by K H Lemoyne
Logan nodded. “She is healthy—now. However, she has no memory of her past. With her…absence, the allegiance to the reigning monarchies shift. Given your experience and resources, you know who will gain the most from this shift. Knowledge is power. Her lineage and her magic are both tools for you to leverage.”
“Now you dare assume my benefit!” Mackinnon scowled. “Why do you not take this knowledge for yourself?”
“My words are conjecture, Laird Mackinnon. Her safety is my only interest.”
The laird rubbed the locket, but his gaze never wavered from Logan’s face. “Who are you that I should believe this?”
“No one of consequence to neither you nor her. Random fate selected us to save her.”
Mackinnon looked at Hefin. “You and yours are known to me. How do you come by these two?”
“They arrived at our cottage by way of the storm several nights ago. The child was deathly ill. They were also injured and needed help. We gave them shelter.”
“You allowed strangers into your home?”
Hefin gave a deep sigh. “They are related to my niece, hence no threat to our family. They have done nothing to challenge that assumption.”
“You know who she is.” The laird lifted the locket. Not a question, a command.
Logan dipped his head and considered his choice of words. “She is known now by the name Fiona, an orphaned child of the clan.” Logan looked straight at the laird in challenge. “If she were presumed dead then the threats to her will diminish, without risk to your clan. Alive, she can one day be a strong, powerful ally.”
His stomach turned at the thought of leaving Fiona in this situation. But Mackinnon was the best suited to safeguard her. If he benefited from her protection, then his commitment would be solid. And this raw, wild dimension was her home. These people, while not her family, were closer in kind to her, able to understand her needs.
“What do I get for this dangerous service?”
“As long as she lives, you have a pawn to play against either the Scottish or English crown, should the need ever arise.” Logan fervently hoped that wouldn’t happen, but perhaps by then Fiona would possess her own safeguards. The gleam of the cerulean eyes behind the laird bore into him, but unlike with Agnes’s power, he didn’t succumb. “You are aware of the child’s potential. Others seek her, attempt to gain control and use her. Better she remain under your protection, than be manipulated against you.”
Mackinnon bent his head and stroked his bearded chin before he motioned toward the fire. A tapestry spanning the fifteen-foot wall shifted aside. The dark, mute mage stepped forward from his hiding place within the walls.
“This is what you have detected?”
The mage nodded and stared at Logan before he turned to his laird. “Her powers surged and then disappeared.”
“Long enough for you to test her?”
Logan’s hands fisted while he waited for the mage’s response. Fiona’s attack had resonated within the mage’s circle, been detected, and they’d done nothing to help her.
“She is damaged—powerful—but unprepared to assume her role.”
“And your recommendation?” Mackinnon interjected, before Logan could vent his thoughts on the crude use of a child’s life.
“Could we have reached her in time? We’d have bound her powers, allowed her to heal, and provided a safe venue for her training.”
Logan’s anger slowly diffused. He still wasn’t pleased they hadn’t sought out Fiona. Then again, he wouldn’t have handed her over.
The Mackinnon turned a heated gaze on him. “Most of which you’ve done on my land, with my people, without my sanction.”
“I won’t apologize for protecting a traumatized child who can’t remember her past.” Logan crossed his arms over his chest and met the Mackinnon’s glare. “In your safe guardianship she can embrace her birthright and become a powerful mage.”
“Leaving you and yours as my liability. You know of her power and have influence over her, no doubt.” His look took Robert into his assessment.
“We will not remain on your lands. I want what is best for Fiona. Once we’re assured of her safety, we will depart. I require your word she will always have your protection, no matter what political situation arises.”
The Mackinnon’s remaining men growled, at once affronted, and moved toward Logan. With a hand, the laird stayed them.
“You dare request my oath?”
“I’m not of your clan, but I trust your word.” He could also check for a lie. The seer had left by the mage’s pathway, no cloak remained over Mackinnon’s emotions, and the mage’s skills didn’t seem to extend to shielding his laird. Tension in the room hung thick, and for seconds it seemed no one breathed.
Then Mackinnon let out a wry laugh, void of true humor. “So be it, Mackenzie. You have my word. But I demand a deed from you in return.”
Logan nodded.
“Once this is done, I require a message be taken across the firth to Argyll. The trip is hazardous. You will travel on my orders. Once complete, we are done.”
Robert stepped forward. “I’ll deliver the message.”
Logan swung a puzzled look at Robert, but said nothing. He’d argue the details of the message transmission later.
The laird watched them closely, then motioned to his own. “Baven and Nial will make arrangements and meet you at the cottage with horses. Connor will accompany the girl to a safe, remote location as her guard.”
A brief look of dismay lit the young man’s eyes, but disappeared beneath his laird’s scrutiny.
Initial concern about entrusting Fiona’s welfare to an adolescent not prepared for the task vanished in an instant, as a brilliant gold and red suffused Connor’s body. The soldier’s uncertainty had released the mask hiding his powers, and now Logan realized he’d overlooked the highlighted strands of blond hair and deep blue eyes in his assessment of all of Mackinnon’s guards. He wasn’t one of Agnes’s people, though perhaps a human-Elven offspring like the seer? And, equally likely, related to the laird. Logan hoped it provided Connor power and skill beyond the swordsmanship of the laird’s other guards. Fiona needed every advantage Mackinnon had to offer.
