Before he could make good on his thoughts, Nicolas touched his arm. “I will stay with her,” the younger man told him.
A low growl started in Duncan’s throat but he suppressed it and acquiesced. Ye have no right to the lass, he reminded himself, although his mind conjured up images of her legs wrapped around him, her naked body bathed in the sweat from their lovemaking. He pushed the images from his mind not wanting the visible evidence of his recollections to become so apparent. Instead, he watched as Nicolas entered the room and closed the door behind him. Every fiber in Duncan’s being screamed at the omission. Reining in his emotions, he ran his hand through his hair and faced Martinez and Danika. Thankfully, the guards had left the room, presumably under orders from Martinez.
“I’m sorry,” Danika stated. “I didn’t think the caves would affect her like that.”
“Aye,” Duncan growled. “She hasna been exposed to the thinner air that’s in the caves. We should have brought her into them gradually and with the proper gear.”
“So you admit there’s a reason she is here. Why is it so important to you that Catie visit the caves?”
Duncan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He wasn’t prepared to have this conversation. Not yet. And not with so much hanging in the balance.
Martinez spoke up before Duncan could address the older Sinclair sister. “Si, mi niña dulce,” he said, his tone confident and sure. “Your sister is gifted, but with other talents quite different from yours. She can foresee future events. And, based on a vision she had, the Commander thinks both your gifts are somehow linked together or perhaps made stronger when you are together.”
“In what way?” she asked.
“It’s unclear,” Duncan snarled. He wanted to check on Caitriona. Instead, he was sharing information he’d already shared with the older Maester. He sighed, his eyes darting to the door and wondering what was taking the medic so long. As if on cue, another dark-haired medic sporting the deep burgundy colors reflective of his profession and class burst through the main door and momentarily looked confused when he failed to spot his patient. Nodding to the bed chamber, Duncan followed the second medic, relieved that Caitriona was getting the care she needed and that he could escape Danika’s penetrating inquisition.
Duncan stood in the doorway and watched as the second medic took out a long, cylindrical device and moved it over Caitriona’s heart and then over her forehead. The little device gave a series of short chirps and then went quiet. The medic reviewed the readings and conversed in quiet tones with the first medic. Satisfied with what they reviewed on the instrument panel, the second medic placed the instrument back in his bag and faced Duncan, a frown creasing his brow.
“What is it?” Duncan demanded. A dark scowl covered his otherwise handsome features as he watched Nicolas gently brush the hair from Caitriona’s face. Her young handler had pulled a chair next to the bed where he had taken up a vigilant watch. Although Duncan should have been relieved to see him caring for his charge, the attention rankled him to his core.
“She has not suffered any permanent affects from being in the cave, but she is in a deep sleep, like the sleep of a coma patient, but not a coma” the medic said, picking his way through the English words as he struggled to translate his own native tongue. Martinez, who had walked to the door, said something to the medic in Spanish. The young man responded in his native tongue, conversing with the older Maester for several seconds before Martinez thanked him and his assistant and escorted them both to the estancia’s main entrance.
Duncan barely concealed his impatience as the Grand Maester came back and faced him. “I believe Caitriona is having a vision. The sleep Dr. Rodriguez referred to is caused by her visions …”
“Damnu!” Duncan roared, and sprinted toward the bed chambers. If she was in her vision and unable to wake… He didn’t want to think about the emotional stress she was under or the fear that gripped her. What he wouldn’t give to take the visions from her and give her a normal life. If there is even such a thing as normal, anymore, he thought. He crossed the room to where she lay deep in sleep. Maybe the medic was mistaken. She looked relaxed, almost peaceful. But then he saw the rapid movement in her eyelids and noted the change in her breath. He placed his palm over her heart and noted the accelerated cadence and the flush that rose to her face.
“We need to let her work through this, Commander,” Nicolas stated. His tone was firm. “She’s not in any real danger and needs to learn to control the visions...and her fear,” he added more gently. Duncan barely heard what Nicolas was saying.
“Caitriona, come back to me,” he whispered next to her ear. He thought he heard her whimper. He kissed her forehead and pulled her limp hand into his. “Leave us,” he told Nicolas. Duncan refused to look at the younger man. He was used to commanding an army and having his orders followed without question. But Nicolas was neither his subordinate nor one of his soldiers. Sighing, he drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Looking at the younger man, he decided on a different approach. “I just want a few minutes alone with her,” he said as soft as his military training would allow.
Nicolas stood and brushed his lips across Caitriona’s forehead and squeezed her hand. “She needs to work through this,” he said again, his intense blue eyes locking with the steel grey of the Commander’s. “I will know if she is in any real danger. Trust that I will not let anything happen to her.”
Duncan knew Nicolas was right, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
Nicolas released Caitriona’s hand and crossed the room to the door. “I’ll be right outside,” he said.
Duncan didn’t bother looking up but exhaled when he heard the door close. Taking up the chair Nicolas had vacated, he brushed his thumb over the back of Caitirona’s knuckles. He could feel the tension in her body and watched, helplessly, as she fought the demons only she could see. The vision and Nicolas be damned, he thought. Her peace, comfort, and happiness were far more important to him than the visions she provided.
