by Donna Grant
After a nod from both Quinn and Lucan, Fallon said, “Give us as much detail as you can. There’s no reason for us not to investigate this. If it’s real and we reach it before Deirdre, we’ll be that much stronger against her.”
“Tell me one thing,” Lucan said. “Why haven’t you gotten the artifact yourself?”
“I had to guard myself constantly with Deirdre. She didn’t allow me outside the mountain unless I was carrying out her orders, and most of those times she was in control of my mind. When would I have had time to find the Druids and convince them to give me the artifact?”
Lucan grunted. “True enough.”
“The Druids are deep in the mountains,” Isla answered Fallon. “Near Loch Awe in the region of Argyll. The last I heard, they had made their home in one of the dense forests.”
Galen ran a hand down his face. “It’ll take days to search around the loch.”
“Not if I go,” Broc said.
Isla knew it would take Broc no time to find the Druids. After all, his power from the god inside him was to track down anyone, anywhere. It was a power Deirdre had used often.
“Nay,” Lucan said. “I think I have somewhere else we could use you.”
Broc clenched his jaw. “More important than finding these Druids so they can tell us where the artifact is?”
Lucan nodded, a slow smile pulling at his lips. “I think you’ll like this better.”
“I doubt it. What is it?”
“Aye,” Quinn said. “Tell all of us, brother.”
Lucan threw a piece of bread at Quinn who ducked to avoid it. “Because there’s no way of knowing if the Druids will even give us the artifact, I think we might be better using your talents to track down the one person we need to locate, Broc.”
“Deirdre,” Larena whispered, as if the realization just came to her.
Lucan nodded. “Aye. Are you up for it, Broc?”
“You know I am,” Broc replied, his lips twisted in a snarl.
“Good. Verra good,” Fallon said. “And good thinking on finding Deirdre, Lucan.”
Isla licked her lips and looked at Broc. “You might find it more difficult to find Deirdre than you expect. She won’t have a body, not yet anyway. You’ll have to search for her essence.”
Broc stood and glanced at Sonya. “I’ll find her. I’ll leave now.”
“Wait,” Quinn said. “We need to discuss this with the others as well. They should know what we plan.”
Isla didn’t think she could be more surprised by the MacLeod brothers, but the longer she was in the castle, the more they astonished her.
“I’ll go after the Druids and the artifact,” Galen said.
Fallon gave a slow nod. “I want at least one other Warrior with you.”
The men then rose and started out of the castle. Isla raised her gaze to search for Hayden, but he was gone as well. Which left Isla alone with the women.
“We’d like to talk to you a moment,” Marcail said. “We want to help.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Isla said. “I’ve already told you that.”
Larena leaned forward in her chair. “Maybe there is.”
“How?”
Cara shifted around so that she faced Isla. “We were talking as we finished cooking. What if one of the artifacts can, in some way, sever the link Deirdre has with you? Sonya told us they are very powerful.”
It was too heady of a proposition for Isla to even consider. “Deirdre never mentioned anything.”
“Why would she?” Sonya asked. “It was to Deirdre’s benefit to know you would always be under her control one way or another. If any of the relics can hinder Deirdre’s magic, why couldn’t it sever her link with you as well?”
It was true, and Isla hated it. “I only know of the one artifact. That won’t do us any good.”
“Unless we learn of others,” Larena said. “You’ve helped us, Isla. Give us a chance to help you.”
She looked at each one. “Why are you doing this? You don’t know me.”
“Because you didn’t harm us when you could have,” Marcail said. “I watched you while I was in the Pit. I knew you didn’t want to be there.”
Isla folded her hands in her lap and tried to calm herself and the hope growing inside her. “I didn’t harm you, but I didn’t help either.”
“Would you have?” Larena asked. “If we hadn’t shown up? Would you have helped Quinn?”
Isla slowly shook her head. “I wouldn’t chance my sister or niece being harmed.”
