Highland Darkness

by Lilian Jade

  As she held the letter in her hand, she hesitated. She finally ripped open the envelope and slipped out a single piece of paper.

  My dear lass,

  If you are reading these words then that means I am no longer here with you.

  I am sorry that you have to suffer such pain, a pain that I have caused you. I want you to know that the pain you feel will ebb in time, and I left everything I have to you because you are where they belong.

  Lilith my dear, Scotland is your rightful home—you will find peace, love and acceptance in Scotland. You will have everything that you could ever need when you return to Scotland.

  I am so very sorry, Lilith, for not telling you everything of our culture, who we are, and where we come from. Please forgive me for that. You will learn in time.

  Papa.

  Lilith folded the letter and carefully placed it in the gold jewelry box. Wrapped in soft leather, the fragile box was beautifully carved with old historic Gaelic patterns. The carvings depicted a man and woman, stark naked and intimately intertwined, standing before a four-poster bed that looked fit for a king and queen. At their feet was a lion sprawled before them. It was as if their bodies were calling to bind together as one, to love each other but so much more. It made Lilith feel envious of what the two in the picture had and what she didn’t have.

  Did Lilith need love? Of course she did. The only man she ever deemed worthy of her love was gone. Lilith needed someone to love; she knew it deep within her ungodly bones. Truth be told, Lilith had never experienced sex with a man before, and her body had been feeling all sorts of yearnings for such a long time now.

  Lilith didn’t know how to deal with being twenty-one years old and still a virgin. She wasn’t sure exactly why things had ended up that way. Was it because she didn’t like men? Was it possible that she found women more attractive? Surely she didn’t find other woman sexually attractive. Lilith was all for guys. Of course she would check out another female and admire her beauty, but in a sexual way? Lilith recalled the way her heart kind of sped up when she was talking shop with the receptionist at the airport. Was it because she just hadn’t found the right guy yet?

  Yes, Lilith had always liked the notion that she was waiting to find the right guy who could love her for the rest of her life. The one she would say yes to if he proposed the one who she would bear children for. A man who felt like home, who made her feel warm and safe. Lilith needed a man she knew without a doubt she would kill for.

  After her long shower, Lilith checked to make sure all of her things were in order. She had her bag packed, along with her hand bag, wallet, passport, sunnies, her playlist, and small makeup kit, all nestled snugly by the kitchen door. Not to forget her flight ticket with three different layovers. The items of her journey sat, ready and waiting for Lilith.

  Angus drank his ale, tapping his fingers to the beat of the music as his brothers danced, sang, and yelled out speeches for the bride and groom. Friends and family came to celebrate their wee brother Connor’s wedding. Well, not so wee anymore; Connor stood well over six feet tall and was as broad and beefy as the lot of his older brothers.

  Their parents had given birth to six extremely healthy boys. Angus would give anything for his ma and da to see them now—no longer boys, but big brawny men. He had no sisters to look out for or love, but that was okay because he had five sister-in-laws who kept the boys in line. Madison Porter McClain was every inch the beauty Connor said she was the day he first laid eyes on her. Even more so now that she was blooming with pregnancy. Her skin was as white as alabaster, her hair as red as blood, and her eyes the color of rich hazelnut. Her belly was so full and round, it was amazing she was still able to stand with her tiny frame and slim legs. She was the smallest of all the women at five feet tall, and had a personality to match her gentle look. Ever the sweetest, most caring, and softest of them all—maybe that’s why Angus favored and protected Madison more than the others.

  How he loved each of his newfound sisters. They all had their own unique talents as the women they were, but Madison shone the brightest. They were all dressed so beautifully it made him smile; the sight of them was like a breath of fresh air. It made him envious of his brothers because he had no one to love. He had had his fair share of women, but now he wanted to settle down. He wanted to marry and have children of his own—to build his very own family. But he couldn’t do that if he couldn’t find the kind of woman he wanted to settle down with, to love and to cherish.

  His parents had handsome children—more so now that they were all grown up and had filled out to the brink of manhood. They were all good looking, so what was wrong with him? Nay, there wasn’t anything wrong with him. He just hadn’t found her yet.

