I am a damn fool for bringin’ her here. I’ve lost her for certain.
Ramsay shook his head no, then straightened and faced his father. All he could do was go along with the old man until they could get a hold of him. Ramsay eyed the twelve-inch athame strapped to his father’s waist. The ancient blade glinted in the late afternoon sun with a well-honed shine. They’d best take care when they did take hold of the old man. He’d seen his father use that dagger for more than just a ceremonial blade—Emrys MacDara had wielded it in battle with lethal accuracy.
As though reading Ramsay’s mind, Emrys drew the blade out of the leather belt loop and settled the haft comfortably in his hand, all the while watching the entirety of the clearing with sharp darting glances. “Tell yer brothers and yer wee sister t’line up back there.” He motioned to a point on the other side of the table. “Over there where they can be watched. And be quick about it. I’ll brook no’ disobedience on this day and I’m a damned sight too old for patience of any kind. ’Tis the goddesses’ will that this rite be done so do as I command.”
Dwyn—where the hell are ye? Where had the demigod gone when he’d exited the suburban? Katie made a move to step out from behind the stone. Ramsay held up a hand to stay her as he jerked a nod in his siblings’ direction. “Do as he says. That blade looks freshly sharpened.”
Emrys kept his back to the steel door, weary eyes narrowing further as he watched his children do as they’d been told. He slowly shook his head. “ ’Tis a pity m’dear Sarinda isna here.” His gaze settled on Ramsay. “Yer mother wouldha wanted t’see this but ’twas best that I do this without her.”
“Do what, Athair?” Ramsay eased forward, carrying his spear with him. He prayed he wouldna have t’hurt his sire, but he’d let no harm come to any of his siblings nor Katie.
Lifting his chin with regal flare, Emrys looked at Ramsay. “Bring yer woman forward, Protector.”
“Nay.” Ramsay resettled his grip on his spear and crouched to readiness. “I have no woman and ye ken that as well as I.” Stay behind the stone, Katie. Ye’ll be safe there.
“Come out from behind that stone, girl.” Emrys’s voice echoed strong and loud across the clearing, stronger and louder than the voice of an elderly man should. He took a step forward and lifted his left hand. In a more coaxing tone, he managed a kindly smile. “Come to me now, lass, ye have nothin’ t’fear from me—I swear it.”
Katie stepped out from behind the stone, smiling but looking a bit tensed. She hurried her way around the overgrown tufts of grass sprouting up among the stones in the packed earth clearing. “I know you’d never hurt me, Mr. MacDara. We’re friends—right?” Her voice was calm, but Ramsay picked up on the slightest quiver of uneasiness as she spoke. Her gaze kept darting from Athair’s face to the athame in his hand. “I’d sure feel a lot better, though, if you’d put the knife away. You can show it to me later, okay? I’m an archeologist and I’d be honored to examine it later. Back at the keep. Will that work for you?”
Emrys impatiently waved her forward. “Come, come, woman. Cease yer prattle. ’Tis time.” His chin jerked down with a curt dip. “Ye kent this would happen when ye arrived. Did ye not?”
“Sure,” Katie quickly agreed as she moved closer. “Absolutely.” She looked at Ramsay and widened her eyes with a grab him now look.
Ramsay took another step toward his father. If I can just catch hold of the old man’s arm…
“Hold fast, Ramsay. ‘Twould be foolhardy in his current state—he successfully called down the ancient powers. The strength of every druid chieftain before him courses through his veins for a short while.” Dwyn wasn’t smiling. “And though it might only last a short while, the power is verra effective whilst in play.”
Hell’s bells and demon’s bollocks. If, as Dwyn had just said, Athair had successfully performed the rite of the ancients, the old man temporarily possessed the strength t’snap the lot of them in two. His strength would leave him when the sun sank below the horizon. But none of them would be able to physically overpower him until that time.
“Where the hell have ye been?” Ramsay pulled his gaze from his crazed father and glared back at Dwyn. “Do something about this. Now!”
