The MacLomain Series: A New Beginning Boxed Set (Books 1-4)

by Purington, Sky

  “Well,” Lindsay said. “He always seemed more accepting than normal about it. Almost as if he knew it was coming...that Adlin was coming.”

  “That’s weird,” Milly murmured.

  “We always thought so,” Lindsay agreed. “But I would not be upset with yourself over it, Milly. It wasn’t your fault, and I know Jim never held it against you.”

  Milly eyed Lindsay, a little surprised by how close she and her ex apparently were.

  “No.” Lindsay shook her head. “Don’t you look at me like that, Milly. It was never like that between Jim and me.”

  “Though it could be now,” Milly said.

  “What, and fight Christina for his affection?” Lindsay smiled. “Because it’s clear he desires her, wouldn’t you say?”

  It seemed Lindsay didn’t miss much.

  “He might have.” Milly grinned and shrugged. “Before he met Blair.”

  “No!” Lindsay admonished, her face as animated as ever. “The warrior Scotswoman and Jim?”

  “He spent the night in her tent.”

  “How delicious.” Lindsay laughed. “Things might have been atrocious since arriving here but news such as that...well....” She shook her head, still chuckling. “Makes it all worth it.”

  Milly chuckled as well. It was a hell of a match up, but Jim seemed smitten, and Blair was gorgeous.

  “So where did your ring go, Lynds,” Milly murmured as their chuckles died down. “Because I know you had one when you first traveled back in time.”

  “I gave it to Grant.” Lindsay’s eyes went to Milly’s in surprise. “Did he not tell you?”

  “Nope.” Milly’s gaze turned to the fire in contemplation. So as he and Adlin dropped that bombshell last night, Grant had Lindsay’s ring and never cared to mention it? A ring with a gem that apparently matched Adlin’s eyes? “How did you know, Lynds?” Her eyes returned to her friend. “How did you know that the gem in the center of your ring was supposed to match your one true love’s eyes?”

  “What are you talking about?” Lindsay appeared genuinely confused. “I only just learned about what the rings can do this morning.”

  “But last night you said your gem matched Adlin’s eyes,” Milly explained. “You told him he held your heart.”

  “While yes, the gem in my ring matches Adlin’s eyes,” Lindsay shook her head, amused, “I knew nothing about this true love connection. Even if I did, I would never believe it. At least not when it comes to me.” Her eyes grew a little wider. “And I most certainly would not imply to Adlin that he was my true love.”

  Well, that was curious, but then Lindsay was drugged, so maybe it was just a fluke.

  Milly was about to say more when the men returned.

  “’Tis time to leave,” Adlin said. “’Twill not be a long ride. Grant knows a place we can house safely and be ready to battle at nightfall when they cross.”

  “How do you know that’s when it’s going to happen?” Milly shook her head. “I don’t remember seeing that in my vision.”

  “Because our enemy is a warlock.” He wrapped a fur around her shoulders as Conall doused the flames and Graham saw to Lindsay. “Which means his power is greatest at night.”

  “Not only that but ‘tis wise to cross and travel north at nightfall,” Conall said. “’Tis a better time to catch Wallace and Moray’s men unaware.”

  “I know it’s over the border, but I’m surprised Moray doesn’t have at least a few men positioned down this way in anticipation of something like this happening,” Milly said. “He doesn’t strike me as the type to take chances.”

  “Nay, he isnae,” Adlin said. A wry grin came to his mouth as they exited. “Not at all.”

  Sure as heck, Andrew Moray was standing outside talking with Grant and Aðísla. He nodded at Milly then looked at Adlin, loathing in his voice. “I have told Grant I wish to fight the traitorous Lundie. I’ve men with me to help.”

  Adlin looked at Grant who seemed undecided.

  “’Twould be unwise, would it not?” Adlin said. “We cannae risk Moray being absent at the Stirling Bridge battle.” He shook his head. “We cannae risk anything happening to him.”

  Grant appeared to contemplate it before he finally spoke. “Ye and yer men can help but not in the way yer thinking.”

