Trish took a step back and addressed Latharn. “Latharn, once it’s over. Once Nessa is safe…will all the rest of those MacKays…umm…go back where they belong?”
Latharn spread his hands to encase the entire castle and shook his head with a look of pride. “They belong here, Trish. This is the only place where they can find true peace and this is where they shall return. Ye needn’t fear them. They’re guardians to watch over and protect us. They honor us with their presence.”
Fiona squeezed Trish on the shoulder and whispered her agreement. “We’ll need their help in overcoming the Dark One. And ’tis also their natural right. She tortured many of them for centuries and suspended their souls from the peace promised beyond the grave.”
Trish chewed her lower lip and glanced back over at the table at the now lifeless prophecy bowl. “I just wish there was a way we could somehow warn Nessa. I wish we could give her some hope that help is on the way.”
Tinkling laughter trickled out of the darkness as two shimmering women materialized into the room. Each of them rested a hand upon Latharn’s arms as they gazed up at him with pure adoration.
The youngest one affectionately snuggled her cheek to his shoulder and smiled to all in the room. “Have no worry, Trish. Our Nessa may be tiny but she is fearless. Did ye no see how the lass killed the gutless cur and then stood against the Dark One without batting an eye? Her bloodline does the MacKays proud. She’s full of fire, that one is.”
The older woman nodded her agreement. “Aye. Those sons she carries in her womb will inherit her fire as well. Latharn, you’re going to finally pay for your raising. I’ll have my revenge for all the gray hairs you placed on my head! I’m going to truly enjoy watching these grandsons add their stories to the MacKay legends.”
At the shocked looks on Brodie, Trish, and Fiona’s faces, Latharn spread his arms to encircle the two transparent women clinging to his sides. Nodding to the younger of the two, he inclined his head as he began the introductions. “This is my sister, Aveline, immortal consort to the sea god Mannanan mac Lir. How is your husband, my fine little sister? ’Twould be nice if he’d lend his help.”
Aveline waved a glimmering finger in her brother’s face as she gave a pert lift of her chin. “The ancestors and I are all the help ye’ll be needing, my brother. We dinna want to take the joy of vengeance out of the hands of the MacKays.”
Latharn turned to smile into the motherly gaze of the woman at his right and bent to press a kiss against her misty cheek. “This is my mother, Rachel MacKay. Why did ye not join the others inside my body?”
Her eyes flared with six centuries of rage as she hissed her reply. “Your father is within you, along with the others. I choose to stand apart and land a few strikes of my own. Hell hath no wrath like that of a mother avenging her son’s life of pain.”
“Well then.” Trish threw up her hands. “I guess there’s nothing to worry about. But how exactly do you go about yanking a soul out of a witch? From what we saw in the vision, she can change her form. Isn’t it kind of useless to stab a hole in a shifting bank of mist?”
Brodie frowned as he turned the pages of the journal and scanned along the passages. As he glanced up, he locked eyes with Latharn’s watchful gaze. “Nessa willna understand what is happening at first. But once it’s over, hopefully she’ll see why it was done.”
Trish tiptoed to peer over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as she read the instructions on the yellowed page. “You’re right. If this is what you’re going to do and the witch doesn’t kill you, Nessa might be the one you need to fear.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Curled up in a shivering ball on the floor, Nessa drifted in and out of sleep. There wasn’t a square inch of her body not aching from the damp chill seeping up through the stones. She was starving and the brackish water in the bowl on the table had only made her thirst worse.
She’d reduced herself to licking the moisture off the stones in the corner. She’d gagged at the taste of the mildewed droplets, but at least it had helped moisten her dry, cracked lips. As near as she could figure, she had to survive maybe one more day.
Aveline had said Latharn would arrive on the dawn of the autumnal equinox. But with no windows, Nessa had to guess at how much time had passed since she’d been locked away in the room. She also didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious when Gabriel had spelled her into the place. All she knew was she was determined to survive. She’d be damned if that witch would win without a fight.
