Stirring Up Trouble: A Warlocks MacGregor Novella by Michelle M. Pillow Page B
Authors: Michelle M. Pillow
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“You’re dead. I’m not. I can be good for him.”
Her answer came in the form of a rabid sheepdog. She screamed, dropping her knitted blanket as she ran harder. The beast forced her to turn toward the woods. She hurried for the shelter of the trees. Her heart pounded, drumming in her ears like a horse’s hooves. She wasn’t going to make it to Fergus. Elspeth was not going to let her.
The sound of her heart seemed to come from outside of herself until she realized it was the echo of the hooves.
“Comhstach,” a man’s voice said. She recognized it as the same one that had been whispering in her house.
Donna could barely breathe. The horse stopped. Heavy boots landed on the ground and began to crush the snow, coming in her direction. If he walked directly past her inadequate hiding spot he’d surely discover her. She heard the long, sharp slide of metal. The invisible man had a sword.
Donna took the uncomfortable camera strap off her neck and tucked the equipment next to the tree beneath the brush. She crawled in the snow looking for better cover.
The footsteps found her. She turned, but no one was there, only impressions of boots crushing the snow as the ghost man came for her. She couldn’t fight what wasn’t there, but she knew he was angry and was going to kill her if she didn’t give him what he wanted. Donna screamed. She pushed to her feet and ran while looking behind her for signs of evil in the moonlight.
Suddenly, a sharp object pierced her stomach. She turned forward, only to find she’d impaled herself on a low tree branch. Her breath caught, and she pulled away from the tree. Cradling her stomach, she stumbled and fell on the ground. The footprints stopped near her and for an instant she thought she saw a man’s boots. She drew her head back sharply only to see the impression of a Medieval warrior stepping away from her with his bloodied sword as if he’d been the one who’d run her through. The man faded, and his voice echoed in his wake, “See if the devil will save ya and the babe now, comhstach.”
At first she felt nothing, just a confused sense of being hurt. Her eyes went to where she hid the camera as if suddenly protecting it was the most important thing in the world. Wait, no. Not a camera. A baby. She’d hidden a baby that couldn’t cry. She had to protect the baby.
And then suddenly the pain came in a rush. She fell onto her side in the snow and gasped loudly as she clutched her stomach over the wound. Tears slid down her cheeks. She tried to speak, but only a moan came out.
“Elspeth? Where are ya? Where did ya go?”
She moaned louder at Fergus’s voice.
“Donna?”
Donna lifted a bloodied hand as he appeared before her.
“Donna!” He kneeled beside her. His hands pressed over her wound as if he could stop it. “Oh, love, what did ya do? Not again. Not again. Oh, not again. Cait!”
“Gus,” she said, desperate to get his frantic attention. There was so much she needed to tell him, but as he looked at her, his face changed. The gray faded from his temples. His hair grew as did his beard.
“Do not leave me,” he begged, the voice strange as if it came from inside her mind.
She wanted to answer, but it hurt too badly. This was not how their story was supposed to end. She’d just found him.
“I’m coming with ya, my heart,” Fergus said, more like a plea. He began to look around the forest ground.
“Gus.” Her voice broke whatever spell they were under and his hair returned to normal. Not knowing why she said it, she whispered, “Whatever is beyond, find me again.”
“No! I will not lose ya, Donna.” He gathered her in his arms and lifted. “Cait! Help me, Cait!”
Donna moaned in agony. Fergus’s movements jolted her body as he carried her through the trees toward the mansion. She coughed, and her lips tasted of blood. The world began to dim and with darkness came blessed relief.
Chapter 10
F ergus continued to scream for his sister as he
Her answer came in the form of a rabid sheepdog. She screamed, dropping her knitted blanket as she ran harder. The beast forced her to turn toward the woods. She hurried for the shelter of the trees. Her heart pounded, drumming in her ears like a horse’s hooves. She wasn’t going to make it to Fergus. Elspeth was not going to let her.
The sound of her heart seemed to come from outside of herself until she realized it was the echo of the hooves.
“Comhstach,” a man’s voice said. She recognized it as the same one that had been whispering in her house.
Donna could barely breathe. The horse stopped. Heavy boots landed on the ground and began to crush the snow, coming in her direction. If he walked directly past her inadequate hiding spot he’d surely discover her. She heard the long, sharp slide of metal. The invisible man had a sword.
Donna took the uncomfortable camera strap off her neck and tucked the equipment next to the tree beneath the brush. She crawled in the snow looking for better cover.
The footsteps found her. She turned, but no one was there, only impressions of boots crushing the snow as the ghost man came for her. She couldn’t fight what wasn’t there, but she knew he was angry and was going to kill her if she didn’t give him what he wanted. Donna screamed. She pushed to her feet and ran while looking behind her for signs of evil in the moonlight.
Suddenly, a sharp object pierced her stomach. She turned forward, only to find she’d impaled herself on a low tree branch. Her breath caught, and she pulled away from the tree. Cradling her stomach, she stumbled and fell on the ground. The footprints stopped near her and for an instant she thought she saw a man’s boots. She drew her head back sharply only to see the impression of a Medieval warrior stepping away from her with his bloodied sword as if he’d been the one who’d run her through. The man faded, and his voice echoed in his wake, “See if the devil will save ya and the babe now, comhstach.”
At first she felt nothing, just a confused sense of being hurt. Her eyes went to where she hid the camera as if suddenly protecting it was the most important thing in the world. Wait, no. Not a camera. A baby. She’d hidden a baby that couldn’t cry. She had to protect the baby.
And then suddenly the pain came in a rush. She fell onto her side in the snow and gasped loudly as she clutched her stomach over the wound. Tears slid down her cheeks. She tried to speak, but only a moan came out.
“Elspeth? Where are ya? Where did ya go?”
She moaned louder at Fergus’s voice.
“Donna?”
Donna lifted a bloodied hand as he appeared before her.
“Donna!” He kneeled beside her. His hands pressed over her wound as if he could stop it. “Oh, love, what did ya do? Not again. Not again. Oh, not again. Cait!”
“Gus,” she said, desperate to get his frantic attention. There was so much she needed to tell him, but as he looked at her, his face changed. The gray faded from his temples. His hair grew as did his beard.
“Do not leave me,” he begged, the voice strange as if it came from inside her mind.
She wanted to answer, but it hurt too badly. This was not how their story was supposed to end. She’d just found him.
“I’m coming with ya, my heart,” Fergus said, more like a plea. He began to look around the forest ground.
“Gus.” Her voice broke whatever spell they were under and his hair returned to normal. Not knowing why she said it, she whispered, “Whatever is beyond, find me again.”
“No! I will not lose ya, Donna.” He gathered her in his arms and lifted. “Cait! Help me, Cait!”
Donna moaned in agony. Fergus’s movements jolted her body as he carried her through the trees toward the mansion. She coughed, and her lips tasted of blood. The world began to dim and with darkness came blessed relief.
Chapter 10
F ergus continued to scream for his sister as he
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