  “Angus, come and dance with us! Angus?” Angus realized that he had spaced out for a brief moment. He looked up to find Kevan towering over him. Angus gave a bright smile to his brother, but before he spoke, Kevan cut him off by placing a hand in front of his face in a gesture that signified for him to be quiet.

  “Angus, I want to talk to you. It may not be the best time to discuss such a matter, but I have to get this out. Yesterday, I had the strangest feeling that death was in the air—like someone who is a part of us passed away, a loved one we know not yet. I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels like something is about to happen. Something that brings both good and bad. It’s … it’s very strange.” Kevan looked into his brother’s eyes, trying to find some kind of peace within.

  Angus knew what was going on. He knew who had passed. The loved one Kevan was wondering about was a very, very old ancestor who had once roamed these very halls.

  Or, was the better word for it … a fairy? Go fucking figure. Angus would be none the wiser if it weren’t for him. He wouldn’t know what he did now, wouldn’t have seen the bullshit these people around the world put themselves through. War. Famine. Pain. Death. Fairies were not to be mistaken for cute, sweet, and harmless creatures. Shit, even the woodland fairies were renowned for their creativity in their style of mass murder. One could tell a woodland fairy for the carnage and gore it left in its wake. Not to mention everyone feared the fairy prince. None could be certain whether he was light or dark, or if he was an exile. Word on the street was that he had executed an entire army of dark fae, followed by a family of noble fae.

  Angus and his brothers would know nothing of this history if it weren’t for Devlin Donahue. No one knew his real name, but truth be told, they all knew of him and his family. The family who had owned this very castle—and still did to this day. Angus’s family lived in the castle as their own. They were to keep it and protect it, for as long as they did, no harm would come to them. On the contrary, their lives would be lived long and wealthy. But if and when any lineage of the Donahue-McGregor family came to claim the castle as their own, no one was to ever stand in their way.

  But the funny thing was, there hadn’t been a Donahue or McGregor seen or heard from for over six hundred years. Angus knew of the rumors, the dark family stories of what happened that day back in 1415. He knew how powerful Devlin Donahue was and what he was capable of. But the question was: why did he leave and what had he been hiding all these years?

  “Angus, are you well?” came the voice of his brother Occam. Behind Occam stood Hunter, looking on with interest. Of course they would all notice how grim he and Kevan looked. So Angus picked up a bottle of port and poured it into his wineglass, taking a long swig before he put the glass down.

  “I am well; I am but resting. What you felt,” he said, looking directly at Kevan. “I believe we all felt it—this strange, deathly feeling.”

  His brothers looked back and forth at each other before Kevan turned to Occam and Hunter and spoke up. “I was just telling Angus that I had a very bad feeling yesterday arvo, like—”

  “Death was in the air?” Duncan cut in. “Aye, I felt it too.”

  The brothers all agreed amongst each other; they all had the same feeling around the same time during
the previous afternoon. They looked to Angus, as if he could explain what was going on. Angus wished he didn’t have to tell them what he knew, but he knew better than to lie to his brothers. What he knew, they knew, or would eventually. Vice versa. The brothers didn’t keep secrets from each other, and probably couldn’t if they tried. “We will speak of this after our guests retire,” Angus said. “I will not be the one to deprive Connor of his wedding night.” One by one, each of his brothers nodded their agreement to his suggestion and made their way back to the floor where all the guests were dancing, leaving Angus to his own thoughts.

  The peace didn’t last long as Angus noticed his youngest brother making his way through the crowd. He was heading straight for Angus with the most dubious smile on his face. “Och, Angus! I make you my best man and all you can do is sit there like an old dunderhead. Dance with us! If not for me, then for my wife that you so adore.” Connor arched his right eyebrow with a grin that could bring all the women in the place to their knees.

  “Och lad, you do realize I am but a man, not some tipsy female who swoons over those looks you throw at Madison.”

