Highland Darkness

by Lilian Jade

  Angus groaned deep in his throat. He had to stop this nonsense and concentrate. “I believe we are after a woman of his bloodline. Devlin told us that there will come a day when a member of his lineage will be born, and I think the child is a girl. Only she is a woman now. I do believe that Devlin had been protecting her from his own kind, and now that he is no longer here, we have to fulfill his wishes.”

  “Where do we start? How would we even know what she looks like?” Hunter asked.

  “If I am correct—and I am very seldom incorrect—then she is already on Scotia soil,” Occam said, looking to Angus. Angus nodded in agreement. His brother Occam was smart, almost too smart for his own good at times.

  “Aye, I agree with Occam. I think that this girl, this woman, is who Devlin was referring to when he mentioned his Lilly returning home.” Kevan took a steadying breath and then smiled up at his brothers. “So we watch like hawks and listen up for any talk of this Lilly. But then what? Has Devlin told her of her history? Do you think she knows that she is being hunted down? Do we follow her, or do we snatch her up, lads? What do we do?”

  Angus looked at Kevan with disgust. “Och, nay brother, we do not snatch her up or hunt her down. We let her come to us. Somehow I think that Devlin has told her naught about her life, but if she comes here, I’m sure she could make use of our library. There she may learn of what she needs to know.”

  “Our main question remains,” Duncan interjected, “how do we defeat her enemy? For any enemy of hers is an enemy of ours.”

  Such warriors, every one of his little brothers, Angus thought. In such times, their father would be very proud of them all. Their father had held none of them as favorites, but loved each of them uniquely in their own right, as a woman loves each precious jewel, be it diamond, ruby, pearl, jade, or sapphire.

  “Duncan and Kevan,” Angus said. “It might be best if you both searched the library from top to bottom to find out anything you can on how to expel whatever kind of fae is out for this McGregor. Starting straight after Connor and Madison leave in the morning.” Both Duncan and Kevan nodded without a word of complaint spoken. When something big needed their attention, the McClain brothers took their task seriously.

  They were a very tight family. The brothers were protective of the safety of innocents, especially their women. And the women knew that the McClain brothers were different in more ways than one. Each woman knew of all the secrets her husband held dearly to his heart. Only Angus had no one to share those deep, hidden parts of himself with, and to see his brothers protect and confide in their wives made him want what each of them had all the more. Angus grunted. He needed to stop thinking like a sick pup and focus on the matter at hand. “We shall talk more tomorrow,” he said. “I feel Connor becoming more suspicious of me; he knows we are up to something and wants to come join us, but Madds holds him back. So get some sleep, boys. You’ll need it.” And with that Angus stood, picking up his nearly empty bottle of port. He pushed open the pearl-white double doors and left the library.

  Angus walked up the stairs two by two, nervous for the first time in his life. He knew that he had to find this woman, bring her home, and keep her safe—but how was he going to make her understand that this was her home now, and that from the moment she stepped foot into the castle, he could only let her leave his sight over his dead body? First Angus had to find her, then kill those faes who preyed upon her. Somehow he would kill them no matter what he had to do. He would protect her from them. She was his and no one else’s. His.

  Angus shook his head. “Where did that come from?” he murmured. This woman wasn’t his. And he would do well to remember that this castle did not belong to him and his brothers; they were just its protectors until a Donahue McGregor came along and took everything he ever knew, everything that he and his brothers fought for. Angus cared for these lands a great deal. He watched them crumble and rebuild many times. He witnessed birth and death. He knew everyone within the surrounding lands; he had helped care for many, and he had helped bury thousands. There was so much blood, pain, and hatred … but also so much love, happiness, and laughter. Without his brothers, he would have put himself into the ground long ago if he knew how.

  Angus made it to his bed. He stripped off his white dress shirt, throwing it to the floor in a crumpled mess. He yanked off his boots with a grunt or two, pulled off his socks, and slipped out of his kilt with an exhausted yawn, Angus flopped down on his nice, soft, queen-sized bed and blanked out.

