Chapter 21

It had been at least an hour and Ian couldn’t quit pacing. Stopping he turned to Ator. “Somethings wrong, Ator. Merlin should have been right back. They have him. I ken it.”

Ator stood with his friend. “I’m afraid you’re right,” replied Ator. “I’ve been thinking about what to do. I have an idea. It hasn’t been done in thousands of years, but I can call on the Mountain Keepers. We watch over them and they the mountain. We benefit from the berries, that which they protect.

“We don’t misuse in the taking of the berries, therefore they grow in abundance. We feed a few to our young, for health and strength. For humans, if they consume the berries regularly, they remain young. If they could access them freely, it wouldn’t be long and they’d be all gone. Mystic Mountain is the only place they grow. So, now you know the secret, one of many the mountain holds.

“I will call on the gargoyles to help you. I can fly you near the castle and drop you with them. They will fly beside me. They can make sure you make it to Elspeth and to safety. Call me when you get Elspeth. I’ll be nearby. I can fly you both out. Merlin too, if he’s there. But if they have him, you won’t find him.

“There’s a portal at the top of Mystic Mountain. You can go straight to the Wesladus Veil. I could call my dragons, but too many innocents would be killed with fire, and no guarantee of entrance to the castle. The gargoyles can turn anyone or anything into granite. You can bust open granite bars.”

“You tellin’ me them little Devils are real?”

Ator laughed. “You will love Tepu. He’s the gargoyle’s king, but don’t let his cheery attitude fool you, he can be the meanest thing alive. I will get him and bring him here. We can tell him the story and he can get his gargoyles to help. He loves an excuse to ride a dragon. I’ll return shortly.”

He didn’t know what to say. He was still wrapping his head around the idea of the granite devils, truly alive. He watched Ator leave and he sat on the floor. In all his hundreds of years, he could still be surprised. His thoughts were in granite, devils, Merlin, and Elspeth.

Before he knew it, Ator appeared with two little live devils. After letting them down they turned toward Ian. “You!” said the taller of the two gargoyles. “You called us devils! I won’t help you!” The gargoyle squinted his eyes and crossed his arms.

“I didn’t ken what you were and you got pointy tails. No harm meant by what I said.”

“You called them devils?” asked Ator. “You never call a gargoyle a devil. They are far from it.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it. “I need help for my lady, Elspeth.”

“The singer?” asked the smaller gargoyle, and he swooned.

The first one said, “She has a beautiful voice. We would save her. Besides she likes us.”

“You were lookin’ at us! I knew it!”

“We see everything!” said the larger one. “We come alive at night mostly. Unless someone breeches the mountain. Luckily for you, you both stayed on the path.”

Ator cleared his dragon throat. “Ian this is Tepu.” He nodded at the larger gargoyle. “This is his friend, Hermaditt.” He pointed to the shorter one.

Their fat little bellies hung out, pointed tails swishing back and forth, funny little hair tufts, one black, one red, grizzly smiles on their faces, with narrow elfin eyes. He wanted to laugh, but held it in. “Nice tae meet you,” he said, and went to shake their hands. “If I shake your hand will I turn tae stone?”

“Only if we want you to,” Tepu answered.

He hesitantly shook their hands. He told them the story in short form, quickly. “Can you help my woman?”

Tepu stood with a frown. “We can get you in there and out. We aren’t big enough to fly you, Ator will do that.”

“Please,” he begged. “We need tae go now. You have no idea what the king will do or has done…if he touches her…I’ll kill him with my bare hands!”

“I think Hermaditt and myself will be enough help. You know how to get to the dungeons?” Tepu asked Ian.

Ian nodded. “Let’s go.”

Ator wasted no time in his flight to the castle. Before he knew it, they were there. He flew past the gates and landed at the front doors. As Ian was stepping down, Tepu and Hermaditt landed softly beside them. Two guards immediately appeared, Tepu took one and Hermaditt the other. Frozen in mid yell, the first guard was instantly turned to granite.

Other than the guards walking on the top of the walls, the courtyard was basically empty, but two other guards ran. Hermaditt instantly turned the second guard to granite. They quickly entered the castle where two more guards appeared after hearing the commotion. They too were instantly turned to stone.

They entered an empty kitchen, and went directly to the back, where the staircase to the dungeon was. When he opened the door to the stairs, he heard the angry voice of the king screaming at Elspeth.

“Fight me whore!” followed by a slap. From what Elspeth had told him, Ian knew this was how the king had treated the other woman. He heard Elspeth cry out, instant dread ran through his veins and he ran faster, he feared what her cries meant.

His heart stopped. He took the stairs two at a time giving the McGregor war cry. The two gargoyles had to fly down the stairway to keep up with him. They overtook him before he reached the bars. He looked at Elspeth pinned beneath the king, her skirts torn and pulled up. She tilted her face sideways and looked at him, her eye already swelling shut. When she saw him, she smiled.