Caitriona inhaled sharply and sat up straight, her heart threatening to jump from her chest. Strong arms pulled her against a rock-hard body and for a moment she pushed against the restraints, her earlier vision still imprisoning her.
“Ciunas.” Duncan’s strong, assuring voice was next to her ear.
That one word was Caitriona’s undoing. She sagged in Duncan’s arms and allowed the last tendrils of the vision to fade.
“I’ve got ye, lass. Just rest. We can sort through yer vision later.”
There it was, Caitriona thought with disgust. The whole reason she was so damned important to him: the visions that gave his people a competitive advantage in their bloody and lengthening war.
She sighed and pushed away from him. “I don’t need to rest—and there’s really not much to share that I haven’t told you already.” Her voice sounded harsh even to her ears. She immediately regretted her words but she had already set this train in motion.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she drew in a deep breath and stood. She arched one eyebrow at him as she saw that the laces of her bodice were undone. She said nothing as she deftly closed the gaping garment. It wasn’t as if Duncan hadn’t seen her naked. Indeed, they had shared more than one intimate tryst, but now she wanted nothing more than to escape his smoldering, intense scrutiny and the images she had just seen.
“Where’s the bathroom?” she demanded. She wanted time away from him. She knew he was mad at her for endangering her life in the caves, but to her defense, she had no idea what she was walking into when she agreed to accompany her sister. She wished now she had never gone.
As if on cue, her sister charged into the bedroom, Nicolas close behind her. Duncan scowled but nodded his head toward Caitriona, who puffed up her cheeks and exhaled noisily at the site of her visitors. Dani sidestepped Duncan and wrapped her arms around her sister.
“I thought I had killed you,” she said. “I didn’t think. I am so sorry.
” Dani’s voice broke on the last words. Caitriona stiffened in her sister’s arms, her anger with Duncan still too close to the surface. Dani’s dark eyes darted to Duncan before settling again on Caitriona.
“What’s going on?” Dani demanded. Her arm snaked around her sister’s shoulders and drew her in protectively. Caitriona sighed. She needed to diffuse this situation and quickly. She knew Duncan’s short fuse was already lit and Dani was only fanning the flame.
“It’s nothing,” Caitriona said, pushing away from her sister. She ran her hand through her long auburn hair, pushing the tangled mass of curls away from her face. Catching Nicolas’ eye, she hoped her expression—coupled with the fact that he was bound to her emotions—was enough to clear the room.
“I want some time alone with my charge,” Nicolas stated.
This stupid bond is at least good for something, Caitriona thought, and then immediately regretted her feelings. Without the bond—and Nicolas’ sacrifice—she would have died several months ago from the horrendous headaches that were a parting gift left behind by her second sight. The energy that was created from her visions had no way to exit her body. Because of his uniquely empathic abilities, Nicolas could absorb the unused energy thereby allowing her body the release it needed. The whole process bound her to him in a deep emotional tie. One that couldn’t be severed.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and waited as Nicolas escorted first Dani and then Martinez from the room. Turning to Duncan, he nodded to the door. Duncan scowled at her handler and, at first, Caitriona thought he wasn’t going to leave.
“I will return in an hour,” Duncan said to her, his tone clipped. Caitriona refused to look at him. How could she, when her heart came undone every time he was near? She wanted so desperately for him to feel more for her than was his duty or obligation. She wanted to have a conversation with him that didn’t begin and end with one of her visions. She sighed heavily. It was never going to be. And now, she was left with the heartbreak of her latest vision. What did the images mean? Was she to assume a literal translation? She knew better than to take the vision at face value; prophecy, she knew, didn’t work that way. She had erroneously misinterpreted an earlier vision that had nearly cost both her and Duncan their lives. Better to focus on finding a way home, she thought, burying the disturbing images for another time.
Once everyone had left the room, Nicolas motioned for her to sit next to him on the oversized bed. He pulled her hand into his but said nothing. Caitriona knew he was waiting for her to gather her thoughts. In truth, she didn’t know where to begin. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand.
“Can I do what Dani does?” she finally asked. “Can I manipulate the elements?”
“I don’t know,” he confessed.
She was startled to see her own reflection mirrored in the depths of his bright blue eyes. She looked down at her hands, not wanting to be under his scrutiny any longer than necessary.
“The truth is, mon coeur, we don’t yet know the depths of your abilities. It’s possible that, in time, you can learn to do what your sister does. But I suspect that each of your talents is unique.”
“How long have you known that Dani was here?” She held her breath, fearing the answer.
“I only found out moments before you charged into the room.” He tipped her chin up to his face so that she was forced to look at him. “I promise.”
“Will you take us home?” she asked, knowing the answer. But a part of her knew she had to hear it from his lips.
He shook his head and pulled her tight against him, his chin resting on the top of her head. “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be,” he murmured. “This is your destiny—and your home.”
“It can’t be,” she whispered. She’d had this conversation with him a hundred times and it always ended the same way. He wasn’t going to help her get home. “I don’t want this—for me, or for Dani.” Her voice pleaded with him.