  The flight from Auckland all the way to Scotland was long, the lay over’s and air time was crazy long. Lilith hadn’t had anything to eat for breakfast or lunch, her stomach growled angrily in protest. It was just after three p.m. in Inverness, and Lilith had managed to book herself a room in the hotel Rocpool Reserve. She had also rented herself a hot-red 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10. She had to admit to herself, it felt luxurious to be able to spend without being reminded of her expenses. Just three days would give her enough time to enjoy the blissfulness of the power behind her pretty little DV before coming back down to reality and picking out a car which would better suit her lifestyle.

  Lilith pulled into the hotel’s parking garage. She rounded up her things and her papa’s urn, locked up the car securely, then made her way to sign in at the front desk. All Lilith wanted to do at that point was eat and rest.

  “Hello, love. How may I help you today?” The woman behind the desk had a thick accent and a sincere smile. She looked to be in her fifties, but there was youthfulness about her, set off by her bright eyes and blushing cheeks.

  Lilith smiled in return. “Hi, my name is Lilith. I just rang and booked a room bout two—”

  “Ah, yes of course, dear, I remember,” the woman cut in. “I put a note on the computer here for me husband in case I had left already. Here you go, lass. Enjoy your day. Oh, and I left a few things in your room—you know, some booklets on sightseeing, pubs, clubs, and maps. Oh, look at the time! I’m gonna be late. Oh dear!” With that, the woman handed her the room keys and quickly scurried off out the door.

  “Well, afternoon to you too, lass!” Lilith said, mimicking her thick accent. She headed down the long corridor with her luggage. The smell of fresh paint hung in the air from the hallway walls, which were a creamy white with deep red trim. A blue and red Egyptian rug lined the entire hall floor, and the numbers on the doors and door knobs were bright gold.

  The place looked charming thus far. Lilith hoped and prayed that her room was as nicely kept as the hallway. Much to her relief, her room was sparkling clean, everything tidy and in its place. In the centre of the room was a queen-size four poster bed with gold and black silk duvet blankets. A large, white sheep-skin rug sprawled out next to the massive bed, off-set by a black leather lazy boy and a wooden coffee table. Mounted on the far left wall was a fifty-two-inch LCD television.

  “How lovely … this is just wonderful.” It was just as well that Lilith had picked that hotel. She was lucky, because she hadn’t been paying much attention to detail when she got off the plane and asked the guy at the info desk if he could kindly recommend something for her. Grateful to the nice man for his help, Lilith put all her things on the bed and placed Papa’s urn on the coffee table.

  She needed to eat—she felt like she might faint from hunger at any moment. But before that she had to tidy herself up. Taking her handbag into the bathroom with her, she decided to wash her face first. After lightly toweling off her skin, Lilith let out her hair, which fell to the top of her curvy butt. She finger combed it until it got a little volume, then she pulled out her makeup and started applying a little gloss, eye liner, and Thin Lizzy powder to add a little glow to her features. “There. That looks much better.” If she had new clothes, she would have changed too. But Lilith didn’t feel like going shopping just yet. For now she just wanted to sit and eat. So that meant staying in her denim jeans, floral print heels, and yellow floral singlet topped with her black leather jacket.

  Lilith packed up he
r handbag, checking to make sure she had her wallet. She locked up her room and decided she would head out to Hootenanny, the nearest pub just three buildings down. The place had looked packed when she drove past it on her way to the hotel. Maybe it had calmed down a bit since then. She checked on her car in the garage before carrying on down the street. The air was cool, slightly windy, and the streets were covered with people.

  The pub was still pumping with customers. Lilith had to squeeze between men and women of all ages from the moment she walked into the door. She very nearly lost her nerve, wanting to turn and run from the chaos back to her quiet room. But her hunger got the better of her. Lilith braved the sea of bodies as she made her way up to the bar. She grabbed a menu and glanced over it briefly.

  “How may I help you, lass?” the tall bartender said from behind the bar, giving her a sultry smile.

