by Donna Grant
“He’s a good man. You would like him. It’s too bad he isn’t a Warrior. I would have liked to have him fight with us.”
Lucan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sure I would like him. Where is he now?”
Fallon wondered that himself. “I have no idea. There’s no reason for him to stay in Edinburgh, so I assume he’ll return to his clan. I told him he was welcome here any time.”
“I still don’t understand why the Warriors would want to kill Larena instead of bringing her to Deirdre. Deirdre would want to use Larena, not have her murdrered.”
Fallon ran a hand through his hair and straightened. “I agree. I imagine we’ll hear what happened once Larena wakes.”
“I’m anxious to find out.”
So was Fallon.
“You aren’t going to ask her about the ring, are you?” Lucan asked.
“I told her we were looking for it and the reason why. She chose to keep the information from me.”
“Ask her for it, Fallon. Tell her our plan. You saved her life, so she owes you.”
He shook his head. “She doesn’t owe me anything. How can we ask her to endanger many lives for Quinn? She doesn’t know us, Lucan, so she cannot trust what we say as the truth. We will find another way. Using the Scroll as leverage was always going to be a gamble.”
Lucan stared at him a long moment before he swore and pushed away from the wall. “The answer to everything is right before us. I think we should talk to Larena, tell her our plan, and ask her to trust us. God’s blood! I cannot sleep with wondering what Deirdre is doing to Quinn.”
Fallon looked toward the rolling hills and the mountains that were obscured in the darkness. For too long Fallon had been selfish, and he was doing it again.
Quinn needed him, and Fallon had promised himself and Lucan they would get their youngest brother out of Deirdre’s clutches. Too much time had passed already.
“I know,” Fallon said. “We will get Quinn out of Deirdre’s hold. I can talk to Larena, but it’s her decision. If she says nay, it’s nay.”
Lucan clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Agreed. She might have told you about the Scroll later.”
“Maybe. It doesn’t matter now.”
Lucan started to walk away, his boot heels hitting the stones. Then he stopped and said over his shoulder, “If you care for her, Fallon, then fight for her.”
Fallon thought about Lucan’s words long after he left. He didn’t deserve a woman like Larena, nor should she be strapped with a man that couldn’t protect his family and friends.
He walked the battlements content in his solitude. The others must have sensed it, too, for they didn’t speak when he passed them as they stood guard.
The one thing he couldn’t deny was that he did care for Larena. He wanted her back in his bed. He wanted to kiss her sweet lips and feel her silky skin beneath his hands. He wanted to hear her call out his name as he brought her to fulfillment, and he wanted to fill her again and again and again.
If he had his way he would lock them in a chamber for days and make endless love to her, only stopping to eat. He wanted her head filled with him just as she consumed him.
Aye, he did want her. And he would fight for her.
Larena tried to stay in the confines of sleep. She didn’t want to feel the pain anymore or see the look of grave concern on Fallon’s face.
Fallon.
Just the thought of him made her heart quicken. She woke slowly, though she didn’t lift her eyelids. Breathing evenly, she waited to feel the consuming fire that had raced through her blood. Instead, there was nothing.
She opened her eyes to find herself on her left side where the light from the nearby window reached the bed — a bed she didn’t recognize.
“How are you feeling?”
Her gaze jerked to the chair near her and the large, dark-headed man with twin braids on either side of his temples seated there. He gave her a smile that reached all the way to his sea-green eyes.
A glance at his neck and the golden torc confirmed what she had suspected. She was staring at one of Fallon’s brothers. “You must be Lucan.”
He inclined his head. “I am. You had us all worried. Fallon especially.”
Larena slowly sat up, hoping to see Fallon, but only she and Lucan were in the large chamber. No pain filled her body now. She licked her lips and looked around.
Directly across from the bed was the large hearth. A table with two chairs stood between the fireplace and the window. There was a small table on one side of the bed where a pitcher and cup sat. There were two chests on either side of the bed, and an old round shield with two swords crossed beneath it hung on the wall near the door.
“You’re in Fallon’s chamber, the master chamber,” Lucan said. “Would you like some water?”
She nodded and watched him pour the liquid into the cup. She drank three cups before she sat back and sighed. The disappointment in not finding Fallon was great. She wondered where he was. It was silly, but she had expected him to be by her bedside
“Is there any pain?”
Larena was startled out of her thoughts by Lucan’s deep voice. “Nay. Whom do I thank for saving me?”
“You mean besides Fallon?” Lucan smiled after he spoke, but she saw the hard light in his green eyes, eyes so similar to Fallon’s.
She swallowed and nodded. “Aye, besides Fallon.”
Before he could answer the door opened and a beautiful woman with chestnut hair and dark eyes walked to Lucan’s side. She slid her arms around the Highlander’s waist and smiled down at Larena.
“I hope my husband hasn’t been rude,” the woman said.
Lucan threaded his fingers with hers. “I would never dream of it.”
The woman laughed and focused her eyes on Larena. “I’m Cara. We’ve heard so much about you. I cannot believe you’re a Warrior.”
