Yet she had known this would likely happen, didn’t she? That it would be unavoidable. At least for her. How else could it be considering the secrets she still kept? Secrets she was foolish enough to have thought she could keep from him for his own safety. But then she had very little real-life practice when it came to attraction. Especially the sort she felt being so close to Bryce. He was the real thing and far more than she anticipated.
However, now definitely wasn’t the time for a chat about deep dark secrets that would only upset him further.
They needed to keep moving.
Though tempted to close her eyes so she didn’t drown in those piercing golden orbs of his again, she kept them open and made her move. With her hand braced on the left side of his waist, she began moving along the front of him. She was halfway across and directly in front of him when he touched the side of her waist, lowered his lips close to her ear and whispered, “Dinnae move, lass.”
His words floated through her mind. “There is a stranger standing across the way.”
“I feel him,” she responded as her eyes rose to his. “He doesn’t see us yet.”
Though she thought it was her breath that caught when they’re eyes met, it might have been his. Alarmed by the impact of being this close, she nearly teetered back, but his arm slipped around and pulled her even closer.
Unable to breathe at all now, she didn’t look away. She couldn’t if she wanted to. “Let me go, and I’ll hide us without him knowing.”
Unmistakable heat gathered in his eyes. Heat and lust he warred to contain, but she saw it...then she felt it as his arm tightened. The pale gold flecks in his thickly lashed eyes only grew brighter with curiosity. While she could tell herself that he simply wondered how she would get them out of this, she knew better. His curiosity was entirely focused on the strong chemistry between them.
Despite the waterfall’s intense spray and the fact an enemy could very well be staring at them right now, she was human enough to get caught up in what was happening between them. How erotic it felt to finally be pressed against his long, hard body.
To finally lay her hands on the physical form of someone she had known for so long.
“No,” she whispered, suddenly frightened as heat swept through her and pooled below. “Not now. Not yet.” She swallowed hard and shook her head, suddenly lost in memories. No matter how real this might be, she had long trained herself that she couldn’t trust lustful feelings when it came to him. That she should not indulge in them. “Let me go. Please.”
Though her response could simply be that of a woman choosing to reject what flared between them, he seemed to sense there was more to it. His arousal turned to protectiveness as his brow furrowed in determination and his grip tightened ever-so-slightly. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was inherently responding to her past. To those moments he was so much a part of without ever knowing.
“Just tell me what to do to get us out of sight,” he whispered.
Grateful he was focused on anything but her now, she whispered, “Fling me toward the waterfall and don’t let go.”
His turbulent eyes held hers, well aware that it sounded like she was asking him to fling her to her death. Yet that couldn’t be the case because she had already proven she would do whatever it took to protect him.
And if she went down, so did he.
He clenched his jaw and held her eyes a moment longer before he nodded and did as asked. Murmuring a chant, she fueled them with a combination of his dragon magic, the power of the waterfall and the wind it created.
Seconds later, though there was a moment of discomfort as the water crashed over them, they were on the other side in an area no bigger than a small bedroom. If that wasn’t daunting enough, the temperature was frigid with an icy wall of roaring water on one side and cold rock on the other. Though she murmured a chant to dry them, it did little to help.
“I shouldn’t light a fire,” she said into his mind, rubbing her hands together. “It might be detected.”
“Aye,” he agreed.
“You’re hurt,” she murmured, shivering as she inspected the wound on his elbow caused by the jagged rock he had been hanging from.
“’Tis but a scratch that will heal with my dragon’s magic,” he muttered, watching her closely. Either because of what happened moments before between them or perhaps due to her severe shivering.
“You can’t embrace your dragon magic yet though,” she reminded through chattering teeth. “And scratches can get infected.”
“Och, enough, lass,” he finally murmured before he pulled her into his arms, and protected her from the waterfall, his words a deep rumble, “’Tis foolish not to warm each other with body heat.”
That was debatable considering how quickly they aroused one another, but she was too cold to argue so she gave in and rested her cheek against his chest. While she knew his intentions were honorable, she tensed a little in his arms. Though safer than she had been moments before, she’d never felt more vulnerable. He dwarfed her in size and strength and for the first time since she opened her grandfather’s book, she felt powerless.
Could she strike him with magic if she had to? Yes. Could she kill him in under a minute? Yes. Would she after all Erin had done for her? Unlikely. She squeezed her eyes shut at her own thoughts. Not unlikely but no. She wouldn’t hurt him. She couldn’t. Not ever.
Yet she remained on edge and cautious. She was in brand new territory and out of control. Two things she had never experienced before. While some of what she felt was still related to being separated from the warlocks, the rest had more to do with Bryce. While she thought she knew him and was fully prepared for this adventure, she was wrong. She thought she would be able to manage her reaction to him, but that wasn’t the case in the least.
As a matter of fact, she couldn’t seem to manage any of this
There was no sense of direction here. No planning, plotting or strategizing. And that suddenly terrified her. Spontaneity was not her strong point and was that not the very definition of an adventure? That, it seemed, might be at the root of why she felt so vulnerable with Bryce. He was part of this unknown reality she had just entered. This free fall of unstable, heart pounding moments.
