Forever Doon (27 page)

L
ike a thousand robotic dancers in an undead tap recital, the uniform
click-clack
of the skellies droned on until I thought I would scream. But breaking down was not an option for a queen. I had to remain calm as I waited at the fire circle for word of the army's position. One by one, the scouts returned with the same report—skellies waited just outside our protective shield, hundreds of them on every side. We were surrounded.

The camp was organized chaos as Doonians scrambled to locate weapons, to find their assigned squadron, and to tell their friends and family one last “I love you.”

Fear thickened the air like a humid August morning. The skellies had been stopped by the bubble, but for how long? Why had the witch sent them here if there was no way for them to get in? I had a feeling I didn't want to know the answer.

Kenna had just spent the last thirty minutes arguing that a rescue team needed to go after the missing people. I'd asked her to leave me so I could think it through. Who could we spare?
I'd experienced Addie's version of the castle firsthand, and there were magical traps and supernaturally enhanced guards at every turn. How could I send a rescue party knowing the chances of them surviving the mission were marginal at best?

I adjusted my thick leather breastplate and strapped my axe belt across my chest, then picked up the round shield Jamie had custom-made for me. Hefting its weight, I marveled at how he had managed to make it feel light and yet strong at the same time. Maybe not Captain America strong, but still, perfect for me.

Fergus approached, his skin blotchy, his blue eyes swimming with emotion.

“What is it?”

“The Destined are hurtin', my queen. Fee's doin' her best to encourage them after the loss of their friends, but I think they need ta hear from you.”

Shame washed over me until I was sure my face matched the color of my big friend's mottled cheeks. He shouldn't have had to tell me to speak to our newest Doonians. I'd talked to some of the Destined in passing, but I hadn't even thought about how frightened they must be.

“Fergus, did you know that I've always thought of you as my guardian angel?”

His cheeks went from pink to flame-on. “No, Yer Majesty.”

“From the moment I set foot in Doon, you've been watching out for me and Kenna. I thank you for that and for calling my attention to this matter. Please gather the people. I'd like to speak to them immediately.”

Before he turned away, I grabbed his sleeve. “And thank you for being such a great friend.”

He gave a quick nod, his eyes misty. “Always, Veronica.”

A short time later, I balanced on a log and looked out over
the crowd. Interspersed among the Doonians, hundreds of unfamiliar faces, those of teens and young adults, wearing modern clothes, some with piercings, tattoos, and dyed hair, stared back at me. Not soldiers, but ordinary, terrified people waiting for some great wisdom to spew out of my mouth and take away their pain and fear. Realizing that was impossible, I decided to speak from my heart.

I raised my hand in greeting and projected my voice above the incessant clanking. “Hi. My name is Veronica Welling and I wasn't always a queen. Like you, I'm not from Doon, but a small town in Indiana. And like many of you, before I was Called here, I lost the security of home and family. When Kenna and I first arrived here, the Doonians believed us in league with the witch and threw us in the dungeon.” There were a few incredulous laughs, and Fergus wandered up and shouted, “I'm not proud of it, but 'tis true!”

I nodded. “It wasn't exactly what I'd imagined my reception in Doon to be like. So I know how scared and confused you all must feel to have lost so many of your friends.”

More Doonians began to gather round, many of them mingling with the crowd and taking a hand or putting an arm around one of the new Destined. Alasdair moved toward the front and clapped a hand on each of the African boys' shoulders. I met his penetrating gaze and remembered something he'd said to me long ago.

“A wise man once told me that what is seen as light will forever be coveted by the dark. And as I look out at your faces, all I see is blinding light. A light so brilliant that it cannot be quenched by the darkness. And in your eyes, I see hope. Hope for a better future, for the home that many of you have never had. If we each hold tight to that hope, there is no darkness strong enough to defeat it.”

Trying to make eye contact with as many individuals as possible, I continued. “I'm not saying that we'll all make it through this battle unscathed, but I do know that the Protector is faithful and he will be with us. I also know that if there's anything in this world worth fighting for, it's a place we can call home. You are part of that home.” Clarity struck and in that moment, I knew what I had to do. “And since we don't give up on family, I'm asking for volunteers to send on a rescue mission.” Confusion and hope mingled on nearby faces. “I cannot believe the Protector would bring any of you here to feed the witch's power. Our people who have been taken
must be
alive. It will be terribly dangerous, but I need volunteers to sneak into the castle and bring them back to us.”

Hands flew into the air. Analisa, Sofia, Ewan, and a young Filipino girl who hopped up and down shouting, “Me, me, me!” I nodded to my friends as each one came forward and then turned to the Destined girl. “What's your name?”

“Cheska Ann Santos, and I've been training for this exact moment.”

