Highlands at Dawn

by Aliyah Burke

  “I know that, Billy. But it’s just not fair. Why did she have to die? Why not that bitch Uma, or whatever the fuck that thing was that killed her. My friend!”

  He just held her, not needing to point out that thing did die. Shelly had taken it with her. This wasn’t about him pointing out little facts or things she didn’t realize. Right now it was about him holding her and letting her mourn the death of her best friend.

  And that was what he did. Eventually her cries turned to whimpers then faded into nothing as she finally crashed under the weight of what she’d been going through. Cale had been correct. He didn’t fall back asleep once she was with him, he stayed up and paced. Checking on her all the time to ensure she still slept. Or to see if she needed anything. He wanted to wake her to encourage her to eat something but realized that sleep was more important. So he left her alone and allowed her to do that. For an entire day.

  He walked out of the bathroom to find her standing and pulling on some clean clothing.

  “What are you doing?”

  She looked at him, face drawn and haunted. “Going to say goodbye to her. We’re burying her today.”

  He checked his watch. “It’s barely even four in the morning.”

  “I know. The funeral will be around six this morning.” She gestured to the desk. “I put the address there if you are inclined to attend.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  She shook her head. “No need. Leith is picking me up. We’re having a family farewell first.”

  He hated how when she said family like that, he wasn’t included.

  “Respect her need to be with them, son.”

  “Lian, why doesn’t she realize I’m her family?”

  “She does but she has to say farewell to this one.”

  Billy captured her face in his hands and tilted her head up. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

  She barely held his gaze. “I’m sure. I have to go. I’ll see you later.” She removed his hands and walked to the door.

  He tracked her with his gaze, noting exactly how much she was carrying on her slender shoulders. The weight of the world. Why don’t—or won’t—you let me help you carry that burden, Mal?

  Billy knew he couldn’t force her to let him help. He just wished she would see he was there, offering. Right now, she looked through him, not at him. She opened the door and left. He hurried after her and caught up with her at the end of the hall.

  “Mal.”

  She made a stutter step before halting and pivoting back toward him. “Yes?”

  He reached for her left hand and brought it to his mouth. Kissing her wedding ring, he held her gaze the entire time. “I’m here if you need me, wife. I love you.”

  Her smile was so fleeting it was basically nonexistent. “I know. Thank you.” She took back her hand and moved away.

  Billy watched until Leith helped her into the truck and drove off before he returned to his room. There he showered and put on a nice dark suit. He opened the door to leave and froze at the sight that met him.

  “What are you all doing here?”

  “Where else would family be during this time?” Cale hugged him. “Where is she?”

  “Out with Leith and the others.”

  “At this time?”

  “Yes. The service is at six. I was going to eat something then head out.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  They dropped off their stuff in his room then together the five of them strode through the hall to the entrance. Cale and Tiarnán on one side of Lian, and himself and Edmond on the other.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Who’s that?”

  Mal turned her head at Dunmore’s question. “Family.”

  “It’s all right, lads,” he told the others in Gaelic. “She says they’re family.”

  She stared at the five approaching the small gathering—Billy, Edmond, Cale, Tiarnán and Lian. Rising from her seat, she walked toward them. The dawn had barely begun but she looked at each one of them in the eyes.

  “Thank you, for coming.”

  Lian gave a slight bow. “You needed us to be with you.”

  She did. Aonghus walked up and looked over the group. He said hi to Billy then focused on the others. “You knew my daughter?”

  Lian stepped forward with another bow. “We have all had the pleasure of having her bless our lives. We are eternally sorry for your loss.”

  “You’re the ones she was with, aren’t you?”

  His sons all gathered around as well.

  “We were.”

  Aonghus nodded and wiped his hand off on his tartan. “Thank you—for seeing her home. We welcome you to say farewell to her. Then join us for a meal.” He pinned his gaze on Edmond. “You made her happy.”

  “Not half as much as she did me, sir.”

  Mal reached for Aonghus when she spied the tears in his eyes again. He squeezed her hand and gave her a strained smile. Together they walked back to the waiting casket.

  Beautifully hand carved, the brothers had made it once they’d gotten the news of her death. It was lined with the softest Merino wool in her family’s colors. This morning, Mal had dressed her and said her final farewells alone. She’d had her moment to be weak and cry, now was her time to be there for the men in the family—the ones who’d lost daughter and sister.

  Aonghus walked to stand beside the body of his daughter. He scanned all of them there. Mal knew more mourners had arrived, for she felt the subtle shift from Billy. Always protecting her. But it wasn’t only him. She was surrounded by Shelly’s brothers plus the other Guardians, Lian and Edmond. Nothing would be getting to her today. Nothing.

  He cleared his throat and began talking. “Today I lay to rest my baby girl—my youngest child, the spitting image of the love of my life. She is…was, the light in my life. The one consolation in losing her is knowing she is with my wife now, back in her loving arms. And watching over us all.”

  Mal listened to his comforting brogue as he continued to remember and honor his daughter. Warm tears splashed on her skin as she shed them. She never once wiped them away, just stood there and let them fall.

