Midnight’s Lover

by Donna Grant

  Larena slammed her hand on the table. “That’s my cousin out there!”

  “And our friend,” Lucan added.

  Larena put her head in her hands.

  Danielle cleared her throat. “There are also a number of schools in Edinburgh. Saffron, did you see anything that stood out about the school?”

  “No,” Saffron said softly. “Just death. Lots of death.”

  Broc shook his head. “I doona understand why Malcolm would kill children. What has this to do with Deirdre?”

  “Maybe nothing,” Ramsey said.

  Galen said, “Maybe his god is in full control of him now.”

  “Then why no’ kill everyone as he travels to Edinburgh?” Hayden asked.

  “He’s right,” Ian added. “If Malcolm’s god were in control there would be a slaughter in every village Malcolm passed through.”

  “Which brings us to what?” Lucan asked.

  Fallon blew out a breath and reached for Larena’s hand. “What my wife knew all along. Malcolm is going to this school because Deirdre sent him.”

  “Again, why?” Camdyn asked.

  Logan braced an elbow on the table and looked around him. “What is the one thing Deirdre covets above all else?”

  “Druids,” the Warriors said in unison.

  “Holy Hell,” Quinn muttered and raked a hand through his hair.

  Larena lifted her head. “Then that’s how we find the school. We search until we feel the Druid’s magic.”

  “What happens if we do save the Druid and the children? What do we do about Malcolm?” Ramsey asked.

  Larena slowly stood. “Nothing. He’s my cousin, my family.”

  “And mine,” Fallon added.

  Lucan kissed the back of Cara’s hand. “He’s part of our family, Larena. But more than that, he was part of this castle.”

  “You can no’ honestly think he’ll come willingly,” Charlie said. “He’s been under Deirdre’s influence all this time.”

  Danielle felt Ian stiffen beside her. She reached under the table and put her hand on Ian’s leg in an effort to calm him. He tensed for a moment, then began to relax.

  “Tell me, Charlie, where was Malcolm when you escaped Deirdre?” Ian asked.

  Charlie laughed easily and shrugged. “I doona know, Ian. I didna stick around to find out.”

  Danielle noticed how Camdyn and Arran watched Charlie closely. It was obvious from Ian’s question that he didn’t believe Charlie.

  “What do we do about Malcolm?” Danielle asked to turn the attention away from Charlie.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to know what was going on, but saving the children and the unknown Druid seemed more important at the moment.

  “Broc,” Fallon said. “See if you can locate Malcolm. Doona speak to him. I just want to know if he’s close to Edinburgh yet.”

  Broc nodded, then leaned over to kiss Sonya before he rose to his feet. As he headed toward the door, he took off his shirt and tossed it on a nearby chair.

  He’d taken just two more steps before his skin turned an indigo blue and huge wings sprouted from his back. Within another heartbeat, he was gone.

  “Broc will find Malcolm,” Fallon said to the hall at large, but his eyes were on Larena’s.

  “I have to save him,” Larena said.

  Fallon briefly closed his eyes. “You may have to face the fact that you can no’.”

  Gwynn suddenly got to her feet. “I’m going to do some research on how many schools are in Edinburgh. Dani? You want to help?”

  “Sure.” Danielle looked at Ian, wanting desperately to wrap her arms around him and kiss him.

  Ian winked at her and squeezed her hand. It was enough. She rose from the table and hurried after Gwynn who was already up the stairs.

  For the next few hours Gwynn and Danielle did search after search, jotting down their findings and the locations.

  “At least Broc will be able to find Malcolm,” Gwynn said.

  Danielle laid aside her pencil. “But soon enough? What I mean is, will everyone be at the right place when it happens?”

  “Damn. I didn’t think of that.” Gwynn tucked her dark hair behind her ears and leaned against the headboard of her bed, her legs crossed. “I saw Malcolm.”

  “When?”

  “On Eigg when Logan and I were retrieving the artifact.”

