The unidentified archer wore a heavy fur-lined cloak, a scarf around his face, and a bow and quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. Letting go of my arm, he looked back the way we’d come. I followed the direction of his hooded stare, and saw that the bear was no longer in view.
“Can ye run?” he yelled, his words barely reaching me over the wind.
Nodding, I picked up my pace. He stayed beside me even though it was clear he could’ve outdistanced me easily. We reached the other side of the glen and stopped at the base of a mountain path. As I pulled in deep breaths of icy air, the archer took the bow and quiver off his shoulder and lowered his scarf.
“Jamie!” I flew into his arms, clinging to his neck as if my life depended on it. If I hadn’t been frozen from the inside out, I would’ve cried at the sight of the face I thought I’d never see again. He pulled my arms from around his neck and set me away from him. Oh, right; he hated me. But at least he was here.
He unfastened his cloak and shrugged it off. Swinging it around my shoulders, he lowered his face to within inches of mine—his cheekbones stained bright red and his lips pressed into a dangerous line.
“What the devil were you thinking!” he shouted as he fastened me into his cloak.
“I … I …” My teeth were chattering so hard speech was difficult. Not that I really knew what to say anyway.
“Never mind! Come on.” Slinging his weapons back onto his shoulder, he took off up the path. I stood watching his long strides eating up the trail, shaking with cold and aftershocks of fear. The luxurious fur-lined cloak seemed only to trap the cold closer to my wet skin. When Jamie glanced over his shoulder and saw I hadn’t moved, he came back for me, a mask of rage distorting his features.
“Dinna just stand there. We need to go now!” Grabbing my upper arm, he turned and guided me up the path. Although he’d nearly wrenched my arm from its socket, I was grateful for the support as my knees kept giving way on the steep, slippery trail.
Long, agonizing minutes blurred together as I forced my frozen, exhausted body to keep moving. Finally, we turned right onto a narrow path sheltered by giant evergreen trees. Here, there was only a light coating of snow, the trees a barrier to the harsh wind.
Then Jamie cut left and a door appeared as if set into the mountain. Pushing me through the entrance, he followed closely on my heels. He pushed the door shut and we were plunged into complete blackness. I blinked, blind and disoriented, with no choice but to trust him as he took my hand.
“There’s a staircase in front o’ you. Step up and hold on to the railing on yer right.”
I followed his instructions like a robot. My fingers and toes stung with tiny needle pricks as my blood warmed. The soaked dress I wore hung on my shoulders like a thousand-pound weight. More than once, I tripped up the steps, with Jamie pulling me to my feet each time. After what felt like an eternity, we made it to a landing where he opened another door.
Moonlight flooded into the room through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, bisected by a massive stone fireplace. He led me to a sheet-covered sofa in front of an empty hearth. Judging by the animal heads hanging lifeless on the walls, I figured we were in some sort of hunting lodge.
“Sit.” Jamie’s voice was void of emotion as he pushed my shoulder, and I fell onto the cushions behind me. He stacked logs and kindling in the fireplace while I shook so hard I had to clench my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering like a battery-powered Halloween skeleton.
A tiny fire began to grow as Jamie knelt, blowing patiently into the flames.
“Ye need to get out of that wet dress.”
I stared into the fire, and standing on shaky legs made my way toward the heat.
“Verranica.”
My teeth clicked together uncontrollably, making words impossible. When I failed to answer, Jamie turned me by the shoulders to face him. His jaw clenched and his brows scrunched over his eyes.
“I’ll be back.” He let go of me, and I swayed but managed to stay on my feet. My brain felt like it was shutting down. Maybe I was in shock.
Jamie returned with a pile of clothing. “Can ye change or do I need to undress you myself?” Despite the small act of kindness, his mouth remained hard.
“I … I … cccann … mmanange,” I stammered between shakes.
“Fine. I shall be changing in the other room.”
