by Claudy Conn
“He didn’t know who they are, but I am afraid that Pentim is about to find out.” Chad’s voice was dark and grim.
“How do you know that—you can’t know that?”
“Suffice it to say that I do.”
“How?” Shawna was tenacious. “You have to give me more than that. Look, Chad, you know almost everything about me. I don’t know how you know, but I realize that you do. I know nothing about you. How do you expect me to trust you, put myself in your hands, when I don’t really know who you are—and what makes you tick?”
He sighed heavily. “Shawna—I get visions…” He hesitated. “They aren’t always clear, and the ways in which they end aren’t always written in stone. Things change sometimes…people some of the time alter the outcome through intent, or even by accident, but more often than not…in the end, most of my visions usually play out as I saw them occur.”
“And in this particular vision, you saw him—you saw Pentim actually identify, and then find my grandparents?” She had accepted the fact that Chad suffered premonitions or ‘visions’ as he referred to them. She had also realized immediately that the word ‘suffered’ applied in his case. He didn’t want the visions. That was obvious to her.
All of this had begun to make sense. He had probably learned almost everything about her through visions. It explained a great deal about him and his ‘all-knowing’ aura.
“Yes,” he answered somberly. “In my vision I witnessed Pentim’s satisfaction as he acquired the information about your grandmother—and her ability as a witch—from a female vamp that has not always been a part of his clan. However, I did not see him actually capture your grandparents.”
He was telling her the truth. If not, he would have told her that he had seen her grandparents taken, in order to elicit her cooperation.
A wave of desperation swamped Shawna, and she clenched her hands. Her mind worked furiously as she clicked through various scenarios for their protection. A female vamp had discovered her grandparents—how?
“Scent,” Chad answered as though reading her mind. “This particular female vamp has better than hound dog abilities.”
“When does your vision take place—past, present, future?” Shawna wrung her hands.
He reached for her fingers, soothed them, and then held them in his firm grasp. “I’m not certain, but I think soon. That is why I want you to send for them, immediately.”
She tried to get up from the sofa. She didn’t know why—it was a gut reflex. He held her in place. “No, lass…you need to rebuild your strength. That thing—whatever it is, for the moment has withdrawn, but it won’t stay gone. It will come back better equipped, perhaps learned in the style of your brand of magic. I suspect it has a coterie of its own, and you will need your full strength when you meet it next.”
“I don’t care about that thing right now.” Then all at once it dawned on her—the obvious. “Magic—Chad, are we dealing with some demon of black magic? Could it be some ancient form called out by some cult—a cult connected to Pentim?”
“No.” Chad shook his head. “Not a demon in the true sense, and not connected to the Rawley clan. I know the list of demons and black magic only the most powerful vampires can call on. This thing is not one of those demons.”
“But it is filled with the mana of black magic,” Shawna argued.
“Yes—it has taken form from dark magic, but for now, let’s leave it alone as we can both deal with it later. Now I have to do something about getting you to safer ground.”
“My grandparents first.”
“Call them, Shawna—invite them to stay with me at MacFare. There isn’t a vampire walking this earth that can penetrate Darby Gray—’tis where you all belong until I am ready for you to draw Pentim out.”
Things were moving too quickly. She had to consider all the facts. Could he be using her grandparents as a ruse to get her to MacFare, and into his ‘bait’ plan? He could be doing that. She didn’t want to think so, but it was a possibility.
“I have to give it all some thought.”
“Send for them at once, Shawna—think about it later.”
“I have to think…”
“Do that,” he answered impatiently. “And in the meantime, Pentim gets closer and you aren’t ready to take him on, and you will sacrifice them for nothing.”
She pointed to her bag. “Please?”
He handed it to her, and she took out her cell phone and speed dialed. When her grandmother’s voice came on the line, Shawna wanted to hug her and lock her away safely where no one could harm her or her poppy.
She spoke quickly and was surprised that she didn’t have to do too much explaining. Her grandmother had already sensed what was coming. They agreed to catch the next available flight and they agreed to allow Chad to pick them up from the airport. She told them it would be better if no one in Stockton knew about her family connection to them.
When she put down the phone she looked up into his green eyes and sighed heavily. “Don’t let anything happen to them.”
He was at her side, back on his knees, taking her hands. “I promise you that, Shawna lass, they shall come to no harm under my protection. Nor will you.”
“Ah—now that is a different story.”
“At least come to MacFare for this night…while you recoup your power.”
“Fine.” Shawna was tired of arguing. What could it hurt? She saw the surprise light up his handsome face. Obviously he had not expected her to acquiesce so easily. She would go to MacFare—to get a better understanding of just who and what Chad MacFare really was!
* * *
Chad allowed his eyes to stray from the narrow country road as he looked sideways at Shawna in the passenger seat beside him. She was getting under his skin. She was stubborn, resilient, indomitable, and absolutely breathtakingly lovely. She had a huge open heart that would no doubt get her into trouble if he didn’t watch out for her carefully.
