by Donna Grant
“You’ll give her death,” Rufina said.
“You know nothing,” he said. “I wonder what I ever saw in you. You aren’t near as beautiful as I once thought.”
“My beauty matters not. You are going to ruin the world we have lived in for thousands of years.”
“I know,” he roared. “Do you forget that I was in that darkened hell for tens of thousands of years? A darkness that none have ever come back from.”
He was rewarded to see her lower her eyes. He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “I have more power than you could dream of.”
“I don’t want power.”
“Liar,” he said. “I could take you now and there is nothing that you could do about it.”
Her eyes went to Theron. “It wasn’t Theron’s fault you were thrown into the darkness. What you did condemned yourself.”
“He could have done something.” Lugus didn’t like the change in subject. It brought back painful memories that haunted his sleep.
“The elders made the decision. It was out of his hands.”
“Because the elders picked him over me.”
“They knew what you had done. You were a fool to think you could keep that from them.”
He laughed and walked to Theron. “A fool, am I? Maybe, but it will be me who rules this realm as well as the human world,” he said as he pulled a dagger from his waist.
“Don’t,” she begged.
“Don’t what? This?” he asked and slashed the dagger across Theron’s chest. Blood welled and spilled down Theron's white and silver tunic. “’Tis a shame really that we can be killed so easily. You would think with all of our powers that we would be able to stop death.”
“Please, Lugus. I will do anything.”
He glanced at Rufina. “There isn’t anything you could say that will stop me from killing Theron. Eventually. Until then I will torture him at will.”
Chapter Twelve
Moira awakened to an enticing finger trailing up and down her arm. It sent delicious shivers through her. She smiled and snuggled closer to Dartayous.
She opened her eyes and looked at his right hand that was laced with hers. Where his bird tattoo usually was there was nothing. And if it wasn’;t Dartayous beside her, then who was it?
While she tried to stop herself from shaking she slowly rose up on her elbow. What she saw made her blood run cold with dread. Staring at her with a knowing smile was William, the Rogue Druid who had tried to kill her sisters, and the man who had masqueraded as a Druid for years when in fact he was a Fae.
She looked at him as he was supposed to be, a Fae not a Druid who had used magic to hide his appearance. His dark blonde hair fanned out on the pillow while his hand continued to caress her arm.
He had a high forehead and straight blonde brows. His eyes were the intense blue of the Fae. They were darker, deadlier, but blue nonetheless. He had high check bones, a straight slim nose and a wide full mouth.
A glance down showed that he was as bare as she. His form was pleasing, but not near as muscular as Dartayous. He had long, slim fingers that wouldn’t stop touching her.
“You look beautiful with your hair mussed around you and your lips plump from my kisses.”
She began to shake. Surely she hadn’t been duped. Dartayous had gone through the doorway with her. Hadn’t he? It was hard to be sure since he had been acting differently.
“Who are you?” she asked as she sat up and backed away from him.
“You know me as William. My real name is Lugus. You will know me as master, king and husband.”
She continued to back away until she fell from the bed. Her back seared with pain at landing on the hard stone, but she paid it little heed as she jumped to her feet.
“Keep away from me.” She held up her hands to warn him off, but he just smiled and slowly rose from the bed.
“I know what you are feeling.”
She shook her head so viciously that her hair whipped in front of her face. “You know nothing.”
“I know everything. I know your deepest, darkest secret. The one you try to hide even from yourself. You cannot run from me. I will find you in this realm or yours.”
Her eyes filled with tears at the hopelessness that filled her at his words. “I don’t want you,” she yelled.
He laughed and took hold of her arms. She hadn’t realized how fast he could move until that moment. She’d been a fool to think she could get away from him. With the last bit of her courage she desperately tried to pry her arms out of his iron clad grip.
His laughed filled the room. She covered her ears and fell to the floor screaming for him to stop. He began to shake her. When that didn’t work he pulled her hands from her ears and called to her.
“Moira!”
With her heart still pounding in dread she stopped screaming and listened. She tried to slow her breathing, but her fear wouldn’t loosen its hold.
“Moira.”
Her name, whispered so softly that she was afraid to open her eyes. She knew that voice. The deep, commanding voice she had always loved.
This time she covered her eyes. She refused to open them and see Lugus’ face instead of Dartayous. Her heart couldn’t take knowing it had been deceived in the most deadly of ways.
Strong arms pulled her against his muscular chest. He kissed the top of her head and gently rocked her until her breathing calmed. It was something about the movement that brought back a long buried memory of the man who had taken her from her parent’s chamber that long ago night they were murdered.
“It was you who carried me from my home.”
Dartayous allowed his heart to calm at her faint words. He didn’t know what had happened to her when she had awakened in his arms, but whatever had claimed her mind was gone now.
“Aye,” he answered. “It was me.”
“Why did you never tell me?”
