Page 71 of Dark Rival

His knights were appearing, some of the Highlanders in chain mail, others in nothing but their leines and plaids, everyone heavily armed. Now, from where she stood, she saw more archers and knights appearing on the walls and the curtain towers. The outer bailey was a bit below where she stood and she saw a wooden machine being wheeled into position, near a huge pile of large rocks. The machine would clearly catapult the rocks over the walls at the enemy.

The darkness was coming, and rapidly.

“Ailios!”

Allie whirled in relief as Royce rushed toward her, Claire following. “Royce, thirty or forty demons are approaching from the north—and they have an army of possessed humans with them.”

He seized her arm, a look of alarm on his face. An instant later it was gone.

“An army of demons is preparing to attack Dunroch?” Claire gasped. “This is unheard of!”

“They want Ailios,” Royce said, staring at her.

Her heart lurched, not because of his words, but from the cold, hard look in his eye. But this was the moment they needed Royce at his worst.

“Will they really besiege us?” Claire cried. “Dear God, even the humans can cross the moat and scale the walls with their demonic power, no matter what we throw at them, but the higher demons can leap inside the walls.”

Instantly, Allie understood that the higher demons could time travel. Right now, a bunch of them were probably leaping ahead by thirty minutes or so and would land within Dunroch’s walls as the fight began.

“They intend to distract the entire garrison with a full attack so one of them can take Ailios,” Royce said swiftly. “Dunroch canna be defended as if this is a genuine siege. Claire, pass the word to every man—he must watch his back. Our defenses are breached the moment the battle begins.”

Claire ran in Malcolm’s direction.

Allie realized, in shock, that a huge battle was about to unfold so she could be captured. Her gut roiled. “Are you certain? Royce, why would they go to all this trouble to get me?” she cried.

“Have they not tried to capture you almost daily since the south of Hampton?” he said grimly. “Moffat has planned this since that day, because the march would take that long.”

Allie felt ill. “How bad will this be?”

“We canna keep the true deamhanain out o’ Dunroch unless we anoint the grounds with holy water an’ prayers, but there’s no time. If the deamhanain wish to get inside, they will. Sooner, nay later,” he added darkly. “Someone will try to seize ye in the midst o’ fierce fightin’.” His eyes blazed.

“Should I give myself up?” Allie asked in real dread. So many would be hurt and would die because of her! “Moffat wants me alive.”

“Are ye mad?” Royce cried, turning white. He grasped her with both hands and shook her, once. “Ailios, dinna speak ever o’ givin’ up to Moffat again.”

Allie wet her lips, which were terribly dry. “I was hoping you’d say no.”

He shook his head. “Ye willna fight today,” he said softly, dangerously, his grasp tightening.

Allie was about to protest, but no words spewed. Instead she thought about his death at Moffat’s hands in the future—and how he’d almost died the other night at Carrick, distracted by her attempts to fight the demons. She needed to admit that her efforts were paltry, no, pitiful. “I won’t fight,” she said hoarsely.

He seemed surprised. “Good. An’ ye’ll stay where I put ye, until I tell ye otherwise.”

Allie was in disbelief. “I’m a Healer. People will get hurt today, likely people will die. I have to heal, Royce. It’s what I do!”

“How can ye be movin’ about Dunroch while arrows an’ rocks are flying over the walls? When the deamhanain are inside the castle, lookin’ fer ye?” Royce said to her grimly.

“I can’t wait until the battle ends to heal those who are critical,” Allie cried, meaning it. “I’ll be careful, I swear!”

“Fer once, just this once, ye’ll listen to me. I canna fight with ye running around the keep to tend the wounded, the perfect prey. Yer selflessness is admirable, Ailios, but ye’ll stay where I put ye. Ye’ll heal when the day is done.”

Allie stared in surprise and he stared back, determined. “Are you telling me that I should hide?”

“Nay. Ye’ll stay close to me during the battle so I can defend ye if need be.”

ROYCE HAD CLIMBED up to the curtain tower closest to the foremost gatehouse, as the north wall defended the moat and the drawbridge. The south walls were not breachable, as they perched on the cliffs dropping hundreds of feet to the Atlantic Ocean below. Allie had asked if she could come up and he’d nodded. She stood beside him, wearing a boy’s mail shirt, her hip against his thigh. Every tower and every rampart was occupied by archers, knights, bowmen and the huge, deadly-looking crossbows that fired bolts the size of swords. Barrels of boiling liquids were being brought up. Allie stared to the north, filled with sick anxiety and dread.

This was all because of her. Why was this happening? Why, out of the blue, had Moffat come after her in South Hampton that night?