Midnight's Seduction

by Donna Grant

  “I could give you that ability.”

  “Aye, and I wouldna turn your gift away. You seem angry with Deirdre. What has happened?”

  “She refuses to do as I command. I told her to forget the artifacts, but she will not.”

  “It was one of the reasons you allowed me to pull her to my time.”

  The black smoke swirled around Declan thick and heavy, Satan’s fury evident in the way the smoke clung to Declan. “That I did. I added much power to your magic, and I thought that with Deirdre, the two of you would have already conquered the world and allowed the darkness to take over.”

  “And we will, Master,” Declan hastily assured him. There was only one thing Declan feared, and that was the Devil. He’d do whatever needed to be done, say whatever needed to be said. Because the last thing he wanted was to find himself at the mercy of Satan. “I urge you no’ to do anything rash when it comes to Deirdre.”

  “You would speak on her behalf?”

  Declan swallowed. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground. Satan had been irritated with Deirdre for quite some time. “I do.”

  “I was about to take away all the magic I had given her, but even if I do, she would still be a powerful Druid.”

  Declan leaned up, causing the thick smoke to shift. “If I can persuade Deirdre that she is better off with me at her side, then your plan to have evil take over the world will happen. Give me a chance, Master, to prove my worth.”

  There was a long silence before the deep voice said, “I will grant you this, Declan. But I warn you. Do not fail me.”

  With that the smoke was gone. Declan ran a hand through his blond hair and sighed. He hoped he’d made the right decision, because his life now rested on gaining Deirdre’s trust.

  The double doors to his office flew open and Robbie filled the doorway clothed in all black fatigues, his favorite. He smiled when he spotted Declan and hurried over. “Your spy has done it again.”

  “Kirstin?” Declan asked. “What information did she ascertain?”

  “I know where everyone at MacLeod Castle went yesterday morning.”

  Declan looked at the clock on his wall and realized it was nearing five in the morning. “Where?”

  “Satellite imaging picks up twenty-four bodies on the Orkney Islands near the Ring of Brodgar.”

  A slow smile spread over Declan’s face. “And you’re sure it was the MacLeods?”

  “I had the image enhanced. I saw three men wearing torcs. It’s the MacLeods, Declan.”

  “Good work, cousin,” Declan said as he gained his feet. “I wonder how much Deirdre would appreciate this information.”

  * * *

  “Where is Saffron?” Gwynn asked when everyone gathered around the table to eat that next morning.

  Camdyn didn’t bother to look up as he attacked the pile of pancakes layered on his plate. He took a bite of crunchy bacon as the others all admitted to not seeing Saffron.

  Finally he had to speak up. “I saw her on the battlements last night. Then she went to her chamber.”

  A chair scraped as Isla rose from the table. “I’m going to check on her.”

  Camdyn knew she was fine. He’d felt the strength of her magic all night as he tossed and turned in bed thinking about her full lips and creamy skin, of her curves molded along his body.

  Even now he could feel the sheer power of her magic. It was stronger than before, but it was still Saffron’s magic.

  Hayden suddenly jumped up from the table and started running for the stairs. “Something is wrong with Isla.”

  A heartbeat later Isla’s voice rang out from above, “I need help!”

  Camdyn forgot about his food as he leaped to the top of the stairs, landing just in front of Hayden, and sprinted down the hallway to Saffron’s door.

  The door was open, and he skidded to a halt when he spotted Isla squatting beside Saffron, who sat rocking back and forth in front of the fire.

  “The fire is magical,” Hayden said from behind him.

  Camdyn strode to Saffron, intent on discovering what was wrong, but when he went to touch her, magic shot from her body and hit him.

  It didn’t hurt. It didn’t do anything but stun him. Yet he was unnerved. Unsettled.

  Uneasy.

  The others began piling into the chamber, each taken aback as they caught sight of Saffron. Camdyn walked slowly around Saffron until he stood directly in front of her. He lowered himself so that he looked her in the eye, but her tawny gaze that had haunted him all night wasn’t the same one that stared back at him now.

