“How can you lead me to them?” He should have thought to question earlier how she’d managed to follow him so well. His tracks had been completely masked by the snow, yet she had followed his path as if she’d had a trail.
“I feel him. Here.” She placed her hand on her chest, over her heart. “The closer I get to that kidnapping Faerie piece of trash, Reynard Servans, the more my mark burns. And if you try to leave me here, I’ll just follow you. Because I love you. So you might as well take me along.”
She had the gall to stand there smiling as he considered his options. Her ability to track Reynard’s party could make the difference in his finding them in time to save Sallie. And even if he tried to leave her here, she would follow him, he had no doubt. She’d left him with no real choice.
But about the other? This love she thought she had for him? The protective wall he’d built around his emotions was strong, but he wasn’t sure it would survive much more of her assault. It would be so easy to allow himself to believe her words. But he couldn’t permit it to continue. He had to deal with it now. Regardless of how it would hurt to see the disgust in her eyes once she knew.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll get the horses ready.”
He shrugged as he opened the door, intending to convey a careless attitude he didn’t feel. In fact, his stomach churned at the thought of what he had to do.
“But while we’re sharing things ‘for the record,’ Mairi, you should know that ‘kidnapping Faerie piece of trash’ we track is my father. The man I spent my whole life trying to impress. The man whose every request I jumped to follow. All the things I told you about him, all the vile acts he was responsible for, I was a part of those, too. I’m no different from him.”
The sun still hid behind a blanket of thick clouds, but the snow and rain had ceased to fall today. Somehow that in itself made Mairi feel more hopeful as she glanced over at the man riding beside her.
They had been following her ‘feeling’ for the last few hours, most recently turning sharply to the south. Ramos hadn’t spoken more than three words since he’d walked out the door of that hut where they’d spent the night, leaving her in shock with his parting words.
Reynard Servans was his father.
And the great fool riding next to her acted as though he thought that bit of information would make a difference in the way she felt about him.
Or was it that he wanted it to make a difference?
She knew she took a huge risk in telling him how she felt, but she didn’t regret doing it. Her only regret was that he didn’t feel the same way.
Yet.
But she was the woman who’d spent her last nine years devoted to the pursuit of who she was and where she belonged. She was, if nothing else, persistent. As a result of her perseverance, she now had her answers: she was the rightful descendant of a Faerie prince and she belonged with Ramos Navarro.
And if he thought she’d give up as easily as that, well, Mr. Navarro had another think coming.
Knowing Ramos was the son of Reynard Servans did cast a whole new light on things. Certainly not on how she felt about him, but rather on what he intended to do. The repercussions of his plan to destroy Reynard—his own father—could be staggering. Besides, hadn’t Pol cautioned her about doing anything drastic?
She brought her horse to a stop as she remembered her ancestor’s words.
“Do we change direction again?” Ramos reined in his mount and looked back at her.
“You said you knew what you needed to do to satisfy your bargain with the Fae.”
With a nudge of his legs, he brought his horse back to where she’d stopped. “I told you, you’ve nothing to worry over. I’ll deal with things and get you home.” He turned his head, staring off into the distance, his jaw muscle clenching and releasing.
“That’s no what I’m asking. It’s yer manner of dealing with things that concerns me.”
Confusion wrinkled his brow when he focused on her again.
“You said something about destroying Reynard? You canna do that.”
“It’s true there’s not supposed to be any way for a full-blood Fae to come to harm on the Mortal Plain. Yet I saw what happened to my father in my time. There must be a way to destroy him. I have only to find it.” With a gentle kick to his horse, he started forward.
“Wait. You canna change the outcome of history. You can only alter the circumstances. Pol said…”
Her words trailed off to nothing as, ahead of her, Ramos brought his mount to a stop and whirled to face her, fury set in his expression as he neared.
“Don’t quote Fae rules to me,” he ground out. “Rules mean nothing to them. They obey only those they choose and only then when it pleases them to do so. And my father is the worst of the lot. You can’t begin to imagine the horrors he’s going to be responsible for. Or the things I’ll do trying to win his favor. I can’t allow that to happen.”
For one unguarded moment, his pain showed clearly before the walls returned, once again shielding the intensity of his feelings from her. But it was too late. She’d already seen.
“Yer right. I canna imagine the horror of having such an evil father. I also canna believe you knowingly aided those such as you described the Nuadians to be. But you canna destroy this man. No matter what he’s yet to do. It’s wrong.”
“It’s not about what I knew. It’s what I should have known, should have seen. Let me tell you about wrong. Reynard Servans is consummate evil. He lied to me from the moment I first laid eyes on him and I never once questioned him. I admired him, did everything in my power to please him. I helped him perpetrate his foul evil.” He looked away from her, shaking his head. “Destroying him before he can hurt all those people again is the only way I can atone for what I’ve done.”
She reached out, laying her hand on his arm, drawing his attention back to her. She had to make him understand.
“Changing history could have disastrous consequences for many more people than yer father touched. You need to consider carefully what it is you really seek. Is it atonement for yer sins or is it revenge you want?”
