Chapter 16
Torr leapt to his feet, his kilt falling back into place, and pulled Cat up. 'Twas disturbing to go from blissful paradise one moment to defense the next.
"Stay behind me." Torr snatched his sword from the ground while drawing in a deep breath. A strange scent rode the wind—that of a wild animal, the likes of which he'd never encountered.
"What is that?" Cat gasped.
The short bursts of growling reached them next, along with the heavy breathing. Moving so fast it was hard to see, the dark brown form wove in and out among the trees and bushes.
"What the devil?" He gripped the sword tighter and held it at the ready.
When the animal came closer, he couldn't believe his eyes. 'Twas a fur-covered beast he'd heard about and seen drawings of but had never laid eyes on until now—a bear.
Still partially hidden among the tree trunks, it stopped at twenty paces and stood on its hind legs. 'Twas eight or nine feet tall. Baring long, pointed teeth, the beast blasted them with a thunderous roar.
Saints! Was that a natural animal or Wilona's newest form?
No wild brown bears had roamed about in the British Isles for centuries. Had one escaped captivity? 'Twas a long way from the Tower of London.
The beast charged forward, and when it came close enough, Torr swung his blade. It dodged back out of reach, its quick movements belying its blocky appearance.
When he noticed the bear's strange green eyes, he had his answer.
"Wilona MacRae! Cease, or I will kill you, regardless of locking the curse in place!"
Ignoring him, the creature stormed forward with a fierce roar. He thrust his blade toward the head. It ducked and whirled around. When he struck again, his blade sliced the haunch. The bear bellowed, no doubt in pain, and spun away. With a limping gait, it fled toward the wood, its form growing blurry. Out of the mist of the vanishing animal, an owl emerged and flew away.
"Damnable witch!" Torr yelled. "I kenned 'twas you!"
"Oh, thank heavens!" Cat breathed hard, a hand to her chest. "I'm glad you forced her to flee and shift. What a horrifying beast."
"Aye. She's mightily angered because we stole her keek-stane."
"Indeed. Are you ready to go home?" Terror still lurked in Cat's eyes, and he hated it. He never wanted to see that expression on her face again. But the way she'd saidhome, as if his home was hers, too, was most pleasing and heartwarming.
"Aye, lass. We'll go home."
He only hoped he could get her to Blacktower before Wilona MacRae renewed her pursuit.
***
"WE FOUND THE KEEK-STANE, Finnian!" Cat announced as she and Torr entered the great hall at Blacktower an hour or two later.
The old man's blue eyes brightened. "'Tis grand news, indeed. Where is it? I wish to examine it."
She pulled it from the pouch in her arisaid and handed it over.
Finnian scurried away into his laboratory and closed the door. The bar thunked into place.
She frowned at Torr. "Why is he barring us out?"
"Without doubt, he will try using the keek-stane as 'twas intended."
She remembered Finnian had said he would peer into Torr's future. "Is he a wizard or a sorcerer?"
Torr shrugged.
"I thought he was a physician and herbalist."