“You and your sister are both gifted,” he acknowledged. “Which is both a blessing and a curse. Your genetic line is very rare and very powerful. You know that, Katerine. Just as you know why we can’t let you leave.” She liked the way he pronounced her name, his French accent rolling the vowels together. She sighed and sagged against him.
Pulling her bottom lip under her teeth, she bit hard enough to leave small indents, a nervous mannerism she found difficult to break. She closed her eyes and squeezed tight, her hands balled into fists at her side. Releasing her breath, she slowly opened her eyes and forced her body to relax. She could feel the moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes and knew that even without the physical signs, Nicolas would feel the depth of her frustration and sadness.
She pulled away from him and got up from the bed, her restless energy all but consuming her. She wanted answers and the absence of any did not sit well. She steepled her fingers across the bridge of her nose and looked at Nicolas. His face was impassive. It’s not fair, she thought absently. He is always aware of my feelings and yet I’m not given that same advantage.
She dropped her hands to her side. “What aren’t you telling me, Nicolas?” she asked, exasperation edging her voice. Not getting an answer, she continued, “I may not have your empathic abilities, but I can read your face and I know when you’re not telling me something.”
He stood up and walked to the large open-air arch that was reflective of the Mexican architecture. She followed his gaze and noted several children playing a game of bote pateado, a Mexican version of hide-and-seek. Their laughter and squeals of delight brought a smile to her face as she marveled in the carefree abandonment with which they approached their game; unaware or uncaring of the dangers that were present in their world. She noted the armed guards that stood nearby, vigilantly scouring the air and land, ready to shepherd the children to safety should the Order’s drones or soldiers make an unsolicited approach.
“If I could take you away from all this, I would,” he told her, still staring out the large open arch. After several seconds had lapsed, he turned and faced her. “But I don’t get that choice, Katerine, and neither do you. The best I can do is protect you…with my very life if necessary.”
“I know, Nicolas. In fact, I probably know this better than anyone, but it won’t stop me from trying to get home.”
“Katerine, why can’t you make this your home?” he asked. She could hear the frustration in his voice.
“And live like a hunted animal?” she retorted.
“Your sister won’t abandon these people, Katerine,” Nicolas said. “Or this fight. The surface should be home to everyone, not some underground coffin they’ve all been forced to live in.”
Caitriona stared at Nicolas. Since learning her sister was alive, Caitriona had thought of nothing beyond their eventual escape and how they would return to their own time. This war was not her fight. Nor was it Danika’s, yet it appeared she was the only one who wanted to leave.
“Nicolas, think about what you’re saying,” Caitriona begged him. “Dani and I don’t belong here. We’re outsiders—hunted for our differences. Dani has no idea what these monsters will do to her if she’s caught.” Caitriona shuddered at the memories of her time in Hawkins’ camp. The insidious leader of the New World Order had tortured her for several days before Duncan had been able to mount an attack and rescue her. And while his sister, Fiona MacKinnon, had been adept at healing the physical scars, the emotional ones were still too close to the surface.
“Danika knows what happened to you, Katerine. But I won’t let that happen. To either one of you,” he added. “I’ve increased security and I’m not letting you out of my sight again.” He gave her an impish grin.
“And who’s going to watch over Dani?” she demanded.
“I will, Katerine.” At her dubious look, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head again. “Trust me, mon coeur.”
Caitriona sighed and leaned into him, allowing his body to absorb her tension. She wanted to be
lieve him. But trust in others was something she’d never been overly fond of. And if there’s one thing her overzealous Christian aunt had taught her, it was that self-reliance provided the only true path to happiness.
“I am not the enemy, Katerine,” he said.
She stiffened, acutely reminded that the bond they shared ensured her emotions were never her own. Pushing away from him, she stood and ran her long fingers through her thick auburn hair, attempting to smooth the tangles. “What’s next?” she asked, fearing his response.
“Duncan believes the caves can harness your power.”
She turned and looked at him, her eyes growing bigger as disbelief spread across her face like wildfire. “What?” she asked incredulously.
At Nicolas’ continued silence, she suddenly knew what he wasn’t telling her. Duncan was planning to take her back to the caves.
“You’ve got to be kidding me? I’m not going back there,” she added. “It’s more than just the discomfort, Nicolas. That place does something to me…I don’t like it.”
“We leave tomorrow before dawn. It will be cooler if we go before the sun advances.”
Caitriona wanted to scream. But she knew it would be useless. She was a tool in their war, nothing more. And with each day that passed, that simple fact became more evident.
“Does he always get what he wants?” she quipped.
“He is the commander of the Knights Templar, Katerine.”
She exhaled her breath in a huff and shook her head, glaring at Nicolas. Marching to the door, she paused and turned to confront her handler. “I’m about at my breaking point, Nicolas. I’m done with this war, done with Duncan’s demands, and I’m most assuredly done with being the pawn in his game of chess.”
Not waiting for his reply, she fled the room, nearly toppling Duncan, who was making good on his promise to return. He grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her exit.
“What’s wrong, Leannan?” he growled, concern lacing his hard features.
Dark Gathering Page 4
