by Donna Grant
38
The gray world around Lachlan went dark. Then, he was blinded by a light. In the next instant, he felt a body beside him. He knew without looking that it was Synne. He frowned as he realized that he was lying naked on the cold ground. Then, he heard crying.
He wasn’t going to stand aside and let someone hurt his woman. He wrapped an arm around her. “Lass? What is it?”
“Lachlan?” she asked, her head lifting from his chest.
The shock in her voice worried him most of all. He opened his eyes, blinking several times until he could focus on her tear-stained face. “Your nose is red.”
“Because I’ve been crying,” she said with a smile.
He raised his brows. “Then why are you smiling now?”
“Because I thought you were dead.”
“Dead?” As he searched his memories, he recalled being pulled from the bed and thrown to the ground before an arrow landed in his chest.
He’d tried to call out to Synne, but the witch had taken his voice. It had been disconcerting to see Synne’s face on the one who fired the arrow, but he had known it was Avis. The real Synne, the one who had stolen his heart, still lay in the bed they shared together.
“Avis poisoned you,” Synne said as she cupped his face and rained kisses upon him.
Lachlan wrapped both arms around her and held her against his body. “I think you need to catch me up on everything. First, I’d really like to get off the cold ground.”
“It’s that ground and the trees that saved you,” she told him with a bright smile.
“And you said you didna have magic.”
She jumped up and pulled him to his feet. “I don’t.”
“You do, or the trees wouldna have heard you.”
Synne shrugged. “I don’t care. Come. Let’s get you some clothes.”
Lachlan grabbed the blanket that had fallen to the ground and covered himself as they headed to the tower. Jarin and Helena were at the base speaking to Armir and Malene. The moment Jarin saw them, his mouth fell open.
He shrugged at the group as they reached them. “I’m as shocked as you all.”
Everyone waited until he was dressed before they knocked. Synne let them in and proceeded to tell them the story, all while holding Lachlan’s hand.
“Did you feel any pain?” Malene asked.
Lachlan shook his head. “I felt nothing once it all went dark. I was in pain after Avis shot me with the first arrow, but she must have done something because I couldna call out to Synne. The darkness began to close in around me after the second arrow.”
“You’re damned lucky,” Armir said. He then looked at Synne. “Good job, going to the forest.”
She shrugged, still grinning. “Asrail told me how the Gira could heal themselves with the help of the trees. I had nothing to lose, asking them for help.”
“So, what now?” Lachlan asked.
Jarin blew out a breath. “One of the sisters got your sword.”
Lachlan couldn’t remember if he had seen Avis with his weapon or not. He could only recall her holding Synne’s bow and arrows. “So, everything has been in vain? Sybbyl will have the second bone?”
“I don’t think so,” Malene said. “Only one person can wield the bone, and I don’t think the sisters are bringing it to Sybbyl. If we’re lucky, the two will kill each other while trying to determine which one will wield the weapon.”
Helena twisted her lips. “If Sybbyl doesn’t attack them first.”
“Elin has more magic than anyone guessed,” Armir said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Synne grunted. “I went head-to-head with Avis, and I can attest to how powerful she is.”
“The sword is gone,” Lachlan said. “That’s what we should be discussing. No’ which of the sisters is more powerful.”
Malene clasped her hands before her. “But that is an important factor. If we can determine which of the sisters has the greatest magic, then we might be able to guess who will go up against Sybbyl.”
“It doesna matter.” Lachlan looked around the group. “Whichever sister takes control of my sword, will have a lot of magic. I also believe they willna bring it to Sybbyl, but from what I’ve learned about the Coven leader, she willna stand for that. She’ll go after them. And that, my friends, buys us some time.”
Jarin frowned. “For?”
“Locating another bone,” he said with a smile.
The room was silent after his announcement. Everyone was looking at each other, thinking over what he’d just said.
Synne was the first to speak. “Lachlan is right. Helena, as the Living Heart of the First Witch, you should be able to locate another bone. And if you can’t, surely Braith can as Warden of the Blood Skull.”
“I’ll be damned,” Armir said with a grin. “This could work.”
Malene’s lips curved into a smile. “We just might be able to pull this off, but a lot will hinge on whether the sisters bring Sybbyl the sword or not.”
“They won’t,” Helena said.
Lachlan looked at the witch. “How do you know?”
“Because when you hold that kind of power as a witch, you don’t freely give it up,” Malena answered.
The six of them exchanged looks, smiles forming.
Hours later, Lachlan and Synne were finally alone again. As soon as they were, he pulled her into his arms. “You saved me.”
