Page 64 of Highland Prince of Darkness

Chapter Twenty-Five

The signal of the shots that were fired prompted the men waiting outside to pounce. Iain breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of pounding boots on the ground. His men burst into the stable just when he was about to be overwhelmed by the two men in front of him.

Iain caught sight of Douglas helping May away from Athol, who had recovered from his head injury. He was coming at Douglas at an alarming speed. Luckily, one of the other men was able to warn him in time and cover him.

“I thought that ye were just going to wait outside the entire time!” Iain chuckled as Douglas helped him up.

“Nay, we’ve got ye.”

Iain jumped straight back into the fight, lunging at any of the men who came close to him. Shots were continuously fired, and the shouts of men filled the room as the fight started to spill out into the rain-soaked open air.

Iain turned to find that May was almost completely clear of the stable, but Athol was up and running at her.

“May! Look out!” Iain shouted as he tried to reach her before he did.

Athol had his gun raised in a last-attempt effort to get revenge on Iain, he had a maddening look in his eye.

May turned with wide eyes toward him as she realized that the gun was pointed right at her. She opened her mouth to scream, but someone was suddenly in front of her and blocking the path of the bullet that had just been shot.

It felt as though the world had slowed down, that time was no longer running at its usual speed. Iain could feel every pump of his heart and breathed heavily, ignoring the pain that his body was in. The scene in front of him shocked and horrified every single man in the room.

Alistair held onto his daughter’s hand as he looked up at her. Blood was seeping through the gap in his armor and he was slowly sinking down to his knees.

“Father,” May breathed out in a shaky voice.

Two of the men were tackling Athol to the ground and holding him down. The rest of his men had been rounded up and were surrendering after seeing their leader on the floor. Iain barely noticed that his men had easily outnumbered those of Athol’s, but he didn’t care about that at that moment.

“Help!” May shouted. “We need a healer, I...help me,” she cried as she turned to look at Iain.

“I’m sorry,” Iain muttered as he moved forward to support her. Alistair sunk to the floor and lay down as his wound continued to bleed.

“No, Father, please stay with me, I need ye,” May cried as she held onto his hands and wouldn’t let go.

“Round those men up and make sure that none escape!” Iain shouted at his men. He watched as the room quickly cleared of his men as they dragged Athol and his men out into the rain to be arrested properly. Douglas stood in the doorway and sent Iain a sympathetic nod as he left them alone.

"Do we have time to get a healer up here?" Iain called out to his friend before he had fully left.

Douglas stopped and turned back to him with pursed lips. Slowly, he shook his head.

“We have to do something,” Iain spoke in panic as he looked down at Alistair.

“It’s my time, lad,” Alistair spoke in an incredibly weak voice. “I’m sorry. I wish that I could stay with ye, but it is time for me to find yer mother,” he said as he turned to May.

May was shaking as she looked down at him. Iain held onto her from behind to make sure that she didn’t do anything that she would later regret. He felt as though if he were to let go of her, it would be revealed that his arms were the only thing holding her up.

“I want to apologize to ye, too,” Alistair spoke as he turned to look up at Iain.

“There’s nothin’ to apologize for,” Iain shook his head.

“Aye, there is. I made ye miserable when I could have made the two of ye very happy. For that, I’m incredibly sorry. I see now that ye’re worthy of my daughter, and I wish the two of ye a long and happy life.”

May was sobbing as she held on to her dying father’s hands.

“I love ye, Father.”

“I love ye too,” Alistair breathed heavily, “More than ye’ll ever ken.”

Iain could feel his heartbreaking at the scene in front of him. May was crying in his arms as her father’s eyes slowly shut and didn’t open again. He suddenly felt incredibly cold, as though a large breath of wind had just run through his bones.