  When Moray frowned, not pleased, Grant continued. “Thanks to a friend of mine.” He nodded at Lindsay. “I’ve learned that Cressingham and the Earl are still having doubts about how they wish to go about the attack. Whilst heading south where Lundie suggested is no longer going to happen as far as they know, they continue to question their strategy. Something we cannae afford. I need ye and yers to see that they cross and battle at that bridge by any means necessary.”

  “But this battle is fated, is it not?” Moray looked from Adlin to Grant. “So why should I concern myself with such things?”

  “Because as Grant said,” Lindsay kicked in, “they may go about the attack another way entirely.”

  Moray frowned at her. “And who are you?”

  “Lindsay.” Her eyes went to Milly in apology before they returned to Andrew. “And I’m fairly certain you are going to need my help.”

  Milly frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  Then it occurred to her. Lindsay not only had quite an impact on Cressingham but possibly the Earl and intended to use it to everyone’s advantage.

  “Oh, hell no, Linds.” She shook her head. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “No,” Lindsay said calmly. “If anyone can get them to charge that bridge, it’s me. Especially if it’s Cressingham at the lead.” She shrugged, appearing far too sure of herself. “And is it not the perfect excuse to brush up on my acting skills some more?” She put the back of her hand to her forehead and pretended to swoon. “I’ll be the best damsel in distress anyone ever saw.”

  “I don’t like this,” Milly started, but Grant cut her off.

  “This may be just the thing,” he murmured as he looked at Lindsay. “Are you sure you want to do this, lass? ‘Twill be verra dangerous.”

  “No more dangerous than any other audition,” Lyndsay said dryly then winked. “There are always at least two dozen of the enemy who want to stab me in the back at those.”

  “This is so not the same thing.” Milly took Lindsay’s hand and shook her head. “Stay with me. Don’t do this. You’re putting your life on the line, Linds.”

  “As are you,” Lindsay reminded. There was no missing the well-repressed anger as her eyes went from Bryce to Milly. “They’re capable of awful things. If I’m able to help stop them, let me, okay? And trust that I’m a survivor so if things don’t go as planned, I’ll find a way out. I’ll be all right.”

  Again, Milly felt taken aback by her friend. Proud of her in a way she never imagined possible. By how well she was taking all this. Her courage and cleverness in the face of what had to be so much fear.

  “I’m damn impressed by you,” she whispered and hugged her. “I love you, sweetie.”

  “Well, I would hope so.” Lindsay notched her chin and flicked her hair back in a sensual fashion that drew every man’s attention but Adlin’s and Grant’s. “I can be quite fabulous on occasion.”

  “Yes you can,” Milly agreed.

  “Will ye see Lindsay back then?” Grant asked Moray. “Will ye keep her well protected until we return then allow her to help in the battle?”

  Moray considered Lindsay for a moment as she met his eyes with determination and maybe a dash of challenge. It was clear her friend knew how to deal with Andrew because though there might have been a smidge of exasperation in his sharp eyes, there was also respect.

  “I will see the lass back to the encampment and well protected,” Moray finally agreed. “Under the condition that Aðísla travels with her.”

  Adlin shook his head. They would need the Viking to help Milly.

  It seemed Grant was of a different mind though because he nodded. “As you wish.”

  �
��I will go as well,” Graham volunteered. “’Twould be best if—”

  “’Twould be best if ye thought with yer head instead of yer cock,” Grant interrupted. “Ye’ll stay with us, lad. We’ll need yer strength.”

  “Och,” Graham muttered but knew better than to question Grant as he whistled and his horse trotted over. “She’ll at least have my horse then.”

  “Do not be a fool. You will need your horse, MacLomain,” Aðísla said as she swung onto her mount, trotted over to Lindsay and held her hand down. “Come, ride with me.”

  Lindsay nodded and swung up fairly smoothly before her eyes returned to Milly. “I’ll be okay, darling. Just focus on what you need to do now, all right?”

  Milly nodded. “I will.” She squeezed Lindsay’s hand. “Stay safe, please. I’ll see you in less than a day.”

  “Yes you will,” Lindsay assured before Moray swung onto his horse and Aðísla and Lindsay followed him into the woods.