Several uncomfortable moments later, I wore a shirt that went down to my knees and huge trousers rolled and hanging on my hips. I wiggled my toes inside large wool socks, relieved that the feeling began to return. I’d stashed the journal under the cushions of the sofa—not an ideal hiding place, but since I didn’t have a plastic bag it would have to do.
Sitting on the stone hearth, my arms wrapped around my bent knees, I was as close to the fire as I could get without burning my skin—and I’d finally stopped shaking. What was going on? Did summer blizzards occur often in Doon?
Jamie returned with two steaming mugs. As I watched him approach, my insides thawed, quickly reaching the molten state that was fast becoming a constant when he was around. He wore a dark cable-knit sweater, a casual pair of trousers, and his feet were bare. His golden hair was damp and curling against his neck. He handed me a mug as he sat on the stone hearth. Facing me, he kept one foot on the floor and bent one knee in front of him, resting the crook of his arm casually on top.
Not taking my eyes off him, I took a sip of the hot tea, the liquid sliding down my throat to warm my belly. He appeared to have calmed himself, except for a muscle that still ticked in the square line of his jaw. Several moments passed, the crackle of the fire and occasional howl of wind the only sounds in the room. I felt a compulsive need to fill the silence, but I wanted him to say what was on his mind first, so I distracted myself by shifting my attention to his large hands. His fingers, wrapped around his mug, were long and blunt, his nails almost perfectly square.
“Why? Why did ye do it, Verranica?” His eyes were narrow, his lips tight. I could see despite his casual posture, his anger was barely in check.
Turning away from his penetrating gaze, I stared into the dancing flames, unsure how much to tell him. “After you told me about your nightmares, I knew I needed to leave.”
“Tell me why,” he demanded harshly.
What was so hard for him to understand? “I figured it was the best way to protect … everyone.”
“You mean everyone, or yerself?”
“That’s not fair,” I said evenly, determined not to fuel his anger with my own. I set my tea down, straightened my legs, and put my feet on the floor. None of this was his fault.
“So destroying Doon was for the good of everyone?” He asked in a rough whisper, setting his mug on the hearth with a loud clunk.
“What?” My voice raised several octaves. “What are you talking about?”
I stood unsteadily and I stared down at him. “You’re the one who told me I was”—I made air quotes with my fingers—“contaminating the kingdom with my presence.” His expression didn’t change. “I was trying to save Doon, you pig-headed jerk!”
Jamie stood and grabbed my shoulders, his eyes burning into mine. “You stupid lass! I told ye if anyone crosses the borders o’ Doon it would break the Covenant!”
“No! You said if you crossed the border.”
“Don’t tell me what I said or didna say.”
I shook my head in denial. “I’m not even a citizen of Doon. You said I shouldn’t concern—”
His hands tightened painfully on my arms, cutting off my words. “I meant that the rules were my burden to bear. I dinna say they wouldn’t apply to you. If you’ve accepted Doon as yer home in your heart, yer a citizen.”
“You’re hurting me.” I shrugged my shoulders and his hands dropped instantly.
He turned and began to pace, his every move punctuated by frustration. When he finally spoke, his words were as curt as his movements. “What did ye think caused the blizzard?” He took a step closer, his hands clenc
hed into fists. “And the bear attack?”
I stepped back and stumbled over my own feet. Grabbing the sofa to steady myself, my stomach did a nauseating flip. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying—that I’d almost fulfilled his dreams by destroying Doon and everyone in it.
He advanced on me, his every move feral. I scrambled backward, shaking my head in denial of the awful truth.
“It was the kingdom, the enchantment trying to stop ye from reaching the border—and obliterating us all.”
My knees gave out and I landed hard on the stone hearth. How could I have been so colossally stupid? I buried my head in my hands so Jamie couldn’t see my shame.
He grabbed my shoulders again and pulled me to my feet. I kept my arms locked, my hands on my face. Should I tell him about Addie and the journal? Show him proof of why I was trying to leave before the Centennial? Some deeply seeded instinct warned me against it. Without knowing how the witch’s dark magic worked through the book, I might be putting Jamie in more danger.
