The Fae Ring

by C. A. Szarek

  Right.

  If I can convince the lass not to reject me.

  When his cousin gasped, he glanced over his shoulder. “What—?”

  Alana had gone pale.

  Xander started to cross the room to her, but stopped in his tracks. Magic skittered down his spine and made his head spin.

  Something yanked at his mating bond with Janet.

  Then she was gone.

  I can’t feel her.

  At. All.

  Panic crept up from his gut, and he wobbled on his feet.

  Alana met him in the middle of the solar. Her hand shot out to steady him, and their eyes locked.

  “Janet,” Xander breathed.

  “The Faery Stones,” Alana said at the same time.

  Chapter Six

  Janet ran hard.

  Harder than she had when she’d fled Xander on the beach. Her legs and lungs burned equally, and her throat was dry. Her ears stung from the rushing wind and she shivered against the chilled air, despite the heat she’d worked up from exertion.

  She paused, leaning on a boulder to catch her breath. Closed her eyes. “What am I goin’ to do?” Her words were desperate to her ears and she clenched her jaw until her teeth ached. It did nothing to stave off tears.

  As they coursed down her cheeks, a warm contradiction to the cool wind, she started to rock, bumping into the large slab over and over. The rough surface bit into her shoulders and upper back, but the pain was good. It grounded her.

  She looked around. Janet was so far from Dunvegan she couldn’t see the castle over the crest of the hills.

  “Drat.” She’d never been this far down the beach.

  Certainly not alone.

  Cormac had wanted to accompany her when she’d gone out this morning. He’d only considered letting her out of the gates by herself because Xander was already on the beach in the first place. Janet hadn’t run into the former Fae Warrior when she’d ventured down to the water. Not until he’d joined her.

  Normally when she left the safety of Dunvegan, if either of her brothers couldn’t accompany her, one of their men, usually a cousin, did so. It was irritating to be watched by men all the time, even if they proclaimed to care about her.

  If she kept going, she’d run into MacDonald land. The rival clan’s stronghold, Armadale, wasn’t far—though it was the other side of Skye—by the looks of where her feet had carried her.

  Janet shivered for reasons other than the weather. “That, I doona’ need.”

  Clans MacLeod and MacDonald had been rivals forever—but true enemies for about a hundred years due to a botched marriage.

  She could’ve laughed at the irony, but she needed to go back.

  Neither of her brothers could stand the current Laird MacDonald. It would be just like the unmannered couth, Hugh, to grab her for ransom if he saw her on the beach, too. Rumor had it he could often be seen riding the border of his lands on a giant black stallion.

  Janet sucked in one breath, then another.

  There was a crack in the ridge behind her, forming a crevice in the face of the wall-like cliff that probably led to a cave. She was tempted to fit her body into the darkness there and hide—forever.

  She’d been craving a man, a husband for years.

  Now she had one.

  A stranger, despite the fact she’d known him for six months.

  “How can I face him?”

  Don’t have a choice, really.

  Not if what Alana and Xander had said about the bond was true.

  It’s no different than if Da or Alex arranged a match.

  Right?

  Nay.

  Janet shook her head. She didn’t want a man who didn’t want her. She wanted a man who could love her. Give her children. Hold her—

  But…Xander held me.

  He’d kissed her. Caressed her. Left her wanting more.

  She could go to him. Give herself to him. He was capable of giving her a bairn, she had to assume. If he never loved her, Janet would be content with loving his child, wouldn’t she?

  Nay.

  Her bottom lip trembled. She wanted a man to look at her like Duncan looked at Claire. Like Alex looked at Alana. Not a man who was forced into some magical bond.

  Perfect mate?

  Janet squared her shoulders and straightened her back. She couldn’t run away, not really.

  What good is hiding from a problem?

  “I’m a MacLeod. I’m stronger than this. I’m goin’ home.”

  She pushed off the boulder and clenched her jaw.

  Mairi always said everything happened for a reason. Could her bond with Xander be the same?