Cara glanced at the others. “And now? Would you help us?”
Isla knew it was time to make a decision, one that could do more harm than good. But the thought of being rid of Deirdre controlling her was one she couldn’t ignore or pass up.
“I will help you.”
EIGHT
Hayden listened to Fallon as he explained the plan with half an ear. He’d heard it all in the great hall. Besides, Hayden’s attention was on Isla, or the lack of said female. Why hadn’t she and the women come into the bailey with the others?
Were the women treating her kindly? And why the hell did he even care?
“Shite,” he murmured.
Logan looked over at him, his hazel eyes seeing too much. “Something wrong?”
Hayden blew out a breath. “Nothing I cannot handle.”
Night was taking the sky, turning the world dark — and for some, dangerous. Hayden unleashed his god long enough to light the torches around the bailey. Though the Warriors didn’t need the light, the women did.
He glanced down at his hand to find his skin and claws red. At one time the sight had frightened him, but he’d gotten used to it soon enough. With barely a thought, Hayden tamped down his god until his skin had returned to normal and his claws disappeared.
“Galen is going to find the Druids,” Fallon said to them. “We need another Warrior. Who wants to accompany him?”
Hayden needed to get away from Isla before he did something unwise, like kiss her. Which he could not do. She was a drough. Evil to the core.
He opened his mouth, ready to tell Fallon he would go, but another voice beat him to it.
“I’ll do it,” Logan said.
Fallon acknowledged Logan with a brisk nod. “Logan and Galen will set off at dawn.”
Hayden snapped his mouth shut and stopped Logan when he would have walked away. “Why are you going?”
Logan shrugged, but wouldn’t meet Hayden’s gaze. “They needed another Warrior.”
“Aye, and there are plenty of us who could have gone.”
Logan slapped Hayden on the back, a too-bright smile on his face. “Never fear, my friend. I’ll return soon enough. You willna have time to miss me for verra long.”
Hayden threw up his hands in exasperation as Logan walked away to speak to Galen. Logan never took anything seriously. Everything was one big jest to him.
Although Hayden had noticed a decided lack of laughter lately with Logan. It wasn’t obvious to those who didn’t really know him, but he and Hayden were as close as brothers.
They knew each other’s secrets. Or at least Hayden knew most of Logan’s secrets. There had always been a part of Logan that he kept to himself. Not that Hayden could fault him. Sometimes secrets were best kept hidden. Even from oneself.
Logan was always ready for a fight, as any Warrior was. But the eagerness in which he volunteered, the obvious need he had to get away from the castle, surprised and worried Hayden.
Something was wrong with his friend, and with Logan leaving, Hayden couldn’t help him.
Quinn walked up beside Hayden. “I expected you to volunteer to go with Galen.”
“I was, but Logan wanted to go. He needs some time away from the castle.”
Quinn raised a dark brow, clearly not believing Hayden. “The women are going to try and convince Isla to stay permanently. Is that going to be a problem?”
“You mean am I going to kill her?” Hayden asked. He didn�
�t know whether to be annoyed or impressed that they bothered to ask him. In the end, he was irritated.
“Aye.”
Hayden glanced at Logan to find his friend watching him. Could he refrain from killing Isla? That would be much easier than not kissing her. “I willna harm her unless she tries to hurt someone else.”
“Fair enough.” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. “Isla may be our only hope of stopping Deirdre.”
“I have no doubt Isla can tell us things about Deirdre we doona know, but you are asking all of us to trust a drough.”
Quinn thought that over as he stared into the darkening sky. “Aye, we are. Need I remind you that she was turned against her will?”
“Or she’s just a verra good liar.”
Quinn laughed then and dropped his arms. “There’s nothing I can say that will ease your discomfort of having her here. You’ve trusted me and my brothers before. Trust us now, Hayden.”
“I do.” Hayden replied without hesitation. The MacLeods had proven themselves time and again. There was no reason not to trust them.