  Connor laughed. “Aye I do, Angus. I just couldn’t help but try it on you,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Well, since it’s your wedding day and I love Madds so much, I guess I can get off my lazy arse and spin some moves on the dance floor. I have just been a little preoccupied with some things. But I promise to try and see the rest of the night in good spirits. How about that for a start?”

  Connor looked at Angus with a mixture of happiness and mischief. “Aye, that’s a great start. Well, come on then. We can’t keep my bride waiting all night.” Connor’s laugh held a hint of love and a little spike of passion. Angus looked at his wee brother and smiled, slapping him on the shoulder as he got up and walked towards the rest of his family.

  But before they reached the middle of the dance floor, Connor pulled him to a stop. “One more thing, brother. Do you care to share with me what the lot of you were talking about before I came over?” Connor turned to stand directly in front of him. He casually placed his hands in his pockets, so as to not draw attention. He said to Angus with a smile on his face, “And don’t try to lie to me just because it’s my wedding day, big brother. I want to know what made you all look so grim faced.” Connor looked so calm, his head bopping to the music. He nodded at people who looked his way, not an ounce of anger or stress in his posture.

  What could Angus say to his brother who just got married not two hours ago? Nay, he wouldn’t tell him the truth—Connor deserved to enjoy his wedding day, and more so his honeymoon. So Angus was left with lying to his younger brother. He and the others could deal with what was to come, whatever that was. But one thing was certain: Angus knew that the dream he had was a part of all the other dreams he experienced—dreams about this Devlin Donahue.

  The dreams were all meant to add up. So tonight Angus would tell the others of what he knew and go from there. “Of course I will tell you, lad,” he said to Connor. “But we have to be next to Mrs. McClain before I can mention the big news, because it is for the both of you.” Angus almost forgot about the wedding gift he was carrying in his pocket. He hadn’t told anyone of the gift he got for them. Angus truly wanted it to be a surprise for Madison, because so long ago she had mentioned to him that if she ever had the money or time, she would love nothing more than to take a P&O cruise around the world, maybe to Hawaii, stopping at all the countries along the way for a little sightseeing. So that’s what he got for them as a gift—all expenses paid. Angus wrapped his right arm around Connor’s shoulders and pressed on. “We cannot spoil the big surprise now, can we?”

  “So you weren’t plotting some kind of a heist without me, were you?” Connor said with a bright smile on his face. Neither of them liked to be left out of the loop for any reason—their job had trained them for that. They had to be sharp, aware of every detail going on around them. There were many names for what the brothers did professionally. Whatever you wanted to call it, they were born and bred killers. Angus and his brothers had trained beside some great warriors and swordsmen and military strategists. To them, killing was a twisted form of art.

  “Nay brother, I was not. I was only discussing with the others what I had planned for the both of you. When I told them about it, they all wished it was their wedding day.” Angus slapped his brother on the shoulders and moved him along to his awaiting bride. Madison was looking directly at Connor with love in her eyes, and a good bit of lust as well. Not once did she stop to look at Angus; her gaze remained fixed on her husband. The goofy look on Connor’s face showed how much he was in love with his wife. Angus shook his head at the realization that he was wishing he had a wife of his own to love and to hold.

  “Come my sweet, come save me from all of our guests!” the sweet bell of Madison’s voice rang out. Connor took her in his arms, giving her a light kiss on her forehead before he slid both of his hands down to cradle her belly.

  “My love, you look so beautiful. I still cannot believe that you are mine,” Maddy giggled and glowed even more. It almost looked as if she was on fire.

  “Oh Connor, stop spoiling me with such complements. By the way, Angus, I made my way over to the gift table, and if I’m not mistaken, I do believe that a certain someone has forgotten to come with a gift. I think that someone is mayhap you, hmm?” Angus smiled at his tiny little sister-in-law with the big, round belly. He looked away from her to find all of his brothers and their wives standing around them, observing the scene with great entertainment. Connor and Madison waited with crooked grins, anxious to see what he was going to surprise them with.

  “I did not forget such a thing on such a special day, Maddy,” he said. The look she gave back was wide-eyed with anticipation and mischief.