  What’s the reason?

  Suddenly, her limbs were not her own.

  Something pulled at her. She tried to walk forward, but more than sand and rock offered resistance. Wind buffeted her skirt. It was born from nowhere, a strong gale that had her clutching at the boulder so she wouldn’t fall over. Her hair whipped in her eyes and she couldn’t spare a hand to move it so she could see. Her arms strained until white-hot pain shot all the way into her shoulders, but she lost the battle to hold on.

  Janet screamed as her body rose into the air. Her limbs pin-wheeled. She went up instead of down.

  The ring burned her finger, as if it was new and hot from the smith’s smelting tools. The stone pulsed red. But this time, it was as if it was angry, not the same as the hue it’d been when the bond with Xander had been initiated.

  She screamed again, but the sound was torn from her mouth.

  Janet fell.

  Everything went black.

  * * * *

  “I’m goin’ with ye.” Duncan’s booming voice jolted Xander as he shoved supplies into a hide bag. Alana was supposed to have been the only one to enter his private quarters with him.

  Xander heard a claymore clear its sheath.

  A MacLeod invasion.

  “Nay,” Alana said. “Tis too dangerous.” His cousin had followed him down to the kitchens to procure a sennight’s worth of food, as well as been by his side as he’d readied personal items and gathered weapons.

  Xander was happy to let her deal with her—their—brother-by-marriage.

  “Tis too dangerous for ye, as well, mò chridhe,” the laird said. He stood near his brother.

  Alex and Duncan had never stepped foot inside Xander’s rooms. Until today.

  “I’m no’ going to cross over,” Alana said.

  Xander gave into a slight smile. His cousin was starting to sound more MacLeod and less Fae.

  “I’ve need to make sure there’s nothing wrong with the Faery Stones. Janet shouldn’t have been able to open them.”

  “Maybe she didn’t.” Xander tied the bag shut and straightened. Both twins frowned as he turned and swept his eyes over them. He looked at Alana. “I can open the Stones myself. I don’t need you to come.”

  Stubbornness flashed across her countenance. “Tis perfectly safe for me to go down to the beach. I am carrying a bairn; I’m not fragile. Besides, I’ve been with child before. There are no worries for me or my daughter.”

  Alex grunted and narrowed his eyes, but didn’t argue with his wife.

  Xander arched an eyebrow. “As you wish.”

  She nodded curtly and crossed her arms over her chest.

  He bit back a smirk. They’d not win against that look on her face, even united. Alana, true to her royal blood, did not like to be ordered about.

  “We’ve all been to the Realm of the Fae,” Duncan said. “We know what to expect. I’m goin’ with ye.”

  “No.” Xander squared his shoulders. “Fae sense humans. You know this. I must go alone. I can only hope my bond with Janet masked her in some form.”

  Alana looked doubtful, but she didn’t give voice to any fears.

  “So, ye think I’m goin’ ta leave the fate of my sister in yer hands? The Fae think ye a traitor!” Though Duncan’s words were logical, they still had some bite.

  He
winced. “I know. I’ll get her and return as quickly as I can. I must avoid capture as well.”

  “Her fate is in his hands anaway,” Alex said. Duncan glared even harder as his twin continued.

  “They’re destined, remember?”

  Alana smiled and reached for her husband’s hand.

  “Ye will wed her the moment ye return,” Duncan barked.

  Xander nodded. “If she wishes it.”

  “No’ only if she wishes it.” Duncan’s dark brows drew tight.

  “Come now, brother,” Alex protested. “I shall no’ force her. As laird, tis my place to make the decision. Our sister chooses.”

  Duncan scowled but didn’t argue with his twin.

  Xander’s already deep respect for Alex MacLeod increased. “Thank you.” His voice cracked and he cursed it.

  The laird gave a brusque nod, a smile playing at his lips as he entwined his fingers with Alana’s.

  His cousin stood tiptoed and kissed her man’s cheek. She whispered something in his ear that made his smile slide into a grin.