  “Can I get your soup of the day, two slices of soda bread, a slice of chocolate whisky cake, and a pint of your best beer?” Lilith handed over her credit card. After the guy passed it back to her, he gave her another smile, which was quite lovely now that she stopped and thought about it. His fine eyes had her squirming in her seat.

  “Won’t be a tick, lass,” he said as handed her the pint of beer before taking care of a few more drink orders from other customers. Five minutes later, he placed her soup and bread in front of her on the bar. “Enjoy your grub, lass,” he said, then left her to her meal and her thoughts. The meal was delicious, and just as Lilith was about to wipe her mouth on the napkin she’d been given, she noticed a phone number along with a note underneath scrawled in blue pen. Call me. The name’s Melek Jones.

  She folded the napkin neatly and placed it in her wallet. Lilith thought to herself that maybe if she played this right, this Melek could help her get a job here. No matter that Papa had left her more money than she could ever need. At least with a job, she’d have something to keep her mind focused. She’d have people to talk to. Something to do with herself.

  The cake was divine and the beer was just grand. But all this thinking was starting to get to her. She wondered how and when she was going to find a nice place to scatter Papa’s ashes. Well. Tomorrow she would worry about that. Tonight was about her. She had missed being there for Papa when he died, and she had missed her birthday as well. So in a way, tonight was her little celebration.

  After two more pints, Lilith started to feel tingles in her body from the alcohol. Her face was beginning to heat up; she knew it was getting flushed as it always did when she drank. It was how Papa always knew when she’d been booz’n it up at some party instead of studying at a mate’s house. Throughout Lilith’s stay at the bar, random men approached her, trying to chat her up endlessly or get her number. Each and every time, the bloke Melek Jones would scare them away. For a tall, chiseled guy, he had a very airy look about him—it was both sexual and frightening at the same time.

  “It’s time to go,” Lilith murmured to herself. She waved to Melek across the bar, and he came over to her, looking concerned.

  “Will you make it home on your own all right, darlin?”

  “My hotel is just down the road, not far. I’ll be okay,” she said, smiling and feeling self-conscious under his lingering gaze.

  Making her way back up the road to her hotel, Lilith checked on the car yet again. All was safe and sound in the parking garage. With that, she went upstairs to her room and crashed.

  “Any word of who we’re look’n fer yet?” came the growl of Angus McClain.

  His loud demand caused Hannah, Kate, Occam, and Hunter to jump as he entered the main hall. Their wide expanse of a lounge was decorated with plush, white, leather furniture and white wool rugs. There was a large fireplace in the middle of the room already ablaze, and the men were watching a live football game on their sixty-two-inch Sony LCD while the ladies sat at the far side talking and drinking tea.

  Kevin and Duncan stood behind Angus, their shadows lurking in the doorway. “Nay, no word, but I am sure we shall find out soon enough if he or she will show,” said Hunter. Angus was becoming quite haunted by the situation. He needed to find her, and soon. He needed to know that she was fine and would be safe.

  “What of finding a way to kill the fae?” Angus asked.

  Hunter replied, “We have hunted high and low. We still have more to search, but we have only just sat down for a break since early this morning, Angus.”

  Angus closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, trying to calm himself. He knew his family was doing their best to find this … this woman, but they all needed a break to clear their heads. “How bout we go to town and get some lunch? Then we shall start the search again,” Angus suggested.

  They all agreed to go out for lunch. Hannah and Duncan rode with Occam in his BMW. Hunter drove his Dodge Ram with Angus riding shot gun, and Kevan and Kate in the back seat. As they were driving along the road, Angus caught a glimpse of a blood-red Dodge Viper flying past. He let out a low whistle. “Damn idiot, keep driving like that and you’re sure to be wrapped about a tree,” he said, while everyone else rubber-necked to see the car speed by.

  “Wow, that chick knows her babies! That was a 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10,” Kate practically drooled, still trying to see the car. But it was gone.

  “What … you couldn’t see that the driver was a lass,” said Kevan.