“Thank you for helping to heal me,” Larena said. The easy, open friendliness of Cara made her wary, but she liked the honesty she saw in Cara’s dark eyes. “Fallon told me you are a Druid.”
Cara looked at her husband, her brow furrowed, before she turned back to Larena. “Aye, I am a Druid. Are you hungry? I can get you some soup I made.”
“That would be wonderful.” She hadn’t missed the look between Cara and Lucan. What were they keeping from her? And why?
Lucan kissed Cara and whispered something in her ear before he left. Larena shifted beneath the covers. She wore a different chemise, one that was clean and unmarred by blood and claw marks. Larena picked at the neckline as her thoughts moved to Fallon once more.
“Your chemise was ruined,” Cara said as she took Lucan’s seat. “I found another. It’s not as nice as the one you wore.”
“It’s perfect,” Larena said. “What I had in Edinburgh was for show only.”
Cara rubbed her hands together nervously. “Fallon told us of your cousin and what you both went through. That sounds so dangerous.”
“It was something I had to do, and Malcolm wouldn’t let me go alone.”
“Will he come here?”
Larena shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where he is now.”
“I want to ask what happened during the attack, but I promised Lucan I wouldn’t. He and Fallon have been waiting for you to wake so they can find out what occurred.”
“Wh…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “Where is Fallon?”
She hated herself for asking, but she had to know. He had seemed like the kind of man that would have stayed by her side the entire time.
Cara chuckled. “He’s been wandering around the castle since late last night looking at all the improvements. I know he was eager to get to work after the morning meal. I’m sure he will be here shortly.”
There was a quick knock on the door before it opened again. This time a tall, slender woman with fiery curls walked in carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and some bread. She placed the tray across Larena’s lap and offered a wide smil
e.
“Hello, Larena. I’m Sonya.”
The name suited her, and Larena liked her instantly. She returned the smile. “The other Druid. My thanks for helping to heal me and for the food. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled it.”
“Don’t let us stop you from eating,” Cara said. “We’re the only two females in the castle, so we tend to band together against the males.”
Sonya laughed, the sound light and airy. It was evident there was a good bond between her and Cara. “So true,” she said, and pulled another chair over beside Cara.
Larena listened to the two women as she ate. They kept up a steady stream of conversation, talking about nothing in particular, and it was obvious to Larena they were there to keep her engaged.
She finished the broth and put the last bite of bread in her mouth. She was ready to get out of the bed and into some clothes.
“Would you like some more?” Cara asked.
“Thank you, but nay,” she said.
Sonya jumped up and hurried from the chamber. Larena watched her go, wondering what made the Druid leave so quickly. It wasn’t long before Sonya returned pulling a wooden tub into the chamber.
She straightened and dusted off her hands. “We thought you might like a bath.”
Larena nearly sighed at the idea of soaking in hot water. “That sounds like heaven.”
“We’ll start bringing the water up,” Cara said.
After they left, Larena rose from the bed and walked to the window. She looked out to see cliffs of jagged rock that plummeted to the dark water below. The waves crashed and spray flew into the sky to shimmer in the sunlight. Larena imagined she could almost feel the mist of water. The smell of salt filled the air, and the breeze from the water cooled her face.
She couldn’t wait to see the rest of the castle and surrounding land. Her bare toes squeezed against the cold stones beneath them. She turned and looked at the bed. Fallon’s bed, she corrected.
Would she share the bed with him? Was that why he had put her in his chamber? Could she allow herself to become more attached to him than she already was?
When he had spoken of Quinn and their plan to rescue him, her hand had gone to her ring, ready to give it to him or anyone in need of rescue from Deirdre. Then she remembered the vow she had made to her clan and Robena. She couldn’t forsake that vow, even if she did want to help Fallon, nor could she put everyone else at risk if the plan failed.
She touched her side where the wound had been, but there was no pain. When she lifted the chemise she found no scars either. It was as if she had healed as she always did. Yet, she knew the drough blood was supposed to kill her. Were the Druids at MacLeod Castle that powerful?
The door opened and Cara and Sonya entered carrying buckets followed by Lucan and another man with light brown hair and laughing hazel eyes. He gave a quick nod to Larena before dumping his buckets and leaving.
“That was Logan,” Cara told her. “He’s always smiling and jesting. I don’t think there is anything that can get him down.”
It took a few more trips before the tub was filled and the three women were left alone again.
Larena looked at Sonya. “I don’t have a scar. Shouldn’t the poison have at least given me a scar?”
Sonya hesitated and cast a glance at Cara. “You were all but dead when Fallon arrived here with you in his arms. I used magic, aye, but it wasn’t enough.”
“You needed blood,” Cara said. “Lots of it.”
“Blood,” Larena repeated, confused. “So that’s what saved me?”
Sonya nodded.
“Who gave the blood?”
Cara handed her a bar of soap and cleared her throat. “Do you need help?”
Larena shook her head and allowed her to evade the question. She wanted some time alone to think. And she wanted to soak for as long as she could in the water. Even now curls of heat rose from the tub, beckoning her.
