Forbidden Highlander (10 page)

She caressed his chest, wishing she could take away some of his heartache. “I know the pain of having my god unbound, and though I didn’t know it was going to be me, I knew what was happening. You didn’t know anything, did you?”

“Nay. Deirdre chained us as soon as we entered her mountain. Lucan jerked at his chains so hard that they cut into his skin. There was so much blood, and nothing I said to him could still him. And then there was Quinn. He couldn’t stop yelling at her. I doona know if he knew what he was saying, the ache of losing his wife and son had nearly killed him. It all seemed so surreal at the time. I was the eldest, I needed to show my brothers that I could stay calm in the face of such a crises.”

She swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. “Fallon.”

“But the moment she started chanting, all my good intentions flew out the door. I was ripped apart by the pain, blinded by the fury at what was happening. I knew something had come to pass, and it wasn’t for the better. I wanted to kill her, to seek vengeance for what she had done to my people. I ripped at the chains, expecting to get nowhere like Lucan, and then they broke. My brothers followed suit. As much as I wanted to kill Deirdre, and I would have had the chance, too, I knew we had to leave. She was stunned that we were able to break away, but I took my brothers out of the mountain. And we ran and ran and ran.”

“I can’t believe you got away.”

“We caught her by surprise. She wasna expecting us to run. The wyrran that came after us we killed. We hid for many years in the mountains, moving constantly. Then, we returned to our castle.”

He paused and she could feel his pain as if it were her own. She ran her hand over his chest wishing she could heal the wounds deep inside him.

“Our lands were gone, our castle falling down, but we stayed. We hid in the darkness, keeping away from everyone and everything.”

For long moments they sat in silence. Larena didn’t know what to say in response to Fallon’s admission. His tale was similar to what she had heard as a child, but she had never known what had happened to him at Deirdre’s hands.

And somehow, hearing it from him made it so much worse. How anyone so evil and vile as Deirdre could come into such power seemed unbelievable.

“You’re going to fight her, aren’t you?”

“Aye,” he said, and smoothed his fingers through her hair. “Our castle will house anyone who seeks to hide from her or fight against her.”

“I want to fight with you.”

He smiled against her forehead. “I’m glad.”

“It’s almost dawn. We’ve been talking all night.”

Fallon chuckled. “I doona think I’ve ever spent so much time talking to a woman before. And here I could have been making love to you again.”

Larena rolled on top of his chest to look into his dark green eyes. “Hm. I quite enjoyed our talk.”

“Apparently, though I did all of it.”

“I’ve told you all there is to know about my life.”

He gripped her buttocks and rocked her against his arousal. “We’ve time for another round.”

She wanted nothing more, but she also wanted to leave Edinburgh as soon as she could. Ever since she had seen the wyrran she’d had an uneasy feeling.

“Do we have time?” she asked.

Fallon glanced out the window. “Shite. When can you be ready?”

“Give me at least until dawn.”

“Why not just leave Malcolm a missive?”

She wrinkled her nose. “After all he’s done for me, that isn’t fair. I’ll hurry to get ready, and if he hasn’t come to my chamber by then I’ll go find him.”

“All right. Meet me in the gardens. There is a bench surrounded by yellow roses.”

“I know the one,” she said, and reluctantly rolled from him and the bed. She stood next to him and bent to give him another kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

He sat up as she moved to the window. “Doona be late,” he called just as she turned invisible.

“I won’t,” she promised.

Larena couldn’t stop smiling. Ever since she had returned from Fallon’s chamber, she had been walking in a daze. Fallon had not only returned her desire, but he was going to take her to his castle. And protect her.

She knew she should be more cautious. After all, the first time she had given herself to a man, it had ended with her father’s murder.

But Fallon is different
.

Was he? She trusted him with her life, she was trusting a man she barely knew. Then there was her biggest secret—the Scroll. Fallon wanted the Scroll to give to Deirdre. It was something she couldn’t allow.

But she had looked into Fallon’s eyes. Her instincts told her Fallon hadn’t lied when he vowed to protect her, but Larena knew she would also have to guard herself. Already she was thinking of being in his arms again. Nothing good could come of her unquenchable desire for Fallon.

For so long she had been on her own, hiding and running. It was going to be nice to have a place where she knew she was safe, where everyone knew her secret and didn’t care. She was going to miss Malcolm, but she knew this day had been coming for a while. Malcolm deserved a life, and she was going to ensure he had one.

She rose from her bath and dried off. She was sore from Fallon’s lovemaking, but it was a delectable soreness, one she wanted to experience again and again.

She had learned her lesson though. She didn’t trust anyone but Malcolm and other Warriors. The man who had claimed her body first had wooed her with pretty words and promises. She had seen too late what he was about, and even with her powers she’d been unable to save her father.

Even now, so many decades later, she could remember finding her lover standing over her father’s body, the dagger still buried in her father’s chest. Blind rage had consumed her, and when she had returned to herself, her lover was dead. By her hand.

It was the first time she had taken a human life, and though he had murdered her father, she still felt the weight of that life taken every day.

It was a bitter lesson, but one she had needed to help sustain her through her long, lonely years.

Larena dressed in a gown of the softest cream. The wired collar with decorative lace edging was all the rage, but she hated it. Just as she hated the cartwheel hoops she wore under her gown. It was ridiculous for a woman to wear such trappings. She couldn’t move freely to engage in battle if a wyrran came upon her, and it took her too much time to get out of the gown.

