Chapter 15

The rain poured down in torrents. Jillian watched it outside her door and she couldn’t help but think about him. Was he somewhere dry? Was he safe? He had staid throughout winter, despite knowing what truly ailed her. She had tried not to love him. She had reminded herself daily he would leave, but that had not changed how she felt about him. Her heart did not have a chance once she had awakened from her tremors to find that he had carried her home and had remained with her. Throughout the months he had staid she had been overwhelmed by her dark forces once more and he had cared for her then as well. His knowledge had not changed his feelings for her. He still claimed her with the abandoned desire that matched her own. Except the last night, before he had left to seek his revenge.

That night had been bittersweet filled with a gentle tenderness for the lonely nights to come. It had to be enough to last a lifetime she feared. She asked him to stay, demanded he stay to fulfill his vow of one request. It was a request he could not grant so instead she asked him to take care of himself. Each day that passed she wondered about him, where he was, what he was doing. She remembered very little about society. What she didn’t remember Evander had helped fill her in. For him it was a cold, harsh place and she feared for him among his enemies. Sighing she turned away from the rain and slid into the bed. More and more of her days were filled with sleep. She feared if she did not do as Mirna directed she would lose the child she carried. A child, to remember Evander by, a child to fill her days with the joy its father had brought to her.

Finally the rain ended but the sun coming out to warm the spring air did nothing to lift her spirits. Mirna had helped plant her garden and already the plants were promising to be better than recent years. It was soothing to know she had a friend in each of the other two people in her life.

“Jillian,” Teague called from the door as he knocked. “Mirna said I could swim if I wanted to and she said I should invite you. I guess it’s because you’ve been such a mopey-mope. Would you come with me Jillian? I promise I won’t talk too much. Mirna says I talk too much. She says some people don’t like a person like me to talk too much.”

Finally he took a step inside the cottage. “Did I wait long enough to come in? Mirna said I should not barge in on you even if the door is open. I should wait long enough for you to say come in.” Jillian welcomed the amusement his words brought. He had been looking at her the entire time he wasn’t supposed to be barging in.

“You did just fine,” Jillian assured him as she rested both hands on his arm. The only way to get his attention long enough for him to hear her was for her to touch him.

The boy blushed all the way to the roots of his hair. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a mopey-mope. I’d be happy to go swimming with you.”

The young man beamed threw his arms around her then left out the door, out of site around the corner then came back to the door. “Are you coming?” he asked finding it hard to contain his excitement.

“Yes, right now,” she replied wishing to change tunics first but she didn’t want to keep Teague waiting, he was liable to burst.

Jillian chased Teague to the river, catching him just as they reached the rock outcropping and she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around him as they both plunged into the water. Teague was first to break the surface with a squeal Jillian could hear underwater. She had barely broken the surface before Teague pushed her playfully back under. She came up laughing, and then threatened to drown him for the dunking.

He made a mad dash to safety, his thin arms pulling him forward madly, his legs kicking wildly. She grabbed one of his legs and pulled him back toward her. Did the ground rumble underneath the river? Teague splashed water in her face then dunked her again. She came up quickly, holding a hand up for Teague’s silence. He fell immediately quiet looking fearfully around them. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

“Fire,” Teague said but his voice did not rise above a whisper. Her cabin, a big cloud of smoke billowed up from the location of her home. She swam for shore, her breath coming in great gulps as she hurried from the water, not taking a moment to squeeze the excess water from her tunic weighing her down. She ran wildly, the low branches slapping at her face, tearing at her arms and clothes.

Teague caught her before she broke from the safety of the trees. His sudden grip nearly made her squeal but his hand was quickly there to cover her mouth. She almost panicked at the thought he was attacking her. She calmed enough to see his finger pointing beyond her to the clearing filled with soldiers. Soldiers like Evander. Her eyes quickly scanned the group. Had he come to do what he had sworn to? She did not have time to search them all for Teague was pulling her back into the woods. “Mirna,” he whispered as he franticly hurried her back the way they had come.

Turning they fled and the shout came up from behind them. Each dug in, ran for their lives, their arms pumping, their legs propelling them forward with as much speed as they were capable. Jillian’s chest ached and she could hear the awful wheezing, crying sound that was coming from the man who ran just in front of her. There own flight was so loud they could not hear where their pursuers were. They dared not stop to find out. Reaching the hut Teague slammed right through the door and was back out in a blink of an eye and racing around it. Jillian followed, her legs ached and her lungs burned. The soldiers were here to destroy the druids, Mirna. How would any know Jillian and Teague weren’t the same?

They found her halfway between the hut and the sacred groves. “What is it?” she asked, the fear leaping into her eyes as they clung to her, panting. Teague cast a quick glance behind them then pulled them off the path. They ran, each of them pulling Mirna who tried to fight them. Reaching the base of a tree partially blown over, its roots pulled up out of the ground. Teague pushed Jillian in followed by Mirna. Teague crouched partially in, partially out and Jillian could feel him shaking, his teeth clattering slightly.

“They’ve come Mirna,” Jillian said finally catching her breath.

“The soldiers?” she asked, anger replacing the fear. “Is Evander with them?”

“I don’t know,” Jillian said from her crouched position. “What do we do?”

“I have to get to the shrine.”

“No Mirna, they’ll kill you,” Teague said pushing her back against the root cave.

“You stay here with Jillian. I trust you to keep her safe.”

“No,” Jillian said trying to grab the old woman as she darted passed her. It was no use, she was far more agile than anyone of her age should be.

“Stay here, I’ll come back if I can. Hide, they’ll leave the island when they have destroyed what they came here to.” Then Mirna was gone. Teague sat still in the dirt, blocking the widest part of the opening as he stared after the only mother he knew. He began rocking back and forth as he chewed his nails. Jillian wanted to stop him but she was just as frightened as him. She heard the troops set fire to the orchard, the smoke drifting to them. When the soldiers passed within inches of their hiding place Jillian felt she might go mad as she waited. All the while hoping for the first time that Evander was far away.