Highlander's Magic (Highlander Heat #2)

Archie lifted his sword high and blocked the warrior’s swift blow. Their claymores clashed dead center, steel ringing loud against steel. With a roar, his warriors tore free from where they’d hid and met MacLean’s men as they attacked.

The warrior Archie fought bellowed to another and his kinsman jumped the low brush and came in on his other side. Two against one. This would be interesting.

“What have we here?” The second attacker twirled his blade. “Archie MacDonald, the MacDonald chief’s second. This is a boon.”

“Where’s MacLean?” Archie rocked on his heels.

“Ahead, although ye can be assured he’ll be disappointed he missed this.”

The two men advanced from opposite sides.

The first warrior mouthed to his kinsman, “Three, two, one.”

Their blades descended.

Archie spun his sword high and blocked both well-timed blows with one swing. He dropped low, kicked the first warrior off balance then swept his other leg out and kicked the second man.

They both fell forward, their blades sliding down each other’s and impaling their chests. Blood gurgled from their mouths as they fell into a heap on the ground.

In the heart of the clearing, the battle raged. He had almost two warriors to one of MacLean’s, but ’twas the man himself he wanted. MacLean should have heard the battle and returned by now.

“MacDonald.”

He spun around, and a MacLean warrior struck his ribs with his blade. Pain ricocheted through him as he staggered back from the brutal sword blow. Hell. He should have been paying attention to the fight and not MacLean. ’Twas lucky he’d caught the flat of the man’s weapon. No blood spilled.

“You killed two of my kin.” The warrior raised his claymore. “You’ll die for it.”

“They killed each other, and you’ll die for taking my kin.” He circled the warrior. They matched each other in height and breadth, although that was no equal standing for the battle lust storming through his body. This was his land, his clan, and they’d taken his faerie. Archie landed several hard blows, then with one powerful strike of his claymore, knocked the man’s sword away.

The warrior grabbed his dirk and aimed between Archie’s eyes.

Archie swung his blade across the warrior’s throat and ducked the dagger as it flew.

The warrior’s eyes rolled as he toppled to the ground, his hands twitching as death took him.

Alert this time, he whirled, searching for MacLean among the warriors. No MacLean. Where the hell was their leader?

More than a half a dozen bodies littered the forest floor, thankfully none of his men. The odds were in their—

An ear-piercing whistle shrilled then Maclean’s men turned tail and ran. Nay. He wasn’t done with them.

“Captain.” Gregor bounded across to him. “Do we give chase?”

Marie, Mary and James would be safe, but there was no certainty unless he had them secured behind Dunyvaig’s walls. They came first.

“John awaits us at Loch Gruinart and with MacLean unaccounted for, we’ll take the battle there.” He pumped his fist in the air, shouting to his men, “We’ve won this fight and we will win the next.”

A roar went up.

Aye, he would fight MacLean soon, and face to face. For now though, he wiped his sword across the grass then holstered it.

“To Loch Indaal!” He stormed down the trail and through the forest, his men pounding after him until he burst onto the beach.

Marie stood at the edge of the surf, her white-blond hair a tangled mess and her beautiful blue eyes fastened on him.

The tightness in his chest eased.

“Archie.” She ran toward him.

He opened his arms and caught her, barely planting one foot back in time to stop them both from tumbling to the sand. “Lass, you seem rather eager to see me.”

“Are you hurt?” Her hands darted all over his body. “There’s a spray of blood.”

“’Tis no’ mine, although my ribs took a beating. ’Twas the luck of the fae I had with me.” He snared her face between his hands and brought her gaze back to his. “What of you?”

“I’m fine. Mary’s fine and so is James. They didn’t hurt us. Let me see this beating.” She clawed his shirt up and gasped. “That looks bad.”

“’Tis naught but a bruise. It’ll heal.”

She tentatively touched the spot then glared toward the forest. “Who did this to you?”

“One of MacLean’s warriors caught me off guard. It willnae happen again.” Aye, resilient and feisty. She was all he’d ever dreamed of in a woman.

“It better not happen again. We’re going to have a talk about this too. What of MacLean?”