Dark Gathering

by Karlene Cameron

  “I can’t sit here and do nothing.” She stood and retrieved her pack, slinging it awkwardly on her shoulders and adjusting the weight so that it sat more comfortably against her back. She looked at Dani, who finished packing her bag and slung the bag over both shoulders.

  “Let’s go, LaFelle,” Dani said.

  “I’m on board, so long as you both are heading to the hacienda.” He eyed them quizzically.

  “Get your stuff, LaFelle,” she said, nodding toward his pack.

  He retrieved his pack, slinging it over his shoulder. Walking over to Caitriona, he slid her pack from her shoulders, silencing the protest that was sitting on her lips. “Chérie, you nearly died. Let me carry your pack.”

  She shook her head. “You’re impossible,” she scoffed, but she fell in beside him. Linking arms with her sister, they all started back down the hill, Nicolas lost in thoughts about her near-death experience.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Caitriona pushed the hair from her eyes and paced nervously, glancing occasionally at the large oak doors. It had been nearly eight hours since they’d arrived at the hacienda, and still no sign of Duncan. Something was wrong.

  “Sit down, Katerine,” Nicolas implored her.

  “I can’t sit, Nicolas. He’s out there somewhere,” she growled. “You and I both know he should have been back by now. We need to find him.”

  “Where would we start, chérie?” he questioned. She could hear the exasperation in his voice and it bothered her even more. “I will not risk your life. You know that.”

  She sighed and continued her measured pacing. She absently chewed her thumbnail, an old habit she had picked up as a child after she came to live with her aunt.

  “He won’t give up, chérie.”

  “Who?” she demanded. “Hawkins or Duncan?”

  “Fair point, Katerine. Which is why you need to stay out of the fray. Neither man is going to give you up without a fight.”

  “I’m not a piece of property that can be traded like baseball cards, Nicolas” she spat.

  “Hawkins plays by different rules, Katerine. You know that.”

  She sighed again, taking a seat on the plush settee next to Nicolas. He put his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I feel so helpless, Nicolas.”

  “I know, but you are right where you are supposed to be,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Duncan can’t complete his mission if he’s worried about you, Katerine.”

  Caitriona ran a hand through her long hair, combing the tangles with her fingers. She had been up for nearly 24 hours and the exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. Dark circles rimmed her eyes that were already bleary and burning. She needed rest. And she needed Duncan. Getting to her feet, she walked over to the side table that held an assortment of cheese, bread, and fruit. Her stomach did a slow rumble, reminding her she hadn’t eaten for almost a day. Still, nothing looked appetizing.

  “You should eat something, Katerine,” Nicolas implored, walking up behind her. “You need to consider the baby.”

  She harrumphed loudly and walked back to the settee. Nicolas frowned at her and started to scold her when she cocked her head to one side. She closed her eyes, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes flew open just as Duncan burst through the doors.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Duncan glanced around the room, his eyes settling on Caitriona. He could see that she was exhausted, now that the last of her fear-fed energy had dissipated. Her eyes were tired and yet, when they settled on him, grew bright with unshed tears.

  “I told you my magic wouldn’t fail you,” she choked, crossing the room and flinging her arms around him.

  Grinning, Duncan pulled her into his arms. He held her close, enjoying the feel of her against his body.

  “And I told ye, my love wouldna fail ye.” He watched as she released the tears she’d been holding back. His thumb brushed them away as his mouth found hers. Goddess, how he needed this woman. She was his salvation, the light to his darkness. “I lost ye once before, lass,” he said, pushing the hair from her eyes. “I dinna want tae spend another day like today thinking Hawkins had won.”

  “Duncan, we are at war,” she whispered, clinging to him. “Just because we have fought one very visible enemy doesn’t mean this war is over.”

  “But we are closer than we’ve ever been, my love,” he whispered, softly kissing her lips. The electricity arced between them, although it was insignificant at best. Duncan remembered feeling the absence of her energy after the battle. There is a cap to the energy she can draw, he thought.

  “Tell me he’s dead,” she whispered, her lips mere inches from his. Her voice trembled with unshed emotion.