  A hole in her heart grew as the ceremony went on. Shelly’s brothers spoke and when Leith had finished, he looked at her and beckoned with his hand. She stepped away from Billy and walked to his side.

  “I met Shelly in university,” she began, looking out over the gathered crowd. “She was more my sister than anyone I’ve ever met. I was blessed and lucky enough to become part of her family. I…I”—her voice wavered—“don’t have much to say, for my words escape me for this day. But the one thing I can do is offer a song. Shelly always said she loved to hear me sing. I don’t do it often but I can see no more fitting way to say farewell to my sister and honor her life than this.”

  Leith, Gunn, Cameron and Fergus were the first to leave and form a semi-circle behind her. Then came Bearnard and Kerr. Dunmore was the last to take his place. They were large men and with them behind her, the wind was virtually stopped from hitting her. She was surrounded with warmth and love.

  Mal took a deep breath, allowing the crisp, pure air of the Highlands to fill her lungs. She closed her eyes to forget she hated performing before others, and began to sing a song she knew had been one of Shel’s favorites, Loch Lomond.

  As she finished, with the brothers accompanying her, the bagpipes began to play off in the distance. She turned her face into Gunn’s strong chest as he walked her back to her husband. Billy’s arms were so comforting and familiar, she sagged into him. His strength held her up. When the funeral was over and the people had begun to leave to head back and get some food, he led her to a chair and assisted her into it.

  Bless the man. He didn’t say anything, just stood beside her, holding her hand. Offering silent support but not rushing her.

  “Mal,” Billy murmured a short time later.

  She looked up to find Aonghus standing there. “Come lass. You will
ride with us.”

  She rose to her feet and tucked her arm into his. She looked at Billy, who gave her a smile and kiss.

  “I’ll be right behind you.”

  She nodded and allowed Aonghus to lead her to the waiting vehicle. The interior felt small with all the large bodies in there. The door shut and they were on their way.

  “I’d forgotten, lass, how lovely your voice is,” Aonghus said. “Thank you for honoring Shelly that way.”

  The brothers agreed. She tried to slow the tears. Looking around at the men she considered family, she tried to put her own sorrow aside to be there for them.

  “It’s what she would have wanted. She loved hearing me sing.”

  “You soothed her,” Leith said.

  “True,” Gunn added. “It was one of the first things she told us about you. Your voice.”

  “I’m not much for singing in public, but she was worth it.”

  “You’re one of the family, Mal. If you ever need us, you call.” Dunmore held her hand.

  She nodded and squeezed. “I love all of you, so much. I’m so sorry.”

  By the time they reached the hall where they would eat and talk, they were telling stories of Shelly and some of the things she’d gotten into. Mal pasted on her doctor face, which would allow her to get through this. She wanted to go and hide, not be around others, but she knew they needed her as much as she did them.

  * * * *

  Billy stared at his wife as she slept. They were in the back of the plane and she’d long since collapsed. Dark circles were under her eyes and he stroked her cheek. Mal looked so small there beneath the Scottish quilt she’d been given. The background was the Scottish flag but there were little squares with Celtic designs all over it.

  Aonghus had given it to her—his wife had made it before she died. It had been intended to be a wedding gift for Shelly but since she was gone, he had said he could think of no better place for it to go than with Mal, whom he looked upon as his second daughter.

  “How’s she holding up?” Cale asked, stopping by and sitting in a seat nearby.

  “She puts on a strong face when she’s up, but she’s sleeping so much.” The entire two days before they’d left, she’d slept. He’d stopped them on the way back to the airstrip and had allowed her another opportunity to enjoy her Scotland. They’d been in the Highlands at dawn and he’d snapped a picture of her—unknown to her—as she’d stood there. He’d not seen her smile since, sadly or otherwise.

  “I didn’t know she could sing as she did.”

  “Me either.” He stretched out his legs. “Cale, I love this woman more than anything but I don’t know that much about her. I brought her with me because it was what had to happen for the prophecy. She brings her friend and subsequently loses her. This is on me. My fault for allowing it to happen.”

  “No, Billy. None of us knew how this would play out.”

  He sliced his gaze over to where Lian sat in his seat. “Are we sure about that?”

  “Yes. You know Lian tells us what he can. There are rules.”

  “Fuck that!” he growled. “Rules which cause us to lose those dear while They get to play around and do what they want. And look”—he gestured at Mal—“look what it’s done to her. How much more will happen to us and those we love because of this prophecy?”

  “I know you’re frustrated, Billy. But we’re all doing what we can.” He shifted on the seat. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. Just that we’re part of it.”

  He clenched his jaw and struggled to find some serenity within him. With a heavy sigh, he shoved a hand through his hair.

  “There has to be a better way. Cale. Look at what is happening. Taylor was taken right under your nose. Mal was almost killed under mine. Aminta and Roz are gone. If Tiarnán and Dracen have to go, we’re down to us two to protect everything as well as the children. It’s obvious they won’t hesitate to use others to gain what they want. We need to assume it will involve the children as well.”