“Welcome to MacLeod Castle,” Sonya said before she left.
Cara grinned after the Druid. “I have a few gowns I’ve let the hem out of that should fit you.”
“I don’t want to take your gowns.”
“Don’t think anything of it. There are many gowns that were taken from the village after Deirdre killed everyone. I alter them as Sonya and I need them. I’ll return with one as soon as I finish.”
When the door closed behind Cara, Larena jerked off the chemise. She dipped her toe into the scalding water to test it, and then slid beneath it with a sigh.
Her hand went to her side. She had needed blood. But then whose blood was inside her now?
She thought of the attack from the two Warriors and the pain that had devoured her. The blackness had taken her soon after, but she remembered opening her eyes to find herself in Fallon’s arms. His beautiful dark green eyes had been focused on her as he said her name over and over again.
Larena covered her face with her hands. She should tell him about the ring and what was inside. He wanted information about the Scroll. That was easy enough to give, but what if he asked for the Scroll? She would explain that as much as she wanted to give it to him, she couldn’t. He would understand. Wouldn’t he?
More disturbing than that thought was wondering if he would want her in his bed again after she confessed to having the Scroll.
Chapter Sixteen
Fallon looked out over the castle from the tower and smiled. He hadn’t expected so much to have been accomplished while he was away. All but two of the towers had been restored, including the one he stood in now.
His heart hurt as he thought about returning the castle to its former glory. He could well imagine his father standing in the bailey with his arms crossed over his thick chest and his dark hair streaked with silver nodding in approval.
At least this was one thing Fallon had done right.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs announced the arrival of his brother even before Lucan stepped through the doorway.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Lucan said, his brow furrowed.
Instantly Fallon thought of Larena. “Is something wrong with Larena?”
“Nay. She’s woken.”
Fallon let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Is Cara seeing to her?”
“And Sonya as well. Logan and I helped bring up water for her to bathe.”
Fallon swallowed and turned his head away lest his brother see the flare of lust that spiked in him when he thought of Larena in the water. “Is she feeling well?”
“She seems to be.”
He wanted to inquire if she had asked about him, but somehow Fallon kept his mouth shut.
“You need to tell her what you did for her,” Lucan said.
Fallon nodded. “I’m sure I will.”
“Are you going to fight for her?”
He faced his brother then. “She’s mine to protect.”
Lucan grinned and nodded. “Good. I like her. You need to go to her though. She’s in a new place, and the only one she knows is you.”
“I will go to her after the noon meal is finished. She is still resting, and I want an update from the others.”
It was a lie. He wasn’t ready to face Larena quite yet. But as Fallon walked down the winding stairs of the tower, he found he wanted to go to Larena right then and shake her for not trusting him. Then he would kiss her until she melted against him.
It had been so long since he had been around women that he had to remember to treat her like a lady, not some object that was his to claim. Still, the god inside him demanded Fallon declare her as his own, to mark her as his so no other man would dare touch her.
Just as he expected, when he and Lucan arrived in the great hall, the others were already at the table helping themselves to the food Sonya and Cara had prepared.
Fallon took his seat at the head of the table and filled his own trencher while listening to Hayden speak of going hunting that afternoon.
“I’ll be down
at the water fishing,” Lucan said.
“Sounds good,” Galen said. “Cara, could you make me another loaf of bread?”
Fallon found himself chuckling as the others groaned at Galen’s request.
Logan threw his empty goblet at Galen but Galen easily deflected it. “Doona you ever get enough, mon?”
“Never,” Galen said with a smile, before popping a piece of bread in his mouth.
There was a round of laughter that even Fallon found himself joining. The castle had missed such sounds, and he was glad to have them return. The men — and women — around his table weren’t true family, but they were his family.
The MacLeods had given their vow to fight Deirdre and protect anyone in need.
It was his duty now to make the decisions. Fallon had always relied heavily on his brothers for their input, and that wouldn’t change. The men sitting around him had proven their skill as warriors, and he valued their ideas.
Fallon waited until everyone was finished talking before he cleared his throat to get their attention. “We had a plan to break Quinn free of Deirdre. In order for it to work, we needed the Scroll and the spell that would bind the gods.”
He paused and took a deep breath. “We doona have the Scroll, and we aren’t likely to get it.” Logan opened his mouth, but Fallon held up a hand for silence. “I have an idea, but before I get to that I want to finish.”
Logan nodded his head and waited.
“Sonya has been a great tool in teaching Cara how to control her powers, but neither of them knows how to bind our gods. Without that spell to bind Deirdre’s Warriors, we will have one hell of a fight.”
“I’m always willing to kill wyrran,” Hayden said.
Galen scratched his chin and glanced around the table. “I don’t like being outnumbered, but if we plan it right we could surprise them and use it to our advantage.”
Fallon nodded. “I also believe that could work to our advantage.”
Lucan put his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. “What do you propose?”
“Has anyone seen the Scroll?”
Everyone shook their heads, as he expected.
