My Voice for My Heart

Chapter 42: Waves of Fire, Waves of Black

The men acted as one, though I never saw them exchange a word or glance that gave away their intention. In a move I'd seen Athol practice over and over with the soldiers at my father's keep, he threw himself at the largest of the soldiers. The attack surprised them and they crashed to the forest floor. He was able to get one of their swords, and then nothing stood in his way. He cut down the soldiers where they stood, before grabbing their swords and tossing them to the other men.

McKendricks shouted out orders, but they were desperate. He screamed at the men to fight, but he offered no strategy. Coiseam stayed next to me, fighting off anyone that came close. It seemed the soldiers' biggest concern was Athol and Dand, and a thoroughly enraged Ciaran.

I looked around for Lady Maeve, but she was nowhere to be found. I dashed to a nearby soldier, one who lay dead on the ground and took the knife from his belt. Coiseam called after me when I dashed away, but I was back quickly. I would protect his back while he tried to protect me.

And my child.

The thought came unbidden and thoroughly frightened me. I thought I only had room in my heart for my men, but the thought of something happening to the tiny life Balthair and I created terrified me.

Lady Maeve's absence concerned me more than the presence of the soldiers. I had no doubt that the men would dispatch them, but Maeve had shown, with just a wave of her hand and a ripple of power, she could kill all of them.

So why hadn't she? What was she waiting for? She hadn't hesitated to kill Aghaidh.

My grip tightened on the knife, and I spun my back to Coiseam's as he watched the melee, keeping himself between me and any danger.

I heard the fire before I saw it.

It rushed through the woods like a storm, louder than all of the men's cries and the soldiers' screams. It was like no fire I'd ever seen before. It didn't consume the brush and trees. It had a path. It twisted and turned, even pausing once, as if pondering its next move.

McKendricks was its first victim. The flames reared into the sky like wave, towering over the man who, feeling the heat, turned around. He didn't have time to scream, he just threw up his hands, and the wave crashed down on him. There was nothing left in its wake except ashes.

The fire split, encircling us, and I realized; the fire was Maeve. This was her true form, and it was awful and more powerful than anything I'd ever encountered. There was nothing to do, no way to escape her. I pressed back against Coiseam.

The remaining soldiers and my family turned to face the fire, their fight with each other forgotten in the face of this more fearsome enemy. There was no way to defeat this. Her. The fire stood between us and the lake, and even if we could reach it—no. There was no way.

I could feel the flames at my back, and I remembered the shirts I had made: nine completed shirts.

The fire lit up the sky like it was daylight, and in that moment, I knew I had to see through my task. Even if it was for nothing, even if we died at the end, I would put the shirts over each of their heads and kiss them goodbye.

I unknotted my shawl and pulled out the ball of material. I touched Coiseam on the shoulder, turning him toward me slowly. I took one shirt from the pile and held it up. At first, he was confused but then he seemed to understand. I put it around his neck and he winced when a barb caught his skin, but he persisted, pulling his arms through the sleeves until it hung off his frame. He leaned down, kissing me. His lips were cool, but when my hands cupped his face, I could feel the sweat beading on his lip and brow.

"I love you, Keela," he whispered.

I stepped away. I had to move fast. The fire seemed to watch and wait, but I was under no illusions that it was for my benefit. Whatever it was that Maeve had planned, this would do nothing to stop it. The fire rippled. Get on with it, it seemed to say.