"Why don't you go first? That way I can catch you if you slide," Flynn joked at her.
"Sure, you just want to look at my butt," Keelin teased as she poked a finger into the muscles of his hard stomach. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, trailing his hands down to cup her bottom.
"Mmm, I certainly do love it. Maybe we should stop here and rest for a bit." Flynn wiggled his eyebrows at her and pulled until she was locked against the hard length of him. Heat shot straight to her core.
"Oh no, this one is for the top. Last one up owes theother a massage!" Keelin laughed at him and turned tail to run up the path. She heard his chuckle behind her but didn’t look back. Her breath came out in heavy puffs as she navigated the rocky terrain. Rocks slipped out from under her feet as she heaved herself over sharp rock piles, and she gasped as her foot slipped and caught the sharp edge of a stick. Rolling her eyes, Keelin told herself to slow down. This was a dangerous path and she needed to be careful.
"Keelin!" Flynn's shout broke her thoughts and she turned to see him fall from the ledge below her.
Panic raced through Keelin as she screamed for Flynn. Her heart pounding, she turned to race down the ledge and realized it was too steep to do so. She would have to back down as a rock climber would. Trying to hurry and calling Flynn's name repeatedly, Keelin eased herself painstakingly down the path.
"Flynn. Please, Flynn, answer me. Flynn!" She reached level ground and raced to where Flynn was crumpled over his leg. Her heart slammed into her chest and she forced herself to take deep breaths as she saw a pool of blood rapidly flowing from him. Flynn groaned and leaned backward. His face was ashen and quickly turning to white.
"Help. Run. It's bad. Really bad. Please. Call for help," Flynn gasped out.
"Here, let me look." Keelin kneeled at his side and tried not to wince at the rapid flow of blood. Flynn's hands were covering a large wound in his leg. He applied pressure and was trying to stop the flow of blood but it squirted from beneath his hands. Keelin ripped his pants open and discovered the cause of the blood. A compound fracturehad caused his bone to rip through his thigh. And, judging from the flow of blood, he had ripped his femoral artery. Keelin knew that death would come soon without a tourniquet and immediate medical aid.
"Okay, Flynn, don't look. Just keep the pressure on. I am going to make a tourniquet." Keelin stripped off her shirt and ripped it into several strips before she laid it underneath his leg and told him to brace himself. She looked around for a few sticks. Finding some near, she placed one in his mouth and the other in the shirt to tighten it.
"This is going to hurt. Just hang on." Flynn nodded at her and closed his eyes. His color was fading fast. Keelin quickly tied the tourniquet and pulled it as tight as she could. She could feel the tension in Flynn as he clenched his jaw around the stick. The gray dregs of panic threatened to cloud her head and Keelin tried to breathe. What now? Keelin pulled Flynn's hands from the wound and saw that the tourniquet had done little to stem the flow of blood. If she didn’t save him now, he would die.
Keelin reached for her pack. Inside was her necklace. Grace O'Malley's necklace, she reminded herself. She had packed it this morning for some odd reason and now she knew why. She placed it over her head and the stone warmed itself between her breasts, a low hum throbbing through her skin. Flynn’s eyes tracked her through his narrowed eyelids.
Keelin hiccupped a sob out as she pressed her hands to Flynn's leg. She watched as the blood squirted between her fingers and her mind whirled. She couldn't breathe – couldn't think. Could she do this? Could she heal someone –not just someone – but the man she loved? She wanted to scream. She wasn't prepared for this. Fiona hadn't taught her how to handle emergencies. What if she made it worse? With a quick glance at Flynn's pale face, Keelin realized there wasn't much opportunity for it to get any worse. He was close to death.
Keelin took one of her hands, slick with blood, and wrapped it around her amulet. Instantly, her mind cleared and the stone grew hot in her hand. Keelin closed her eyes and placed her hands on Flynn's leg. She whispered a short prayer of love. A soft white ball of light formed in her mind's eye. She imagined this glowing power traveling through her mind and down into her heart. From her heart, she poured all of her love into the ball of light and it began to pulse with a dull pink color. Taking her love, her heart, she allowed the energy to run through her arms and into her hands. In her mind, she could see the dull edges of death creeping through Flynn's veins towards the beautiful blue light of his soul.
Suddenly furious, Keelin forced her light into Flynn's leg and slammed it in front of the dark light creeping towards his heart. She gasped as pain shot through her. Determined to hold on, she fought the dull blackness and started to build a wall around it with her white light. Over and over, she pushed the sticky black stain further from his leg, creating building blocks along the way. Her entire body shook with the effort, and sweat dripped in a stream down her back. Tears, unbeknownst to her, ran down her face and into his wound. Over and over, Keelin prayed for her light to rebuild his artery and to knit the bone in his leg. Her strength began to fade and she shook with theeffort of holding on until she was certain the dark light was gone. In one final push, her amulet burned to her chest, and with a loud snap, her light eradicated the darkness in his leg.
Flynn jumped to his feet. "What the hell was that?" His fury blasted her.
Shocked, Keelin stared at his angry face and slid into the darkness.
CHAPTER 26
Agray haze shrouded her vision. Keelin could barely make out shapes or colors. She was so confused. Where was she? Flynn? Was Flynn okay? Frantically, she tried to turn her head and search for him.
Keelin realized she was no longer on the trail. She could vaguely make out the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. She squinted as the shapes became clearer. Flynn stood over her bed. His strong shoulders were hunched and his face was tense. He wiped sweat from his brow and laid a hand on the bed. Fiona stood next to him and she held a small jar in her hands. Keelin moved closer.
"Flynn. You're okay. I'm so glad." Keelin reached out to Flynn and watched her hand go through him. Keelin gasped as she looked down and saw herself lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her face was bone white and devoid of emotion. Panic slammed into her and she let out a guttural scream that shook her soul. "No. Flynn. Fiona. Help me!"
"They can't hear you."
Keelin whipped her head around to see a woman standing in the corner. She was dressed oddly, as though she were in a play from the 1600s.
"Please, please help me. What is happening?" Keelin ran to her and grabbed her arm. The woman smiled at her gently and reached up to trace her face with her hand.
"My blood. The daughter of my daughters. My love." Her warm brandy eyes drank in Keelin's face.
"Grace? Grace O'Malley? Oh my God. Am I dead? Am I dreaming?"
"You're neither. You're in the veil between both, which is why I can reach you."
"What happened?" Keelin looked back at herself on the bed. It was oddly disorienting to see herself lying there, unresponsive. Fiona had pulled the sheet down and rubbed some of the ointment into her mouth and onto her chest. Keelin watched as she placed her hands over her heart. She felt a small prick of warmth in her chest and Grace's image became watery.
"You saved Flynn. But you forgot to direct the pain from you. Instead, you took it into your heart."
Keelin gasped at Grace's words. Fiona had warned her of this. She wouldn't survive this. Keelin hung her head and began to weep. Her time on this earth was over and her love for Flynn unrealized. Her body began to tremble as waves of sadness rocked through her. She had wanted, no, needed, more time.