  “I wish ye all good luck,” Moray tossed over his shoulder without looking back. “If ye’ve half the mind, flay Richard Lundie for me, aye? ‘Twould warm my heart in ways ye couldnae imagine.”

  It did not go unnoticed that he left off Lundie’s title.

  “We should set out,” Grant said. “The day dwindles, and we need to get into position by this eve.”

  All agreed and mounted, but Milly didn’t miss the fact Conall kept an uneasy eye in the direction that Lindsay had gone. Did he sense something was wrong? Did he know something they didn’t?”

  “Nay, lass,” Adlin said softly as they headed south. “Conall just doesnae ken his own heart is all.”

  “His own heart?” She glanced over her shoulder at him, surprised. “You think Conall has a thing for Lindsay?”

  “Aye,” he said. “And ‘tis likely he feels strongly considering his behavior.”

  “Is that right,” she replied, keeping her voice down. “Because Conall seemed pretty distant and downright irritated with her most of the time.”

  “He was,” Adlin agreed. “Which tells me he has fallen hard, indeed.”

  Milly couldn’t help a small chuckle. “She really knows how to leave a wake of men behind her.”

  “Och, not so much Graham,” he commented. “And most certainly not Bryce.”

  She wasn’t that bad at reading men, was she? “You’re out of your mind.” She shook her head. “Graham was so far gone it was almost embarrassing.”

  “Aye, so it seemed even to me at first,” he agreed. “Until he kept with his ‘ye’s’ instead of ‘you’s.’ ‘Tis a sure sign his heart isnae truly into woo’ing the lass.”

  “You know, I was wondering about that.” She liked how he kept one strong arm around her waist at all times. “He’s the only one who does it.”

  “Aye,” Adlin said. “Because he’s plotting, that one. Scheming a way out of having to see through these rings and their connections.”

  “By being so chivalrous and dashing to us twenty-first century women?” She arched her brows at him over her shoulder, mocking. “How dare he.”

  “Trust me, I dinnae know his reasons yet, but he’s up to something,” Adlin said. “And ‘tis trying to avoid being with any of you.”

  Interesting. And damn strange. But Adlin knew Graham far better than her so he would know.

  Which brought her mind to the fiercest of them all. “And Bryce?”

  “Och, bloody dragons.” But there was amusement in his voice. “He’s yours until the ring says otherwise then he’ll seek out your friends in hopes to find a way out of his betrothal.”

  “That’s sad for the woman he’s meant to marry,” she commented.

  “Nay, not really.” They fell in behind Blair’s horse as they followed a tight path through thick woods. His voice grew softer. “His intended bride is one of few lasses that want nothing to do with him. She swears he’s the son of the devil because of his dragon blood.”

  “Oh no,” she murmured, almost forgetting what a superstitious age it was. “Because she buys into the supposed fact he’s a dragon.”

  “Supposed?” There was surprise in Adlin’s voice. “Do you mean you still dinnae believe he’s half dragon after how quickly he healed?”

  “Well, he is a wizard, isn’t he?”

  “Aye, but we cannae heal like that, lass.”

  Milly didn’t respond because what did she really know about wizards. What did she really know about dragons for that matter? Only what she had read about in one mythology book or another. Yet here she sat doubting their existence when time travel, magic, witches, and wizards existed. Pretty silly she supposed. But dragons? That was a little extra leap.

  “So Conall is smitten despite himself,” she said. “And Graham and Bryce are, one way or another, trying to get out of doing what they’re supposed to.”

  “Aye,” Adlin said. “Pretty much.”

  “Wonderful,” she whispered, sending up a little prayer for her poor friends.

  “I dinnae like what you’re about to do for us, Milly,” he said softly. “Might you not reconsider?”

  “No way. Not if it means saving so many.” She met his eyes again. “Not if it means saving you.”

  “’Tis all too unpredictable,” he muttered. “There’s no way to know if I can protect you.”

  “Then have faith in Blair,” she replied. “Because I do. I know she’ll see me safely through this.”

  Adlin’s grumble was incoherent, but she knew it had to do with Grant allowing Aðísla to leave with Moray.

  “Blair and I will figure it out, Adlin.” Milly turned her eyes ahead again. “You just have to have a little faith.”

