“You’re right,” she said quietly, shamed by her earlier avowal. She had strong feelings for Stonelachen even she didn’t understand. But it wasn’t her heritage to claim, not truly, not in the ways that really mattered. “I thought that I understood the real power of family, of heritage. It’s my job to understand the foundation it can create.”
“Maybe it’s because you never studied the one foundation that mattered. Your own.”
“But I couldn’t risk that it would make things worse.”
His stance relaxed. He understood. “So ye form bonds with those whose lives have already been lived.”
She nodded sadly, feeling pathetic.
“ ’Tis understandable, Cailean. Dinna fash yerself this way. Ye are here now.”
“You’re right. Whatever my reasons for finally digging into my past, I am here.” She walked over to him. “I have to tell you something. I know how important it is for you to see Duncan. But ever since we left Stonelachen I’ve had this dreadful feeling that we’re doing the wrong thing.”
“We will come back, Cailean.”
“It’s not that.” She lifted her hands in frustration. The words she needed to explain how she felt wouldn’t come. “I am the Key, am I not?”
He inclined his head stiffly.
“I appreciate the significance of Stonelachen to you, and I agree that while it is part of my past, there is no denying the claim you have on it, or the connection you rightfully feel. I understand why you did whatever you could to preserve her sanctity.” She shook her head, amazed at the immensity of the task he’d taken upon himself. “You are like the lone sentinel, the only one who knows her secrets, the only one left to protect them.”
She walked to him, pulling apart his stiffly crossed arms. “You’ve come back to her time and again. You’ve protected her for centuries, Rory. There is a reason you feel so tied to her. Somewhere inside is the secret that will set you free. I feel it, Rory. The answer is inside Stonelachen. We should be there, searching for it.”
“I will see my brother first. If the secret has been there all along, it will remain there.”
Cailean shook her head. “No—it’s both of us being there, now. It’s just something I feel, something I know.” She gripped his arms. “The answer is there, but this is the first time all the elements have been in place to unlock it.”
“Then we will both come back to it.”
She shook her head, frustration mounting.
“I hear what you say, Cailean.”
He pulled his arms from her and she let him go. “But you aren’t really listening, are you? You’re leaving anyway.”
He sighed again, but his expression softened, his voice gentled. “You have an understanding of me that runs far deeper than I expected. This connection we have terrifies me as much as it tantalizes me.”
He touched her face and she wanted to clutch at him, beg him to stay. She forced her hands to remain at her side, knowing what was coming by the sick knot of dread in her stomach.
“But I canno’ do as you ask.” He let his hand drop to his side and walked to the door. “I will see Duncan, with or without you.”
“You underestimated the power of a Claren Key once before. Are you so ready to make the same mistake twice?”
Rory turned on her, a new light in his eyes. “Do not toss that out lightly, Cailean Claren,” he said icily.
“I wouldn’t dare. I might have been confused by it before, but I am certain of it now. It’s that important, Rory.”
“And when did freeing me from the bonds of immortality take on such importance to you? Or is it that you are merely in a hurry to end these visions of yours?” He leaned his face into hers. “You have lived with your curse for a far shorter time than I have suffered mine. If I am willing to wait, so shall you be.”
“Even if it means losing the one chance you’ll have?”
“If you honestly think I believe you’ll leave me when you stand to gain as much as I do, well, perhaps you need to be more creative with your threats.” If she thought his tone was menacing before, she was chilled to the bone by what she saw in his eyes now.
“I don’t plan on going anywhere. But perhaps you’ll be interested in knowing that Delaney plans on selling the land you now reside on, land that contains Stonelachen and the key to your immortality.”
“What of it?” he said. “She will not find Stonelachen. Nor will anyone she might sell it to.”
“You could buy it.”
He bristled in outrage. “I willna be payin’ one pence for land that is already mine!”
“Fine. I know where Stonelachen is. Perhaps I’ll enlist her help in the hunt.”
He went completely still. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“If you leave, what other choice do I have?”
He crowded her back against the wall, pinning her there with his arms braced on either side of her. He leaned in until his eyes were level with hers. The word unholy came to mind again, but for entirely different reasons.
“We all have choices, Cailean. It appears I’ve made another bad one. Three hundred years and I choose to once again trust a Claren. I must be more a fool than even I thought possible.”
“Rory—” If there had just been the anger of betrayal in his eyes, she might have withstood it. But there was pain there, well hidden, but there nonetheless for the person who knew where to look for it.
She reached up between them and cupped his face. “I’m not cowering before you. No matter how fierce you are. And, standing here I can fully appreciate how fine a warrior you must have made. Still make.” She kept her hand where it was, stroking his cheek, his jaw. It twitched under her touch.
“I won’t betray you,” she said softly. “I couldn’t. But you weren’t listening and I had to get your attention.”
“Ye’ve accomplished the task.”
She would have smiled, but his gaze was still far too unyielding. “It’s that important, Rory. If you have truly placed any of your trust in me then believe that we have to stay. It will work out with Duncan. I can’t tell you how I know that, but I do. You have to trust me.”