“How so?” I arched a brow. The girl couldn't be more than fifteen.

“I'm a gamer, Yer Majesty. I specialize in a war game that puts me in a position to strategize and spy on other groups.” Her voice grew higher as she spoke. “Sneaking into castles is what I do! I've dreamed of this moment!”

My eyes shifted to Ana, who gave a barely perceptible nod. She would watch out for the girl. “All right then, you're in.”

She pumped a fist in the air as the brothers from Africa, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, stepped forward. “We're going too.” Ezekiel lifted his chin and met my gaze with such confident determination that I didn't question them further. Kenna had shared a bit of their horrifying and heroic past. These boys were perfect for the job.

“We have our group then.” Catching Cheska's enthusiasm, I threw a fist into the air and shouted, “Today, we will take back what is ours! Today, we fight for Doon!”

Fists flew up around the group as they shouted in unity, “Fight for Doon!” The chant grew so loud, it drowned out the skellies' clanking.

My chest burned as I yelled along with them, the mantra echoing from all corners of the camp as Doonians joined in. After several moments, the people began to disperse to their duties, some still chanting. Now that I was alone, the tears I'd held in splashed down on my cheeks.

A hand extended in front of me and I looked down to see Ewan Murray.
Perhaps not so alone.
Accepting his help, I grasped his fingers and hopped down.

“Tha' was inspiring, Yer Majesty.”

He handed me a clean handkerchief, and after I'd wiped my nose and eyes, I turned back to him. “Thank you for volunteering, Ewan.”

He plunked his shield into the dirt at his feet and turned to face me. “Of course. I'm takin' point since I know that castle best. And I know how to get around the witch's protection spell.”

“Watch out for Sofia. I know she's desperate to help, and feels like she would be useless in a battle, but this will be just as dangerous.” As I finished speaking, his summer-green eyes drilled into mine. He'd avoided me since the handfasting. I knew there were unresolved feelings between us, but I'd had too much on my mind to seek him out.

“Veronica, please forgive me.”

I started, not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. “For what?”

“Ye have a Calling with Prince Jamie and I disrespected
that.” He swiped a hand over his fiery hair, but it flopped back down over his right eye as he let out a deep sigh. “When we thought he'd passed on, I couldna bear to see ye so sad and alone. I determined to help any way that I could. I didna expect ta fall for ye.”

I opened my mouth, but he kept talking.

“The Laird is a good man and the perfect one ta lead by your side.”

As I searched his sweet face, a realization struck me—this reckless boy had been my friend when I needed one most, and despite Jamie's doubts, I wanted Ewan in my life. “Thank you for that. Your support means a lot to me. When this is all over, I'd like to ask that you join my royal guard.”

His eyes sparkled with excitement and I knew I'd said the right thing. “Aye, Yer Majesty! It would be an honor.”

“Murray!” Ana called from nearby. “Get your scrawny hide over here!”

“I will protect the others and bring the Destined back no matter what it takes. I swear it!” Ewan dropped into a quick bow, picked up his shield, and ran to join Ana and the others. He would leap headfirst into danger, but I knew he would do everything in his power to keep his promise to me.

“Verranica!” I turned to find Jamie jogging up, metal breastplate catching the sun, and in one quick glance I memorized the way he looked in that moment—black boots laced tight, daggers strapped to both strong calves exposed below his blue-and-green kilt, metal braces on both of his wide forearms, a bow strung across his chest, a sword swinging at his side. One word entered my mind: Powerful. My eyes landed on his face and I had to swallow a sudden blast of terror. I could
not
lose him again.

“There's something ye need to see, love.” He linked his
fingers through mine and we set off at a quick pace. “I told my brother and Mackenna to meet us there.”

“Are the bombs set up?”

“Aye. Oliver created a trippin' mechanism, so if the skeletons cross they'll detonate within thirty seconds.”

“How many?”

“At least six. We're keepin' our squads away from those areas. We also have the Crew divided. They wound the tape that Duncan brought from Alloway through the brush and now they're waitin' in trees with animal nets in the east and west. Tha' should slow the bags o'bones down a bit.”

“And the trenches?” I asked as we climbed a grassy hill.

“Coming along nicely, but we'll need at least an hour to get them deep enough. And I dinna think we'll have it.”

We rounded the top of the knoll and my breath stopped. Hundreds of skellies, in perfect formation, spread out below us, their legs pumping in unison like wind-up toys. Beyond, approximately two football fields away, Addie sat astride something that looked like a horse, but its size made her appear the size of a doll on its monstrous back. Black with snow-white hair on its legs, the animal stomped the ground and shook its massive head. “Is that a . . .”