  Xander had to look away. “We waste time. I must go.”

  Duncan argued all the way down the beach as they trudged to the small cave disguised in the cliff-side. Worry for his new wife dominated Xander’s mind, but it helped block out Duncan’s words, as well as the man’s dark thoughts.

  The entrance to the place where the Faery Stones were hidden would fool any passersby that there was anything other than a split in the cliff face. It was slender enough that Alana would be the only one of their group who wouldn’t have to turn sideways to enter. The opening led to a sizable cavern, containing the only known gate into—and out of—the Fae Realm.

  Alana kept the area warded with a strong spell, so it was a wonder Janet could’ve come close, even by accident. The spell was supposed to make anyone in the area be overcome with apprehension and dread. A magical ‘Stay Out!’ sign.

  It was also supposed to feed confusion and memory loss once the person moved away, so they wouldn’t remember the area and tell anyone of their mysterious instance on the beach of Skye.

  Only one of Fae Blood could open it. His cousin believed it operated differently if one was not of pure blood. A halfling, an Irish lass named Bridei, had caused the rift in time that brought Claire to 1672 Scotland.

  Xander’s heart thundered.

  Janet didn’t have enough Fae blood to be considered a halfling, but what if she wasn’t in the Realm of the Fae?

  What if she’s been sucked through time?

  Alana shot him a sharp look as they wound their way through the small opening in the ridge. “What is it, cousin?”

  He whispered his fear to the princess when the four of them spilled into the cavern.

  The twins exchanged a look neither he nor Alana acknowledged.

  She shook her head. “Nay, Xander. I think the ring opened the Stones. Perhaps it tried to return home since its task was complete. Do you know if your father’s mother or her mother put a return spell on it?”

  “I don’t know.” He swallowed hard.

  “You’ll find her. I just hope when she arrived, Janet ran into the forest.”

  “I do as well.” His words were choked.

  “The lass is smart. And she’s heard us speak of the realm,” Duncan said, but his voice was thick, worried.

  Alex felt the same way. His expression—and his thoughts—mirrored his brother’s.

  The king kept guards at the Stones at all times. What if they’d killed her?

  Nay.

  Xander ignored the way his heart plummeted to his stomach. Was that the reason he could no longer feel their bond?

  His cousin squeezed his arm and shook her head. As if she’d read his mind.

  He couldn’t muster a tease since he was the mind reader. His blood had run cold. Even if she wasn’t meant to be his, a lone beautiful human lass wouldn’t fare well amongst Fae Warriors.

  Not all of his former brethren were honorable. They were bred to fight. Even the lower castes of the winged soldiers were ruthless.

  Rape.

  The word bounced around in Xander’s head. He growled to himself and gripped the hilt of his Fae-forged claymore. He’d show them what traitor truly meant if any one of them lain a hand on his fated mate.

  “Let’s get on wit’ it, then,” Duncan said.

  Alana nodded to her brother-by-marriage and slid closer to the Faery Stones, her husband on her heels. “I hope the alarm did not sound when she arrived.”

  “They probably sensed her arrival, nonetheless, did they no’?” Alex asked.

  “Aye, I fear so,” Xander murmured.

  Five clustered natural formations rose from the cavern’s floor, perfectly spaced from each other, in a loose circle. One was centered, and the other four encircled it. A Fae, magic-born crystal sat atop each rough pillar, the one in center larger than the rest. It was the key to making the others work. They had to be in tune as a whole to open the portal.

  Even before Alana put her hands on the center crystal, it lit up, as if welcoming her to its side. A hum filled the cavern, the other crystals also lighting in order and starting to hum. The wind born of the Faery Stones as well as his cousin’s magic whipped her gown around her body and her pale locks around her face. The laird stood behind her, his hands on her waist to steady her, although Alana probably didn’t need Alex’s touch.

  Xander watched as the crystals grew more radiant by the second, brightening the cave around them, making them all squint.

  “Ye’ll bring her back?” Duncan grunted from where he stood next to him.