  He shook his head, the look in her eyes a painful reminder of his inability to keep her safe. He pushed her hair off her face, wishing the outcome would have been different. Hawkins had once again slipped through their fingers as what remained of his troops retreated. Duncan wanted to pursue, but several of his men had sustained heavy injuries, necessitating his decision to abort the pursuit.

  Nicolas cleared his throat, reminding him they were not alone.

  “I have some training maneuvers to go over with Dani,” Nicolas said, crossing the room to the door.

  Caitriona flashed him a strained smile. “We’ll catch up with you two at dinner.”

  “Ouí, chérie. Try to get some rest before then.”

  Duncan thought he detected a hint of irritation in LaFelle’s voice, but he was gone before Duncan could give it another thought.

  “LaFelle is right,” Duncan told her, skimming his thumb along her lip. “Ye need to get some rest, Alainn.”

  “You’re hurt,” she murmured.

  “Just a few scratches ‘tis all, lass,” he lied.

  She nuzzled against him. “Do you think this child will ever see peace?” Caitriona whispered.

  “That’s what I’m fighting for,” Duncan whispered in her ear before his mouth captured hers.

  She was the first to break the kiss, her hand fisting in his hair. An appreciative smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he recalled the first time he had met Caitriona on the bus. Her ill-fitted, plain clothing did little to accent the curves of her body or capture the highlights in her hair. You deserve only the finest, tailored gowns, Duncan mused. His hands rubbed her shoulders, enjoying the satiny smooth feel of her skin beneath his hands. It had been too long since he’d been with her.

  As if reading his mind, she pressed her lips to his, drawing his lower lip in and sucking gently as her tongue sought his. He responded with a hunger of his own, his growing hardness evidence of the effect she had on him.

  This time when she broke the kiss, he started to protest, but her fingers silenced the words on his lips.

  “Duncan, I love you,” she confessed.

  “Shh,” he said, pushing the hair from her eyes.

  “No, I need to say this,” she told him. “I love you. I won’t fight you anymore. I won’t try to go home. I’m yours and nothing will change that. I will stand beside you and fight with you from now until my dying breath.” Her emotions were raw, the words tumbling out of her, unrehearsed and unbidden.

  “Catie, lass, I am responsible for ye and every person under my protection. ‘Tis a responsibility I dinna take lightly, and one that I canna walk away from.”

  “I know,” she told him. “I’m not asking you to. But please don’t shut me out or put me in a glass case. I’m stronger than you think. I would not have chosen this life, but I’m here, and I’m yours, completely.”

  “Och, Catie,” he said before his mouth captured hers. Her lips were soft, yet demanding. She radiated confidence, the energy that connected them leaving a trail between them. His lips immediately missed the warmth of their connection when he pulled away.

  “I ken ye didna fash yerself on this path and I never expected ye’d ever call this place home. But it doesna mean ye weren’t meant to be here with
me and tae use yer magic in this war.”

  “I know. I’ve thought about this, Duncan, and…”

  He placed his finger on her lips and motioned for her to be quiet. His warrior senses were on full alert. Craning his head, he thought he heard weapons being fired. Stepping away from her, he glanced out the window of the hacienda. All was quiet. Too quiet, he thought.

  “What is it, Duncan?” Caitriona asked, her voice tinny with fear.

  He pulled the next-gen gun from his holster, checking the sites. Taking the weapon off safety, he handed her the weapon. She looked at it, and then at him, worry dotting her forehead.

  “If anythin’ comes through that door, fire.”

  “What’s going on, Duncan?” she asked, taking the weapon from him. “Where are you going?”

  “I think we’ve got company,” he replied, looking for the guards that should have been stationed outside the door. “The guards are gone,” he told her, drawing his claymore. “Stay put.”

  “Duncan, don’t leave me here,” she implored.

  “I’ve got a score tae settle with Hawkins, assuming he’s foolish enough tae return,” he snarled, and then softened when he saw the fear in her eyes. “I will send yer guards. But I need tae do this, lass. None of us are safe until that man is dead.”

