It was another minute before he was able to stand, but before he had even regained his balance, he was on the move, staggering after their tracks. He would have to be careful, the effects of Wormwood lingered in the system.
He thought of her as he broke into a run. He had heard her voice in the darkness. She had told him she loved him. She had kissed his cheek.
He shook his head. This wasn't the time to think about that.
He leaped into the branches of the nearest tree, falling straight back to the ground as his fingers refused to grip, nausea coursing through him.
"Come on," he muttered to himself, willing his fingers to work properly.
This time when he leaped up, his grip held. He began climbing up into the branches, moving higher until his head emerged above the canopy.
In the distance a tower stood like a white finger, gray clouds swirling above it. That must be where they were heading. There was nothing else around.
He descended again and began to move faster. His sword was missing but he still had his dagger.
He moved silently, feeling the air changing around him. It was the same feeling he'd had at the stone circle, the hairs standing up on the back of his neck.
A darkness was growing. Dizziness washed over him. The effects of the poison were not yet over. He would have to be cautious.
He heard a sound. Shifting right, he kept hidden, climbing into the low branches to conceal himself, remaining perfectly still, so the branch did not move.
There they were, ahead of him. The barefoot man had bound Rose’s wrists but she was following willingly enough despite that. Why was she not running?
He dropped back to the ground, pulling out his dagger and tiptoeing forward.
They reached the tower not knowing he was tracking them. He watched from cover as the barefoot man stopped by the door. In the second it took him to unlock the door, Lennox made his move, sprinting forward, knife ready.
The barefoot man seemed to sense him coming, turning and spotting him at the last second, diving to one side.
Lennox’s knife caught in the wood of the door. He tried to pull it free but as he did so another wave of nausea struck him, his vision blurring.
Not now, he thought as he staggered and fell. A blow caught him on the chin. Before he could recover, the dagger had plunged into his side. Pain whipped through him as his vision slowly returned.
Rose was hitting the barefoot man but he threw her off with little effort. She landed on Lennox, the two of them collapsing together.
"That's the thing about Wormwood," the barefoot man said, grabbing Rose while sneering down at Lennox. "The effect comes in waves. Perfect for when you need a little advantage over Highlanders who aren’t willing to pay the proper price for services rendered."
The barefoot man shoved open the tower door, dragging Rose through it before slamming it shut. A key scraped in the lock, and though he couldn't yet stand, Lennox crawled over to it. The door wouldn’t open.
Above him, thunder began to rumble. Heavy rain ran straight down onto him, washing the blood down his body. Twisting, he pressed his shoulder against the door, throwing back his head and roaring with frustration.
If only he could get back on his feet, he could get in there. His body was failing him, the poison in his veins preventing him from doing anything but sitting there, knowing she was trapped in the tower.
No, he shouted inside his head. He would not die yet. With a snarl, he got to his feet, shoving his shoulder against the door. It groaned. Another shove and the hinges gave. The door fell inward and he was already clambering over it, making his way up the stairs to the room at the top.
He made it in time to find the barefoot man lighting candles on a shelf in the corner of the room, talking to Rose as he did so. Each candle flared red.
Near Rose was a black wooden table with a book laid open in the middle. A doorway stood incongruously alone beside the table, supported in a wooden frame that seemed to glow with energy.
"You see my followers tried to get the key from your mother when she appeared," the barefoot man said. "But she managed to get the door shut in time with the help of that accursed druid. Kept safe out of my reach. The other five keys weren’t enough. I’m here but not free. I need the last key if I’m to regain my powers and your mother has it locked away with her in whatever limbo she’s hiding in."
Rose glanced Lennox’s way as he appeared. He put a finger to his lips, beckoning her over. She shuffled across the room toward to him. When she got to him, he began tugging at the ropes that bound her wrists.
"You probably don’t know much about it but the keys have got druid blood inside them, the only thing strong enough to lock me away. You mother was the last descendant of the druid line. Well, you are really. That’s why you have to open the door, Rose. You’re the only one who can bring your mother back. Then I get the key and get this last chain off me."
There were only two candles left to light. Lennox motioned toward the stairs as the ropes fell away but Rose shook her head.
He turned to face her, spotting Lennox at the same time. "You couldn’t just die, could you?" he said, sneering at him. "No matter, you can be part of history in the making, Lennox MacGregor. Now you, Rose, unlock that door."
