Shades of Doon

by Carey Corp

  “Oh, you’re a lifesaver! I haven’t eaten all day.” I strode over to the table and popped an entire miniature cinnamon muffin in my mouth.

  Normally, as my chief consultant, Fiona would’ve been part of my earlier meeting, but lying was not one of her gifts. I’d seen her try, and her face flamed, her hands shook, and sweat popped out on her forehead. Considering the Wise Men were already on alert, we couldn’t risk her revealing our secrets.

  Fiona handed me a cup of steaming tea, and we both turned as Fergus barreled through the door. “Och! Is it truly necessary that everyone be searched and disarmed before seein’ ye?”

  “Fergus!” Fiona hissed. “Show respect.”

  “Er . . . sorry, Yer Majesty.” My giant friend bowed, his almost translucent skin flaming from his neck to his forehead.

  “No worries, Fergus. But you know I can’t show preferential treatment to anyone. Especially now.”

  “Aye, but need that git Eòran be so blasted thorough in his body search?” Fergus jammed the tail of his shirt back into his waistband, took ahold of his wide belt, and did a wiggle to readjust his kilt.

  I bit my lip against a laugh as Fiona glared at her husband and pointed to a seat by the fire.

  His clothes finally in proper order, Fergus sank into the indicated chair and reached for a scone. “So how’d ye fare?”

  “Aye, how did it go?” Jamie came in, followed by Kenna and Duncan.

  “Lock the door,” I replied.

  Duncan did as I asked. “That bad, eh?”

  After we all settled around the coffee table, I perched on the edge of the sofa and related my morning meeting. “The Wise Men are beginning to speculate on the reasons for the weather change. Their current theory is it’s linked to whatever force pushed Kenna and me out of Doon.” I glanced at Fiona. “Which is partially true.”

  She nodded, and I explained the rest. “I suggested to them that the force has been contained now that Adam is in custody, but I don’t think they’re buying it. They believe that if I don’t make a statement soon, the people will begin to draw their own conclusions, and their ideas could be far worse than the truth. We’d then be dealing with mass hysteria.”

  “I doubt they could conceive of anythin’ worse than the witch masquerading as one of them.” Jamie shifted forward onto the edge of the sofa beside me and took my hand in his.

  “Does that mean we should tell everyone?” Kenna asked. “Hope the truth will bring the witch out of hiding?”

  Duncan, who was balanced on the arm of Kenna’s chair, said, “Then we lose the element of surprise.”

  Fergus popped three cakes into his mouth and swallowed them in one gulp. “As far as we know, Addie doesna know we’re aware she’s here.”

  “Do you think when she pushed us out of Doon she was trying to break the enchantment itself?” Kenna asked.

  The fire crackled into the silence as we all contemplated that possibility.

  “Nay.” Jamie shook his head. “In order to break the covenant protecting us, a Doonian would ha’ to leave willingly.”

  I turned to him. “So if I took someone to the border and tried to force them back to the normal world, what would happen?”

  “In theory, nothing.” The curl of Jamie’s lips told me his words were more than speculation. “The portals are the only way in or out.”

  “Spill.” My gaze shifted to Duncan, who chuckled. “What did you guys do?”

  “’Twas an accident.” Duncan smiled at his brother. “At least I think it was.”

  “Aye.” Jamie smirked. “We were huntin’ in the northeastern corner and one of us shot a huge buck. The animal wasna mortally wounded and ran off.”

  Duncan picked up the story. “We both claimed to ha’ fired the shot, and instead of goin’ after the deer to see whose arrow had pierced its skin we decided to fight about it.”

  Jamie practically laughed the next words. “In the course of the brawl, I shoved Duncan and he fell back. We didna even realize we were at the border until he bounced back at me with a force that flattened me to the ground.”

  When their laughter died down, Kenna voiced the question I’d been thinking. “What did it feel like, Duncan?”

  “Like I’d fallen against a mattress made of springy clouds. It gave a little at first, then spit me back out.”

  Jamie sobered a bit. “Scared us so badly, we sat there and stared at it for a good spell. Until we got the brilliant idea to throw rocks at it.”