Abruptly his eyes hardened and he jerked back from her touch, pressing his horse forward.
“I’m through talking about this. I’ll do what I have to do,” he called back over his shoulder.
Mairi followed after him, unwilling to allow him to face the coming crisis alone. But neither was she willing to allow him to do something the whole world would regret.
She’d think of something.
Though from the feel of it—she lifted her hand to clutch at the burn in her chest—she didn’t have much longer to think.
Twenty-five
I’ve no idea what you want of me. I see no doors of any kind. There’s naught here but stones.” Sallie turned in a full circle, face colored with confusion.
Hopeless.
Exactly as Wyn had suspected it would be. This girl was of no use whatsoever. When she hadn’t been able to see him in his own form, he’d known she wouldn’t be able to find the Portal. He had done his best to dissuade Reynard from taking her. His best short of telling what he knew. That would have required him to share what he’d learned about Mairi.
If only…
He shook his head. No sense in thinking on it now. There were more pressing matters. He’d been through this scenario before and he didn’t like what was yet to come.
They had arrived at this ancient place only a short time ago, setting Sallie off her mount to begin her task. She walked slowly among the large standing stones surrounding a tall earthen mound, trailing her fingers from one stone to another reverently.
Well she might. This was a place deserving of reverence, a sacred place old long before he had been born. Woods sheltered one side of the circle, while the other side opened to a flat meadow.
Reynard glared down at the girl, his patience and temper equally short. “La petite idiote incompétente,” he hissed, dismounting and striding to her side. “Th
e door likely is one of the stones. You’ve only to point it out and open it for me, ma petite, and I’ll send you home.”
Sallie straightened her back, her look of contempt scathing as her chin jutted out. “If you already ken it to be one of the stones, then find it yerself, you vile whoreson.”
Wyn bit the inside of his lower lip, hiding the wonder that threatened to show itself.
By the Earth Mother! So much fire in such a small package.
If he had only a pittance of the girl’s determination.
“Wyn!” Reynard clenched and released his hands rapidly at his sides. “I think the time has come to have this young woman’s friend help us teach her the perils of defiance. Send the Mortal to my bidding.”
The anticipation lighting Reynard’s face sickened Wyn. It grew worse, Reynard grew worse, each time. Wyn wasn’t sure he had it in him to go through this one more time.
Yet he did as he was told. With no more resistance than the pitiful Mortal held under his compulsion.
At Wyn’s beckoning motion, Ran was at his side. “Reynard is as your master. Go to him.”
The young man scurried to do as he’d been instructed.
Reynard reached for Sallie, capturing a long red curl in his fingers, wrapping it about his hand as she moved to pull away from him. “This is the last time I ask you nicely, ma petite. Show me the door.”
“Or what?” she snapped. “Will you do to me as you have to Ran? Will you drive the light of life from my eyes as you have from his? I’d no help you even if I could see yer damned door!”
Reynard stared at her for a moment before speaking, his rage palpable. “I’ve taken a liking to this lovely lock. Draw your sword, boy, and cut it off for me. I’d have it to keep as my own.”
“No!” Sallie screamed, again struggling to pull away, but Graham had joined them. Pinning her arms behind her, he held her securely.
Ran’s arm shook as he sliced down with his weapon, cutting through the long curl.
Wyn felt the pull on his power as the boy fought to disobey. For that reason he remained mounted, knowing from experience it would get worse before it got better. Especially since Ran cared so much for the girl. That was why Reynard had chosen to use the young man, gaining extra pleasure from the anguish he caused to the Mortal. Pleasure, too, Wyn was beginning to suspect, from the physical pain Wyn would suffer.
Reynard dangled the severed curl in front of Sallie’s face, waiting for a reaction. “Are you ready to help me now?”
The girl, her arms wrenched tightly behind her, did not waiver in her determination. “I dinna care. It’s naught but hair. Shave me bald if you like, but it will make no difference. I canna see any doorways in this place.”
Reynard threw the piece of hair to the ground. “Strike her. Across her insolent mouth.” He turned to glare at Ran. “Strike her!” he screamed.
The drain on Wyn was enormous as the boy wrestled against the compulsion.
Tears trailed down Ran’s cheeks, though he was powerless to do other than obey the order. His hand lashed out across Sallie’s face, snapping her head to the side.
“If you don’t do as you’re told, I’ll have him do it again. Harder.” Reynard’s eyes glittered with excitement.
Sallie lifted her head, a deep crimson print marring her cheek. But it wasn’t fear in her eyes. It was fury.
Her determination humbled Wyn; her bravery awed him. If a slip of a girl like that could show so much courage in the face of Reynard’s cruelty, why couldn’t he find his own courage? Truly the Reynard who had been his closest friend was no more. The only thing Wyn had to fear was striking out on his own. The one thing he’d avoided for centuries—being totally alone.
“I dinna ken what you’ve done to Ran, you bastard, but I’ll see you dead for the pain yer causing him.”
Reynard’s laughter echoed off the surrounding stones.
“Oh no, my little hellion, I don’t think so. You haven’t the power to bring harm to me.”
