Dragon Warrior (Midnight Bay)

by Janet Chapman

  “We don’t show him Carolina until we see both Fiona and Maddy,” Kenzie said.

  Trace joined them—although Huntsman had needed to hold on to the truck as he walked around it, as he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the spectacle up on the ledge.

  But then, it wasn’t every day a modern saw a drùidh in full regalia.

  “Are we supposed to be impressed?” Trace asked.

  “No, I believe Maddy’s the one he’s trying to impress,” William said. He started walking toward Mac, the other two men falling into step beside him.

  “I would have expected you to build out on the point, Killkenny,” Mac said. “And your new home isn’t nearly as big as your old keep. What, are you not planning to have much of a family?”

  William stopped ten paces from the drùidh, the others stopping beside him. “Since when have ye stooped to using helpless women as pawns, Oceanus?”

  “Cùram de Gairn’s magic made An Tèarmann impenetrable, which forced me to use the women,” Mac said, apparently brushing off the slight. He nodded to Kenzie. “Tell your brother I said hello when you see him, Gregor.” He winced. “I had hoped he would thank me for the gift I’m giving him, but now I’m beginning to worry he may take offense. And I thought my sister had problems,” he added with a shudder.

  William saw Kenzie stiffen. “What have ye done to her, Oceanus?”

  Mac pulled back the edge of his large, billowing robe to reveal a woman tucked up against his left side, wearing the clothes of an eleventh-century Scottish lass and a horrified look on her face.

  It was the first time William had ever seen Kenzie caught off guard; the highlander suddenly grabbed William’s shoulder, his knees obviously going weak at the sight of the trembling, reddish-blond-haired, golden-eyed woman blinking out at him. “Fiona,” he said on an indrawn breath.

  William reached out to hold Kenzie back when he stumbled toward her, just as Mac stopped Fiona from trying to scurry behind him—in shame, it appeared.

  “What in hell have ye done!” Kenzie shouted, his eyes moving to the drùidh.

  Mac smiled, though it appeared forced. “She’s my gift to you for taking my sister in and protecting her.”

  “Matt is going to kill you,” Kenzie growled, his eyes filled with pain as he stared at Fiona. “Do you not think that if she wished to be human again, my brother would have done it himself? She was at peace as a hawk.”

  Mac actually winced. “So I’ve since learned.” He sighed. “But it’s done, Gregor. Give me Carolina and the coin, and you can have your sister.”

  “Go get her, Trace,” Kenzie said softly, not taking his eyes off Fiona.

  “I would see Madeline now,” William said as Trace walked back to the truck. “And we want both women for Carolina.”

  Mac shook his head. “Madeline is not part of this deal, Killkenny. Did you come here prepared to give me what I want?”

  William smiled tightly. “You may wish to rethink your request,” he said. “Or you might find Carolina will like your . . . gift to her about as well as de Gairn will like his.”

  Trace walked up to them, his hand manacling the wrist of a spitting-mad young woman—who looked twenty-three or twenty-four years old—wearing only his shirt. “It would have been nice if someone had thought to bring her some clothes,” he drawled, rubbing several scratches on his naked chest.

  William snorted. “We put a harbor seal in the truck. Give it up, lass,” he told Carolina when he saw her try to bite Trace’s hand. But Huntsman quickly subdued her by spinning her into him and wrapping both of his arms around her.

  Carolina twisted to glare up at him. “You’re supposed to be my strong arm,” she hissed. “It’s your duty to protect me, not hand me over.” She turned her glare on her brother. “And you!” she spat. “I can’t believe you’re taking Father’s side!”

  Mac sighed again. “I’m on your side, brat. Everyone is, including your obviously reluctant strong arm and our father. If you would only stay put long enough, you’d know that he broke your marriage contract to Tamon the day you ran off.”

  She stamped her foot. “I’m still not going home! He’s only going to find some other bastard to marry me off to.” She lifted her chin. “I’m choosing my own husband, so you can go home and tell Father that I’ve chosen this man.”

