Passion of a Scottish Warrior (The MacLomain Series: Later Years Book 4)

by Sky Purington

  But he knew.

  “Aye, lass,” he replied before he swept her into his arms and they left it all behind. There was no memory of bringing her back to his chamber, only of the way she looked standing in front of him. Pale blond hair flowing down her back. Skin glowing. Big brown eyes eager.

  His wife.

  Everything he had ever wanted.

  He took his time undressing her, cherishing every inch of flesh as though it was the first time he saw it. Its smooth, satiny texture. The way goosebumps rose in the wake of his touch. They didn’t bother with the bed but fell to the fur in front of the fire.

  “Jaqueline,” he whispered as he pressed her hands to the floor and sunk into her welcoming heat. They groaned as she wrapped her legs around him and took him deeper. Then they slid and writhed against each other as they struggled to get closer…merge.

  “Darach,” she whispered as they rolled until she was on top and ground against him. There was no more beautiful sight than her hands pressing against his chest as her head fell back, her eyes closed and she swayed over him.

  Though tempted to grab her waist and take control, he wanted her to have this. How they felt together. When she rolled her hips and slithered her body against his, any momentary willpower snapped in half.

  He grabbed her arse and thrust hard.

  Then it became a mad wash of near violent sex.

  Like they did with words, they challenged with their bodies. Thrusting. Shifting. Taking. Giving. He had no clue where she began and he ended as they went far beyond sex and lovemaking to something different.

  Closer.

  More explosive.

  Sweat-slicked, energized, he rolled his hips and kept thrusting. By the time he found his way to release and had her arms pinned over her head, a roar was on his lips and a scream on hers. The sex was so bloody good. The second it ended he wanted it again.

  They must have dozed off because the next thing he knew daylight flooded the chamber and she was tucked by his side, sound asleep. Darach flicked his wrist and the blanket on the bed was wrapped around her. Pulling her tighter against him, he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair and closed his eyes.

  “We must leave soon, Son,” his father said into his mind. “Trouble comes and it cannae come here.”

  Darach pressed his nose into her soft hair and tried to ignore his father, tried to ignore that though he might finally have his lass where he wanted her, she wasn’t truly there at all. She might be his wife now, but there was still someone out there that wanted her just as much…or something. Something so dark and evil that he knew his father was right. They shouldn’t be here anymore.

  He was about to respond when he felt some sort of shift. Fear. Sadness. His magic responded to something, but he couldn’t quite figure out what.

  Soon enough, he understood.

  “We’re leaving now, back to our own era,” Grant said into his mind, just as upset. Yet it seemed his father knew exactly what had happened. “Eoghan couldnae find us so he’s bringing us to him. Hamilton Castle is under attack.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “LASS, WAKE UP. We must go.” Jackie’s eyes shot open at the urgency in Darach’s voice. With a flick of his wrist, both of them were dressed.

  “What’s going on?” She had never seen him so upset as he strapped on his weapons. “Talk to me, Darach.”

  “My castle’s under attack,” he growled. “My people.”

  “Oh, my God,” she exclaimed. Any sleepiness she felt vanished.

  “’Tis bad. Da and Adlin are moving us fast.” He yanked her against him as magic swirled out of nowhere. Darach pressed her cheek against his chest and spoke within the mind as everything vanished and that familiar suctioning sensation began. “Be prepared for anything. I dinnae know exactly where we’ll end up. It could be in my castle or in the thick of battle.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay,” she said. “Just focus on your people, all right?”

  “I am.” He kissed the top of her head. “You are my people too.”

  Colors whipped and blended around them before the pressure and suction vanished, and screams rent the air. They were in the courtyard of Hamilton Castle, and it was insane. Loud. Chaotic. And even though the gates were closed, it was clear the battle wasn’t going well. Enemy warriors had somehow cleared both portcullises, and some were making it over the battlements. Darach shoved her behind his back and whipped a dagger at one who had just made it into the courtyard.

  “Protect Jackie and the wee King,” Grant roared at Darach. “Get them into the castle.”

