by Hazel Hunter
Then there was my druid problem.
“Hey, Doc,” Deb called to me. “K-pop is here to see you.”
I didn’t look up from the mound of wild garlic I was inspecting. “Tell him I’m busy, and stop calling him that.”
“You know he’s not going to leave until you come and do your thang, do your thang with him now.” She sang the last part of that, struck a flashy pose, and then sauntered out of the kitchens.
“You shouldnae keep Master Gowan waiting,” Gavenia, the clan’s cook, told me. “I’ll see to the meal. Go on with ye, lass.”
I washed my hands before I walked out to the great hall, where Laird McGillean and Coach Jennings were talking with Kendric Gowan. The guy looked barely eighteen, but the laird said he’d been reincarnated from one of the first druids, which was why they’d made him a master, and headman of the island’s druid settlement.
Kendric wanted to train me; I wanted to avoid getting anywhere near him.
He was beautiful, though. With his tall, lean body, pale skin, full lips and satiny black boy-cut he could have been a Korean pop star. The moment I stepped into the hall he glanced at me with his long, narrow eyes. I still couldn’t figure out if they were black or dark brown.
Quit drooling over the druid.
Kendric waited until the laird finished speaking before he turned and bowed to me. “Healer Ivers.”
“Hey.” That was as polite as I could manage with the way he looked at me (like I was naked and begging him to carry me off to the nearest bed.) “You sprain an ankle walking over here?”
“Ah, no, Sister.” He ran a fingertip across his mouth. “I’ve brought the herbs I promised you.”
Now I wanted to bite his lip. “Thanks. Excuse me.” Without further ado I walked out and headed for the loch.
Kendric caught up to me before I reached the rocky bank. “Sister, if we could speak for a moment.”
“We already have.” Focusing on the water helped, but the way my whole body was heating up I had only about thirty seconds left before it started. “Go back to your village.”
I ran into the water and waded out as fast as I could. Steam had started rising from my clothes just before I dunked myself, but submerging was only a temporary fix. Chunks of ice started forming as I surfaced and shook out my hair. Then I saw Kendric wading in after me, and felt the water around me growing colder.
“Get away from me,” I told him as I backstroked to a safer distance.
The druid kept coming. “I wish but to help, Sister.”
“I’m not your sister.” Shouting at the most important druid on Mull wasn’t very smart, but every time he got near me my druid ability went crazy. I had to tell him the truth, so I said, “I can’t control my power around you. Come any closer and I’ll pull all the heat out of you, and probably the loch, too.”
“You cannae do thus to me.” He finally stopped, and the water around him began churning. “I’m the ice to your fire, Alexina.”
“My name is Andrea.” I stared at the now-boiling waves between us. “You’re doing that?”
“’Tis our doing.” Kendric stretched out his hand. “Permit me show you.”
I knew I might kill him if I touched him. Then again he’d reincarnate, and for a century or two my druid problem would be solved. I waded to him and, taking a deep breath, grabbed his hand.
Memories I’d never had rushed through my head, showing me an endless loop of me with Kendric in different places and times. Sometimes we were just kids, other times we were ancient, but we were always together. My name had been Lexin, Alexandra, Andra, and a dozen other variations, all leading back to my first life as Alexina. In every one of my incarnations I had possessed the power to pull any heat into my body, just as Kendric could any cold, which made us a kind of druid yin and yang. As I watched all of my former lives I felt the water around us warming and cooling at the same time, until it returned to its normal temperature.
Kendric released my hand, and the memories stopped. “’Twas why you waited so long to reincarnate, so you could bring back our daughters from the future.”
“The Angels are our descendants.” As he put his hands on my shoulders I rested my cheek against his. “They don’t know.”
“We shall tell them in time.” He stroked the wet hair back from my face. “The portents say a great evil comes, and soon. We must teach our lasses to wield their talents.”
“Okay, I’m in.” I drew back. “What about us?”
He gave me a dazzling K-pop smile. “We must begin their bloodline, Wife.”
