Embrace the Highland Warrior

by Anita Clenney

  “You think he’s connected to the demons or vampires?” Declan asked. Clad in kilts, with their hair pulled back, it was hard to tell the twins apart.

  “Probably demon. I think he was a minion,” Cody said. “But he could be working with the vampires. He wanted to kill her, but I think the truck accident was an attempt to get me out of the way.”

  “You sure he wasn’t a vampire?” Niall flexed his fingers, the muscles in his massive arms bulging. “All we need is for him to crawl out of his grave.”

  “He was human. I made sure. Before he was cremated, I cut his head off.”

  “Bloody hell,” Brodie said.

  Coira, walking by with a tray of cookies, thumped him on the shin with her foot. “Language, dear.”

  Brodie rubbed his leg and snatched a cookie before she got out of reach. “Who was his boss? I wonder if he knew he’d hired a serial killer.”

  “Anson Masters. Some reclusive rich guy. That’s all I know,” Cody said. He adjusted his kilt. He usually wore jeans or combat pants, but everyone dressed formally when meeting with the Council. Judging from Sorcha’s raised eyebrows and pink cheeks, he was fairly sure he had just flashed her.

  “I’ve heard that name somewhere,” Jamie said.

  “Sam’s trying to find him,” Cody said. “We want to see if he can tell us more about who Ellis associated with and where he spent his time so we can figure out how he was involved.”

  Faelan’s brows gathered into a frown. “There are too many pieces to this puzzle. If Bree is right and Malek is the one who tried to kill Shay when she was a baby, we need to find out why. Revenge or something else?”

  It was the something else that Cody didn’t want to think about.

  “If Malek believes Shay has the Book of Battles. Maybe he believes Edward had the book and gave it to his child,” Declan said.

  Sorcha studied the other warriors, eyes narrowed in thought. “Has anyone considered the fact that one of Edward’s children did have the Book of Battles? Bree.”

  “True,” Declan said. “Wonder if Malek knows about Bree.”

  God forbid,” Ronan said, his tone grave, causing Faelan to frown.

  “We’ve got to get rid of him,” Faelan said. “One way or another.”

  They all knew Malek had to be assigned.

  “Bree also believes Cody is in danger as well as Shay, that they pose some kind of threat together,” Faelan said.

  “But I heard the vampire say they didn’t care about me,” Cody said.

  Declan’s brows drew together. “So the demons are after you and Shay, but the vampires are just after Shay?”

  “How’d they even find out about our book?” Shane asked.

  Faelan drummed his fingers against his kilt. “It was missing for a long time before turning up in Bree’s attic. It’s possible other members of her family knew about it. Any one of them could’ve told someone else.”

  “Let’s not forget Angus mentioned a traitor,” Duncan said. “Maybe someone found out about it long ago.”

  “Don’t even look at me,” Sorcha said, glaring at him.

  Cody didn’t know what was up with them, but they’d been fussing at each other since they arrived.

  “Nobody’s lit the fire under you yet, Joan of Arc,” Duncan said. “But every time you get defensive, it makes you look suspicious. I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you.”

  Sorcha stood, hands planted on her hips. “You think you’re man enough to make me shut up? It’s not your reputation on the line, Coz.”

  Duncan slowly rose and walked across the room. He grabbed Sorcha around the waist, bent his head, and kissed her until her body looked as boneless as a filet. Duncan raised his head. “That good enough?” He glared at her and then strode toward the door. “Tell the Council I had to leave,” he said, without looking back.

  Sorcha dropped onto a chair, mouth slack, speechless.

  “Well, then,” Brodie said.

  No one had a chance to react. The quiet brush of robes signaled the Council’s return. Everyone quieted as the thirteen elders somberly filed into the room.

  The chief elder took his place at the front of the room, his age-clouded eyes heavy. Cody felt the air thick with tension. He glanced at the faces of his brothers, his friends. Every expression was guarded but tight. If the Council decided to punish him, he would have to intervene, persuade the warriors to accept the verdict, or the entire Connor clan could crumble.