  “What’s wrong with her?” he asked Isla.

  “She’s gone to the chanting,” Isla answered.

  “Get her back.”

  Isla’s ice-blue eyes held a wealth of uncertainty that caused Camdyn’s blood to turn to ice. “I don’t know if we can.”

  “We also have no idea how long she’s been with them,” Marcail said.

  “With who?” Camdyn demanded, his anxiety growing by the moment.

  Reaghan laid a hand on his shoulder. “The ancients, Camdyn. Each of us Druids has heard the drums and the chants at one time or another. It is a haven for Druids, a place where we can discover answers or just find tranquility.”

  Camdyn recalled Dani nearly succumbing just a few days ago. How could he have forgotten such a thing?

  “Every Druid has something that strengthens her magic,” Sonya said. “For me it’s the trees. I believe it’s fire for Saffron.”

  “Douse the fire then,” he ordered as he peered closer at Saffron, praying for some kind of response from her.

  It was Hayden who stepped to the fireplace and put his hands in the fire. He grunted and shook his head. “Without magic, that will be impossible. Saffron is keeping this fire going, and no’ even my power will douse it.”

  “Shite,” Camdyn murmured and ran a hand down his face. “There has to be something we can do to bring her back.”

  Quinn caught Camdyn’s eye. “You’d best hurry, my friend. I nearly lost Marcail when she was drawn to the chants.”

  Camdyn didn’t want to be the one to try and pull Saffron back, nor did he think he was the right person. Already her magic was a beacon for him. And no amount of warning himself to stay away seemed to help.

  “Do it,” Ramsey said from beside him.

  Camdyn gritted his teeth and reached out to touch Saffron’s shoulder. This time her magic let him through and he took hold of her.

  “Saffron, wake up.” When she didn’t respond, he called out to her louder, shaking her harder.

  But nothing worked. For fifteen minutes he tried every suggestion thrown at him to wake her, until he had an idea of his own.

  “Saffron, your mother is here. She demands to speak with you. She said she’s come for the money.”

  Saffron heard Camdyn’s voice from far, far away. It caught her attention, but the drums and chanting sounded so good she was loath to leave.

  But Camdyn persisted.

  Sometimes his voice sounded as if it were right next to her, while other times as if it were coming through a long tunnel. But always he was there, calling to her.

  Saffron was determined to ignore him, even though his voice sparked the memory of their kiss and the way his wide lips had moved over hers with such passion and heat that it made her heart quicken and her body come alive.

  She became curious as to what he wanted. Didn’t he realize she was safe? Didn’t he realize she didn’t need anyone anymore?

  The more she tried to listen to his words the more the chanting and drums faded. It wasn’t long before she heard his words as clearly as if he were sitting in front of her.

  Her mother. At the castle.

  “No!” she screamed and tried to turn away.

  Strong hands held her, hands and a touch she recognized all too well.

  “Open your eyes,” Camdyn demanded softly.

  Saffron shook her head, reaching for him. He was steady, a rock she knew she could h
old on to in the storm that was her mother. “Make her go away. Make my mother go away.”

  “She’s gone,” he murmured in her ear as he held her close. “She’s gone.”

  Saffron took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She missed the chanting, but there was something altogether comforting and wonderful about being in Camdyn’s arms. She liked being there, wanted to stay there. Always in his embrace.

  “Thank God,” Gwynn said.

  Saffron shifted her gaze to the right and saw Gwynn as well as most everyone else in the castle. She pulled away from Camdyn, her eyes locking with his.

  Deep in his chocolate gaze she saw worry there. For her? Had he been concerned for her?

  “You gave us all a scare,” Isla said with a small forced laugh. “Please don’t do that again.”

  Saffron nodded, but couldn’t look away from Camdyn’s dark, compelling gaze.

  Dani threw her arms around Saffron from behind and hugged her. “Camdyn yelled for you for almost twenty minutes before he finally got through. We all knew he could do it.”

