“She is a witch, ye ken, and as a witch, she will never behave the way ye expect her to. Her magick will always be first, a fact I suspect ye already are aware of,” Brielle continued, as if Angus hadn’t said anything at all.
How was it that Brielle knew exactly what he was thinking? It couldnae be a fair fight if she knew what he was going to do or say, before he did it. Frustration was mounting in his chest. His only hope was that the people of Breaghacraig had noticed he was missing and Robert would send out a search party for him.
Again, Brielle stunned him with her knowledge of his thoughts. Had she created some sort of spell to read his mind while he was unconscious? “The others have spent the whole day searching for ye, but they’ve found nary a clue as to where ye may be. So, ye’d best get comfortable here. I have food and water for ye and unlike yer wife—I’ll take good care of ye. Such a handsome man, ’tis a shame ye’ve been treated so badly.” Brielle seemed poised to touch Angus’ cheek with her icy cold fingers, but Angus ducked out of the way. Brielle shook her head. “Tsk, tsk, ye dinnae wish to anger me, Angus. I shall be yer savior and ye’ll be grateful to me, once I’ve rid ye of that pesky wife. I may have to rid ye of yer niece as well, but that cannae be helped.”
Brielle puttered around the cavern, collecting herbs, candles, something that appeared to be a bone, and a clay pot. Placing the herbs into the pot, she muttered a barely audible incantation while lighting the candles and placing them in crevices gouged into the walls of the cavern. She crushed the herbs with the bone, using it as a rudimentary pestle. Apparently satisfied with her efforts, Brielle reached for a vial on a rock shelf behind her; picking it up, she placed the vial close to the fire. As Angus watched, the liquid inside the glass tube bubbled, which seemed to elate Brielle. She removed the cork stopper and poured the red liquid into the bowl holding the crushed herbs, mixing the liquid and herbs together with the bone. He had no idea what she was up to, but he had no doubt that no good would come from it. His biggest concern was for the safety of his wife, niece and the people at Breaghacraig.
Brielle continued her incantation, but Angus stopped listening. He assumed while she was focused on her spell, she couldnae read his thoughts, so he used the time to try and formulate a plan. He stood up and wandered around the cavern, surprised to learn that no matter where he looked, he was surrounded by solid rock walls. There was no entrance or exit visible to him. He suffered a moment of claustrophobia, but was careful to hide it, not wanting Brielle to know. He was going to have to bide his time while he formulated a plan. If he killed Brielle now, without knowing how to get out, he might never escape. This cavern could become his tomb. If he had no other choice, then that would be his fate, but he decided he should wait to see what Brielle’s plans might be.
***
“Yer back,” a woman’s voice came from behind them and they all turned in unison to see who it was.
“Mary what are ye doin’ here? Ye were to leave with the others,” Robert shouted.
“Of course I wouldnae leave. Someone needs to feed the lot of ye,” Mary stood calmly, in apparent defiance of Robert’s orders. “Come, I’ve prepared a simple meal fer ye. ’Tis the best I could do, as I’ve nae had much help. I tried me best to put the stable boys to work, but they dinnae ken the difference between a pot and a ladle.” She chuckled at her own joke.
Mary led them into the great hall where she’d set up a huge pot of soup, several loaves of bread, butter, honey and pitchers of ale. “Ye’ll have to serve yerselves, as all the servants are gone.” The group of men stood staring in wonder at the table holding the food. “Come now, ye must eat. Ye need yer strength, if yer to fight that troublemaking witch.” Mary placed a bowl in Robert’s hands and pointed towards the table. Robert took the not-so-subtle hint and filled his bowl. The others followed suit and before long, everyone was seated and eating. Mary’s nurturing presence warmed the room and brought a sense of normalcy to an otherwise strange situation.
“Mary, please join us,” Robert requested.
“I’ve already eaten, sir, but thank ye for the offer,” Mary answered.
The room began to hum with low voices, speaking between mouthfuls of food. Maggie and Dylan sat close together, each resting a hand on the other’s knee. Maggie was trying hard not to break down in tears. She was so worried about Angus. She had promised Aunt Edna that they would protect one another. She should never have gone riding with Dylan. It was a terrible mistake. If she had stayed behind, she might have been able to stop Brielle, and if they’d let Angus join them, he’d still be here. Maggie found she had no appetite, she was so sick with fear for him.
“Maggie, you really need to eat. Mary’s right, you’ll need your strength to fight Brielle,” Dylan said, offering her gentle encouragement.
“Yer right,” Maggie agreed. She ate, though it was without enjoyment. The scenarios running through her head were anything but comforting. Self-doubt swept through her brain like water furrowing a path that would eventually flood everything surrounding it. When she was a child, she had dreamed of being a witch like her auntie, but she had never dreamed it would be like this. She never expected her abilities would lead her to this place and time and to the task that lay ahead of her.What if I fail? What will happen then? How will I face Auntie Edna?She didn’t dare think of what might happen to Angus. Maggie continued eating, until all the soup in her bowl was gone and surveying the men gathered in the room, she suddenly regained her confidence. She wasn’t alone. She hadDylan and all the others, who had stayed behind to find Angus and fight Brielle. They would succeed—she was suddenly certain of it.
