Dragon Knight's Ring (Order of the Dragon Knights Book 5) (33 page)

Turning sharply, she saw Adam lying on the ground, one hand clutching his side. “Nae!” she screamed and bent down beside him. She moved his hand aside and gasped. His tunic was drenched in blood, the wound severe. “Someone help me!”

Alex and Patrick fled to her side. “How did this happen?” demanded Alex.

“Lach…Lachlan. Needed to…fr…free Jamie.” Adam gritted out between gasps.

“Why didn’t ye say anything?” she blurted out.

“Nae…time,” he mumbled.

Meggie attempted to free some of the material, but Adam groaned in protest.

“I need some water, Stephen,” she cried out. “Hush, Adam.” She looked at his brothers. “Nae more questions.”

Her brother was instantly at her side. Dropping down next to her, he brought forth some water.

Touching Adam’s cheek, she pleaded, “I need to see the damage.” She glanced to the side. “Angus, can ye make the ring of fire brighter?”

“Most definitely.”

“’Tis naught ye can do,” groaned Adam.

“Like hell I can!” she snapped. “Didn’t I tell ye I was a healer?” She nodded to Stephen as he let the water slip from his fingers.

Adam hissed and rolled his head to the side.

“Please,” she pleaded.

Adam grasped her hand. “I wi…will be with ye always.”

“Everyone back away,” she ordered. She placed her trembling hands over the gash, and Meggie concentrated. The light grew within her, and then suddenly ebbed. Meggie swayed weak from the battle. Once again, she placed her hands over the wound. Lights flickered before her eyes, but she was unable to bring forth the healing power.

Slamming her fist onto the ground in frustration, she gripped his hand. Panic seized her, and she tried to think of something—
anything
that could save him. There wasn’t a hospital within fifty miles. They needed time.

She looked to her brothers. “Can a Fenian warrior heal?”

“Nae,” replied Angus solemnly.

“Will they take him to the nearest hospital?”

Angus pointed to the Fenian warriors.

The warriors stepped forward. “Forgive me, Meggie,” said Conn in a hollow voice. We are unable. The Fae have sealed off our powers. ’Tis only a matter of time before someone is sent for us.” Holding his hands outward, she could see the crystal shackles around his wrists.

Angus shook his head. “There is naught they can do to help further.” He turned to the warriors. “I thank ye for what ye have done this night. Ye have saved both worlds. I pray the Fae will understand.”

“Not likely,” replied Conn.

Meggie slowly looked away. Cradling Adam’s head into her lap, she let the tears stream down her face, unable to fathom that he was dying before her eyes. Swallowing, she tried to smile through her tears. “Now, ye listen to me Adam MacFhearguis, ye willnae die and leave me again. Ye promised.” She brushed away the grime from his face and bent to place a kiss upon his lips.

“I am home, Meggie. I have found…ye.” With a sigh, Adam gave out his last breath.

“Nae, nae!” Her cry of sorrow shook the ground. Sobbing, Meggie rocked back and forth. She shook her head in disbelief. “
Why
?”

Sensing someone approaching, Meggie held up a fist. “Dinnae come any closer.” Her voice raw with grief. “This place is tainted, fouled with another death. I wish to be alone.”

“Meggie, I beg ye,” pleaded Angus.

“Leave me!”

As his footsteps receded, Meggie let her grief pour out of her soul. Her heart shattered there at the standing stones. Great wracking sobs broke free and she wailed. “All we wanted was to live our lives. Was the price of our love too much to ask?” she yelled into the night air. “’Tis cruel and unfair, Gods and Goddesses. And this man, this knight, did naught to deserve this ending. He was honorable, courageous, loyal, and
my heart
. My love.”

She kissed his forehead. “How am to go on, Adam? How can I face our son?”

Suddenly, the mists swirled around her, warm and sweet, and lights shimmered. Blinking, Meggie lifted her head. Standing before her stood the most stunning woman she had ever seen. Her gown of midnight blue was trimmed at the edges in silver with Celtic spirals. She held a staff with a crystal ball mounted on the top, and her eyes sparkled with the many colors of the rainbow.

Meggie wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Do I know ye, my lady?”

“Yes, my daughter.” Her voice resonated like the lyrics of a song.

“Are ye Fae?”

“I am the Guardian. The one who brought you from the past to this realm.”

“Adam and I were the keys, not the Great Dragon?”