  Danielle nodded. She’d been filled in on the artifacts, but none of them had trusted her enough to tell her what the artifacts were or where they were kept. Not that she could blame them. She’d be wary as well.

  “So what happened?” Danielle asked.

  “They tried to talk to him. Larena wanted him to return to the castle, but he said he couldn’t. He didn’t talk long. One moment he was there, and the next gone.”

  “So he can teleport like Fallon?”

  Gwynn shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Lightning flashed behind us, so I’m thinking he had something to do with that. We all looked at it, and when we turned back he was gone.”

  “Does Larena actually think she can convince Malcolm to return here?”

  Gwynn looked down at her hands and shrugged. “Logan doesn’t seem to think so, but Larena is determined. Malcolm blamed her for Deirdre having him.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Gwynn straightened from the headboard and rested her elbows on her legs. “Larena had discovered a scroll that listed all the surnames of those first turned into Warriors. She saw Malcolm’s surname.”

  “Why didn’t they tell him?”

  “Logan said if given the choice he wouldn’t have told Malcolm either. He said Malcolm was a broken, scarred man and all any of them wanted to do was make him feel at home.”

  Danielle took a deep breath as understanding dawned. “Larena was protecting him.”

  “Yes, but in doing so she omitted the very thing that could have kept him at the castle and out of Deirdre’s hands. She captured him, Dani. Captured him and unbound his god.”

  Danielle picked her pencil back up and rolled it between her fingers. “What do you think of Charlie?”

  “Not much. He’s friendly and always there with a smile. Why?”

  “It seems that some of the Warriors may not like him.”

  Gwynn chuckled. “I haven’t been here long myself. A few days later Charlie shows up, then you and Ian, and then Kirstin. It’s a lot of change. I can see where others might be hesitant to trust.”

  “Precisely. But what I’m really wanting to know is what kind of … vibe … do you get from Charlie?”

  Gwynn’s smile died. “Do you feel something about him, Dani? Is he bothering you?”

  “No,” she hastily said. “I’m just curious to know why the others might not trust him.”

  “Fallon wouldn’t have allowed him in the castle if they didn’t trust or believe his reasons.”

  Danielle nodded as she realized Gwynn wouldn’t give her an answer.

  “Although I will admit to getting an odd feeling sometimes,” Gwynn said.

  Danielle’s head snapped up. “What kind of feeling?”

  “I can’t explain it. It comes and goes so that I feel as if I’m losing my mind.”

  “Do you know who it’s coming from?”

  Gwynn shook her head, her black hair moving back and forth over her shoulders. “It didn’t start until you arrived.”

  Danielle blinked. “Oh.” It had never occurred to her that she could be the reason something felt off in the castle.

  “I don’t think it’s you,” Gwynn hurried to reassure her. “But it started then.”

  “When me, Ian, and then Kirstin arrived.”

  Gwynn bit her lip.

  Danielle tapped the eraser on the notepad in front of her. “I didn’t feel it until I got to the castle, so I don’t think it’s Ian.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Danielle thought of the gentle way Ian had held her that first night they made love. Of how his passion had only made he
rs burn hotter, higher. She recalled how his kiss could make her forget her name and everything around her.

  “Yes.”

  Gwynn smiled. “Maybe it’s just that he’s still battling for control of his god. Logan said it looked as though he were winning the battle.”

  “He fights it constantly.”

  “Not constantly,” Gwynn said, a knowing look in her eyes. “I’ve seen the way he watches you. There’s no denying the desire I see in his eyes or in yours for him.”

  Danielle shifted uneasily on the bed. “So much has changed in my life in just a matter of days. I know how dangerous Ian is. I saw it firsthand when he saved me from the wyrran, and then again when the wyrran attacked Charon’s village.”

  “But?” Gwynn urged.

  Danielle smiled. “But the way I feel when I’m with him is like…”

  “Magic.”

  “Yes. Magic,” Danielle said with a nod. “Ian didn’t have to help me get to the castle. He could have left me to die. He could have killed me any number of times since I’ve been with him. He’s made sure I know just how lethal he is, but when I see him here with everyone he considers family, I see there is no way the evil inside him will take over.”