“I willnae hurt ye,” he murmured into her mind, his brogue especially thick. “Ye have my word, lass.”
No, she thought, he would not hurt her. She knew that. But she would hurt him, and that bothered her greatly. She supposed she had never worried about it because she was determined things wouldn’t get this far. That she would be able to avoid him and keep him out of all the darkness that had been her world. Yet deep down she had always wanted this for selfish reasons, hadn’t she?
“I know you won’t hurt me,” she finally responded, and left it at that. Soon they would have to talk more. She would have to tell him things. But not quite yet. Not here like this.
Neither said a word for several minutes as he held her. Meanwhile, she tried to sense what was happening beyond the waterfall but had no luck. Her focus was too skewed. Her ability to concentrate non-existent. She could only see, smell and feel him. His spicy scent and warm protective body. The way he seemed to only pull her closer and engulf her in an unexplainable way. A comforting way that was completely foreign to her.
There was something else too. A difference in him.
As Bryce had said before they crossed under the waterfall, he would risk his life for her now. Because that’s precisely what he would have done if she fell. He would have embraced his dragon and likely faced death for the sole purpose of breaking her fall.
So something had changed. Perhaps his mother’s words, or perhaps something more. Whatever it was, he was with her now in a way he wasn’t before. Not in a sense that could ignite the ring but one step closer.
She ground her jaw and fought emotion. What would it be like to simply fall in love with a man without fear? To desire him without constantly worrying about what that might mean? She had no idea becaus
e she had never been allowed to. Nothing had been allowed but the very opposite of what she felt now.
Detachment. Control. Power.
That had been her life up until this point...until this very moment.
She trembled against him, her heart pounding before she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. So deeply that all her worries and fears faded away. For a moment in time, she felt normal. How she imagined a woman was supposed to feel when she was in the arms of a man she had been pining for the majority of her life. Like a woman at the beginning of a romance that had been just out of reach for so long. Or was it in some strange way the epic conclusion of a romance? She just didn’t know anymore.
“’Twill be all right, lass,” he murmured into her mind, likely mistaking her response as fear. “We havenae come this far to meet our end behind a waterfall.”
Though she knew he spoke of the defeated warlocks, she liked to think he was referring to them. What might exist if they found the sort of connection her friends had with their MacLomains. If that is, she would be allowed to in the end.
More so, if she would be strong enough.
“’Tis all right.” Graham’s words floated through their minds. “’Twas friend not foe. We are coming for you.”
“Coming how?” Bryce asked.
“Ye might be surprised,” Graham responded moments before the rock shifted behind them.
A bearded stranger stuck his head through and waved them along. “I come on behalf of King Robert the Bruce. Follow me.”
When they hesitated, Graham spoke into their minds. “You can trust him, Cousin. They’ve been expecting us.”
“He’s right,” she murmured, stemming out her magic. “He’s on our side.”
His eyes met hers. “Aye?”
“Yes.”
Their eyes held for another moment before he nodded. “All right. Come on then, lass.”
He gripped his dagger firmly as he took her hand and led the way. They ducked into a narrow torch lit tunnel that ran along the back of the ledge they were just standing on. The way was jagged and tight, and the stagnant air smelled of smoke, brine and sea salt. Fortunately, they didn’t have to walk all that far before slightly less repressive air breezed through, and it opened up.
The man they followed said nothing but waved them along through a cavern that only got bigger before they finally exited into the cool night. Wind gusted, and white-tipped waves etched the moonlit sea in the distance.
“’Tis one of the western isles,” Graham informed. “Two months before the Battle of Byland Moor.”
Jessie knew her Scottish history far better than most so she understood why they might be here. Or at least she knew how this location intertwined with the upcoming battle. Better yet how the people who lived here were involved.
“Do we know what day it is?” she asked.
When Graham told her, she nodded, curious what the warlocks might be up to that would affect this particular time in history. After all, they had arrived on the very day Angus Óg MacDomhnaill, or MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, and his firstborn son, John of Islay, had received word from King Robert the Bruce. They were to sail around the north of Scotland and stop English ships from carrying cargo to their depleted army.
Soon enough, they joined Graham, Christina and Sven then continued following several men through the forest toward the ocean. As they walked, she kept an eye out for a particular plant, not so sure she would find it in this location. Luckily she did and snatched a handful in passing before she shoved it in her pocket.
“What is that, lass?” Bryce asked, not missing a thing.
“Something that will help you,” she replied, leaving it at that as they came upon a vast torch-lit oceanside village. Plenty of Birlinns—or galley ships—were in port. Finely made, they were wooden vessels propelled by oars with square sails, their design most certainly influenced by the Norse. As it was, many in these parts still owed their allegiance to the King of Norway.
That, as it turned out, made Sven with his obvious Viking looks a little less daunting. Though some people still cast them curious glances, most kept to themselves as they traveled on.
It wasn’t long before they entered a surprisingly modest lodging considering it contained not only Angus himself but his son John. Both were rugged, bearded and sea worn but had the sort of broad-shouldered builds and daring eyes she figured drew plenty of women.
