He understood. She didn’t want to be the one to share the first half of their odd adventure. So he did. Whether or not his father intended it to be a secret or not, it needed to be told. When finished, he inhaled deeply and met his father’s eyes. “You made me bloody proud, Da. I knew ‘twas a verra difficult road for you, but I never saw it as anything other than harm done to you.” He shook his head. “And whilst there was certainly harm done, you rallied our clan...” His voice caught. “Including Aunt Kenzie and Uncle Bryce.”
Pain flickered in Grant’s eyes but also that same strength Darach had seen in his Da when he was so young. Though his father’s eyes might be moist, his words were strong. “Whilst I would have preferred to be with you when witnessing such a thing, I’m glad you took from it what you did.” His eyes went to Jackie. “But that isnae what has you so upset. When you’re ready, please share, lass. Though ‘tis hard ‘tis important.”
“Aye.” Darach’s eyes met Jackie’s. When she nodded, he understood. She wanted him to continue.
“What pulled us from here wasnae Keir or even the demi-god as we now know him. It couldnae have been. We were too protected. Too unknown.” He shook his head. “As though we were dragged along without intention.”
Grant narrowed his eyes. “Not by Keir but by the demi-god, Eoghan Dubhdiadh?”
It didn’t go unnoticed that Jackie took another swig of whisky.
“Aye.” Darach nodded. “But he was merely a wraith of the druid he once was.” Then he shared his speculations on Eoghan’s dark influence over Keir.
“’Twould verra well explain why it was thought Keir was Eoghan,” Grant murmured, troubled. “And but proves yet again how truly evil the demi-god is that he would use his own offspring in such a way.” He frowned. “Though I speculate Keir was dark enough, to begin with.”
Everyone fell silent as they pondered the news. The only thing he hadn’t shared was Jackie’s intense reaction or those final words that seemed to put her over the edge. And while tempted to blurt it out, he wanted to speak with her alone if it made her more comfortable. Because, for whatever reason, that last bit sent her into sheer panic.
But it seemed she was ready to speak.
“There’s more,” she whispered then cleared her throat. Her eyes scanned everyone before they landed firmly on Grant. “Something I think might be important.”
“Aye, lass?” Grant said softly...patiently.
“What Darach hasn’t told you yet is what Keir said to Eoghan.” She took a deep breath. “He told his father that if Eoghan found the ring, he would find his lass.”
“Well, that’s interesting.” Grant’s eyes narrowed. “But why does that bother you so?”
Though he got the sense she wanted to bolt, Jackie sat up straighter, kept her eyes trained on Grant and said the last thing Darach expected.
“Because I’m fairly certain I’m the woman he’s talking about,” she said. “I think we were in love.”
Chapter Nine
HAD SHE REALLY JUST shared that? Should she have? By Grant’s reaction, yes and far sooner. By Darach’s reaction, probably not.
Nobody said a word.
Silence stretched.
Then Nicole in typical Nicole fashion murmured, “Well shit, I never saw this coming.”
Grant’s eyes flickered from Darach to Jackie, voice firm and none-too-pleased. “What do you mean, lass?”
Erin nudged Jackie’s skin of whisky. “Another sip isn’t gonna kill ya.”
Heck, even before her diagnosis she wasn’t a big drinker, but the look on Darach and Grant’s faces might just change that. So she took another sip.
“Back at the Highland Defiance, when we were with Adlin.” God, she was going numb, and it had nothing to do with whisky. Forgive. Forgive. When Erin squeezed her hand, she felt nothing. When Darach’s leg touched hers, she felt it.
What was that?
Why did she always feel him?
But right now wasn’t the time to be curious. Right now they needed to get to the bottom of things. So she continued.
“Back at the Defiance I had a nightmare,” she explained. “I’m pretty sure I was in the Celtic Otherworld. It was gray, lifeless, so much dead grass.”
“That sounds about right,” Rònan said.
“There was a man there,” she said. “He had a long black cape.” She shook her head and made a motion with her hands. “It almost seemed like flames came off of him.”
