He rushed to Sarah’s side, still bewildered by her control of the blood stone. She had to be Dubhán’s heir. She was Druzai.
But she was barely alive.
What skills she possessed were unrefined, so she hadn’t known how to wield the power of the blood stone, and the ordeal had weakened her dangerously. Brogan laid his hands over her heart and her forehead, then called forth every healing force he knew.
He prayed as he poured his own magic into her, desperate to restore her.
“Sarah, moileen, look at me.”
He clenched his jaw and renewed his efforts, sending inadequate silvery healing threads ’round her body, rejecting the possibility that he might fail. She’d been honest and forthright with him, while he’d lied to her from the moment he first met her. She was competent and uncomplaining, caring for Meglet and Jane without a thought for her own happiness or welfare.
She was his céile mate, the one woman he could trust and confide in. He loved her.
“Please, Sarah, awaken. My life is worth naught without you.” He wished he had his brother’s healing strength, but all he could do was surround her with Druzai light and hope ’twould heal her.
Her body shimmered in the light of the threads, and he felt her quiver. Her eyes fluttered, and she groaned. Brogan took her hands in his own and pressed a kiss to each of her palms, healing the burns from the stone. “That’s it, moileen. Come back to me.”
She opened her eyes, but they did not focus at first. She drew back in fear, then saw him. “Brendan?”
“Aye…Brogan. Call me by my rightful name.”
She lifted her hand to his face and touched his cheek. “’Tis wet.”
He swallowed thickly, unaware that he’d shed his first tears since he was a wee lad.
She started to push herself up, but he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bench.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “The stone started to burn and I felt so weak.”
“Doona think about it now,” he said as he sat down. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, unwilling to let her out of his embrace. “You saved my life.”
“The girls—where are the girls?”
“We’ll go back and check on them as soon as you’re stronger.”
“I must look a mess.”
“Aye.” He smiled. “A lovely mess, but I’ll put you to rights before we return.”
“Bren…Brogan?”
“Aye, lass?”
“I love you. I was so afraid that woman was going to succeed in killing you…”
“I am verra difficult to kill, moileen, but I thank you for your assistance. ’Twas quite welcome.”
She swallowed and pressed her face against his chest. “I think we should go back.”
“No’ until you kiss me, lass.”
Sarah’s ordeal seemed like part of a strange, disconnected past. She could remember every detail of Eilinora’s attack, but it seemed as though it had happened to someone else.
“I must return to Coruain, my love,” Brogan said. “My people need the protection of the stone. No doubt my brother has found the other stone and awaits me there.”
Sarah felt like the dullest of women, unable to follow even the simplest of conversations. “But Eilinora…is she not…”
“Vanquished? Aye. But some stronger power released her from her prison. I’m fairly sure ’twas he that took my father’s scepter from me just now. I felt his power. ’Tis only with the brìgha-stone that we’ll be able to defeat it.”
She felt his gaze, intent on every nuance of her expression. She’d never heard of Coruain or Druzai or any of the other things he’d spoken of. But she knew that everything he’d told her was true.
And she knew that she loved him. She was his for the taking.
Captain Barstow had returned, so Mr. Ridley would leave Ravenfield, and Maud could go to Ulverston a wealthy woman. He truly had made things right. “Brogan, did you…” She frowned. “Captain Barstow…he was dead.”
Brogan shook his head. “I had naught to do with it, love. No Druzai can raise the dead, so it must have been a mistake, just as he said.”
She slipped her arms around his neck and raised her face to his. He trembled slightly when she pressed a kiss to his lips. Brogan let out a long sigh and hugged her close. “I love you, Sarah. But you havena yet consented to be my wife. Will you no’ put me out of my misery?”
“Yes,” she whispered, cupping his face with her hands. “I’ll marry you.”
She slid her fingers through the hair at his nape and he kissed her, easing his tongue through the seam of her lips, searing her with his heat. He made a low sound and covered her breast with his hand as she arched into his touch.
With a groan he broke their contact and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I would take you to the cottage and make love to you now,” he said. “But we must hasten, moileen. Coruain needs us.”
Brogan assisted her as she stood, holding her until she felt steady on her feet. Then he made a slight motion with one hand, returning her gown to the state it was in when they’d arrived. It was clean again, and even more beautiful than before, if that were possible.
“Sarah, I am going to do something that will make your parting with Ravenfield easier.”
She nodded, trusting him with all her heart, but feeling startled when the statue spoke once again.
“My congratulations to you, Lord Brogan,” the dragheen said. “And to your lady. ’Twas well-done.”
Brogan gave a nod of acknowledgment, though he knew he had not been entirely victorious. He’d had his father’s scepter in his hand, yet something—Pakal?—had taken it from him.
“Geilis, if you will,” Brogan said to the dragheen. “Send a suggestion to Captain Barstow—tell him to take his daughters home to Ravenfield. Now.”
“Aye, m’lord. ’Twill be my pleasure to serve you.”
He felt Sarah gaping at him, and he slipped his hand ’round her waist. “I’ll teach you about my world—our world—in time, moileen. For now, we must hasten to say our farewells.”
The Barstow family was gone when they returned to the soiree, and Brogan and Sarah followed close behind, arriving at Ravenfield shortly after the captain and his daughters. The lasses were happy, but tearful when they heard the explanation that Sarah was going to elope with Mr. Locke and go to his lands in Scotland, for that was the only account they could give.
“It was the Luck, wasn’t it?” Meglet asked.
“It worked, Miss Granger!” Jane cried. “It brought you a husband!”
Sarah nodded and looked to him, her love glowing brightly in her eyes. Brogan felt his heart tighten in his chest at the sight of her, his céile mate, the woman who would bear his children, who would feel his love for all time. The power of his passion for her staggered him.
They soon took their leave of those she loved at Ravenfield, but before they started down the path to the beach where Sarah had discovered Brogan half drowned, he stopped her. “One last thing,” he said.
He reached down to the ground, and Sarah saw a small bundle of fur appear in his hand. “A kitten!” she whispered. “’Tis black and brown striped, just like Brownie.”
Brogan set the small creature on the ground, and as he sent it toward the house, he caused the door to open just wide enough for the kitten to fit through.
When it was safely inside, they hastened to the beach. “I am not m-much of a swimmer,” Sarah said, shivering in the cool evening air.
Brogan drew her against his body and held her close, reassuring her, warming her.
“Then ’tis fortunate you willna be required to swim, my love. I’ll protect you. My magic will take us to the columns where we will pass through to my time, to my place.”
“Kiss me first.”
Drawing her into his arms, he pulled a luminous shield ’round them. And as he kissed her, they plunged into the sea toward the life they would share together.
About the Autho
r
MARGO MAGUIRE is the author of thirteen historical novels, mostly of the medieval era. Formerly a Critical Care nurse, she worked for many years in a large Detroit trauma center. Now Margo writes full time and loves to hear from readers at P.O. Box 201094, Ferndale, Michigan 48220, or visit her website at www.margomaguire.com.
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Copyright
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A WARRIOR’S TAKING. Copyright © 2007 by Margo Wider. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
ePub edition May 2007 ISBN 9780061763472
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Contents
Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Chapter 09
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
About the Author
Other Romances
Copyright
About the Publisher
A Warrior's Taking Page 25
