The MacLomain Series: Later Years - a Scottish Time Travel Romance Boxed Set

by Sky Purington

  Rònan clenched his jaw, his hand still on his weapon. Even so, he was obviously unsure of his next move based on the odd sort of worship in his eyes when he looked at Heidrek.

  Erin took it out of everyone’s hands when she clenched Rònan’s thigh and narrowed her eyes at Heidrek. “I’m not available, so you better get your shit together fast.”

  Heidrek bowed his head before his eyes met Rònan’s. “I am no threat, Dragon. I am but a brother.”

  “What sort of brother, though,” Rònan wondered, the dragon in him defiant though the man clearly wasn’t. “When ye arenae a dragon?”

  “Born to a seer and dragon-shifter, I am what I am,” Heidrek said simply. “I share a kinship with dragons that is hard to explain. I think as you think. Beneath the Viking King’s tutorage, I have become stronger and wiser. Now something new calls to me...” His eyes again went to Erin. “Something has changed.”

  Erin’s brows shot together as she plunked down on Rònan’s lap and kept a you-better-understand-who-I’m-with look on her face. “Well, I’m not sure how I can help you,” she patted Rònan’s chest, “because I’m with him.”

  Heidrek’s eyes went to Grant. “I will not harm you and yours.”

  Grant’s gaze stayed locked with his for several moments before he finally spoke. “I dinnae think you will, lad, but I will be watching you verra closely regardless.”

  After Heidrek nodded, Grant turned his attention to Jackie. “Now let us get to what weighs most on our minds.”

  Jackie felt Grant’s stare as though her life had narrowed down to a single pin-prick point.

  Darach’s arm again snaked around her lower back, his gaze never leaving his father. “Take care how you go about this, Da.”

  Grant’s eyes met Darach’s before they settled on the fire. “Either I tell her, or you do, Son.”

  Upset, Jackie frowned at Darach. “Well, somebody needs to tell me and sooner rather than later. What’s going on? Why did that deer run off? I can only assume it wasn’t all that injured, to begin with.”

  “Nay, ‘twas dead, lass,” Darach said softly as his eyes connected with hers. “It seems you have a gift nobody expected but mayhap explains why you were able to keep Erin safe when she traveled to the Otherworld.”

  “Just tell me,” she prompted when he paused. “I have the right to know.”

  Darach nodded, but she could tell he was worried about how she would react.

  “It seems you have the power not only to keep death at bay but to resurrect not only people but animals,” he said. “’Tis a rare and special gift, lass. I’ve never known another to possess it to the degree you do.”

  Impossible. Chills raced through her only to be replaced by tingling then numbness. “What exactly do you mean by degree?”

  “I mean that while Aunt McKayla and Lair have the ability to heal, I cannae say they’ve ever brought anyone back after they’ve passed over,” he said. “And that it was a deer, something you had no emotional attachment to, makes it more profound.”

  “I see,” Jackie murmured as she tried to suppress her fear. “Any thoughts on why I’d be able to do such a thing?”

  Grant shook his head. “Verra few in history have possessed such a gift.” His compassionate eyes met hers. “As tales foretell it, she who can resurrect must first stand on the brink of death herself.” His disgruntled eyes went to Darach. “And she can only ever be meant for he who would chase her into the afterlife with no chance to return.”

  Chapter Six

  LOST IN THOUGHT, DARACH finished the last of his meat and continued to eye the fire. Erin and Jackie had gone off to talk a while ago with Rònan and Heidrek trailing at a distance. Darach had wanted to speak with Jackie alone, but she refused, saying she needed time with Erin. So here he sat, confused as hell and trying to come to grips with what his father had implied.

  Jackie was sick...possibly even dying.

  And by the looks of it, only Erin knew because Nicole wasn’t doing well at all. Grant wouldn’t answer any of her questions, saying it was Jackie’s place to tell her. So now she paced with a disgruntled Niall alongside as he tried to convince her to calm down. That it wasn’t good for the wee one.

  “Was it necessary to say such around so many?” he mumbled to his father. “’Tis a poor time for everyone to be so upset.”

