Midnight's Captive(44)
Charon looked down at his chest and slowly ran his hand where Wallace had poured his drough blood into his wounds. “I came out to distract Jason so Laura could get away. I knew she’d see me, and I knew I didna stand a chance with the droughs.”
“But you wanted to give her a chance,” Isla whispered.
Charon nodded, silently searching for any hint of drough magic so he could find out which way Jason and his group went. But there was nothing.
“Jason admitted he wanted to torture Laura to make me suffer. He plans that for all of us. It isna enough to kill us. He wants us to suffer.”
Lucan kicked a board at his feet and mumbled, “Shite.”
“Why did Wallace no’ kill you?” Logan asked.
Charon gave a slight shake of his head. “That’s just it, Logan. He did, or he was. That big brute of a Warrior, Dale, and I fought. Jason didna allow that for long before he used his magic and pinned me as Dale sliced me open. Then Jason cut himself to use his blood to kill me.”
He could still feel the agony of the drough blood touching his wounds. It had been like a nightmare, the pain unending. The sheer agony of it growing until only one thought remained—Laura.
“I don’t understand,” Gwynn said. “Shouldn’t you be dead?”
Charon snorted. “And my cabin should still be standing.”
“You doona remember anything?” Ian asked.
He started to say no when he paused. “There was an explosion of some sort. Then … nothing.”
“Jason didna have a need to blow up the cabin,” Lucan said.
Fallon nodded grimly. “Who would?”
Logan bent to place his hand on the ground. “Despite the magic Jason used here, as well as the dead droughs, I feel no magic present. No’ even from Gwynn or Isla.”
“And I can no’ seem to use my power,” Broc added.
Charon had heard enough. “I have to find Laura before Jason does. She shouldna be a part of this war. She’s no’ a Druid. He only wants to hurt her to get to me. I willna allow that to happen.”
“Let’s find her,” Phelan said as he moved to stand behind him.
Fallon looked at one of the dead droughs. “I need to get Isla and Gwynn back to the castle, and then contact Quinn immediately so he can get Aiden out of Edinburgh. Since I’ve been trying to jump back to the castle for a few minutes now, I think whatever happened is affecting all of our powers.”
“And my magic,” Isla said.
Gwynn glanced at Logan. “Mine as well.”
“I need to get the girls away from this area in order to use my power,” Fallon said. “At least I hope it’s the area. Who knows what that explosion really did.”
“Or who did it,” Phelan said. “If Wallace had that kind of power, he’d have used it before.”
Ramsey looked around before meeting Charon’s gaze. “Was the explosion aimed at you or Wallace?”
“Why do you ask that?” Charon demanded.
Ramsey pointed to the cabin. “It came from within the cabin.”
“The only thing in that cabin was Laura before she climbed through the trapdoor. I wouldna have left her inside if there was anything that could’ve harmed her.”
“Nay, you wouldna have,” Phelan said.
Logan cut his hand through the air. “We can figure out what was inside the cabin later, after we’re able to use our power and the Druids can use their magic.”
“Aye. Everyone needs to be at the castle,” Charon agreed. “Get anyone who might be acquainted with any of you safe. Jason will strike at anyone to draw us out.”
Ramsey said, “I’m staying to help search for Laura.”
“Me as well,” Broc said. “Whatever is preventing my power willna last forever.”
Lucan grinned. “Count me in.”
Ian met Charon’s gaze in an unspoken agreement.
“The rest of us will set up patrols at the castle,” Logan stated.
Fallon glanced at Larena. “That’s after we get Galen, Quinn, and Aiden back to the castle.”
With a nod to Fallon, Charon started off in the direction Laura should have gone. It didn’t take long to find the broken twigs and bent stalks of plants from someone who had fallen upon them.
“It’s Laura,” Phelan said from a short way ahead.
Charon went to Phelan and spotted the print of Laura’s hiking boot. “Aye. She did get away. She shouldna be that far ahead of us.”
“Nay, but others are following her as well,” Ramsey said as he knelt beside another print.
Lucan examined the track. “It’s big and deep. I’m guessing they sent Dale after her.”