The Legend Mackinnon

by Donna Kauffman

  Cailean hated hearing him sound so desolate. She didn’t know what else to do except tell him the rest. “Duncan had saved Maggie’s life and by then I’d read all of Lachlan’s journals and realized that my path lay in this direction.”

  Rory suddenly sat up and gripped her arm. “Is Duncan still in North Carolina? Haunting this cabin?”

  “I don’t know, Rory. Maggie was certain he’d reappear after I left. But I’m not as sure.”

  Rory rose immediately. He grabbed a leather satchel and began shoving clothes in it.

  “What?”

  “We’re going to North Carolina.”

  “Just like that? What about … what about your sheep?”

  “They mix in with a herd in the valley beyond from time to time. The beasties will be fine. We canno’ waste time. He could already be gone by now.”

  If he is there at all, Cailean thought. “Wait a minute. We?”

  “Of course. We’ll drive to Portree and check you out then head to Glasgow. If we’re lucky, we should be able to fly out the day after tomorrow.”

  “I guess you have a passport.”

  He looked at her and grinned. It was silly, but her heart flip-flopped. He looked so young. For the first time, he looked like the twenty-seven year old man he was … or would have been, three hundred years ago.

  “I have gone through more passports than you could pack in Lachlan’s fabled trunk. There are very few places on this planet I have no’ been.”

  She was struck again by the reality of his existence. “What of the curse, Rory? What of my role in it?”

  “We can deal with that after I see my brother. It’s not like I’m running out of time.”

  “I am. I can’t stay away from my work, from my life, forever. I can’t just put everything on hold.”

  “If it’s money yer worried about, have no fears. I’ve mastered many a trade and spent one decade teaching myself finance and the laws of inheritance. I’ve been inheriting my own money, a steadily increasing amount, many times over, for well over a hundred years now.”

  “It’s not about money—it’s my career. I’ll lose my place on this team for good if I don’t return soon.”

  Rory flipped the heavy leather flap over the top and buckled it in place, then slung the satchel over his shoulder. “Can ye spare me another week, Cailean?” His eyes were hard, demanding. “Or am I askin’ too much of ye?”

  She wanted to tell him to go to hell, she wanted to wipe the arrogance from his face. But she couldn’t. “I’ll go with you. But then we have to figure out where the key is.”

  He frowned. “You’re talking nonsense now. You’re the Key.”

  “I mean the key to the curse. I may be a Claren Key and yes, I guess I possess the ‘sight’ but I’ve told you I do not have any other ‘special powers.’ ”

  “We will find a way. You are the answer, Cailean Claren. I feel it. I know it.”

  “I feel it, too. But Lachlan was convinced that the beginning of the Legend MacKinnon dealt with some talisman or something that the Claren women must have used. He spent his last years looking for it.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking of.”

  “Did Kaithren use something when she cursed you? Maybe something of Edwyna’s. Was she holding something?”

  His eyes flared. “Ye mean besides me?”

  Cailean flushed, but she didn’t back down.

  “I canno’ remember if there was a talisman. We were no’ completely undressed, so I dinna know wha’ she might have been carryin’ on her.” He took a moment and made a visible attempt to calm down. “And what if she was? Are ye saying we are to look for some small talisman held by three women over three centuries ago? How in hell do you expect us to find such a thing, even if it does exist?”

  “The Clarens took over Stonelachen right after the curses were cast, and you said the castle was abandoned a few years later. Maybe it is here, somewhere. Maybe that is why we are both here, now. I feel it, Rory. I understand why you have to go, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s wrong.”

  Rory stood silent, seeming to ponder all she said. Then he swore. “Are ye sayin’ ye want to stay here and search for it while I’m gone?”

  It had occurred to her that having him away from here and from her, as much as it was the last thing she wanted, might in fact be the wisest thing she could do. But wisdom was a tricky thing. “It would be easier with you here to direct me.”

  “Then I propose this. Come with me to America. Then we will come back here and begin our search.” He gentled his voice. “As for your job, there will be other digs, will there not?”

  She nodded. “It’s not just about that, Rory—”

  “I know,” he said. “But your career will not live or die with this one operation. True?”

  “It was an important project to me, Rory. One I fought to be involved in for a long time.”

  “Then I will give you another one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I told you. I have been many places, seen many things. Just because I don’t choose to form ties with others does not mean I don’t learn, or that I don’t listen. I can give you locations that will yield discoveries you and your colleagues would likely find quite interesting.”

  “Name one,” she challenged.

  “There is an ancient Aztec community in Mexico, almost intact but buried by centuries of jungle growth. Far bigger than anything previously recovered.”

  She gasped. “Really?”

  “I’ll lead you to it personally, if you wish.”

  “That would make my career for life.” She noticed an odd emotion flash in his eyes, but she was too overwhelmed by his offer to pay it close attention.

  “Then have it you shall,” he said almost curtly. “Now that we’ve settled on a price, can we go? I have a reunion to attend.” He didn’t wait for an answer, yanked his bag to his shoulder and went to the door.

  “I did not ask for payment,” she warned.

