by Sasha Parker
As she was crawling out of the small tunnel to the surface, there was a deafening noise and she realized it was caving in. She instinctively backed up and then realized that if she didn't try to jump, she would be buried alive. She dove for the only exit and landed with her upper half sticking out. Some workmen shouted for help as they pulled her the rest of the way out before the rest of the tunnel could come down.
She sat there panting, trying to figure out what had happened and realized this incident could only be deliberate. She saw where one of the two by fours that had been holding up the entrance had been cut. Everyone knew she was the only one left in the "hole" this afternoon. Someone wanted her dead. Fear sliced through her as she looked around at the faces surrounding her that she had been working with for a month. Her attacker could be among them. As she looked around, she had seen Stephen standing in the back with his arms clenched at his sides. He seemed angry instead of concerned. As she stood up and dusted off, the only thought she had was that she needed to go home to the glen where she would be safe.
It had taken several weeks to finish the dig and during that time Kira had kept a close eye on Stephen. When they had returned to the University, he had tried to continue their relationship and she had laughed at him. She had also taken his name off anything to do with the discovery and reported him to the Dean of their department for the offenses in Kuala Lampur. Stephen had been reprimanded by the University and had been denied tenure.
Kira, on the other hand, had been offered tenure but when she had returned to the glen and discovered her true destiny, she had turned it down. She was ready to get out of the business of geology and on with her new life as a witch. She had felt a sense of homecoming when she had returned to the glen. She also knew she could go back to the world of geology at any time if she wanted to. Her books were still held in high esteem and royalties continued to pour in from them so she was set as far as income was concerned. Now she looked forward to the future and what it may bring.
It looked like it was bringing two hulking, hot men with it and Kira wasn't sure what to think of that. She knew that Ari and Erin were very happy in their relationships and she was happy for them. After what Stephen had done to her or tried to do to her, she just wasn't sure that was for her. She decided to go along with the flow and let what happened happen. She knew one thing for sure. She was going to find out who was doing these attacks against her family and stop them once and for all.
Chapter Five
"Are you okay to walk?" Ronan's voice broke through her musings.
She looked up at him and when her eyes met his, she was drawn in by his green eyes so full of concern. For a moment she couldn't speak, then she said, "Yes, I can walk." Her voice was like a whisper and she cleared her throat, upset with herself for showing the affect he had on her. By the smirk she saw on his face, he knew what had happened and that made her even more peeved.
She turned to Brendan and was captured by his ice blue eyes as she said, "Can we go now?"
"We can go now. Follow me," Brendan answered and then turned to head out of the cave.
They walked out single file and when they came through the entrance, she saw they were up in the high caves. The two men helped her climb down the path since she was barefoot. When they were halfway down and the path had become wider, Ronan swung her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way down. She had had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck, and then for pure pleasure had sunk her fingers into his hair. His steps had faltered when she had done that little trick and she had smirked at him, giving as good as she got.
As they reached the bottom, she heard Reilly's voice, "Thank the gods you are okay."
Ronan stood her carefully on her feet and suddenly she was wrapped in Reilly's arms. "I'm okay. They didn't hurt me," Kira told Reilly and Lachlan as they both continued to hug her to them. She thought she heard the two men behind her growl but then ignored them as she relished in being saved.
"Let's get you home," Lachlan told her as they kept her between the two of them, ignoring the grunts and growls from Ronan and Brendan.
As they began to walk, Kira took her first step and gasped as she stepped on rocks with her bare feet. All four men stopped in their tracks and then Lachlan knelt down so she could climb on his back for her first piggyback ride as an adult. It had been years since she had done such a thing and she giggled. Just then, they heard an eagle cry from above and Kira looked up, smiling and waving.
"Why are you waving at an eagle?" Ronan questioned her.
"That's Calli, she is making sure you found me and don't need any help," Kira explained with a smirk to Reilly and Lachlan. "She has been working on that move and she seems to have it down now."
Reilly laughed. "At least your sisters will stop worrying about you and us now."
"And now they won't try to come out here to help," Lachlan grumbled.
"Infernal women, always running off when they should stay put," Reilly stated.
Kira turned to him and stuck her tongue out. "You better watch that tongue, lass," Ronan all but growled at her.
Kira rolled her eyes as Reilly and Lachlan laughed at Ronan and Brendan's discomfort. They knew what was going on, it was obvious and they wondered how long it would take before they declared their intentions to Coni. Reilly shook his head, knowing what the two men he admired were in for being involved with the sisters. It was going to be hell, that was the only explanation.
Reilly had a soft spot for Kira out of all the other sisters. She was a beautiful woman, she stood at about five foot eight with long brown hair that fell in waves to her waist. Her hazel eyes with gold flecks could draw you in and at the same time seem to look into your soul. Reilly also felt an affinity with Kira for her love of geology. He was a closet geologist himself and he found himself chatting a lot about that subject with his new sister. Her knowledge fascinated him, Kira may be beautiful but people underestimated her intelligence, she was one smart cookie in his book. Now all Reilly wanted to do was return to their new wife and commence with the honeymoon.