  “Oh you didn’t, did you?” Madds winked at him. “Well, come on then. Let’s have it.” All the sisters-in-law cheered and called along with her, and Angus laughed.

  “Aye, Angus. Do show us. You have Katie here digging her nails into my arm—och!” Hunter cried out. A new wave of laughter sprang up amongst the crowd.

  “Well, I hope you both will enjoy it.” Angus handed Madison a thin, pink, glittery envelope. He watched as she opened it with the biggest gleam in her eye. Slowly she pulled out the itinerary, along with two tickets.

  “Oh my flogging shitbricks, oh God, Angus! Wow! I cannot believe you remembered! I only mentioned it once, and when I did, it came out as a whisper.” She looked up at Angus with a sudden sadness in her deep, hazelnut eyes. “But—not to sound ungrateful, Angus—but we cannot possibly go on this trip while I’m pregnant”

  “I can take your place!” yelled Kate. The others veered their heads to glare at her. Connor looked at Angus with a heated stare, one that said please make my bride happy and not sad on such a day.

  “Hey!” Angus raised his voice to quiet down the excited noise in the group. He had everyone’s attention now. He took Madison’s hand in both of his and said quietly, “Now lass, when have I ever given you a gift that you weren’t able to use? Or eat? Ha! Everything has been taken care of. There will be a midwife on board with you. There will also be a medical team on standby for if there should be any need for them. Connor, Madison, everything is paid for. All you have to do is have a great time and enjoy yourselves, okay? The doctor said that if there was a medical team on hand, you would be able to board the ship.”

  All the women turned towards each other, jumping up and down and yelling about how lucky Madison was to go on such a trip. Angus heard one of the girls shriek out, “Two weeks? Oh my gosh, Madds! For two weeks you get to cruise around the world like a princess on a ship!” He knew from the sound of her voice that it was Occam’s wife Hannah. She was the screamer in the family, always such a bubbly thing. He and his brothers watched as the women calmed down from their outburst.

  Madison broke apart from the group as she walked straight up to Angus. Hugging him around the waist—not that her arm
s could reach around his larger body with her big round belly in the way—but he still held her close to him for a few long seconds before he said, “Come lass, that’s enough before you crinkle that beautiful dress of yours, aye?”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “Oh, I see. Sir Angus is too manly for such an emotional display of affection from a poor little woman such as myself. Och, Angus, you make me wanna weep.” All the men around them laughed.

  “Nay, that is not so, lass. It is because I would not care to make my brother here feel jealous of such affection, now would I?” Angus said with a sly grin. He looked to Connor, giving him a small nudge in the ribs.

  “Nay, we mustn’t do that,” Connor said. “Come here my sweets. You have thanked my brother quite enough for such a wonderful gift. You and I are going to have so much fun when we leave, aren’t we?” Madison took Connor by the hand, pulling him down towards her smaller body to kiss him soundly on the lips. Everyone turned to give them some privacy.

  “You can thank me later, lad. Besides, it’s time you took your bride upstairs to her chambers to be lavished.” Angus’s comment brought another great laugh from the guests around them.

  Soon after, all the guests gave the bride and groom their goodnights, taking their leave to either the surrounding hotels or the castle guest chambers. Once the great hall was cleared out and there was not a family member in sight, Angus called to Marcus to fetch his brothers.

  “Aye, McClain,” Marcus answered. Angus watched the way his trusted friend moved about the room. It felt as if it were only yesterday that he was helping to raise Marcus as a baby, after the boy’s parents had passed away from illness. The job was divided between Angus and his brothers, and not one of his brothers had complained about having to look after such a wee child. And now that boy had grown, his body’s age surpassing that of Angus and his brothers. Marcus was now an old, weathered man, as well as a dear friend Angus had come to love like family. Each day Angus fought the pain and grief of knowing that someday he and his kin would be burying Marcus, just as they had so many friends many decades before Marcus. Being sort of immortal changed everything. Angus still looked the way he had the day Marcus came into his life. Physically, he had the body of a thirty-year-old at the prime of his manhood.