“A Clydesdale. They're native to this area, but tha' creature is somethin' else . . .” His voice dropped off and he shook his head in horrified awe. “ 'Tis at least twenty-five hands tall.”

“Seven feet at the shoulder,” Duncan clarified as he stepped up beside his brother.

Kenna looped her arm through mine and handed me the spyglass. “And I wouldn't compare that
thing
to the majestic Clydesdales in the beer commercials, at least not anymore . . .”

I raised the small telescope, and when I found the horse and rider I gasped out loud. The animal's flesh was the sickly
black, brown, and purple of a deep bruise. Large shards of hide hung off its bones in bloody chunks. It stamped and turned to expose a gaping hole in its side, and I could see its ribs and pulpy organs beneath. I shifted the glass up to the rider, and it was Addie's face that gave me the biggest shock; the skin on the right side had completely disintegrated, bones and tendons exposed from eye socket to jawbone, while the other half still held the beauty of a surgically enhanced trophy wife. Why hadn't she healed herself after the explosion?

Then, as if she could see me, she stared straight down the lens of my telescope and mouthed the words, “It's over.”

In a move so quick I could barely see her hands, she formed a ball of purple flame and hurled it in our direction.

“Take cover!” I screeched.

Jamie grabbed my hand and we dropped, sliding down the grassy hill, just as the sky exploded.

T
he violet ball struck with a boom that vibrated the ground beneath us. Vee squeezed my hand as we looked up at the point of impact. Because of Mackenna's gift, I could see the purple ooze of the witch's magic melting the white shimmer of our protection buffer. The disintegration was slow, as if Vee and Kenna's barrier fought against Addie's spell.

We have to stop it.
Veronica let go of my hand and rushed to Mackenna's side. “I don't know how. The rings—”

“We can do this, Ken. Just like in the castle gardens when we took out the skellies force field. We have to
believe
.” Mackenna nodded and they raised their joined fists to the sky and began to call on the Protector's strength.

Protect our people, we ask. Defeat the witch's magic and repair the shield that you so graciously granted us,
Vee's voice whispered through my head. The girl's eyes remained closed and suddenly the strength of their will smashed into my mind, almost dropping me to my knees as I felt their belief, their resounding faith.

The rings sparked, shooting white flame that pushed back the purple darkness. The crystalline dome sealed once more and the lasses lowered their arms. But the moment the white beam from the Rings of Aontacht disconnected, violet sparks began eating another hole in the protection.

Veronica and Mackenna linked hands again, and this time my brother and I joined them. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, white-hot fire burst from the rings. Raising our consciousness together, the shield began to rebuild itself once again. This time, the lasses didn't move, but kept their hands linked and raised.

At first, it seemed to work, but then another purple globe hurtled down, this one breaking into smaller orbs before smashing into the dome. Each hole grew larger by the second. The power of the rings was unable to keep up, and soon both sputtered and winked out.

“No!” Vee cried. “Kenna, try again!”

But the rings did not spark again. And the purple continued to eat away at our shield.

Duncan put his hand over the lasses' joined fingers and gently pushed their arms down. “One of the most important aspects o' bein' a soldier is knowin' when you're bested. Knowin' when to retreat.”

The girls' eyes met and with a solemn nod, they let go.

I pulled Vee tight to my chest. “We need to go and warn the others. You and Mackenna head west and raise the alarm. Duncan and I will go east and north.”

Releasing Veronica took herculean effort, but I'd accepted that we couldn't stay together through this fight. She'd proven she could take care of herself. I glanced up; the holes had met in the middle and the purple sparks were making their way
down the sides of the shield. We had little time. With one last squeeze, I let her go and we all took off at a sprint.

Duncan and I ran in the same direction. Before splitting up, we agreed to meet at the horse paddock.

I reached Lachlan and the Rosetti twins perched in a tree first. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I cried, “Sound the alarm!”

Fabrizio's shaggy head leaned down from a branch. “What's happening?”

My gaze flicked up to see the dome almost halfway gone. “The shield's comin' down.”

Farther up the tree, Luciano raised a cow bell above his head. He rang it back and forth with a resonating gong.

I moved on, going from group to group, and the bells quickly multiplied until their clangs drowned out the skeleton's march. When I reached the horse paddock, I retrieved my shield and mounted Crusoe. Duncan arrived right behind me, grabbing his own shield from the dirt. “Did ye see the lasses?”

“Nay.” He shook his head, frowning as he entered the pen and mounted the horse I'd prepared for him.

Reaching out with my mind, I said,
Verranica, the shield's almost down. Where are you?

For three heartbeats there was no answer, and then,
Protection . . . Over . . . Cave . . . children.

