“Does it describe him?”
“It does. It describes him as being a tall and slender man in his late twenties at the time of his death. He supposedly had raven black hair and piercing blue eyes.”
The air left my chest in a whoosh.
“It’s Calder. What does it say?”
He was in his late twenties now. If the article was true, Calder didn’t have much time left.
“Supposedly, this man of The Eight—Calder, I suppose—was seduced by a faerie he met on the shores of the isle. After sleeping with her, his lust for her became unquenchable, and he thought himself in love. In his desperation to be with her, he went to the faerie with whom his magic was bound—Machara—and begged her to turn him into one of the fae. As faeries so often do, she offered him a deal. In his blind need, he took it without thought.”
I shivered and held the phone up to my ear with my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around my knees for warmth.
“What was the deal?”
“She made him promise that he would surrender the first woman to grace the steps of the castle into her care. In exchange, she would make it so that he could be with the woman he loved.”
I was the first woman permitted inside the castle in years, but Calder had made no move to bring me to Machara.
“What else does it say?”
“Well, here’s the thing you need to know about faeries, Laurel. I’ve discovered this during my days of researching them. They keep their word, but only to the degree that they must. If there is a way for them to twist it, to turn what you want against you, they will find it. This is what Machara did with this man. She didn’t promise him that she would turn him into a faerie. She promised that she would make it so that they could be together.
“The article says that rather than turn Calder fae, she turned the faerie into a human. There is no worse punishment for one of the fae. In her despair, the woman Calder loved threw herself off the isle’s tallest cliff, plunging to her death.”
Calder’s angry disposition suddenly made so much more sense. So did his belief that I was horribly unattractive. I supposed for a man in love with a faerie, I wasn’t quite up to par.
“Oh, my gosh, Kate. That’s horrible.”
“That’s not all. In his rage, he confronted Machara and swore to her that he wouldn’t keep his word, but she simply laughed. He’d given his oath to her in blood. She told him that she had the power to control him at will, that when a woman did arrive at the castle, he wouldn’t be able to ignore the call to bring the woman to Machara.”
“That’s why he ran.” I whispered the words under my breath, as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
“What?”
“Calder ran away from the castle days ago. The men thought he wished to break his bind to them, but he was just trying to protect me. He was trying to escape Machara’s power over him before she forced him to bring me to her.”
Kate’s voice was sad and filled with worry as she spoke.
“Well, for your sake, I hope he stays gone. If he returns, I’m not sure there’s much you’ll be able to do to stop him from giving you to Machara.”
I hoped so, too, but I’d never been very lucky. I didn’t expect that would change anytime soon.
Chapter 40
“I promise ye, Silva. I will think of a solution soon, and when I do, I shall return home to see ye relieved of yer duties as laird. Ye will then be free to leave. I dinna know ’twas so painful for ye to be there.”
I stood far back from Raudrich and Silva, but I could still hear his promise to her as he prepared to bid her farewell. The entire group of travelers was leaving today, then Raudrich and I truly would have the castle to ourselves for the next few weeks.
After seeing Silva settled on her horse, Raudrich moved to bid Pinkie and Griffith goodbye. As I stood there watching them, Sydney gently tapped me on the shoulder.
“Hey, come over here a second. I want to talk to you before we leave.”
I needed to speak with her, as well. Together, we walked to the edge of Freya’s garden, out of earshot and sight of Raudrich.
“I was wanting to speak to you too, actually. It seems that I may be taking you up on your offer of hospitality sooner rather than later, if that’s still okay? My sister means to travel back with our Mom and the father of my dearest friend. You haven’t met him.”
Sydney’s face lit up at the news.
“Of course, it’s okay. It will give me another excuse to visit you all here. Next time, I’ll bring Callum. I will see your sister and family through then Callum and I will escort them here. I’ll work on helping them make the adjustment, too. It’s never easy—realizing that all of this could be true.”
“Thank you so much, Sydney. I’m so happy to have met you. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”
She fidgeted nervously from foot to foot for a moment before finally straightening herself as if she’d finally worked up the nerve to say what she wished.
“Well, Laurel, I’m not really looking forward to saying anything about this to you, but Raudrich’s worth it, so for just a moment I’m going put aside my scruples and pretend I’m Morna for a minute and meddle. Raudrich is one of the most loyal men I’ve ever known. If he’s important to you, there is absolutely nothing he wouldn’t do for you. He’s all in with you, Laurel, I can tell. But I don’t quite get the same read from you. You’re happy, sure, but you don’t look like a woman who is crazy in love.
“If I’ve learned anything from my time in this century and with these people, it’s this: everything can change in a second. So, if you feel the same for him as he does for you, don’t wait to tell him. Don’t hold yourself back just because you’re scared. As you and I both know, time is a pretty relative concept anyway. Who cares if this happened quickly? That doesn’t make it any less right.”
I knew Sydney was right. Even as Kate had laid my destiny out before me, I resisted it. I was scared. I was scared that in the end he might change his mind. I was scared that somehow I wouldn’t be enough.
