She vaguely felt arms tighten around her, clutching her close. Finally safe.The pain didn’t seem so bad now. Maybe she’d just rest for a little while before they went back home. They were finally safe.
“Lilia! Dinna leave me!”
Graham’s voice sounded so far away and filled with unspeakable panic. Why? They were safe now.
“I swear by the gods that I love ye and will never let ye go.”
Arms tightened around her.Poor Graham.She had to make him feel better. She couldn’t bear to hear him so afraid. And then it came to her. Her vision. This was her vision.If she could figure out how, she would smile up at him and tell him to relax. Everything was going to be all right—at least she thought it would be. She recognized the feel of all that was happening but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember how the vision had ended. Surely it had turned out all right. Hadn’t it? She tried to lift her hand toward the sound of his rasping groan but her arm didn’t seem to want to work. Her hand was so . . . heavy.
A hard muscled chest rubbed beneath her cheek. The steady hammering thump of a heartbeat tapped against her face. A shaking hesitant touch brushed across her jawline.
Graham’s voice—broken by a heartbreaking mix of a sob and a groan. Clearer now. Closer. “I beg ye, my love. Ye must not die. I canna live without ye.”
Die? A distant roaring rushed closer, drowning all other sounds and sensations. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was about to die. A bleak sadness filled her as a sense of free-falling overtook her.
Poor Graham. She was . . . so very . . . sorry.
CHAPTER29
Graham lifted Lilia up into his arms, clutching her all the tighter. He slowly stood, taking care to jar her as little as possible. She dare not die. He would not allow it. He’d sworn an oath to protect this woman and would be damned if he broke it. He never broke his oaths—not once in his long life.
He looked up, his gaze pinned to the bright patch of blue peeping down through the softly swaying leaves. Raw fury and uncontrollable rage exploded from him in a long throaty roar. He stepped forward, cradling her higher, offering her to any great being that might choose to look kindly upon him. He would beg if he had to—I will do anything. This is not just and ye ken that as well as I. I beg ye. Give her back to me.
How could the gods be so cruel? The most precious piece of his heart had finally been found only to be ripped away so quickly.
Wisps of clouds floated overhead. Birdsong tittered through the trees as though all was right with the world. How could it be so? How could all around him keep marking time as his beloved lay dying in his arms? Where the hell were the damn gods now that he truly needed them?
“I will not allow this!” he shouted, striding forward and curling Lilia to his chest. “Ye will not take her from me—I swear that ye won’t—not without the likes of a battle that ye have never seen before and will never see again.”
Gray and Colum slowly approached, their somber expressions burning into him like salt in an open wound. Gray rested a hand on Graham’s shoulder. “I have sent the boy to fetch her kin. Logan is the clan’s fastest rider. Hopefully, he will get them back here before—”
“Daren’t ye say it.” Graham jerked away, gathering her limp form up to his cheek. He closed his eyes, softly rubbing his face against hers. Lore a’mighty. She was so very cold.He ground his teeth, fighting the urge to roar aloud again.
He opened his eyes and looked down at her, searching, vainly hoping for a sign, or maybe a miracle—nay—he wished for the almighty ones themselves to reach down and make his dear one live and laugh again.
But her skin remained a ghostly white and a sickly blue shadow tinged her barely parted lips. Her chest rose and fell at a more rapid, shallow pace. Graham cringed at the bubbling wheeze escaping with her every gasp for air.
He had easily killed the son of a bitch that had struck the blow but now he stood helpless, clutching her in his arms, the one precious love he had never thought to find, and now—now that he knew life would be senseless without her, he couldn’t do a damn thing to save her. “She drowns in her own blood and I canna stop it,” he whispered.
A large paw raked at his leg, gently, but digging with an urgency that refused to be ignored. Graham turned and glanced down. Karma, sitting tall and somber, whined and pawed at the air again. Graham easily understood the great beast’s silent plea. Slowly, he went to his knees and held Lilia out to the dog.
Karma carefully tucked his nose into the crook of Lilia’s neck and softly brushed the top of his muzzle back and forth against her cheek. A faint whine came from the great dog as though he was begging her not to leave.
Graham swallowed hard. The dog’s caring gesture nearly shattered his wavering control and sent him keening his unbearable grief to all the Highlands.
Ears drooping and tail sagging, Karma stepped aside, threw back his great dark head and shattered the unholy stillness of the clearing with a mournful howl. As the chilling cry echoed and faded away, the clearing and the woods around them fell reverently silent.
Kismet appeared at Graham’s side, purring loudly and rubbing against his side. She tenderly placed her paws atop Lilia’s wrist and gently began licking away the bloodstains, cleaning Lilia as though washing a kitten.
“Lore a’mighty,” Colum groaned, choking back a strangled sob as he turned away and strode across the clearing to stare out over the land.
Gray bent and squeezed Graham’s shoulder. “I go to watch for them.” He squeezed Graham’s shoulder again, then silently walked away and joined Colum, standing beside him, scowling out at the rolling glen opening before them.
A damp rag appeared in front of Graham’s face. He looked up. Angus stood with his broken arm clutched against his body, his expression grim, holding out the bit of cloth. “I thought ye might wish to wipe the dust from her face.” He cleared his throat, glanced away, and shuffled in place. “Thought it might give her a bit of peace—make her feel better. Ye ken how clean she always was.”
“I thank ye.” Graham nodded and took the rag. “I’m sure it will.” As he gently wiped the blood and dirt from Lilia’s face, Angus quietly moved away.
“Riders approach,” Gray called out. “Karma. Greet them. See if they be friend or foe.”