There was something else as well that was disturbing—she moved him. Deep inside where he never let anyone enter, he felt her fingers winding a path…her fingers!
Her many facial expressions that fascinated him. Her sparkling silver eyes…her full, luscious, pouty lips and her body—och, her body drove him wild. He didn’t want to go there, but he found himself there in his head all the time. He had to dissolve those thoughts—they would do him little good. Och, lad, who are ye foolin’? he asked himself. Isn’t it you that kisses the beauty nearly every chance you get? Aye, so it is, he answered himself, but only to soften her resolve…
Liar! someone shouted back at him and made him sigh. Aye, perhaps I am a liar, nothing worse than lying to oneself. There is no future in getting tied up to her, is there? What can I offer her—a life—a family?
Forever—you can offer her forever.
Och no—but I can’t. Shouting again in his head, he argued with himself. Aye, ye can—it worked for your father, or would have if your mother had not been attacked and killed before the process had been completed.
He blinked a silent response, and it was a no. He told himself they never learned if it would have worked.
That last thought made him clam up and shut off the nagging voice in his head. Instead, he managed a smirk of a tease as his chin indicated the backseat. “Brought enough things to stay awhile, didn’t you, lass?”
She sucked in air and released a gasp of irritation. “Oh I did not. Only what I needed. I couldn’t decide…so I just brought a few extra things.” She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t even think that I will stay more than the one night.”
“And why not, Shawna love?”
“Because for one thing, I like being independent—having my own place…and don’t call me love.”
He felt a swift sadness at her rebuke, and he wasn’t sure why. He answered quietly, “If you are thinking I might take advantage of you, I wouldn’t—and besides, your grandparents will be staying with me. I would think that enough chaperoning for you?” T
hen all at once he was grinning broadly as he bent conspiratorially her way and dropped, “And besides, you aren’t really my type.”
Not his type? Why not? Who was it that had forced—well perhaps not forced, but instigated—that first kiss? However, she raised a brow and decided to bite her tongue.
He eyed her as she sat silent and felt a wicked glint as he surveyed her face. “Oh—lass, I’m not saying you aren’t a beauty. We both know that you are—but beauty isn’t everything.”
Her chin went higher, she folded her arms across her middle, and she continued to ignore him.
He caved in and gave up his taunting to say, “Shawna, just admit it—you know you want to be with your grandparents. Think about it. They will be safe with me…and so will you.”
“It is because I want them safe that I can’t stay with you. If Pentim does discover where I am, he will find some way to use them, hurt them, and I would rather die now than allow that to happen.”
He saw the look of agonized desperation come into her eyes, and it touched his heart.
Her hands went into the air with the heat of her feelings. “Don’t you see—the only way I can keep them out of this is to stay out of their lives. You can make up some story, say they are your relatives—or family friends…some story that has nothing to do with me.” She paused and then added with a sad smile, “It will be hard on them and on me, to have them so close and not be able to acknowledge them…”
He inclined his head and felt a pang of deep, heartfelt sympathy. It made him want to sever Pentim’s head even sooner than he had planned. “You do have a point for now, but things change, Shawna.”
“How do you mean?”
“The future holds mysteries that my visions can’t see.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“It means…we are bound to have a few unexpected and unwelcome surprises. I still think you will be better served staying with us at Darby Gray.”
He watched her as she held her tongue, turned her head, and once again stared out her window at the passing dark landscape.
No good would come of badgering her now. He allowed the subject to drop. A moment later they had turned onto a gated driveway whose antiqued sign denoted that they had arrived at the huge manor estate.
“Darby Gray—of course, I remember when I investigated Stockton…I saw Darby Gray listed as an historical home site. It has been here for centuries…”
“Longer than that,” he stuck in.
“I never put it together—Darby Gray with the name MacFare.”
“Clumsy investigating,” he remarked casually, intentionally goading her to get her out of her melancholy mood.
“Oooh…” was all she could respond as she folded her arms once more across her middle.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see her watching him as he punched in the code to open the black wrought iron gates. He smiled to himself and said softly, “I change the code every day to keep unwanted humans out—as to others, the grange is heavily warded.”
He smiled to see her eyebrow go up, but she said nothing to this as they moved forward slowly and made their way up the rolling blacktop driveway past overhanging old oaks and fenced pastures with grazing horses. Her mouth dropped open when she spied his brightly lit up old manor home for the first time, and he felt a wave of pleasure.
He loved this place, and again for some unfathomable reason Shawna’s reaction mattered to him more than he told himself it should. He was struck with a sense of absurd happiness as he watched Shawna’s eyes open with appreciation, and he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Och, man, you are letting your dick rule your head. Better get control. She is no for you!