“Unhand the woman!”
Wyn labored to lift his head to see who called out, but the pain of Ran’s struggles held him nearly immobile, bent low against his horse. With one last effort, he had a clear view of Ramos Navarro stepping into the circle, sword drawn.
“She may not have the power to harm you, but perhaps I do.”
Think of something—before it’s too late.
But nothing was coming to her.
Mairi pressed her hands tightly over the burning throb in her chest as she leaned back against the tree where Ramos had left her.
“Don’t move from this spot,” he’d ordered just before stepping out of the trees and into the midst of confrontation.
She turned to peek around the trunk at the group in the clearing, knowing she had to do something. Though she might not have a plan in mind, she was convinced that hiding here behind this tree was not what she’d come this far to do. And it certainly wasn’t helping Ramos in any way. Or Sallie.
At the moment, her poor bedraggled little cousin stood with Ran’s shaking sword at her throat, Reynard behind them, taunting. “Ah, if it isn’t our future Spanish Duke. Shouldn’t you be off guarding your ward? Best you toddle away from this, young ‘Dukeling,’ before you cause this lovely lady more distress.”
“Release her,” Ramos demanded simply.
Reynard shook his head in response. “I don’t think so. Ran? If Navarro approaches my person, you’re to run your weapon straight through that pretty little neck. It appears she’s of no use to me anyway.”
Mairi pulled back, pressing her forehead to the massive tree trunk. Her heart pounded and her breath came in short gulps of air.
Think, think, think…
The men who accompanied the Duke had all dismounted, except for his brother, Wyn. Within moments they would surround Ramos. Or rush him.
Not that he wasn’t an excellent fighter. He was, but not against so many.
Everything had gone so wrong.
She had no weapon of any sort. Still, if she entered the clearing it might distract some of them. It might give Ramos a few extra seconds to…
“I have to go help him.” She spoke the words aloud expecting them to build her courage, to force her to action.
What she did not expect was an answer.
“How about my men and I go in yer stead?”
A woman’s shrill scream echoed through the sacred stones, breaking the spell that seemingly held everyone in place. Men spilled into the clearing from the forest and suddenly the circle was alive with the sounds of battle.
Graham dropped his hold on the girl to challenge Ramos. An ugly purple bruise covered the side of the man’s face, a reminder of his last encounter with Mairi’s guardian…. Wyn froze as the import of Navarro’s title sunk in. Guardian.
No wonder.
The Fates were up to their old games, dangling all the pieces before you, waiting to see if you were intelligent enough to put them together correctly. A glance at Reynard confirmed for him his leader still hadn’t made the connection.
“Kill her,” Reynard commanded the Mortal, turning his back on the carnage around him.
Enough.
Wyn could never go home, but neither could he continue on this path.
“I release you.”
With his words, Ran fell to the ground and Wyn’s strength returned. Straightening his back, he tugged at the reins in his hand, pointing his horse away from the battle around him.
Time to find his own way in this world.
“Caden!”
Mairi grabbed her cousin’s arm as his men streamed into the clearing, battle cries on their lips.
“You scared the life from me. How could you possibly have tracked us here?”
“We dinna track you, dinna even expect you to be here. We came to this place because this is where Sallie is. You forget, Cousin, my mother is of the blood and no without her own abilities. Now, if you’ll let go my arm, I’ll join the battle before there’s naught
left for me.” He waggled his eyebrows and took off running, a war cry at his lips, his sword at the ready.
Mairi darted from the shelter of the trees and made her way around the edge of the stones, avoiding the combatants as best she could. A look toward Ramos assured her he was holding his own, one man on the ground at his feet, a second already engaged.
Her goal was to reach Sallie.
But before she neared the center of the stones, where the girl was held, she heard Reynard utter the words she’d traveled seven hundred years to prevent.
“Kill her.”
Reynard turned on his heel, striding toward his horse.
“No!” Mairi breathed, running headlong toward Ran and the sword he held, heedless of the battle raging around her.
This couldn’t happen. Not now. Not after all they’d gone through. She had to stop it.
Two steps forward and she saw Ran fall to the ground, arms outstretched, limp as a rag doll.
By her fourth step, Sallie had retrieved Ran’s sword. Swinging it up with all her might, the girl twirled once and slammed the blade into Reynard’s body.
Or rather completely through his body.
Mairi froze as she watched the momentum of the heavy sword carry Sallie off to the side and down to the ground in a heap.
Reynard turned, fury etched into his features as he looked first to Ran and then to where his brother rode away.
Fury, but no pain.
No pain, no blood, no wound.
“Wyn!” he yelled.
Wyn raised a hand in a farewell salute without turning to look at Reynard, instead spurring his horse to a gallop.
“Onwyn Ál Lyre! Return to me this instant! You will not disobey me!” Reynard screamed, grabbing the reins of his own horse.
Mairi reached Sallie, falling to her knees to help her dazed cousin sit up.
The girl shook her head. “I dinna ken what just happened. I could no have missed him from that close. He should be dead or badly hurt at the least.”
Soul of a Highlander Page 25
