Knights-of-Stone-Bryce

by Lisa Carlisle

  Night had fallen, and they’d just shifted from stone. His body still adjusted to the invigoration with the surge of blood pumping through his veins as the five of them took flight over the Isle of Stone.

  You all right, mate? Gavin asked.

  Aye. Why do you ask?

  You’ve been too quiet lately.

  Morose, Calum added.

  Bryce kept his focus straight ahead as he flew, a lost soul among the endless stars.

  It’s been a rough month.

  Has it ever, Calum replied.

  You sure it has nothing to do with Mairi? Mason asked.

  The sound of her name sliced him. He jolted his head and then recovered to play it off. He’d warned them not to bring up her name again after he’d snapped at them earlier. Yet Mason had opened that guarded space where Bryce had stuffed his feelings for her.

  What about her?

  You seemed to have grown rather—close.

  She’s with her new clan, I’m with mine. At least, he’d moved to a point where he could talk about it and not snap at them. What else was there to say besides goodbye?

  Gavin coughed aloud and muttered “rubbish” under his breath.

  Perhaps Bryce’s connection with Mairi wasn’t all in his head? The distance from her hadn’t done a damn thing to keep her off his mind. So his rationalizing clearly had failed. Why do you say that?

  We saw the connection, Mason said. How devastated you were when you thought she was gone and tried to save her.

  Mason’s words jabbed like a blow, no matter that he hadn’t intended them that way. They went right for Bryce’s worn out heartstrings.

  And she made it. She’s alive. We both need to move on with our lives.

  He flew ahead, signaling the end of the conversation.

  The next day, the inquisition grew when Raina approached.

  “What are you doing, Bryce?”

  He straightened. “What do you mean?”

  “This is ridiculous. Lachlan has never seen you like this. So down.” Lachlan must have talked to her about the situation. She turned and scolded his brothers. “I don’t see how you can’t talk to him about something clearly bothering him.”

  “We tried,” Calum said.

  “He bloody well bites our heads off or gets all mopey,” Gavin added. “Why don’t you give it a go? You know, being female and all.” He motioned her way.

  “Thanks for the astute observation,” Raina said with an eye roll. “The more time I spend with you lot, the more I wonder if you forget to shift your brains from stone,” she added with a grin.

  Gavin laughed. “Not our brains. Our cocks maybe.”

  “Hey!” Lachlan pointed a finger. “There will be no talk of cocks in front of Raina, understand.” A smile curled up from one end of his mouth. “Unless it’s mine.”

  Raina shooed him. “You’re not helping.”

  Lachlan made a zipping gesture over his lips.

  Turning back to Bryce, Raina asked, “Do you love her?”

  Oof, she went right for the jugular. His skin prickled with goosebumps. “Love? We barely know each other. Only spent a few days together.”

  She exchanged a glance with Lachlan and faced Bryce. “Sometimes, that’s all you need.”

  “I—uh—don’t know.” Searching beyond the shore to the ocean for answers, he added, “I had to return here. I have responsibilities to the clan.”

  Lachlan stepped up to him and patted him on the shoulder. “We appreciate your loyalty, but there’s nothing going on here that can’t wait.”

  True. The magical veil had been restored. The humans were gone. The island’s residents weren’t at each other’s throats.

  “What do you want?” Lachlan asked.

  Good question. A week ago, Bryce had an answer. Creating a new stability with their clan and resurrecting the Knights of Stone. When he’d gotten Mairi off the island, he’d promised himself female attention to help himself move on. That hadn’t worked. Any time he saw a bonnie lass, it reminded him of one thing—she wasn’t Mairi.

  He searched inside. What did he long for, now?

  Her.

  Not only sexually. The sensual attraction was consuming in itself. Being in her presence reached him on another level. How he liked to touch her or make her laugh. And protecting her—wow. Now he understood such a strong drive when a gargoyle had found a mate. Caring for her had given him a purpose he hadn’t known was missing in his life.