  Duncan leaned forward with a grin. “And one flew back and smashed Jamie in the mouth!”

  Jamie touched his upper lip where he had the tiniest ghost of a scar, one that I’d never thought to ask him about. “Aye, then it wasna so fun anymore.”

  Kissing the tip of my index finger, I pressed it to the little imperfection above his lip. “Your mouth seems to have recovered.” Standing, I moved to face the group with my back to the fire. “Any theories on which of the Destined is really Addie?” I turned to Fiona. “She could be male or female, correct?”

  “Aye.” Fiona nodded. “She could even be a child.”

  There had been a mother and daughter from Austria who’d crossed the bridge together during the most recent Centennial. “But that would blow the theory that she’d enthralled Adam through some form of infatuation.”

  “There are all sorts o’ love,” Duncan interjected. “Didna Adam mention losin’ a wife and daughter in a car accident?”

  A chill raced down my spine and my knees went weak at the thought of the adorable little girl with the enormous hazel eyes and blonde pigtails. If evil could hide in that pure, beautiful package, it would shake my faith to the core.

  “Too obvious, I think.” Jamie caught and held my gaze, and I knew he was right.

  “What about Emily?” My assistant had been a godsend, taking care of all the details that, as a new queen, I couldn’t possibly handle on my own. But as I’d told Fergus, I couldn’t afford to give anyone preferential treatment.

  Fergus shook his great head. “Nay. She had a Calling with Drew Forrester.”

  I exchanged a glance with Kenna, noting the green tinge of her skin. Drew had been the first victim of the zombie fungus, and my BFF had killed him in order to save me. “He was a soulless monster, Ken.”

  “Tha’s right. He died the day he fell into the limbus.” Duncan lifted her hand and tucked it under his arm, encasing her fingers in his other hand.

  “Oliver and Adam have been quite chummy since crossin’ the bridge,” Fergus suggested.

  “True.” I thought back. The scientists had bonded almost immediately, spending much of their free time together.

  “I’ll bring Oliver in for questionin’,” Jamie volunteered.

  “No,” I protested. “Remember, we need to act as normal as possible, so as not to give away our advantage. Invite him for an ale or something.” I tapped my chin. “You could ask him to build that electric generator for the castle that we were talking about on the flight back to Scotland.”

  Jamie’s lips tilted and his eyes burned into mine at the reminder of our time spent on the private jet. “Of course, my queen.” Discussing modern technology had been a very small portion of our in-flight entertainment.

  I broke eye contact and grabbed a notepad and quill off the table while clearing my throat. “Um . . . okay then. Let’s divide the Destined among us and do a little subtle digging. Write down anything suspicious, anything at all that seems off.”

  After deciding who would talk to whom, everyone began to gather their things and make their way toward the door. But I stayed seated, double checking my list. I tapped the feather against my chin, knowing I’d forgotten something essential. It came to me in a flash, and I shot to my feet. “Wait.”

  The group quieted and turned to face me. “I suggest we each seek the guidance of the Protector in helping us to discover the witch’s true identity.”

  Everyone agreed, and when they’d filed out, I shut the door and returned to my d
esk in order to finish up the paperwork that had piled up during my absence. Even with the witch out there, I needed to deal with these issues in order to keep up the appearance of normalcy. And, I needed a way to calm my racing mind. Fiona had divided my correspondence into two piles: “Urgent” and “Not as urgent.” Halfway through the five-alarm pile, I came across a letter from Gregory Forrester — the man who’d lost his arm trying to pull his brother Drew out of the limbus.

  Your Royal Highness, Queen Veronica,

  I wish to request an audience at your earliest convenience. Finally having mustered up the emotional and mental strength to go through my brother’s things, I came across something that could be of interest to you. Due to its delicate nature, I do not wish to discuss the details in writing. Please send for me anytime, day or night, and I will respond with the upmost expediency.

  Your loyal subject,

  Gregory Forrester

  My relationship with Gregory had gotten off to a rocky start. The first time we met, the flesh was melting off of his arm and he accused me of causing the curse that killed his brother. But after Kenna and I defeated the limbus, I’d paid Gregory a visit. Explaining what his brother had become, and what had ultimately happened to him, proved one of the hardest conversations of my life.