  Saffron patted Dani’s arm, unsure of what to say.

  One by one everyone left her room except Camdyn and Ramsey. Ramsey laid a hand on Camdyn’s shoulder before placing his other hand on her shoulder.

  “It’s nice to have you returned to us, Saffron,” Ramsey said before he walked out.

  Camdyn cleared his throat and was the first to look away. “What happened?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I was looking into the fire, then the next thing I knew I heard drums and the most beautiful chanting. I followed it, and…”

  “And?” he prompted when her voice had faded away.

  “Something strange happened with my magic. All the old visions I’ve had through the years evaporated, and the ones dealing with this war we’re in grew stronger, clearer.”

  Camdyn stood and held out his hand to her. As he pulled her to her feet he asked, “Did you see anything different?”

  “No. But … but I think my magic has grown stronger.”

  “It has.”

  She licked her lips and tugged at the hem of her shirt. “I didn’t mean to frighten everyone. Thank you for pulling me out.”

  He turned to the side and glanced at the now dead fire. “Be careful, Saffron. You’re needed here.”

  “Because I’m a Seer?”

  “Because you’re a Druid and your fate is intertwined with ours, and because you’re a part of this family. It has nothing to do with you being a Seer.”

  CHAPTER

  TWELVE

  Camdyn’s words echoed in Saffron’s head after he’d departed. Yet, when she walked, wincing at the stiffness in her legs and back, the morning sun that shone through the window caught her eye.

  “Damn,” she muttered as she hurried to pull on the snow boots she had bought.

  It had seemed liked forever since she saw a sunrise, and she had planned to get up early that morning and watch her first one in years. The chanting, however, had changed all of that.

  If she couldn’t see the sun rise, she could at least go out and watch it climb into the sky. It was hours before they had to get ready to leave for the Ring of Brodgar, and she intended to make as much use of the free hours as she could.

  Saffron snagged her thick coat from the peg near the door as she walked past. She had one arm in her jacket and the other about to go through as she started down the stairs into the great hall.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Sonya called out.

  “Later,” Saffron said, an eager smile on her face.

  She pulled on a lavender beanie and hurried outside. The cold slammed into her almost immediately, but she had been raised with snow. Colorado Springs might not be as damp as Scotland, but she knew snow.

  A laugh escaped her as she hurried down the steps and jumped into the snow. Saffron then walked through the bailey, taking every bit of it in, from the stables to the blacksmith’s shop to the church that had been used several times to marry the Warriors and their Druids.

  She had been in that church, small though it was, and she was eager to see it. But not now. Now, she wanted to feel the wind on her cheeks, to squint up at the sun, and to play in the snow.

  Before she walked through the small door in the huge gatehouse, Saffron pulled out a pair of the sunglasses she had stuffed in the inside pocket of her coat and put them on.

  Already her eyes were adjusting better to the light. Soon, she wouldn’t need the sunglasses all the time as she did now.

  “Oh, my,” she murmured as she spotted the cliffs and the dark, wild sea below.

  Saffron drank in everything she saw as she walked closer to the edge of the cliffs, from the gulls that hung suspended along the strong currents to the water that rolled ashore along the rocks.

  She took in the cliffs and caught sight of several cave entrances that would be too remote for anyone but a Warrior to get to.

  When she reached the edge, she looked down to find the beach below filled with rocks of all dimensions, from some the size of baseballs to massive boulders that jutted from the ground. Much like the ones dotted around the castle.

  “Cara fell not too far from where you’re standing,” a male voice said from behind her.

  Saffron smiled as she recognized Arran’s voice. “I’ve no intention of falling. I’m not sure you’d have as quick a reflex as Lucan did.”

  “Oh, ho,” Arran said with a hearty laugh as he came to stand beside her. “Care to give it a test?”

  “I’ll pass, thanks,” she replied with a bright smile.

  “I’m glad to see you up and about after how we found you this morning.”