  “Oh, yes I did. She was sexy, with raven-black hair. Well, her face was sexy anyway. Her eyes were a little scary—like silver diamonds.”

  The men laughed at Kate, but Angus just grunted. He thought for a moment before asking, “Did she look otherworldly to you, Kate?” Angus felt the whiplash of their silence.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think I got a close enough look, other than to see that she was attractive.”

  Angus could tell that Kate was getting nervous about what she had seen. She bit her nails, looking like she wanted to shrink away from all the attention she was getting. He thought it might be better if he changed the subject. “Where to for lunch Kate? Where and what we eat is up to you sweetie.”

  Kevan groaned, murmuring that he wanted to pick where they decided to eat while Hunter gave Angus a sideways glance, nodding his thanks to Angus for taking the pressure off his woman. To clear the tension in the car, Angus clicked on the CD player. Out came the roar of AC/DC, one of Hunter’s favorite bands. The beats were hard and fast, and it got Angus’s blood pumping when he least expected it to. Hunter had rubbed off on him to the point that he’d gotten the AC/DC Greatest Hits album. They all listened to the music in silence.

  They made it to the restaurant that Kate chose, Grizzly’s Bar and Grill, which was situated on the banks of Ness. It was a great choice, because all the men in their family loved their steak, and the chef served quality grade gourmet cuts along with mouth watering sauces to go with them. Kate detested meat, but loved fish and shellfish of all kinds. The group sat talking while their meal was being prepared.

  “Where are Marissa and Elle?” Angus asked.

  “Marissa’s at the airport waiting for some reporter… journalist from The New York Times,” Kevan answered. “She asked me three months ago if it was okay if the guy wrote a story on her and what she does in her spare time. Elle went along for the ride. Well, really the story is mainly on the castle, since this is one of the only ones left standing and actually being occupied by a family for generations—”

  Angus grunted to cut him off and gave Kevan a death look. “With all we have going on right now, do you really think it is best that he be at the castle?”

  “Look Angus, I know that we have … problems. And … well, with everything going on I had forgotten all about this reporter. But I made a promise to Marissa, and my word is everything. You know that. And look at the bright side, brother—he won’t even be staying at the castle.” Angus couldn’t say anything to his brother’s comment, because deep down he knew that once their word was given, that was law to them. Honor, pride, honesty, and love was their way.

&nbs
p; And if Angus had a wife to stand at his side, she would mean the world to him. Whatever she needed or wanted, he would give her without question. He pondered on that, and as their meals were served, they ate in silence. The food was incredible, as expected. They began talking a little bit about the wedding, each of them hoping that their brother and sister-in-law were enjoying themselves thoroughly.

  The ride home was a silent drive, but a happy one. Angus listened to his family talk while he wished he had a wife to hold, kiss, and bed whenever he pleased. Angus rubbed at his temples—he had to stop thinking about a life he didn’t have and focus on what he had to deal with at hand, like the woman fae he had to find and protect.

  And that’s when it hit him.

  He closed his eyes. The first thing he saw were the two faes in the deep bush. They were hidden by all the things of nature, standing still as statues, silver-violet eyes shimmering with bloodlust, pure gold bows at the ready. Both were ready for their kill—their arrows wickedly sharp, with spikes sticking out of the wood two inches apart. They were gold and silver arrows, twinkling in the sunlight that leaked through the deep bushes. As much as Angus wanted to open his eyes, he couldn’t. His body felt compelled to see what was to happen, though he was certain he knew. The tall, god-like fae said something in a language so ancient; Angus couldn’t make out what was said. But it was no matter. Their arrows were released into the air at such a deathly speed that Angus almost missed seeing them both soar through the air. They travelled across one side of a mountaintop to another. That’s when he heard it—the scream that was so loud and terrifying, Angus had to grab at his head trying to stop the pain from splitting it in two.

  It was like a banshee, a lioness, a sprite, and something altogether fucking out of this world. Unearthly would be the word. No … words could not describe what he was feeling at that moment. Both arrows lodged themselves deep into her body; one was in her lower left abdomen, the other was a few inches from her heart.