The yell pierced the air like a sharp knife and brought everyone to an abrupt halt.
“Malcolm’s group,” Storm said and drew her sword before charging forward through the woods.
The melee was a clash of swords and fists, and chaos reigned for some time.
Burke had no time to worry about Storm. It seemed he fought off soldier after soldier. Sweat and blood soon tainted the chilled air along with moans of the wounded and dying.
When it finally ended, Burke stood looking around at the carnage, searching and praying that Storm wasn’t among the wounded or dead. Relief flooded him when he saw her bending over a body.
It was with a smile that she helped Malcolm up.
She was all right and so was Malcolm.
Burke headed toward her, and her bright smile registered her own relief that he was all right. He, however, didn’t like how quickly it had faded, and he halted in his tracks, not wanting to turn around and see what had caused Storm to lose her smile and turn pale white.
He feared it was his brother, Cullen, and he silently prayed and swore and damned the powers that be that they had better not have taken Cullen away from him. He would never forgive them, never forgive himself for not having protected his brother after finally having found him.
Burke gathered his strength and swerved around.
He froze and his heart near stilled.
Cullen knelt on the ground, Alaina in his arms, and blood covering her chest.
Chapter 37
Storm followed Burke to his brother’s side. As soon as she got a look at Alaina’s wound, she knew death was imminent. She grabbed hold of Burke’s arm and felt his muscles tense beneath his shirt and looked at his face.
His pain tore at her heart, and she was reluctant to glance down at Cullen, for she knew his pain would doubly stab at her heart.
Cullen’s anguished voice drew her glance to him. “God, Alaina, you should have stayed where I told you.”
She tried to shake her head but could only manage to turn it to one side.
“It should have been me. It should have been me,” Cullen cried, and as gently as he could slipped his arm beneath her head and leaned down to press his cheek to hers.
Storm gently eased Burke away from the couple, knowing they needed these last moments alone together.
“Don’t try to speak,” Cullen urged.
“I must.” Alaina struggled with her words. “You must listen.”
Storm heard no more since she and Burke moved a distance from the couple.
He suddenly grabbed her and wrapped her tightly in his embrace. “God, I’m so grateful you’re alive.”
Tears quickly stained her cheeks. She not only cried for Cullen’s loss but she cried in relief that she and Burke had survived. She knew Cullen’s pain, had lived it herself, and she ached for his suffering, but she also rejoiced in good fortune, for in death there was also life.
“We need to get out here,” Storm said, shoving her husband away from her and wiping her tears away.
“She’s right. More soldiers will be coming,” Cullen said.
Burke and Storm turned. Cullen stood, his shirt stained with Alaina’s blood and his cheeks stained with the last of his tears.
“We will bury Alaina first,” Burke said.
“No!” Cullen near shouted.
Storm looked past him to see Alaina lying on the ground, her arms crossed over her chest as if she lay in peaceful repose. “We can’t just leave her.”
“That was what she wanted,” Cullen said.
Storm knew he presently held himself together with the anger and pain of her death, but soon, very soon, the pain would be beyond bearing and he would break.
“Why?” Burke asked.
Cullen looked to Storm. “You understand, don’t you?”
Storm nodded. “Alaina wants her father to see her, to know that it was her choice to join you, to know that she was finally free of him.”
“She stays as she is,” Cullen said and walked off, not looking back.
They were soon on their way again, the wounded being helped and their pace hurried. They would never withstand another attack. They had to reach St. Andrew by dark and board the ship. It was their only chance.
Cullen remained silent for the remainder of the journey. Storm had cautioned Burke to leave his brother be, that once on the ship he could talk with him, that Cullen would probably want to talk and that Burke should be there when he did.
She told him not to worry about anything else but Cullen. She would see to settling her people. He was not to give them or her a second thought.
He had hugged and kissed her and kept walking, his steps anxious as all the others to reach port and have this done.
The last leg of the journey was the most difficult. Everyone was exhausted and could barely take another step, but they prevailed. It was the promise of freedom and a new life that kept them determined, and with the cover of darkness shielding them little by little, they boarded the ship.