  “Aye.” Darach nodded as he pressed a dagger into her hand, scooped up Robert, withdrew his sword and told her to stay close. Complete chaos reigned around them as more of the enemy made it into the courtyard, and the demi-god’s shadow fluctuated on the horizon. The spirits of the Genii Cucullati screamed like banshees as they swooped and attacked.

  As far as she could tell, her friends and all of Darach’s cousins were here. Rònan, Erin, and Torra had just shifted into dragons and launched into the air. Heidrek followed Grant up to the tallest battement while Niall and Nicole helped protect her and Robert as they rushed toward the castle.

  Yet too many were infiltrating. They were in serious trouble. Darach was trying to fight off warriors with Robert still in his arms. But their numbers were overwhelming.

  “Put him down, Darach,” she said, her voice far calmer than she felt. “I’ll get him into the castle.”

  He sliced a man’s throat. “Nay!”

  More and more rushed him. While plenty of Hamilton warriors surrounded them and Niall and Nicole fought valiantly, it wasn’t enough.

  Jackie focused on remaining calm. In fact, she did as Darach had taught her and paid close attention to her surroundings. What building was closest if they couldn’t make it to the castle. How many enemy warriors were between here and there.

  Clearly sensing their position was too precarious, Darach shook his head and set Robert down. Though there was no time for their eyes to connect, she felt his faith in her. “Go, lass. Get him to safety. Through the armory behind us, you’ll find a hidden door on the side of the castle. ‘Twill look like a statue. Hurry!”

  Though tempted to tell him to be careful, she didn’t dare. She did not want to jinx things and lose him any sooner than necessary. So she said, “Fight well. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Aye, love,” he murmured, already in the thick of it as he crossed blades with several warriors.

  Time to get out of here.

  Robert shook his head when she tried to pick him up. “Nay, lass. I’ve two feet. We can travel faster if I run.”

  With no time to argue, she took his hand, and they raced for the armory with William and Nicole right behind them. They had no sooner entered when an enemy warrior appeared in the next room. Still remarkably calm, everything seemed to slow down. Jackie didn’t think but loosened her wrist, aimed her dagger and whipped it hard. It caught the guy in the neck, and he fell to his knees.

  But not before he whipped a dagger back.

  It was definitely a reflex because his eyes were already bleary. Still, the dagger would have caught William dead on if Robert didn’t shove him out of the way.

  “Oh no!” Jackie cried when the dagger hit Robert’s shoulder instead. Stunned, the boy stared at the blade before he passed out. She caught him before he fell.

  “Lair, I need your help,” she whispered into Darach’s sister’s mind, praying that she could hear her. That’s all she dared say as they rushed out the backside of the armory and went left. There was no way to know who was listening, and she didn’t want to give away their position.

  Luckily, nobody pursued, and their route was well covered by trees. Cries of pain rent the air as they ran alongside the castle. Soon enough, she found a statue of a woman built into the stonework.

  “Wow,” Nicole whispered. “She looks just like you.”

  She did. How strange. But there was
no time to worry about that because she needed to figure out how to get inside. It appeared impregnable.

  “Look,” Nicole mouthed and pointed. “She even has your birthmark.”

  Jackie peered closer. It definitely looked like her birthmark except it was slightly raised. Interesting. Drawn, she touched it...and it slid open. "Oh, wow," she whispered as they entered and it shut behind them.

  There was just enough light to see up a long, spiral staircase as they climbed and climbed. When they reached the top, they entered a huge chamber tastefully done in shades of deep blue and burnt orange.

  “Put him on the bed,” Lair said as she rushed in.

  Beyond grateful to see her, Jackie made Robert comfortable and took the rag Lair handed her. “As soon I pull the dagger free, press down hard on the wound.”

  She nodded, sick with worry as Lair started chanting then swiftly pulled the blade out. Jackie pressed the rag against the wound as Darach’s sister closed her eyes and kept chanting softly. Meanwhile, William stood at the foot of the bed, brows furrowed and a deep frown on his face as he eyed Robert. Eventually, Lair stopped chanting and opened her eyes.

  “He will recover,” she said softly. “Remove the rag.”

