Highland Protector (MacCoinnich Time Travels Book Five)

by Bybee, Catherine

  “Don’t leave the property,” Simon warned them. “Jake wasn’t kidding when he said the neighbors will report you if you walk around obviously armed.”

  “Protecting her with one hand will prove difficult without weapons.”

  Simon nodded his approval and Gavin and Amber retrieved his weapons before they stepped outside.

  “Tell me, how does this change in the future?” Amber asked as they left the house.

  He looked around, offered a half smile. “The fortress expands well beyond the boundaries you see now. Adjacent properties, in all directions, are purchased and a wall is built around everything.”

  “Like MacCoinnich Keep?”

  “I suppose you could compare the two, but the Keep is much larger.”

  “I would think so.”

  “Over time, more Druids come to reside here. More families fill the homes around the compound.”

  “Why?”

  “For protection. For survival.”

  “Is the future so bleak?”

  “Compared to life in the sixteenth century…no. I suppose you’re better equipped to handle the coming changes than many. It’s those who live solitary lives in this time without any survival skills at all who fall first.”

  “Will there be another war?”

  They walked to the edge of the cobblestone driveway and started around the grassed in perimeter of the property. A small hillside sat on the North end of the land, offering some barrier of the neighbors on the other side. Much of the secluded land sat in the back of the house where Mrs. Dawson had constructed a flower garden and over two acres of lawn. Several stone benches gave those in the garden a place to sit and watch the natural wildlife frolic in the sanctuary provided.

  “More of a complete collapse of society. The economy survives for a little longer, but when it finally collapses and people aren’t able to feed their families, neighbors turn against neighbors. The cities have it hardest. Those who live out here, and beyond manage to survive if they can protect what’s theirs. The government of this country starts to unravel and they search for power that will help them gain control of the people.”

  Without Gavin voicing his meaning, Amber knew he meant magical power. Anyone abusing their power sickened her. “Which means we never stop hiding who we are.”

  He shook his head and lifted her hand, helping her around a small pond in the corner of Mrs. Dawson’s yard. “We band together, become stronger. Fortresses like this one become cities of themselves. Wells are dug for water, gardens are planted and livestock is gathered. Food can be obtained outside the walls, but we don’t depend on it.”

  “Sounds like home.” She tugged him over to a bench and sat to enjoy the fair weather. Gavin kept a constant eye on the world around him. “What about the Others?”

  “With the world in a constant power struggle, the population becomes susceptible to dictator. Many humans try, and some succeed for short periods of time. Imagine how far a powerful Druid could reach and control if—”

  “I don’t have to imagine. Grainna controlled a small army and affected everyone, Druid or not, before she was destroyed.”

  “I suppose you don’t.”

  “The Others are Druid?”

  “Yes. Collecting power, using theirs for personal gain.”

  She thought on this for a time and released a long-suffering sigh. “Who is your leader?”

  His eyes pinched together in thought. “There isn’t one power, or one Laird controlling anything. We work as a collective. All of us wish to survive and strive for a better life for our children.”

  Amber paused. “Do you have children?” A wife? She glanced at their joined hands.

  Gavin shook his head. “That’s not in my plan.”

  Part of her was relieved. The other part held a sliver of sorrow. “Doesn’t everyone want to find someone to share their life with?”

  “I’m a warrior, Amber. I’ve traveled in time more often than you. There’s always a possibility I won’t return. I won’t put another person through the anguish of not knowing what happened if I don’t return.”

  The sadness in his voice told her there was more to his explanation than he offered, but he didn’t elaborate, and Amber wasn’t about to probe his thoughts for their deeper meaning.

  “I suppose that’s fair. Sad, but fair.”

  “This from the woman who was ready to die before being educated on the male anatomy.”

  Heat rushed to her face but she refused to let him see her squirm. He was teasing her again, probably in an effort to make her more comfortable at his side. “I didn’t want to die.”

