Page 69 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
“Ye are a coward, Caelan. Ye’ll never be strong enough to defend a whole clan. I’ll do a much better job at it.”
Harrison thought that because he had drawn blood, he had won. But Caelan was not done.
Pretending to be more hurt than he actually was, he stumbled backward, pressing down on his wound and feigning shock. He lured his uncle in, knowing the man would want to see the light go out of his eyes, until he was just close enough.
“In the next life, maybe,” he whispered, making Harrison lean in further to hear him, then made his move.
Dropping his sword to the ground, he thrust his blade upward into the soft flesh beneath his uncle’s chin. The blade tore through Harrison’s jaw, mouth, and skull, causing blood to erupt from every orifice in his face. It sprayed Caelan, and as his uncle crumpled to the ground,hewas the one to see the light go out of his eyes. Harrison hit the ground with a loud thud, choking on his last blood-filled breaths.
“Goodbye, Uncle,” Caelan croaked.
Only once his uncle was dead did Caelan start to feel the burn in his side. He placed a hand over the wound and found that it was not bleeding as much as the pain warranted. He took a step towards the table, aiming to sit and have a better look, but his feet dragged. As he looked down at his boots, he saw them blur and shift.
He knew something was wrong and that he would have to get to Michaela right away. Maybe Harrison’s blade had sliced into a vital organ, and he was hemorrhaging, hence the dizziness. He had no idea, but he endeavored to put one foot in front of the other, over and over again, no matter how slowly, until he reached the healer’s door.
He collapsed on the floor with a thud, and his vision went dark. He heard the door open and people start to gather around him, shaking him to wake up.
Caelan felt sick, and he was unable to see anything. His breathing slowed, and his body went numb. But with the final ounce of energy he had left, he called for the only face he wanted to see, if it was to be his last.
“Rosaline.”
* * *
Alexandra burst into the room like a boulder tumbling down a hill. She pushed through the door, and her momentum kept her going until she slammed into the side of the bed her brother was lying on.
“Caelan!” she cried, her heart sinking with horror.
His skin was pale, his hair stuck to his sweat-slick forehead, and his chest rose and fell in shallow, slow breaths.
“Will he be all right?” She turned to Michaela, wringing her hands. “How did this happen?”
“He is stable for now, but his fever hasnae broken,” Michaela replied.
Alexandra felt the weight of the situation press upon her, as Michaela’s tone did not hold even a hint of the joy and playfulness that it usually did. Even in sad times, Michaela would find space for a small joke, just enough to lighten the mood and pull everyone through it. But now, there was no such space.
“Jayden told me what happened with Harrison, but me braither sustained many injuries before. He is healthy and strong. How could it happen?”
Alexandra returned to Caelan’s side and took his hand, which lay limp in hers.
“It wasnae just a normal wound, lass. I’m afraid that Harrison came prepared for a duel today. I believe his sword was laced with poison.”
Alexandra clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sob that escaped. Poison. She had little experience with it, but from the stories she had read and heard, it was a hard battle to win. It could ravage through the body long before anyone found out what it was and prepared the antidote.
“I dinnae ken which poison was used, lass. I fear I cannae heal him this time.”
Alexandra fell to her knees and sobbed into her brother’s arm. She could not lose him; she was not ready. He had always told her to be prepared for his death, but what was a sister to do to prepare for the death of her only living kin? How could she have possibly prepared for this?
Her chest heaved as tears streamed down her face. Michaela rubbed her back soothingly until her tears ebbed.
“Alexandra…” Michaela uttered her name like a question, seeking permission to speak.
Alexandra nodded.
“When he arrived here, he breathed a single word.”
Alexandra looked up at the healer, ensuring she caught her brother’s last request.
“Rosaline.”
