by Donna Grant
“We have proof,” Galen said.
This was getting interesting. Maybe too interesting. Reaghan knew she ought to send the men away, but she was having too much fun. Besides, she liked the way her body and senses came alive with Galen. It was peculiar and terrifying, but breathtaking at the same time. “What proof?”
“Another Druid sent us.”
Galen pulled out a rolled parchment from his kilt and spread it out for her to see. Reaghan recognized it as a drawing of the loch. Her gaze jerked to his blue eyes to find him watching her closely.
“That only proves someone has been to the loch and can draw.”
“True enough. Except it was a Druid who told us we could find the village of Druids here,” he said, and pointed to the spot on the map where her village sat.
Reaghan didn’t know what to say. Her fellow Druids had long thought there were no more of them out in the world, that they were the last. The parchment Reaghan found the other day proved there had been other Druids, but there was no evidence those Druids still existed.
She wanted to know. She had to know. If there were more Druids, she was going to find them.
“Reaghan.”
Startled, she turned her head to find Odara, one of three elders, to her left. Odara stood like a soldier with her stooped shoulders back and her head held high. She was only able to look down at the men because of her advantage on the slope.
“These men claim to be searching for a Druid village,” Reaghan told her.
Galen nodded and again pointed to the location on the map. “A Druid sent us. Isla promised we would find a Druid village.”
For long moments Odara silently measured the men, her gaze moving from, first, Galen, then to Logan.
It was Logan who finally spoke. “We can feel your magic. We know we’ve found the Druids.”
Reaghan’s blood drummed deafeningly in her ears as his words sank in. They could feel the magic of the Druids? Who were these men? And what did they want with Druids? She suddenly began to doubt her wisdom in talking to them. Had she just put everyone in terrible danger?
“Please,” Galen said. “We would like to talk to the elders. It’s extremely important.”
Odara sighed and clasped her hands in front of her. “Do you expect me to take your word for it, young man? That you can feel magic?”
Logan coughed to cover his laughter as Galen sent him a warning glare. Reaghan couldn’t take her eyes off them. It was fascinating to watch how they interacted with each other. The young men of her village had long departed, so this was all new to her.
“Young man?” she heard Logan say in a choked whisper.
She had no idea why Logan would find that amusing, but obviously he did.
“I do not lie,” Galen told Odara. “We’re here in an effort to fight Deirdre.”
At the mention of the name, Odara sucked in a breath, her hands shaking. Her gaze darted around, as if at any moment, Deirdre would jump from behind a tree. “What do you know of her?”
“Too much,” Logan muttered angrily.
Those two words, laced with such revulsion and a hint of anxiety, were enough to make Reaghan believe them. It wasn’t just the words, though. She had always been able to tell when someone was lying to her, if she could look them in the eye. Galen and Logan weren’t lying. About any of it.
Reaghan was more intrigued than ever. She had heard stories of Deirdre before, the drough who wanted to rule the world. It was one of the reasons her village was hidden, why they were wary of strangers.
“Odara, I think we should listen to them,” Reaghan whispered.
She let out a deep breath and nodded her silver head as she looked to Galen and Logan. “Stay with Reaghan. I will return.”
Once Odara walked away, Reaghan opened her mouth to begin asking the men many, various questions. She wanted to know as much as she could before the elders returned and seized the men’s attention.
“It was your magic we felt.”
Galen’s words halted any questions Reaghan had thought to ask. “You’re mistaken. I have no magic.”
The falcon gave a loud cry above them, its shrill call echoing around the forest and loch. Reaghan paid the bird little heed. She was too shaken by Galen’s words. She wished it had been her magic he had sensed, but she knew first-hand there was no magic to speak of inside her.
A pity that. She would have liked to be a part of whatever Galen and Logan had come to her village for. To be a part of something meaningful, something which changed the world, appealed to her in ways she had never expected.
It wouldn’t matter anyway. As much as the men captivated Reaghan, once the other women spotted the new arrivals, she would be forgotten. And that was best, especially since she was about to leave for her own adventure.
It was all working out perfectly. Mairi and the other elders would be occupied with Galen and Logan, leaving Reaghan free to depart without any fuss. Reaghan didn’t like the prospect of a long farewell.
“We’re never mistaken,” Logan said, voice breaking into her thoughts.
Galen’s brilliant blue eyes held hers. She was caught, trapped in his gaze, and she found she didn’t mind at all. “Your magic is very strong. You just don’t know it yet.”
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES BY
DONNA GRANT
Dangerous Highlander
Forbidden Highlander
Wicked Highlander
Untamed Highlander
Praise for the Dark Sword novels by
DONNA GRANT
5! Top Pick! “An absolutely must read! From beginning to end, it’s an incredible ride.”
—Night Owl Romance
5 Hearts! “I definitely recommend Dangerous Highlander, even to skeptics of paranormal romance—you just may fall in love with the MacLeods.”
—The Romance Reader
5 Angels! Recommended Read! “Forbidden Highlander blew me away.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
5 Tombstones! “Another fantastic series that melds the paranormal with the historical life of the Scottish highlander in this arousing and exciting adventure. The men of MacLeod Castle are a delicious combination of devoted brother, loyal highlander, Lord and demonic God [who] ooze sex appeal and inspire some very erotic daydreams as they face their faults and accept their fate.”
—Bitten By Books
4 Stars! “Grant creates a vivid picture of Britain centuries after the Celts and Druids tried to expel the Romans, deftly merging magic and history. The result is a wonderfully dark, delightfully well-written tale. Readers will eagerly await the next Dark Sword book.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
UNTAMED HIGHLANDER
Copyright © 2011 by Donna Grant.
Excerpt from Shadow Highlander copyright © 2011 by Donna Grant.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
ISBN: 978-0-312-53347-2
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / May 2011
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN 978-1-4299-8038-8
First St. Martin’s Paperbacks eBook Edition: April 2011