Page 24 of The Irresistible Warrior
“We leave now,” Declan said, “and take nothing with us. This place bodes far too much of evil.”
He took hold of her arm and hurried her to the pines.
“Wait,” she urged and bent down to pull something half buried out of the ground and take it in her hand, brushing the dirt off it.
“Drop it,” Declan ordered. “Nothing from here leaves with us.”
Aura opened her hand to show him a stone with a hole going through it. “This doesn’t belong here. Someone purposely left it here.”
“How do you know that?”
“It is a hag stone and found only by seashores and riverbeds. It supposedly possesses magical properties that offer great protection. The only way it could have gotten here is if someone left it.”
“Or dropped it when brought here against their will,” Declan said.
“Regardless, it comes with us,” Aura insisted.
He didn’t argue. He wanted her gone from this place, fearful it held the type of power he couldn’t protect her against.
He rushed her to the pine trees, the two men already headed through them when the wind picked up just as he eased Aura through the slim entrance. It whipped around him, leaves and twigs striking him, forcing him to raise his arm to protect his face and halting his steps.
When it finally settled and he lowered his arm, it was to find himself facing the ring of stones and the witch standing beside it.
Her long white hair was windblown with leaves and sticks protruding from it and there was a sneer of anger on her face that had him taking a step back.
“You are a fool,” she shouted at him. “Never come here again and never bring her here again. Now go before it is too late.”
He went to speak.
“BE GONE NOW!”
Her shout sent him flying through the narrow entrance to land on his bottom in front of the men and Aura.
She hurried to him, though he was on his feet before she reached him.
“The witch,” he said without thinking and the men, already on their horses, rode off.
Declan grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her onto her horse then mounted his. No words were needed. They were to leave posthaste and that was that.
By the next morning,word spread quickly about how the witch had sent Declan flying through the pine trees to land on his bottom. That he was defenseless against her frightened the clan. If he was helpless against her, then who could protect them? And worse… they wondered if Aura’s presence had something to do with the curse.
“This isn’t good,” Hamish said, shaking his head as he paced in front of the dais. “A witch in the area does not bode well.”
“That’s not true,” Aura said. “A witch’s creed is to do no harm. Their magic comes from nature, the earth, water, air, and fire. It is a warlock that is feared since they practice dark magic.”
Hamish stopped pacing and squinted at her. “How do you know this?”
She hesitated only for a moment. “I have met a few women who were believed to be witches, and they were nothing more than women steeped in nature and all the secrets it holds.”
“That would make you a witch since you study plants,” Hamish accused.
“Watch your tongue, Hamish,” Declan warned, “such an accusation may start a fury that cannot easily be stopped.”
A sudden wind opened the door, blowing a cleric in with it, his cloak whipping around his short frame.
“What is this I hear about a witch and a curse?” he demanded as he brushed leaves off his worn cloak while approaching them.
“It is nothing, Cleric,” Declan said, cursing himself for having breathed a word of the witch for others to hear.
