Thirty Nights With a Highland Husband

by Melissa Mayhue

Cate had never expected a Faerie to look surprised, but this one did. Cate grinned at her.

  “I need to borrow power, but not from you. There’s too much I don’t know. I’m here to see the source. I want to meet my . . . grandfather, Pol.” He was sort of her grandfather, give or take twenty or thirty generations.

  “It is not done. He never comes.”

  Cate turned and, reaching over her shoulder, pointed to her birthmark. “See this? I’ve seen two others of these, but none as dark as mine. From what I understand, even my mother’s was lighter. I’ve been led to believe that the darker this is, the stronger my Fae bloodline is.” She turned back toward the water, facing the now obviously agitated Faerie. “I need to speak to my grandfather. I need his help. Without it, the man I love is dead.”

  The water in the center of the pool began to bubble at her words. The Faerie in front of her shimmered away, casting an apprehensive look over her shoulder. From the center of the pool, the form of a man rose and shimmered closer to her.

  He was tall, with the long, lean build of an athlete who competed hard, a runner or a cyclist maybe. His pale blond hair curled down onto his shoulders, framing tilted eyes of emerald green. Eyes Cate recognized. Eyes she saw every day in her mirror. Her eyes.

  “You’re my ancestor, Pol?”

  “I am Pol.” He tilted his head, studying her quizzically. “In all these many years, none of my daughters has ever requested my presence.”

  “Maybe none of them was as desperate as I am.” Cate shrugged. “I’m here to ask your guidance. The man I love is going to die if I can’t get to him.”

  Pol lifted his hand and a gentle breeze wafted through the glen, causing Cate’s hair to flutter about her shoulders. He gazed intently into her eyes.

  “I understand. I see it in your thoughts. You believe this man to be your true love. How much do you love him?”

  She didn’t even have to think about the question.

  “More than anything. More than life itself.”

  He studied her thoughtfully. “Do you love him enough to die for him?”

  There was no sound in the glen. No birds, no wind in the trees. It was as if Nature herself held her breath waiting for Cate’s answer.

  She considered and chose to take the gamble of answering honestly.

  “No, Grandfather. Dying would be the coward’s way out and would do nothing to save him. I love him too much for that. I love him enough to fight for him, to live for him.”

  Silent moments stretched out as Pol looked into her eyes, seeking the truth of her heart, looked with eyes that saw right through her to her very soul. Then he laughed, a musical sound that captured the wonder and mirth of life itself. The sound echoed through the glen, bouncing off the trees and the water, enfolding Cate in its warmth.

  His smile was beautiful, raising goose bumps on her skin.

  “You are indeed strong in my blood, Daughter, stronger than any in many centuries. Take my power. Do with it as you will, within the limits of the Fae. Find your true love and save him.”

  A tingling sensation started in her toes, like tiny butterfly wings brushing over her skin. It traveled up to her head, to the very roots of her hair.

  “That’s it?”

  Pol smiled and began to shimmer. “That’s it.”

  “That’s not it. I need to know why.”

  “Why what, daughter?”

  “If your blessing was to ensure that your daughters found and kept true love, why did it allow mine to be taken from me?” The question that had haunted her for so long.

  “The key to your answer lies in the words true love. It’s easy to say you love someone, to speak the meaningless words. I see in your heart that you’ve spoken them to another, though you didn’t mean them.”

  Cate nodded. She had said those words to Richard.

  “Ah! But to prove it? That requires you to move beyond yourself. To reach deep into your heart and call on that love to give you the necessary strength to do that which you think you cannot do. My blessing requires that proof. You think yourself powerless, afraid, unable to control your own life, yet to prove your love, you must bravely take control.”

  Pol floated away from her, shimmering again, his form becoming transparent.

  “Wait. I still have questions you need to answer.”

  “What questions could you possibly have?”

  She was incredulous.

  “How do I go back? I don’t have the pendant. I don’t know any spells or special words. I don’t want to be asleep when I get there like I have been both times I’ve time-traveled. How do I save Connor? What do I do? You know, a few little things like that.”

