“He’s gone daft,” Larena whispered.
Evie couldn’t agree more. She situated herself so that Malcolm’s head rested in her lap. “Go help the others. We’ll be fine.”
“I shouldn’t leave you.”
“I’m not battling Death as your husband is. Go, Larena.”
There was a pause before an invisible hand rested on Evie’s shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye on you.”
And then she was gone. Evie drew in a deep breath and brushed the lock of blond hair from Malcolm’s forehead. She ran her hand over his cheeks, feeling the bristle of his whiskers and the raised skin of his scars.
“What a mess I got us into,” she said, hoping her voice carried to him over the roars of dragons, bellows of Warriors, and shouts of Druids. “I need you, Malcolm.”
He looked so peaceful lying there, but she knew firsthand what it was like where Death had taken him. It was dark, malicious, and foul.
There was one way she could reach Malcolm, and that was by giving him her magic as before. But that would leave her isolated for Jason to do whatever he wanted.
However, it was a chance she had to take.
Evie felt for her magic again. This time both the black magic and
mie
magic welled within her. The black magic was more powerful, but there were risks involved. The
mie
magic was pure, but it would take her longer to reach Malcolm where Death held him.
She called for both, letting them blend and fuse, the two magics swirling about each other, twisting faster and faster as they expanded inside her.
And with a gasp, they exploded, filling every pore, every fiber of her being.
Evie lifted her hand and felt it buzz with magic. She traced a fingernail along Malcolm’s jaw and saw the smoky tendrils of magic that vanished as soon as they appeared.
There was no denying the sheer force of magic at her fingertips. And for a moment, she considered turning it on Jason Wallace. Then she looked down at Malcolm. He had suffered enough.
She closed her eyes and called to the ancients. It took her awhile to hear the drums over the battle, but once she did, she let out a sigh of relief.
The chanting grew closer until the only things she could hear were the ancients’ multiple voices and the drums. She gave herself a few seconds to bask in the glow of the ancients.
“I need help,” she told them. “How do I free Malcolm from Death?”
“No release. There is no release.”
She refused to believe that. “Then how do I kill Jason? You said there was a way.”
“You already have it.”
“My black magic? If I give in to it, I become evil.”
“You already have it,”
they repeated.
Evie clutched at Malcolm’s shoulders. “Please. I don’t know what to do. I can’t have my child born evil, but I can’t let Malcolm go either.”
“
You must choose, but choose wisely.
”
“What? Are you saying I can have either my child or Malcolm, but not both?”
The chanting grew louder for a moment before tapering off again.
“You have all you need, Evangeline Walker. Trust yourself.”
And just like that, they were gone. No matter how much she tried to find the ancients again, they had left her.
Evie opened her eyes to see Jason watching her, but, thankfully, his gaze was jerked away when the gold dragon swooped down and one of its wings slammed into the cottage, knocking down the stone walls.
She used that time to gather the mixture of
mie
and
drough
magic to her once more, and then she pushed it inside Malcolm.
* * *
The feel of Evie’s magic was like a kiss against his blistered skin. His burns began to heal instantly while his body grew stronger. But he noticed none of it as he exulted in Evie’s magic.
Her magic was ecstasy, the pleasure of it as close to Heaven as he would ever get. Malcolm closed his eyes and let the strings of her magic enfold him in a cocoon of bliss.
With her magic came a bright light. He turned his face away it was so blinding, but he knew it was her. If he could get free of the chains he could go to Evie.
It was dangerous for her, so very dangerous. At that moment, Death took notice of her. Malcolm tried to turn his head to find her, tried to shout her name, but Death refused even that.
Malcolm struggled furiously against his bonds, the rusted iron manacles ripping open his wrists. Blood poured from his wounds. Death hissed in enjoyment.
Evie was too trusting, too innocent to know how to deal with Death. She’d had a brush with it, but Malcolm knew Death all too well.
“Trust me,” Evie’s voice whispered around him like a breeze.
He stilled, and for the first time felt the full magnitude of her power. Her magic slammed into him, enveloping him in the pure, absolute phenomenon of all that was Evie.