  Rory turned at the door. “But we have settled the matter, have we not?”

  Cailean had already grown used to his domineering ways and would be lying if she said she’d really want him any other way. But it gave her a great deal of satisfaction to say, “You might want to do one other thing before we go.”

  With his patience obviously at an end, he sighed and said, “And that would be?”

  “You might want to get dressed first.”

  Cailean waited, toe tapping, as the stone slid to one side and they stepped out into the back corner of the cemetery.

  “I can’t believe you made me climb that mountain, then hike down all those passageways.” Their trip out had been far more direct to say the least.

  “I thought the scientist in you would appreciate the full tour.”

  She wanted to wipe that smile off his face. She wanted to drag him back to that bed of his and forget about the world, for say, a year or so. Instead she said nothing, stepped carefully past him and walked directly to her car.

  He shut the door and the weirdest feeling washed over her. It felt strange being in a twentieth century vehicle with him. She cast a quick glance at him, wondering, not for the first time, what it must be like to have hundreds of years of memories to account for.

  He was looking at the rear view side mirror as she backed out. The impatience to be on the road and on their way fairly vibrated from him. They remained silent as she made the descent from the Quiraing, back to the narrow main road. She couldn’t deny that seeing Duncan was more important than anything else, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the right thing to do.

  “I’d love to hear about some of your travels.” She caught his quick glance and smiled. “The scientist in me is interested.”

  “I’d rather hear more about my brother. And this cousin of yours.”

  Cailean sighed inwardly. She knew he’d opened up to her in ways he likely never had before, but he was still a tough man to penetrate
. But then, he’d had centuries to erect some pretty strong walls.

  “Okay,” she relented. She spent the remainder of the trip to Portree filling him in on all the details.

  When they pulled up in front of the hotel, a light rain had begun to fall. She turned to him, leaving the motor running. “If you want to wait, it will only take me a minute to get my things together and check out.”

  He was already opening his door. “I’ll help you carry your bags down. We’ll get away faster.”

  She didn’t argue and let him hold the door for her to enter the small foyer. When the young desk clerk looked with great interest from her to the man stepping in behind her, she actually felt her cheeks begin to heat.

  For heavens sake, she was pushing thirty years old! No need to explain herself or the company she chose to keep to anyone.

  Cailean wondered if the young man knew he was having a close personal encounter with The Remote. He could dine out in the pubs for months on that one. But he remained silent, finally shifting his attention nervously to her when Rory cleared his throat.

  “Are ye wantin’ to check out, miss?” he said, his soft accent relaxing her a bit.

  “Yes, please,” she said. “I’ll go collect my things and pay you when I come down, is that okay?” She was already turning to the stairs when the clerk spoke.

  “Fine. But you have a message here you might want to read. Came in late yesterday.” He handed her the white paper, a shy smile on his apple-cheeked face which faded abruptly as he glanced at Rory. “Appears your cousin is in town and lookin’ for you.”

  “What?” Cailean then spun to Rory. “She’s here! Maggie has come. She must have changed her mind and left right after I did.” Cailean couldn’t believe she’d left Duncan behind so soon. A thought struck her. She spun back to the clerk, interrupting him as he tried to speak again. “Did she have someone with her? A big, tall man with long, dark hair?”

  “No ma’am. Her name wasna Maggie. I wrote it down, it was somethin’ unusual.”

  Cailean stared at him, confused, then uncrumpled the note she’d crushed in her hand. “Delaney Claren,” she read. “I’m staying at the Skeabost Hotel. Please call as soon as you get this. It’s urgent.” There was a number after it.

  Frowning, Rory took the note from her. “How many cousins do ye have running about?” he said.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered. “The third cousin.” With everything that had happened, she’d totally forgotten about her. “She really exists.” Stunned, she turned back to the young clerk, who was once again looking uncomfortable as he stared at Rory.

  “Did you take the message? Did she give it to you in person? What did she look like? Do you remember?”

  The man’s head bobbed up and down repeatedly and then, at the last question, a broad smile split his smooth features. “Oh, I remember all right. Hard to forget that one. She was shorter than you, but, well …” He blushed furiously. “Curvier, ye know? She had short black hair and these unusual eyes. Purple they were. I never recalled seein’ purple colored eyes before. Like Elizabeth Taylor, ye know? She reminded me of her.”

  Cailean stared at him for a moment after he finished babbling. “Did she say anything else?”

  “No. Just that she was real sorry she missed you and for you to call as soon as you got in.”

  Cailean nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

  She turned to Rory, who was scowling. “Let’s go upstairs. We can figure it out there.”

  “What’s to figure out?” he asked. “I dinna have time for this—”

  Cailean motioned with a small jerk of her chin. “Upstairs? Please?”

  Once they were in the room, she watched Rory prowl around with an animal-like grace that made her shudder and ache. Staring out the window, she said, “I have to call her.”

  “You have to drive to Glasgow and catch a plane.”