Lachlan hefted Kira higher on his back, adjusting his arms under her knees. He was so happy to be carrying her back safely to his wife. Their wife. Ari was their wife now and he could actually think about that and grin. He was grateful Kira was unharmed and knew they would have to deal with this threat head on soon. This could not keep happening to the sisters. He thought about the two Guardians with them and wished them luck with Kira. Everyone always heard what she did, working in geology, and thought she was boring. It couldn't be further from the truth, Kira was a spitfire. Lachlan grinned as he thought about the future and watching these men try to capture Kira. It was going to be fun.
Ronan walked along behind Lachlan watching that Kira was steady on his back. 'No, you are watching her ass,' his brother snorted.
'Fuck off, you were doing the same thing,' Ronan answered.
'It is one nice ass,' Brendan observed.
The brothers exchanged knowing grins and then continued to follow Reilly and Lachlan. When they broke through the trees, they came to a path where they had left the ATVs. Kira was set gently on her feet by Lachlan as Brendan wrapped his hands around her waist to help steady her. Kira turned to face him and smiled her thanks. Just as he was about to ask her to ride with him, she climbed on behind Reilly. Once again both brothers growled their disapproval but could do nothing about it at the time. There was still a threat out there trying to get to the sisters and they needed to head back to the castle quickly to have them safe under the same roof again.
Kira grinned as she climbed behind Reilly and put on her helmet. Ronan or Brendan thought she would ride with one of them. She knew there was an attraction between them, but it would have to wait until she faced this threat. She was going to find out who was after them and why. Everything else had to be put on hold until the threat had been dealt with, then she would see what was between them.
Chapter Six
"Thank the gods!"
Erin exclaimed as the men ushered Kira into the kitchen. All the women surrounded her, hugging and crying, grateful she was alive and well. Her grandmother was the last one to approach. She reached out and took Kira's face in both of her hands.
"You are alright, beag amháin, little one?" Mamo asked.
Kira's eyes filled with tears as she nodded and then hugged her grandmother. "I'm fine. No harm done."
"I wouldn't say that," Sheela said exasperated. "This shithead is pissing me off."
Kira stepped back and looked at her sisters. Ari had changed out of her gown into pants and a top while the others had done the same. "I know what you mean. We need to find out who is doing this," Kira told them, smiling her thanks to Julie who had brought her a cup of tea. Julie silently patted her back as she went back to the sink, filling the dishwasher to keep busy.
"Did the men who took you say anything of use, Kira?" Aedan asked as he wrapped his arm around Erin for support.
Kira shook her head. "No, they didn't say anything to me or around that would give us any information."
Ari let out a breath of frustration. She looked to Reilly and Lachlan who had surrounded her. "What do we do now?"
"Now, we go on our honeymoon," Reilly said firmly.
"What? How can we go now? Kira was just taken, there is a threat here," Ari said, glaring at him.
Kira knew Reilly and Lachlan had made arrangements for them to honeymoon in Paris. She also knew they were supposed to leave in the morning and she didn't want Ari to miss that special time with her men.
"He's right, Ari," Kira interjected, drawing all eyes to her. "You need to go on your honeymoon. There seems to always be something over our heads, most likely because of what and who we are, we must always make the most of each moment we have."
"She's right, sis," Sheela backed her up. As Kira looked around, Erin and Calli were nodding in agreement.
Kira walked up to Ari and took one of her hands, looking into her eyes. "Ari, you just got married. You deserve a honeymoon with these two wonderful men. We will be fine."
Ari looked at her sisters, grandmother, and then to her men. She sighed. "I suppose you are right, but if anything happens, you promise to call us right away?"
Kira nodded as did her sisters. "We promise."
"Okay then. I guess I need to go and pack again," Ari blushed. "I unpacked while I was waiting for news. It helped filled the time."
Lachlan tugged on one of Ari's hands. "Come on then, let's go re-pack everything so we can head out in the morning."
"Then we can get on to more pleasant pastimes," Reilly said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Ari laughed and then headed upstairs with her men. The others remained in the kitchen and Kira cleared her throat. "I'm going to go and have a shower and get out of this dress."
As she turned to go out of the kitchen, she felt a presence behind her and turned back. Both Brendan and Ronan were right behind her and halted as she turned. She frowned as she looked at them and they scowled right back at her.
"Why are you following me?" Kira demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
"We are coming with you," Ronan stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh no you are not," Kira said firmly.
"Gentlemen," Coni interrupted before a fight could break out. When the two men turned to her, she continued, "You will find that your rooms are on either side of Kira's. Myles took your things to your rooms. You might want to refresh yourselves as well."
Ronan bowed to her grandmother and said, "Thank you, Coni, you are very kind."
"That sounds great. We will just see Kira to her door then," Brendan said as he too bowed.
Coni inclined her head and smiled then she looked at Kira. "Rest now, Kira. We will talk later. I will send Sheela up with some food."
Kira smiled gratefully at her grandmother. "Thank you, Mamo."