  Being extra careful, Jackie pulled the rag back and was shocked by what she found. Though the wound was still there, it wasn’t nearly as bad as before. It looked as if it had been healing for days. Lair pulled a pouch out of her pocket and applied a green herbal mixture before she wrapped the wound with a fresh bandage.

  Nicole stood by the window with a troubled look in her eyes. “How safe are we here, Lair?”

  “’Tis the safest spot in the castle,” Lair replied as she pulled a blanket over Robert. “’Tis why Darach wanted the wee King brought here.”

  Jackie’s heart caught in her throat when she joined Nicole and looked outside. Though the enemy had been pushed back, many Hamilton warriors had fallen. Darach and his cousins were with Grant and Heidrek on the battlements as the battle raged in the sky.

  “Is it just me or are there a lot more warriors in the courtyard than before?” Nicole said. “And not our enemies but allies.”

  Lair nodded as she joined them. “Aye, warriors from the Thomson and Broun clans came to help.”

  “Aye?” William peered out. “The Thomson’s are Lilas and Dougal’s clan. How did they know to be here?”

  “They are an allied clan. Though Lilas and Dougal are from a different era, they came to the aid of their own.” Lair glanced at Nicole and Jackie. “As did the Brouns.”

  “I’ll be damned,” Nicole whispered.

  Jackie looked to the sky when a strange sensation rolled through her. The dragons seemed to be holding their own as they fought the Genii Cucullati. But then it looked like Heidrek was helping them. Arms raised in the air, the dragon tattoo on his neck glowed brightly as he chanted. Whatever he was doing appeared to wrap inclement weather around the spirits, making them teeter and twist as they fought.

  Meanwhile, Eoghan kept at those on the battlements.

  Yet Lair saw it for what it was. “Och,” she murmured. “The Genii Cucullati are keeping the dragons and Viking seer distracted. Less for the demi-god to deal with.”

  Fear spiked when she realized what was happening beyond the castle gates.

  Death was spreading.

  Literally.

  The moat had gone dry, and the grass started to die in a wide arc around the castle. Even the trees began turning brown as their leaves fell.

  “It’s the Otherworld,” Jackie and Nicole whispered at the same time.

  “How is this possible?” Jackie said. It appeared all the Hamilton warriors and their allies were inside the gates. Thank God.

  Lair didn’t answer. Hands white-knuckling the windowsill, her eyes were trained on Grant and Darach. Alarmed, Jackie watched as Eoghan continued to battle the wizards. Specifically, Darach and his father.

  Yet Eoghan spoke to her.

  “Where are ye, my lass?” he whispered into her mind. “Why will ye no’ come with me? ‘Twould release all these people from harm. They would forever be protected by my overlord, and we would be free to live the life stolen from us.”

  “Och, your ring, m’Lady,” William said.

  It again twirled with blue and black.

  “If I go to him I can save everyone,” she whispered.

  “Heck no.” Nicole shook her head. “He tried that trick on Erin and I, so don’t believe it for a sec.”

  “Yeah, but you weren’t actually involved with him in another life,” Jackie argued.

  “Da told me everything.” Lair frowned as her eyes met Jackie’s. “Dinnae be foolish, lass. You’d do well to remember who our enemy serves. If ye go to him, the only end that will come is yer happiness and the lives of everyone ye love. And dinnae think for a moment ‘twill go any other way once he has yer ring.”

  Lair's voice grew softer. “The Celtic demon will never let Eoghan keep ye. Tis wishful thinking. You’ve already escaped his clutches once and have the unique power to resurrect. He will keep you for his own purposes. Just imagine what he could do with such a thing.”

  Deep down, she knew Darach’s sister was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. Especially when Lair’s gaze shifted sharply to the battlement and she whispered, “Nay, Da.”

  Eoghan now focused the entirety of his wrath on Darach, and it wasn’t going well. Despite how hard he tried to hold up his sword, it fell from his hands. Terrified, numbness spread through her as blackness thrashed at him and he dropped to his knees in pain.

  “No,” she cried and gripped the windowsill.

  She had to help him somehow. There had to be a way. She couldn’t lose him. Not yet. They were too connected. Then it occurred to her.

  Maybe she could use that connection.