We got started on that project right away.
Chapter 5
The Deep End
I knew I was in trouble when Laird McGillean told us we’d be training with the druids. Since we had time-traveled back to fourteenth-century Scotland all the other cheerleaders on my squad developed cool powers, but I had zip. Same with the clan. The men all seemed to like me, but no one fell head over heels.
“You’re too quiet, Tory,” Coco told me while we were working out early one morning by the loch. “Try talking to the guys.”
“What do I say?” I countered as I did a side leg raise. “Hello, I’m Victoria. B student, average cheerleader, nice-looking, no powers. Your nothing-special girl next door.”
She laughed. “What about diving and the swim team? You did that while you were cheering, which is way extra.”
“Okay, part-fish girl next door.” I sighed. “Only Scotland has zero water sports.”
Coco tossed a towel to me. “Griogaire says Tyree and some of the other guys swim, you know.”
Tyree I’d already checked out, but he was out of my league.
“Speaking of.” I glanced at the water. “Can McAwesome wait another twenty while you spot me?”
She nodded. “Go, be a fish.”
I waded out and warmed up with a two-minute freestyle, and then started a breathing-focused workout. I needed to set up a buoy and some kind of kickboard so I could do some fast-paced sprints and cardio practice, but for now my goal was maintaining my lung capacity. The other girls swore the loch was too cold, but I loved the deep, clear water. It looked to be about five miles long and a mile wide at the deep end.
Halfway to the other side I saw a small fishing boat floating toward me, and swerved to avoid it. As I did I saw it slowly sinking, and shouted to Coco to get help before I swam toward it.
The side of the boat looked as if something big had taken a bite out of it. I saw a net and some fish inside, but no oars or fisherman. I peered past it and saw a body-shaped shadow under the water. When I dove under to swim to him a man with a gorgeous face, a long black mohawk, and supremely sad eyes appeared right in front of me.
In that moment I never wanted anything as much as that drowning guy. My whole body went berserk for him, and all the breath bubbled out of my lungs. He stretched out his hands, beckoning to me.
Something grabbed my arms and yanked me back against a wall of muscle. I surfaced with Tyree, who was one of the fair-haired, blue-eyed McGilleans (Coach said the clan used to share their island with some Vikings back in the pre-immortal days.) Definitely the prettiest, too.
“There’s a man drowning.” I looked around, but the shadow was gone—and suddenly I felt sick, like I was ready to pass out. “I swear I saw him.”
“He’s no’ a man.” Tyree locked an arm around me and started swimming toward the closest embankment. He helped me out, and then collapsed next to me. I started to thank him, and then saw a big pile of someone’s insides a few feet away from us.
“’Twas some manner of water demon. He killed the fisherman.” He turned me away and put his arms around me. “Dinnae look, lass.”
“Okay.” I fainted instead.
I came to while Doc Ivers was checking me out in her infirmary. When she asked me how I felt I said, “Fine. Scared. There’s a freaking fisherman-eating thing in our lake.” A thought occurred to me. “Could it be the Loch Ness monster?”
&nbs
p; “Unless it swam here from the other side of Scotland, probably not.” She checked my pulse. “Feel up to talking to my guy?” When I nodded, she left and returned with Kendric and Tyree.
I liked K-pop (we all still called him that behind his back) but not the way he was looking at me. I felt like I’d blown a qualifying and was about to be banned from the pool.
“Hey, Master Gowan.” I smiled again at Tyree, feeling shy. He was even better-looking not wet, and no one had claimed him yet. Still out of my league, though. “Sorry about this.”
“’Twas no’ your doing, lass.” The druid sat down next to me. “You’re the only one thus far to face the demon and live. Will you tell me what you saw?”
Tyree looked away when I described my bizarre lust attack, but I glimpsed his expression. He wanted to kick some water demon ass. Then the men left, and Doc Ivers told me to rest.
