by Donna Grant
“Agreed,” Fallon said. “I was thinking of putting them in one of the cottages in the village. Close and still hidden beneath Isla’s shield, but no’ in the castle with us.”
“A good idea,” Arran said. “We can always move them later if need be.”
Fallon turned those green eyes on Arran again. “By the way, Charon has some information on Max. It seems he worked for a conglomerate.”
“Its true identity is a secret,” Lucan said.
Fallon shrugged. “It appears Ronnie was just a job for Max.”
Arran suddenly felt the need to find Max and give him a beating he wouldn’t soon forget. “Interesting. I’d hoped he really liked Ronnie, but it looks like I was wrong.”
He had to assure both brothers he was all right once more before they said their farewells and the brothers were gone. Fallon’s teleportation definitely came in handy, but then again, Lucan’s ability to call the darkness and shadows did as well.
All the powers of the Warriors had aided them in battle every time.
Arran sank onto his bed and dropped his head into his hands. He knew he had to find the creatures and put a stop to them. It was the only way he could make up for his mistake and help Ronnie prove the prophecy wrong.
It meant his time with her wasn’t up, and that made him very happy. He clenched his hands as he remembered holding her in the chamber. She’d trembled, and for the first time, she looked frail and scared.
Arran never wanted to see her that way again, and no matter what he had to do, he’d ensure she never did.
He made a quick call to Gwynn to see if she could search the Internet for anything regarding the beings. He gave her a full description, and she promised to call as soon as any of her alerts came up.
Arran ended the call and glanced out his tent to find that people were beginning to stir. As a Warrior, he could go without sleep for days. Sleep was welcome, but he could do without.
Ronnie, however, couldn’t. He was going to have to keep a close eye on her.
* * *
Jason Wallace adjusted the painting in the corridor for a third time before he stepped back to inspect it. There was a sound behind him, and then Harry cleared his throat.
“Sir, your man has returned.”
Jason smiled. Harry had no idea the men were actually Warriors. He knew they were different, but Harry had never been too smart.
“That’ll be all, Harry,” he said as he turned on his heel and strode to his private office below the house.
He found the Warrior sitting at the table. “Well. I hope you have news?”
“Aye,” Dale said, and leaned his forearms on his thighs. “Something happened at the dig site last night. It seems Dr. Reid opened whatever it was she’d been digging around.”
“You doona know what it is?”
Dale shook his head. “I couldna get that close. They are watchful of who is around.”
“Go on,” Jason said. He was irritated that Dale didn’t know more about the dig, but he was glad he’d sent a Warrior to watch.
“There was magic, lots of it,” the Warrior said. “It felt … old. And it was no’ too long before this cloud of ash came out of the ground where Reid and the Warrior went.”
“So Arran was with Dr. Reid?”
“No’ at first. He must have felt the magic when I did, because he ran to her. I could hear what sounded like fighting, but when MacCarrick and Reid came up, neither looked injured.”
Jason leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “What else did you see?”
“They were holding different things when they emerged from the place she’d been digging.”
“What kind of things?”
“Scrolls, weapons, a wee chest. Different things.”
Jason frowned. “Why take them out? Reid is an archeologist. She’d want her finds documented so she could get credit. The only reason they’d take them before anyone could know they’d been found was because they were trying to hide something.”
“Could be.”
“Find out what it was they took,” Jason demanded.
Dale slowly got to his feet. He stood tall and straight like a soldier, but then again, that’s what he had been before Jason found him. “I run the risk of getting caught.”
“You heard my order. Find why they took the items.”
“And if MacCarrick realizes what I am?”
Jason chuckled. “Oh, I imagine he’ll be too engrossed with Dr. Reid to pay attention. By the way, is Reid a Druid?”
“There is magic at the site, but there is too much of it to know if she is part of it.”
“I’ll do some investigating into Reid,” Jason said. “I’ve got the other Warriors nearly ready to be introduced into the world. I’m going to need you to make sure they stay in line.”
“You know you can count on me.”
Jason smiled. Dale had been his first Warrior, and he hadn’t disappointed. There had been a few failures, and the men had had to be killed because they were out of control.
But the spell Jason had discovered in Declan’s book, which gave just enough control to the god so the men could turn into Warriors, was pure brilliance. He’d love to thank whatever Druid came up with it, because Declan hadn’t been that smart.
“How long do I stay at the site?” Dale asked.
Jason pushed off the wall with his shoulder and dropped his arms. He reached into his pocket and took out a mobile phone. He tossed it to the Warrior, who caught it with one hand.
“Call me on that when you discover what I want to know. We’ll go from there. But whatever you do, doona leave MacCarrick. I want him watched at all times. Wherever he goes, you go.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Get moving.”
Jason remained in his office long after Dale left. His mind was going over why Reid and MacCarrick had taken the items out of the dig site.
What was it they’d found? It had to be important. And what had the MacLeod Warrior said to Reid to convince her to go against everything she was and hide the objects?