Someone knocked hard on the door, startling them both. Rory went to pull away and Cailean wanted to scream in frustration. If he left now, it would be over. She gripped his head in her hands and he stilled. “Don’t go.” She held his gaze tautly. “Promise me, Rory.”
“Cousin Cailean?” came a shout from the hallway. “It’s me, Delaney.”
“Promise me.”
He held her gaze and she clearly saw the battle that raged inside him.
“Until we talk to Delaney, at least.” The knock came again. “Please, Rory.”
“You talk to her,” he said at length, “then we’ll decide what is to be done.”
“I won’t let us down,” she said fervently. She leaned in to kiss him, meaning for it to be a quick affirmation of her pledge.
He had her flat up against the wall and was deep in her mouth before she could blink. She responded without a moment’s hesitation.
The knocking came again, but he didn’t seem to care. Cailean found she didn’t either.
Rory finally pulled his mouth from hers. “No matter what happens, we are bonded in this quest, Cailean. We will see it through together, you and I. Wherever it takes us.”
“We will not part until it is done.” He kissed her again, short, hard, and fast. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
He moved away and she gulped in air and smoothed her hands through her hair. What a way to meet her newest relation.
She opened the door just as the small woman on the other side raised her fist to knock again. The woman quickly pulled her hand back and smoothly shifted the action into an offer of a handshake. “You must be Cailean,” she said, a bright grin on her face. “I’m your cousin, Delaney Claren.” Her laugh was deep and surprisingly rich coming from such a small person, and incredibly infectious.
“Hello.” The woman’s
grip was quite firm, Cailean thought, as Delaney released her hand. “Come on in.”
Delaney moved into the room with the same sort of feline grace she’d exhibited with her handshake maneuver. Her frame was on the petite side, but she packed a lot of curve into the tiny package. She wore black jeans that fit her like they’d been custom-made and a short jacket that emphasized her narrow waist, not to mention the upper part of the hourglass figure. Her dark hair was wavy and cut very short, with wisps that framed her face in a gamine sort of way. It was the perfect foil for those eyes. All in all, Delaney Claren packed quite a wallop.
“Oops, you’re not alone,” Delaney said, yanking Cailean from her musings. “Hi,” she said, walking over to Rory, who was now standing by the window. “I’m Delaney Claren.”
“So I’ve heard,” he said.
Cailean turned. “This is Rory MacKinnon.” She watched for a reaction to the last name, but there was none.
Delaney didn’t seem remotely offended by Rory’s less than enthusiastic demeanor. In fact, she grinned and said, “I’ve obviously intruded at a bad time.” She shot a wink at Cailean. “Not bad,” she mouthed silently. She turned back to Rory, appearing completely guileless, though she had to know he hadn’t missed her little display.
Cailean should have been annoyed, but she found herself charmed despite herself.
“I’m really sorry to storm the place like this. It’s just that I wasn’t planning on staying long and I wasn’t sure how long you planned to be here.”
Cailean spoke. “Well, I was—”
“Just checking out actually,” Rory interjected.
Delaney looked between the two of them for a moment, easily picking up on the undercurrents running between them. Not only was she charming and gorgeous as hell, she was sharp.
Delaney smiled brightly. “Well, then I guess it’s good I caught you when I did. Can I interest you two in an early lunch, tea perhaps? I really want a chance to talk to you, Cailean. I had no idea I even had a relative, you or Lachlan for that matter. I have a million questions and who knows when we’ll cross paths again.”
“Where do you live?” Cailean asked.
“The world is my hotel,” she said. “But originally, Kansas.” She raised a hand. “I know, but please, no Dorothy jokes. I’ve heard them all.”
Cailean was curious. “I travel a lot as well. What do you do?”
“I’m a liaison to Uncle Sam,” she said easily.
“Another way of saying spy or agent,” Rory added, just as easily.
Delaney turned to him without pause and said, “Actually no, I’m a civilian. I lecture and teach defensive training to both the military and the government. My specialty is antiterrorism.”
Rory didn’t blink, but he did incline his head briefly. “Interesting occupation.”
She smiled. “I actually think you meant that. I didn’t even hear the inferred ‘for a woman’ at the end of that statement.”
“I would never make the mistake of underestimating the abilities of any woman.” He didn’t so much as glance as Cailean, but Delaney had no apparent problem in picking up on that underlying message either.
“What is it that you do?” she asked Cailean, smoothly shifting her attention.
“I’m a forensic anthropologist. I specialize in DNA analysis.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Impressive,” she said. “Wow, are we an interesting family or what?”
You don’t know the half of it, Cailean thought. She wanted to tell her about Maggie, but while her instincts told her Delaney was on the up and up, she wasn’t going to reveal anything until she had more proof than her word on it.
“So, you say you’d never heard of Lachlan before you got word of your inheritance?”
Delaney shook her head. “No, but that’s not all that surprising. I was orphaned pretty young.” She paused for a second. “What?”
Cailean hadn’t thought she’d been that transparent. “Nothing. I didn’t know him either. I was orphaned young myself.” As had been the case with Maggie. Cailean didn’t need further convincing that the curse was real, but it still gave her a little shiver.