  She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I know there is cause to worry about a Druid falling into the chanting and drums, and I even thought about it. There is safety there with the ancients. It’s a place no one can hurt us. And it strengthens our magic in ways that I can’t even begin to explain. Yet, if a Druid knows what they’re doing, it’s safe.”

  “Did you know what you were doing?”

  “No,” she answered with a chuckle as she glanced sideways at him. “I do now. Still, it’s almost addictive, like a drug. It is such a beautiful, wonderful place to be, I understand why no one wants to leave, or has difficulty leaving.”

  “I’m just glad Camdyn was able to pull you out.”

  “Why did he do it?” she asked, and immediately regretted it. She didn’t want to know the reason, not if it would hurt her.

  Arran stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and hitched up his shoulders. He was wearing only a navy blue T-shirt and gray hoodie sweatshirt jacket. “Maybe because he reached you first? I really doona know, Saffron. All I know is that I wouldna have thought about telling you your mother was there for money.”

  She swiped at the bangs on her forehead and considered his words. “Unfortunately, Camdyn was privy to a rather nasty call between my mother and me yesterday.”

  “Regardless, it worked, and we’re all glad of it.”

  They watched waves roll in and violently crash upon the cliffs for several quiet moments. Saffron found her thoughts turning again and again to Camdyn and that amazing, breathtaking kiss.

  “So, did they send you out to watch me?” she asked when she couldn’t stand thinking about Camdyn another moment or the way her body craved his touch and her mouth his lips.

  Arran chuckled and turned toward her. “No’ at all. I was with Lucan in the blacksmith’s shop when I saw you leave the castle. I thought you might like some company.”

  “That would be nice. There’s so much I want to see and do now that I have my eyesight back. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.”

  He smiled and swept his arm around him. “You have a vast playground, milady.”

  Saffron threw back her head and laughed. “I do, don’t I?”

  “Just watch for the rocks hidden in the snow. They can ruin a day. So what do you want to do?”

  Saffron had been ba
lling up a handful of snow, and as soon as Arran asked his question, she lobbed it at him. It hit him square in the chest.

  He omphed, looking from the snow falling down his chest to her. “You little minx,” he said with a smile as he began gathering up his own snowball, which was three times the size of hers.

  Saffron ran away from the cliffs, but she wasn’t able to dodge Arran’s snowball. It hit her in the shoulders, with snow then bouncing onto her face.

  She slid to a halt and called, “My turn!”

  Arran’s laughter faded as he started running toward her. Saffron hurried, her hands cold and clumsy even with her gloves on. But she managed to get the snow packed together and tossed it at Arran before she took off running again.

  She heard him coughing and looked over her shoulder to see she had thrown the snowball in his face. Her laughter took hold of her until she was doubled over from the effort.

  “Oh, God, my cheeks hurt,” she said between laughing as she tried to push her cheeks down.

  Arran, meanwhile, was giving no quarter. He had a sizable snowball in each hand and threw them both at the same time.

  All Saffron could do was fold her arms over her head seconds before they hit her. The force of them pushed her backward into the thick snow, which cushioned her fall.

  She rolled to her side and began to gather up more snow as Arran’s footsteps drew near.

  “Saffron? Did I hurt you?” he asked, concern thickening his voice.

  She waited until he turned her over and then she shoved the snow in his face and down his shirt. He bellowed with laughter and wiped the snow from his eyes.

  Saffron pushed to her feet, more snow in her hands. She waited for just the right moment to throw again.

  * * *

  Camdyn was on his way to the village to do some more work on his cottage when he spotted Saffron and Arran laughing as they threw snowballs at each other.

  An odd ache began in Camdyn’s chest when Saffron’s sweet laughter reached him. He had never heard her laugh with so much joy and happiness before, and he craved to hear more of it.

  When she fell from the impact of Arran’s throws, Camdyn had started toward her before he knew what he was doing. It was only when he was nearly upon them that he paused.