Grant didn’t let stunned silence settle long before he nodded. “Go on.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and continued sharing, something she probably should have done sooner but had thought it was just a nightmare...hoped it was.
“He seemed to know me.” She glanced at her ring. “He said if I took off this ring, all would become clear.”
“But that makes no sense.” Darach frowned. “You got upset when Keir spoke of Eoghan finding the right ring. Wouldn’t that imply that you needed to wear it?”
“No, Son,” Grant whispered. “Not necessarily.”
“What do you mean?” Darach asked, upset. “I dinnae ken.”
“I think the demi-god wanted me to put the ring on so that he could find me.” Jackie swallowed. “Because when he saw me in the Otherworld, he wanted me to take it off. He wanted me to remember.” She shook her head, her gaze falling to the fire. “Something that happened between us in...”
When she struggled to say the words, Grant continued, “In another life, aye?”
“In another life?” she croaked. “I hope not...maybe.”
But how could that be? Yet Darach had to be thinking the same thing as her. No wonder Brigit kept the real ring from her. Especially if it was a beacon for Eoghan.
Grant’s eyes shot to Erin. “Tell her what you learned about you and Rònan. Tell her what can happen.”
Erin frowned, clearly upset as she shook her head. “It can’t be the same sort of thing.”
“Erin?” Jackie asked, confused by her behavior.
Erin ground her jaw and met her eyes. “Rònan and I are not only dragon mates but soul mates.”
Jackie offered a small smile. “That’s great but what does that have to do with this?”
She barely felt Erin’s hands when she took hers and searched her eyes. “Rònan and I met before. In another lifetime. To be dragon mates we needed to be soul mates first. So, what Grant’s trying to say is that you’re likely reincarnated.” She shifted closer, still frowning. “He’s implying that you might have lived another life.” Erin shook her head. “One with the demi-god. Because your souls obviously know one another.”
Jackie had no idea what to think of that.
What to make of it.
Yet when she went to shake her head no, she couldn’t. Instead, all she could do was stare at the fire. And remember how real it had all felt. The Celtic Otherworld. Her surroundings. Home but not.
“I don’t love him,” she whispered as her eyes met Grant’s. “I don’t know him.”
“I dinnae think you do,” Grant said softly. “Not in this lifetime anyway.”
Bile rose in her throat.
Did they all think she was in love with the enemy in another lifetime? In love with someone evil?
“That’s why you said I shouldnae have touched you when the demi-god first passed over, and we were pulled to the cottage,” Darach murmured. “You were afraid you shared some sort of connection.”
Jackie nodded. Though tempted to drink more whisky, she wanted to keep a clear head. “I guess I did,” she murmured. “I’m sorry. I should’ve said something sooner.”
“Nay.” Darach squeezed her hand. “I should have.” His eyes stayed with hers. “Jackie, I shared some of that nightmare at the Defiance with you. I was riding Eara determined to save you from the demi-god. And I did. I think. I scooped you up, and Eara raced over the cliff. It felt like something I had done before. We had done before. I awoke before you, calm...knowing you would be upset.”
<
br /> Jackie’s heart slammed into her throat, and she shook her head. “No, it was a man in armor with a brown cape.” She struggled to swallow. “The same one I thought I saw...”
“Where?” he whispered when she trailed off.
Struggling to remain calm, she continued. “In the stables at the Highland Defiance. The same knight appeared. And like the demi-god, he had an Irish accent. He said it had been so long since he saw me. Then asked if I was well? He seemed so...sad. As though he really missed me.” Her eyes met Darach’s. “But a second later, you stood in his place. Exactly where he had just been.”
A stunned silence fell again before Grant finally spoke.
“Bloody hell,” he said. “It seems you’re caught in some sort of love triangle that has withstood the ages, lass.” His eyes locked with Darach’s. “Mayhap before ye were a Scottish warrior, ye were an Irish warrior, lad.”
Darach and Jackie’s eyes rounded on him.
“Holy crap,” Nicole whispered as Erin murmured, “I’ll be damned.”
“You mean to say Jackie, and I likely knew each other in another lifetime?” Darach’s brows lowered. “That we may have been in love?”
