Binding Vows(89)

“She must be far away. I can only sense her.”

“Amber acts as though she can hear her.”

“How?”

“She mumbled something about a secret spell her and Tara had shared. Do you know what she speaks of?”

“Nay.” But his clever wife wasn’t afraid of anything, so he wasn’t surprised to hear his father talk of spells.

They went to Amber’s room. Lora was in bed beside her and stroking her long hair, soothing her as mothers do.

Amber’s eyes fluttered open. Seeing her brother at the end of her bed, she crawled over the covers and circled her arms around him. “She’s waiting for you, Duncan. She’s in the woods by the falls.”

“Can you hear her?”

She nodded. “She sings to keep the other one out. She doesn’t want me to talk with her for fear Grainna will hear. But she’s frightened.”

That he knew, but to hear his youngest sister’s tearful report made him restless to be on his way.

“The falls? Do you know which ones?”

Amber closed her eyes and repeated what Tara was singing.

“The woods are deep and thick by me. Lots of great big tall, tall trees. The cottage has an old thatched roof. The smoke will give off big black soot.

I can hear the stream nearby. I need to sing this lullaby. Keep my baby safe in me, bring me help oh please, please, please.”

Amber held her brother’s hand. “She keeps repeating it over and over. Can I tell her you’re coming?”

“Nay. Don’t.” He smiled at his sister. “You’ve done all you can, go to sleep. I’ll have her home 266



Binding Vows



before dinner.”

He nodded to his mother and left the room.

Outside, his father stopped him. “Take more men with you.”

“I do this alone.”

Ian grabbed his arm. “I’m not asking.”

Duncan, who could count on one hand the times he defied his father, did so now, with no regret. “I will not be witnessed in what has to be done. I will use every power at my disposal to bring my wife home. I do it alone.”

Ian relented. “God’s speed.”

Duncan gathered his weapons and pack up his father’s horse which was readied and waiting.

He kicked the horse into a full run in the route he believed his wife to be.

The farther away from the Keep he rode, the stronger her pull became. He headed in the direction of the falls, the opposite way Fin had set out.



****

Her wrists burned and blistered, she finally managed to loosen the bindings. Lancaster stared off in a catatonic trance.

Grainna gazed into a glass sphere and chanted.

This is so surreal. Hansel and Gretel came to mind. She felt like the little girl who was going to be eaten by the mean ugly witch.

She closed her eyes, attempting to rest. Her body was so tired. Even the pain of all the kicks and hits faded in her crushing need for sleep. She planned, all the while singing lullabies, but the multitasking proved too difficult.

She drifted into uneasy slumber. Her breathing slowed and evened out. It was then she felt him. Her eyes darted open, certain Grainna felt him too. But she remained unmoving, hunched over an old crystal ball. A glimmer of hope filled Tara’s mind. She 267



Catherine Bybee



couldn’t stop the reaction no matter how hard she tried. She let out one thought, I love you!

It came back. I love you, too.

Her heart sang! She looked up and knew her mistake.

Grainna’s sneer pierced her soul. “Let him come.”

Trembling with horror, Tara asked, “Why? You can’t overpower him.” She tossed her head at Matthew. “Not even with your gnome here.”

“You wouldn’t be so arrogant if you knew what I could do.” Grainna moved from the chair to where Tara sat on the dirt floor. “I wonder what they told you of me.”

With the bindings gone from her wrists, Tara felt more confident in her ability to get away. “They told me you were a vengeful witch who took pleasure in other people’s pain.”

“True. So true. You see, however, the key word there is witch. The Ancients took away my Druid powers, but they couldn’t touch those of my black magic.”

She walked to Matthew, put her palm to his face, and drew his blood with the tip of her nail.

Lancaster didn’t flinch.

“I’m a very powerful black witch. I should thank you for leading me back here. With the small taste of Druid blood, I have regained more strength than in our future. Before this day is done, yours and Duncan’s will be added to the mix.”

“So you see yourself as a vampire?” Tara kept her talking. She knew Duncan was getting closer.

“I’ve been called worse.”