Judging by the looks she was receiving, Skye knew that, as usual, she was not blending in, which tickled her. Platinum blonde hair was pulled back in an impossibly tight braid that reached the center of her back. Thick black liner surrounded her eyes. Her nose ring glittered under the bright lights. She was clad in black from head to toe. Her skin-tight shirt made the definition of her biceps all the more noticeable. Her fatigue pants were tucked into a heavy pair of lace-up combat boots. People instinctively gave her wide berth, which was precisely what she was after.
Then there was Miko in tow, sporting a bright red, leather motorcycle jacket covered in logos and a pair of black leather pants. His mohawk was spiked wildly. The chain from his wallet was dangling to his knees and rattling as he walked.
Glasgow collectively rolled its eyes and breathed, ‘There goes the neighborhood.’
The car they wound up with was the saddest excuse for an automobile that Skye had ever seen in her life. She wondered if the man at the counter had intended it as a joke and glared back at him over her shoulder for a moment. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked down... yes, down... at the beat to hell Ford Ka 2 door. It was a midget of a vehicle, a genuine clown car pushing 250,000 miles. Several replaced quarter-panels had never been painted to match. Its multicolored exterior only added to the disdain she felt for it.
With each bag that Miko loaded into the vehicle, it dropped lower to the ground and Skye’s brow arched higher. She wondered whether she would have to walk along beside the car to keep it from bottoming out... which would probably be easy, since it had the same acceleration rate as a fifty-year-old lawnmower. Once they both climbed in, they had a whopping three inches of clearance from the ground.
If they ran over a soda can, they were going to total the car.
She was more than happy to ride shotgun – not wanting to be caught dead driving this disaster on four wheels. It was all she could do not to run back and beat the living hell out of the car rental guy when it began a series of loud backfires before farting along down the road. She covered her face and prayed for it to be over quickly. Once again, she swore that she would rather have been eaten.
The countryside was surprisingly breathtaking. She was not normally one to enjoy sightseeing, but there was something about the rolling hills and ancient rock formations here, the towering trees and stone walls. She felt the strangest sensation in the pit of her stomach that she was going... home. The feeling refused to be shaken, intensifying with each passing moment and leaving her feeling increasingly restless.
Miko cast worried sideways glances in her direction as she shifted impatiently in her seat. He checked his watch, and then leaned forward to gauge the location of the sun and ensure that there was still ample time for them to reach their destination before nightfall.
Skye closed her eyes tightly as she recalled her own words from her dreams. “... it is where you belong...” She could see all of the random, disjointed images in her mind again; all of the things that made no sense, yet evoked such a powerful emotional response in her.
“What?” She asked in surprise, jumping when Miko tapped her shoulder. It took her a moment to realize that he had been talking to her as she dazed out.
“You all right over there?” He asked nervously. “I mean, you’re not feeling wolfy or anything, right? Cuz if you are, do me a favor and tell me now. I need as much warning as possible so you don’t get a chance to rip me up into little bitty pieces.”
She sat back in her seat heavily, trying to force the countdown from her mind. “I’m fine, just... going stir-crazy from so much travelling is all,” she offered unconvincingly through clenched teeth. Her eyes stayed glued to the window as her fingers discretely dug into her seat.
When they reached a point where a wall ran along the left side of the road, she had to make him pull over so she could ‘stretch her legs’. She was breathing heavily, sweating, the strange sensations rushing over her and making her pace in frustration beside the car. Miko took her distraction as an opportunity to ensure that his tranquilizer gun was loaded and easily accessible.
The weather had grown steadily darker as they drew closer to this place. The clouds became thicker and more ominous looking. Not that she was paying any attention to the sky above. Her eyes were instead locked on the sheer face of the towering 60’ tall stone wall that blocked her path from the ancient woods beyond it. For some unknown reason, she found herself trying to figure out how to climb it.
There was something there... something inside that forest... it called to her blood... beckoned her closer...
