“Do you think Heinrekh is content with waiting for this child to appear? Of course not. He will send scouts through the Gate to bring her to him. If he gets to her first, he might win her over.”
“So the Gate is going to be under threat?”
“Yes and no.” Ajax retrieved a scroll and unravelled it. “Like any entrance, there is always at least one back door. Possibly several.”
“Do we have guards at them?”
“No. When your father gave you the commission of guarding the Gate, he took it to mean all entrances.”
“Why didn’t he say so?”
“Because he’s seeing if you actually have a brain in that thick scull of yours.”
“How do I find these back doors?”
Ajax passed over the scroll. “Heinrekh has been sending his creatures and mercenaries through sporadically over the last decade. McLomard was killed in such a raid. With the child back in Muirhead, his attacks will increase, so ask in the outlying areas if anyone has seen his creatures. If the answer is yes, then a Gate must be close by. I have already marked a couple of areas where I suspect a gate to be.”
Wilhelm took the scroll and looked fondly at his former tutor. Ajax had done him a huge favour. If he could track down these back doors and stop Heinrekh, his father would have no choice but to reinstate him to his former rank.
Ajax touched Wilhelm’s shoulder. “Remember, ruling is about being wise, knowing when to fight and when to wait.”
Wilhelm did not make it back to his quarters unseen. He ran into his mother.
“Wilhelm, please tell me you are not just returning from a night of debauchery?” She looked quite upset.
“Mother, I’m a full grown man. I don’t have a curfew.”
“No, but you should behave like the heir to the Kingdom.”
“Accordingly to father I’m not fit to rule.”
“If you act in such a manner, I would agree with him.” She stroked the side of his face affectionately. “You need to settle down and take a wife, my son. That is what is missing from your life.”
“I get nagged enough by you, mother, I certainly don’t need it from another woman.”
“I’m serious, Wilhelm. At your age you should be looking to take a bride.”
A shiver ran down Wilhelm’s spine. The very last thing he wanted was a wife. “I am only twenty-three. Besides, there is no-one in the kingdom suitable, mother.”
“Look beyond the kingdom. If your father could see you were serious about securing the line of succession, it would appease him greatly.”
“Why should I try and appease him when he clearly sets very little faith in me?”
“Because he wants you to act like the Prince of Lokranor, not a Norse raider,” she snapped. “I would also like to see you happily settled.”
“When I find a woman who might keep me interested beyond just the bedchamber, I will let you know,” Wilhelm grunted and headed to his rooms. He had no plans of marrying for a very, very long time.
CHAPTER 5
Erin was hanging around the stables waiting for Sasha to arrive. They’d agreed to meet at 11am but it was well past that now. She played with Jacques for a while, throwing his favourite ball for him to fetch and retrieve, but even he’d got bored after a while and flopped down on the yard floor.
“I know how you feel, slobber chops.” She tried to stifle a yawn. Her four-poster was comfortable enough but she kept waking up during the night. She put it down to the noises from the old house, the creaky floorboards and squeaky doors. She wasn’t concerned about ghosts, in fact she would welcome seeing her father.
Lewis, the Estate Manager, popped his head out of the office next to the stables. “I’ve just had a call from McBrides. Sasha is so sorry but she’s unable to make the ride this morning.”
Erin felt her spirits deflate like a balloon. She was sure Sasha had good reason to cancel, but it hurt just the same. Well, she’d already tacked up Athena, the grey mare, so she might as well take the horse out. The ride would do her good.
She hauled herself into the saddle and headed up into the vast expanse of rolling hills. She was not altogether sure what constituted McLomard land, where the boundaries were, but she didn’t care, she was enjoying herself. Athena seemed to know where she was going. There was no denying the beauty of the Scottish landscape; the green hills, the almost black waters of the loch against the azure sky. Picture perfect. Cantering along, she felt so free.
Her mind drifted back to her father, she had thought a lot about him over the last few days. Hardly surprising really as this was not only his home, but his burial place as well. Little by little, all the memories of her childhood which had been suppressed the past decade were slowly rising to the surface. For the first time in ten years she could recall riding out with her dad, sitting on his lap in the study as he taught her to read, hiding from him when it was bed time. It was always just the two of them, and he was never short of love. The only thing she still had no idea about was how he died, or why she was not at his funeral. It was a complete blank.
Erin was so deep in thought that when the horse stumbled on a rabbit hole, she found herself flying over its head before she could react. The landing was painful, she bounced down the hill a few metres, before her head made contact with a large rock. For the second time in only a few weeks, she had managed to knock herself unconscious.