  “Aye.”

  A loud pop sounded. Colors began to swirl in the air as an orb shot out from the stones, rotating and growing wider and wider. The portal was hazy as it slowly opened. He couldn’t see through it yet, but in moments it would be a window, the other side visible.

  Xander’s heart kicked up. He’d have his wings again. His magic would be at full capacity. He’d assumed he would never again visit the land of his childhood. Thought he would never fly again.

  “Safely?” Duncan had to shout as the air whistled through the contained area of the cavern.

  “Aye!” Xander nodded, flexing his grip on the hilt of his sword.

  “Keep yer hands to yerself, while yer at it.”

  He smirked at the scowl on his new brother-by-marriage’s face. “She’s my mate.”

  “No’. Yet,” the man barked.

  “She is by Fae standards.”

  “No’ by MacLeod standards.”

  Xander bowed at the waist. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  Duncan harrumphed, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

  The haziness of the portal cleared, and he could see the bright orange and blue grass. Purple and pink-topped trees waved in breeze across the field behind the dais the other realm’s Faery Stones were perched upon. They were a matching set to the Stones here.

  The air of serenity before him was false, even though no one was visible. His uncle was not a fool. The Stones never went unguarded. Soldiers—either winged or not—were no doubt poised to attack.

  His heart rate sped up.

  Janet.

  Where was the lass?

  His lass.

  Xander needed to go. Now.

  Alana threw her arms around him in a quick hug.

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  “Be safe and quick, cousin,” she whispered.

  Xander nodded.

  Alex grabbed his forearm and squeezed. “Godspeed, brother.”

  He was taken unawares by the sincerity in the laird’s blue eyes. Xander had to swallow hard and force another nod. He locked his knees when they wobbled. His chest was tight.

  Brother.

  Even amongst Fae Warriors, the word was not used lightly.

  His cousin’s husband had accepted him. As match for his sister, and considered him a brother. Welcomed family member.

  Xander had no idea h
ow much he’d craved the inclusion until the laird had said the word.

  Alana’s eyes went misty as she picked up the sentiment and probably her husband’s feelings.

  Alex’s thoughts told Xander he’d read his expression, but for once he didn’t mind picking up someone’s unsaid words. The laird smiled and offered a nod.

  Duncan also clutched his arm. Their gazes collided. “Bring my sister back. I trust ye to do tha’. Then I’ll call ye brother.”

  “We’ll be back. Together.”

  Chapter Seven

  She landed on her hands and knees.

  Hard.

  Pain shot up her wrists into her arms, up her knees and into her thighs. Janet winced.

  The grass beneath her fingertips was…orange? Bright and unnatural.

  Did I hit my head?

  Pushing to her feet, agony in her right ankle buckled her knee, and she cried out. She extended her arms for balance and managed not to fall backwards, but clutched at what looked like a dais in front of her.

  Realization hit and she blinked again.

  She looked up at what had to be the Faery Stones. Janet had never seen them before, but they appeared pretty much how her sister-by-marriage had described them. Five pillar-like rocks forming a circle, each with a large crystal on top. Stalagmites, Claire had called them.

  But these were not the Faery Stones she’d been told were in a cave on the beach. There was no beach in sight. No Isle of Skye. No ocean.

  Not to mention the orange grass.

  I’m in the Fae Realm.

  Oh. God. Janet thought the curse, something she’d admonished Angus for many times—but it was more plea, prayer, than taking the Lord’s name in vain.

  How did I get here?

  She looked around, running through every word Alana and Claire had told her about the Realm of the Fae.

  Colors, all deeply hued and unnatural, like the ground cover, surrounded her. The tree canopy of the nearby forest was pink and purple. The trunks of the same trees were various shades of red. The tall grass of the field was blue.

  Her heart bounced against her ribcage as her instincts screamed.

  Run.

  Hide.

  Janet whimpered. Her brothers—and Sir Xander—had often talked about the fierceness of the Fae Warrior class.