Nearly half an hour later, a panic-stricken Miko finally managed to convince her to get back in the car. With each mile they put between them and the wall, she grew calmer. They were mere hours away from nightfall and he pushed the motor a little harder trying to make up for lost time.
When they finally reached the gates and skidded to a halt, Miko was damned near giddy over surviving the trip.
“Here we are – faol central aka ‘Faol Seunta’,” he announced, pointing to the castle’s name inscribed above the gates. “Out of curiosity, I had the geeks look that up after the first time I came here. They say that it means ‘the sacred wolf’ or ‘the wolf protected by enchantments’ or something along those lines.”
Skye’s eyes wandered along the top of the wall. Ancient runes were carved intermittently into the stone barrier.
Enchantments, indeed, she thought.
“Well, whatever it’s called, I don’t like the looks of this place,” she declared impatiently and leaned forward, gazing out the windshield at the sprawling estate through iron gates. “What the hell did you get me into?” She muttered.
With growing displeasure, she noted that the wall stretching out in either direction was the same as the one nearly a half-hour drive behind them. They were connected, all protecting one massive expanse of land from the outside world. Her eyes widened as she pictured a map of Scotland in her mind. This place took up a sizable chunk of the country, larger than most cities, yet she had never read anything about it. Not that she was an expert, mind you, but geography and history had sparked a great deal of interest in her. She had spent a lot of time in the past few years learning everything that she could about the world. It was an effort to make up for the education that she had missed. The internet had become her best friend. Hours that most people would have spent socializing had instead been devoted to her never-ending thirst for knowledge.
“Relax short-stuff. It’s cool, you’re with me,” Miko told her and flashed a grin that was supposed to instill confidence.
Skye scowled in response and shook her head that she had ever let them talk her into this. She could barely make out the structure in the distance, but at first glance, the place looked like a castle – a secluded, creepy, haunted, dank castle. Ivy covered a fair portion of the exterior making it blend into the countryside all the more. She just knew that centuries of overgrowth would be blocking out most of the windows of the place, ensuring a trapped-in-a-tomb feeling.
With a growl of frustration, she crossed her arms over her chest and sank back in her seat. She watched as Miko leaned out the driver’s side window to push a button on the intercom box.
“Yo, Tar!” He shouted into the microphone with more enthusiasm than she figured the recipient would care for. She winced at his volume as he continued calling into the box. “Come on, man; I know you’re in there... Taran! It’s Miko. Open up!”
Skye’s stomach dropped.
“Taran,” she repeated quietly as her brow furrowed. That feeling was back again, just as strong as ever. Something in her subconscious was stirring anxiously, insisting that she should know this. Not only was it annoying that she had to keep fighting her uncooperative mind for answers, it also did not make any sense. Why would she keep getting these strange sensations of familiarity when hearing and seeing names that she had never encountered in her life?
While still hanging out the window, Miko tur
ned and looked over his shoulder at her. He studied the confusion on her features.
“Yeah, ‘Taran’. He’s the guy we’re here to see,” he explained. “Why? Do you know someone with that name?”
Skye opened her mouth to speak, but a loud groan came from the gates. A moment later, they reluctantly parted. She turned in her seat as they drove inside, pursing her lips as the gates slammed closed the second they were clear.
“Riiiiggghttt... ,” she breathed and shot Miko an apprehensive look, disliking the sudden feeling of imprisonment.
The driveway seemed to stretch for miles. When they finally approached the entrance, she realized that her earlier appraisal had been accurate. This was, in fact, a creepy castle; one that stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction. A person could die of starvation if they got lost in this place.
“Okay, so he’s a little scary at first, but he’s a good guy. I mean, generally... umm, usually...” Miko told her before frowning and adding in a confidence-robbing manner as he put it in park, “At least, I think.”
“Wait a frigging minute – you think?” Skye demanded in disbelief.