  That lovely laugh again, tinkling through her mind, warming her all over.

  “You don’t need a pendant or spells. Use whatever words you will. You have the power of the Fae, the power of my daughters, my power. It was Fae magic that allowed you to travel the first time, not the necklace. The jewel was merely the vessel that held the magic. You are the holder of the magic now. If you don’t want to sleep, don’t. And as far as saving your beloved, you already know what to do. You have these men here with you, these men who protect you even now. Your thoughts told me they have experience in saving people.”

  Pol continued to shimmer, moving toward the center of the pool. “What do you do? As you told your beloved, Daughter, you do whatever it takes. Just remember this: you cannot change the outcome of history. You can only alter the circumstances.”

  He shimmered over the bubbling waters and faded from sight. The waters calmed.

  “Never a straight answer. And to think, just two short months ago I couldn’t have imagined Faeries to be such aggravating creatures,” she mumbled, pulling on her T-shirt. Fleetingly, she heard laughter in the air.

  “Are we just going to stand around here all day while you talk to yourself over there or what?” Jesse had squatted down, his back still turned to her.

  “Didn’t you hear him?”

  Her brother turned now. “Hear who? I only heard you, Tinkerbell.”

  Cody snickered, putting his hand over his mouth, pretending to rub his nose but still looking guilty. “Sorry, Caty.” He turned to Jesse. “Tinkerbell? Good one, man.”

  “Never mind.” Cate shook her head. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Did you get what you needed here?” Clint Coryell looked at her questioningly.

  She could always count on her dad to cut to the chase.

  “Yep. I sure did.”

  They started their hike back to their parked van.

  “We’ll go in just as we planned. Tomorrow morning you’ll drop Jess and me at Sithean Fardach and you guys will depart from Dun Ard. Dad will coordinate control issues from this end.”

  Jesse spoke up. “I’m still not completely on board with your coming along, Cate. We’re experienced in going in and extracting hostages. You’ve never done anything like this. Can’t you just wiggle your nose or something and send the three of us without your having to be there?”

  Cody and Cass mumbled their agreement.

  It was progress. At least they weren’t questioning the weird factor anymore, just her competence.

  “No. We’ve been over and over this. It’s not a nose-wiggling deal. I only left a couple of things back there that came from this time, and using them as a beacon is the only way I can figure to do this.”

  “Besides,” Clint interjected. “This is going to be a whole new ball game for you boys, too. Cate at least has some experience in this . . . terrain, so to speak.”

  “Exactly. Cody and Cass won’t need me. They’re going to target on my birthstone ring. I’m sure Mairi’s still wearing it. You find yourselves a gorgeous, tall blonde with my ring on her toe and you got the right girl.”

  Her brothers exchanged a look.

  “Whatever. You’ll arrive where it is and she’ll be there. You just explain who you are and get her out. The most you should have to deal with are a couple of guards.” S
he turned to Jesse. “It’s not going to be that simple with Connor. We’ll have to find him, and there are the others with him we’ll need to help as well. We’ll zero in on Richard’s engagement ring.”

  Jesse snorted. “Somehow I don’t think that creep would appreciate the irony of his ring saving your new husband.” He grinned. “But I’d sure like to be the one to tell him about it.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. The ring should still be in Connor’s sporran. I don’t think he had it with him the night he went out to find Mairi. That means it’s probably still in our bedroom, but it could be anywhere. You’d have to find your way from wherever it is to the dungeon and then pick out the right man. You need me for that.”

  “I’ve always worked pretty damn well from maps. I never had to take a client in.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re not getting a map. And I’m not a client. So you just better plan on doing some good on-the-job training, because I’m going with you.”

  “God, I hate it when she goes all stubborn like this.” Jesse grumbled all the way back to the van.

  * * *

  Cate paced back and forth in front of the rubble that had been Sithean Fardach, too nervous to sit down.