  “We need to up the wards. They were thinking we were vampires, remember? So these New Order fucks are using whatever the humans fear most and think the worst of to get them to do their dirty work.”

  Two more shadows fell over them and Billy waved Edmond and Tiarnán to seats.

  “Strategy?”

  He nodded at Tiarnán, who even in the private jet seemed too wild and untamed, as his sign of the tiger. Power rippled along his shoulders and he could see his camouflage—part of his abilities—working for he began to blend in with the seat.

  “I think the blow here was one thing but we need to do that in the States. There has to be a place they’re coming from. How many people have they sent to their death in this attempt to kill us? Even the demons are learning to hang back more and let’s face it, they’re not the smartest beings.”

  “I’m working on that,” Edmond said. “The last attack when we lost Shelly, I took some of the phones they’d been carrying. I’m looking into the calls made and the GPS history on them. Hopefully it will be done when we get back and we can learn where they hide and fucking multiply from.”

  The men continued to talk around him but Billy turned his attention back to the woman beside him. Mal didn’t move, she remained out and blissfully unaware of what was going on around her. He wished they were home so he could take her to bed and hold her—close out the rest of the world and just confine it to the two of them. Figure out a way to get a smile back on her beautiful face.

  * * * *

  The sound of the landing gear being lowered woke him. Billy sat up and realized he’d totally passed out while they’d been talking. They’d let him sleep and had moved away. It was again just him and Mal back here.

  He stared up the belly of the plane and found Lian staring at him. The man always looked so put together. Even now, he sat, hands resting on the top of his cane as he stared. Not judging…just assessing.

  Breaking eye contact, he reached out a hand to wake Mal.

  “Come on, baby. Wake up.”

  She stirred and looked up at him. “Are we back?”

  “About to land.”

  She yawned and struggled to sit up. He helped her and together they folded up the quilt. “I feel different,” she said.

  He looked at her. “How so?”

  “I don’t know exactly, I just do.” She fingered the quilt on her lap. “You know, I dreamt about her. She’s happy.”

  “And you?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

  “It will take me a while, I’m sure. But I’ll get there.”

  “I’m here for you.”

  She looked at him and touched the side of his face. “I know you are, Billy. I know you’re always going to be there for me. That’s never a doubt in my mind. Ever. You realize that, don’t you?”

  He turned his head and kissed her palm. “Yes.” And he did.

  The plane landed and as they were climbing in the vehicles to take them back to the vineyard, Lian gave him another look and he walked to his mentor’s side.

  “Thank you for coming, Lian. It meant a lot to both of us.”

  He gripped the head of his cane and stared over the airport. “You know my Lana had faith in me like Mal does you. Perhaps she would like to visit the gardens. They can bring a lot of us peace at times.” He walked to one of the vehicles and slipped inside.

  Perhaps she would.

  * * * *

  The day after they returned, Billy took her hand and led her up from the stables, to take her to the gardens.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere Lian thought you may like to see. I know you’ve been there before but he thought a return trip may be what you needed.”

  She didn’t say anything else, just stayed at his side as they continued. He led her through the manicured lawns that led to the gardens. He wasn’t entirely sure what he looked for but figured he would know it when he saw it.

  “Oh my God, this is amazing.” She dropped his hand a
nd walked farther in. “I’d forgotten how beautiful this place is.”

  Billy trailed her. Off to one side he spied another fountain he’d not seen before. He walked to it and knew why Lian had wanted her to come here.

  “Mal,” he called out.

  “Yes?”

  “Come see this.”

  She appeared and her gasp was full of shock and awe. “He did this? For me?”

  Billy held her close. “Shelly was part of the family and now she has a place of honor in the gardens where we’ll all remember her and you can come spend time with her, if you so choose.”

  She knelt before the small fountain and traced the engraving on the stone that held Shelly’s name and a quote in Chinese Billy was pretty sure she couldn’t read.

  “What does this say?” she asked.

  “One of the honored. Her presence will be forever missed and her spirit never forgotten. Daughter. Sister. Protector.”

  Mal peered at him over her shoulder. She stood and walked into his arms. “You know this Lian is starting to mean something to me. For him to do this”—she drew back—“did you know about this?”

  “No. He didn’t tell me he was doing it.”

  “He’s an amazing man, Billy. I know now this is where I belong.”

  He lifted his eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

  She stroked his jaw. “Yes. Scotland will always be a part of me, like I said, but this… Here. With you. Lian. All the others. It’s my home now.”

  “I love you, Mal.”

  “I know. I love you too, Billy. I think I realized this the first time I saw you in the Highlands at dawn. There was something about how you looked standing there. It tugged at my gut and I’ve been yours ever since.”

  “Come on, woman.”

  She smiled and his heart lightened. “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere I can do what I want without any of the children looking on.”

  “Not worried about Shelly?”

  He smirked. “I figure she’d be cheering us on.” He curved her fingers in his and began to walk out of the gardens.

  She fell into step with him. Billy knew that there would be trials and tribulations on the horizon, but it didn’t matter. He was ready. He’d never felt more ready for what was coming than right now. He had her utter belief in his abilities and more importantly, he had her complete love.