Darkest Highlander by Donna Grant

“I’m sorry. I thought I could get all the wyrran, but despite those years in the mountain, I never realized how intelligent the wyrran were.”
    “What happened?” she asked as she guided him into a chair and shoved the food at him.
    “They split up.” He fingered the bread a moment before he finally brought a piece of it to his mouth. “I tracked down one after the other, and each took longer because they were clever and hid in places I had trouble getting into. They kept me following them, kept just out of reach to give the others time to get ahead.”
    Sonya swallowed around the lump in her throat. She had been right to be worried. It was as dire as she had assumed it would be.
    “I killed all but one,” he continued. “By the time I found it, another eleven had met up with the creature. I knew I didna have time to kill all of them. I had to return to you.”
    “Eat, Broc. All will be well.”
    As she watched him, she saw the rage, the craze which could sometimes overtake a Warrior if he gave into the fury of the god inside him.
    How close was he to losing himself to his god forever? She didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to let that happen without a fight.
    He was too important. To everyone. But most especially to her.

 
     
    ELEVEN
     
    The bread was delicious, like an explosion of flavor in his mouth. Broc hadn’t realized until he began to eat just how hungry he was.
    He could go without food, but he was glad Sonya had forced him to eat the small bit of bread. Though, he knew he was taking a great risk by resting those few precious moments.
    All he had been able to think about as he raced to the inn was Sonya. He feared the wyrran had already reached her. He hadn’t wasted a moment in using his power to discern that she was right where he had left her.
    Yet, he didn’t feel true relief until he opened the door to the chamber and saw her.
    When she had come running into his arms, it was the greatest moment of his life. Her body had trembled as he held her, and though he knew his hold was too tight, he couldn’t release her. It felt too good, too right to have her in his arms.
    Broc finished the last of his bread and stood. Sonya’s amber eyes were filled with trepidation, but mixed with it was determination.
    “We need to leave,” he said. “It isna safe here anymore.”
    She nodded slowly. “I know.”
    “We’ll travel on foot. At least until we get far enough away from the village that no one will see me release my god. I’ll fly the rest of the way.”
    “How far is it to MacLeod Castle?”
    “I can get us there quick enough,” he answered.
    Sonya adjusted the dagger at her waist and grabbed the satchel. She slid the strap over her head and faced him. “I’m ready.”
    Broc smiled and took her hand. “Everything is going to be all right.”
    “All of this is my fault. Had I not left, the wyrran wouldn’t have found us.”
    “The wyrran were looking, Sonya. They would have found another Druid if no’ you. At least I was able to kill a few of them. They’ll follow us now, leaving others safe.”
    Her gaze shifted around his shoulder to the window, and a moment later her face drained of color. Almost instantly Broc could feel the shift in the air.
    The wyrran had come.
    He had two choices. He could grab Sonya and leap from the window to escape into the sky. Or he could draw the wyrran away from the village and kill them.
    As if Sonya knew his thoughts, she touched his arm gently and sighed. “We cannot leave the village to the wyrran.”
    “I know.” Though he was seriously considering it. He didn’t want anyone to fall victim to the wyrran, but Sonya and her magic were important. She was needed.
    And he wouldn’t let his curse touch her.
    Sonya’s gaze returned to the window. “What do we do now?”
    “I need to hide you.”
    “Where?” she asked with a snort. “If there really is magic still inside me the wyrran can find me anywhere.”
    It was the truth, but he