  Gregory had surprised me by thanking me for destroying the abomination that had taken control of his brother’s body. He’d even dropped to a knee and pledged to me right there in his living room. Humbling, to say the least.

  An icy finger of air found its way down the nape of my neck as the wind rattled the windows behind me, the bare branches of a nearby tree tapping and scratching the glass like wintery nails. Resisting the urge to look over my shoulder, I pulled my cape tighter and read the letter once more for clues as to why Fiona would’ve placed it in the urgent pile.

  Deciding to set it aside to ask her later, I stood and walked over to the bookcase. Something had been niggling at the back of my mind since I’d realized retrieving the spell book from the witch’s cottage had played right into Addie’s hands. I pulled down a book on Scottish symbols and flipped to the luckenbooth. I traced the sketch of the intertwined hearts topped by a crown in the upper left corner of the page. In Celtic mythology, some symbols were incorruptible, while others held a greater capacity for conducting malevolence. I had a hard time believing something so beautiful could carry a curse. I’d always believed Lynette’s pendant was a gift given out of love.

  Scanning the page, I found one legend that claimed the luckenbooth had originally been designed as a token of love and devotion, and had been given by Mary Queen of Scots to Lord Darnley. Another story maintained that it was an engagement brooch given to her by the Dauphin of France, who later became her husband.

  Interesting, but unhelpful. I skimmed down the page. See also Double Witch’s Heart on page 419.

  I turned to the corresponding page, and my gut clenched; the drawing of entwined hearts was almost identical to the luckenbooth. I began to read, walking back to my desk. A red glow drew my attention, causing me to stop and stare at the ring on my right hand. And that’s when the world exploded.

  The windows shattered, blasting glass shards across the room. Arctic wind tore at my hair and clothes. With a terrible groan, a dark shape blocked out the sun, falling toward me. I dropped to the ground, my cape blowing over my head. Blindly, I scrabbled away from a great wrenching sound that vibrated in my chest, as if the very fabric of the earth were being torn apart. An avalanche of cracks and crunches, like hundreds of bones snapping, resounded behind me, prompting me to crawl faster.

  When I reached the far side of my office, I collapsed behind a chair, just as a massive crash shook the room. Afraid to move, I gripped the leather arm of my merger shield, praying we weren’t under attack.

  Eòran yelled my name and banged on the door, but my muscles refused to cooperate with my brain as I awaited the next strike. When it didn’t come, and the screaming outside the room became frantic, I forced myself to move. Peering over the arm of the chair, I discovered an enormous tree inside my office. The trunk, wider than my shoulders, had split my desk completely in half. Dull light filtered through a gnarl of jumbled, dirt-covered roots that protruded from the empty window casing. The oak had been completely uprooted.

  Still crouching, I moved forward slowly, stepping over snapped limbs and clumps of leaves. My desk chair had been flattened into kindling. And in a flash of clarity I saw myself there beneath it, broken and bleeding, my lifeless eyes staring back at me. Two more seconds, and I would’ve been sitting in that chair.

  The door vibrated as guards tried to knock it down. Barely able to stand on my trembling legs, I picked my way around the tangle of branches to the door and unlocked it.

  Eòran came stumbling into the room, followed by a stream of royal guards. “My queen!” He paused mid-stride, taking in the uprooted tree. He hesitated for only a moment before turning to where I leaned against the wall for support, and steered me out into the hall. As he issued orders that sounded like gibberish to my ears, he lifted me into his arms.

  An hour later, I lay propped in my bed with covers tucked up to my chin, running my fingers through Blaz’s bristly fur, but I couldn’t stop shaking. Kenna handed me a mug of something stronger than tea. “Here, Mags said to drink all of this.”

  I brought it to my lips and inhaled the warm, spicy fragrance before taking a sip. The liquid burned a pleasant path to my stomach. After everything we’d been through, I couldn’t say why this had put me in my bed. Maybe the vision I’d seen of myself, as if I were hovering above my body while the life leached out of it, had pushed me over the edge.

  Kenna stoked the fire. “Is your head okay? That cut looked pretty nasty.”