The castle door opened and five women moved onto the castle steps, the torches lighting them in a red-orange glow. All but Isla descended to the bailey.
“Three hundred years without a woman in this castle,” Quinn said. “I thought Lucan had gone daft when he brought Cara inside. I was the foolish one. How much difference a woman makes to a man’s life.”
“Women complicate things,” Hayden said, unable to take his gaze from Isla. Even in her too-big gown she drew his gaze. Her ice-blue eyes looked not at the people in the bailey, but to the distance. He wondered what she was thinking.
Quinn just shook his head with a smile. “Whenever you find that one woman you cannot live without, then you can tell me how she causes difficulties.”
Hayden didn’t have any illusions about finding such a woman. He wasn’t dense enough to allow himself to have feelings for a female, not while he was immortal. Why would he do that to himself or to her? It was unnecessary.
Everyone grew quiet as Isla closed her eyes. Wind began to move though the bailey with more force than normal, whipping through the torches causing the flames to spurt. The gusts swirled and coiled around Isla, causing her black locks to lift away from her and float on the breeze. The breeze caught the fabric of her gown and molded it to her body.
Hayden tried to swallow past the lump of desire that welled inside him at the sight of Isla’s breasts and small waist. He saw her nipples pucker and bead in the wind, straining against the gown. His cock swelled and thickened, and he was eager to cup those breasts himself, to feel their weight as he buried himself deep inside her.
He was so involved in his body’s reaction to her that it took a moment to realize it was magic he felt swirling around him. And not just any magic — Isla’s. He’d never felt magic so enthralling, so erotic. He swayed and glanced around to see if anyone else was as affected, but it seemed he was the only one.
Her hands turned, palms up as she slowly lifted her arms out to her sides. Hayden started toward her, fearful that she would hurt them all with her magic. But a hand on his arm halted him. He looked to find Quinn holding him.
“She’s helping us. Remember?” Quinn reminded him.
It took everything Hayden had to remain in place, to not jerk Isla out of the bailey to stop her magic and to kiss her. Quinn removed his hand, but Lucan had moved to Hayden’s other side.
Hayden already had one home destroyed, he didn’t want that to happen to another. He only wanted to protect those he considered his family, but they refused to see past the allure Isla brought. But if she harmed any of them, Hayden would destroy her regardless of the way his body yearned for her.
Isla’s hands continued upward until her palms faced together over her head. The wind swirled around her angrily. Magic, her magic, invaded everything.
It was heady and dangerous, and Hayden hated to admit how much he enjoyed the feel of it. He’d felt magic before, but nothing as strong and seductive as Isla’s.
There was a loud boom with the vanishing of the wind, and they saw the magic, nothing but a dull light in a small ring, shoot from Isla’s hands straight up over them high in the sky. The ring ballooned out covering the castle and even the village only to disappear into the ground.
Isla licked her lips and focused her eyes on those around her. “The castle and village are now shielded with my magic. Deirdre knows where the castle is located. She will send others to try and find it. They won’t be able to see it, but they’ll know it’s here.”
“So we’re safe from other Warriors and wyrran?” Marcail asked.
“For as long as I am here, and as long as my magic is strong, the shield will last,” Isla said. “To Deirdre’s eyes, the castle, and all its occupants, will have disappeared. If you walk out of the shield, you will be spotted.”
“Won’t she know you helped us?” Lucan asked.
A niggle of worry moved in Hayden’s gut when Isla glanced away from Lucan.
“Aye.” Her voice was calm. Too calm.
She was troubled, and Hayden knew she had every right to be. He looked at Quinn. “You’ve gotten your wish, but I wonder just how much more Deirdre will bring to us now that we have her greatest weapon.”
“We doona plan to find out,” Quinn replied. “We’re hoping one of the artifacts will be able to sever that link between Isla and Deirdre.”
So that’s what they told Isla to gain her cooperation. Hope was a powerful sentiment, and one that could conquer almost anything.