  Trace’s jaw went slack with surprise, as did his grip on Carolina. But instead of bolting, the woman spun around and wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling up at him even as she continued talking to her brother. “We’re going to build a grand home on Midnight Bay in this century, and have lots and lots of babies and live happily ever after for a thousand years.”

  “Excuse me,” Trace said in a strangled whisper, trying to peel the girl off him.

  Kenzie Gregor stepped over and grabbed Carolina around the waist, lifted her off her feet to carry her up to the ledge, and stood her in front of Mac. “Here’s your sister, now give me mine,” he demanded, holding out his free hand.

  Mac let go of Fiona and quickly manacled Carolina’s wrist to his fist.

  Kenzie pulled Fiona into his arms. The lass buried her face in his neck, and he carried her to a boulder a few feet from William and Trace. Sitting down and settling her on his lap, he clutched his sister, kissing her hair as he softly whispered to her.

  “Huntsman,” Mac said, drawing William’s and Trace’s attention again, “could I perhaps interest you in coming home with us to meet our parents?”

  Carolina suddenly stopped struggling against her brother and turned to look at Trace expectantly.

  “You could do a lot worse than having Titus Oceanus as a father-in-law,” Mac added, his own look encouraging.

  Trace grabbed on to William to keep from dropping to his knees.

  William heard Mac sigh again. “I didn’t think so,” Mac muttered. “Just give me the coin then, and my sister will no longer be your problem.”

  Seeing how Huntsman seemed unable to move, William held out his hand. “Give it to me, and I will take it to him.”

  Trace reached in his pocket and slapped the coin into William’s hand.

  William walked up to Mac, but stopped just out of his reach, the coin clenched in his fist. “I will see Madeline now.”

  Mac folded back the other side of his robe.

  It was William’s turn to sigh, when he saw her hands were bound and she had a gag tied around her mouth. He looked at Mac. “Was there no other way ye could have subdued her?”

  Mac grinned. “Like this, you mean?” he asked, flicking his arm holding Carolina.

  A flash of smoke filled the air, and Carolina’s shriek of protest faded to nothing more than a squeak when she shrank to the size of a kitten in Mac’s hand. He very carefully slid her into an inside pocket of his robe, giving her a pat when her muffled protests turned to threatening curses.

  Mac held his hand out to William. “The coin?” He arched a brow. “Or are you planning to keep it after all?”

  “I haven’t decided,” William said, shoving the coin in his pocket. “Do ye despise your sister so much that you’d have her marry a man who can never love her?”

  “My sister means as much to me as Gabriella meant to you,” Mac growled. “And you don’t have to love Carolina to be a good husband to her.” He shook his head. “Why do you think I’ve been haunting you all these centuries, Killkenny? Carolina needs a strong arm, but she also needs a firm hand.” He grinned. “Not only will my father give you his blessing, but he’ll probably give you a kingdom.”

  William stepped up and untied the knot behind Maddy’s head when she suddenly started choking.

  “That wasn’t wise,” Mac said as the gag slipped free.

  Maddy held her arms out for him to undo the thick rope binding her wrists, but William stepped away, returning his attention to Mac so he wouldn’t see her glare.

  He was pleasantly surprised, however, when she remained silent.

  “Do ye really want a woman who doesn’t want y
ou, Oceanus?” William asked. “Because if you do take Maddy, she promised me you’ll return her within a week.”

  “She told you I asked her to leave with me?”

  “We have an agreement between us, and Madeline is an honorable woman.”

  “She’s also bossy as hell,” Mac said, although he was smiling as he said it.

  “She has a daughter.”

  “I like children. In fact, I hope to have many of my own.”

  William eyed him speculatively. “Ye don’t think family gatherings might be a bit awkward, sitting down to dinner with a man who bedded your woman before you did?”

  Mac shrugged. “I can live with it, knowing I will be the last man in Madeline’s bed. So let’s get down to business, Killkenny. How much do you want for her?”

  William couldn’t believe that Maddy was remaining silent, considering they were bartering for her as if she were a horse. “She’s not for sale.”