Erin’s back hurt, her leg hurt, her head hurt, in fact almost every part of her body hurt. And she was cold too. She unclipped her helmet and pulled it off. It had absorbed most the impact with the rock.
She reached down to her jodhpurs to fish out her phone and then remembered she’d left it behind in the stables. She sighed in disbelief. She had survived dying from hypothermia in the English countryside, only to die from hypothermia and midge bites in the wild Scottish highlands. Life could be so cruel.
She closed her eyes to stop the thumping in her head. “Sorry, dad. It looks like I’ll be joining you sooner than expected,” she murmured.
“Are you always this melodramatic, Goldilocks?” a familiar voice invaded her thoughts.
Her eyes flew open. “Please tell me I’m not being stalked by a hallucination?”
The voice laughed. “I’m not a bloody hallucination, woman. I’m a guardian.”
“Of course, you’re Gabriel. And if you’re on McLomard land, you’re also trespassing.”
“Well, if you’d like me to leave you here to die from mosquito bites, I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”
“An angel with attitude,” she teased.
“Trust me, Erin, I’m certainly no angel!”
She giggled. “A bad boy, huh? Is this your penance from the Almighty, watching over an accident-prone, hormonal teen? You must really have screwed up somewhere.”
“Yeah, I drew the short straw.” The amusement in his voice was evident.
“Aren’t you going to ask me for any identifiable markers so you can find me?”
“You’ll only say grass, so there’s no point asking.”
The man knew her too well! “So what are you doing up here in sunny Scotland?”
“Watching your back.”
“I knew it, I’ve got me a stalker,” she groaned.
He laughed. But his laughter wasn’t in her head, it was right beside her. She felt strong arms pick her up. His wonderful aftershave hit her again. You really do smell delicious, she thought. Then she could feel the colour rising in her cheeks. The bloody man was telepathic.
“Aren’t you concerned about back injuries,” she grunted, trying to hide her embarrassment.
“You’re not that heavy,” he shrugged.
She chuckled and slapped his chest. Cheeky beggar. She tried to lift her head to look up at him, but her eyelids were just too heavy. It was almost as if there was a something preventing her looking directly at him. For now she would just have to be content with the fact that he smelt divine and wore black leather.
A short while
later she heard a car door open, and felt herself being laid out on the back seat.
“Birdie’s asked me to take you to A&E just in case of any internal injuries. The closest hospital is Wick, Erin, so it will take a little while.”
“No problem, I don’t have a hot date for tonight,” she smiled sleepily.
Erin was floating on a cloud, it was soft and silky and she felt completely weightless. She opened her eyes slowly, everything was white. And smelt of antiseptic.
Sitting in the chair next to her bed was Birdie, looking tired and pale.
“You’re back with us, Erin.” Her aunt gave a small smile.
“Yes. And on terrific drugs.” She stared at her hand as she moved it through the air. It made pretty colour patterns. “I guess it must be like LSD for your generation.”
Birdie chuckled. “Perhaps they gave you too much painkiller.” She pressed a buzzer next to the bed. “I’ll ask the nurse to reduce the amount in the drip.”
“Have I broken or mangled anything?”
“No, you were just bruised and concussed. The doctors want to keep you in overnight for observation.”
“Why does this keep happening to me, Birdie?” Erin asked crossly.
“Because although they are excessively courageous, the McLomards are also excruciatingly clumsy.”
Erin propped herself up so she could have a drink of water, her mouth was bone dry. As she pushed a stray curl back behind her ear, she got the faintest whiff of Gabriel’s aftershave. She hadn’t imagined him after all. Then she remembered he had had a conversation with Birdie.
“Who was the man who brought me in?” she asked.
“Oh, some passer-by who saw you fall.” Birdie dismissed the question.
“Some passer-by who not only saved me in Bath but also had your phone number. I heard him talking to you.”
“He’s just a friend, no–one of significance.”
Erin got the distinct feeling Birdie was keeping something from her. Was this Gabriel really bad news? Well, he had saved her twice so the very least she owed him was a thank you. “I need to thank this friend of no great significance, so could you please ask him to drop by tonight?”
“I’m not sure I have his number,” Birdie lied.
“It will show on the log of received calls on your mobile.”
Birdie was saved from a further grilling by the appearance of the nurse. “It’s good to see you awake, Miss McLomard. The doctor is on his way to assess you, but I need to do some checks before then.”
Birdie made her excuses and slipped out the room before Erin could continue her interrogation.
It was the smell of fresh coffee, mixed with that wonderful aftershave, which brought Erin back to the present. She turned to see Gabriel leaning against the door post, Starbucks in hand. It was the first time she had seen his face, and he was, in no uncertain terms, drop dead gorgeous. He had mid-length black hair, deep blue eyes and the sexiest smile she had ever seen. She put his age around mid-twenties.