  “Aye,” Grant said, clearly upset as well. “Adlin wouldnae have responded to her as he did if he didnae want her secrets known. More than that, ‘tis a truth that needed to be revealed so that we all better ken what lies ahead.”

  He kept looking to the woodland, hoping Jackie would return.

  “You mean so that I would better ken what lies ahead.” Darach narrowed his eyes. “So that I might have all the facts before I continue pursuing Jackie. Do ye truly think I would let my own potential death stand in the way of my feelings for the lass?”

  Darach understood his father was upset that the prophecy said her true love would die. And while he didn’t blame him for his concern, he’d rather his Da find it in his heart to approve rather than dissuade.

  “Ye willnae potentially die if ye end up with Jackie, Son. ‘Twill be a definite, unavoidable thing.” Pain ran deep in Grant’s eyes. “Ye arenae a father yet, so ye dinnae ken how I feel. How much pain losing ye would cause. And though I want ye to find the kind of love I have with yer mother, ye cannae fault me for trying my best to give ye fair warning...to hope mayhap yer heart will lead ye in another direction.”

  “It cannae. It willnae.” He met his father’s eyes and finally came clean. “I’ve been dreaming about her for years, Da.”

  Surprise flashed across his father’s face followed by concern. “Why didnae ye tell me?” His frown deepened. “Yer my son. I’ve been inside yer mind and never sensed these dreams.”

  “I didnae tell ye at first because I didnae want ye to worry. Eventually, she became more to me, and for lack of a better explanation, I started feeling possessive of her. There were times I wanted to tell ye and my kin but ‘twas impossible. She became a secret I couldnae seem to share.” He frowned. “Now I wonder if Goddess Brigit had something to do with that.”

  “Goddess Brigit?” Grant’s brows lowered sharply. “I dinnae ken.”

  Darach had assumed he did by now. Evidently not. So he shared her part in everything.

  “Well, this certainly gives me a better sense of direction,” Grant muttered.

  “I’m surprised Adlin didnae mention as much.”

  “I could say the same about you, Son.” Grant frowned. “Adlin told me the ring had changed and little else. He didnae mention one was a replica.” He shook his head. “Between that bit of information and your dreams, ‘tis becoming far clearer why ye gave her to Heidrek.” His voice dropped an octave. “’Twould have been good to know before I accused her of betraying ye.”

  “Och, da!” He scowled at his father. “Ye didnae?”

  “Aye, I did, and she put me in my place for it.” Grant shrugged when Darach kept scowling. “I’m a parent watching out for my bairn. ‘Tis really your fault for not sharing things with me sooner.”

  Darach sighed and shook his head.

  “So ye continue to feel just as strongly about Jackie?” His father searched his eyes. “Are ye certain ‘tis not just a false sense of commitment based on the dreams?”

  “Nay, what I feel for her has only intensified. ‘Tis verra real.”

  “Let me ask ye this then,” Grant said. “If she continued to wear the duplicate ring, would ye still be on the run? Would ye still be willing to give her up?”

  “Without hesitation,” Darach said. “I’d do anything to keep her safe.”

  His Da eyed him for a long moment. “I believe ye mean that son.” He tilted his head. “So ‘twas truly risky to kiss her then, aye? Because God knows, a kiss can change everything.”

  “Let me guess?” Darach arched a brow. “Ye learned as much when Jackie put ye in your place?”

  “Aye, lad,�
� Grant said. “And ‘tis safe to say she was as upset with ye as she is with me at the moment.”

  “No doubt.” Darach shook his head. “’Twas foolish of me.” He sighed. “Had the demi-god suspected how strongly I felt, it could have caused a great deal of harm.”

  “Aye.” Grant continued to eye him as Darach looked at the fire. “Tell me how ye learned to switch the passion of the ring.”

  “Och.” Darach’s eyes shot to his father. “How did ye know about that?”

  “Adlin.” His father gave him a pointed look. “He was concerned and wanted me to look into it.”

  “’Tis of no importance now.” He frowned. “Even if I didnae want her, I wouldnae do such a thing to Heidrek in light of recent revelations.”