  “I believe the Council was mistaken in believing the threat against Shay was removed, especially given the new information about Bree. The Watchers are disturbed.”

  Cody cleared his throat. “My apologies, Elder, but I believe we all made a mistake. She’s in danger, whether it’s from Malek or vampires.”

  The elder nodded, as if to himself, and glanced at the twelve robed men and women who sat behind him. They all gave a silent nod. “We’ve all shared the blame in this matter. We see no reason for further action. For the moment. It’s more important to identify and wipe out this threat. Do you think the danger is only to Shay, or Bree as well, since she is also Edward’s child?” The clan had been stunned to learn that the two women were sisters. They had protected Shay for most of her life, thinking her attack might be connected to Edward, when all along he had another child out there in the world. Two more. Bree said there had been a twin who died. It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise. As the clan well knew, mates weren’t the only destined things.

  “We think the threat is against Shay, but we’re keeping an eye on Bree as well,” Faelan said. There was an increased air of respect from the elders when Faelan spoke.

  “Shay has a right to know everything, to be trained so she can protect herself,” Cody said. “With your permission, we’d like to begin immediately.” He didn’t tell them that Shay already wore her father’s talisman. He should have taken it back, but he didn’t have the heart to take away the only connection she had to the father they hid from her.

  “I understand you started her training years ago.”

  “We did, but it wasn’t completed.”

  “Go and train her.”

  Cody felt the tension in the room ease like a collective sigh.

  “Bree as well,” the elder said. His white brows bunched into a frown. “She’s exhibited some… unusual qualities.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Ronan muttered.

  The elder glanced at the other Council members behind him. “We need to determine how Bree has come by these unique abilities. We may need to take her for testing later.”

  Faelan’s knuckled whitened against his thigh.

  “But in the meantime, train the sisters as you see fit,” the elder said. “It is the Watchers’ and the Council’s belief that we have a nightmare on our hands.”

  Chapter 14

  Malek watched as the man vanished into thin air. “It’s cloaked, just like Druan’s castle,” Malek said to the hulking figure behind him. “But I doubt Druan cloaked it. That smacks of Tristol’s handiwork.”

  Voltar stepped forward, dwarfing Malek, even in their human forms. He suspected Voltar stood too close on purpose, using his size as a threat. The members of the League hated each other, but they hid it well.

  “You’re certain that was Tristol’s minion?” Voltar asked.

  “I’m sure,” Malek said.

  “What’s behind the cloak?”

  “Take a look. You won’t believe it.”

  Voltar moved to the spot where the man had disappeared. Half of Voltar’s body vanished. When he turned, his eyes narrowed to slits. “How long has that been here?”

  “I don’t know,” Malek said.

  Voltar’s fists clenched. “I’ve long suspected Tristol was up to something, but I didn’t have proof.”

  “Is that why you’ve come?” Malek asked, keeping his voice steady.

  “No. I have other business.”

  What business? Malek took a human breath, preparing to lay out his pl
an. “Tristol isn’t what he appears. The Dark One’s pet is hiding a secret.” If Malek could convince Voltar what Tristol really was, Malek wouldn’t have to worry about getting rid of Tristol himself. Voltar would do the job for him. He hated anything with mixed blood. Even halflings. There was no demon more prone to vengeance than Voltar.

  “Tell me more,” Voltar said, his body tensing under his leather pants and vest, ready for battle.

  “You’ve lived how long?” Malek asked.

  “One thousand years,” Voltar said, his voice hard. If he and Malek didn’t achieve immortality soon, they would both die.

  “I’m nearly that old,” Malek said. “Druan was eight hundred years old when he was destroyed.” Malek leaned closer to Voltar and dropped his voice to a whisper. “How then has Tristol been here two thousand years?”

  Voltar turned to Malek, his eyes dark. “Two thousand? Impossible.”