“Correct, my daughter. Two shall unlock the doors to the realms. Two will hold the light. Two will become one.” The Guardian turned toward the Fenian warriors. “Your day of judgment has arrived Fae warriors.”

Conn’s lip thinned. “Adam and Meggie would have never defeated Lachlan and the Dark One without the other Dragon Knights.”

“You violated the sacred laws of your people—the Fae! You are the Time Keepers between the ages. The loom of fate has been tampered with, expanded, and bent to your needs.”

“No. We did what we thought best to preserve both worlds.”

She shook her head in sorrow. “We shall never know the true outcome.” Lifting her staff, she shined a light over them. “The royal council awaits.” With a burst of light, the warriors vanished.

Glancing down at Adam, Meggie shook her head in understanding. “Ye have come to take him back to his time.”

“You would send him back to his time, healed?”

Slowly, Meggie lifted her head. “Aye. If ye can heal him, I beg ye to wipe his memories, too. Let him find peace.”

“What if peace brings him to another woman’s arms?”

Her lip trembled. “He deserves happiness and peace no matter where he finds it. He has suffered enough. This is my gift to him.”

The Guardian knelt down in front of them. “Your gift is selfless, my daughter. You and Adam have already suffered greatly. Sacrifices you both have endured. This is a time of healing, not loss. I heard his prayer whispered on the wind and sent him to you. His death is only temporary.”

“I…I don’t understand?” she whispered.

The Guardian smiled and blew across Meggie’s face. The kiss was the scent of roses, filling her soul with love.

Extending her hand upward, a ball of crystal light appeared. “Let the light of love touch you, Dragon Knight, and heal all wounds.” She then placed it over his heart, and Meggie watched it vanish within him.

She rose in majestic beauty. “Peace and long life, Margaret Aine
MacFhearguis
, and to you, Dragon Knight.”

As the soft mists departed, the Guardian vanished from sight.

Chapter Thirty-One

“I have never known such peace, beauty, and love as when I approached the shining gates. Yet, my heart ached as I stood between the path of forever and the light of one that held the promise of her—Meggie.”

~Adam MacFhearguis as told to the Guardian.

I love ye, I love ye, I love ye.
Adam kept hearing those words as he ran through the lush, green meadow. The faster he went, the more he could hear her words—luring him to a place he longed to be once again. Did he not tell Meggie he would be with her forever? Always? Why were they parted? Surely, she would never leave him.

His lungs filled with the sweet scent of flowers, and his pace quickened. He had never known such freedom, such strength. Joy infused his heart and soul.

Come back to me. I am waiting.
Her words drifted by him on the breeze, growing stronger. Laughter filled him, but he kept on running. He needed to reach her. Hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her.

His body lifted, flew, and Adam closed his eyes.

“
Meggie
,” he whispered, reaching out with his hand.

Her grip was strong and firm. “Open your eyes, my love. I am waiting.”

Slowly, Adam opened his eyes to the woman who held his heart. “Meggie,” he uttered in a hoarse voice.

“Adam,” she sobbed, placing kisses over his face.

He reveled in her touch and started to close his eyes, when she smacked him. “What?” He smiled, and gazed into those lovely lavender eyes.

“Don’t ye dare close your eyes again.” She wiped away the tears from her face. “At least not for awhile.”

Adam reached up and pulled her head down. Placing a kiss upon her mouth, he drank in her sweetness. Slowly, he released her. “I feel like we have been parted for some time.”

“Perhaps for ye, but it was not that long.” Meggie sighed. “I tried to heal ye, but was too weak.”

Recalling his injury, his fingers slid down to his side, preparing for the worst. However, there was no pain. No open wound. Sitting up, he raked a hand through his hair in confusion. “What happened?”

“Ye died,” replied Meggie. “And then the Guardian came and healed ye.”

“Impossible.” He stood and looked around. The night sky shone with the brilliance of the stars, and the full moon shining down upon them.

“’Tis true,” stated Alex. He came over and shook Adam’s shoulder. “We were mourning your loss.”

Looking at everyone gathered, Adam reached for Meggie’s hand. “Dinnae blame yourself,
leannan
. I witnessed something I pray I never will again. Ye transformed before my eyes. It was beautiful to behold, but frightening.”

Meggie arched a brow and then laughed. “If only ye could have seen yourself, too.” She placed a kiss along his knuckles. “We both changed, Adam. We were the keys,
not
the Great Dragon. The ring ye gave me is a new relic, from which a new dragon has been born.”