Chad had always loved Darby Gray. In the past, in what he thought of as the ‘old days’—and in truth they were—he had hated having to leave Darby Gray, forced to entrust it to strangers, in order to protect their secret, their immortality. However, two centuries ago, his grandmother and father quite by accident had discovered that they could use the spell of illusion to make themselves appear older. They could stay and allow themselves to age in the eyes of their neighbors. They only had to leave when it was time to fake their own deaths, whereupon a much talked about heir would come to claim his inheritance. His father, who appeared no older than he, and he would take turns at this game.
His grandmother and father actually appeared to be siblings in their late twenties. The trick of aging themselves with illusion had proved more than useful. Hacking into government computers, creating death certificates and birth certificates, had been the easiest of all.
They had always left themselves a paper trail and no longer had to hire actors to play their parts, as they had done during their early years. Now, using the spell of illusion, they simply made themselves appear older with the passing years…
He shut off these memories as the Grange glowed and whispered to him and he shot a glance towards Shawna. The Grange was infused with the magic of a thousand years, and he wondered if she would feel it.
Shawna shot him a quizzical look and said, “It hums.”
He smiled at her warm reaction and said softly, “Aye, it does. Beautiful isn’t it?”
“Does it always hum a welcoming sound like that, or just whenever you return?”
“Whenever one of the family returns.” He smiled widely. He glanced at her profile and knew he was irresistibly drawn to her loveliness in the starlit darkness. She was exquisite. Her golden hair seemed to have its own sun rays glittering in its lengths as it framed her wondrous face, and when she turned to him, her perfect lips opening with unspoken words of admiration, he wanted to stop the car and take her into his arms. He could see her silver eyes as they glittered with appreciation, and she made a small sound that thrilled him to his core. “Oh…Chad…your home is so much more than what it seems!”
Yes, it was, and apparently she sensed it. That realization filled him with warmth, though again why it should was a question that filtered through his brain and was shoved aside. This was the only place he had ever thought of as home. It was where it had all started for his grandmother. It was where they always returned. It was where they knew they belonged. An odd circumstance, because in truth Darby Gray was not really theirs—at least not by blood ties.
The front overhead portico came into view. There were small lights lining its frame, similar to Christmas lights, and yet they spoke of spring. He had always enjoyed the invitation the lights seemed to offer. They seemed to whisper ‘be at rest’ and offered gentle solitude, although as of late, the solitude was closing in on him and he found he wanted something more…
“Stone and oak…” Shawna whispered, and it was obvious to him that the words had poured out without her putting too much thought into it. “Chad…your Darby Gray is magnificent—I just love stone and wood…so warm and completely welcoming.”
“Beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Beautiful doesn’t seem adequate in describing this place, Chad. Your family home is like something out of my dreams. I can’t get over it. This place is outstanding! Honestly, it looks like one of those ancient manor homes out of a history book, all wrapped up with fairytale charm. I just love it.”
He eyed her and smiled. “I do as well.”
He could see the curious look in her silver eyes as she asked him, “You called it a ‘she’?”
“Aye, ’tis my home, my real home, and I always think of a home as a she, warm and…” He hesitated as he cast her a wicked smile, and said on a husky note, “Inviting.”
“Uh-huh.” She totally ignored his innuendo and said, “I like that—it actually makes you sound nicer than I thought you could be.”
He put his hand to his heart. “Again, you cut me to the quick, lass. What have I ever done to make you think so poorly of me?”
As an answer she rolled her eyes. A short laugh escaped him as he decided to let it drop for the moment. They didn’t speak again until he had parked the car and ushered her through
the front double oak doors to the central hall.
He frowned to himself as he realized that he couldn’t get his eyes off her. She had a natural sway when she walked that was totally captivating. It was all her own, it drew his glance to her ass, and it made him hard, hot, and hungry.
She touched the dark oak beams that lined the walls and made soft appreciative noises, and he wanted to grab her and mold her to his body. He wanted to take off her clothes and bare her breasts and…
Damn! He had to hold himself in check. He had to remember that Pentim needed killing and there was only one way to get to him, through this mysterious, complex, and beautiful woman—this lass who was beginning to make him worry about things he had never considered before.
He wanted to know her—he wanted her to know him, but everything about her, just as everything about him, was shut up tight inside. She didn’t want anyone getting close…and until now…neither had he.
* * *
Shawna walked into what had once been known as the great hall of Darby Gray and looked around at the wainscoting, the antique furniture, the age old feel of the place, and felt her mouth drop with awe.
Her eyes widened, and her breaths came in short gasps of admiration as she released staccato squeals of delight. She checked herself, but even so, odd little sounds escaped her lips.
She was nearly drooling with pleasure. It was instant—she loved Darby Gray. It had come to life, actually exploded from a place that was deeply part of all her fantasies. It was a dream that had slammed her with its reality—and it was all she had ever imagined it would be. She loved history, old buildings with a past, ancient abbeys, castles, and this…this wondrous home that had held onto its heritage through time.
“Oh whoa, tell me, what century am I in, and then never let me leave,” she said finally, not really expecting him to answer, but he did.