“They're puttin' a shield up ta protect the children in the tunnel,” I told Duncan. “The connection must be shaky, because they're usin' the rings.”

Duncan opened his mouth to respond, but an explosion cut off his words. I jerked around to see that the shield had fallen. The clash of steel meeting steel reached us before another bomb detonated, this one close enough to shake the leaves from the trees. With a nod to my brother, I galloped out of the corral
and toward the border. At the sight of Addie's approaching army, we pulled up at the edge of the forest.

Eyes glowing with an ethereal violet light, hundreds of skeletons marched in mechanical unison, their feet ringing out a symphony of death. Tremors coursed through my body, wave after wave of tightly leashed adrenaline causing my muscles to vibrate in anticipation. Some carried swords, some small knives, some were weaponless except for their bony-sharp fingers and teeth. The bitter taste of dread coated my tongue as the rhythmic clacking drew closer, vibrating in my chest.

I glanced at Duncan and he met my gaze with grim determination mixed with a deep dread that twisted a knot in my gut. Nothing gave me courage faster than when I saw my brother afraid.

Shaking the numbness from my hands, I pushed down my own fear and tucked it deep inside. Then, recalling a scene from the movie I'd watched with Veronica where an elf and a dwarf made sport of how many monsters they could kill, I drew my sword and flashed a cocky grin. “Bet I can take down more skellies than you can,
mo wee bráthair
.”

His mouth curled as he unsheathed his own weapon. “I'll take that bet.”

With a battle cry, we galloped out to meet the skeletons. I swung my sword and slashed at the first creature, cutting through its spiny neck. It collapsed in a pile of lifeless bones. Somehow, the shield around the skeletons had fallen. Perhaps the witch couldn't hold their protection while decimating ours. Or maybe the elixir had weakened her permanently. I could only hope.

All suppositions left my head as I blocked a blade with my shield and then smashed it into the creature's skull, exploding it to dust. Swinging to my right and to my left, I sliced heads from necks while keeping a rough count.

One creature climbed up my saddle and sank its claw-like fingers into my leg. I elbowed it in the head and it flew backward, knocking several of its mates off their feet.

The sound of Duncan fighting not far from my side was heartening, and as I swung my sword in a wide arc, taking out at least five at once, I called, “Tha' makes twenty-five! How about you?”

“Closer ta thirty!”

I grinned and booted one in the face as it climbed up Crusoe's neck. My brother was nothing if not efficient. I swung and slashed and kicked and punched until my arms ached. Unfortunately, the creatures just kept coming. Looking up to see how many were left was not an option. I had to hold out hope that we could make a dent in their numbers.

Duncan's voice sounded strained as he shouted, “Tha's fifty!”

Pain pierced my back and I pulled a dagger, whipping my hand back and driving the blade into the face of a creature attempting to stab my kidney. Then I rammed my sword into its gullet and sent it flying.

“Fifty-one!” I bellowed. But I knew I'd only knocked it down temporarily.

Exhaustion set in as minutes or hours passed. I couldn't tell. The only thing that kept me going was knowing we were holding this line of monsters back from the camp. Grasping the reins, I swung to the side and met the sword of a skeleton, but he feigned and drove his blade into Crusoe's flank. My horse was so well trained that his only reaction was a wheeze and side step.

“No!” Red squeezed in on my vision as I lobbed off the creature's head. Crusoe had been a gift from my parents for my thirteenth birthday; more like family than a horse. I slashed
and hacked at the skeletons, until my legs and arms were covered in lacerations. But they kept coming. Crusoe, losing blood, faltered a step, and just as I was about to call the retreat, cries sounded behind us.

Someone yelled, “For Doon!” And a chorus of voices repeated the chant.

I turned to see a group of forty-some Destined, brandishing ropes and whips, rushing into the fray. Relief flooded me even as I felt my horse shudder. I bent forward and smashed my shield into a creature's face before murmuring, “It's okay, boy. I'll get ye back to safety soon.”

The Destined's weapons of choice took out the creatures more efficiently than our swords, and soon the forest was littered with skeleton parts. Once the newcomers had pushed Addie's minions back, I dismounted and jumped to the ground. Hooking my shield onto my back, I leaned down to inspect Crusoe's wound. It was long, but not too deep. If I got him help soon, he might survive it.

The skellies have breached the camp. Need reinforcements!
Vee's voice shouted in my head.

Before I could respond, Duncan shouted, “Jamie, to the camp!” And he took off at a gallop.

I rose and whipped around, sword ready to slash some skeleton bum, and froze. The thing that stood before me was flesh and blood, with gory bits of meat hanging from his arms and face, exposing bone and sinew beneath. Yet I still recognized who he had once been . . . Sean MacNally, risen from the dead, and back for vengeance.