Angus greeted them first, not bothering with the formalities that befit such a powerful chieftain. Instead, he offered a hearty smile as he shook the men’s hands and kissed the back of her and Christina’s hands. Mischievousness lit his eyes as they went from his son to Jessie. She didn’t realize why until she saw the appreciative lookover he gave her. If she were to guess, he had a thing for short, petite women with darker looks.
“Nice to meet ye all,” John said, his voice an octave less booming than his father’s as his eyes lingered on Jessie. “We’ve heard tale of yer possible arrival and cannae imagine as to what we owe the pleasure.”
She didn’t miss Bryce’s possessive touch on her back as he kept a cordial enough expression and introduced them all.
“Laird of the MacLeod’s ye say?” Angus eyed him over. “A good strong lot by the looks of it.”
“Aye.” Bryce nodded, clearly impressed by their current company. “Though not as mighty a clan as yer MacDonald’s.”
“Aye.” Angus kept grinning as he urged them to sit around a fire and called out to a man at the entrance to bring drinks. “Sit. Rest yer weary bones, and we’ll figure out why after all these years Robert’s time-travelers ended up on my doorstep.” His eyes went to Sven. “And why ye’ve a Viking the likes of him along with ye.” He shrugged. “Though I’m sure he'll come in handy considering our recent orders.”
Ah, so there stood a good chance they would be sailing with them.
Jessie could tell by the flicker of surprise in Graham’s and Bryce’s eyes that they hadn’t anticipated Robert sharing that they were time-travelers.
“With all due respect,” Bryce said. “Mayhap ‘twould be best if ye told us more about King Robert’s orders, such as they are.”
“Such as they are? Ye mean how revealing, aye?” John answered for his father, grinning. It was obvious the two of them were good friends. “King Robert has eagerly awaited the return of his MacLomains for eight long years now and has sent word to every commander of every important battle that his friends might happen along.” His eyes swept over the lot of them. “And when they did, they were to be welcomed because they were there with good reason.”
Had he said all that then? Interesting that tidbit wasn’t recorded in history. But then in retrospect, once the curse lifted history would go back to the way it was supposed to be. And naturally, that did not include time-travelers.
Jessie found it amusing though that King Robert didn’t seem too worried about what his commanders might think of him claiming such a nonsensical thing. Then again, he was leading his country to freedom, and as proven time and time again, was an astounding military commander, so she supposed they took him at his word. But then just look at the MacDonald’s. They didn’t seem the least bit fazed.
“Aye, so we welcome you as our King requested,” Angus continued as they were all given mugs of ale. “And with any luck, we’ve a battle on the horizon.” One bushy eyebrow crawled upward slowly, that same glint of mischievousness in his twinkling eyes. “So I’ll be curious to see what yer part is supposed to be.” He eyed them with amusement. “Because outside of yer Viking ye dinnae strike me the sort who’s used to battling upon the sea.”
Bryce shook his head and focused on what he had said before. “So ye know we arenae from this time? That we’re from yer past?” It seemed he shared Jessie’s curiosity. “And ye believe it?”
“Aye,” John readily replied. He took a hearty swig of ale, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded, eagerness in his eyes. “’Tis not overly shocking to us as magic alwa
ys abounds in these parts.” His gaze grew more zealous as he planted his fist on his knee and eyed them all. “Yet like Da said, why here? Why now?” His eyes went to his father. “And ‘twould probably be prudent of us to get some kind of proof they are who they say they are, aye?”
Sven’s and Bryce’s eyes narrowed as Angus replied, “It cannae hurt.”
Jessie tensed as Sven’s hand shifted closer to the hilt of his blade. Had they walked into a trap? Had it been that easy for their captors to take them? She had sensed nothing but curiosity and even excitement when she touched both Angus and John.
“What kind of proof are you boys lookin’ for?” Christina kicked in, a deceptively pleasant smile on her face. “And why wait till now to ask for it?”
Angus chuckled, his eyes less mischievous and more direct as they swept over them again. “Well, what sort of sense would it have made to do that beyond my well-defended encampment where I wasnae surrounded by my warriors?”
Silence settled as they all eyed each other. Graham’s, Bryce’s and Sven’s hands locked firmly around the hilt of their blades ready for a possible confrontation.
“But consider this,” John continued, a little less jovial though not necessarily upset. His gaze might be calm and steady, but his words made clear he knew they were braced to fight. “Had we seen ye as a true threat those weapons of yers wouldnae have made it past our village walls and certainly not into this cottage.”
“Aye,” Angus agreed, taking another swig of ale. “We arenae a threat to ye just desire a wee bit o’ proof is all.” He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “We’re of the isles and the sea and as such have seen our fair share of mysticism. Show us a wee bit o’ what only a MacLomain can do, and we’ll know without a shadow of a doubt ye are who ye say ye are.”
Bryce’s brows bunched in question. “And what is this MacLomain proof ye seek?”
Angus’ eyes went to Jessie’s ring. “The Bruce says the MacLomain gem has an untouchable power about it and will shine the likes I’ve never seen when its magic is ignited.”
The MacLomain Series: A New Beginning Boxed Set (Books 1-4) Page 87