  She turned and braced herself against the cool glass. “I will. Right after I call Delaney. When I looked at Lachlan’s documentation of our parents’ generation, there was a third child born to his nephews. I didn’t know her name, or that she was still alive. I was going to try and track her down while I was here, but Lachlan’s solicitor wasn’t at all forthcoming. And then I met you.” She turned back around. A headache was forming behind her eyes. Wasn’t everything complicated enough?

  “Then how did she find you?”

  “I haven’t any idea.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “Let me at least call and find out what she wants. A few more minutes won’t hurt anything. We won’t be able to fly out until tomorrow anyway.”

  She felt him come up behind her. Her fingers were brushed away and his own strong fingers took over the gentle massage. “Magic fingers,” she said. “You could license them and make a fortune.”

  “They earned me a few pence here and there.”

  She opened one eye and turned enough to level it on him.

  He raised one brow in return. “Jealous?” he said, a smile almost curving his lips. “Don’t be. It was before you were even born.”

  That jolt of reality was enough to make her pull away. She smoothed the note once again and went to the phone. Her fingers hesitated just above the pad, a strange sense of foreboding washed over her. She tensed, half expecting a vision to overtake her, but it didn’t come. She sighed in relief and quickly punched in the number. At the answering voice, she said, “Delaney Claren’s room please.”

  As she waited for the connection, she looked up at Rory. He nodded once, just a slight dip of the chin. She gripped the phone more tightly at his show of support.

  Then a sharp, take-no-prisoners voice invaded her ear.

  “Delaney Claren here.”

  “Hello, this is Cailean Claren. You wanted to speak to me?”

  “Cuz!” If it were possible, she was even louder now, but definitely more jubilant.

  Cailean held the phone away from her ear, then placed it back again. “What?”

  “You’re speaking to your long-lost cousin, Delaney Claren,” she said. “Old Lachlan left me some land over here and I finally got around to seeing it. It’s gorgeous, but I can’t afford to keep it. I talked to a realtor about listing it for sale and she’s apparently a friend of a friend of Lachlan’s lawyer’s secretary and she mentioned something about another relative of Lachlan’s being in town doing some family research and well, what a surprise, huh?”

  Cailean sat there, reeling from the impact. Delaney Claren was like a tornado and Cailean was left feeling a bit windblown. “You’re selling the land?”

  “As far as I can tell, it’s just a big pile of rocks. Oh, and a graveyard. Sort of spooky and maybe not something I should point out right off to a prospective buyer, but hey, we’re family right?”

  “Right,” Cailean echoed numbly.

  “So, you in the market for a piece of family history?”

  Cailean stared at Rory and had to fight the sudden urge to laugh hysterically. “You have no idea,” she murmured.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Cailean hung up the phone. “She’s coming over.”

  Rory sat down, rattling the table next to him. “What?”

  “I said she’s—”

  He held up a hand. “I heard you.” He stood and began to pace. “And I suppose you can’t wait to see her.”

  “If she is my cousin, then yes, I’d like to meet her. You might be interested in meeting her as well.”

  “Another bluidy Claren? I dinna think so!”

  “I’m a Claren and you’ve managed to tolerate me well enough.”

  “I didna have a choice.”

  Cailean sat down, very carefully. “I see.”

  He stalked to the bed and stood towering in front of her. “Do no’ take that tone wi’ me. You know as well as I that our situation is different.”

  She’d come to think of them as far more than just a forced union, that their being together meant more than a means to an end. More fool she for thinking he felt t
he same way. She stood and pushed past him. “You still might want to reconsider meeting my cousin.”

  “I couldn’t imagine why.”

  Cailean turned to him. “Because she’s your new landlady.”

  “What!”

  “She owns the land you’ve been living on, including Stonelachen. Lachlan left it to her. I guess Lachlan bought his way into that cemetery fair and square.”

  “He doesna belong there,” Rory thundered. “He doesna belong with the sacred remains of MacKinnons who gave their lives defending that very soil against him and his like.”

  “You yourself said that no man owns the earth, but is merely caretaker of it. Well, the Clarens took care of that land, too.”

  “Not too damn bloody well they didn’t. They lost it to the MacDonalds before they could move into the place.” He stormed to the door, then back across the room again. “Once I realized the battle was lost, I made sure they couldna take Stonelachen without more cunning than the lot of them had together.”

  “How could you protect the castle? The Clarens knew it was there.”

  “Aye, they knew. Angus Claren himself had feasted with my da many a time in better days. But they didna know all her tricks. I moved walls, blocked passages. I made sure they never found all of her.” He folded his arms across his chest. “She was MacKinnon built and it was MacKinnons she protected. We were the ones who filled her with life, we were the ones who gave our lives for her. They might have conquered the MacKinnons, but I wasna about to let anyone else take Stonelachen without a fight.

  “You can print all the pieces of paper you want and spend all the money you want. In the end, it all means naught. The land is owned by those who protect it and take their life from it. It’s a partnership, with the land as the only enduring partner. Men will come and go, ownership as they see it will pass again and again depending on who is the most powerful or cunning at the moment.”

  The intensity of his gaze held her still as surely as if he held her there by force. “But Stonelachen belongs only to a MacKinnon, first, last, and always. She only gives her secrets to those that made her. Always has, always will.”