Page 52 of Love Beyond Words
It never came.
And that in and of itself was answer enough.
I would never see Boston again.
* * *
At first Raudrich believed it wasn’t working. Perhaps, Marcus’ magic was still too new. Mayhap, they would have to teach him to wield his new powers before its strength was potent enough for the spell to bind him to The Eight.
But then, slowly, as their chanting continued, Marcus’ face distorted in pain as Machara’s screeches rose up from her cell beneath them. The room shook around them as the binds took hold.
Marcus was now one of The Eight.
It should’ve been a relief to all of them, but as Raudrich looked into the eyes of his brethren, he knew the same worry weighed heavily on all of them.
Until Calder was found and his true motive for leaving known, they were no safer today than they’d been the day before.
Chapter 31
It wasn’t ideal, but it was the only agreement they could come to.
Marcus’ magic was now bound, but it would take months for him to learn to harness the powers that were still his own. He would have to be trained as soon as possible.
Marcus wasn’t the only pressing matter. Finding Calder was just as important.
So, after much discussion and many an argument, a plan was set.
All would leave the castle, save him. He would stay to keep an eye on Machara and to see that Laurel was safe. They couldn’t risk Laurel leaving with the men who would go in search of Calder, and Marcus wouldn’t hear of having her near him.
Even Nicol would leave with the other men—something he’d not done in over a decade.
Paton, Quinn, Ludo, and Marcus would leave for the Isle’s furthest corner, far away from the castle where they would spend the following fortnight training The Eight’s newest member and helping him to adjust to his new life among them. Such training couldn’t be done near the castle grounds where Machara could listen in. She would only look for ways to exploit Marcus’ weaknesses if they remained close to her.
The others—Harry, Maddock, and Nicol would leave for the Scottish mainland where they would begin to search and inquire into Calder’s whereabouts. He couldn’t have gotten far in the span of only a few days. Once they found him, they would hold him prisoner until Marcus’ training was complete. Then as a group, they would decide what was to be done with him.
If his only trespass had been his thoughtless words about Laurel, forgiveness would’ve been the only possibility. They all knew just how easily Machara’s power could strike fear into their hearts. Fear could make a fool of any man. What was less easily decided was whether his abandonment was enough to cast him out. If so, it would be a heartbreaking decision for them all.
“What should I do while the rest of ye are away? Is there some task undone, some measure I could take to further assure our safety that was neglected while I was gone?”
Raudrich felt rather useless standing there, watching every other man in the castle ready their horses for their journey. Not that he wished to leave. It was clear that someone must stay and tend to the castle, and there was no possibility of him allowing another man to stay here with Laurel alone.
Harry walked over and roughly punched his arm.
“Come now, Raudrich. We all know that even if I were to tell ye something ye could do, ye are unlikely to do it, not with Laurel about. Ye think of nothing else even when we are here. When we are away, it shall only be the two of ye—possibly for some time.”
The anticipation of such extended time with her both delighted and filled him with dread. It was important that he tread carefully with the lass even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Aye, I know. I shall be in need of a distraction.”
“I’ll not be the one to give ye one. Ye must know that every last one of us would gladly take yer place if we could. To have a lassie as lovely as Laurel, one that clearly likes ye, is a gift I’ll not let ye waste. This life we lead here has denied each of us happiness that all men should know. If ye have a chance at finding love, lad, take it. Besides.” Harry laughed and clasped his arm. “I know we give ye a hard time for leaving us these past two years, but we all know ye dinna have a choice. And I’d reckon ye worked far harder in those two years than the rest of us have in a decade. Think of this time here as a respite for ye. ’Tis likely we’ve some tough choices ahead, so find some joy in the days ahead while ye can.”
If they did decide to remove Calder from The Eight, the decision would weigh on no one as much as Harry. Harry had been like a father to Calder for most of his life. It pained Raudrich to know how difficult all of this must be for him.
“I’m sorry, Harry. I know that all this with Calder has been difficult for ye.”
Harry cleared his throat and looked to the ground.
“Aye, and I canna help but bear some responsibility for it. I’ve known for some time Calder was struggling. I should’ve paid him more mind. There is no true evil in Calder’s heart. I’ve hope still that if we find him, his reason for this all will be clear. Doona give up on him yet.”