  “You were giving up.”

  She wanted to deny him, couldn’t. “A quick noble death is better than a slow useless death.” Amber noticed a bird land on a limb of a nearby tree. It cocked its head to the side as if it listened to them.

  “I understand the need to die in battle versus wasting away in a small, dark room.”

  “For years now, I wondered why I was spared… Why couldn’t I have perished when Grainna was destroyed instead of being forced to live the way I have?”

  Gavin placed a second hand over hers. “It wasn’t your time. And we will find a way to keep you from a slow, painful death.”

  She wanted to believe him. “And if we can’t, you must not blame yourself for letting go.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I’m not letting go.”

  Maybe not now…but sooner or later, you’ll have to.

  A fluttering in the tree caught her attention again. In it sat a large black crow.

  The breath in her lungs caught and chills ran up her arms. Crows were a common bird in this part of California, but she never did like seeing them. The omen they represented, the memory of Grainna taking the shape of a crow to fly among a flock to spy on her family sat firmly in Amber’s memory.

  “What is it?”

  She told herself the bird wasn’t watching them, but when she moved closer to Gavin’s side, the bird’s head turned toward him. As a child, she could tell if Druid thoughts were present in any animal around her. With the impaction of so many emotions inside of her, she hadn’t concentrated on an animal in years. Amber pushed against Gavin’s shield, reaching for the animal.

  “What are you doing?”

  “That bird…it’s watching us.”

  Gavin laughed. “It’s just a crow.” He stomped his foot intending to scare the bird off.

  It didn’t budge.

  The smile on Gavin’s face fell.

  Amber pushed against the shield again.

  “Stop doing that, Amber. It’s just a bird.” But even as the words left Gavin’s lips, she knew he worried the bird was something more.

  He stood and brought him with her.

  The bird watched them.

  “Let’s go inside.”

  Before they could step in that direction the crow took flight, aiming in their direction.

  Gavin shoved her behind him, removed one of his weapons, and started to fire.

  Inside Amber’s head started to scream. Laughter, chaos…pain blinded her. She hit the ground grabbing her head with both hands.

  ****

  The sound of laughter filled Kincaid’s head moments before the bird blew into chunks of feathers and blood and hit the ground. Several crows appeared from out of nowhere and flew away into the sky. More laughter assaulted his ears. He took aim at the other crows and noticed that both of his hands clasped to his gun.

  He lowered his weapon and swiveled around.

  Amber sat curled in a ball at his feet.

  He’d let her go. How could I have let her go?

  Kincaid placed a hand on her face and sat on the ground beside her. “Amber?”

  She whimpered and snuggled into him.

  He closed his eyes and heard the noise filling her, felt the pain threaten to take hold and not let go. He gathered her in his arms, reached under her shirt to maximize their contact. The places they touched sparked and brough
t wave after wave of pleasure. Like dipping in cool water on a hot day. “I’ve got you.”

  He closed his eyes, pulled power from the world around him and added layers to his shield. He dropped his lips to the top of her forehead and tried to calm the noise inside. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and kissed her head.

  She crawled into his warmth and the pain slowly eased. In his arms, her limbs loosened around him, reaching for skin. Seemed the barrier of clothing was too dense to feel the full power of his ability to shield her. One tiny hand wrapped around his neck, the other held his bare arm.

  They sat entangled in each other’s arms while the world calmed around them.

  The sweet scent of her skin, her hair, mixed with the realization that tears slid from her eyes.

  He kissed her temple and ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek to remove her tears. He knew the pain was getting better, even if worry that it would come back filled every inch of her.

  Her eyes fluttered open and looked up into his. His breath mixed with hers and caught in his chest. The need to keep her safe mixed with a heavy dose of desire and not in a sleazy guy way as Helen had so eloquently put it. But a need to taste Amber’s tears on her full lips and drive all the pain, all the anguish, away.