  “Nay, I dinnae suppose ye would.” Grant considered him. “So tell me how the passion is switched.”

  “’Tis naught but an incantation that calls on Brigit’s intervention. ‘Tis she who has the power to switch the passion,” Darach said. “After all, ‘twas she who created the rings.”

  “Indeed.” Grant’s eyes narrowed as he pondered. “A Celtic goddess who is clearly playing games seeing how the real ring is now on Jackie’s finger. What happened to the replica?”

  “I dinnae know.” Darach shook his head. “One moment ‘twas in my pocket, the next ‘twas gone.”

  Darach again eyed the trees. Where was she? They’d been gone too long.

  “Interesting,” Grant murmured. “Somehow I imagine this all ties into ye avoiding becoming chieftain. How so, Son?”

  He should have known his father would lead the conversation in this direction. Yet one of his long-standing reasons for not becoming laird had just become a moot point. “It doesnae matter now, Da...it doesnae matter in the least.”

  “So ‘twas something to do with Jackie?”

  “Partly,” he conceded.

  Yet there was another part. One his father had long speculated and reiterated now.

  “And partly because ye still remain bitter that I ended up staying at Hamilton Castle despite my youth there,” he said softly. “Ye shouldnae blame it on our people. ‘Twas not their fault.”

  If only it were that simple. Though tempted to say they weren’t technically their people by blood, he wasn’t in the mood to go down that same tired road. Right now he wanted Jackie to return so he could make sure she was all right.

  Restless, he stood and squeezed his father’s shoulder. “We’ll talk more of this later. I need to walk and clear my head.”

  “Son?”

  “Aye?”

  His father’s eyes were more troubled than ever when they met his. “Ye know that no matter what comes of all this I love ye... and that I’m verra proud of ye.”

  “Aye, Da, I know. I love ye too,” he murmured before he left.

  It didn’t take long to find Rònan and Heidrek. They were chatting in a narrow rock corridor that led to what he suspected was a smaller glade. He remained shocked by Heidrek’s recent revelation. Not only about being a Dragon Seer but by what the Viking implied after that.

  That he was no longer pursuing Jackie.

  While some might speculate it was because she was sick, Darach knew better. Whatever happened had more to do with Erin and like Heidrek said, recent changes. Changes that had to do with dragon blood.

  “Cousin.” Rònan frowned as Darach joined them. “How fare ye?”

  “I’ve been better.” Darach frowned as well. “How is Jackie?”

  “Upset the last we saw of her,” Heidrek said. “She has been speaking with Erin for some time.”

  He nodded and clenched his jaw. If anyone could tell her exactly what she needed to hear it was Erin.

  Rònan eyed Darach. “From what Erin’s told me, Jackie is verra strong of mind, Cousin. She will be all right. We will make sure she is.”

  “And how will we do that?” Darach bit out. “With our brawn? Our weapons? Our battle skills? Because if I understood Da’s implication correctly, nothing of this world can help her.”

  Rònan leaned against the rock wall, hung his head and remained silent.

  “You’re right. It seems unlikely anything of this world can help her, but perhaps something not entirely of this plane can.” Heidrek held out the blade that Rònan had so recently tossed to him. “I cannot in good faith keep this. It is meant for he who not only intends to keep Jackie safe but love her with his whole heart.”

  Darach’s eyes narrowed. “And that man isnae ye then?”

  “No.” Heidrek shook his head, eyes a little sad. “Though I had hoped otherwise, it cannot be.”

  Darach’s eyes went to Rònan. “Is this because of Erin?”

  “Aye.” Rònan’s eyes went from Heidrek to Darach. “He doesnae want her for his own but senses another affiliated to her. Someone he must meet before he commits to any other.”

  So he was meant for another lass?

  Once he knew they didn’t have a problem in regards to Erin, Darach nodded at Heidrek and took the sword. Relief washed over him the moment he held it.

  It had been no easy thing giving up this blade.

  “Who is this person affiliated with Erin?” he asked.

  “I do not know.” Heidrek appeared unsettled. “Someone part of her lineage. Someone connected to her dragon blood.”