However, the laird had witnessed Logan’s hesitation, and Connor’s. “Of all my personal guards, this man is least likely to frighten a young girl. He’ll earn her trust. A guard for a princess requires an individual of great skill. Better yet, one whose youth easily hides his abilities—and most important, one I trust without reservation.” He held out the locket to Connor. “Do you accept this responsibility, lad?”
The young man dropped to one knee. “Aye, my Laird. I’ll let nothing happen to her.”
“The task will take years.” The laird’s tone became hard as he waited for Connor’s nod.
“I understand.”
Mackinnon raised a brow to Logan and settled the necklace into the young man’s hand.
“I appreciate your help and wisdom.” Logan glanced from Connor to the mage. He’d shown no sign of fear or hesitation about the laird’s choice. Instead, he seemed pleased with the solution for Fiona. As if he had his own agenda for her. Surprisingly, he met Logan’s gaze with his emotions bared and his feelings accessible for review. No subterfuge lingered around him. Only a protectiveness connected to the unfolding events.
The laird looked between them and scrutinized Robert. After several long minutes, he seemed convinced and nodded. “Baven will join you by sunrise.” He gestured toward Hefin and leaned back in his chair. “Tell my men to return.”
The meeting over, Nial escorted them outside the castle wall.
“Why are you sending the MacKenzies with the message?” Baven pressed his lips tight. “Surely they’ll be followed from here.”
Mackinnon let out a sigh. If this weren’t one of his most trusted of soldiers, he wouldn’t bother with a response. But of late, he’d seen more benefit in training others to wisdom than just commanding them. “He’ll not have th
e real message.”
Baven’s face lit with momentary understanding, followed by a flash of concern. “He won’t stand a chance.”
Fist curled on the arm of his chair, Mackinnon stood and pivoted to stare down at the fire. He had no problem making decisions of life and death, but the weight of brave lives would cost him his soul. He would have to pay eventually, and whether it was now or later—well, it mattered little.
“He buys an opportunity for our man to get through. There’s always a chance he’ll survive. He has the look of a warrior.”
Baven said nothing, his silence a testament to the severity of the outcome.
“He will determine his own fate,” Mackinnon continued. “We absorb risks with this arrangement, also. I’ve given my word. A life for a life. It’s a fair trade.” If an unsatisfying one. He’d found the MacKenzies to be honorable men. They’d have made good allies.
“The life you gain will secure your foothold.” The seer had returned with the silence of a cat. Her eyes flickered over him as she stood at his side.
His destiny. How long had he heard this litany from those of magic he kept clustered around him? Under attack from beyond his borders, with threats present and real, he had difficulty with a plan so many years into his future.
Even so, he couldn’t discount the promise that one day beckoned to him. Yes, he would shelter the child, provide her protection and nurture—and one day the child mage would deliver him the throne.
19
They’d traveled several hours from the castle, with only a few remaining, yet Logan couldn’t shake the dread permeating his bones. Fiona’s future, now safely negotiated, wasn’t the concern. No, the source of his unease felt closer, ingrained beneath his skin like an invasive spore. He’d never considered himself a coward. But now he was reticent to seek the root of this new worry.
Forcing himself to stop thinking about the problem, he focused on the hills and sky, the brisk breeze touching his cheeks, and the growing chill as they climbed higher. Hefin’s walking stick sounded in a persistent tick against the rocks of the path every few feet. Bri and Robert remained silent.
He turned to the older man and kept up with his brisk pace. “Thank you for your help with the laird and your support of Fiona.”
“The child will fare well. I’ve never heard a word of ill against the laird’s judgment, at least from his own people. No disputes from his mages, either.” With a quick look over his shoulder at Bri and Robert trailing behind them, Hefin continued more quietly. “You have done well by the lass. Her search all these years, while commendable, I believe is futile. She needs to move on.”
An uncomfortable tug tweaked the concern buried in Logan’s gut. “She doesn’t want to move on.”
“She is hardheaded. But like MacKenzies, I suspect. You convinced Mackinnon of the advantages in taking the child as his ward. I’m certain you’ll convince your wife to see reason.”
Logan rolled his eyes and chose not to answer. She’d hardly entered into marriage with him with the agreement of a long-term commitment. And he wanted her to follow her heart, not be persuaded by anyone to change course if it wasn’t what she wanted. He changed the subject as Robert and Bri moved within earshot. “What of Argyll? Do you know anything of the issues for the clan with that region?”
“There’s a battle between our borders. Both lairds are seen as potential rivals for the throne.”
“Not a new risk. Doesn’t seem worth sending strangers for a mission,” Robert said from behind.
“There are rumors of dark forces rising beyond the mountains at the far edge of our country. Perhaps that’s the cause,” Hefin added. “The threat will require strange alliances, dangerous ones. The temples, the religious orders in those mountains that have kept trouble at bay, possess strong white magic. Without them, good lands will fall into chaos or rebel.”
