Page 131 of Dark Rival

She now closed her eyes, pushing her fear of the snakes aside. She strained. Royce? Are you there? Please, tell me!

In reply, there was only the pain and cries of the wounded and dying.

And then she thought she felt him.

She felt a vague ripple of his power, but it wasn’t the huge power of a Master who had mastered his karma long ago. It was uncertain, raw and perhaps even new.

It couldn’t be Royce and tears of dismay fell.

A snake hissed, dangerously near her right foot.

Allie didn’t even cry out. She met the blazing eyes of the serpent as it coiled and began lifting its head. Its eyes seemed demonic. She sensed it was about to strike and she prayed the creature was not possessed.

But it boldly detached itself from the writhing mass, and seemed intent on her. Fear clawed at her. She stared at the glowing eyes of the serpent.

It hissed, its tongue flicking out.

Allie gasped. She was the granddaughter of a god. If ever she could cast a spell, it was now.

“Gods! Peaceful and quiet,” she breathed. “So peaceful and so quiet, now serpent lie still, peaceful and quiet, so peaceful and so quiet, now serpent at rest, no battle here, no one to kill.”

The head began lifting higher, as if to strike, and its eyes gleamed.

“Serpent lie still…peaceful and quiet,” she whispered, her lips feeling as if they’d turned to wood. “Ancients, please, harken. Lug, greatest of all Ancients, harken.”

For one more moment, the snake stared with almost human hatred at her, and then it recoiled and lay still.

Allie almost collapsed, and only the snake lying inches from her toes prevented her from doing so.

AS HE RUSHED THE FORT, the horns began blowing. He tried to use his new powers to sense Brigdhe, but he could not feel her presence, even though he knew she was within.

Royce, help me.

Almost at the barred gates, Ruari faltered, certain he had heard a woman’s cries for help—a woman calling him by his English name. Did his mind play tricks with him now?

He hesitated. In spite of the men now shouting in alarm from the watchtowers, he sensed the presence of a woman who was not his wife. She was so afraid.

Was this his imagination? If not, what did it mean?

Arrows began hailing around him. Coming to his senses, he tore the barred doors from their hinges, relishing his new power, throwing them aside. An arrow stung him, another went deeper; he pulled them out, feeling no pain. He drew his sword and rushed into the fort. Instantly he saw a deamhan clad in long, elegant robes, far finer than any he had ever seen, grinning at him. His evil was huge and dark.

Giants began rushing from the huts, spears aloft. Ruari wanted to rush the hall, but he veered his course, intending to dispatch the golden deamhan first. Before he could take a stride in his direction, the deamhan vanished.

Which was just fine; he would hunt him later. He turned to the giants, and as they threw their spears at him, he tried his power, blasting them with it. The giants fell back as if pushed by huge winds, their spears falling.

Royce? Are you there? Please, tell me.

He was shocked to hear the woman crying for him again.

One of the giants stood, lunging for him with his studded club, and the blow tore the skin from his arm. He took the giant’s head with a single thrust of his sword, realizing he must not heed this strange woman. Perhaps she was a deamhan, intending to soften him so the enemy might destroy him.

He lunged up the steps and into the darkened hall where Kael waited, grinning evilly at him.

And even as he saw Brigdhe, horror arising at the sight of her naked body, half covered by a blanket, he felt another power present with them.

It was pure and bright and light, feminine and alluring.

It was a power beckoning him. Confused, he looked around to espy another woman.