  “Duncan, no!” she pleaded. “He’ll kill you.”

  He walked over to her and crushed her to him, his mouth finding hers in an all-consuming kiss that left them both breathless.

  “Maybe, but nae today, lass,” he told her as he shifted the Claymore to his left hand. “Dinna leave this room,” he reiterated. Brushing one last kiss across her lips, he disappeared into the darkness.

  Caitriona fired her weapon in rapid succession, the sound of laser fire deafening in the small room. The soldier returned fire, knocking the weapon from her hand. She cradled her injured hand, blood dripping from her fingers. Ducking behind a large table, she cupped her hands over her ears, crouching low as a blast of fire overhead sent an avalanche of loose plaster raining down on her head. She choked on the dust that filled the air as she scrambled in a stooped position to reach the door. Keeping low, she peered outside. Seeing no one, she ran across the courtyard, her heart beating an erratic staccato as she fought the fear that was threatening to consume her.

  Hearing a next-gen weapon being powered, she dove to the ground and rolled just as the weapon discharged, sending showers of debris in her path. She scrambled to her feet and ran behind the hacienda’s gazebo just as another round of fire ripped the landscape in front of her. Hearing shouts, she spotted Duncan and Lee as they took up a stance near the back entrance. Even at this distance, she could see the fury on Duncan’s face as he spotted her.

  Waving his claymore at her, he motioned her back toward the hacienda. She was paralyzed to do more than just stare at him. He was at his element in battle and surrounded by his men. She marveled at the way he held his claymore and commanded his men, sure of himself and the cause they continued to fight for. He gestured again, breaking her trance.

  She shook her head. Looking around to ensure the path was clear, she took off at a run toward Duncan.

  “No, Catie,” Duncan’s voice thundered across the courtyard.

  She froze in her tracks, the realization coming too late that Hawkins and his men had overtaken the courtyard and the hacienda.

  Duncan sprang toward her, but it was Hawkins who reached her first, fisting his hand in her hair and pulling her in front of him so that she was effectively a shield against the Templars’ weapons.

  “Don’t get in my way, MacKinnon!” Hawkins yelled as he pulled viciously on Caitriona’s hair, jerking her head up so that Duncan was forced to see the fear on her face.

  “Duncan won’t let you live, Hawkins,” she hissed, her voice even and controlled despite the fear that was coursing through her body.

  “We’ll see about that, my pet. We’ll see.” He yanked on her hair again, causing her to yelp, her hands flailing as she tried to relieve the pressure on her head.

  “Join me, Caitriona,” he purred against her ear. “MacKinnon is unworthy of your power. I will give you everything you desire.”

  “Not everything,” she hissed.

  “I’m sure we can come to an agreement, my pet,” he sniggered.

  “Let her go, Hawkins,” Duncan yelled, tossing his claymore in front of him and putting his hands in the air. “Your quarrel is with me, not the lass.”

  “How right you are, MacKinnon,” Hawkins chuckled. “But I still have no intention of giving my prize to you.”

  “What good is she to you, Hawkins?” Duncan growled.

  No sooner were the words out of Duncan’s mouth than Caitriona knew the answer. Hawkins wanted her for the simple pleasure of being able to claim her as his own. While there was a certain amount of perverseness that came with Hawkins, it wasn’t what drove his actions when it came to her. The man was ruthless, calculating. He saw her as the means to an end, as the prize against his private war with Duncan.

  “Say it, Hawkins,” Duncan growled. “Look me in the eye and tell me the real reason you want Caitriona.”

  Hawkins laughed, a harsh sickening snigger that sent a cold chill up Caitriona’s spine. “The only thing you need to know is that I will fuck her. I will fuck her every day.”

  Caitriona stopped trying to claw Hawkins’ hands from her hair and instead, slammed her elbow in the soft tissue between his ribs. The air left him in a rush and he doubled over, gasping for air. Duncan seized the opportunity and lunged for Hawkins.