  Gwynn put her hand on top of Danielle’s. “Logan has told me the rage and power that comes with the unbinding of the god is a heady experience. Ian isn’t just dealing with the full force of his god, but the death of his twin. The combination might be too much for him.”

  “No.” Danielle rose from the bed. “I won’t allow Ian to give in.”

  “Dani—”

  “No,” she repeated. “I know Ian. He’d never hurt me.”

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Charlie smiled as he leaned against the wall outside Gwynn’s chamber. What he had just overheard solidified his plans. By the end of the day Ian would be either locked away or banished.

  And the beginning of the end of the MacLeods could commence.

  Charlie rubbed his hands together in anticipation and walked away, his mind racing with plans.

  When he returned to Deirdre she’d praise him for all he had accomplished. He’d be the one she turned to instead of Malcolm. He’d be the one who led her Warriors into battle conquering the world.

  How could have he been so foolish as to fear her? Her magic was potent. No one could resist her. They shouldn’t even try. He’d struggled, but she had shown him the way to immortality and a future where he stood atop the world.

  This was only the beginning.

  * * *

  Danielle left Gwynn’s room more upset than she liked. The thought of anyone thinking Ian couldn’t control his god infuriated her.

  She knew Gwynn was only worrying, but Danielle couldn’t help it. Ian had shown his true self to her, and she knew he would never harm her. Nor would she sit by and allow Farmire to take him. She would fight for Ian, even if he didn’t fight for himself.

  Danielle pulled her hair out of her face to gather it at the back of her head and quickly wrapped the ponytail holder around it.

  She rubbed her hands together, her two remaining bangle bracelets clinking together. The need to find Ian, to have his arms envelop her against his hard body, made her feet walk faster.

  Yet, as she entered the great hall, Ian was nowhere to be seen. No one was. The hall was empty, the only sound that of the crackling fire.

  Danielle rubbed her forehead and touched the key through the front pocket of her jeans. She kept it with her always just in case it told her it was time to hand it over. And because the key refused to be left alone.

  She even slept with it under her pillow, which wasn’t an easy thing to do. Especially when Ian was in the bed with her.

  Danielle smiled as she sank into one of the chairs near the fire and recalled her night with Ian. Every time they were together was more intense, more passionate. With every touch, each kiss, she wanted him more, needed him more.

  Though she’d been searching for someone like Ian for so long, it frightened her how much she had become attached to him in such a short time.

  But being put in danger and having him save her had certainly accelerated things.

  Danielle’s life had never been in jeopardy before. In the span of just days, the wyrran had come after her twice. As scary as that was, it was nothing compared to the fact that Deirdre had killed Duncan so she could have Ian for her own.

  If she had gone to that much trouble to have Ian, then there was nothing she wouldn’t do to have him.

  Danielle was glad she had never encountered Deirdre, but how could she fight someone she knew little about? Ian had told her the story. But stories were altogether different from meeting the real person.

  She let out a sigh and stared into the orange and yellow flames. Just a few days ago she’d despaired of ever being truly happy. She missed her friends and her flat, but within MacLeod Castle and the magic surrounding the stones, Danielle felt as if she had found her place.

  There was a sound behind her a moment before Charlie came into view as he strode to the hearth. He grabbed the poker and nudged the dying wood around before he placed two new pieces atop them.

  He replaced the poker, and then turned. Charlie paused when he caught sight of her. “Apologies. I didna realize you were here.”

  “The castle is quiet when the hall is empty.” She forced a smile and tried to relax. Ian didn’t trust Charlie, and if Ian didn’t trust him then neither would she. But maybe if she spoke with Charlie she could learn something for Ian.

  Charlie leaned a hand against the fireplace and returned her smile. “Where is everyone?”

  “I have no idea. They showed me around, but I’m afraid if I go looking I might get lost.”

  He laughed heartily, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I heard the tale about how Ian came upon you and saved you from wyrran. They’re nasty little buggers.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. I was very fortunate that Ian was nearby.”