As soon as I closed my eyes I saw the demon again. He was out there, in the deep end of the loch. I knew he was waiting for me to come to him, and what I had to do. No one had ever wanted me like him. In my dream I walked out of the castle, and into the water, and swam for the deep end—which is where I woke up, treading water.
“Victoria.”
I heard Tyree calling me, and then a big splash, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the shadow coming toward me. It looked like a giant black horse, and then it changed shape, turning into Mohawk Man.
He surfaced right in front of me, his gorgeous face darkening with a smile. He had jagged shark teeth. “My love.”
“My ass.” I bunched up my fist, which like the rest of me now had long spines shooting out of it, and rammed it through his chest. “You should have stayed in Loch Ness.”
The demon’s body turned into goo that slithered off my arm and dissolved. I turned just as Tyree reached me, daggers in both hands.
“No hugs until I’m out of the water,” I said as my spines began to retract.
He leaned in and kissed me anyway.
Chapter 6
Jaked
Simidh McGillean asked me to wait a bit before we got married. As the laird’s bodyguard he had extra duties, especially now that this Very Important Chieftain was coming to Mull.
“I get it,” I said as I glared into his gorgeous green eyes. “The VIC is more important than me in my prettiest dress, the big party, and then a night of…” I waggled my brows.
“’Twill be soon, sweetheart.” Simidh kissed the tip of my nose. “When the Skaraven have gone, then we’ll wed.”
To avoid sulking I helped Tory carry her stuff over to the garrison, where she was moving in with Tyree. They had a room at the top of a tower with a view of the loch—not that I was ever sticking a toenail in it again.
“I can’t believe you volunteered for swim patrol,” I mentioned as I frowned at the dark water. “If that monster has friends, you could end up piranha kibble.”
“Eh. I’m not too tasty when I go sea-urchin.” Tory took the gowns I was holding and carried them over to a big trunk. “You tell Simidh about your power, Miri?”
“Not yet. I’ve got too much baggage.” I squinted as I saw someone step out of the forest. “Jake.”
She made a puking sound. “Please don’t tell me you miss your creepy ex.”
“No, I mean Jake.” Disbelief made me recoil from the window. “He’s right down there.”
Tory hurried over, but by that time he’d vanished. “Are you sure? No way Jake was on the plane.”
Of course not. I hugged myself. “Must have been one of the guys.”
As soon as I got Tory settled I went downstairs and out to the spot where I’d seen my ex. All I found were some animal tracks leading into the forest.
The horns sounded from the guards as a bright streak ran down the center of the loch, and a huge, black-haired warrior rose from the water with a beautiful redheaded woman and a streaky-haired guy who held two blades as he looked around like he was Secret Service.
Miranda.
I heard Jake’s voice inside my head, and now I could see him, watching me from the shadows in the forest. He stowed away on the plane, I thought, and panic shot through me. What was I doing, marrying Simidh? Jake had always loved me more than life itself. Hadn’t he told me that a thousand times? Hadn’t he promised he’d never let me go?
I turned and ran, and collided with Deb and Gayla as they came out of the castle. We all went down like dominoes. The VIC and his crew came right over to us, and the strawberry blonde helped us to our feet.
“Hi, girls,” she said in a soft southern American accent. “I’m Althea. This is my husband, Chieftain Brennus Skaraven, and our War Master, Cadeyrn.”
Deb started to perform introductions as I felt my throat tighten. Scary-looking as he was, I sensed I could trust the chieftain.
“My lord,” I said to Brennus, and then extended my hand. “I need to show you something.”
The chieftain gently engulfed my fingers with his, closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked past me. “Cade, Althea, take the lasses inside. I’ll be a moment.”
The war master herded the girls into the castle while I guided the chieftain back to the spot where I’d seen Jake from the tower. He crouched down to inspect the animal tracks, and then peered into the woods before he regarded me.
I called out, “Jake, I’m here.”
Come to me.