  Her eyes slid to his lips and she caught her lower lip in her teeth.

  Kincaid would probably curse himself later, but tasting her wasn’t something he was willing to wait to do any longer.

  He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, releasing it from her teeth and he leaned in and placed his lips on hers.

  Amber didn’t gasp in shock or push him away. No, the fingers caressing his neck kneaded his flesh and she moaned. The tiny sound vibrated through his body and every inch of his skin sang for more. He tilted her head back farther, parting her lips. He reminded himself he was kissing a woman who’d probably never been kissed before. The tip of his tongue licked her bottom lip, letting her get used to the sensation and intimacy.

  Shy at first, she opened for him, let him explore, and then matched his actions. Some kisses were more innocent than others. Their kiss went no further, even though Kincaid would have liked nothing more than to touch more of her, taste more of her. This seductive kiss was dangerous enough, but it did seem to be driving away the shadows in her head. So he kept kissing her as his erection strained against his tight pants. She hadn’t noticed…or if she did, it wasn’t bothering her enough to pull back.

  Breathless, she broke away and stared into his eyes. Innocent doe eyes blinked and brought him into focus. He loved that he’d brought out the fullness in her lips with his own and could only imagine what she’d look like after he’d made love to her.

  He shook the thought from his head, knowing she could read him if she tried hard enough.

  “Do you feel better?”

  “I do.”

  He looked around them, noticed a space free of unwanted birds. “We should go inside.”

  Her gaze fluttered to the sky. She shivered and wiggled off his lap.

  Chapter Eleven

  Millions of women throughout time had been kissed, but Amber couldn’t help question if every kiss felt as earth shattering as the one she’d shared with Gavin. The heat of his shield wrapped around her, pulling her closer to the man holding her, and his body welcomed hers like a lost member of a family. In Gavin’s arms, Amber felt like a woman for the first time in her twenty-nine years.

  At least if I die now, I’ll go to my grave with some knowledge of passion. She thought she’d never have an opportunity to experience anything so intimate. The thought of dying wiggled in right behind the elation of her first kiss. If it wasn’t for Gavin letting her go, she wouldn’t have collapsed and he wouldn’t have needed to cradle her the way he had.

  Amber knew protecting her might be a two-handed job. What would happen next time?

  We can’t hold hands forever.

  Gavin hesitated on the steps into Mrs. Dawson’s home and turned to her. “You’re not going to die.”

  “Perhaps not today.”

  Not happy with her response, Gavin pulled her alongside him into the house. Once inside he yelled. “Giles!”

  The door to the library was open and the librarian ran from the room. “What’s wrong?”

  “The perimeter has been breached.”

  Alarm filled Giles’s face. “Computer!” he called. “Oh, damn…that won’t work. What do we do?”

  “Gather Simon, Helen, and Mrs. Dawson and meet me in the safe room.” Gavin paused half way down the hall. “Wait…does Mrs. Dawson have a safe room yet?”

  “The iron vault in the basement?” Amber asked.

  “Perfect.”

  Moments later, the six of them packed into the twenty by twelve foot room with the vault door closed. Amber sensed Gavin’s irritated state as he glanced around the small room. “This is not going to work for long.”

  “What isn’t going to work? And why are we down here?” Simon asked.

  Gavin toed one of the boxes and dust plumed into the air. “When was the last time these provisions were rotated?”

  Mrs. Dawson sat in one of the three chairs in the room. “That would be back when Mr. Dawson was alive, I’m afraid. I didn’t see a need after he passed.”

  “Well, there’s a need now. The property has been breached.”

  “What does that mean?” Helen asked.

  “Before we discuss this we need to secure this room.”

  “The room is solid, Mr. Kincaid,” Mrs. Dawson told him.

  He offered a patient smile and said, “Not from entry, but from ears. Giles?”

  Giles nodded and patted down his pockets. “Oh, right!”