Her magic was fierce, and her uncorrupted soul kept the area blazing with luminous light.
Malcolm was held immobile from the force of it all, and then with a loud clink, the chains holding his wrists fell away. His gaze turned to Death, and the figure cocked its material-covered head to the side as if waiting for him to attack.
“I’m waiting, Malcolm,” Evie beseeched.
“You’ll come for me again one day,” he told Death. “You might be able to hold me then.”
Death took a step toward him, but Malcolm had already turned his thoughts to Evie as he followed her voice. The next thing he knew he was staring up into her beautiful blue eyes with her curls hanging over one shoulder.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “You brought me out again.”
“I can’t believe it worked,” she said in awe, her eyes filling with tears.
Malcolm then heard the sounds of battle. He sat up and saw all the figures of Death dotting the forest. The Warriors and dragons cut them down, but nothing killed Death.
“I need to help them,” he said and started to stand when she put a hand on his arm.
She glanced past him. “I don’t think we’ll be leaving quite so easily.”
“Ah, Malcolm,” Wallace said from behind him. “It seems I underestimated Evie. My first mistake. I need to rectify that immediately.”
Malcolm stood and helped Evie to her feet before he faced Wallace. “Your time has ended.”
“As you can see, Death can no’ be killed,” he said as he swept his hand across the land to the battle. “The same goes for me.”
“Everything can be killed.”
“You’re right, of course.” Wallace’s blue eyes narrowed on him, anger flashing in his depths. His normally perfectly coiffed hair was in disarray from his jumping around in excitement. “I thought I should keep you alive to give Evie the push she needed, but I see what really needs to happen is your death.”
Malcolm got off a shot of lightning that hit Wallace once. Like before, Jason quickly had him immobile so Malcolm couldn’t use his power again.
“That hurt,” Wallace said as he looked at the scorch marks on his shirt. “Just for that, I’m going to make your death extra painful.”
* * *
Evie wasn’t going to lose Malcolm again, not after working so hard to get him back. There was no holding back her fury, no stopping the hate. It mixed with the love filling her until she didn’t know which would win.
Her magic erupted within her as if someone had flipped a switch. The more she thought of how much she loved Malcolm, the stronger her magic grew until it felt as if her skin was too tight and she might explode from it all.
And there … in the magic she felt something. It was small, tiny, but so powerful that it left her gasping for breath. The child growing within her, the child made from love and hope had added its magic to Evie’s.
Evie looked at Malcolm to find his gaze on her. His azure depths were filled with worry and faith. She gave him a reassuring smile as she let her mind connect with her child.
“Trust me,” she asked of him again.
And in his gaze, she saw his acceptance—and his trust.
Evie held her palms facing each other as a white ball of crystal tendrils swirled. The more she poured her magic into the ball, the larger it grew.
“You’re wasting your magic,” Jason said with a laugh.
Evie smiled. “Have you never heard the saying that love can conquer all?”
Jason’s grin slipped, and just as she hoped, Malcolm used that opportunity to shift his hands toward Jason. Jason’s attention was on her, giving Malcolm the chance he needed to be able to use his power.
“You’re scared now,” Evie said. “So scared that you haven’t even realized you no longer have a hold on Malcolm or on your army.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Evie saw the Druids and Warriors begin to gather around them once the figures of Death had vanished.
Wallace glanced around frantically.
Evie barely contained her joy. She wanted to laugh, but she would hold it in until the battle was over. “Death couldn’t hold Malcolm because its strength was split in fighting your battle.”
“Death is too strong for that,” Wallace stated angrily, spittle flying from his lips.
Evie felt a tickle in her stomach from her child. Because of the babe, she was going to leave this battle with both Malcolm and the bairn.
“Even Death can be defeated,” Malcolm said.
“Nay!” Wallace shouted.
Evie let the ball of magic grow larger. “Your overconfidence will lose you this game. You took your eye off the prize, Jason. You forgot how strong love and hope are. Because of that, Death walked away from you. It left you here, alone. To face us.”
Malcolm moved beside her. “Ready?”