  He’d always been part of a brotherhood, part of a clan. With her, the belonging was different. More intimate.

  They were each one half of a whole. Partners. A couple.

  Mates.

  Bryce groaned. He’d been a proper idiot for leaving her in the Highlands. Without even putting himself out there to take a chance.

  He had to see her.

  “I need to go.” Bryce unfurled his wings and soared into the air without saying another word.

  Where are you going? Mason communicated to him.

  Where do you think?

  Lachlan added, About bloody time.

  Oh no. We lost another one, Gavin teased.

  During the flight over the Atlantic, Bryce’s gut churned, as turbulent as the waves below. If she turned him down and kicked him in the groin, he wouldn’t blame her. He deserved it.

  It was a big risk. But she was worth it.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Mairi trekked down the hill by the light of the Highland moon and stars. Without the interference of clouds or human-generated lights, they lit up the sky. A good night for a flight. With her strength restored, it was time to unfurl her wings and fly, again. No longer consumed by revenge, she could look forward to a new start.

  A shadow crossed the moon. Her muscles tightened, anticipating the worst. The demons were gone, but still, it would take time for the fear to diminish. Just as it would with her grief.

  It headed in her direction. Not a demon, but a gargoyle. Several moments later, it landed before her.

  Bryce.

  She blinked. She had to be imagining it.

  “Mairi.”

  He’d said her name. Unless she was imagining that, too.

  “You’re all right.” He stepped closer, raising a hand as if about to touch her cheek but then dropped his arm.

  When she found her voice, she asked, “What are you doing here?”

  He pulled in his wings, yet they surrounded him like a dark frame that accentuated his muscular body.

  “I came to find you.”

  This couldn’t be real. It started out too similarly to a number of fantasies that had formed in her head. She’d quickly squashed them, forcing aside the torment.

  She had so much to say to him. So many questions to ask. All the uncertainty about what had happened, the hurt after his departure…

  All that came out were two words. “You left.”

  He recovered, eyes glazed with wonder. “I know. After the battle—everything was so confusing. They were taking care of you. I had responsibilities to my clan. I didn’t know what to do. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

  While stunned by his declaration, a bit of self-preservation kicked in. She wasn’t going to swoon just because he swooped in and apologized. He’d already hurt her, once. She crossed her arms. “Keep going.”

  “I was a fool. An idiot. A downright arse. Better?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Not quite.”

  He ran his fingers over the back of his neck, appearing flustered. “I’ve never regretted anything more than the mistake I made when I left you.”

  Her defenses were weakening. She took a deep breath, trying not to cave. “That’s a wee bit better.”

  “You being here—it’s not right.” He lifted his hand and dropped it abruptly. “You should be with me.”

  The way her pulse raced indicated she wouldn’t be able to keep up her self-protective shield for much longer. “Why?”

  “Because, Mairi. Dammit, I’ve fallen for you. So hard, I
can’t think of anything else.”

  All the ramparts protecting her heart crumbled as her mouth dropped open. She couldn’t say a word.

  He stepped closer. “I missed you. Never should have left you here.”

  His gaze traveled from her face down her body, caressing her with a trail of heat. He took another step forward. The air surrounding her thinned, leaving her heady. She gasped to take in a breath.

  “Come with me back to the Isle of Stone, Mairi.”

  Although she’d dreamed of him returning for her, something was still off. She managed to answer, “I don’t think it would work,” through a strangled voice.

  He stepped back, eyes flooding with concern. “Why not?”

  In the pause that followed, she ceased to breathe. Never in her fantasies did she turn him down this way. Reality was far more complicated.

  She waved a hand with frustration. “I wouldn’t fit in there.”

  He squinted. “Why not?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it since you left. It’s clear you have your world there—you and your band of brothers. You have your clan. Your music. Your life.” She waved her hands as she numbered all the reasons why it wouldn’t work.