It was time for me to get over my fears. It was time for me to grow up.
*
Laurel was restless. From the moment Sydney and the others had left until they sat down for an evening meal, he’d watched as she paced around the castle, straightening things that didn’t need to be straightened and dusting things that were entirely free of dust.
She was nervous about something, and he didn’t know whether to pry or allow her whatever space she might need.
Eventually, as her fingers drummed over and over against the table while they ate, Raudrich couldn’t contain his concern any longer.
“Laurel, lass, ye’ve not stopped moving once all day. If there is something wrong, I wish ye would tell me.”
“Nothing’s the matter.”
She continued to drum her fingers over and over.
“I doona believe ye. Yer mind is elsewhere. Was it Freya? We never did get an opportunity to speak of what she said to ye. I’ve always known her to be a kind and friendly sort of woman, but mayhap she was different with ye?”
Laurel’s fingers stopped their assault on the table as she looked up at him in surprise.
“Not at all. Freya was great.”
It would’ve surprised him if Laurel had said otherwise, but it was the only thing he could think of. Unless… “’Twas Sydney, aye? Ach, what did she say to ye? I am sorry if she was unkind. She is like a sister to me—she can be verra protective.”
Laurel’s expression remained confused. “Sydney’s great, too.”
An unusual emotion was starting to build within him. It had been so long since he’d felt it, he almost didn’t recognize it—insecurity.
“If ’twas not Freya and ’twas not Sydney, then it must be me, lass. What did I do to upset ye? Do ye not wish to be here? Have ye tired of me already?”
For the first time in hours, Laurel really looked at him. As she smiled, his worries slowly faded away.
>
She stood from the table with a mischievous gleam in her eye and walked over toward him. He pushed his chair away from the table and stood to greet her as she stepped into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I’m not upset. There’s nowhere else in the world I want to be. And with every minute I spend with you, I become more and more sure of the fact that I’ll never grow tired of being around you.” Laurel paused and lifted her head so that her chin rested against his chest as she looked up at him. He loved the way her blue eyes sparked in the candlelight. “And do you know what else?” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “You’re kind of cute when you’re worried.”
“I wasna worried, lass. ’Tis only that I wouldna wish to keep ye here if ye dinna want to stay.”
He tried to argue, but he knew his expression had given everything away.
“I do want to stay. And you can deny it all you want, but you were worried just now. I don’t want you to worry ever again, Raudrich.”
His heart began to hammer painfully in his chest. There were only three words he wished to hear from her, but he didn’t know if she had it in her to trust him so completely just yet.
“Aye?”
“You don’t have to say anything back. I want you to know that. I know this has all happened very quickly, and if someone had told me a week ago I’d be about to say this to you now, I would’ve called them crazy…”
He couldn’t bear it another moment. Pulling away, he placed one finger across her lips to silence her before reaching to cup her face as he placed his forehead against hers.
“I’m in love with ye, lass. I doona care if I doona know yer last name or yer favorite season. I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life learning all that I can about ye. I’m a man who has always known my own heart, lass, and I knew right away that mine belonged to ye. Marry me. Marry me and make this castle yer home for good.”
She answered him with a kiss and a squeal. And right there in the empty dining hall, he got the dance he’d been denied the night before.
He’d not known such happiness could exist.
Why then did he feel such dread?
Chapter 41
Two Weeks Later
*
Raudrich and I spent the two weeks following his proposal enjoying every minute of our time alone. We visited, laughed, ate, and made love. We went on regular horseback rides around the isle where Raudrich took his time telling me the history of the isle and its people. I told him all about Morna’s phone and Kate’s plan to join us here, and we agreed that we should wait until she was here to begin plans for our wedding.
Each evening, I would spend a few hours with Freya. Selfishly, the more time I spent with her, the more I realized how sad I would be when the day finally did come that she was free of Machara’s curse.
On the fifteenth day after the men left, Freya made mention of Machara’s shift in mood. While Freya could see no reason for it, I had my own suspicions. There was only one thing that I could see that would lift Machara’s mood—the men had succeeded in finding Calder and he was already back on the isle.
My suspicion was proven correct the following morning when Harry, Maddock, and Nicol returned to the castle with Calder. They had him bound and gagged. He looked terrible, nothing like himself as he thrashed about and tried to fight his way free.
Harry looked devastated by Calder’s state. None of the men could make sense of his behavior.
I understood it perfectly. He wasn’t evil underneath, and he was fighting the evil that controlled him with everything he had.
The weeks of relative quiet around the castle left me with plenty of time to think through Calder’s story and all the unanswered questions it posed. Why did Machara want me? And if Calder fulfilled his promise to Machara by delivering me to her, what would be the cause of his death?
It was thinking back on that night down in the dungeon that made the answer clear to me. Machara truly had wished to see the depth of my affection for Raudrich and his for me. She’d been too pleased at the obvious attraction between us for her reaction to have been an act. I could see only one reason why she would even care—if Raudrich loved me, he would do anything for me—even sacrifice his own life to save me.