“If that coffee is for me, you can come in,” she grinned. Aware that she must look an awful sight, she pushed her hair back behind her ears, smoothing it down as she went. He just gave her an irritating smile.
“I thought you could probably do with this.” He sat down next to her, handing over the coffee.
Erin inhaled the aroma for a few moments. “Bliss,” she murmured.
“Most people usually drink their coffee, not sniff it.”
“I’m just savouring the moment.” She shot him a look.
“If only all women were so easily pleased.” Gabriel threw her a wicked smile.
She felt the colour rise a little in her cheeks. “It seems I have to thank you again for saving my life.”
“You didn’t thank me last time.”
“Well, that was because I had no idea who you were. You didn’t hang around to exchange pleasantries.” She took another delightful slurp of her coffee. “So is your name really Gabriel?”
“It’s actually Magnus. Magnus Selvig.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him.
“Your accent is ever so slight. I’m guessing Scandinavian?”
“Of sorts,” he smiled evasively. “And how are you doing?”
“Great. I’m making my escape tomorrow. Where are you staying?”
“I have a house close to Muirhead.”
“So what do you do?”
“I’m a kind of body guard. Now, no more questions, I feel like I’m before the Inquisition.”
“Sorry, I’m just curious about you. You pop up in the most unexpected places and keep saving me.”
“As I said I’m sort of a body guard. Now, for the next while you’re not to go out alone anywhere, is that understood?” His tone had turned serious.
“I don’t even obey my own mother, so what makes you think I’ll listen to you?” she retorted lightly.
“Because if you don’t, I won’t take you dirt-biking in a few days’ time.”
“Really? That would be so much fun.”
“Yes, so be a good girl and do as I request.”
“You’re awfully bossy for an angel.”
“And cute too.” He flashed her a devastating look.
“Angels should not flirt.”
“I never said I was an angel.” He leant over and kissed her forehead, almost sending her pulse into overdrive. “Recover quickly.”
And then he was gone, leaving just the remnants of that wonderful cologne hanging in the air.
The nurse appeared a few minutes later, her cheeks quite pink. “Who was that gorgeous man? Talk about sex on legs!”
Erin rolled her eyes, he was such a bad flirt.
CHAPTER 6
Sasha was Erin’s first visitor. In fact she had barely been back two minutes before Sasha burst into the living room.
“I only heard about your accident this morning. What on earth possessed you to go out alone?”
“The horse was already tacked, and after you cancelled, I thought I’d see a bit more of the estate,” Erin shrugged.
“I cancelled?”
“Yeah, Lewis said you’d called to cancel the ride.”
Sasha stared at her blankly. “But I had a message that your ankle was hurting and you weren’t up for riding.”
“That is so weird. Somebody must have got the messages mixed up.”
“But you could have been seriously hurt. If that passer-by hadn’t seen you fall, things could have been much worse.”
“Guess I was lucky.”
“Listen, Birdie’s out for most of the day, so why don’t you come over to mine and we’ll waste the day doing mindless stuff?” Sasha volunteered.
“Actually, that sounds wonderful,” Erin smiled. She could do with some serious R&R.
Reclining on a chaise-longue in Sasha’s bedroom, Erin felt totally chilled. There was a pile of magazines on the floor, an abundance of chocolate wrappers and Sasha had painted her toenails a deep purple. Even her ankle was no longer throbbing.
“What’s it like to lose consciousness?” Sasha asked out the blue.
“I’m not sure I can really remember,” Erin thought back. “Both times it’s been quite sudden, hitting an immovable object. One minute your eyes are open, the next you’re waking up in extreme pain. There’s nothing in between, not like sleeping or dreaming. It really is lights out.”
“That must be so weird.”
“Not really, as you have no idea of what has gone on in between. What I did find totally freaky was hypothermia. It almost killed me in Bath. I could feel my whole body start to slow and shut down little by little. Now that I don’t want to repeat.” She shivered at the memory.
“You’re in luck then. You’re more likely to die of blood loss from those damned mosquitos here before catching hypothermia.”
“Yeah, it’s such a shame that such a beautiful country is plagued by every blood-sucking insect in the universe.”
Sasha glanced at the bowl beside her. “Bu
gger, we’ve run out of popcorn.”
“I’ll go.” Erin hauled herself off the chaise. “You’ve got wet toes.”
“Can you remember which cupboard it’s in?”
“Yeah, when it comes to food, I’ve no problem sniffing it out!”
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