  In a low tone, he replied, “It’s not much of a life without you in it.” Taking a deep breath, he added, “You’re part of my world, now. Part of my life.”

  Heat rose while her heart pounded with renewed vigor. Joy spread through her body. “Bryce…”

  “I never thought any of my brothers would settle down with one woman. We all lived the rock-and-roll lifestyle to excess. But something happened after I met you that changed everything, showing me how shallow that life is. Mason discovered it first with Kayla, and Lachlan with Raina. I never would have believed what I was missing out on when I thought I had everything…until I met you.”

  She’d yearned to hear words like those, but never believed she ever would. “But…” What was holding her back?

  “But what? The time I spent with you, no matter how short, showed me how I don’t want to spend any more time without you.”

  Any reservations washed away. She placed her hand over her heart, while emotions threatened to swallow her whole. “Oh, Bryce. You’re right—you’re a big idiot.” Her face broke into a smile. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Made buoyant by her happiness, Bryce spilled his ideas. He had to convince her to take a chance on him. “The island isn’t much, but it’s home. We don’t have to rest with my brothers; we could stay in one of the cabins. Make it our own. And we travel from the isle many nights. I know it’s nothing compared to the vast Highlands you’re used to. Wait—we could live here if you like.” The idea of returning to the Highlands hadn’t come to him before now. If she’d stay with him, he’d do it. Even if it meant he had to leave his brothers and his beloved home behind. He could still visit often. Mairi was worth it.

  “Absolutely not.” She spread her hands wide.

  A vice tightened around his torso. The ache that had moved into his gut, since he’d left Mairi in with his mother, pulsed with renewed pain. He swallowed. Aye, rejection was a strong possibility after he’d behaved like an arse and left her here. But actually hearing it sliced at him and caused physical pain. He’d blown it.

  A few weeks earlier, he would have agreed with all the reasons she’d mentioned of how she wouldn’t fit into his world. He’d told himself the same things dozens of times: He was happy with his life the way it was. He didn’t have room to fit someone into it.

  That was, until he’d met Mairi.

  Now, he knew better. He wouldn’t have the life he could have without her in it.

  Yet, she’d turned him down flat. Her words echoed in his brain. Absolutely not.

  He was too late.

  “So, that’s a no?”

  “No,” she said. “Aye,” she added, flustered. “Wait, I’m not being clear. When I said absolutely not, I meant to living here in the Highlands. The Isle of Stone is perfect. I’d love nothing more than to return there with you.”

  After sinking down a spiral of despair, the brilliant smile she gave him catapulted him to the wispy clouds above. “You would?”

  “Aye, Bryce. More than anything.”

  His insides turned mushy with happiness he’d never known. He scooped her in a crushing embrace. One that pushed air from her lungs, making her gasp.

  “Sorry.” When he relaxed his hold, she laughed.

  “No human could withstand a hug like that. Luckily, I’m not so weak.”

  He chuckled. “Never thought I’d fall for a female gargoyle. The ones in my clan, they’re like sisters, you know? But then again, I never saw one who looked like you.” He touched her silky red hair.

  She raised her chin. “And how’s that?”

  Cupping her chin, he said, “Sexiest female I’ve ever seen.”

  One side of her mouth turned up with a smile while her eyes twinkled. “Even gray and leathery?”

  “Ever so bonny.” He pulled her closer, grabbing her rear.

  “You must be mental!” She shooed, before a full laugh escaped her.

  “Aye, that’s what my brothers often say.”

  “I guess your brothers are right.” She turned her head and appraised him with a raised brow. “You’re not half-bad yourself. Even gray and leathery.”

  “That’s not what my brothers say.”

  “What do they say?”

  “That I’m hideous, even for a gargoyle.” He grinned. He ran his fingers over her rosy cheek, the way he’d longed to do since he found her. “I don’t want to talk about them, right now. Only you. No, us. And getting us back to the isle so we can start a new life together as soon as possible.”