She felt a presence on the other side of the energy field. Nessa called out as she shielded her eyes. “Who’s there?” she croaked. She tried a futile swallow to clear her throat and ran her dry tongue over her lips. “I know you’re standing there watching me. I can feel your beady little eyes.”
“It’s beyond me what Latharn sees in such a rude little bitch. And one who’s so plain and tiny as well. Ye have no tits. Ye have no curves. Ye are so small the man would split ye in two if he tried to give ye a good pounding. What did ye do to him while he walked in your dreams? How did ye trap his heart in your spell?”
Deardha had once again reverted to her beguiling form of pale ivory skin, voluptuous curves, and red, pouting lips. She cupped her hands under her heavy breasts and pushed them high as she arched her back. The creamy swells of tempting flesh threatened to overflow the deep vee of her low cut gown. “I remember how I rode him well and drew his seed many a time with any part of my body he cared to explore. I made him hard with the slightest glance, and yet not once did he offer his heart to be joined with mine.”
Nessa rolled her eyes and took a deep breath to control her seething emotions. How stupid did Deardha think she was? She knew Deardha baited her. The hag was trying to make her fly into a rage and waste what little strength she had left. Besides, even if Latharn had slept with the woman, it had been over six hundred years ago. Nessa shrugged a shoulder and pretended to stifle a bored yawn before she took the time to reply. “I could really care less about your technique. Obviously, it wasn’t good enough to keep him or he never would’ve come looking for me.”
Deardha’s lips curled into a vengeful sneer. “Once I’m finished destroying the insolent MacKay, I’m going to take a great deal of pleasure in torturing you. The hour will be upon us soon when he makes his presence known. The sun has but to rise a wee bit higher above the horizon, then my revenge will truly be sweet.”
Nessa rubbed her eyes to hide her surge of elation. Finding out that Latharn would be arriving soon was just the shot of adrenaline her waning strength needed. With newfound determination fueling her, Nessa pushed herself up from the floor. Shoving her hair out of her eyes, Nessa took a deep breath and edged her way closer to the electrified door.
With a bounce in her step from her newfound hope, Nessa goaded Deardha. “Since you’re so positive you’re going to win, take down the barricades. Unless you’re afraid?”
Deardha bared her teeth and opened the portal with a hissing wave of her hand. But she was prepared. As soon as the field disappeared she lobbed an energy ball at Nessa’s face. Nessa dodged and slipped through the doorway. She scurried into the main chamber of the mausoleum before Deardha resealed the door.
Her eyes darted about the room. Her heart jumped to her throat. Nessa needed a place to hide and catch her breath. She slid behind a reclining stone effigy. Nessa panted and pressed her back against the cold, damp stone. She struggled to slow her pounding heart and figure out her next move. A shaft of sunlight pouring across the floor caught her eye. The door to the mausoleum had to be open. She was almost free. Just as she was about to bolt for the outer door, Latharn stalked into the room.
His eyes flashed with eerie fire. Flexing his hands, the sheen of his well-muscled body glowed bronze in the light of the torches. Scowling about the room, a fearsome sneer on his face, Latharn exuded confidence for a battle.
Nessa vaulted herself at his body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she planted tearful kisses all ov
er his face. “It’s about time you got here! Now fry that bitch with a lightning bolt or something so this nightmare will be over.”
Latharn fought the urge to sweep her up into his arms and carry her off to the keep. He had to finish this or their family would never know any peace. Latharn sucked in a deep breath as he heard the inner souls remind him of what needed to be done. With a groan, Latharn settled her to the floor, cupping her face in his hand. He peered intently into her eyes, silently placing his words in her mind. No matter happens ye must trust what I do and remember that I love ye with every bit of my soul. Can ye do that, Nessa? Make your promise to me within your mind. Ye will trust me in what I am about to do?
A look of confusion replaced Nessa’s relief as she clenched her fists upon his shoulders. She’d heard his words even though he’d not spoken aloud, so silently, she replied, I’m not so sure I like the sound of that, but... I promise, I trust you with all my heart.
His thumb caressed the curve of her cheek. Latharn ached to crush her to his chest. But that was for later. He dare not overplay his hand. He must wage the war as they’d planned or lose everything to the darkness of the eternal abyss.