He lost it.

The gargoyles turned the bars to granite. “Your turn,” Tepu said. The king looked astonished, his shock freezing him in place. Ian took his sword, and with his anger behind it, hit the cell doors. They shattered to dust. The king found his footing and stood up. He reached for his sword, but it wasn’t there. Ian’s anger increased when he thought about what the king had intended for Elspeth.

He stalked past the dust piles of what was left of the cell doors and bars. He threw his sword down and picked the king up by his neck. He saw red. He smashed the king’s face with his fist. The king was large and strong and struck back.

He lost his grip, the king stumbled back, and moved to take up a fighting stance. “Good,” Ian said. “I’m goin’ tae beat you tae a bloody pulp, tear you from limb to limb, feed it down your gullet, and when I’m done, you’ll beg me tae kill you.” He loved a good fight and he wanted one now.

He played with the king but made sure that when he threw a punch it hurt but did not kill him. He was damn sure he was going to make him pay before he killed him and kill him he would. He thunder-punched Rulm in swift movements alternating his fists as he wore the king down.

He was turning black and blue. Blood flew from his broken nose, his face pulverized. He tried to scream for guards, but his mouth was a bloody mess and he could only whimper.

When he saw Rulm beginning to pass out, he grabbed his head and forced him to meet his eyes. “Look at me if you can.” His eyes were swollen, but through narrow slits, he looked at Ian. “Remember this face. You will rue the day you touched my woman.” His voice low and menacing. His anger and hatred, steady and clear. “You see this face? Because it’s the last one you’ll ever see,” and Ian’s fangs descended.

Rulm reared back and shook in terror. He bit down, but instead of drinking the tainted blood he ripped his throat out. Before he fell, Tepu ran in and touched the king and turned him to granite. Then Hermaditt came from behind holding Ian’s sword. Copying Ian’s war cry, in a higher pitched voice because of his size, Hermaditt swung the sword and castrated the statue.

“There!” stated Hermaditt. “All is finished.” He dropped the sword and brushed his hands back and forth. He went straight to Elspeth, who was sobbing.

“Did he? Did the bastard…? Els?” he asked picking her up and cradling her in his arms.

She shook her head no. She gulped air. “He just ripped my dress and he…he…he hit me. He just hit me, but if you hadn’t come when you did…” She sobbed and put her face in Ian’s neck.

With some relief, he held her tight. “I’ve got you, love. I will not let you go.” He gently held her in his arms and kissed her head. “I got you.”

He picked up Elspeth and cradled her in his arms to carry her out past what remained of the king, the gargoyles following behind. Hermaditt stomped on what was left of the king’s appendage as he passed.

He thought the little guy might have issues.

They went up the steps and out the front door where guards descended on them. Ator flew down and blew fire across them, causing most guards to turn and flee in terror. Pandemonium broke out but he didn’t have time for it. He looked over at Tepu and Hermaditt. Hermaditt was busy turning any remaining guards to stone, Tepu looked up and motioned them forward, “we’ve got this, you and Elspeth make your escape!”

He nodded and quickly carried Elspeth to Ator, who just finished blowing fire at another guard heading in their direction.

Ator put his wing down. “Hurry Ian, get her aboard!” Quickly and as carefully as he could, he climbed aboard, resting the battered and sobbing Elspeth in his lap. She quickly buried her face in his chest, shaking. He knew she was in shock. He hugged her close to him, and once they were good and settled he noticed Hermaditt, Tepu and Ator had cleared the courtyard.

There was no sign of Athdar, or Merlin. They obviously had taken him through a portal to a destination he couldn’t hazard to guess. He hated that thought, but right now Elspeth was his worry. He also knew Merlin would want him to take care of her first.

Tepu and Hermaditt came gliding up. Hermaditt again brushing his hands back and forth. Aye, the little guy had issues. “Is she hurt?” asked Ator concerned.

“Yes! She’s hurt. Nae she wasn’t violated. I need tae get her tae Wesladus.”

Tepu spoke up. “You can use the portal atop Mystic Mountain.”

“Good, please take us there Ator. Thank you for your help Tepu and Hermaditt. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“When the lady is well, please, have her come and sing for us.” Tepu bowed. Then the two gargoyles flew off toward the mountain.

Ator turned toward the mountain. “I will go with you to Wesladus,” he replied, the seriousness of the moment sunk in and they both were quiet during the trip back.

Elspeth was still weeping when they reached the castle doors. Her eye was completely swollen shut, but tears managed to drop from its corner. Ian felt helpless, but he wouldn’t let her go. Ator bid good night and gave his love to Elspeth.