Miko quickly jumped out of the car and shut the door.
Cursing and muttering angrily to herself, Skye fumbled with her seatbelt and followed after him. By the time she had climbed out of the car and started toward the stairs to the entrance, Miko was up at the door, using a knocker the size of a Volvo – complete with a hideous gargoyle face motif.
“Oh hells no!” Skye declared as she turned back to the car. “Do you know how many horror movies start off exactly like this? Nope, not gonna happen. I’m not winding up dangling from a fucking meat hook or trapped in a pit. You want to go play hide and seek with Leatherface in the house of pain? Go right ahead and do it alone. I’m outty.”
She pulled the driver’s side door handle, but only managed to get it open a few inches before Miko slid in beside her and slammed it shut with his hip.
“Aw come on!” He whined. “You haven’t even met him yet! Besides, you don’t really want me to have to cage you up, do you? Huh? Huh?” He asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, grinning, and nodding. He let his eyes wander over her body until it earned the sharp punch in the chest that he had been waiting for. “Ouch! See? I didn’t think so. Now, can we please just go inside?” He pleaded and grimaced as he rubbed the spot where her knuckles had just landed.
Despite herself, Skye smirked. It was funny as hell to her how he would leave himself open for a punch just to prove a point. “Fine, but...” she said, holding up a finger in warning. “If he creeps me out, we’re leaving. We’ll just have to find some other way of restraining me for the night.”
“Deal!” Miko exclaimed happily and pulled her toward the castle. His smile faltered a second later as he spun back to face her. “Okay, wait – what about like just a little bit creepy?” He asked hopefully, scrunching up his face and waiting for another furious fist.
Skye cocked her head to the side before pressing her lips together in a tight line that clearly told him she was contemplating the most time effective means of breaking his jaw.
“Got it! Ix-nay on the eepy-cray,” Miko said, holding up his hands in surrender. “Just... try to remember that he doesn’t get out much, k?” He added quietly while ushering her back across the drive toward the door.
It was opening slowly as they approached. Skye had already decided that there was no way they were staying.
“What can I do for ya this time, young Lance?” A mildly annoyed, heavily accented Scottish voice called.
Skye slowly turned to face Miko as a smile came to her lips.
“Lance?” She mouthed in amusement. Evidently, his parents had not elected to use a family name.
Miko glared over at her. In spite of his numerous requests, Taran continued to call him by his given name. He had a sneaking suspicion that the faol only did it to get under his skin.
“It’s more along the lines of what I can do for you. As it happens, I’m dropping something off,” Miko began with a grin. “And it ain’t another dusty old book, either. Wanna guess what it is? I’ll give you a few hints. It’s bigger than a breadbox, smaller than you, and the first I’ve ever seen of its kind,” he challenged before standing behind Skye and resting his hands on her shoulders. He chose to ignore her annoyed sideways glance at the fact that he was touching her.
A long silence followed and Skye (who had just opened her mouth to warn Miko that if he did not remove his hands, she was going to lop them off at the wrists) suddenly felt...a presence.
The hairs stood up on the back of her neck. It was as if fingers were tracing over her form. She realized in astonishment that the faol was testing his surroundings before exiting the castle... and she could actually feel it. Jarring her from the sensation and causing her to jump in surprise, the accented voice turned deafening.
“Ya brought a stranger here?” He demanded furiously.
Faster than you can say ‘holy pissed-off Scotsman’, one was standing in the doorway with two vicious looking wolves snapping and snarling from their positions at his sides.
Okay, time-out, freeze-frame, pause right there.
Skye’s current expression: o.O
First thought here; you know, just a shoot-from-the-hip, completely honest initial reaction: wolves are HUGE. That’s right, my friend, seeing them on a television is a different experience entirely from standing in front of one – especially one that wants to help you part company with entire portions of your anatomy. Evidently, (as she was noting in wide-eyed horror) a real, genuine, bona fide wolf had a head easily as wide as her torso. The sight was enough to cause her to try to take a giant step backward, only to find that Miko was blocking her exit.