Lifting his head, Latharn put Nessa aside and raised his hands high above his head. His deep voice echoed with the legions of all the MacKays, the walls trembled as he bellowed the MacKay battle cry. “Bi Tren! Bi Treun!”
“No need to shout, my dearest love. I may be eons old but I can still hear ye perfectly well.” The enchantress floated her way out of the shadows and glided across the floor. The barest black silk gown clung to her body. The seductive shimmer accentuated each and every curve. Her ivory breasts swelled above the plunging neckline, her rose-tinted nipples strained through the edging of lace. The dress sank into the cleft of her thighs, hinting at the pleasure lying between.
“Tell me, Latharn. Ye havena seen me in hundreds of years. Compare me with that little milksop sniveling at your side. Remember how I pleasured ye in every way ye ever dreamed. Ye could have that again. We were good together, you and I.”
Latharn eased toward her. He kept his back to Nessa and fixed Deardha with a heated glare. “If ye were willing to give me a second chance, why did ye ignore me in the crystal until a mere mortal set me free? Why did ye not come to me after the first hundred years, knowing how I’d do anything to be free of that crystal hell?”
Deardha’s eyes flickered from Latharn and then to Nessa. She tossed her head at Nessa and spit in her direction. “Mere mortal, eh? Ye know the Ways, my dearest love. Once a curse is set in motion, it must be allowed to play its course. But how do I know ye truly want me now? Ye could be but toying with me to gain the little bitch’s freedom and once again toss me aside.”
Latharn dropped his voice to a seductive tone and curled his lips into a beguiling smile. He stalked closer to the doubting woman, unwound his plaid, and dropped it to the floor. “Does it look like I don’t remember what we did together? Tell me, my sweet seductress, do ye still like what ye see?”
The shaft of sunlight sculpted his muscled body, his enormous erection testament to the sincerity of his words. Latharn ignored Nessa’s gasp at the sight of his state of arousal.
The crone’s garment of shimmering black silk disappeared from her body. She floated to Latharn and stroked her hands up his chest. Turning, Deardha leered at Nessa then pulled Latharn’s mouth down to cover hers.
“No!” Nessa cried out.
Trust me, my love, he sent his voice to echo in her mind. This is all a part of the trap.
Latharn pulled Deardha tighter into his arms, crushing her against his chest. He sank his hands into her hair, claiming her mouth roughly as if he meant to possess her. He devoured her lips, he dove his tongue deep into her throat. He ravaged her until she melted against him. Finally, Latharn raised his head and clutched her by the nape of her neck.
“Pledge yourself to me, Deardha. Then I shall seed your womb while the mortal watches from the corner. Pledge your soul to me now so I can bury my cock into your delicious depths.”
Molding her curves against Latharn’s body, the seductress shot Nessa a gloating sneer. She shouted to the witness of the dawning equinox and threw her head back with a malicious laugh. “I pledge my oath to Laird Latharn MacKay. I open my soul and my womb to his seed. I lay myself bare and wait to accept whatever he gives. I pledge my soul to fill his every need.”
Latharn carried her clinging body to the stone slab centered in the room and spread her upon the table. As he loomed over her between her thighs, he paused for just a moment. Stroking his fingertips along her ivory throat, Latharn dropped his voice to a husky whisper, as he mesmerized her with his touch.
“By the power of your pledge, by the power of all the MacKays, I hold ye to your oath. I now give ye the gift of the eternal abyss and my need is that ye cease to exist.”
As soon as Latharn uttered the curse, his mother, Rachel, appeared at the head of the stone. A vengeful smile curled her ghostly lips as she placed her hands on each side of Deardha’s head.
Rachel leaned close, peered deep into the dark witch’s eyes and added her curse to her son’s. “I join my powers to those of my son’s. I condemn you to suffer well. I condemn you to see the pleasures outside the abyss. I condemn you to a window from hell.”