Dwyn held up a hand and smiled, shaking his balding head to and fro so quickly that his tuft of red hair at the very top of his pate fluttered in the breeze. He moved to Katie’s side and slipped his hand into hers, gently pulling her forward toward Ramsay and Emrys. He eyed Ramsay with a stern look as he lifted Katie’s clenched hand and shook it in the air as he spoke. “This is meant to be, Ramsay. Yer father is only fulfilling his duties.”
“What the hell are ye talkin’ about?” Ramsay reached out and took Katie’s other hand, feeling a brief surge of relief when she hugged up against him and held on tight as though she felt he was her only protection. His relief was short lived when he looked into her eyes and saw a flashing mix of confusion, fear, and the intense desire to get the hell away from this place.
“Is this a cult or something?” she asked in a panicked whisper. “I was willing to humor your father, but this shit has escalated way past playing pretend.”
Dwyn gently patted Katie’s shoulder as he retreated to stand farther back with Alec, Grant, Ross, and Esme. “It’s fine, lass. No cult. I promise.” He nodded to Emrys. “Shall we get this started afore we give the poor lass a heart attack?”
Emrys stepped forward and peered closely at Katie, studying her for far longer than civility allowed. His ancient face, wrinkled and textured like old parchment, crumpled into an even sterner scowl. Finally, after an uncomfortable span of what seemed like forever, he tilted his head and jerked down his chin in what could only be described as a judicious nod. He took hold of her wrist and gave it a shake. “Aye. Ye bear the blood and ’tis high time ye claimed him. Another nearly took yer place and destroyed my son. What say ye about that? What is yer excuse, woman, for takin’ so long to arrive and riskin’ my son’s life in the process?”
Ramsay held his breath, a desolate feeling of every hope he’d held of getting closer to this woman dissolving into darkness. All was lost. They’d be lucky if Katie didna sue them for some sort of assault after she’d run like hell from Brady, North Carolina.
Katie stared back at Emrys, motionless. Ramsay wasna even certain the lass was breathing. Her arm that was hugged around his waist loosened then slipped away as she shifted an arm’s length from his side.
Ramsay immediately missed the warmth of her, instinctively feeling he’d never enjoy that warmth again.
She watched Emrys for a long moment then bowed her head. “I…um…I had to overcome many obstacles to reach Ramsay. Please forgive me for taking so long.” Her voice squeaked a bit, but her words were strong and clear. It was plain she’d carefully enunciated them to ensure his father heard them. She rolled her shoulders and stood taller, then with a quick jerking movement, put her right hand in his left. “All that matters is that I’m here now.”
Ramsay bit back every profanity he’d ever known. Such a bitter disappointment. She’d stepped into his life and was now quickly on her way out and the missed opportunity at possible happiness pained him no small amount.
Emrys gave Katie a curt nod. “Well, then. After all these supposed challenges ye bested—do ye now pledge yer fealty to Clan MacDara? And t’my son, Ramsay Danann MacDara, as well?”
Ramsay almost flinched at the words. He closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth to Katie’s ear as he whispered, “Dinna answer, lass. I swear I’ll safely get ye away from here so ye can be on yer way.”
Moving with the strength and ease of someone much younger, Emrys lifted the lethally sharp athame and pressed its tip to the base of Ramsay’s throat until Ramsay slowly backed away from Katie’s cheek and stood motionless at her side.
A stinging prick and then a warm trickling sensation down the
center of his chest told him that his father—his own sire—was so determined t’see this rite done that he’d drawn his own son’s blood.
“Now is no’ the time for words to yer lass, boy. Not yet.” Still clutching Katie’s hand in his left, Emrys returned his scowling focus to Katie but kept the point of the knife to Ramsay’s throat with his right. “Well?”
Willing Katie to understand, Ramsay locked his gaze with hers and gave her the barest shake of his head. Katie couldna possibly ken how important a no answer was to this particular question. It meant a great deal more than merely playing along with an old man’s delusions. Surely, the druid clans wouldna hold her to it under the circumstances. None of them had observed this ancient custom—at least not in this century.
And Athair had forced it by drawing blood.
If she pledged fealty to Clan MacDara and more important, to Ramsay himself, she was pretty much part of the family, whether she realized it or not. Centuries ago, many a druid clan marriage had started this way. Especially for those directly descended from the chieftain. ’Twas the old way of joining souls.