Jason wouldn’t give up until he had the answers. And he knew those answers were going to benefit him greatly.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
He hadn’t even kissed her. Ronnie couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it. Arran had deposited her at her tent. And then just … left.
She’d tried to sleep, but the image of those monsters wouldn’t leave her. How tall and grotesque they were. How fast they moved.
How terrifyingly easily they had brought down Arran.
As always, her attention then turned to Arran. She let her mind roll over all he’d told her of Druids and Warriors. Ronnie had seen the proof of what Arran was. There was no denying it now or pretending it hadn’t happened.
He was immortal. Immortal! A Warrior with a primeval god inside him. And powers, if she could believe that. Why shouldn’t she? She’d seen his skin and eyes change. She’d seen the claws and fangs.
She’d also seen how fast he moved. Not to mention his strength. How he’d thrown off those eight monsters she didn’t know, but she’d been impressed even as she’d been frightened.
Was it because he was a Warrior that made her want him? Had her body instinctively known he was something more than a mere man?
There was definitely a connection between them. The attraction and the kiss had proved that. But it went deeper. Ronnie hadn’t wanted to admit it, much less think about it, but she couldn’t deny it now.
Arran was part of a world she now belonged to. She’d been right when she guessed that he understood her like no other, because he had. He could feel her magic.
She rubbed her thumb over the pads of her fingers. It was magic that ran through her, helping her find the items she dug for. Was it her magic that brought her desire to such frenzied heights when it came to Arran?
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the need, the heart-pounding, soul-stirring passion she
felt whenever he was near.
And when she was in his arms, a sigh left her. In his arms the world fell away. All that remained were the two of them. Now she comprehended why the depth of the desire frightened her.
She’d never experienced anything like it before. It was new and glorious and breathtaking. And it was waiting for her to take that leap, to accept Arran’s invitation and all the ecstasy he promised.
Ronnie stared blankly at the computer screen, where an email from Pete reminding her about the fund-raiser had been open for over an hour.
She looked at the clothes she’d stripped off that showed evidence of the attack and her being in the chamber. With a click, she opened a new window on the screen and did a search for “immortal Highlanders.”
There was nothing other than what had been in the movies and TV.
Then she did a search for “Warriors” and added “Scotland.” Again, just movies and TV shows until she happened to go to the next page and found a link that looked interesting.
Imagine her surprise when the page opened and there was an account very similar to what Arran had told her. The story of Rome’s departure was even written. Of course, below it were comments by detractors who said the author of the blog had no idea what he or she was talking about.
But Ronnie knew the person did. Who was it? How did they know? And better yet, did Arran and the others know of this blog and its author?
Ronnie read more, looking to see if the author knew the Warriors still existed. One entry did state that the author expected the Warriors to be around, but keeping a low profile.
The author then mentioned something about wyrran, and even posted a picture. Ronnie remembered when those creatures were spotted around Britain, but she’d thought it was a hoax. Now she wasn’t so sure.
She made a mental note to ask Arran about the wyrran the next time she saw him. Unable to turn away, Ronnie read more entries and looked at more pictures.
There was a picture of Cairn Toul Mountain, where the author said an evil Druid had lived. Ronnie sat back and stared at the picture.
Arran had said something about being locked in Deirdre’s mountain. Could that be it? What horrors had he experienced there?
It was hard not to believe it after she’d seen the monsters and Arran just a few hours earlier. Yet it seemed so far-fetched, like a story someone had made up.
There was no denying Arran’s skin had been white. It wasn’t makeup either. She’d touched it, stroked his warm skin. It had been all him.
Every wonderful, astonishing inch of him.
She’d even seen the white fade away to reveal his normal tanned skin again. There was no way to fake something like that.
Ronnie tapped her fingers absently on the keyboard before she did another search. This one for Druids. After about thirty minutes, her eyes were crossing from all the references she found.
And every reference said something different. What was truth and what was real? She could ask Arran, but she had hoped to find something out herself.
Magic.
He’d said there was magic all through Britain. Is that what was helping her find the items she dug up? It had to be more than that, since she’d had success in more countries besides Britain.
There wasn’t a place she had gone to dig that she hadn’t found something. And each time, it had been that feeling inside her that led her to the items.
Ronnie leaned back in the chair and sighed. Her eyes burned from lack of sleep. To make matters worse, a stress headache had begun at the base of her neck.
“Just what I need,” she mumbled.
“What? Food?”
Ronnie turned to find Andy bent over at the waist and half inside her tent. She returned his smile. “No, I was talking to myself.”
“They say that’s the first sign that you’re losing it,” he said as he came into her tent and placed a paper plate full of biscuits, sausage, and scrambled eggs in front of her.
“Eggs,” she said. “We haven’t had that in a while.”
Andy shrugged. “I’m not going to complain. It was something different. You look like shit, by the way.”
“Gee, thanks.” Ronnie’s stomach growled, and she began to eat.