His brow furrowed. “Truly?”

“Aye,” proclaimed all gathered.

“I believe ’tis time we all made our way back to the castle,” suggested Angus. “Let the land heal.”

“Where are Conn and the others?” asked Adam, as he strolled along with Meggie by his side.

Meggie bit her lip. “They’ve been taken back to the Fae. Under guard.”

“Then I pray the Fae will be lenient. For I deem we could not have done the battle without them. Furthermore, Conn helped me learn and control my powers. Something I would not have been able to do on my own.” Adam squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Everyone remained quiet as they all proceeded away from the stones. The air was cold, but Adam’s body hummed with a new sense of purpose. A quiet peace settled inside of him.

As they neared the castle, Meggie tugged on Adam’s hand. “What happened when ye went to the loch?” she asked in a quiet voice.

He feared telling her how Lachlan nearly killed their son, but he knew his Meggie could hear anything after what they had witnessed and done. “I got to the loch, and there stood the monster with his hand on Jamie’s shoulder. He sensed I was coming. His plan was for Jamie to lure the Great Dragon from the water. He believed our son knew the words.” Adam heard her gasp.

“I will tell ye this. Jamie does not ken any words. I have seen him simply stand by the water’s edge and wave his hand.”

Adam rubbed a hand over his face. “Now I understand. Jamie was confused. He thought the druid wanted him to use special words, and the lad did not ken them.”

“That filthy, rotten…” Meggie stopped to wipe away the tears. “If I had known sooner—”

Bringing her into his arms, he rubbed a comforting hand down her back. “’Tis over. Let us not speak of this evil man again.”

She broke free from his embrace. “Tell me the rest and then I’ll bury it.”

“I asked the druid to take my life in exchange for our son. He accepted. I asked for a chance to say good-bye and told Jamie to remember who he was and where he came from. So, I went to the water in an effort to deceive Lachlan that I could call forth the dragon.” He cupped her cheek. “Our son, Meggie, is a great warrior. He used his power of fire to free himself and then he fled to the fortress we built. Lachlan was building his own power and mine was no match. In the end, his blade sliced into me.”

Meggie frowned. “But how did ye get away?”

Adam smiled and waved his hand toward the loch. “The Great Dragon emerged forth from the water. She is a mighty beauty. It was she that gave me the time to flee from Lachlan.”

“’Tis a miracle,” she muttered.

“Aye, Meggie.” Kissing her softly, he said, “Let us go greet our son.”

Making their way back to the castle, the front doors had been flung open, and they could hear the shouts of joy from the women and children. “Wait a moment, Adam,” said Meggie.

“Is something wrong?”

She smiled. “Nae. I just want to remember this moment of joyous laughter.” Laughing, Meggie added, “And so it begins. Alastair always has to be the first to tell the tale. I swear he’ll embellish the events vastly.”

They stood standing for a while longer before entering the Great Hall. Meggie released his hand and ran to Jamie. She scooped him up and swung him around. Laughter and tears flowed from everyone. Meggie was correct. Alastair was already twisting the tale of Lachlan’s downfall. Duncan’s son, Finn, sat in rapt attention. Every so often, Stephen would correct him. His own son sat cradled on his lap.

Alex stood near the hearth speaking with Angus and Deirdre. His brother actually smacked Angus on the back, and the Dragon Knight roared with laughter. Never in his lifetime did he fathom that the MacFhearguis and MacKay clans would unite in friendship. A prayer answered and he said a silent word of thanks to God.

Patrick wandered over to his side and handed him a mug. “To victory, brother.”

Adam raised his mug up. “To peace.” Drinking deeply, the wine warmed his body.

Meggie put Jamie down and the lad ran to him. “Da, we did it!”

Adam handed his mug to his brother. Lifting his son, he hugged him fiercely. “I am verra proud of ye, Jamie. Ye showed courage in a time of great danger.”

Jamie squeezed him tight. “Thank ye, Da.” Then he cupped a hand over Adam’s ear and whispered, “Can we now get married?”

Adam chuckled. “At this moment?”

The lad shook his head. “Aye. My uncles are leaving soon. We don’t have much time.”

Not once did Adam think to ask Conn, Meggie, the MacKays, or his brothers about returning to his own time. Adam believed once her memories came back and the evil defeated, they would return home. He thought—nae expected to. Was it not possible for Meggie and Jamie to travel the veil? He placed Jamie down. “Go fetch your mother,” he uttered quietly.