“Stranger things have happened,” Grant said, troubled.
Jackie got the sense Grant wanted to say more but didn’t. Good thing, because she could connect the dots. While it might seem romantic that she and Darach came back together, it also meant his son was somehow interlocked through time with a monster. And based on what the demi-god said, it could have very well been a love triangle.
Which made her sick to her stomach.
Not because of Darach, of course. He seemed to be the only saving grace in what might be a very dark history.
“I need to process this,” she whispered, trying to ignore the numbness. “I need time alone.”
“Aye.” Grant nodded. “There are small caves nearby. As long as you stay in one of them, you’ll be safe.” His eyes went to Rònan and Erin. “You two go with her.”
“I will as well,” Darach said.
“Nay.” Grant shook his head. “We need to talk.”
“Och,” Darach muttered and frowned before his eyes met hers. “Will you be all right, lass?”
“I have no idea,” she murmured. When she stood, Nicole did as well.
“I want to come with you guys too.” Her eyes pleaded with Jackie’s. “Please? I need to know you’re okay.”
“I am,” she assured, and though she couldn’t feel a thing, she squeezed Nicole’s hand. “I know you’re worried about me. I’ll be okay. I swear. I just need some alone time.”
“You’re not okay in the least.” Nicole’s eyes grew moist. “Why didn’t you tell us you were so sick?”
“Because,” Jackie started and shook her head, wondering how much she should say. But the look in Nicole’s eyes tugged at her heartstrings. “Because I didn’t want you to feel like this. I didn’t want you to be sad. I wanted things to stay normal between all of us before our disabilities changed everything.”
“But you’re not facing a mere disability,” Nicole whispered.
“There’s nothing mere about any of your disabilities,” Jackie argued but kept the distress out of her voice. “Right now, I’m all right. So let’s just take things one day at a time, okay? Please don’t treat me differently. That’s the last thing I want.”
Nicole searched her eyes for a long moment before she muttered, “Fuck,” under her breath and wiped away a tear. Her eyes shot to the sleeping boys. “I mean fudge.” She released a heavy sigh and pulled Jackie in for a hug, murmuring, “Okay, I get it. No special treatment.”
Jackie closed her eyes and tried to ignore that she couldn’t feel Nicole at all. Thankfully, Erin hooked arms with her as they walked away. She might not be able to feel her best friend, but something about her presence bolstered her strength. And, believe it or not, that helped her work through her numbness.
They didn’t go too far before Rònan led them down a narrow hallway into a small cave. Only a small waterfall caused by rain runoff spilled down the rock in the corner but kept going into some unseen outlet, so the cave remained dry. He dropped an armful of wood in the center, flicked his wrist, and a fire ignited.
His eyes met Erin’s, and he nodded before leaving. She knew he wouldn’t go far. He would never travel far from Erin if he didn’t have to.
Erin pulled a blanket out of her satchel and laid it on a patch of grass before she gestured for Jackie to sit next to her. She said nothing at first but wrapped her arm around Jackie and urged her to rest her head on her shoulder. She didn’t cry. Not really. Maybe an errant tear because she was so sad...and scared.
After a good ten minutes, Erin finally spoke. As Jackie knew she would, her friend cut to the chase. “Well, everything’s out in the open now. Not just your illness but shit you didn’t anticipate. The way I see it, only one question remains. And it’s a damn important one.”
Jackie sat back. “What’s that?”
Erin met her eyes. “What are your feelings toward Darach now?”
“The same as they’ve always been.” Jackie focused on the fire. “I like him.”
“Uh huh.” She knew Erin’s eyes remained on her face. “You just ‘like’ him then. Nothing more?”
“I don’t know him well enough to feel anything more.”
“You’re bullshitting me.” Erin nudged her shoulder. “In fact, I’m pretty sure you were less than honest with me when we spoke earlier.”
Jackie shook her head and kept her eyes on the fire.
“Hey,” Erin said. “Look at me already and tell me you were straight with me about him earlier. I wanna see the truth in your eyes.”