“Oh, yes.”
She released the ball of magic the same instant Malcolm threw several lightning bolts at Jason. Wallace raised his hands to block the attack, but he couldn’t stop it.
He fell to one knee, a shocked expression on his face. “How?”
“Love,” Malcolm said. “Evil can no’ withstand the power of love.”
Evie threw several more blasts of magic at him as more lightning shot from Malcolm’s hand until Jason was on the ground, his body writhing while he fought to drag in a breath.
The Warriors and Druids closed in around him and, as one, gave him one last blast of magic and power. Wallace yielded a final shout before his body disintegrated into particles so tiny they were taken by the wind.
Evie watched the last of Jason Wallace float away as rejoicing sounded around her. Suddenly, Malcolm stood before her, his hand on her stomach.
“Our daughter is going to have strong magic.”
Malcolm’s smile was slow as it spread. “Daughter?”
“Daughter.”
“She gets it from her mother.”
“She was the catalyst,” Evie said as his hand slid around the back of her neck. “She added her magic to mine. She is life made through love.”
“Love. No’ a word I ever thought to utter again, but you, Evie Walker, are impossible no’ to love.”
She looked into his azure eyes and melted. “I love you, too, Malcolm Munro.”
His lips claimed hers in a searing, scorching kiss that set her body aflame with desire. Pats on their backs from the others broke the kiss, but Malcolm didn’t release her.
“I doona want to live another minute without you. You saved me, Evie.”
“And you saved me.”
His brow furrowed, causing her to laugh.
“I learned something else today. You stopped the last drop of my blood from completing the
drough
ceremony. I can use the black magic, but I’m no’
drough
.”
“How do you know?”
“The ancients told our daughter, and she told me.”
Malcolm hugged her to him, burying his head in her neck. When Evie pulled back it was to see a tear roll down his cheek.
“I doona deserve you,” he said.
“Too bad. You’re stuck with me.”
“Thank God. Now you must make an honest man of me and become my wife.”
She giggled as he lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the crowd. “I thought you’d never ask.”
EPILOGUE
One week later …
The great hall of MacLeod Castle was overflowing with Warriors, Druids, Dragon Kings, and mortals. Laughter and joy reached every corner of the castle.
Malcolm watched as Evie was passed from Arran, Phelan, and Lucan during the dance. She hadn’t stopped smiling since they had walked away from the stone cottage, and that smile had only grown that afternoon when they had become man and wife.
“What now?” Con asked.
Malcolm shrugged. “I’m no’ sure. Lucan and Camdyn found Evie’s necklace at Wallace’s. We have the spell to bind our gods.”
“Are you?”
“I doona believe anyone is. There will be more evil to come. It’s no’ fair for you Dragon Kings to get all the glory.”
Con gave a bark of laughter and slapped Malcolm on the back. “Wise choice. You know you and Evie, as well as Brian and the bairn, are always welcome at Dreagan.”
“Thank you for that,” Malcolm said. “I’ll go wherever Evie wants.”
“Here she willna age.”
Malcolm nodded. “True, but we’ll figure all of that out.”
The music stopped and Logan jumped onto the table, knocking over wineglasses in the process. “I have another toast,” Logan shouted.
Galen groaned and the rest of the castle burst into laughter.
Logan narrowed his gaze on Galen, but it was spoiled by his smile. He then turned to look at Malcolm and Evie. “To Malcolm, who we all never thought would find a woman who could put up with him—”
Loud cheers followed, and Malcolm winked at Evie.
“And to Evie,” Logan continued, “who can easily hold her own against the brute!”
Malcolm laughed, still amazed at how easily it came to him now. It was almost as if the past few years hadn’t taken place. He raised his glass in salute to Evie as she blew him a kiss.
When the bagpipes began again, it was Fallon who took Evie spinning around the room.
“I have something for you and Evie,” Con said. “Consider it a wedding gift from all of us at Dreagan.”
Malcolm accepted the gold band where a triskelion was etched into the top with dragon heads at all three points. “It’s beautiful. Evie will treasure it.”