Page 37 of A Little Highland Magic

Chapter Thirteen

After hours of staring at the ceiling in his chamber as sleep refused to come, Graeme finally gave up trying, dressed for the day ahead and headed to the armoury. Yet even there, he found himself frowning at the wall of weapons in the pre-dawn light. What exactly did one take when transporting to another realm to fight magic beings? Would any weapon give him an advantage? Or should he stick with the tried and true: his sword? His hand drifted to the weapon sheathed at his hip.

When it came to war, Graeme knew how to plan a course of attack, avoid capture, minimise risk, and survive. Would any of that knowledge help him, Aria, and Gille as they battled the unknown? Would they succeed in bringing Keiran home?

Graeme set his lips in a thin line. Perhaps it was best if he travelled light, with only his sword, a sgian-dubh tucked in his boot, and a dagger strapped to his thigh. Aria would bring her sword, bow, and arrows. He had no idea as to Gille’s weapon of choice. The only thing he knew about her was that she could hide from others’ notice and move quickly when pursued. Yet those two skills could be beneficial given the right circumstances.

“You could not find sleep either?”

He turned to see Aria framed by the doorway. “Nay. I was trying to decide what weapons to take with us.”

She moved towards him. “And your decision?”

He reached out and gathered her in his arms until she melted against his chest. “Only the ones we currently use. Your bow and your sword are your strengths; my sword is mine. We will fight beside each other. And if it comes to a battle to the death, I will be prepared.”

She pulled back to look in his face. “We will be prepared. I will be beside you.”

“You should not go back. You could be trapped there forever. Tell me what to do instead. I do not want to endanger—”

“We are in this battle together. We go to Fairyland together.” She stepped out of his arms.

“Aria—”

“Nay.” Her muscles tensed as anger swept through her. “I want a promise from you that we will see this thing to the end, each of us using our strengths to succeed. We all come home, or we all remain in Fairyland.”

Or we die. Graeme left the words unspoken. Oberon and his fairy army might be more than the three of them could take on alone. Graeme took a step towards her. “Aria—”

She stepped back. “Nothing you do or say will change my mind on this matter. I need you to swear by all that is holy that you will not sacrifice yourself or send me away. We are in this together.” Her quiet voice had a steely undercurrent.

“There is nothing I can do or say to change your mind?”

“Nothing.”

He set his lips in a grim line, then with a sigh said, “You have my oath that we battle together until the very end.”

“I will hold you to that promise.” Her features softened. “Since we are both up and dawn is approaching, would you like to go with me to the forest to retrieve my half-sister, Gille?”

“Does Gille have any magical abilities?” he asked as they headed out of the armoury.

“Her magic comes from the trees. I really do not know that much about her, as we have never spent much time together. While she was growing up, I was training. I also did not wish to spread the hatred of me by the other fairies to her merely by association. I always figured she was better off alone.”

They made their way through the castle and exited into the front courtyard. “Do you have regrets about that decision?”

“Of course.” She cast her gaze downward so he could not read the emotion on her face. “I was alone. Gille was too. Perhaps the two of us could have helped each other, but I did not understand that at the time, and there is no going back to correct our mistakes.”

Graeme signalled to the gatekeeper to open the gates for them to pass. “We are all products of our past. The difficulty is learning from our mistakes and not being held prisoners by them.”

“Aye, that may be true for the places and situations that are familiar, but once we enter the shadow realm, you and I have no experience to draw from. That is why we need Gille’s help. She knows the dangers that await.”

They continued towards the treeline. “Will she help us? Will she risk returning to help us see this quest through?”

“I honestly do not know the answer to that question.”

Graeme’s warrior instincts suddenly flared as he searched the thick underbrush of the forest they entered. Someone or something was watching them. He searched overhead and through the thick vegetation, finding no signs of anyone. His hand moved to his sword. “Then we must prepare for any circumstance because I refuse for this journey to be anything other than a success.”

*

Aria sensed Graeme’s sudden discomfort but could find no reason for it. The forested area remained silent except for their footfalls, which echoed in the early morning hush. Pinkish pre-dawn light filtered through the trees overhead, lighting the way as she and Graeme searched for Gille.