“It didn’t seem important. The only thing that mattered was that you stayed alive.”
Her head shifted until he stared down into her Druid green eyes. “I wish I had known it was you all these years.”
“It doesn’t matter now.”
She sighed and lowered her head.
“What happened a moment ago? You were acting as if someone had taken over your mind.”
He waited one heartbeat, two before she finally answered. “I’m not really sure.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he knew she lied, but he thought better of it. Trust had never come easy between them. It was something that they could begin to work on now.
She’d tell him when she began to trust him. Until then, he would just have to bite his tongue. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug as he stared into the empty hearth. Would she begin to trust him in enough time to help her fight this new demon?
He picked her up and carried her to the bed where he covered her with the blanket, but he didn’t climb in next to her. He sensed that she didn’t wish him with her, and he needed time to go over what she had said while whoever had gripped her mind.
When her breathing evened out in sleep he clothed himself, and then reached for the wine and drank deeply. She had asked what his name was. That meant she hadn’t known who she was looking at.
Or had she?
None of them knew the name of the Fae who had imprisoned the others. Could it have been he who visited Moira? William she had called him, the rogue Druid that had fooled everyone for years.
Dartayous clenched his fists and walked onto the balcony. It was his first visit into this realm and already he had learned so much, not the least of which is that nothing was at it seemed.
A now familiar cry rent the air above him. He gazed up and watched as the dragon flew over him. He didn’t fear them now. They had seen him and not attacked. He would still keep an eye on them nonetheless.
He sat in one of the chairs and propped his feet up on the balcony. The roar of the waterfall eased the hold of panic on him. No matter how many
times he went over what Moira had said while her mind had been claimed, nothing made sense. She had said nothing to give a clue as to who it was.
When the first rays of sunlight moved past the peaks of mountains and flowed into the chamber, he stood and began to ready for their coming journey.
He went into the kitchen to see what he could find in the way of food and packed all that he could. When he returned to the chamber Moira had already woken and dressed. She smiled as she finished plaiting her hair.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked as he splashed water on his face from the bowl beside the bed.
She nodded. “You?”
“Aye. Are you ready? We’ve a long road.”
She stood and picked up her bag. “And we have no idea of the date back in our world. ‘Tis better to get back in plenty of time than to be late.”
He nodded and they left the dwelling. They stood outside and looked at the city around them.
“Which way?” she asked.
“Back over the bridge.”
He could almost hear her moan when she looked at the bridge and the water below. “You’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
When her back was turned he allowed himself to smile at her words. One look at the sky showed another clear day. His fingers felt for the map inside his vest. He had memorized the map just in case something happened to it, but what if something happened to him?
“Moira,” he called. He caught up with her and handed her the map. “Hold this.”
“Won’t you need it?”
“I’ve memorized it. You should keep it in case...” He couldn’t finish the words.
Her mouth pinched in worry. “In case something happens to you,” she finished. “But nothing will happen to you.”
“Just in case.”
She nodded and put the map in her bag before walking toward the bridge. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He just prayed he was able to get her back to their realm, but he had a feeling that there were going to be many obstacles for him to overcome. Some he may not live through.
Moira fisted her hands and looked up at the sky. No dragons so far this morning. She turned her gaze back to the bridge and forced her legs to walk. It was practically a run, but at least they were moving.
She could hear Dartayous chuckling behind her, but she didn’t care. She could well imagine how silly she looked. “I just hope there aren’t many more bridges like that,” she said when they reached the other side.
“I would rather have a bridge than to try and forge a river.”
She groaned. “I hadn’t thought of that. What does it say on the map?”
When she began to reach for it he grasped her hand and pulled her after him. “We need to get moving,” he said. Which meant there were either more bridges or a river to swim. And neither was welcome knowledge.
* * * *
The landscape was like none they had ever seen. Moira couldn’t stop gazing at the flowers. She had asked to stop and look, but Dartayous had said they needed to keep moving.
She wanted to argue that a few moments wouldn’t hurt them but didn’t. Not even when she spotted what looked like a rose in a soft lavender color. They happened to walk close enough that she could tell it didn’t have any thorns.
Disappointment filled her. She had thought she might know at least one species of flower. This world was completely different from hers.
They followed the trail that marked the way to Caer Rhoemyr, the city where the king held court. While they walked they had seen many birds similar to their own. She had even glimpsed a small fawn.
When they stopped for lunch she found herself lulled by the soft breeze between the giant trees. Since she hadn’t gotten very much sleep, she longed to close her eyes and let nature heal her mind and soul.
She longed to confide in Dartayous, but what if he wasn’t who she thought he was? What if he wasn’t really Dartayous? The real Dartayous wouldn’t have stopped arguing with her or goading her. The real Dartayous would have avoided her like a plague and not shared his body with her.
But her heart told her it was Dartayous, and that people did change.