I headed into the woods, watching all the shadows around me. After a minute my ex stepped out from behind a big oak, his soft brown eyes smiling, his tall, slim body just as elegant as ever. He even had the little dent in his chin.
“Miranda,” he whispered, and his beautiful mouth hitched. “I know how much you love me.”
“More than anything,” I admitted. “Until I met Simidh, I thought I deserved being your punching bag. That’s why I called your parents from the airport, and told them everything. They promised they’d get you help. I know they locked you up.”
He hobbled forward, his lovely face growing ferocious. “There’s no help for you now, slut.”
I grabbed him, and used my druid power to pour all of my memories into his mind. I made him feel every punch, every kick, every ounce of pain Jake had made me suffer. He shrieked as I shoved him against the tree and stepped aside. Brennus, who had followed me in, swung his sword and neatly decapitated the monster, who collapsed into a pile of dark goo.
The chieftain gestured at Jake’s melting feet, which were horse’s hooves. “’Twas a calpa. ’Tis said on land they shape themselves as our loves.”
“So that’s how he Jaked me.” I sighed. “I’m sorry, my lord. I should have asked before I slammed you with my memories.”
“I’ve been enslaved, lass. ’Twas naught new to me.” He offered me his arm. “Come. We must warn Gill.”
Of course, I had to explain everything to the laird, and Simidh had to listen. I’d never seen my guy so shaken. Later that night he took me for a walk in the gardens, and held me in his arms as we looked out at the loch. Brennus had predicted more calpa would be coming.
“I wish to ken all you’ve suffered,” Simidh said. “Show me.”
“I’m done with Jake.” I touched his face, and let the memories of his love flood through me. All the gentleness he’d shown me had healed every one of the scars Jake had left on my heart. “This is what I want.”
Laird McGillean married us the next day. I looked great, Simidh beyond handsome, and the girls threw us a huge party. And then?
Hey, some memories I am keeping to myself.
Chapter 7
Training Day
“Nicol, you’ve a lass waiting on you,” Simidh told me as I hung my tartan to dry by the hearth. “’Tis her training day, and you’re to spar.”
I’d just spent the night on patrol, and had mud spattered from my heels to my shoulders. I wanted a bathe and my bed. “I dinnae train wee lasses.”
“Not all that wee, Nic,” a low voice said.
I glowered at the laird’s bodyguard before
I turned to look into eyes the color of storm clouds. The Gods had gifted the tall lass with the form and muscle of a warrior goddess, and a cap of short curls that gleamed like polished bronze in the sunlight.
I felt Simidh prod me and finally remembered to bow. “My lady.”
“Call me Val.” She held out her hand and shook mine, and I felt a strange heat flare between us. She then regarded Simidh. “I probably won’t kill him.”
I expected the bodyguard to laugh at her, but he only nodded before he left the hall. “To spar with me, ’tisnae a jest.”
“I’ll try not to laugh.” She rolled her shoulders and tilted her head from side to side. “We should do this in the courtyard. More room, less breakable stuff.”
I escorted her out of the hall and into the keepe’s open center, where the garrison held sparring bouts. The moment she crossed the threshold Val turned to face me, her expression changing from steady calm to watchful readiness. Her stance altered to that of a warrior prepared, fashing me.
“You ken how to spar?” When Val nodded I moved to her right, and she mirrored me. “What do you for the Angels, then?”
“I’m the base. I toss and catch the flyers, support the pyramids and jumps, and keep everyone from cracking their skulls.” She ducked as I made to grasp her arms, and pivoted around behind me, forcing me to spin. “You have to be faster than this, Nic. Come on.”
I felt annoyed now. No one had gotten at my back in centuries, but that had to be her luck, not skill. Time to teach the lass why the laird sent me first into battle.
I came at her in the same moment she moved at me; I expected we would grapple for a moment before I took her down. Somehow she used her speed to turn my own against me, and flipped me over her head. I turned as I landed, more from habit than intention, and came up on my feet.
Val tackled me onto my back and pinned me with an arm to my neck. “I win.”
