by Donna Grant
“What did the trees tell you about me?” Lachlan asked.
Her gaze slid to him to find him looking into the fire. The red-orange glow danced on his face as he seemed enthralled by the flames. She loved looking into fire, as well. It was mesmerizing, just as listening to a river or a roaring waterfall soothed her.
“They told me that someone was near,” she finally answered. “There was no dire warning attached, so I didn’t get the sense that they thought you’d do me harm.”
“My duty is to protect the lands of my clan. I’m in the forest to patrol it and look for enemies. Had you been an enemy, I would’ve struck you down,” he stated without preamble.
She understood the ways of a warrior. While other women might have been appalled by such talk, she knew it put Lachlan and her on equal ground. “And had you been a witch with the Coven, I would’ve struck you down.”
They shared a smile.
Silence fell between them as the fire crackled. The quiet of a forest might unnerve some, but Synne had always enjoyed it. Then again, the trees had been able to warn her if danger approached. Others didn’t have such a gift. And when anything could be hiding behind a tree, she could see why some stayed away.
It wasn’t long before the hares were done. Both she and Lachlan ate, lost in their thoughts. Except Synne found her mind drifting to the Highlander. He hadn’t put her down for knowing how to use a bow or for wearing pants. He hadn’t been condescending about her relationship with the trees, her training as a Hunter, the witches, or anything. She was used to that with the men at the sanctuary, but she had come up against others in the outside world who didn’t share those views. It made her never want to leave the abbey, because she didn’t feel as if she should have to defend her way of life to anyone—especially a man.
And the fact that men thought they could rule women completely made her equally angry. It infuriated Synne to watch women kowtow to such men. Then again, those women hadn’t been given the same opportunities that she had. They came from two different lives, and if she were in their shoes, she would most likely act the same way.
Lachlan acted more like Radnar than other domineering men. She liked that. Otherwise, she would’ve dropped him on his arse.
“I have a feeling that smug smile is somehow about me,” Lachlan said.
Synne shook her head even as she swallowed her chuckle. “Tell me about your family and clan.”
“My father is a good laird, but he’s aging. I had an older brother who died in battle several years ago. After my mother died, my father remarried, and I’ve a sister and a brother from that union.”
“You’re the eldest, then?”
“Aye.”
“So, you’ll take over as laird.”
He nodded. “Aye.”
“Do you have a spouse and children of your own?”
“No’ yet, much to my father’s exasperation,” he said with a chuckle. “What about you?”
Synne shook her head as she swallowed.
“Is it no’ allowed?”
“To marry? Of course. Edra and Radnar allowed us to make our own choices. Leoma married Braith.”
Lachlan paused in eating as his brow furrowed. “He’s the Warden of the skull.”
“Blood Skull,” she corrected. “That’s right.”
“Are other Hunters still out there?”
She licked the grease from her lips. “A few. Leoma and Ravyn that I know of. And Helena. Other Hunters were out tracking witches, and I let them know to go to Leoma if they made it back to our forest and found everyone gone.”
“Why did you no’ stay with Leoma or find Ravyn or Helena?”
“Because I’m going to stand with the Varroki against Sybbyl and the Coven.”
“Are the others no’ joining you?”
She set aside the bone she’d cleaned of all meat. “Aye, but they’re also trying to locate another bone of the First Witch.”
“You said the last piece was Helena, so no’ a bone at all. Are you sure the rest are bones?”
Synne shrugged and reached for more meat. “Sybbyl can’t be allowed to get more of the bones. She’s already taken out the three elders of the Coven.”
“You said she couldna get the Blood Skull or the Heart. Those are two powerful objects. Surely, they could help you stand against her.”
“Right now, they could. If Sybbyl gets her hands on more bones, that might not be the case.”
“Do you know where another relic is?”
Synne lowered the meat and looked at him over the fire. “Aye.”
“Where?”
“Scotland.”
6
Lachlan was awake well before dawn. What little sleep he’d gotten was filled with dreams of his grandmother talking of magic. And Synne.
He turned his head to look at her. She slept on her side, facing him with her arm curled beneath her head. His gaze lingered on her face, taking in her beauty. The women he knew were hardy. They had to be. But Synne had a different kind of strength. Lachlan had never encountered another female who understood what it was like to be in battle. Synne did.
She was steady. Tough. She dared anyone to question who she was both as a woman and as a warrior. And damn if he didn’t find that insanely attractive. He wanted to deny the feelings he felt within him, but he couldn’t.
The time he’d spent with her yesterday had proven that there were bigger things for him to be concerned with than a war with another clan. He wanted to go with Synne and fight alongside her. His father wouldn’t be happy about that, however. But Lachlan didn’t care. They couldn’t pretend this war didn’t involve them. But if Sybbyl won, then it would be about them.
Truth be told, he wanted to spend more time with Synne. She could take care of herself, but it was always nice to have someone watching your back. That’s what he’d be for her. She had a grand destiny. She hadn’t crossed his path for nothing. His grandmother used to tell him that nothing happened without reason. He was taking that to heart now. Synne had come into his life and had told her story because he was meant to be a part of it. Of that, he was sure.