Deardha’s eyes filled with panic as their joined curses echoed over her head. Baring her teeth in a viperous hiss, she sputtered as Latharn’s fingers crushed her throat. Clawing at his arm, her form changed as her powers diminished into the powerful aura surrounding them. The ivory of her skin faded to ash. Her enticing curves decayed to rotting flesh. Latharn clenched his teeth. He held his breath to avoid the rising stench as he maintained his stranglehold on Deardha’s throat.
Shrieking and thrashing, her body deteriorated and putrefied beneath his powerful body. At last, she disintegrated into obsidian dust, leaving Latharn atop the tomb on all fours.
Latharn climbed down from the stone, brushing off his hands as he bent to retrieve his plaid. As he wound it about his body, he took a deep breath and turned to face Nessa’s accusing glare.
Nessa smacked her fists upon his chest and pummeled the sculpted mountain of his abs. “You could’ve at least warned me you were going to have to seduce her to get her to let down her defenses!”
Latharn grabbed her wrists, enclosing her in his arms as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. “I did warn ye and tell ye to trust me. Do ye not remember? There wasna any time to go into specifics. There was no other way for me to get to her soul. She had nearly made herself immortal with all her protection spells. I had to convince her to pledge her soul to me. I swear to ye, Nessa, it was the only way.”
Nessa folded her arms and scowled up at him through a haze of jealous tears. “Well a certain part of you sure seemed to enjoy it entirely too much. And it’s not like it was the first time you’d ever been with her.”
“Nessa.” Latharn’s voice dropped to a chiding whisper as he nuzzled at her cheek. “A man’s cock can grow hard by a slight rub of his plaid. When I made the mistake of lying with that woman hundreds of years ago, it left me feeling as though I needed a verra hot bath. I felt tainted for days just from a few moments by her side. Her heart was as cold as a Highland winter and my body deadened to her touch. She couldna even give me a good hard rising back then much less bring me to spill my seed. How do ye think I figured out how to take down her defenses? She thought she had been able to capture my heart when I promised to seed her womb.”
“So she was lying about how she’d been able to please you? The fact that she couldn’t make you…come…was why she’d cursed you to the witch’s ball?” Nessa sniffed back her tears as the realization of his words sank in. She trembled a smile as it all made sense. She snuggled deeper into his arms, a contented warmth seeping through her body.
Latharn scooped her up into his arms and arched a quizzical brow. “Apparently, the fact she couldna successfully start or finish the task didna set wel
l with her pride. But enough of her, she will bother us no more. We need to get ye back to the castle. Food and a warm bed are waiting in our room. I fear ye will become ill from all ye have suffered.”
Nessa yawned and cradled her head against his shoulder. She rubbed her nose with the back of her grimy hand. “Food and bed sound really great, but a hot bath would be so much better. I think I smell like a filthy goat.”
His laughter rumbled beneath her head as Latharn cuddled her even closer against his chest. “I canna remember when ye have ever smelled better. Ye are as sweet in my arms as a meadow after a fresh spring rain.”
Latharn passed the relieved faces of Trish, Brodie, and Fiona as he walked into the hall with Nessa in his arms. He didn’t pause but continued toward the winding staircase that led to the laird’s private rooms. “If ye’ll excuse us, Nessa desires a hot bath, food and bed. We shall be back down in a little while.”
“In a little while, my ass,” Trish observed with a snort. “We’ll be lucky if we see them in a week.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Mmm.” Nessa hummed with contentment as she leaned back into his cradling embrace. The steaming water relieved her aching bones like a tonic easing the chill from her body. The lavender-scented vapor soothed her weary mind, while the heat from the pulsating jets relaxed her knotted muscles. Her eyes closed, she smiled with a sigh as Latharn soaped her breasts. He nibbled at the tip of her ear as his hands circled to more enticing parts below.
“Feeling better?” he breathed into her hair as he lathered and massaged her body.
“This is heaven,” Nessa purred, turning to float against his chest. His hardened body nudged against her belly as she wriggled her soapy torso against his most inviting feature.
“I never imagined a Jacuzzi tub this big in a castle as old as MacKay keep.” As she slid her slippery body against his, Nessa hummed and nibbled against his throat.
Beyond A Highland Whisper Page 21