“Tell him no,” Ramsay forced out through clenched teeth, jerking his chin upward as Athair’s blade nicked his throat again.
Eyes rounding as she stared at the knife, Katie quickly nodded. “Yes. Yes. I pledge my fealty to Clan MacDara and to Ramsay especially. I owe him much since he saved me.” She raised her voice. “Don’t hurt him anymore. You’ve got my pledge—for life.”
Deep inside, in the darkest innermost space where his soul resided at his very core, Ramsay felt a distinct twitch. Something akin to a key turning in a lock or a door being unbolted. He swallowed hard and struggled to pull air into his lungs. It wasna painful—yet. But instinctively he knew, from those verra depths of his soul he knew, that damn twitch would vex him in the long run if he didna properly heed it. Hell’s fire, goddesses—I beg ye, save her from this. Save me.
Emrys accepted Katie’s answer with a dip of his head. “It is good, then.”
His attention shifted to Ramsay and while continuing to hold Katie’s hand tightly in his left, he slowly returned the athame to his belt, then held out his right hand to his son. “Come Ramsay. Take the hand of your betrothed and accept her oath with yer kiss. Make her yer wife.”
“Athair.” Ramsay frantically searched his memory for everything he’d ever been taught about this long-forgotten rite. He barely remembered any of the details since the ancient custom had pretty much fallen out of use—at least as far as this century was concerned.
“Ye would dishonor this woman?” Emrys scowled at him with the same look that had struck fear in many an adversary over his father’s years as chieftain and had also kept his sons in line. Emrys lowered his hand to the athame again.
“Nay, Athair, but…” Ramsay finally remembered the one thing that might extricate them from this mess. “Surely, the oath canna be true and lasting without our guardian’s blessing?” Ramsay turned and glared at Dwyn standing flanked by his brothers and sister. “Stop this,” he mouthed. “Stop this for her sake.”
“Dwyn!” Emrys bellowed. “Come forward and speak the blessing.”
“Aye,” Dwyn said as he hurried across the clearing and took his place at Emrys’s side, smiling like a fool first at Ramsay and then at Katie.
Emrys regally turned to Dwyn then tilted his head toward Ramsay. “Ramsay willna accept this woman’s fealty and seal their sacred oath without yer blessing.”
If only she’d faint…Ramsay stole another look at Katie. She’d grown quite pale but patches of red on her fair cheeks gave a hint that perhaps her anger was rising. She’d fainted once before when he’d pulled her out of the wreck. Even if she’d fake a faint, ‘twould get them away from Emrys long enough to allow the old man t’forget all about this mess and allow poor Katie to escape.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, that strange twitch deep inside Ramsay shifted again like a great beast struggling to awaken. I dinna wish her to faint. If she’s bound t’me—even without her knowledge of the old ways—‘twould give me a chance t’win her…maybe.
And when she leaves? His sense of survival, annoying as a festering splinter, prodded his heart and mind like a never-ending echo of doom.
Ramsay shrugged away the feeling. If she left, then she left. What of it. ‘Twould be no matter. But his heart knew his words held little meaning.
“Aye, their oath,” Emrys repeated holding out a hand to Ramsay and lifting it as though daring his son to refuse. “Dwyn shall give his blessing and call down the blessings of the goddesses. Dinna bring shame upon this fine lass who has been through so much t’stand here at yer side.”
“Um…”
Katie’s voice trembled—not from fear, but as a sign she’d had enough. Ramsay had heard that tremble once before. Back at the auto repair shop. When she’d lost her temper. He pulled in a deep breath and readied himself to defend her if Athair became even more deranged. Strength of the druid rite or no’, he’d see that Katie wasna hurt.
“Mr. MacDara, don’t you think we’d better be getting back? Mrs. MacDara is going to worry, and we can’t have that.” She shifted in place and took on the tone of one speaking to an unruly child. “It’s getting late. Come on. We’re finished here. Why don’t you get in the Jeep and we’ll take you to the café for a bite to eat? Pie…and ice cream. How about that?”