“Verranica, look at me,” Jamie barked.
Slowly, I lowered my hands and he released my arms.
“Tell me ye didna know,” he demanded. His eyes bore into me, searching. “Tell me ye didna think leaving would destroy the kingdom!”
“Jamie, I promise. I didn’t know. I didn’t understand,” I implored. “I was trying to protect you—by leaving.”
Unable to face his condemnation, I tore my eyes away and focused on his chest. He thought I was in league with the witch and deliberately trying to destroy Doon and everyone he loved along with it. “No wonder you hate me.”
A heated silence crackled between us. Had I spoken that last part aloud? It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. All I wanted to do was get away from him, but there was nowhere for me to go.
“Hate you? Is that what ye think?” he spoke in a hushed tone. His silence stretched on until I raised my eyes to his.
His body was wound so tight he looked like he might snap into pieces. When he spoke, his voice was deep and raw. “Do you have any idea what it was like when you walked into that throne room—my every dream and fantasy come to life?”
That, I could understand. Afraid to breathe, I nodded my head, remembering that first day I saw him at the tournament; the sensation of all the blood draining from my body and my knees going weak.
“But all the while knowing you were the embodiment of my every fear?” He stepped back, raking a shaky hand through his hair. “Like seeing what ye want most in the world on the other side of an impossibly deep chasm, knowing you can never touch her or hold her …”
His eyes churned like dark waves in a storm. “Being near you is like being on a torture rack—my duty pulling me away from what my heart and body crave.”
My stomach fluttered at his words, but questions tumbled through my mind, tangling my thoughts into knots. “But, if you believed the nightmares … why didn’t you just make me leave as soon as I got here?”
“My da thought I’d misinterpreted them, missed some vital part that exonerated you … and I longed to believe him. But with my father so weak, the kingdom was at its most vulnerable. I couldna afford to think with my heart.” He reached toward me, but stopped then lowered his hand and shoved it into his pocket. “Do you know before you came to Doon, I considered coming after you?”
I shook my head, speechless while my heart took up acrobatics in my chest.
“I begged my father to find a way for me to cross the bridge so I could find you in the modern world.”
“Why?” I croaked, picturing my kilt-wearing, sword-wielding prince showing up at Bainbridge High—for real.
“I couldna wait round for the Centennial. Doing nothing was killing me. I had to know if you were real, if you were everythin’ I’d dreamed … angel or devil.” He stepped closer and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I shuddered under his fingertips. “But without the rings, there was nothing for me to do but wait for you … to come to me.”
Tears began to leak out of my eyes. With a half curse, half groan, Jamie gathered me into his arms. “So, no. I dinna hate you.”
I slumped against him, unable to resist the comfort he offered. Resting my head on his strong chest, I sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. I’m sorry, for everything.”
“Shh … shh. Luv, stop,” he whispered as he stroked my hair, resting his cheek against my head. I wanted to stay there in his arms forever. After a long moment, he guided me over to the sofa. “Here, sit.”
I curled up with my feet under me, trying to regain control as Jamie gently wiped the tears that continued to stream from my eyes away with the pad of this thumb. The sweet, familiar gesture made my stomach tighten.
“Hush now, lass. I believe that ye didna purposefully seek to harm us.”
“What about the warning dreams?”
His smile gone, he wiped my cheeks again, staring into my eyes. “Perhaps since I stopped ye from leaving, the danger has been averted.”
But the true danger hadn’t been averted—it was tucked under me in the sofa at that very moment. I hadn’t yet completed my mission to get the journal out of Doon.
Jamie lowered his face toward mine. But as desperately as I wanted him to kiss me, I didn’t know if I could survive the repercussions. “I thought you said to leave you alone?”
His face stopped a hairsbreadth away. “Tha’ I did.” His husky voice slid through me like hot, spiced cider on a crisp autumn day. I licked my lips, tasting salt, and watched in fascination as Jamie’s pupils darkened, his gaze shifting to my mouth. “But I canna hold myself to the same standard.”