Dylan must have noticed the change in her demeanor and attributed it to the food. “See, I told you eating would help.”
Maggie didn’t want him to know that the food had nothing to do with it. She appreciated that he was trying to take care of her and it was so sweet and loving that she wished she could allow him to handle all of the things she didn’t care to face. But she couldn’t. Maggie stood, and gaining control of her voice announced to the room something she now knew to be true. “I have something to say and I’d like you all to listen carefully.” Heads turned in her direction, giving her their full attention. “I believe Brielle will come back here to challenge me. I have nae doubt she will bring Angus with her, and use him as a shield in her efforts to defeat me. I ken this is nae yer battle. ’Tis mine. I would appreciate it if ye would all stand with me when the time comes, but ye dinnae have any obligation to become involved. I understand if ye would prefer to leave and join the others.
A loud uproar washed over the room as everyone tried to speak at once.
“Silence!” Robert shouted and the room stilled instantly. Robert turned his attention to her and smiled warmly. “Maggie, this is our fight. Brielle has come into the MacKenzie castle and endangered the lives of everyone. I ken ye feel the heavy burden of responsibility yer auntie has entrusted to ye, but we willnae desert ye. We stand with ye, every last one of us. Ye will prevail. We will see to it.” Cailin and Cormac stood and raised their cups. Latharn, Dougal, Donal, Fergus, and every other man who’d stayed behind also stood with their cups raised in the air. “To victory and to ye, Maggie,” Robert announced. “With yer help, we will win this battle.”
Maggie’s cheeks heated at this show of solidarity. She was touched by their desire to stand by her. She and Dylan raised their cups as well. “To victory,” Maggie said. They all drank and the atmosphere, which had been dour throughout the meal, grew lighter and more liberated. The men’s voices returned to their normal loud tones and some even laughed with one another. “This is much better,” Maggie said to Dylan. “I’m feeling hopeful for a change.”
“You’ll have all the support you need, Maggie. You can do this,” Dylan reassured her.
“Iwilldo this.” Maggie smiled confidently at Dylan.I won’t fail.
Chapter 13
Edna paced angrily back and forth in front of the fireplace. She knew exactly what was happening at Breaghacraig and she knew there was nothing she could do about it.
“Brielle!” She called out to her nemesis through the fireplace, which was, for Edna, the equivalent of a cell phone. “Brielle, answer me! I know ye can hear me.” Patience was not something Edna Campbell had an abundance of, and Brielle was trying every last shred of it right now. She waited momentarily for a response, and when one wasn’t forthcoming she opened her mouth, ready to call to Brielle again, but just as she was about to yell, she heard Brielle’s grating voice.
“Alright, alright. I can hear you,” Brielle grumbled. “What could ye possibly want with me? Oh, that’s right, I have yer verra handsome husband here with me. I’ve just been telling him how deceitful ye’ve been with him. He wasnae happy to hear it.”
“I have not been deceitful! Yer twisting the truth. Let me speak with him. I ken yer blocking me from him and from Maggie.” Edna was furious. Thank goodness, no one other than Teddy,her long-time friend and confidant, was around to witness what was happening. The inn was closed for the evening and Teddy sat in his usual corner spot, while Edna stood alone by the fire in the dining room, contemplating Brielle’s demise. She wished she could do it herself, but Brielle had threatened the MacKenzie clan with destruction, unless Edna sent Maggie in her place to Breaghacraig. Edna hadn’t anticipated that by having Angus accompany Maggie, Brielle would have the perfect weapon to use against her. “Did ye hear me, Brielle? Let me speak with my husband!”
“I’m afraid that willnae be possible. He doesnae wish to speak with ye, now or ever.” Brielle laughed maniacally. “Ye’d best be prepared to hand that bridge over to me, as I’m sure to easily defeat the little lass ye sent in yer stead.” Edna could hear more snickering laughter from Brielle. “Everyone here believes that the only thing ye care about is the bridge, Edna. They believe everything I’ve told them. They believe you’d sacrifice their lives for the bridge. Now isn’t that something? They believe ye lied to them. I wonder why? Could it be because you’ve done it before?”
Edna knew Brielle was trying to rile her. How could anyone believe that Edna cared more for the bridge than she cared about Maggie, Angus and the MacKenzies? “If ye believe ye’ll win this, Brielle, ye have another thing coming. Maggie will surprise ye. She’s an even more powerful witch than I am.” Even as she spoke, Edna felt a shiver of apprehension travel up her spine, wondering how much truth Brielle was speaking amongst her lies. Yes, Edna had lied in the past, but it had never been malicious. Instead, it had been her way of helping the people of Breaghacraig to meet their true loves. What was so wrong with that? She wondered now, in this situation, if perhaps it had been the wrong thing to do.
“She may well be powerful, but she doesnae ken it and after I’m done with her, our bet will be complete and I shall have the bridge and yer life. That was our agreement, wasnae it?”