  So she tried something different and prayed it would work. She allowed her anxiety and fear to completely take over until she had no sensation. Then she focused hard and willed her numbness into his mind.

  “Nay, lass,” he whispered. “Get out of my head. Dinnae do this.”

  Lair’s eyes widened. “Lass, if ye continue what yer doing, ye will switch yer sensations and take his pain as yer own.”

  “That's what I'm hoping,” she whispered.

  “Bloody hell,” Lair muttered.

  Seconds later, excruciating pain tore through her. It felt like a thousand bees stung her all at once from the inside out. She threw her head back and wailed. Her muscles felt like they’d been separated from her bones and every inch of her skin was being ripped off.

  She would have fallen had Nicole and Lair not braced her up. Even William wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. Darach remained immobile, but at least now he wasn’t suffering. She tried to focus on that as tears poured down her face.

  “Nay, Da,” Lair said again, distress twisting her features as her eyes remained on the battlements. “Dinnae do it.”

  Soon enough, it became clear what Lair sensed. Grant stepped in front of Darach and took the demi-god’s wrath. Jackie’s pain vanished, and though she knew Darach was no longer immobile, his father still held him back with magic.

  What happened next was explosive. Terrifying. Near blinding.

  When Grant’s magic crashed against the demi-god’s, it seemed to do them both a great deal of harm. Bluish gray wind wrapped and twisted around the black cloud and almost seemed to strangle it.

  At first.

  Then blackness seeped through Grant’s blue magic and wrapped like a tornado around it. The ground shook. Darach roared but was drowned out by a loud boom. It was so strong that its shockwave blew Jackie’s hair back.

  A strangled sound came from Lair as not only the demi-god and Genii Cucullati, but Grant vanished. There was nothing left but ashes and a few scraps of plaid blowing in the wind.

  “It’s okay. Grant’s okay,” Nicole said, her words stunted. “The same thing happened to Rònan before he ended up in the Celtic Oth
erworld…alive.”

  “Nay,” Lair whispered, tears streaking her cheeks. “That was true death. There can be no doubt. He is my Da, and I’m a healer. We know things about the human body that others dinnae. How its life force works.”

  Jackie kept shaking her head, her eyes locked on Darach who remained on his knees, trembling as he stared at his father’s ashes. This couldn’t be happening. Grant could not be gone. She tore her eyes from Darach and took Lair’s hand. “Go be with your family. I’ll stay with Robert.”

  “Nay.” Lost, Lair’s eyes met hers. “Darach needs his wife. Go to him.”

  When Jackie started to argue, Lair shook her head sharply. “Dinnae make me ask again.” She pulled away and though shaky, sat beside Robert. “All of ye go, please. I need some time alone.”

  Speechless, Jackie kept staring at Lair.

  “Come on, sweetie. She needs space, and I don’t blame her,” Nicole said softly as she took Jackie’s hand and pulled her along. “You too, William. Let’s go.”

  Everything seemed surreal as Nicole led her out a different door. They traveled down several sets of stairs and long hallways before they came to a wide set of stairs that led down to the center of a massive great hall. She’d never seen anything so spacious.

  “Dear God…where am I?” she whispered as her eyes floated over the vaulted, cathedral-like gothic ceilings and hundreds of tall, thin stain-glassed windows. It was stunning. Remarkable.

  “You’re still in your new home.” Nicole led her downstairs. “This is the heart of Hamilton Castle. Unbelievable, isn’t it?”

  Jackie nodded and kept walking as if lost in a haunted fairy tale that mixed a beautiful beginning with a terrible end. In an alternate reality, living in a place like this with a man like Darach would have been magical. A dream come true. But now it was shrouded in sadness. A nightmare. Because dreams didn’t begin knowing you are dying, and they certainly didn’t come to life with death, be it Grant’s or the others who lost their lives today.

  Blood stained the ground, and the crowd was somber as they filtered through the courtyard. Her eyes went to the fallen who wore Hamilton plaids. Thankfully, she saw none that matched the Broun or Thomson colors. Still, the further she walked, the more upset she grew. And of course, the more numb she became. She didn’t want to find forgiveness in this slaughter. Instead, she allowed rage and heartache to fill her.