  She beamed, eyes lit with expectation. “I have to say goodbye to the clan here, first. Especially, your mum. She’s been wonderful to me.”

  “Aye, that sounds like Mum. One of a kind.”

  “Why don’t you invite your parents to come back? Plenty of room.”

  He shook his head. “Oh no, no, no.”

  “Why not?”

  “As much as I love them, some people get on better not living together. And even more so when they have different views on how things should be.”

  She murmured in acknowledgment.

  “Mum will be excited to learn you’re coming back with me.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “She’s been at us for years to settle down. At least, the female I’ve found is gargoyle.”

  “Oh no,” Mairi said with a teasing smile. “This doesn’t mean she’s going to get on us to have lots of gargoyle babies, does it? Because I’m not ready for any of that, yet.”

  “She will.” He chuckled. “But hopefully not today. Besides, I have a lifetime of experience at pushing back at her demands.” He winked. “Including the call for grandchildren.”

  After they’d found his parents and told them their intentions, his mum hugged them both and then smacked Bryce upside the head.

  “Took you long enough to come to yer senses!”

  Mairi laughed and exchanged a quick glance with him. When he’d first met her and told his story, she’d mentioned how she’d like to see that happen.

  His da added, “The boys never had much sense.” Then he smiled and congratulated them.

  It took twice as long as he’d expected to get out of there. Especially with his mum fawning over them both and calling Mairi, “the daughter she never had.”

  They still had to thank Duncan and let him know Mairi was leaving. That didn’t take as long. Duncan was quick and to the point. “Best of luck to you both.”

  After they stepped away from the castle, Bryce turned to her. “Ready?” Anxious to return to the isle with Mairi and start their new life together, he didn’t want to waste another minute.

  “Aye.”

  He shielded himself and unfurled his wings, ready to leave the Highlands. It seemed like months had passed since he’d first spotted her watching them from the forests.

&
nbsp; She followed suit, spreading her wings and hovering off the ground.

  “To our new beginning.” He flew beside her and took her hand. The smile she gave him was glorious. He made the right choice baring his soul and offering it to her. The best decision of his life.

  Bryce winked at her, and they flew together out of the Highlands, back to their new home on the Isle of Stone. How different this flight was. While weighed down with anxiety earlier, fearing rejection, now he flew more buoyant than ever. With the lass of his dreams. One whom he’d never make the mistake of leaving, again.

  Never thought I’d fly to the isle with my mate. He beamed at her. Couldn’t be happier that you’re mine.

  Oh, is that right? she teased. In that case, you’re mine, as well.

  Indeed.

  Several minutes later, she said, I should have mentioned my one condition returning with you.

  What’s that?

  You and your brothers play as the Knights of Stone.

  Did he hear that correctly? Excuse me?

  I want to hear you play.

  He smiled as joy spread through him. I think we can manage that. A welcome party.

  As they approached the Isle of Stone, he gave his brothers a heads up. I’m coming back. With Mairi.

  You convinced her to return? Mason asked.

  You dog, Gavin added.

  Don’t go scaring her off with yer ugly mugs.

  Minutes later, they’d landed on the rocky shore of the island where Lachlan, Gavin, Calum, and Raina awaited them.

  “Welcome back, Mairi,” Lachlan said. “This is my mate, Raina.”

  Raina stepped forward and greeted her with a pleasant smile. “Hello. I’ve heard much about you.”

  Mairi squinted, appearing sheepish. “I can imagine. Sorry I dragged Lachlan into battle.”

  “Och, no.” Raina waved it off. “They’d find some other scrape to get themselves into. It was for a good cause, I hear.”

  Mairi bit her lip, deep in thought. She turned to his brothers. “Thank you, all. I know you all risked your lives to help.”

  “Hey, you made our clan look good, for once,” Bryce said. “Instead of us being pegged the troublemakers.”