Thestian had described him as a compassionate man. She had not realized that one word also included loyalty to those he rode with, a good sense of humor, and the ability to make a sword in just a couple of hours to throw off a radical centaur.
“I don’t have to kill, you know,” Fiona said after several moments of silence. “I can just leave them unconscious.” The blacksmith and horseman looked at her.
“Good to know.” Keegan smiled and gave her a wink. “Will make me sleep easier at night.” She started to retort but the boy gave a little shout.
“I see them,” Arien called back and Ronan turned.
“Them?” he asked, his stomach tightening.
“Ahearn, and he does have her. She is unharmed.” Arien nodded, beaming as he looked at Ronan. “She’s safe.” Ronan could see the relief in the boy’s eyes.
“Good work, Arien.” Relief poured through Ronan as well. He nearly went to his knees. To his surprise, the serpentine warrior touched his arm, as if to let him know she was there. He had thought the warrior women were tough, with no emotion other than the one they carried into combat. This one had shown passion and tenderness.
“You care for your friend deeply,” she said softly.
“I care for all of them deeply,” he corrected. “I wouldn’t have left any of them behind.” He saw Keegan look at him but the horseman said nothing.
“Admirable. And here I thought you were saving me because of my wit and charm.” She giggled when he looked back at her for a moment. She was poking fun at him, throwing his own words back at him. And he liked it. He’d felt a bit of guilt when he’d learned that the wizard had sent her to assist him because he hadn’t been completely honest with her about who he was. But she seemed to understand and wasn’t holding it against him.
Ronan turned when Ahearn emerged the darkness and didn’t hide his smile. “I thought we had lost you.”
Ula shook her head, “You should have learned by now. You can’t get rid of me. And neither can a stupid centaur.” She slid from Ahearn’s back and Arien quickly moved to swap out their horses. “You shaved. I told you that you would look better without that beard.”
“Where were you?” Ronan asked helping her onto Dermot’s back. She settled, adjusting the skirt of her gray dress.
“You aren’t the only one that saw something they liked in the street. I saw a trinket or two of my own. And then the centaur saw me, held up something that looked suspiciously like a stick coated with white paint. So I grabbed the first horse that came looking for me and here I am.” She smiled slyly and then looked past him at the woman. Keegan laughed aloud but Ula’s smile had quickly vanished. Ronan stepped out of the way as the two women stared at one another.
“Fiona,” Ula whispered.
“You!” For a moment neither of them moved, then Fiona brandished an impressive sword. “This woman is a demon!”
Ronan frowned, eyes darting up to Ula’s cool expression.
Seven
Ula slid off of the horse as Fiona advanced with her sword lifted. The horse skittered away as Ronan glanced between the women. This was not good.
“You know better than what you want to accuse me of,” Ula said in a low voice. Ronan’s eyes widened as Fiona’s skin changed, colored in deadly stripes. The yellow flecks of her stare spread until her eyes glowed golden from her face. Scales were appearing on her skin, bright, shiny, and silver.
“What is that?” Keegan murmured as he stepped beside Ronan. The blacksmith shook his head. He didn’t know. He’d never seen anything like it. A long, slender tongue flicked out from between her lips. He remembered the sting it had left on his cheek but Ronan didn’t think she meant to snap it sharply against Ula.
“Theora was my friend, Fiona.” Ula was speaking again, her voice still calm. “But she let the dark forces win her over. There was nothing to be done.” Fiona swung the blade forcefully but Ula ducked out of the way and stepped to the side. The smoothness of the healer’s movement surprised Ronan but did not slow Fiona. The woman whirled, blade extended and sliced the air in half but Ula dodged the sharp of it again.
“You must calm yourself. Listen with your mind, not with your heart.” Ula ducked again.
“You killed her,” Fiona hissed. “She was of no dark force.”
Ronan tried to catch Arien’s arm but the boy darted past him and stepped in front of Ula, facing the serpent woman. He rose as tall as he could manage, jaw set with determination.
“Leave her alone!” The boy shouted. His eyes flicked to Ronan, seeking his approval.
“Get out of the way, Arien,” Ula snapped but the boy stood his ground. Ronan’s eyes widened when Fiona’s hand stretched out, whipping him out of the way. Both her arms looked like the tails of snakes.
Arien cried out as he went tumbling against a tree and Ula’s eyes suddenly glittered dangerously. “Oh no.” Ronan murmured as the wind began to bend. Before he could intervene, Fiona lunged. Ula’s arms wrapped around the woman and catapulted them both high into the air, deep into the dark clouds that looked gray against the night sky.
“Where are they?” Ronan searched the skies.
“There!” Keegan pointed toward the south as two tiny dots fell down into the trees. “They’ve landed in Sledgewood.”
“Get the boy!” Ronan leapt upon Sorcha’s back and kicked her forward. The horse had speed that left Ula’s wind behind. Sorcha darted from the road, through the trees and Ronan worried that he would not make it in time before one of them killed the other.
Lightening snapped down from the sky but to Ronan’s relief it did not hit the ground. But the wind grew fiercer as large drops of rain began to pelt from the clouds above. As long as there was wind, Ula was alive. And then suddenly the air grew still. The clouds dispersed and a dangerous current of emotion charged through Ronan’s body. Oh, no.
“Faster.” His voice cracked and his stomach filled with dread but Sorcha pushed on, carrying them as fast as her legs could go. Into the trees which grew thicker the deeper Ronan rode. Finally, they came upon the two and Sorcha halted abruptly, starting to back away.
They were still fighting, but Ronan realized, not against one another. Fiona’s tongue whipped out, cracked. And Ula — Ronan stopped and stared. She appeared younger, magic snapping in sparks around her. She hurled a ball of blue flames from her palm. What kind of healer could hold magic in their hand?
For a moment it seemed as their blows struck thin air. Then he glimpsed a pale green body. It was the body of a woman, nude but before he could catch a second glimpse, the air flapped around it again.
What were they? Sledgers. Ahearn’s thoughts found him. They wear invisible capes that are as strong as metal.Strike at the capes.Weaken their armor. Ronan looked around him. Strike them with what? Use the sword. His eyes dropped to the white metal blade of the sword he held grasped in his fist.
“No,” Ronan whispered, shaking his head. Use the sword. Use it if you wish to save them. They will die if you do not. Ronan looked back to Ula. Her grayed hair was almost as black as Fiona’s. Her skin was pale and flawless. Her body was slender. The only thing that looked the same as it had before was her eyes.
Something glinted and her breath hissed through the air as a red line appeared on her arm. Ronan’s insides burned and hardened. Before he had time to think, he raised the sword. With all his might brought it to the invisible enemy. Something gave way beneath the strike and tumbled to the side. He kept swinging back and forth around him, working through the unseen army until he reached the two women.
“Stay back,” he commanded both of them and turned. Let the sword do the work. Ahearn’s thoughts vibrated from somewhere beyond the trees. Ronan nodded and grasped the sword with both hands. He held it out. Instantly a white light engulfed him causing him to gasp for breath. He could feel himself moving but could see nothing. The light was blinding and hot, and it filled him. Pain tore at his arm but still he was moving. He fought until his entire body was weakened, and then he felt himself falling.