  “All women are for sale. Would you hand her over for . . . say, one thousand two hundred and sixteen years—plus one day? It’s that simple, you know; I can send you back to one day before, and you can save your family.”

  William shook his head. “They’re long dead and buried and resting in peace. I no longer have a taste for revenge.”

  Mac stilled in surprise. “You love her that much?” he whispered.

  William felt the flames in his belly start to lick the outer edges of the empty hole where his heart should have been. “You and I both know that love is beyond my reach.”

  Maddy snorted.

  “What?” Mac said, looking down. “Did you wish to say something, Madeline?”

  “No, I just had a tickle in my throat.”

  He looked back at William. “How about if I give you Gabriella, then? I’ll bring her to this century, and she can have an even more wonderful life than the one that was stolen from her.”

  “I know,” Maddy suddenly piped up, smiling ever so sweetly up at Mac. “How about you find your own girlfriend instead of trying to buy someone else’s? Even I can see William’s going to say no to anything you have to offer. So either kill him and be done with it, or just take your sister and go home.”

  “Men do not kill each other over women,” Mac said with a chuckle. “Where I come from, women are either liabilities or assets, but they are not worth dying over.”

  “Madeline,” William growled when he realized she looked ready to punch Mac.

  She turned her glare on him. “As flattering as it is to have two men haggling over me, I have to pick Sarah up from summer rec in half an hour.” She looked up at Mac. “You know, I started out thinking you were lower than pond scum, but now I realize you’re just a lonely, clueless geek. Have you ever tried asking a girl out on a date?”

  “Do not bait him, Madeline,” William softly warned.

  “Hey, it’s a legitimate question, considering I’m being bartered over like a piece of furniture at a yard sale.” Her gaze traveled up the length of Mac’s robe and settled on his face. “If my dweeb of an ex-husband can manage to nail two homecoming queens, why can’t a guy with all your . . . resources get your own girlfriend? I’ll tell you why,” she said before he could answer. “Where William worked really hard to get me, you aren’t even trying. Maybe instead of blackmailing him into marrying Carolina, you should ask him for pointers on getting your own woman. Really, even your little sister had the courage to go find her own boyfriend.”

  “Madeline!” William snapped.

  But she continued to ignore him, as oblivious to his anger as she was to Mac’s incredulousness. She suddenly lifted the edge of Mac’s robe with her bound hands and peered down inside the pocket. “Trust me, Carolina, if you’re at all attached to your beautiful hair, you’ll forget about Trace.” Maddy shook her head, making her short curls bounce. “See what Trace made me do just so I could talk to my brother? Last week my hair was nearly as long as yours.”

  William heard a small, horrified gasp come from inside the pocket.

  Maddy straightened and smiled sadly at Mac. “It’s too bad you didn’t show up here sooner. I have a friend I could have introduced you to, and you wouldn’t even have had to break a sweat to get her. In fact, all you would have had to do was show her your fancy robe,” she said, wiggling the material before she let it go with a shrug. “Only Susan ran off with some gorgeous Scottish hunk a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Madeline,” William growled.

  “Hey, I know,” she said. “The guy she ran off with had two other cousins who are single; maybe you could persuade one of them to marry your sister.” She pulled Mac’s robe out and peered into the pocket again. “Did you hear what I just said, Carolina? They’re both really big and strong and gorgeous, and I bet they wouldn’t even care that you have a brother who’s a . . . wizard.”

  Opening the robe even more, she looked at William. “William, drop that coin in the pocket with Carolina, so she can give it to one of the MacKeage men.”

  Mac suddenly stiffened. “Did you say MacKeage?” He looked over at Kenzie. “Isn’t your brother married to a MacKeage?”

  Kenzie was still sitting on the rock, still cradling Fiona as Trace sat beside him—both men as amazed as William by how the negotiations had somehow turned to matchmaking. But then William suddenly stifled a smile; apparently little Sarah wasn’t the only lass who had learned the art of misdirection.