But seven members wouldn’t be enough to free Machara from her cell, and that explained why Calder would have to die, too. The men were already bound to Machara through their magic, but Calder’s bargain with her allowed her to control him. Killing him would be as easy as giving him the directive to do the job himself.
If she could make Raudrich sacrifice himself to save me, and if she could order Calder to kill himself before their bargain was complete, then The Eight would be six and Machara would be free.
I would never let that happen. I could see no way of saving Calder, but I sure as hell was going to save Raudrich.
I had a plan—a risky one—one that would require the help of every member of The Eight, save two.
*
“Laurel?”
I dropped the quill at the sound of Marcus’ voice in the doorway. I was busy writing a letter—one that I hoped Raudrich would never have to see.
Slowly, I turned to him, unsure of what to expect. There was every reason in the world for him to still be angry with me.
He looked good—really good. His stature was tall, his shoulders broad, and his expression seemed relaxed and even, dare I say, happy?
“Marcus.” I stood and all but ran to him, but pulled up short before throwing myself into his arms until I saw him open them to me.
When he did, I nearly knocked him down with my enthusiasm.
“Are you still angry? I really am sorry, Marcus.”
My cheek was pressed flush against his chest, but I felt him shrug as I held him.
“Yes, a little, but it’s okay.”
I pulled away just enough to look up at him. “Really?”
He smiled and I relaxed into him once more.
“Really. It’s very odd, Laurel. Logically, I know that I shouldn’t be okay with this, but the magic has messed with my head. It’s shifted who I am. This is right, somehow. This is where I’m supposed to be.”
I nodded against him. “Me, too. I have something to tell you.”
I pulled him inside the bedroom and closed the door so we could talk. For the rest of the day, we exchanged stories. I told him of my engagement and of Kate and, most importantly, of how his father would be on his way here by the end of the month. He cried at that, and my heart could’ve just burst right then and there from the joy I felt at seeing his relief that he wouldn’t be forever separated from his favorite person in all the world. Marcus’ dad outshone even me in Marcus’ eyes.
Then he told me all that he’d learned and even showed off his new skills with a few acts of magic he couldn’t have been more proud of.
It was a lovely afternoon, but it was all I could do to keep from wondering…
What if this was the last afternoon I would ever spend with him? I couldn’t bear to think of it, but I knew there was a good chance it could be true.
I had to go through with my plan tonight. And there was every possibility in the world things wouldn’t end well for me.
Chapter 42
“Maddock?”
I found him in the stables tending to the horse I’d developed a fondness for during my first night here.
“Laurel!” He turned toward me at the sound of my voice and quickly dropped the brush he held in his hands to run toward me with open arms, quickly scooping me up into a bear hug of an embrace as he spun me around in a circle. “Congratulations on yer happy news. I canna tell ye how pleased I am that ye will be here with us forever.”
For a moment, I was able to forget about what I knew was coming, and I smiled as he returned me to my feet.
“Thank you, Maddock. Listen, I need your help with something. It’s urgent.”
“Anything, lass. Ye are one of us now. There is not a one of us who wouldna do anything
for ye.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. I need to meet with all of you, but Raudrich and Marcus absolutely cannot be there. Is there a way we can arrange that?”
He looked at me for a long moment, and I suspected he could see the fear in my eyes.
“Aye. I’ll have Harry place them both on Calder watch. We canna leave him alone. ’Tis the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. He is mad with his desire to leave here.”
I nodded. “I know. We need to meet as soon as possible.”
“After dinner, I’ll ask them both to keep watch. We will meet ye in the dining hall then.”
*
They didn’t like it, but I could see by their resigned expressions that there were no other options.
Maddock was the least receptive, which didn’t surprise me. He and I shared a bond of sorts, one that I’d noticed from the first day we met.
“Lass, I doona care for this. Faeries are too unpredictable. If anything happened to ye, Raudrich would never forgive us. We would never forgive ourselves for agreeing to help ye with this.”
“If any of you have another suggestion, I’m open to it.”
“I do, lass.” Harry spoke up from the end of the table, and I wanted to cry just by looking at him. He looked ill, heartbroken, and weary. “We keep Calder bound. We imprison him until she loses her patience and kills him. We can keep him from ye.”
I’d already considered that possibility.
“I’m sorry, but no. The moment Calder hands me over to her, she will kill him. If we prevent him from following her order, she’s likely to do something worse. I couldn’t live with it if Calder wound up like Freya because of me.”
“I’ll do as ye bid, lass. I’ll make certain that neither Raudrich or Marcus interfere. What say the rest of ye?”
I appreciated Ludo’s interjection. There was no sense in debating.
“Thank you, Ludo.”
Slowly, one by one, they all agreed, and our plan was set.
Maddock would relieve Raudrich and Marcus of their watch duty over Calder. I would go to bed like always and slip out as Raudrich slept. We all knew Raudrich would follow as soon as he realized I was gone. The others would be ready to follow him.
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