Before any of us could respond, Kip lifted a candlestick and struck Jerry on the back of the head.
Chapter 40
Jerry was a docile captive. He didn’t scream or thrash about once he gained consciousness. Instead, he told us repeatedly, as Kip secured the bindings keeping him strapped belly-down on my horse, that whatever we were trying to do to him was futile—that Grier would be along soon and would find him.
We all knew he was right. The first place Grier would go was Conall Castle. She would try to find us on the path. I couldn’t go that direction with him.
“I doona know where Allen territory is, but ’twould be best if I took Jerry there. Grier knows nothing of Hamish. The two of ye should come with me, as well. I hate to think what Grier might do to ye once she catches up with ye.”
Mary wasn’t worried.
“We must return to Conall Castle. Alasdair must know what’s happened so he may decide how to prepare for it before hearing of it elsewhere. If that bitch comes for us, I’ll run her through.”
Jerry started to protest at Mary’s description of Grier, but Mary just slapped the top of his head to shush him.
“No, doona ye say another word about her, Jerry. I doona wish to hear it and neither does Morna.” She twisted to address me. “Morna, did ye learn anything with Hamish that might give us more time—that might make us less catchable?”
It was a simple enough spell but one I doubted Grier would expect me to know. It was much like what his clan used to keep their territory hidden.
“Aye, I’ll muddy yer path a bit. Ride ahead, and once I canna see ye, I’ll cast it.”
They didn’t waste any time, and as they reached the edge of the village, Kip called back after me. “Hamish left towards the east, lass. Mayhap, if ye ride quickly enough ye can catch him.”
With Jerry draped over the back of my horse like a blanket, I climbed in front of him and took off as quickly as possible in an eastwardly direction.
* * *
I didn’t stop at all the first night. I cast a spell to light our path and continued through the woods, hoping with each passing second we would meet up with Hamish. He was nowhere to be found, and the mind-speak that had been available to me the day he stumbled across our path wasn’t working either.
All I had was a few blankets to see us through to Allen territory.
“Lass, is there truly any reason for this? Ye are my friend, Morna, but this willna work. Ye canna force me to love ye.”
He’d said little since we left. I was so concerned with trying to sense whether or not we were traveling in the right direction I’d almost forgotten about him.
“Oh, really? Ye do know that is precisely what Grier has done to ye, aye? Stolen ye from me and forced ye to love her? Yer feelings for her are not real, Jerry. She’s spelled ye.”
He was quick to protest. “No. Grier wouldna ever spell me.”
“Doona be a fool. Even if ye feel as if ye love her now, ’tis clear enough ye still have yer mind. Ye know how ruthless and vengeful she can be. Do ye truly believe that if she were hurt enough, she wouldna spell anyone to make them do anything she wanted?”
He fell silent for a long time, and I knew he believed it possible. Just as the sun began to break along the horizon, he spoke again.
“Is it truly necessary to keep me bound this way? All my blood has run to my head. ’Tis causing me to feel rather ill, and my head aches dreadfully.”
“We will stop and rest soon. As long as ye promise to cause me no trouble, I’ll allow ye to ride properly when we continue.”
True to my word, as soon as the sun was up, I found a place to rest.
“All right Jerry, I’m going to help ye to yer feet. Ye may be unsteady for a moment.”
Untying him, I pushed him off the horse so that his feet landed first. He held onto the horse for a brief moment then took off running in the opposite direction.
Sighing, I muttered a spell to trip him and watched while his legs locked, and he fell flat on his face. He only made it a few strides away.
“Doona ye remember I’m a witch, too?”
With his head still down, it took him some effort to answer me. “Aye, but ye are not a verra good one. I thought mayhap I could get away.”