The kiss was soft at first, his lips warm and firm on mine. Then his hand cupped my head and he increased the pressure, opening my mouth with his. Sparks shot from the base of my spine, setting all my nerve endings on fire. I lifted my hand to his face, the stubble on his cheek alluringly rough against my fingers. As the kiss deepened, his other hand caressed my neck, his thumb sweeping along my jawline.
I’d been kissed before, but never like this. Any illusions I still held of him as a picture-perfect fairy tale prince vanished in that moment. This boy knew exactly what he was doing.
When he slowly pulled his lips from mine, he was breathing hard. I stared up into his dark eyes knowing my emotions were written all over my face but unable to look away.
“Verranica, did ye dream about me?”
Did he know the power he held over me at that moment? That I would have done anything he asked?
Except tell him the truth. His dreams had warned him for good reason; I’d brought the witch’s evil into his kingdom. I couldn’t let him get too close. I still had to leave—get the journal out of Doon and make sure Jamie ended up with the right girl. So I told him a half-truth. “I had some visions, but they weren’t really significant.” I straightened, moving slightly away from the magnetic heat of his body.
“Indeed.” His brows lowered over his eyes.
I turned away and swallowed the lump in my throat. Could I really do this? Push him away for his own good? Follow my head and not my heart?
“Vee, look at me.” It was the first time he’d shortened my name, but it sounded so right on his lips. I turned back to face him. “Why are ye lying to me about the dreams?”
Staring into his impossibly beautiful face, I knew what I had to do. No matter how much it killed me. “Because I know you need to choose Sofia … not me.”
He jerked back as if I’d slapped him.
I rushed to explain. “It’s okay though. I know she’s the right one for you. But it still … hurts.” I stared down at my hands, wishing I could take back the last part.
“What makes ye think you know what’s best for me?”
Doon did no’ call ye here ta become its queen by marrying my son.
The king’s words were perfectly clear. I wasn’t meant to be with Jamie and I knew Sofia would make an outstanding queen. “I wasn’t called—”
“Nay, let me finish.
My whole life my father has told me what to do. My mother always wanted to shelter me. Everyone in the kingdom has tried to protect me. Do they fail to notice that I’m no longer a child?”
I certainly hadn’t failed to notice, but I remained silent.
“Verranica, I’ve verra few choices that are mine. But this”—he grabbed my arm, his eyes drilling into mine as he crushed my body against his—“is still one of them!”
CHAPTER 24
Veronica
As if to prove he could take whatever he wanted, Jamie surrounded me, his mouth crushing my swollen lips. A powerful rush of longing swept away the last threads of my self-control when the slant of his lips crossed mine, compelling me to return his kiss with all the love I felt for him. I wrapped my arms around him and moved my fingers into the silky hair at the base of his broad neck as I pushed closer to the solid heat of his body.
Our mouths broke apart, and a growl came from deep within his throat. “Mine.”
He pushed me back on the sofa, following with his upper body, hesitating for a fraction of a second before his eyes glazed over and he lowered his head. His lips possessing mine again.
Out of nowhere, thoughts of Sofia in his arms and the king’s final words swirled in my mind, warring with the need coursing through my veins. I really had to stop. But if I could have this one moment with the boy I loved, shouldn’t I take it?
I closed off my conflicted conscience, melting into the glorious feel of his lips on mine.
With a start, I realized his fingers were moving against the buttons on my shirt. His rough knuckles brushed urgently against the flesh below my throat. The tug and slide of the first button was amplified against my hypersensitive skin. When he arched back to reach the rest, a warning bell began to sound, growing louder by the second. With effort, I stilled his hand with mine.
“Please,” I said against his mouth. “Stop.”
“Did I hurt ye?” he whispered.
I shook my head silently, afraid if I spoke again I might beg him to keep going. Our eyes locked in a soul-piercing gaze as his warm, intoxicating breath mingled with mine. Then his jaw tightened and he squeezed his lids shut.
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