The urge to protect Isla once again assaulted Hayden. What was wrong with him? She didn’t need protection. She was a drough with more magic than any Druid at the castle. If anything, Hayden needed to guard everyone else.
“You’re playing with fire,” Hayden told Quinn. “What do you think will happen when none of the artifacts help to break the bond?”
“And what if it does?” Quinn sighed and looked around the bailey. “We have something to fight for, Hayden, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure everyone here is safe. Taking risks is part of this game, and though I’d rather not, sometimes there isn’t a choice.”
Hayden knew that all too well. He found himself turning to Isla once more. To his surprise she was staring at him. Her face gave nothing away, but in the depths of her ice-blue eyes, he saw pain … and hope.
NINE
Isla didn’t know why she found herself staring at Hayden. His obvious dislike for her should have made her keep her distance.
Instead, she found him fascinating. Addictive.
Captivating.
He was a proud man, a loyal Warrior. He was the tallest among them, standing head and shoulders above the others. But it was more than just his height that made him stand out. It was his manner, his attitude of “I can do anything and you can’t stop me.”
Isla imagined he could do anything he set his mind to. Men like Hayden were few.
She allowed herself to look him over at her leisure as he spoke with Quinn. While Quinn and the other Warriors were well formed, Hayden’s arms and shoulders bulged with muscles.
The way the material of his kilt hung over his left shoulder only accentuated the shapely form of his upper body. His wide chest narrowed into a vee, and his kilt wrapped lean hips.
He stood with his feet shoulder width apart, his arms crossed over his chest, and his jaw set. A Warrior waiting to defend those he cared for.
Isla had gotten a glimpse of a muscular thigh when Hayden bent over earlier. She had to wonder if there was a place on his body that wasn’t corded with muscle.
And then his black eyes turned to her.
She almost took a step back. She held her stance and returned his stare. He might intrigue her, but he also stirred a measure of fear. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something about him that seemed almost … familiar. It quickly faded as her blood heated under his intense gaze.
“Thank you,” Fallon said, drawing
her attention — and her gaze — from Hayden.
Isla bowed her head as she faced the leader. “I don’t know how long the shield will last once Deirdre realizes what I’ve done. She will try to use me, but the shield will make it difficult for her magic, now dimmed, to penetrate.”
“But it could happen?” Cara asked.
As much as Isla wanted to lie to them, she knew she couldn’t. “Aye.” She then turned to Fallon. “The shield won’t keep Deirdre out forever. She will eventually find me. When that happens, you must kill me.”
“Isla,” Fallon began.
She shook her head. “Your word, Fallon MacLeod. If you do not give me your word, I will leave now. I won’t endanger everyone here.”
Fallon closed his eyes and let out a ragged sigh. When he opened his eyes, she saw the resolve there.
“You have my word,” Fallon pledged. “I pray it does not come to that. The more people we have to fight Deirdre the better.”
Isla didn’t bother to state her argument against her being able to fight Deirdre again. It had been said enough. “Let us hope you are correct, laird.”
He smiled at her use of his title. “I never thought to hear anyone call me that. I thank you.”
“May I leave the castle?”
“Of course.”
Marcail stepped forward and took Isla’s hand. She was surprised the Druid would so easily touch her.
“Thank you,” Marcail said. “You didn’t have to stay or shield us.”
Isla forced a smile. “Thank me when it’s over.”
She wasn’t used to people being so pleasant to her. It was a welcome reprieve, but after five centuries with nothing but evil surrounding her, Isla wasn’t sure how to act.
Isla extracted her hand and walked down the steps to the bailey. The Warriors parted for her as she continued to the gatehouse and the gate that stood ajar. The light from the many torches danced on the ground and played at her feet.
She felt Hayden’s eyes on her, and knew if she turned her head she would find him watching her. But she wouldn’t turn. He might see the confusion inside her and think it a weakness.