Page 62 of Love Beyond Wanting
I nodded, but my mind was now elsewhere.I needed Maddock’s word that he wouldn’t come in after me.
“I need you to make me a promise, Maddock.You have to promise me that you won’t go in after me, no matter what.We have no way of knowing what Machara’s father will do, and we can’t risk one of The Eight ending up dead.There’s only seven of you living.If another one of you dies, Machara breaks free.Do you understand?You have to promise.”
He nodded and closed his eyes sadly as he gave his word.“I promise, lass.Now, kiss me and go before I decide I doona have the strength for this and pull ye away from here.Right now, I doona think I am above leaving Brachan to deal with this on his own.”
“That’s not an option.But I will kiss you.I’ll kiss you now.I’ll kiss you when I return.And I’ll kiss you every day after.Everything is going to be fine, Maddock.I just know it.”
I hoped it wasn’t a lie.Something deep inside suspected it might be.
Chapter 42
What had he done?Why had he promised her that he wouldn’t follow after her?It was all he wanted to do.
The worry over her would surely kill him.And if anything happened to her—well, he couldn’t bear to think of it.
The rest of the men would be here soon enough, and who knew what would happen then.It was possible that they wouldn’t let his betrayal stand.While they couldn’t sever his bond to The Eight now, as soon as they found a man to replace Calder, they could.
He didn’t care.
He’d seen in Kate’s eyes that there’d be no dissuading her from this plan, and he’d rather help however he could than leave her to face such evil alone.
“Where have they gone?Ye have no time.Ye must go now.”
Maddock jumped at the voice and quickly turned to see Paton step from the brush behind him.
“Are ye alone?”
“Aye.Though not for long.The others are on their way.I saw ye leave, and I heard the others discover ye were gone.I followed ye so I could warn ye that yer out of time.Ye must try and get to the land of the fae before the others arrive.”
Paton’s words surprised him.He’d been one of the first to question Kate’s faith in Brachan.
“Are ye saying that ye came to help?Ye doona mean to try and stop us?”
“Aye.I knew the moment Kate told us of her plan that it dinna matter what we said to her.She meant to do it anyway.The more I thought on it, the more sense it made.But where are she and Brachan now?”
He pointed up the hill as he listened to his heart beat heavy in his throat.
“They’ve gone, Paton.They’ve gone to seek entry to the land of the fae.”
“Then what the hell are ye doing here, Maddock?Why dinna ye go with them?She’s no powers.She will be defenseless against any fae.”
“I promised her that I wouldna go.”
“Ye what?”
“She needs to do this alone, Paton.’Tis her battle to fight and hers alone.”
There was a sudden flash of light and the air around them seemed to turn as a translucent veil appeared at the top of the hill.
Maddock watched with horrified eyes as Paton took off at a sprint toward the opening to the land of the fae.
“I promised her nothing, and the lass’ mother already hates me.If we let her die, I’ll be unable to show my face at the castle ever again.”
“Wait.”He tried to catch him, but Paton had always been fast.“Ye doona understand.Paton, none of The Eight can go through.If we die…”
It was too late, Paton threw himself through the veil and vanished before Maddock could finish.
Maddock dropped to his knees in despair.If Machara’s father killed Paton, Machara would be free.And every last one of them would be dead.