  “I still think you should have gone for the Lara Croft look.” Jesse lounged on the ground, his head pillowed on the backpack he would carry.

  “I’ll keep that in mind for the next time. This is fine.” Her jeans were comfortable and the turtleneck was necessary, though bulky and itchy. Her only concession to looks had been her hair. She wore a thin braid down one side of her face, tucked behind her ear. Like Connor’s. “I don’t need leather to do this.”

  “Hey, I make this leather look good. Besides, this stuff is quiet, soft and gives me the flexibility to kick ass when I need it.” He grinned at her. “I should be getting paid to do their commercials.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Is it time yet?”

  “Almost. I told you I’d let you know when we hit 0900 on the dot. Relax. You remember the stuff I showed you how to do?”

  “I can’t relax. And yes, I think I do. I guess we’ll find out if I need it.”

  “You better. Just remember to watch me when the time comes. You going to be okay?”

  “Yeah. It’s just that this is so important. He’s so important. I don’t want anything to go wrong.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything go wrong. I understand what he means to you. Hey, I’m looking forward to meeting him. Must be something pretty special.”

  “He is.” Cate placed a hand over her nervous stomach. This had to work.

  Jess looked down at his watch. “Okay, baby sister. It’s go time.”

  Clearing her mind, Cate closed her eyes.

  “By the power of the Fae, I send two men in search of my ring and the woman who wears it. Find her and return immediately.” She peeked at Jesse and shrugged. “Oh, and they’ll stay awake. Go now.”

  “Not very poetic. Do you think it worked?”

  “Yeah, it did. I could see them in my mind. Amazing.”

  Cody and Cass had looked pretty surprised when the sphere surrounded them.

  Jesse stood and pulled his backpack over his shoulder.

  “Ready to rock and roll.” He grinned at her, taking her hand.

  She closed her eyes again. “Take us to Richard’s ring. No sleeping. Do it now.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth when the green sphere surrounded them. The look on Jesse’s face was worth the trip. The lights didn’t go out this time, but they certainly performed one hell of a show.

  CHAPTER 28

  When the lights stopped flashing, it was dark. Very dark. And it smelled of horses. Cate groaned. Just her luck.

  As her eyes adjusted to the light, or lack of it, she could see that they were in the stables. Conner’s sporran hung from a peg on the wall. Cate rummaged through it and found the ring, slipping it in her pocket.

  “Ready?” Jesse barely made a sound as he breathed the question.

  At Cate’s nod, he started toward the doors just ahead, pulling her along with him.

  “Remember, you stay behind me all the way.”

  As they reached the door, it flew open, propelled by one of the men working for Lyall. In a single motion, Jesse shoved Cate to the wall with his arm and struck at the man with his feet, bringing him down. Instantly he was on top of the guard and then there was silence. Jesse wasn’t even breathing hard.

  “Give me that rope,” he whispered.

  “Is he . . . I mean, did you . . . ?” She couldn’t bring herself to ask the whole question, not sure she really wanted to know what she’d just seen her brother do.

  “Kill him? Would I be asking for a rope to tie up a dead guy? Use your brains and hand me the damn rope,” he hissed.

  “Are we just going to leave him here? Tied up?”

  “Look, Caty. I don’t want to have to deal with this guy again, and I can’t kill him. For all I know, if I did, somebody real important in the future, like, I don’t know, the president or something, could just cease to exist. Who knows what weird shit we could cause if we kill someone who isn’t supposed to die.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Dad was right. This thing isn’t just business as usual.”

  They peeked through the doors, scanning the courtyard. Two men stood at the bottom of the stairs to the entryway. Two more were at the top.

  Jesse pointed to a low wall at the back tower. “What’s on the other side of that?”

  “Gardens. And a back entrance to the castle, through the kitchen.” Cate grinned. “Am I earning my keep yet?”

  Her brother rolled his eyes again, adding a quiet snort for good measure. “We’ll go in that way. Stay behind me and stay low.”