Her gaze found him standing not far from her scouting the area with his eyes with one hand on the hilt of his sword. A true warrior.
When she closed her eyes she could still see him as he was the night before, standing tall and naked as she walked to him. He had allowed her to do things she wouldn’t have thought herself possible of doing, yet she had. And she wanted to again.
Even now, with the doubt that it was really him with her, she wanted to have him fill her again. She never got enough. Her body had become addicted to him.
She held up the water skin and drank. Last night had been the perfect time for them to talk of their future when they left here. Instead she had met Lugus. Why did he want her? She was nothing special. Her powers were nothing compared to those of the Fae. It didn’t make sense for him to choose her over another Fae.
Despite that she felt a thrill that he did want her over the Fae. The thrill that there might be something special about her, something more special than a Fae possessed.
As soon as that thought entered her head she dismissed it. It was foolish. Those thoughts could undermine everything she and Dartayous were trying to accomplish. She’d have to stop those thoughts in the future.
She raised her eyes to find Dartayous looking at her. “Everything all right?” he asked.
“Aye,” she said and gave him a smile. His face showed no emotion so she couldn’t tell if she had fooled him or not.
“Then let’s get moving. I’d like to find some shelter in the mountains before dusk comes.”
She rose to her feet and started after him only to find him holding a dagger by the blade and handing it to her. “What’s this?” she said as she took the curved dagger.
“You can never be too prepared.”
“You sense something.” It wasn’t a question and they both knew it. “Tell me.”
“Evil is disrupting the peace of this realm. I don’t know what will be around the turn in the trail. I would rather you be protected in case you cannot use your powers.”
“You’re right.” She took the dagger’s sheath from his hand and raised her skirts. She tied it to the outside of her right calf and sheathed the dagger. It would be in easy reach there.
He nodded and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. “What was that for?” She knew she wore a silly smile but didn’t care.
“I’m hoping that we can repair the trust that should have been between us before we left the Druid’s Glen.”
“Because you want a future with me?” She couldn’t keep the hope from her voice.
He stepped towards her and gently touched her cheek, his Fae eyes holding nothing but sadness and despair. “There cannot be a future for us. I should never have allowed us to share our bodies.”
“Just so as I know,” she said as she bent down and plucked a small white flower from the earth. She didn’t want him to know how much his words had cut into her heart. “Why can't we have a future?”
“I’m immortal. What kind of future can we have?”
She held back the tears and smiled. “Thank you for reminding me. I had forgotten,” she said and walked past him.
“Forgotten what?” he asked as he caught up with her.
“I had forgotten how your words can cut. ‘Tis good to know you haven’t changed.”
He grabbed her arm and stopped her. “I have changed.”
“That’s right. You discovered that you’re Fae.” She didn’t say what really troubled her, that a female Fae might have caught his eye.
He stepped back from her. “I might have changed upon finding that out, but it is you who have undergone quite a change. You, who never showed much emotion, I cannot figure what’s coming at me next. Will you be happy, sad, angry or what?”
“You’re task was to get me to t
he realm of the Fae. You have done that. Why don’t you return to our world? I don’t need you,” she spat and turned on heel to walk away.
His laugh stopped her in her tracks. “You think you know everything.”
She slowly turned toward him. “And what, pray tell, is it that I don’t know.”
“You cannot free the Fae by yourself. You need me.”
She blinked. And waited. Could she really have heard him correctly? “How?”
He shrugged. “Frang wouldn’t say. He only told me that I would have to help you in finding and freeing the Fae.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care if you do or not,” he said and walked past her.
She watched as he walked faster and faster from her. How could Frang have told Dartayous that but not her? Did Frang know how prideful she was? That she wanted to do this on her own?
That must be it. Somehow Frang had sensed what was in her. She wiped at a lone tear that had escaped. Everyone, including her sisters, thought she was this perfect person.
How wrong they were. She loved being a Druid, but she wanted to be a laird’s wife and have a home of her own. She wanted to do something so wonderful that she would be taken seriously.
Oh, the Druids treated her fairly for she was one from the prophecy, but they didn’t treat her as a Druid of her station should be treated because they were fearful of her powers. Her pride is what had gotten her into so much trouble her entire life.
Had she not left Fiona to find Glenna, she and Fiona wouldn’t have been split apart, but she had wanted to outshine her sister. She had told herself at the time that it was to do her da’s bidding, but that was only part of it.
Her feet began to walk slowly after Dartayous. How many times had she looked down from the cliff at Conall and Glenna and envied their life together? Glenna was the lady of the castle and treated with much respect.
Moira held her head higher and walked faster. She might not ever be a lady of the castle, but she would do this deed without Dartayous.
If that was really Dartayous ahead of her anyway.
Chapter Thirteen
Dartayous ground his teeth. Just what did Moira mean that he hadn’t changed? Of course he hadn’t changed, but she had led him to believe that she thought he had changed.