  Gavin reached to his leg, pulled up his pant leg, and retrieved a knife. He handed it to Giles who made a tiny cut on his finger. He walked around the room, placing a print on every corner.

  Amber and the others watched in fascination as the stoic librarian prepared the room for something.

  “Ready,” Giles told them.

  Gavin then lifted his free hand in the air and sparked a flame to each drop of blood. He squeezed her hand. “I’m going to have to expand my shield to the others. Or at least try. If the pain is too great I’ll pull back.”

  Amber stiffened her spine and gave a single nod.

  Gavin turned to the others. “For Amber’s sake, try and clear your minds.”

  The blue light shielding Amber and Gavin pulsated and grew. In an effort to ease her growing anxiety, Amber closed her eyes and concentrated on the warmth of the hand holding hers.

  She felt Giles first, then the hazy presence of Mrs. Dawson.

  I hope this works, was the thought in Giles’s head.

  Helen and Simon entered the circle at the same time. Concern from Simon threatened to swallow her. Helen was chanting the words. Think of nothing, think of nothing.

  “Amber?” Gavin’s soft voice had her opening her eyes.

  “I’m all right.”

  He leaned close to her ear. “You’re a terrible liar.”

  A dull ache punctured her brain and started to swell. “Just hurry.”

  Gavin wasted little time. “From this moment forward, inside this room, the protective arms of our ancestors, our brothers, and sisters shall filter out unwanted ears, unwanted eyes. As I bid it, make it so…give us a sign to let us know.”

  The small flames glowing from Giles’s blood expanded, and then burned out completely.

  Amber slumped against Gavin and the protective shield around the others returned to just the two of them.

  He led her to a chair and sat her down.

  She cursed the weakness inside her, hated the effort her body needed for a simple spell. Without the others in the shield, the pain instantly eased to a dull ache.

  “Better?” Gavin kissed the edges of her fingers.

  “Aye.”

  “Protective wards are sealing in the conversations in this room. I suggest if anything truly dire needs to be discussed, it happens
in here.”

  “How do we know if the wards are holding?” Simon asked.

  “Place your hand over the edges of the room.” Gavin instructed.

  Simon moved to the corner, waved a hand in the air, and drew it back shaking it as if it stung.

  “Simple enough? It will take more of us to place wards over the manor and property. With so few of us here, I’m not sure how successful we’ll be. Though two of you are MacCoinnich’s, I assume you’ll both be more successful than the rest of us.”

  “You do this in the future?” Helen asked.

  “More like maintain. Wards are piled upon over the years making them stronger with each generation.”

  “What happened that prompted this?” Simon asked.

  Gavin glanced at Amber then the others. “We noticed a crow watching us. When it didn’t scare away easily, we both knew it was more than an omen. Before I destroyed it I heard it laughing.”

  Amber hadn’t been sure if that had been in her imagination or not. She shivered, liking it better when she thought it was all in her head.

  “Breaching this compound is as easy as flying over or walking into it. We need to set wards and monitor—”

  “Wait…the crow was laughing? How’s that possible?” Helen asked.

  “We heard the laughter in our heads,” Amber told her.

  “But I thought the shield was protecting you from that kind of thing.”

  Disgust rolled through Gavin and hit Amber in her chest. “It wasn’t your fault,” she told him.

  He shook his head. “I let you go. I didn’t have to destroy the crow. It wouldn’t have been able to hurt us.”

  “Your instincts told you to shoot.”

  “You let Amber go?” Simon asked.

  “For a few seconds.”

  “I take it that didn’t work out very well,” Helen said.

  “The pain was instant and debilitating,” Gavin told them.

  “Let’s not lose focus here,” Amber redirected them. “A crow, quite possibly guided by a Druid, was feet away from us today. That hasn’t happened since…”

  “Since Scotland…since Grainna.” Simon’s words made those in the room pause.

  “Controlling animals was one of her gifts?” Gavin asked.