Convincing her might not be so easy. And he didn’t want to even think about his father. Yet this was something Lachlan had to do. For himself, for Synne, and for his clan.
He blew out a breath and looked at the sky above him. He’d been unable to sleep during the night as he went through every emotion swirling inside him. He was tasked with keeping his clan safe. Helping Synne was on that same path. However, it meant he’d have to leave the clan.
To remain behind, to leave it to Synne and whoever the Varroki were, was ignoring the oath Lachlan had taken to make sure he did everything in his power to keep his people from harm. And the Coven was undoubtedly a group that everyone should be wary of.
Then there was Synne. From the first moment he’d seen her outside of the forest, he’d been unable to look away. While the trees didn’t speak to him, his instincts kept him out of trouble. And they hadn’t warned him that Synne was an enemy. Then, he’d approached her and found his life altered forever.
Now, he wished he’d asked his sister if she had been able to do magic since it came from his father’s side of the family. After his grandmother had died, the word magic hadn’t been spoken again. Lachlan should’ve brought it up, he should’ve talked to his father about his grandmother and all the things he hadn’t understood. But he hadn’t. He wasn’t certain why he’d resisted, but he regretted it now. And regret was something he strove never to experience.
Both the horses suddenly raised their heads, their ears pointing forward. Something had gotten their attention. Lachlan strained to listen, but he didn’t hear anything. He stared at the animals, waiting to see if they shifted their focus. When they didn’t, he quietly rose and grabbed his sword as he hurried to Synne. Her eyes were already open when he reached her.
He put his finger to his lips and drew his sword out of the scabbard. Synne was on her feet in an instant, moving b
ehind a tree with an arrow already nocked and pointed in the direction of where the horses looked. He glanced at her, his gaze lingering on the long, golden braid of her hair before he focused on finding what had startled the horses.
Lachlan moved soundlessly to another tree and peered around it, trying to determine what was out there. Their mounts didn’t act as if it were a predator, but they also hadn’t looked away.
When he glanced back at Synne, she was no longer there. Something out of the corner of his eye got his attention, and he raised his gaze to find her scaling the tree with such ease and quickness that he couldn’t look away. Suddenly, she was far above him, situated on a thick branch with her gaze forward. She was as still as a statue, as silent as a ghost. He forced his eyes away from her and back on the matter at hand, but it was one of the most challenging things he’d ever done.
He cleared his mind. One by one, the sounds around him faded until he heard it—footfalls. Two sets. Whoever it was didn’t speak. But they also didn’t move as warriors would if coming to attack. They took even steps as if someone were taking a stroll, coming right to Synne and him.
They—along with the horses—were concealed, but for how much longer? The two interlopers were on foot, while he and Synne had mounts. This was his clan’s land, and he would face whoever it was. Lachlan took a breath. Before he could move, an arrow landed inches from his foot.
His head jerked upward to Synne, who was staring at him. She gave a single shake of her head. He frowned, wondering how she’d even known what he planned. Then he realized his hand was on the tree. It must have somehow told her. But…that meant the tree knew what he was about.
He looked at the trunk skeptically. He didn’t have magic. How could it know what he was thinking?
Synne doesn’t have magic.
Even after his inner voice stated the fact, Lachlan had a difficult time accepting it. Because if he believed that, then it meant that the trees had always known what humans thought and felt. That indicated they likely screamed out in pain while being cut down, and only their kind had heard it.
He closed his eyes to see if he could feel anything. To his surprise, a heartbeat later, it seemed as if warmth penetrated his palm and ran up his arm to spread throughout his body. His eyes snapped open as he looked at the bark.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
It might have been his imagination, but it didn’t matter. Lachlan had felt something. It was too bad his grandmother wasn’t alive. He would’ve loved to talk to her about this. She could’ve likely shared a font of information with him, had he but asked.
But that was something to consider at another time. Right now, someone came their way. Lachlan glanced at the horses. The two were pressed against each other, their gazes still locked on whoever approached. Lachlan peered around the tree and saw a flash of a pale brown cloak. A moment later, two women came into view. Their hoods were pulled forward, blocking their faces. They walked through the snow as if the cold didn’t affect them, and given the wet hems of their cloaks, it had no doubt penetrated their shoes as well as their gowns.
They halted and looked around before looking at each other. Wordlessly, their heads swiveled back to Lachlan. He couldn’t see their eyes, but he knew they were looking at him. They were female, but there was something altogether different about them. He didn’t need Synne to tell him that these were witches.
He’d never fought one before. Then he recalled that Synne had arrows infused with magic to help in her fight against the Coven. His sword had no magic in it. All he had was his skill, but he wasn’t sure that would be enough.
Perhaps his turmoil regarding whether to go with Synne or not would be taken out of his hands. If he had to sacrifice himself so she could get away and fight the Coven, then so be it. He might not be able to defeat the witches, but he could sure as hell keep them occupied long enough for Synne to take them out.
“We know you’re here, Hunter.”