He touched her head with his nose and she half-smiled. She seemed aware, but partly in shock. He felt her shudder again. If he hadn’t saved her when he did and Rulm would have…

When he got to the great Hall, his brothers were there waiting. They all stood quietly. Finally, Connor said, “Is she…”

He answered before Connor could finish. “She’ll live, but he hurt her badly.” He saw them glance at her torn dress, and her breast, exposed and bloody. He tried in vain to cover her. “Nae, she wasn’t violated, but any later and… I need tae get her in bed.”

Angus cleared his throat, and asked, “Merlin?”

“Drakkor and Athdar have him. Cameron get tae the grimoire, work with Dougal on a locator spell, look for anything and everything. It’s Merlin’s brother, so we ken he’s powerful and it will be hard tae find him. Do it anyway. Lauren, try tae connect with the angels in your dreams. Let them ken they have him and that we doona ken where he is. I ken it’s not a for sure thing to reach them but try. We need to find out where they took Merlin.”

He looked from Elspeth to his brothers sadly. “Now…I need to take Elspeth upstairs, just do all you can to find Merlin.” He sighed then. With a look of derision, he stated. “I killed the king.” Then turned and started climbing the stairs, then paused and looked back at them. “Please send up food and warm water.” His brothers nodded but said nothing more. He went to their room, kicked open the door, and gently laid Elspeth on the bed.

A sleepy maid came right away with warm water. “I’ll be right back with food. Is the miss…”

Ian stopped himself from snapping at the innocent girl. “She will be fine, just see tae the food.”

“Right away, my lord,” she said and left quickly.

He brushed Elspeth’s forehead and knelt to kiss her cheek. She flinched and he stopped. “Och, Els. I love you so.”

She managed a small smile. “I love you too. Thank you.”

“Och, dearling, I should have been there earlier. I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Stupid plan.”

He chuckled. He wouldn’t tell her he agreed. “Shush. Let me bathe you and change your clothes, then I’ll hold you while you sleep.”

She smiled. “I’d like that. So tired…” She fell asleep.

Good, he thought. A soft knock sounded on the door. Even though there was one candle lit, and a small fire in the fireplace, the maid brought more candles, along with a tray of food and mead.

While he was carefully removing torn garments and looking at the fresh scratches over her body, he became angry again. “I wish I could kill the bastard again,” he said aloud.

“My Lord?” The maid asked as she lit the candles.

“Please just light the candles and go. Thank you for everything. Now please…just go.”

“Yes, my lord.” She turned and hurried out.

He finished removing what was left of Elspeth’s dress. Then he put the warm water by the bed. He noticed the smell of the lavender and saw leaves floating in the water. He took his time and gently bathed her body. When he got to her face, he again seethed in anger, looking at her swollen eye, and bloodied cheek. He wished he could have changed her earlier. She turned instantly but wouldn’t become full vampire for at least a month while her body made the necessary changes. She was going to heal like a human and that bothered him.

There was dirt all over her face and hands. Some blood and skin under her nails. He was so mad during the fight he didn’t notice that she’d fought back. Good for you, he thought. His woman was a fighter.

He dabbed around her eye, removing the dirt, and finished with her neck and face. He moved the dark water to the stand where he couldn’t see all the dirt and blood floating in it and went to her wardrobe. In it were the few gowns Merlin gave her, and the two night-dresses. It made him sad to think she’d never had much. After the mating ritual, he had learned her past and how she had never had anything of value.

She had only the uniforms the nuns gave her and they were plain, scratchy, and ill-fitting. Upon her return to Mystic Kingdom, Athdar gave her a few old dresses that didn’t fit either. They were too tight on her bust and hips, and too long. He knew by the look in her eyes when she saw these what it meant to have something nice, something given to her as a gift.

He remembered the tears in her eyes when she saw them. Merlin had guessed her size perfectly. These dresses were the first gift she had ever received in her life. It broke his heart to know how she had done without. She should have had these things growing up. She should have had these things as a woman. He was going to make sure she was surrounded by beautiful things. He made a mental note to be sure she would always have the finest of everything.

He hadn’t done anything with all the gold he’d made. What better way to spend it than on his mate? He wanted her happy…and laughing…and singing…and children. Suddenly he was tired. He was tired of this life. But then he shrugged, and thought, someone must do it, and then his thoughts turned to Merlin.

He was always fighting evil, making it better for those who couldn’t fight. Merlin devoted his entire life to good. He’d lived longer than Ian and now he was an old wizard. He wasn’t sure how long wizards lived, but he was afraid for him.

Merlin was like a second father to him, always had been. He’d get him back…somehow. Right now, he picked the nightgown Elspeth had admired and returned to her side and easily slipped it on her. When he was done, he put the food and water aside.

He wasn’t hungry, and she was asleep. He stoked the fire then removed his clothes, crawled in beside her, covered them both up, and held her tight. He watched her sleep, afraid to take his eyes off her.