“I didn’t want to live without you.”
“And I doona want to live without you. Our bond is greater than any I’ve ever imagined. You are my life, Synne, the breath in my body. You’re the blood that makes my heart beat, and my soul sing. I love you more than anything else on this Earth.”
She put her hands on either side of his face and smiled up at him. “You are everything to me. I can’t face a day without you.”
“Then will you be my wife? It’ll mean being the wife of a laird,” he cautioned.
Her arms wound around his neck as she shrugged. “The wife of a laird who teaches others to be Hunters.”
“Ah, lass. I’ll give you anything you want. Just say you’ll be mine.”
“I’ve been yours from the moment we met.”
He crushed his mouth to hers and lifted her in his arms to carry her to the bed, his heart bursting with joy. They might have stumbled in their war against the Coven, but he was leaving with the prize—Synne.
Epilogue
Lachlan wished there was a way for him to speak to his father and tell him about Synne. He also wanted to return to his clan for a quick visit, but there wasn’t time. War was approaching. The fact that Elin had betrayed them cut deeper than anyone had expected—most of all, Synne.
He still couldn’t believe that she was his.
His gaze moved to her as their small group stood in Malene’s chamber and began to plan for Sybbyl’s attack. They also had to take into account Avis and the fact that she had his weapon. Lachlan couldn’t believe that he’d lost it, but he would go through everything he had endured again, as long as he got Synne.
“I want to find Elin,” Synne said.
Lachlan shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Lass, remember what I said about revenge?”
Her amber eyes slid to him. “Aye. Yet I’ve spent time alone with Elin. Maybe I’m a fool, but I can’t see her betraying Asrail and me as she did.”
“She has a point,” Armir said. “The way Asrail and Elin interacted, it was obvious they were close. Like a mother and daughter.”
Jarin shrugged, unswayed. “Daughters betray their mothers all the time. Elin and Asrail weren’t even blood relatives.”
“That doesn’t mean the bond wasn’t there. And, sometimes, that kind of tie is even stronger,” Synne pointed out.
Helena’s lips twisted. “I can see both sides of this.”
“Perhaps Elin set all of us up,” Malene said. “Including Asrail. Yet I find that difficult to believe. From what I know of the Gira, they aren’t easily manipula
ted. Asrail kept her secret of Synne’s true origins to herself, and while some Gira knew of it, the fact that Asrail hadn’t been near Synne in years might have made them forget.”
Lachlan wrinkled his nose. “I doona think Asrail would share her knowledge of Synne with just anyone. Elin would’ve had to gain her trust over a long period of time.”
“And Elin couldn’t know what Asrail might share to use against her,” Helena added.
Jarin sighed loudly. “I admit, that is a good point.”
“But why release Avis?” Armir asked.
Synne looked to Lachlan. “Maybe she didn’t have a choice.”
“Meaning?” Jarin urged.
Synne licked her lips and turned her gaze to the warlock. “She said Avis might be her blood, but she didn’t care about her. However, Elin’s response to learning that Asrail was gone was true. She was gutted, just as I was. Possibly more so.”
Malene looked at each of them. “We’re going to find Elin because the witch needs to answer for her actions.”
Avis ran to the Witch’s Grove with a smile on her face. She had gotten the sword, and the Highlander was dead. She couldn’t stop laughing as she recalled Synne’s face when she realized that her lover couldn’t be saved.
Avis looked at the sword. Had she not learned that the weapon held the bone of the First Witch, she wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Now, she had a bone. And she could stand with Sybbyl as they battled the Varroki.
A part of her knew that Sybbyl would try and take it from her, but Avis wasn’t stupid. She had gotten the bone on her own. And no one would take it from her.
No one.
With her arms pumping and her legs moving as fast as she could, Elin ran. Her breath was loud in her ears, and her heart pounded in her chest. Strands of hair tangled in her lashes, blocking her eyes, but she didn’t notice or care. All that mattered was getting away.
Though she knew it was pointless. They would find her.
And they would kill her.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading EVERNIGHT. I hope you enjoyed it! If you liked this book – or any of my other releases – please consider rating the book at the online retailer of your choice. Your ratings and reviews help other readers find new favorites, and of course there is no better or more appreciated support for an author than word of mouth recommendations from happy readers. Thanks again for your interest in my books!
Donna Grant
www.DonnaGrant.com
www.MotherofDragonsBooks.com
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About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s written more than a hundred novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King stories, Dark Craving, Night’s Awakening, and Dawn’s Desire. Her acclaimed series, Dark Warriors, feature a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible.
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