The voice came from all around them, the English accent clear. Lachlan didn’t know which of the women had spoken, but they were far enough away that they would’ve had to shout for him to hear. He eyed the one in the tan cloak before his gaze moved to the one in the dark green one. He saw something spark in the former’s palm. It looked…yellow.
“Show yourself now, and we’ll end you quickly.”
Lachlan was beginning to hate that voice. He glanced up to look at Synne, but she was gone from her perch. He hadn’t even realized she’d moved.
The witches began walking toward him once more. As he watched, he saw that when the snow became too deep, it was suddenly and inexplicably moved aside to allow the women to walk. The fact that he was seeing magic shouldn’t surprise him, but it did.
“You’ll never survive the Coven. You’re now the one being hunted,” the witch announced.
The laughter that followed sent a chill running down Lachlan’s spine. He glanced at the trees around him, searching for Synne. Then he saw her. She was moving from tree to tree in a fashion he’d never witnessed before. It was almost as if she were floating in the air, she made it look so easy. And the trees… If he didn’t know better, he’d swear they were bending to help her.
As Synne made her way behind the two witches, Lachlan turned to the horses. The ropes tethering them were now loose. Both animals were moving slowly away. Lachlan’s gelding looked at him before disappearing behind some trees. He wasn’t sure what to make of that, but once more, there wasn’t time to think about it.
“One Hunter. You can’t possibly think to defeat us.”
Something told Lachlan to look for Synne again. When he did, he saw she had two arrows nocked. She gave him a nod. He then stepped from behind the tree and faced the women. “You two sure talk a lot.”
“Who are you?”
He shrugged, trying to determine which of them was speaking. “Does it matter?”
“You aren’t the Hunter.”
Lachlan smiled. “You’re on MacCullum land, which means, you’re trespassing. You have one chance to leave.”
“Leave? We’re not going anywhere without the Hunter.”
“I’m the only one here.”
“Lies.”
The word was hissed. It enveloped Lachlan to the point where he felt suffocated by it. He tried to move, attempted to get his sword up as the witches approached, but he couldn’t. He was the strongest warrior of his clan, but he couldn’t even save himself against two witches. This is what awaited them if the Coven came.
Lachlan wanted to look at Synne, but he didn’t. He kept his eyes on the witches. As they neared, he tried to see their faces inside their hoods, but only darkness met his gaze. As dots flashed in his vision, he knew he was dying. He glanced at Synne to see her pull back her arm, ready to loose the arrows. That’s when he smiled at the witches.
One hooded head leaned forward as if trying to determine what he was grinning at. In the next instant, both witches jerked as the arrows found their marks. Lachlan drew in a much-needed breath as their magic ceased, and the two fell forward.
He bent to turn them over when suddenly the bodies began to disintegrate. He jumped back as they became ash, leaving only their clothes behind.
“We need to get moving,” Synne said as she walked past him and released a low whistle.
Lachlan watched as her mare and his gelding trotted to them. “Did your arrows do that?”
“My arrows killed them, but when witches die, they burn from the inside out and turn to ash,” she told him as she readied her mare. “We need to go.”
He nodded and straightened as he began saddling the gelding. He thought back to his grandmother and now understood why his father hadn’t let him see the body. “Should we no’ do something with the clothes so no one will know what happened?”
“More witches are coming. There isn’t time for that.” She mounted and looked at him. “You need to get to your clan. Keep everyone out of the forest. They’re after me, but they’ll be happy to
kill anyone in their way—as you experienced.”
Lachlan put his sword in its scabbard and threaded his arm and head through the strap so it lay against his back. Then he was atop his horse. “Thank you for saving me.”
“You were my diversion. I should be thanking you. Now, if you’ll point me in the right direction, I’ll lead the Coven away from here.”
“Nay.”
She blinked. “Nay?”
“I’m coming with you.”
7
He couldn’t be serious. But the longer Synne looked into Lachlan’s gray eyes, the more she realized that he was. “You can’t come with me.”
“Aye, lass, I can.”
“Your clan needs you.”
“And you need someone to watch your back.”
She blew out a breath. “I’m trained for this. I can handle myself.”
“I’m no’ saying otherwise. What I’m telling you is that you need fighters against the Coven. I’m a good warrior. I can help.”
Synne had to admit it would be nice to have someone with her. She and Lachlan worked well as a team, and if the Coven were coming after her, she would need all the help she could get.
“I’ll no’ let you down, lass,” Lachlan said when she didn’t answer him.
She licked her lips and looked at what was left of the two dead witches. “We got lucky this time. Next time, we might not.”
“That’s the way of battle.”
“While that’s true, you aren’t used to battling witches. Then there’s your clan. You can’t just leave without telling them, and I need to find the Varroki.”
Lachlan smiled. “I willna be taking time to speak to my father, nor will I be leaving without telling them. I’ve another plan.”
Synne wished she were strong enough to say that she would be fine on her own, but she not only wanted Lachlan with her, she also needed him. All this time, she’d thought she was strong enough to be a Hunter on her own, but she wasn’t. Why hadn’t Edra and Radnar told her? Why hadn’t they pointed out her weaknesses so she could work on them?