  “It’s fine.” I touched the bandage on my forehead. That I’d only received this wound and a few small scratches was a miracle in itself.

  A door slammed in the outer room and I jumped, prompting Blaz to catapult off the bed with a sharp bark.

  “Verranica!” Heavy footfalls preceded Jamie’s arrival. He ran into my room, his eyes wild until they landed on my face, and then he stopped, drinking me in. His chest heaved as if he’d sprinted up the hundred and twenty-some stairs to my tower.

  “I’m fine.” I set my cup on the nightstand and pushed up, sitting straighter.

  The muscles of his throat contracted, and he strode forward, gathering me in his arms. “Holy Saints in heaven, I saw the tree . . .” His voice broke off and he squeezed me tighter.

  For a moment, I nestled into the crook of his neck and pressed my nose against his skin. His unique scent of crisp pine and rain-washed air chased away the last of my chills, warming me like nothing else could.

  “I’ll just give you two some alone time.” Over Jamie’s shoulder, I watched Kenna walk toward the door.

  “Wait, Ken, don’t go yet.”

  Jamie released me and sat, his weight dipping the mattress. I shifted to counterbalance and motioned Kenna back. When she hesitated, I patted the coverlet on my opposite side.

  Sandwiched between the two people I loved most in the world, I felt safe enough to say, “Earlier, after our meeting, I’m one-hundred percent sure I did not bolt my office door.” From their blank looks, I realized I needed to clarify. “When the tree . . . fell, Eòran couldn’t get to me because the door was locked tight. And . . .” I hesitated. “My ring lit up, warning me just before it happened.”

  Silence.

  Jamie raked the hair off his forehead, the planes of his cheekbones taking on a deep reddish hue. Worried about his blood pressure, I grabbed the cup off my nightstand and thrust it at him. “Here, drink this.”

  Kenna took my hand. “Do you think Addie did this? Smashed the tree through your window?”

  Jamie set down the empty cup. “I’m sorry to do this, Verranica, but I’m doublin’ your guard and you canna leave your suite. You’ll need someone trustworthy watchin’ your back every moment. Even in the loo. I’ll ha’ Fio
na and Kenna take shifts.”

  Kenna nodded, her eyes like large silver dollars in her pale face.

  Warm at last, I pushed the covers down to my waist. “Let’s not overreact. We don’t know for sure the tree wasn’t just a freak accident.”

  “I dinna believe in coincidence.” Jamie’s jaw hardened and he turned to my BFF. “Mackenna, you have the gift of sight. I’d like for ye to inspect Vee’s office, the door, and the tree inside and out. Look for any traces of magic.”

  Kenna blinked and glanced between us. “Just because I could see the limbus doesn’t mean I can see magic — or curses, or whatever. I could be a one-hit wonder.”

  Jamie shook his head. “Perhaps you have not seen, because ye weren’t lookin’. It’s likely Addie used some sort of spell to cloak her magic. She may be evil incarnate, but she is no’ daft. Ye’ll ha’ to look closely.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to see anything.” Kenna stood, her shoulders set with resolve. “But I’ll try.”

  “I’m coming with you.” I threw the covers aside and started to scramble off the bed, but paused when the room began to spin.

  “Vee, you need to rest.” My friend lifted her palm to me, her voice soft but firm. “Let me do this one thing for you. Let me help you for once.”

  Remembering what I’d learned about trusting my pack, I watched her walk away, but said a quick prayer for her safety and asked the Protector to sharpen her vision. I hated the worry I felt every time one of my loved ones left a room, like it could be the last time I saw them alive.

  Jamie held out the blankets, and I crawled back under. When he’d tucked me in, he situated himself on the bed beside me, stretching out his long legs as he put his arm around my shoulders. With Blaz’s warm body nestled in on my other side, I snuggled in. But instead of feeling cozy, I felt restless, my mind refusing to relax.

  Winter blasted the windows of my tower, rattling the glass in their frames, a constant reminder of the evil that lurked just out of sight. I fingered the Ring of Aontacht, turning it and rubbing each symbol with the pad of my thumb. Its energy flowed up my arm and filled my soul with reassurance. We were not powerless in this fight.