  The truth was they were both banking on Grant knowing more than he was letting on because as far as she knew, Aðísla was the key to this whole process. Or at least some of it. Because the Viking was the only one who could access Milly’s third eye when she was in a trance.

  “I think ‘tis like this,” Grant said later that day as they made camp inside a small cave. He held Milly’s hand and tapped the ring. “Both times this took you elsewhere ‘twas because of strong feelings for Adlin. The first time because you were nearly intimate. The second because you feared for his life, aye?”

  “Yeah, you could say that.” She glanced at the ring. “So you’re saying that I can access the power of this thing when I have strong emotions for Adlin?”

  “I would say so, aye.” Grant looked from Adlin to Milly. “And I propose an experiment to test the theory.”

  “What kind of experiment?”

  “Come, join me.” His eyes met Adlin’s and then fixed on Bryce. “You two as well.”

  Milly frowned but followed as Grant led them further into the dark cave toward the sound of crashing water. Seconds later, a waterfall came into view that poured into a small pond.

  “Och, Laird MacLeod, now is not the time to take out yer vengeance on me,” Adlin grumbled out of the blue. “Just ken that ye willnae have Milly,” he said through clenched teeth. “Not now or ever.”

  Milly frowned at him and shook her head. Why was he pulling this all of a sudden? Or should she say again. Because it reminded her of his behavior at the stream and they had come pretty far since then.

  “I’ll have her if she’s meant for me,” Bryce growled.

  “Not while I’m still alive,” Adlin challenged.

  “Then mayhap ‘tis time to see how strong ye really are, wizard,” Bryce shot back.

  Milly’s eyes widened as the men freed their swords and went after each other. What the hell? Was this some kind of joke? She glanced at Grant and shook her head. “Are you going to let this happen?”

  They were supposed to be focusing on how to help her not exercise their male egos.

  “Och, lassie, sometimes ‘tis best if men settle things the way they see fit,” Grant said. “Despite unfortunate timing.”

  Was he kidding? He had to be. Because this was getting a bit too alpha crazy for her taste. These men were better than
this. Adlin was better than this.

  Yet he and Bryce cursed at each other and fought like madmen, slashing and ducking, nearly taking each other’s life several times until Bryce got the upper hand. He drove Adlin back so quickly with his sword, Milly’s heart leapt into her throat.

  This was too much. It had to stop.

  When was it going to stop?

  Suddenly, Bryce slashed, Adlin teetered then fell backward right off the cliff.

  “No,” Milly cried. Terrified for him, she didn’t think but dove after him only to see a flash of blue and find herself somewhere else entirely. She floated in the pond at the foot of the waterfall as Adlin crashed down into the water. Calm and focused, she dove after him only to hear him whisper in her ear, “Wake up, Milly...follow my voice and wake up.”

  She did until her eyes snapped open and she was again standing on the cliff. Grant, Adlin, and Bryce watched her closely.

  “Welcome back,” Adlin murmured as he cupped her cheeks and brushed his lips across hers. “And thank you for trying to save me.”

  As he pulled away, she realized what they had done. Staged a situation that made her fear for Adlin’s life. “How did...” She looked between Adlin and Bryce. “I saw you go over, Adlin.”

  “’Twas just a bit o’ magic,” he said. “To show you how quickly you can project yourself out of your body now. How you can perceive and relay back to me everything you’re seeing and doing.”

  “So you caught all that?” she whispered as her heart hammered. “You never plunged to your death? You tricked me? And as you did you used our mental connection and saw everything I did?”

  He grinned, quite pleased with himself. “Aye.”

  Well, wasn’t that something. Fresh anger bubbled up.

  “So you allowed me to feel like that for an experiment?” Her eyes widened as she poked his chest. “To think your cousin had just ended you and I might never see you again?”

  “Well, ‘twas not quite like that,” Adlin said carefully, wary now as he realized how upset she was.

  “It was exactly like that, Adlin!” Baffled, Milly eyed him for a moment before she headed back the way they came. She understood why they had to do it like that, but it didn’t make her thundering heart any calmer. She had thought she was going to lose him and it scared the living crap out of her.