Page 80 of A Celtic Vow
“Ta.”Siobhán nodded. “For I can only imagine what it will give me now with ye and yer blade at my side.”
“Everything, I hope.” She knelt beside Siobhán and lowered her head in worship. “A great defeat.”
But at such a cost.
Still, she did what she’d come here to do before it was too late. She bowed her head in prayer, rested her hand on a root, reached her hand into her pocket, and broke her talisman.
Prayed for it to forgive her.
Prayed that it never forgot her because she wouldn’t forget it.
Siobhán’s head jerked up mid-prayer as she sensed before she saw what was coming. As the roots began turning from grey to ash. Dying a final death along with her talisman. A piece of driftwood she now realized had broken off from King’s Heart long ago. A blackened bit of root that found its way across the Atlantic and washed up on New England’s shore centuries later to remind her how lucky she could be.
Then to eventually remind her that luck didn’t always come easy.
Before Siobhán could strike out, Constance bolted out of the cave and raced for the cliff. Prayed her magic was every bit as strong without her blade. That her dragon would know what to do. What choice did she have when Siobhán roared, and the world shook? As her rage took on a whole new force because of Constance’s blade? As she wielded power, she and the rest of Ireland might not survive if they didn’t defeat her in time?
With that in mind, she did the only thing she could now.
She raced straight off the cliff and prayed for a monster.
Chapter Twenty-Six
AODH WAS THANKFUL Ulrikand Tréan returned in record time. Not so thankful when they relayed what had happened. How Constance had bowed to the enemy and relinquished her blade.
“I don’t believe it,” he ground out. “She hasnotturned traitor. Wouldnever.”
Done waiting, he shifted and headed that way. He would see her betrayal with his own two eyes. Then he would steal her away again until she came to her senses. As luck would have it, Ulrik’s monstrous silver dragon didn’t try to stop him but fell in beside him.
“We’re right here with ye, brother,”Liam said into his mind.“All of us are.”
He glanced back to see all four armies advancing quickly, thanks to druid magic.
“We’re doing as Constance requested,”Shannon assured him, relief in her voice.“And it’s working, Aodh. Her magic is still working because most of the enemy warriors are rising back up and joining us in the fight.”
He was glad to hear it. Knew Constance would be too.