“Enough!” Emrys shook his grizzled head with a hard jerk. His voice echoed with the thunderous voices of druids long past, the power he’d called down from the goddesses. “M’son wants ye as his own.” He thumped his chest with his free hand. “I ken the truth of it in my ancient heart. I’ve seen it in the smoke and the goddesses swear it, as well.” Emrys’s voice softened as he continued. “Ye must forgive him. He’s hesitant because of the demoness.”
“Demoness?” Katie repeated, the word coming out of her mouth in a high-pitched squeak.
“Aye.” Emrys nodded slow and hard. “A vile woman determined to destroy him, but he overcame her with the help of our guardian.” He turned to Dwyn and acknowledged the demigod with a respectful bow.
The lass surely thinks we’re all mad. Ramsay shifted at Katie’s side. ’Twas plain as day. The only way to end this catastrophe was to do as Athair bid. And it could be the only kiss I e’er get from the woman after this kerfuffle.
Ramsay gave Katie a look that he hoped like hell she’d understand. “I’m ready,” he said in a voice that sounded a lot stronger than he currently felt.
Emrys took Ramsay’s hand and cut across it. With a slow ceremonial flourish, he turned to Katie and sliced her palm just enough to draw blood then he placed her hand under Ramsay’s and held the two of them tightly together. “Ullachadh sin anaman a dhol còmhla.”
Prepare these souls to join, Ramsay automatically translated in his mind. I’ll explain it all to her later. If I can catch her.
With their hands still pressed together in Emrys’s iron grip, Ramsay slowly turned and faced Katie. All that was left was to seal the oath and receive Dwyn’s blessing.
“Tha mi gad gabhail mar a ghlacas tu mi.” The ancient acceptance. The words had come to him as though whispered in his ear. He squeezed Katie’s hand, all the while hoping like hell that the lass wouldna bolt as soon as her hand was freed. “I accept thee as you accept me,” he repeated quietly for her benefit in case her basic understanding of Gaelic failed her. Goddesses make her let me explain afore she runs like hell.
Emrys released their hands and stepped back. With a wild flourish, he whipped the bloodstained athame from his belt and held it high, the blade trembling as it glinted in the sun. “And now the seal.”
Ramsay shifted to escape and pulled Katie with him.
“—Nay, lad. Hold fast now.” Dwyn grabbed hold of Ramsay’s arm and squeezed. “This day is the goddesses’ wish. It is their wish. Ye ken my meanin
’, boy?”
“She deserves better,” Ramsay forced out in a low hiss. “She’ll ne’er understand.”
“Ramsay!” Katie leaned close, her whisper urgent. “Just do this and get it over with so we can get the hell out of here.” She squeezed both his hands and gave him such a tense look that his heart hitched. He’d give her anything. Do anything she asked.
Poor lass. She has no idea.
Dwyn rested his hand atop theirs and his voice boomed out across the mountain. “By blood these two be bound. By kiss these two be sealed.” He paused and took hold of Ramsay and Katie’s clasped hands and raised them. “Their souls I lift to Scota, Danu, and Bride.” He paused a heartbeat, then continued. “Bless this union. Guide their ways. Bind their souls all their days. For good of clan, for good of the stone, for good of one and all. By these witnesses here today, goddesses heed my call.”
As soon as Dwyn finished speaking, lightning rippled across the cloudless sky and deafening thunder shook the mountain, sounding as though a thousand boulders had been released to roll across the earth.
Ramsay ground his teeth, tore his gaze from Katie’s shocked face, and glared at Dwyn. The demigod had spoken the wrong blessing. He hadna merely bound them in marriage, hadna just blessed them as man and wife. He’d bound their souls for all time whether they physically remained with one another or not and then the arrogant manipulatin’ bastard had gone so far as to seal the melding with a sign from the goddesses themselves.
“Ye may kiss yer soulmate, Ramsay.” Dwyn looked at him with a sly smile, knowing full well what he’d just done. “Blessings t’ye both, my children.”
Dear unsuspectin’ lass…what have I done t’ye? Ramsay shook his head, then brushed a quick tender kiss across Katie’s slightly parted lips. As soon as their mouths met, he felt the ancient binding brand, searing their souls together like a surge of fiery finality deep within him.
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