  They moved quietly out the door and, keeping to the shadows near the walls, they slowly made their way to the garden wall. Once there, Jesse climbed to the top and then lowered a rope he’d taken from his backpack down to her. She smiled when she saw he’d even made a loop in the bottom so she could just insert her foot and hold on while he pulled her up.

  Noises from the kitchen gave them momentary pause until they saw it was only Margaret and Janet preparing a meal to feed the men who held them captive. No guards were in the kitchen.

  “Margaret,” Cate whispered to get her attention.

  The older woman turned and, in her surprise, dropped the spoon she was holding. She ran to Cate, enfolding her in a hug.

  “What are you doing here? How did you ever get away from those awful men?”

  “We’re here to free Connor and the others.”

  Margaret gasped as Jesse entered the kitchen, and Cate took her hand.

  “Don’t be afraid. This is my brother, Jesse. He’s here to help me. Where are the guards? Will they be able to see us when we go out to the cellar door?”

  “Aye, they would. But you dinna need to go that way. There’s an entrance through here from the bakery to the cellar as weel.” Margaret wiped her eyes with her apron. “They were fair harsh on the men before taking them down. I dinna believe they hae any guards in the cellar, though. No need for them.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “My poor Niall’s down there. And they’ve got my Ewan in the hall, acting as a servant for them. Most of the guards are there in the hall, eating or sleeping, drinking everything they can find. A few are outside.” She used the apron to wipe at her eyes again. “Poor Rosalyn is tied to a chair in the hall, forced to watch them and listen to their nasty insults. That horrible Lyall left her there.”

  “Isn’t he the guy with the knife who left that little calling card on your throat?” Jesse’s eyes glittered dangerously. “I want to know where that guy is. I want to have a little chat with him before we go.” He smiled unpleasantly.

  “Lyall’s in yer bedchamber, milady.”

  Jesse looked to Cate and she nodded. “I can lead you there. After we find my husband.” She grinned. It felt so good to say those words. “Don’t worry, Margaret. We’re going t
o get them all out safely. I promise.” She patted the woman’s hand.

  Cate and Jesse hurried through the arches into the heated area where the ovens were housed. They easily found the door to the cellar and descended the stairs.

  “The lady was right. No guards. Where’s the dungeon entrance?” Jesse pulled matches from his backpack and brought the torch on the wall to life.

  “Somewhere in this cellar.” She didn’t need the light to show her Jesse’s face. She could feel the irritation radiating off him.

  “Oh, you need me. I’m the only one who knows where to go.” His whispered falsetto might have been funny under other circumstances.

  She glared at him. “Be quiet. The hall, where there are guards, is directly above us.”

  They moved into the room.

  “Shhh. Listen.”

  A low moan. That would be the dungeon. She just hoped it wouldn’t be Connor.

  “We’re looking for some type of hole in the floor.”

  They worked their way around the large cellar room until they heard the sound again. It came from a grate in the floor, only a few feet away.

  Bending down, Cate tried to see something in the blackness of the pit below, but gave up quickly. “Connor? Are you down there?”

  “Cate?” Only one word, yet carrying a wealth of skepticism and hope combined. “What are you doing here?”

  She grabbed Jesse’s arm and whispered frantically. “That’s him. We have to get him out. Do something.”

  Jesse scanned the floor but could find no ladder or rope. “I don’t see anything to climb up with. How did they plan to get these guys out?”

  “They dinna plan to get us out. They plan to leave us here. Who do you hae with you, Caty?”

  Connor was moving below them. Others were stirring as well.

  “It’s okay, Connor. It’s my brother, Jesse. We’ll figure something out. Just hold on. Who’s down there with you?”

  “Duncan, Robert, Niall and Blane. Duncan’s no doing so well, though. I think they may hae broke his rib.”

  “Now, now. Dinna be telling yer lassie that. I’ll be fine. But if you could hae a drop of that fine ale waiting when I climb out, I would appreciate it.”