The second realization to hit her was that this man, Taran, was not what she would define as ‘creepy’. She had been grossly misinformed. True, he was terrifying with outrage etched into every feature of his face, intimidating and formidable... but also (bow-chicka-wow-wow) sexy as all hell. She bit her bottom lip involuntarily as her eyes wandered over the delectable Scottish dish that had just been served up.
His hair was dark and thick, a mane of wild, wavy tendrils reaching the center of his back. It was pulled away from his face in a half ponytail with several thin braids woven through it. A long, rugged beard framed the most suck-able, nip-able lips she had ever seen. His sun-kissed complexion served to make his striking gray eyes even more intense as they fell on her. To the casual observer (or, in her case, the intent gawker), it would seem that his clothing was worn with great distain. The garments were pulled hastily over his form, as if only tolerated in order to appease society. It brought to mind the appearance one would have if interrupted from a round of lovemaking by a knock on the door. The clothes were just going to be pulled back off again in a moment.
Then again, Skye’s mind was currently making a clumsy, frantic b-line for the gutter. As such, any opinions involving this man, lovemaking, and the shedding of clothing might need to be stricken from the record.
He was dressed in all black. A pair of slacks sat staggeringly low on his hips (revealing the fantastic V-line at the base of his stomach), and all of the buttons of his dress shirt were opened (le sigh). For whatever reason, the Scots-hottie was not wearing any shoes. She fought the smirk that attempted to form on her lips at the sight of his bare feet on the cold stone. Strangely enough, she found it charming. By her estimation, and she was usually spot-on about these things, he was 6’2. Damned if he did not fill every inch of that height with eye-candy. His broad, chiseled shoulders nearly filled the breadth of the doorway. His smooth, bare chest and abs rippled even as he breathed.
He bore uncanny resemblance to an actor that she had seen in a movie a few years prior. The name escaped her, but she had watched it on a night of drunken channel surfing. There was no denying the likeness, though. Despite having only seen the film once, the image was forever engrained into not only her mind, but also the mind
s of every heterosexual female and homosexual male on the planet. All Taran needed to complete the scene was a haircut, a pair of leather underwear, a cape, and an army of equally half-naked, heavily muscled men behind him pumping their fists in the air while shouting, “Ha-ooh! Ha-ooh! Ha-ooh!”
And suddenly I’m a fan of sightseeing, she mused to herself.
As soon as Taran focused on the unexpected visitor that was gazing up at him, a sly smile came to his lips. His furious expression instantly softened to one of delighted surprise.
“Aaahhh... Miko, ya right wee devil,” he began in a low, rumbling voice. He made a ‘tisk-tisk’ sound as he shook his head and started down the stone steps. “Ya should have warned me tha we were to be exchanging gifts. Though, I’m afraid, I could nah have offered a thing in kind tha would be near as breathtaking.”
Miko backed up several paces as Taran approached, knowing better than to get between the other two. He grinned at the change in Taran’s typically hardened demeanor, as well as the rarity of being referred to as ‘Miko’ by the faol. His hunch had been spot on that this introduction would be enough to put a smile on even Taran’s face.
Skye was desperately trying to keep her level of captivation under wraps. It was proving nearly impossible to accomplish. In her defense, the approaching man was walking, talking, breathing, rippling sex.
Taran, on the other hand, was not masking his intrigue a single bit. He circled her, his eyes passing over her in disbelief as if she were the eighth wonder of the world. After a moment, he stopped in front of her and took her hand.
“I am Taran, my love. And ya are... ?” He asked in a satin tone, lifting her hand to his lips as he studied her face. “Aside from a sight for sore eyes, tha is,” he added with a devastatingly sexy smile before kissing the back of her hand.
Darkness Descends: A Skye Faden Novel Page 10