“Isn’t that a strange coincidence,” Delaney commented. “I guess it took them a while to track you down too, then.”
Cailean nodded. “Peru. I was on a project there.”
“Bosnia and Kazakstan,” she said in response.
“So,” Cailean said, breaking the sudden silence. “You said Lachlan left you some land?”
“Yeah, he did. And I have to admit I’m more drawn to this place than I counted on being.” She shot Rory a smile. “Lovely country you have here, by the way.”
“We try,” he responded, looking almost amused.
Cailean fought a smile. Delaney was getting to him.
“Well, keep up the good work,” she shot back, then shifted her attention back to Cailean. “Anyway, I love the land and the area and as much as I find myself wanting to stay and dig around a bit, my schedule—and my whole life is a schedule quite frankly—just won’t allow for it. And even then, I don’t have the funds to maintain such a large chunk of real estate. The inheritance taxes alone would sink me. So, as much as it pains me, I’m going to have to sell it.”
Rory stalked over to the window, dismissing them both. Cailean opened her mouth to make an apology for his rudeness, then closed it again. He could correct his own social blunders. Not that he would.
But then, he hadn’t encountered one Delaney Claren. Cailean watched with avid interest as her cousin stood and walked over to him.
“It’s not that I don’t respect my heritage,” she said to his back.
He looked at her then.
“I simply have no choice.”
Rory looked directly over her head at Cailean. “We all have choices.”
She followed his gaze, then gave him a considering look. “I suppose. But mine is to sell my inheritance.” Delaney frowned for the first time. “Why does what I choose to do with that land bother you?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion and she turned toward him in what could only be called a defensive posture. “Or did you think she would inherit the land maybe? Is that what you’re upset about? That you’ll have to pay for it instead of having it given to you?”
Rory snorted in disgust, but Delaney shifted positions when he tried to walk past her. Raising an eyebrow, obviously questioning her dubious decision to challenge him, he remained where he was. “When I want something I tend to be direct about it. But perhaps you have a point. Perhaps it is time for the MacKinnons to take back what has always been rightfully theirs. You Clarens never were able to hold on to the place. If it will keep you from tossing it about like a nuisance, then own it I will, in every way it is possible to claim it.” He looked passed her, dismissing her easily. “No Claren will have to worry about ‘maintaining the property’ ever again.”
Delaney jerked his attention just as easily back to her. “You assume a great deal, Mr. MacKinnon.” Gone completely was the warm, congenial charmer. Cailean wondered how often her opponents misjudged just how much a threat she could pose. Cailean looked at Rory and fought a smile. His mind probably held more knowledge about more things than any other man on earth, yet, apparently when it came to Claren women, he was destined to learn the hard way.
“You assume the property will be for sale to you,” she said. “It is not.”
“I don’t believe I mentioned anything about purchasing it,” he said silkily.
Cailean expected to see sparks and flames when Delaney’s temper blew, but if anything, her control became icier and more rigid. A worthy opponent indeed.
“Then I assure you, MacKinnon, that if Cailean and I come to any kind of agreement about this property, I will have it drawn up so that you will never be able to claim ownership of so much as one pebble of it, even if she’s foolish enough to marry you.”
“There are other ways of claiming land that do no’ include money or marriage, Ms. Claren.”
; “And what ways would they be?”
Rory leaned back against the window and folded his arms, the casual pose far more menacing than any in-your-face posturing. “Why, war, Ms. Claren. You know all about war, don’t you?”
Cailean wasn’t certain what reaction Rory had hoped to elicit, but gauging from his stormy expression it was not the broad smile that Delaney bestowed him with. “Why yes, as a matter of fact I do.” She held out her hand. “May the best man, or woman, win.”
Rory took her hand. And an instant later found himself lying flat on his back. The floor shook from the impact.
“Rule number one: Never underestimate your opponent.” She bent over him, smiling sweetly. “And here I thought you didn’t make that mistake.” She turned to a gaping Cailean. “I’m so sorry, but he really was rude. Would you like to have that tea now?” She walked to the door. “Maybe we’d better make it a beer.” She leaned on the door handle and massaged her lower back. “Damn, but he’s heavy.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Cailean motioned Delaney to a booth in a quiet corner of the small hotel restaurant. She swore she could hear Rory stalking the room above like a caged lion. His glare as she’d followed Delaney from the room burned in her brain.
But no matter how furious he was, she knew he was a man of his word. He wouldn’t leave without her.
“What’ll you have?” Delaney asked brightly as she seated herself across from Cailean.
“Oh, uh, tea is fine.” She hadn’t even noticed the waitress standing beside them. “Maybe some cheese and crackers, too?” She’d quickly come to like that particular Scottish favorite and right now she wasn’t sure her stomach could take anything more than that.
Delaney ordered the roast special and the best ale they served. The young woman smiled as she jotted it down, and hurried off.
Delaney sighed. “I could definitely get used to eating here. These people are serious about their meat and potatoes. A country after my own heart.”
“You’d have to roll me out of the door if I ate like that on a daily basis.”
The Legend Mackinnon Page 23