Robert moved beside Hefin. “There must be a fair number of people or tribes, if the temples are holding back the tide.”
The older man shrugged. “True. In the past, occasional invasions bled through, but no dark magic. Of late, there are rumors of the temples falling.” With a cluck of his tongue and a shake of his head, Hefin glanced at Logan. “You know the way back from here. Briallen will guide you and prepare for the child’s departure. I’ll go check for news in the village.” He headed off on a side path.
“He has a good point about staying watchful. The Plagiar are gone, but I don’t want us to be surprised by anything new. I’m heading higher and will drop back to join you when we reach the path closer to the cottage. No harm in keeping an eye behind us.” Robert slipped away through the brush.
Logan paused, allowing Bri to catch up. For once, the words to smooth over the situation failed him.
“Are you still worried about Fiona?”
He glanced at her. “I’m confident she’ll be protected. The mages appear prepared to wait until she’s older and ready to train her. Hopefully, she’ll have a sense of family.”
“Family would be good.”
“What of your brothers? Where do you think they are?” Logan tried for an even tone, keeping a cap on his emotions. Waves of conflict were already building around her, but he didn’t probe.
She glanced at him and then pursed her lips in indecision. “I had hoped each of us had arrived in the same place. Apart, perhaps. But over time I’d figured we’d reunite. But now that I’ve learned of the variations and possibilities with the portals themselves, I realize how naïve I’ve been. My brothers—”
“Could still be—”
“Anywhere.” Bri nodded. “And introducing the unknown payment of life required for portal traveling and use of magic—they might be stuck wherever they’ve landed.”
“I don’t accept those conditions, nor does Robert. If your brothers have an ounce of your determination, they won’t, either.”
Her brows drew together, and the gold shimmer around her dimmed as her mood dampened. Then she shrugged. “With Owain’s minions searching for us, my family can’t risk being apart.”
He hated that she floundered with the weight of all her brothers’ burdens. “It strikes me that your mother would orchestrate help for your brothers as she did you. Perhaps she considered you safer apart.”
“Do you feel orchestrated?” She smiled softly, and when he didn’t respond, her smile disappeared. “I suspect you do.”
“The Mackenzie circumstances stem from more than your mother’s influence.” Not ready to give up, he continued because he had to know. He loved her. In a way he’d never loved a woman before and knew, soul-deep, he would never love another again. “You searched all these years. What will you do when a portal opens again?”
When, not if. For even without the gift of premonition, he knew if Owain’s minions were coming, it was due to his newfound role as a Makir, protector of the portals. He, Robert, and Bri called to evil like a raw steak to a ravenous dog. But he was determined. If the minions didn’t offer him an exit, he’d find a way to open a portal.
She bit her lip, hesitating in a way that broke him. His instinct was to ease her mind, but he couldn’t aid her in her choices. He wouldn’t. He’d interfered in her life with the best of intentions to help and support her. Staying alive and warding off common enemies had unveiled stronger motivations within him. Ones he couldn’t lie about to himself because he suspected he needed her more than she needed him.
“Would you go?” she asked. “You’ve risked everything to save your family. You know you have a role in how this grand battle plays out. With what I know, wouldn’t it be wrong of me not to do everything I can to find my brothers and help them?”
He frowned, but held her gaze. “What of you? What of your safety? And when does it become about what you want, what you need?” Their pace hadn’t slowed during the discussion. Now he stopped, disheartened by the shock on her face, which said all he needed to know about how impossible she considered her choices. He didn’t rank at the top of her list. An
d perhaps his question wasn’t fair. He’d never put his needs over anyone in his family—much less over Bri’s.
“That’s a strange question coming from you. Especially given last night.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re going home to save your cousins. But what about children of your own? Or perhaps you don’t want them.”
He hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn. Definitely didn’t want it to, and took a step closer, then stopped. No, touching her wouldn’t help right now. If he touched her, he’d hold her and never let her go. “My use of protection last night doesn’t have any bearing on my question.”
Her face flushed and she pressed her lips together in a gesture that made him want to lean in and taste them. More than anything, he wanted her in his arms, the finality of this talk done.
“Of course it does. You are no more ready to commit to marriage than I am. We—” Bri’s gaze dropped away. “You said you didn’t want me to worry about conceiving a child, but what you meant was that you weren’t ready for a wife and child.”
Hell, he’d totally messed this up. He started walking, and she followed.
“Please, pretend I didn’t ask you that,” she muttered.
He halted, took a deep breath, hoping it would expand the tightness in his chest. It didn’t help. “I don’t think you’ll like the answer.”
She’d stopped with him and crossed her arms over her chest. “You said I could tell you anything. So don’t hold back on me, either.”
“You’re right.” He met her gaze, again resisting the urge to pull her into his arms. “Given my past, I never pictured having a wife and children. You changed everything for me.” He swallowed hard as she took a step back. “But if we have a child, I want them to grow up where I can protect them and give them a home. Not chasing a dream through portal after portal. And certainly not separated from me and threatened in another dimension where I can’t reach them.”