They climbed the stairs in silence, Kira was beginning to feel the weight of her ordeal. She felt tired and hungry all at the same time. When she approached her door, she turned to her two Guardians and said, "Thank you for all you did to help rescue me."
As she went to turn back to open her door, Ronan reached out and cupped her cheek. He leaned in and placed a kiss softly on her lips. It was quick and fleeting, but she felt it all the way to her toes. Just as she drew a breath, Brendan was there and he also leaned in for a kiss. Brendan's kiss was demanding, plundering her mouth, almost as if he wanted to assure himself she was really okay. When he pulled back, she was breathing heavily and couldn't seem to focus very well. She closed her eyes to gather herself for a minute and when she opened them, she saw equally satisfied grins on the men's faces.
She blew out a frustrated breath and went through the door to her room, firmly shutting it behind her. She heard chuckles from the men, then footsteps as they headed to their rooms on either side of her. She frowned, Sheela had been staying in the room next to her. She must have moved when the Guardians had arrived. She wanted to speak to her sister as to why she moved, they could have taken rooms further down. She shrugged off that thought for now and headed to her bathroom.
Stepping out of the shower, she heard a knock at her door and knew it would be Sheela with some food. She called out for her to come in and dried off quickly. She grabbed her robe on the back of the door and headed back into her bedroom. She loved her bedroom, it was painted in a lavender color with the curtains made of lace. She had a king sized bed along with a large dresser and small sitting area. As a young teenager, Kira had been really into books, still was, so her grandmother had gotten her two comfortable chairs with a table in between for her sitting area. It was cozy and Kira loved to hang out there in her downtime.
She saw Sheela had set a tray down on the small table full of leftover food from the wedding and was now sitting in one of the chairs. Kira smiled, noting the fact that Sheela had not chosen Kira's favorite spot, the chair that faced the large window in her room. Kira took her seat and began to pick at the food.
"So," Sheela said with a knowing grin. "What's up?"
Kira burst out laughing, leave it to Sheela to try to get the information Kira knew Erin and Calli were waiting on. Ari was probably waiting on an update text from Erin as well. Kira decided she would keep them all guessing for as long as she could. She had a purpose now and she had to see it through.
"Nothing much, Ari got married, I was abducted and then rescued. That seems to be about it," Kira said and then narrowed her eyes at Sheela. "Except that you seem to have moved rooms." Then she raised her eyebrow at her sister.
Sheela grinned. "Noticed that, did you?" When Kira continued to just stare at her, Sheela shrugged. "They needed rooms, it seemed like they would want to stay near you. Was I wrong?"
Kira shook her head and continued to eat, not commenting on what she knew Sheela was dying to know. She remembered as kids, they would stay up all night giggling over boys and gossiping about other girls in their school. They had always been close, along with Calli. Kira frowned when she thought of her younger sister. There was something going on with the youngest of the Kirkpatrick sisters, they just didn't know what.
It had been just before the wedding when the sisters had all been out in town with their grandmother to have fittings on their dresses when Calli had her first episode. She had blacked out at the wheel while driving them back to the castle. Kira had been very worried about her, as had all of the sisters and their grandmother. Calli had assured them all that she was fine, but they had insisted she see a doctor. Calli had reluctantly gone and the doctors had said there was nothing they could find to explain the blackout.
Sheela brought Kira out of her thoughts when she said, "So, let's talk men."
Kira laughed and shook her head at her sister. At least some things never changed.
Chapter Seven
He could not believe his men had been so stupid. He was furious as he stormed into his home, heading straight for his office. He called to one of his men to follow him. When he entered, he im
mediately walked over to the bar in the corner and poured himself a large shot of whiskey. He heard his man enter behind him as he down the shot and poured another. Then he turned and faced his man.
"I want those two idiots dealt with. How they lost her, I have no idea," he said with fury on his face. "They had her. All they had to do was deliver her to me and they failed. That is unacceptable."
His man inclined his head. "I will deal with them personally."
"What news from Thomas?" he demanded.
He saw the fear come into the man's eyes as he answered, "He sent word he should be here in a couple of days."
He had walked over to his desk and slammed his hand down on it. "Damn it, he has to find the final piece." Then he took a deep breath as he gave this news some thought. "It seems I may be going to the Council myself. You need to set your sights on the sisters. I need the eldest but that will be impossible now. You need to observe the others. I have a plan but need to know their routines."
His man nodded and then said, "We will observe and report back. Good luck on your trip to the Council."
He sneered. "I don't need luck, unlike my inept men, I will get what I want."
*****
"I'm worried, Kira," Sheela told Kira as they sat there talking.
Kira looked up from eating and said, "Talk to me."
"I'm pissed off. This person who is targeting us seems to always be one step ahead." Sheela got up and started pacing. "I mean, we seem to be hiding out here instead of looking for him or her."
"I agree," Kira said seriously. "I'm going to talk to the Guardians tomorrow after Ari leaves for her honeymoon."
Sheela nodded. "Okay. Maybe you should do it when we go out to practice."