  “Is it? I stumbled on an ancient Celtic myth of a black-haired ruler who lived two thousand years ago. I found a sketch. The resemblance to Tristol is… remarkable.”

  “How could it be? We would have known if he’d been made immortal.”

  “I followed him last night,” Malek said, “and watched him drink the blood of a human.”

  “He’s a vampire?” Voltar hissed. “I thought they were dead.”

  “So does the Dark One. He won’t be happy to discover his abandoned race still lives. We shouldn’t tell him yet, not until we’ve gathered proof. It won’t be easy to convince him that Tristol is one of them.” Malek allowed a small smile, anticipating what the Dark One would do when he discovered that Voltar had killed his favorite pet. Malek would be the last of the League. With Dana Rodgers—or Shay Logan, as she was known now—and Cody MacBain dead, Malek would have the book and all of earth at his command.

  ***

  The glowing man spoke to someone behind her. The strange language flowed like silk, so beautiful it saddened her that she couldn’t understand the words. He turned to her, his eyes gentle and warm in a face beautiful and fierce, and she knew he wanted her to do something, needed her to do something. What? He opened his mouth to speak, and another voice intruded, this one smooth, but laced with darkness, luring her.

  She rose from the bed and walked to the balcony. The breeze lifted her hair from her sweat-soaked skin as she searched the shadows.

  Something brushed her legs, and Shay opened her eyes, startled to find herself on the balcony. How had she gotten there? She never sleepwalked. The sky roiled black over the trees, ominous clouds drowning the full moon, as leaves swirled furiously in the wind. Her nightgown brushed around her legs, sending a chill to her thighs. Her arm tingled, a feeling between pleasure and pain. She shivered, cold from the breeze, and heard something at her feet. The cat stood in front of her, hair bristling, tail swishing against her ankles. “Well, cat. You don’t look any happier to be out here than I do. We should go inside.” She hesitated, rubbing her arm as the night stilled, the tree limbs lifting like bony arms. Something moved at the edge of the woods. A man, several of them, lining the edge of the woods like sentries. They stared at the sky where the black clouds had cleared.

  She stepped back into the room. That was the first she had seen it. She fell asleep on the way from the airport and had only a vague sensation of being carried. Someone had changed her into a nightgown. Cody? Had he slept there? No. The other pillow was undisturbed. The room was lit by a soft glow. A night-light? The walls were made of stone, the bed large and comfortable, covers tangled from her dreams. The room seemed to darken as she studied it. There was no night-light. The moon must have passed behind a cloud.

  She relaxed a little. She was well protected there, from both demons and vampires. Ellis was dead. She still couldn’t fathom that he had killed so many people because of her. Shay’s eyes stung. How could she live with that?

  The silver lining was finding out she had a half sister, though she hated the pain it caused Bree to learn that everything she took for granted—parentage, history, her name—had been a lie, just like with Shay. What a bizarre coincidence. Not just that both their pasts were shrouded in mystery, but that they were sisters, connected in different ways to the same clan. Shay was quickly learning that coincidence was commonplace within the clan. Destiny seemed to play a role in everything. Like mates.

  It would take Bree some time to get over the pain. She said some harsh things to Orla before running out in tears. The devastation on Orla’s face had hit Shay like a fist. Cody was right, she hadn’t stopped to think how much she would hurt the MacBains and Nina by slamming the door in their faces. Their deception had been real, but so was their love.

  Shay turned to close the balcony doors, and another figure caught her eye. He stood in the shadows, but she saw the jut of his shoulders, the familiar shape of his head. Cody. She opened her mouth to call out, but changed her mind. She needed to touch him. She brushed her teeth and dressed. The hallway was wide, lit by old iron sconces that would cost a collector a pretty penny, and thick rugs in rich colors that made her feel as if she had stepped back in time. Downstairs, she found the door and stepped into the cool night air. The cat darted past her, disappearing across the grounds. Even if she were blindfolded, she would have known she was in Scotland. The air smelled different there.

