me it isn’t about Deirdre.”

Isla hesitated a moment. “Nay, it’s about your mother. I’m sorry, but she’s dead.”