“Just being honest, boss. What’s wrong with Arran?”
Ronnie paused in chewing to look at Andy. “What do you mean?”
“He’s acting weird. I mean weirder than usual,” he amended, and slid his glasses up his nose as he sat on the edge of the cot. “He seems tense and keeps looking in the distance as well as walking around the site as if he’s checking the perimeter or something like that.”
She shrugged and swallowed her bite. “I suspect he has some kind of military or police training. At least that’s my thought. I’m sure he’s just checking things over, and he’s done it every day and you haven’t noticed.”
“Still. There’s something different about him this morning. About you as well, now that I think on it.”
Ronnie’s appetite disappeared. She shoved the plate away. “My problem is the fund-raiser coming up,” she lied.
“Ah, yes. Speaking of that, I’ve got the hotel all taken care of.”
“Where is this being held again?”
“The same place you’re staying, for once.” Andy winked and said, “It’s the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa. It’s really gorgeous. And I booked you a suite.”
Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Sounds good. No time for the spa, though. Besides, it’s money I don’t need to spend. I’m already spending enough on a dress.”
“Are you going to wear your typical black?”
“Well, I was. And what do you mean typical?”
“It’s all you ever wear when it comes to these things. It’s almost like you’re going to a funeral.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “I’ll have you know that basic black is the epitome of elegant when it comes to formal or after-five affairs.”
Andy threw up his hands with a grin. “If you say so. I’m no girl, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Go make yourself useful,” she said with a teasing grin.
Andy was more like a brother than a friend. It was a relationship that had begun the instant they’d met. Neither had siblings, and Ronnie wasn’t even sure if that’s how true siblings acted.
The other foster kids she’d lived with had all been moved around just as much as she, so they all tended to be private and kept to themselves.
She looked at the “Druid” search and closed the tab. If she wanted to know more, she could ask Saffron. But it would have to wait, with everything else she had on her mind.
And she still hadn’t found a date to the fund-raiser. Arran had mentioned finding the new darkness as well as more information on the creatures. They couldn’t do that at the dig site.
As if he knew she was thinking about him, Arran poked his head in her tent. “Got a moment?”
She nodded and rose to her feet. “Yes.”
In all the times she’d been around him, even after the kiss, she’d never been so nervous. She wiped her hands up and down her jeans and tried not to fidget.
“You’re scared of me now?”
“No,” she hurried to say. The disappointment she heard in his voice made her inwardly wince. “I’m still trying to absorb it all. Really, I’m surprised you’re not pissed at me for releasing those things into the world.”
“You couldna know what was in the chest, Ronnie.”
She glanced away, the need to feel his arms around her, protecting her was so great, she started to take a step toward him.
“I’ve come to tell you that you need no’ worry about the things,” he said cryptically. “Fallon and Lucan came for them last night.”
It took a second for her to realize he was talking about the items they’d taken from the chamber. “Fallon, as in the one who teleports?”
Just saying it felt weird and made her want to laugh. Never in her life had she thought she’d be saying some
thing like that and actually mean it.
“Aye. He and his brother Lucan were here.”
“The MacLeods. I’d have liked to meet them.”
Arran’s lips tilted in a crooked smile. “I hope you do soon. Do you ever get a holiday?”
“A vacation? Well, sure, but I rarely take it.”
“Take it next time. Come out to the castle.”
Ronnie opened her mouth to say yes before he’d even finished. It was only at the last moment that she paused. “I don’t know when that will be.”
“You need to meet the other Druids. I’m sure you have questions they’ll be able to answer. Learning more about us Warriors might help you as well.”
“I can learn about Warriors from you.”
His golden eyes darkened as he took a step closer to her. “Doona tempt me, Ronnie.”
“And if I want to tempt you?”
He lifted an arm and gently moved a strand of hair behind her ear that had come loose from the bun. “I should be ashamed to say I’m glad I’ve got reasons to stay with you, but I’m no’.”
Her heart beat erratically in her chest as her stomach fluttered. “Even though you have to stay because you might have to kill me?”
In one step, he closed the distance between them. “You’re no’ evil,” he stated roughly, his voice deep and offering no quarter.
“No, I don’t think I could be, not with you beside me.”
After her near death experiences, Ronnie was tired of playing it safe. She wanted Arran, needed what he offered.
His hand slid around her neck and pulled her against him. “Ah, lass, you’ve no idea what you do to me, do you? Your magic feels like a caress, your smile like you’re stroking me.”
Ronnie splayed her hands on his chest and gazed deep in his eyes. She didn’t want to know what life without Arran was like. He’d made his mark, and anyone else would be a poor substitution.
His lips had just touched hers when Andy gave a shout to someone right outside her tent. Arran’s mouth curved into a grin, but he didn’t release her.
“We are forever interrupted here. Privacy is what we need.”
“I have a favor to ask,” she said as he reminded her about the fund-raiser. Not only would it get them alone, but it would also afford them time to do some investigating in Edinburgh.