Knowing full well she wasn’t getting out of this, her eyes met Erin’s. “There’s something that happens between me and Darach that doesn’t happen with Heidrek. A strange sort of compulsion.”
“Compulsion?” Erin’s eyes perked. “Like he enchants you?”
“Kind of.” Exactly. “It’s intense. Different. More than simple attraction. I haven’t felt anything like it before, so I assumed it was because he’s a wizard.” She shook her head. “Now I know it might be because...” she cleared her throat, “because we might have lived another life together.”
“You mean, been in love before.”
“I mean lived another life,” she reiterated. “Besides, Heidrek is still a possibility.”
“Actually, I don’t think he is.” Erin shook her head. “It seems he’s not pursuing you anymore.”
Jackie ignored the sense of relief she felt. She cared about Heidrek, but sparks didn’t fly with him like they should. “What do you mean?”
Purple flared in Erin’s eyes. The dragon sensed Jackie’s reaction. “I’m glad to know you’re not crushed.” She shrugged. “Apparently, he feels that he’s connected to one of my relatives.”
“One of your relatives?” Jackie frowned in confusion. “But you don’t have any...that are blood-related anyway.”
“I know. It’s weird. And I tried to tell him that,” Erin said. “No blood relatives so no possible dragon-shifters in the family.”
“Strange,” Jackie murmured. “So could he be talking about the cousins you moved in with after your dad died? Friends of the family. Maybe he’s not interested in dragon-shifters in the least.”
“Oh, he’s all about the dragon blood,” Erin assured. “Or so it seems.” She cocked a grin at Jackie. “You’ve met a few of my cousins. Can you imagine any of them being half-dragon? Comical. Especially the two I put up with the most. With the one, it’d be like throwing fireworks on flame. With the other, introducing a psycho to sanity.”
“You must be talking about Cybil and Samantha.” Jackie chuckled. “Samantha was excitable and always causing havoc. And Cybil was the endless dare-devil who put you to shame when you were kids. You had a few other cousins too,” she reminded. “Big family.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. I can’t believe my Dad’
s best friend had five daughters.” She shook her head. “Insanity nowadays...or in our day that is.”
“Your dad’s best friend. AKA, your uncle.”
“Fine, my uncle,” Erin relented. “And Cybil didn’t put me to shame,” Erin groused. “I kicked her ass repeatedly.”
“That’s not how I hear it.” Jackie grinned. “Sounds like she won a lot of competitions between you and...”
“All right, buzz kill,” Erin interrupted. “Enough about Cybil. She’s part of my past.” Her friend eyed her. “And right now, we’re talking about your present.”
“I’d rather not.”
“But we are,” Erin said. “Things might not be as bad as you think. When I first met the demi-god, he tried to tell me that we were meant to be together too. So don’t overthink the whole soulmate, lived-another-life-together-thing.” Her eyes held Jackie’s. “The guy’s an evil dirt bag. He’ll say anything to get a hold of one of the rings.”
“True,” she relented. “But I had such a strong sense of familiarity. The same feeling I had when I first saw Darach.”
“I felt that way with the demi-god, and now we know why. Maybe he’s pulling the same sort of trick on you. Maybe he visited you in your past, and you just don’t remember.”
“Maybe,” she started, but her words faded away when Darach ducked in out of the rain.
It felt like the cave became a million times smaller.
Erin’s eyes flickered from Darach to Jackie. “Why don’t we finish this conversation later?”
“What?” Jackie said within the mind. “No, wait.”
But it was too late. Erin was gone, and Darach plunked down beside her. Though tempted to bolt, she was made of stronger stuff than that. They needed to talk...to make sense of things. Yet despite her best intentions to remain calm, he had a way of making her heart race.
Yet she didn’t go numb.
He handed her a skin. “I brought water.”
“Thanks.” She took a swig, grateful for anything that delayed the inevitable. He eyed the fire with a firm set to his jaw as though debating how to handle the conversation.
“Any chance you brought whisky too?” she said.
The MacLomain Series: Later Years - a Scottish Time Travel Romance Boxed Set Page 94