  The guards stood tall and still, watching as she walked toward Cody. She saw the red-and-black flash of a kilt and thought she’d made a mistake, but he stepped from the shadows, moving close without touching her. The moonlight played on his striking face, making him look fierce. He had a sword strapped to his back, not the collapsible swords she’d seen, but a large broadsword. A gun was holstered on the belt of his kilt with a dagger sheathed on the other side. Ready for war.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She saw flashes of blood, long claws, and white wings. Dead eyes, staring. She squared her shoulders. “I will be.”

  “That you will. You’re a fighter.” He pulled her into a hug, his kilt brushing her leg. “Did you finally get enough sleep?” His breath was warm, and she longed to grab his hand, run with him upstairs, and forget about stalkers, demons, and vampires, but she couldn’t have him distracted.

  “I suppose. I don’t even remember arriving.”

  “You slept most of the way.”

  “Did you give me a sedative?” she asked, stepping back and crossing her arms.

  “No. Your snoring was all natural.”

  “I don’t snore… do I?”

  He grinned, and the flash of teeth made her knees weak. “Not much. But you talked a lot.”

  “What did I say?”

  “You said, ‘Oh, Cody, come here and ravish me—’” His voice rose, imitating hers.

  “I did not. You’re lying.” The words fell like water on a fire, drowning both their smiles. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “I know what you meant, pip-squeak.”

  “This is a beautiful castle.”

  “Aye, it is. This is where I trained. It’s like a second home. Maybe a third. Guess I considered Nina’s my second home.”

  “So there’s a castle just like this in New York?” Shay asked.

  “Unfortunately.”

  “You think Druan saw this place?”

  “If Druan had seen this castle, even knew where it was, I think he would have at least made an attempt to slaughter the clan. There’s a book in the library that gives the history. Bree’s tracking down the names, but we’ll probably find that they’re just aliases Druan used. When the demons have been in one place too long, they move on, so no one realizes they aren’t aging. Sometimes they pretend to come back decades later as their own relatives.” Cody took Shay’s arm, and they started back toward the castle. “You must be hungry. You haven’t eaten in hours. Watch out, or Coira will have you round as a tub.”

  “Coira?”

  “Sean’s wife. You haven’t met them. Sean’s the Keeper of the book.”

  “The lost book?”r />
  “That would be the one.”

  “Bree mentioned Sean. Where is Bree?”

  “Last I saw, she was attempting to crash a restricted Council meeting.”

  Shay’s hands clenched. “What did the Council say?”

  “Well, they aren’t going to flog me for spilling the beans… again. That’s the good news.”

  “Can they flog you?” she asked, not sure whether he was joking.

  “No.” His fingers rubbed his wrist. “But they could’ve made things difficult. Still could, but they know they’ve made mistakes as well.”

  “I don’t understand why demons and vampires think I have this book, or why they want it. What good would it do them to see a record of old battles? It’s fascinating history, but useless.”

  “It doesn’t just have the past. It has the future too.”

  “Future? Jiminy Christmas! You mean it lists battles that haven’t happened yet?”

  “Aye. A demon could get the names of warriors and kill them off as soon as they’re born. That would destroy our clan.”

  No wonder they were so worried about the book. “I guess if the ancient demons are trying to earn immortality, that would certainly impress their master.”

  “Aye, it would. I’m meeting with some of the other warriors in a few minutes to discuss how the book might tie in.”

  “I know the clan has issues, since it involves your book and demons and vampires, but on a personal level I need to know why Ellis did this, why Renee was involved, and how she got the book to begin with.”

  “We’re trying to find out. Sam’s looking for Ellis’s boss. He may have some information.”

  “Was Ellis after the book?”

  “I don’t know, but they’ve matched his prints to several other unsolved murders.”

  “A serial killer? I was working for a serial killer?”

  “Aye. He was a sick bastard.”

  “And I led him to Renee.”