  Darach’s brows perked. “So someone from the far future?”

  “Yes.”

  “Aunt McKayla has been rambling about visions of late,” Rònan said. “Stories she wants to write about our Viking Ancestors’ kin and lasses from the future. When Erin is available, we’ll talk more with her about her family. See if there’s anything we should know.”

  “Ah.” Darach’s eyes connected with Heidrek’s. “So ye willnae be pursuing my lass anymore? Just like that, ye can shut off your attraction to her? Because dinnae tell me it wasnae there.”

  “Your lass then?” Rònan echoed, but he heard the approval in his voice.

  “My attraction to Jackie was there. It still is,” Heidrek said without hesitation. “But to ignore the call of my dragon is to deny who I am. What I am. And I would never turn my back on such a thing despite how much I cared for a woman. If I did, then I would not be worthy of accepting the Viking King’s crown someday.”

  While Darach appreciated his honesty, he would rather the Viking had lost interest in her altogether.

  “If nothing else, Jackie is my friend,” Heidrek continued. “And I will not leave her until I know she’s safe from harm.”

  Darach was about to respond when Erin appeared.

  Where was Jackie?

  Rònan pulled Erin against him and kissed the top of her head. His voice remained respectful and soft. “How does Jackie fare, lass?”

  “She’s hanging in there.” She sighed. “Learning that she can resurrect isn’t really fazing her all that much. At least not yet.” Her eyes went between Darach and Heidrek. “I think what’s bothering her more right now is the part about the guy who loves her facing death.” Erin pressed her cheek against Rònan’s chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Can’t say I blame her.”

  By the look on Heidrek’s face, Darach would bet Jackie already had two men who loved her. One was just convinced he had to walk away.

  “Where is she now?” Darach asked.

  “Around the bend. She needed some alone time,” Erin said. “Don’t worry, it’s a dead end, and she’s well protected.”

  Darach headed that way.

  “I said alone time,” Erin called after him, but he ignored her.

  The last thing she needed was to be alone.

  More than that, he needed to see her.

  To know she was all right.

  He found her in an area no larger than a small courtyard. Covered in grass, a few small pines grew up the walls, and she sat in a tiny alcove carved into the rock. Her eyes were closed as she rested her cheek on bent knees. It was impossible not to sense how sad she was.

  “Jackie?” he said soft
ly. “Are you okay?”

  Her eyes locked on him before she sighed. “Thanks for checking on me but I need a little time to...” She shook her head and rested it back against the stone, emotion evident in her voice. “I just need some time to process things.”

  “Aye, lass.” But she wouldn’t be processing them alone. He set his swords aside and sank down against the wall beside her. “I willnae bother you. Nor will I leave you here by yourself.”

  “Seriously, I need time alone,” she murmured.

  “The last thing you need is to be alone.” He crossed his legs, leaned his head back and shut his eyes. “I willnae say a word. Just allow me to...” Emotion thickened his voice. “Just allow me to be here. Let me watch over you.”

  Please let it be okay because he couldn’t stand to be anywhere else right now.

  A long silence passed before she said, “The words ‘watch over you’ usually implies that the one doing the watching has their eyes open.”

  “I’m a wizard.” The corner of his lips hitched up. “That means I can watch over you with my eyes closed.”

  “Even when you can’t use magic?” she mocked.

  He was relieved to hear an edge of humor in her voice. So he looked at her. Head still resting back, she was watching him.

  Their eyes locked for a long moment before he spoke. “I willnae pressure you to tell me a thing, Jackie, but you should know something now. Though I might not have acted like it so far, I’m your friend.”

  “I’m glad you said that,” she whispered. “Because I could always use another friend.” Before he could respond, she kept going. “But just a friend and nothing more.” Pain flashed in her beautiful brown eyes. “I won’t subject any man to what your dad hinted at. Not you or Heidrek or anyone else.” Her voice grew firm. “I’m officially off the market.”

  Unlike his cousins, he had spent a lot of time in the twenty-first century and understood her terminology. She refused to be with any man. No one would die because they loved her.

  But it was already too late.

  Because he had fallen in love with her before they ever met.