  Caitriona gasped, scooting away from the two men on her hands and knees, only to come up short against Billinger. She fought in earnest, kicking and clawing at the solidly built giant who’d obviously earned his status as Hawkins’ second. But even with her martial arts training, Caitriona was no match for Billinger’s brute strength. She started to scream, but Billinger’s meaty hand over her mouth silenced her. Swinging her around so that her back was to his front, he forced her to stand by helplessly as Hawkins and Duncan fought for control.

  Caitriona watched as the two men grappled, but Hawkins was no match for Duncan. Within seconds, Duncan brought his knee into Hawkins’ groin, the resounding gasp of air leaving Hawkins’ lungs, Duncan’s reward. Hawkins reached for his groin giving Duncan the only opening he needed. Thumping Hawkins on the collar bone, Duncan grinned as the man slithered to the floor, trying to push himself to his feet.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, Caitriona sank her teeth into Billinger’s arm, wriggling free as he bellowed in rage. At the same time, Hawkins found the abandoned weapon, leveling it at her. She froze, her breath coming in short gasps as she fought to remain calm.

  Billinger grabbed for her arms, roughly pinning them behind her back. He maneuvered her in front of Hawkins’ weapon, ensuring Duncan maintained his distance.

  “You know this is wrong,” she pleaded to her captor. “Help me stop Hawkins. Please.”

  “Shut up, witch,” he hissed at her. “If it weren’t for Hawkins, I’d end your evil life, right now.”

  Hawkins got to his feet and walked over to her, slapping her hard across the face. She tasted blood, but refused to back down. Duncan lunged but stopped short when Hawkins spun and fired a warning shot near his feet.

  “Did you really think we’d let your precious Templars win the day, MacKinnon?” Hawkins asked. He ran his fingers across Caitriona’s face, tracing the imprint his hand left behind. “Our work here today isn’t finished, but the Templars are, my pet.” He leaned in close to her ear. “And I’ve got a special treat for you. You’re going to watch them die.”

  He motioned to his men, who ordered the Templars to the center of the courtyard. She watched in horror as the men were forced to their knees, their hands tied behind their backs.

  “Did your powers tell you this was going to happen, witch?”

  “No!” she screamed at him. “Take me. I will do anything you want. Just don’t hurt them.�
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  “How very touching, my pet. And I do want to revisit—at some point—the fact that you are willing to do anything.” He rolled out the last word as if testing it on his tongue. Caitriona shivered, the memories of his earlier assault on her flashing across her memory. She was in a no-win situation and Hawkins knew it.

  “You’ve burrowed under my skin, Caitriona, and I’m not about to give that up so easily,” he purred. She instinctively tried to twist her body, a protective move on her part and one that didn’t go unnoticed by Hawkins.

  “What haven’t you told them about us, my pet?” Hawkins sneered, a grin lighting his face.

  Caitriona didn’t answer him.

  “They don’t know about you and I?” he questioned her. “Ah yes, MacKinnon, your witch and I shared a rather romantic interlude. Perhaps the lovely Caitriona will become round and fat with my babe growing in her belly.”

  Caitriona pulled against her restraints. She was going to kill him.

  Duncan roared, pulling against the ropes that tied his hands.

  “The truth is your witch and I have already enjoyed a rather frisky reunion,” Hawkins sniggered, walking over to Duncan and kicking him hard in the ribs. Caitriona cried in frustration as Duncan doubled over, exhaling violently.

  “Give me the woman and I will let you leave,” Duncan gasped.

  “You are not in a position to ask for anything, Mackinnon. And your threats mean nothing to me,” he said, his tone flat. “You, of all people, should know that the Order will take what it wants. And I believe I’ve made it very clear that I want this particular woman.”

  Caitriona fought like a wildcat as she was passed from Billinger to Hawkins’ men. Flashes of the time she spent captive in Hawkins’ camp brought fresh adrenaline to her blood. She wasn’t going back to the Order’s camp, of this she was certain; she would die first. Knowing time was against her, she began fighting in earnest, kicking and clawing the men who were hell bent on abusing and torturing her once again. Bringing her heel down sharply on a soldier’s instep, she twisted out of his grip and planted a sidekick to the rib cage of the next man.