“Then I’m coming with you.” She hurried after her. “I should never have allowed Iain to leave without me. The ‘power of three’ shouldn’t go into battle without their chosen ones at their sides, and that includes both you and me. Now we need to make sure no harm comes to any of them. I’ll watch over one and all.”
“As I’ll do the same.” She had one of the strongest of the battle skills and she intended to use it. Her place was at Finlay’s side, whether he wished it or not.
Chapter 11
The horn trumpeted across the bay from the direction of the castle, not once but twice. Nessa froze on the pebbly beach next to Julia who’d arrived mere minutes ago on horseback along the cliff-top forest trail. As a seer, she should have had another vision when her people’s very lives were at stake. She hadn’t, and what it meant, she had no idea.
“The enemy approaches.” Nessa wrapped one arm around Julia’s waist as out at sea, two MacKenzie galleys cruised toward them. A Matheson birlinn sailed in a direct line to cut them off, Kenneth at the helm.
Kenneth shouted over the crashing of the waves as he gripped the ropes and strained to control the wind power he’d harnessed in the vessel’s tight sail. “Hold tight,” he barked to his men. The bow rose sharply upward then slammed back down, and their enemy whizzed by in front of them.
Beside her, Gilleoin bellowed orders to a score of his warriors who’d assembled on the foreshore, while another score of men rode free of the forest trail edging the cliffs and galloped down to the beach.
Iain, Finlay, and Kirk, bounded from their mounts and raced toward them.
Finlay skidded in beside Julia. “I’ve left Arabel at the castle with Isla and you need to return to her, now. Your sister will never survive this battle if anything happens to you.”
“She’ll never survive if aught happens to you either.” Julia hugged him. “Please be careful. I’ll seek shelter in the woods. ’Tis too late for me to return to the castle.”
Thunder boomed and an arrow thunked into the ground at their feet, right between Finlay and his brothers. Finlay hauled his bow from over his shoulder, planted his feet wide and set an arrow into the notch. He eyed his target and released his shot. The arrow flew in a wide arc and slammed into the leg of the archer standing at the bow of the MacKenzie galley. The man toppled over the side and Finlay slid another arrow into place. “Nessa, get Julia far away from here. Hurry.”
“Aye, I shall.” She grabbed Julia’s hand and ran toward Sorcha as she waited at the edge of the forest. She left the three warriors standing strong side by side. There was naught more she could now do. ’Twas now time to allow the ‘power of three’ to rise.
Chapter 12
Matheson Castle, Scotland, current day.
In his solar, Murdock Matheson fell to his knees under the weight of a powerful vision. The battle had begun, although two days too soon. What the hell had brought it on earlier?
Armed and prepared for war, the ‘power of three’ stood together on the beach amongst Gilleoin’s men as two galleys filled to the brim with MacKenzies careened across the massive swell toward them. Another birlinn teeming with Matheson warriors missed the next cresting wave. They were too far behind. The MacKenzies would outnumber those on shore two to one.
“All to arms.” Gilleoin shoved his sword-arm high into the air and bellowed as forty or more warriors stood primed and ready at his back. “We fight, for freedom and for our very survival. Let us take these blackguards down.”
The MacKenzie galleys landed on the beach and their warriors exploded from their vessels and bounded onto shore, shouting their victorious arrival. Then they swarmed forward into the waiting Mathesons and swords clashed.
Murdock’s vision wavered, then another array of images flared to life. Isla and Arabel galloped along the forest path, the sea roaring and slamming into the rock wall a hundred feet below while a fierce wind whipped around and lightning slashed the skies.
Tension coiled deep within him and had nowhere to go. His kin were about to battle for their very lives and all he could do was watch and wait.
Chapter 13
Alongside his brothers, Finlay hauled his claymore from his scabbard. Together, they released a bloodcurdling battle cry and rushed forward into the fray of fierce MacKenzies.
A warrior came at Finlay and he blocked the swift blow, their claymores clashing dead center, steel clanging loud against steel. “Stay close,” he yelled to Iain and Kirk. “We’re strongest when we fight side by side.”
“I’m right beside you.” On his right, Iain slashed his blade against his adversary’s. “We need to hold them back until Kenneth gets here and we even these odds up a bit.”
Kirk grunted and met two attackers head on, striking first one and then the other. “We can’t let even one of them pass us by. They’re not to get to the village.”