  “Where was this exactly?”

  Danielle shrugged, though his question made her stomach clench. “With the blizzard and just trying to stay alive I couldn’t begin to say. Ian led us out of there. Maybe you should ask him.”

  “Maybe I should.”

  It was the way Charlie said it that sent a warning tingle up her spine. In that instant, Danielle knew Charlie had already asked Ian, and Ian had refused to answer. Why did it matter to Charlie where Ian’s cave was?

  Unless Charlie worked for Deirdre. Or Declan.

  Danielle silently swore. There were too many evils they had to battle. How could anyone possibly win with the odds so stacked against them?

  “Actually, I’m glad I found you alone,” Charlie said as he straightened and took a step toward her.

  “Why is that?”

  “There is some concern among the others about Ian. They’re afraid for you.”

  “For me?” Danielle repeated. “Ian saved me. Twice. Why would he do that only to turn around and hurt me now?”

  Charlie shrugged. “I doubt it will be on purpose. Unless you have a god inside you, you cannot begin to fathom how difficult it is to control.”

  The more she spoke with Charlie the more she agreed with Ian. “Ian won’t hurt me.”

  “Are you saying that for my benefit or yours?”

  Danielle gasped as Charlie seized her arms and hauled her to her feet. His fingers dug into her upper arms painfully as he shook her slightly.

  “Tell me, Dani,” Charlie said as a malicious light came into his eyes. “Do you fear Ian?”

  “No.”

  Charlie laughed. “Oh, but you will.”

  * * *

  Ian was with Arran, Quinn, and Hayden as they stood in the center of the village. Even though only Ramsey, Arran, and Camdyn lived in the cottages, everyone kept the others clean and repaired regularly. With the snowfall, they were getting as much off the roofs as they could.

  “Tell me again where Ramsey is?” Hayden asked as
he pushed a mound of snow off one of the cottage roofs that landed next to Quinn.

  Quinn took a quick step back and laughed. “He’s with Fallon talking about Torrichilty Forest and the Druids there.”

  “Fallon is determined to get Ramsey to tell him the name of the Druid, is he no’?” Arran asked.

  Quinn nodded. “My brother is nothing if no’ hardheaded.”

  “Just Fallon?” Ian asked as he jumped from one roof to the next and began to move the snow.

  “Ah, a jest,” Arran said with a laugh.

  Ian hid his smile, and in doing so missed the ball of snow Arran threw at him.

  It hit Ian square in the chest. Not to be outdone, Ian balled up his own snow and threw it. It sailed through the air and hit Arran so brutally in the head that it knocked him off his feet.

  Quinn laughed so hard he had his hands on his knees as he bent over. Ian found himself chuckling as well. That chuckle turned into a full-on laugh as Hayden also threw snow at Arran.

  “Verra funny,” Arran said as he ducked more snowballs thrown by both Ian and Hayden.

  Ian was readying another ball of snow when Danielle’s magic slammed into him. The smile died on his lips as her panic and distress swirled around him, urging him to find her.

  Without a word to the others he leaped from the roof and ran toward the castle.

  “Ian!” Hayden shouted behind him.

  But Ian didn’t have time to stop. Danielle’s fear cut through him like a blade, sharp and true. He had to get to her, had to protect her.

  Ian bounded over the castle wall and landed in the bailey. He didn’t pause, but continued up the stairs and through the main castle doors.

  The doors banged against the wall as he rushed into the great hall to find Charlie’s hands on Danielle.

  Whatever control Ian had snapped. He roared his fury as his god rose to the surface. Farmire demanded death, demanded blood. And Ian was more than happy to have Charlie’s blood spilled.

  Ian flexed his hands, his claws eager and ready for blood. He peeled back his lips and growled at Charlie. “Release her,” Ian demanded.

  Charlie merely smiled. “Nay.”

  Ian’s vow to Danielle drummed over and over in his mind. He refused to allow her to be harmed in the one place she should be safe.