  “Matt married Greylen MacKeage’s youngest daughter, Winter,” Kenzie said quietly. “Who also happens to be Pendaär’s heir.”

  “And the MacKeage men Madeline just mentioned?” Mac asked.

  “Winter’s cousins.”

  The drùidh studied Maddy in silence, and looked at William. “Are you sure you don’t want Carolina? She comes with one hell of a dowry.”

  William pulled the coin from his pocket and handed it to him.

  Mac sighed and looked at Trace. “What about you, Huntsman? Are you sure you don’t want my sis—”

  The drùidh suddenly grunted when Maddy drove her elbow into his ribs. “Trust me, that is not a good idea,” she said, deadpan. But then she smiled. “I do believe there are several single MacKeage females living up in the mountains. Maybe while you’re husband-shopping with Carolina, you could ask one of them for a date.” She shrugged. “Who knows, maybe both you and Carolina will get lucky.”

  It was all William could do not to reach out and kiss her when he saw Mac’s entire demeanor go from suspicious to downright interested.

  He looked at William. “Are you sure, Killkenny?”

  “He’s sure,” Maddy answered for him, a distinct growl in her voice. She walked over to William and leaned against him with a sigh. “I have a headache and really bad belly cramps,” she whispered, “and if I don’t lie down soon, I’m going to faint.”

  William wrapped one arm around her and looked at Mac.

  Mac’s shoulders actually slumped, and he nodded.

  William turned away and started leading Maddy down from the ledge.

  But she suddenly spun around, ran up to the drùidh, and held out her hands, palms up. “I want my medal back.”

  “You already have it; it’s around your neck, under your blouse.”

  She looked down with a gasp and tried to pull her blouse away from her bosom, but her bound hands made it impossible. She thrust them out to Mac. “Will you please take this damn rope off me?”

  Without Mac even touching her, the thick rope suddenly fell to the ground.

  Maddy squeaked in surprise, but then quickly reached into her blouse and pulled out the medal hanging around her neck. She turned it over to look at the other side. “This isn’t the medal I bought!” she said, glaring at Mac. “The inscription’s the same, but the one I bought had a knight riding a warhorse on the front, not a . . . not . . .” Her words trailed off as she stared down at the medal.

  “That is the appropriate symbol, Madeline,” Mac said softly. He reached out and touched one of her curls, rubbing it between
his fingers before dropping his hand. “Because where I come from, that is a woman’s only power, and the one thing every man wants but cannot buy. Consider it my gift to you.”

  “Where exactly are you from?”

  William watched Mac break into a slow grin. “Atlantis.”

  “The lost continent of Atlantis? But I thought that was only a myth!”

  He winked at her. “Then I guess that means I am but a myth, too,” he said, giving William a quick nod just as the air suddenly filled with smoke.

  And when the sea breeze carried the smoke away, Maximilian Oceanus and his troublesome brat of a sister were gone.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  William sat beside Maddy on the floor in her bedroom, leaning against her mattress; the silence of the Lane household settled around them like a comfortable blanket, Sarah and Patricia and Rick long since gone to bed. Maddy was holding his small wooden box on her lap, and he was sitting cross-legged, a cedarwood chest the size of a small coffin in front of him.

  She’d led him up the stairs ten minutes ago, but William had balked when she’d tried to bring him into her room. She’d giggled softly and pulled him inside; the house rule being that if she had a boy in her bedroom, the door must remain open, she’d told him even as she’d closed it. And then she’d said she was putting bars on Sarah’s window in another couple of years and that no boy was ever making it past the kitchen. To which William had wholeheartedly agreed.

  Maddy had then proceeded to drag what she’d called her hope chest to the middle of the room and pulled out the box he’d given her from under the bed just before she’d sat down and patted the floor beside her.

  But when he’d sat down beside her, she’d suddenly gone silent.

  “I hope Mac didn’t frighten you too much this afternoon,” he finally said.

  She looked at him in surprise. “He never frightened me, not even when he was a tiger.” She smiled. “I think he just pretends to be mean and scary so no one will realize he’s really a cupcake.”