“When he found it vacant,” said Bill, “he went on to the nursery.”
“Andrew was asleep when the mirror opened,” said Damian. “Abaddon brought a lamp down on the back of his head and grabbed the boys.”
The mental image of my little ones being snatched from their beds sent a wave of nausea through me, but I fought it off and said, “They must have taken their knights to bed with them. When Abaddon carried them past my room, they dropped one by the open mirror. I remember wondering what it was doing there. Then I heard Will cry out for help.”
“Why didn’t you call for Damian?” Bill asked. “Why did you go after Abaddon on your own?”
I expected Damian to chime in with a gentle reproof, but he just smiled.
“No one could have stopped her, Bill,” he said. “A wise woman once told me that there’s no fiercer creature on earth than a mother defending her young. When Lori heard her son’s voice, rational thought gave way to primal instinct.”
“Which is a nice way of saying that I lost my head,” I conceded. “I’m sorry, Damian. How long did it take you to realize that I was gone?”
“Too long.” He waved his hand in a gesture of self-reproach. “When Andrew failed to check in on schedule—ten minutes after you’d entered your suite—I knew something was amiss. I knocked on your door, and when you didn’t reply, I let myself into the suite. You weren’t there, the mirror was open. . . . I knew immediately that there’d been a security breach.”
“Damian roused the entire staff,” Bill said. “He directed Mrs. Gammidge to the nursery to check on Andrew. He dispatched Kate to the village to fetch Dr. Tighe. He ordered Elliot to meet him at the side entrance, but Percy got there first because he hadn’t gone to bed yet.”
“Elliot showed up a few minutes later,” said Damian. “I sent him around the headland while Sir Percy and I ran toward the overlook. We hadn’t gone far when Will and Rob came tearing up, shouting for help. Sir Percy carried them back to the castle. I pulled out my gun and went after you.” His gaze turned inward as the surreal scene unfolded before his mind’s eye. “I was no more than ten yards from the overlook when Abaddon shot you. I saw you fall, saw him get to his feet and walk toward you. I took aim, my finger was on the trigger, but I never pulled it because at that moment”—he caught his breath and his eyes narrowed—“a single, blinding bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, as if it had been hurled by an unseen hand. The overlook seemed to explode—there’s a crater there now, where the cliff blew apart. The concussion knocked me down, and when I looked again, Abaddon was gone. I suspect that he fell into the sea, but it was as if he’d simply vanished from the face of the earth.” He shook his head, bemused. “I don’t know why you hired me, Bill. Lori already has a bodyguard, and His aim is better than mine.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” said Bill. “My wife would have bled to death if you hadn’t reached her in time.” He touched my foot. “Damian improvised a compression bandage and carried you back to the castle. He’s quite the hero.”
I shushed Bill frantically. “Don’t use the H word around Damian. He has a low opinion of heroes.”
“Most true heroes do,” Bill observed.
“If anyone’s a hero,” Damian said stolidly, “it’s Dr. Tighe. He saved you and Andrew, though the islanders helped as well. They lined up to donate blood.”
I peered up at the ceiling and said reflectively, “Normal tourists bring shortbread home with them from Scotland. I’m bringing fresh pints of B-positive blood.”
“B-positive?” Damian’s silvery eyes twinkled. “Is that your blood type? Of course it is. Be positive—what else could possibly flow through your veins?”
If Dr. Tighe had been listening at the door, he would have thought the three of us were drunk. Our laughter was the laughter of release—it was too loud, and it went on much too long, but every time we sobered up, we’d catch one another’s eyes and start again.We’d each endured a terrible ordeal, and though dark memories would haunt our dreams, the waking world was ours again, to do with as we liked.What better way to celebrate than with laughter?
Epilogue
Andrew, Reginald, and I moved back to the castle the next day and stayed there for another two weeks, recuperating. Rob and Will played on the battlements with their father, Damian overhauled the castle’s security system, and we invalids spent a lot of time lolling in the sunroom while Mrs. Gammidge waited on us hand and foot. Sir Percy spared us as much time as he could, but he was busy managing his island.