“I found the woman we were looking for.”
“What? Where?”
“A cave near the jetty. Come on, we need to get there before he does.”
“Before who does? The barefoot man?”
“Aye. He’s approaching the island as we speak.”
By the time they got back to the cave, Rachel was out of breath. Cam watched her recover at the entrance to the cave while he glanced out at the water. The boat was getting too close for comfort. He could see the figure inside, his bald head reflecting the sunlight like a skull on a battlefield.
“Come on, inside,” Cam said, pushing Rachel into the cave. She almost stumbled, regaining her feet in time to move into the darkness. With the shore hidden from view, Cam almost crashed into Morag who was standing with her hood over her head. She looked much like a monk in his cell, her hands the only things visible beside the fire.
“He is almost landed,” Cam said. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Let him get ashore. He thinks you’re at the abbey and he’ll head straight there.”
“Why should I not just run him through with my sword?”
“It would take much more than a sword to kill him. Dinnae worry though. I have a plan. Wait there. Rachel, there is a fish on the fire for you. Eat quick.”
She moved toward the cave entrance, leaving Cam and Rachel alone. “Who is she?” Rachel asked.
“She said her name’s Morag. I dinnae ken much about her but I get the feeling she has some powers that she has not yet used.”
“Like what?”
“We shall have to wait to find out.”
“Come on,” Morag called back to them both. “Let’s get moving.”
They followed her outside to find her already untying the barefoot man’s boat. There was a shout from further inland and they all looked in time to see the barefoot man running back toward them. “Get in,” Morag snapped, holding out a hand to beckon Rachel aboard. “With haste.”
Cam jumped in last, pushing the boat away from the jetty. The barefoot man was only a few feet away. Cam began to row as fast as he could, watching their attacker throw himself into the water, trying to swim out to them, hurling curses as he did so.
His head dipped under the water. He came up, took a gasping breath and then vanished again. He did not come back up.
“Is he dead?” Rachel asked. “Was it that simple? Is it over?”
“It will take a lot more than that to kill him but that buys us time.”
Cam rowed silently across to the mainland. His mind kept shifting between two things. One was the vitriol in the barefoot man’s face when he leapt into the water after them. It was a face that could not be reasoned with.
He could see for the first time why castles crumbled before that face. Even he balked at the idea of taking it on. It felt like he’d seen the face of a demon for the first time in his life.
He found himself glancing into the water, expecting to see him emerging, bursting into the boat to tear them all limb from limb.
His mind shifted from that to more pleasant memories. He thought of how Rachel had looked when he’d found her at the abbey, the softness of her skin, the way the light played in her hair, the way he wanted to run to her and sweep her into his arms.
He had panicked when he had been unable to find her because he feared she’d decided to go home after all without a chance of saying goodbye to her. He was glad she was still there, not wanting to ask her when she might go, fearing that would remind her she could leave at any time.
He desperately wanted her to stay even though he knew it was not possible for her to do so. She had her own life in her own time.
When they reached the mainland Cam was shocked to see the damage the storm had done to Tallis. Most of the houses had been destroyed, the villagers wandering aimlessly around, looking dazed, barely noticing them when they climbed out of their rowing boat.
“You picked the wrong side,” Morag shouted to them. “See what happens to those who forsake the Lord for base fripperies.”
“Have some compassion,” Rachel replied, kneeling beside a crying child to comfort him. “Where’s your mother?”