She adjusted the wide, lace-edged cuffs of her sleeve and longed to don the simple gowns she had worn while she lived with her clan. She much preferred life in the Highlands with men in their kilts to the stuffy, overindulged buffoons that walked around with knitted stockings and padded breeches.

As her maid combed and pinned her hair, a knock sounded on her door. Her heart leaped, thinking it was Fallon, but she realized a moment later Fallon wouldn’t come to see her.

“Enter,” she called.

She smiled as she saw Malcolm through the mirror of her dressing table. “Any news?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” he said as he leaned against the door. “Are you almost finished?”

“That will be all.” Larena dismissed the maid.

Once they were alone, Malcolm walked to the chair. He sat and braced his elbows on his knees. “Tell me you have good news.”

“The best.” She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading. “Fallon has agreed to take me to the castle. He wants to leave immediately.”

Malcolm grinned. “I’m relieved to hear it. I think the sooner you’re away from here the better.”

He wasn’t ready to say farewell, and she wasn’t either, truth be told. But Malcolm had sacrificed too much. “You must promise that you will forget about me and get on with your life.”

He chuckled. “Never. You’ve given me adventure the likes of which I’ll never know again.”

“You need to find a wife and sire plenty of children. You’ve a clan to lead, Malcolm, and I’ve no doubt you will be the best laird of the Monroes yet.”

He rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed. “Are you sure about MacLeod?”

“You know my issues with trusting people better than most. Fallon has given his vow to help protect me. I believe him.”

“That’s all I ask.”

She rose and held out her hand to him. “Thank you. For everything.”

“I’m going to miss you.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Aye. I feel the same.”

Quinn’s body ached. He’d been cut, bruised, and beaten, yet he hadn’t given in to his god as Deirdre wanted. He smiled and then winced as his busted lip cracked open and began to bleed again.

Deirdre had actually come down to his cell. She had stood in the entrance and watched her Warriors beat him. After a while she had called a halt and told Quinn to turn, to let his god free.

He had looked at her through the one eye that wasn’t swollen shut and laughed at her. The beating had started again, and this time the Warriors used their claws. They had repeated the process several times until Deirdre had left the prison.

He knew the instant she departed because the Warriors went at him as though they wanted to kill him. And they nearly had. He would heal, though it would take time.

His shoulders ached from hanging by the chains, but it was better than rolling around with the rats. He shuddered. God, he hated the rats. They were always there, their squeaking heard throughout the dungeons. Quinn had felt them run across his feet too many times.

With both eyes swollen shut now he couldn’t see, but he could hear the rat coming toward him. He knew by the sound of its tiny claws on the rocks that it was almost upon him.

Stop
.

The rat paused, but kept coming.

Stop! Dammit, stop!

And to his confusion, the rat did.

Quinn felt something in his mind. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he would try anything to keep the rats away from him.

Don’t come near me. Keep the others away
.

His heart leaped into his throat when the rat turned and scurried away. Quinn wasn’t sure what had happened, and he was too tired to think about it. His head felt as if someone had tried to crack open his skull. All he wanted to do was sleep and dream of home, of his brothers.

He wanted to tell his brothers he had pushed aside the anger that hadn’t left him in three hundred years. That fury had allowed his god to rule him, and when Quinn discovered that’s what Deirdre wanted, he had fought his god with everything he had. He would die now before he let his god out.

Fallon paced his chamber as he watched the sun break the horizon, his mind occupied with thoughts of Larena. He hadn’t wanted to let her go, but if they were to leave for his castle, she had to get things in order.

He still couldn’t believe she was a Warrior. Never would he have guessed there would be a female Warrior. Though why he should be surprised, he wasn’t sure. It was well known that some of the fiercest Celtic warriors had been women.

A chill wrapped around his heart as he thought of Deirdre discovering Larena. Fallon had experienced for himself the treachery of Deirdre, and he didn’t want Larena coming anywhere near that evil bitch.

The need to get to MacLeod Castle was great. If he’d had his way, they would already be there, but Larena was insistent on talking to Malcolm first. He understood, Malcolm had done much for her, but Fallon couldn’t help thinking the longer they stayed at the king’s castle the longer Larena put herself in danger.

They were to meet in the garden in less than an hour. Larena had no idea they would be at MacLeod Castle in less time than it took to blink. He couldn’t wait to return, though regrettably he would have no news of the Scroll that could help free Quinn from Deirdre.

Fallon blew out a breath. He hadn’t been able to talk to the king. He would, however, ask Larena if she knew anything of the Scroll. There had to be some Warrior or Druid who knew if it was real or not.

Fallon found himself staring at a bush of dark red roses. His mother had loved roses. His father had brought a shrub back from a trip to Glasgow one year. Fallon smiled as he recalled how his mother had reverently planted the shrub, watching over it every day. Fallon had doubted it would survive in their rocky soil, but with her care, the plant had grown and bloomed with flowers of virginal white.

He should have taken care of the roses, but like everything else, he had let them wither and die.

The sound of a knock on his door brought Fallon out of his thoughts. He opened it to find Malcolm. Fallon looked at the young lord with new eyes. Malcolm had put his own life at risk helping Larena.

“I owe you a debt of thanks,” Malcolm said. He pushed away a lock of blond hair that kept falling in his eyes.

Fallon nodded and invited Malcolm inside his chamber. “She told me what you’ve done for her. I doona know if you realize how much danger you’re in.”

Malcolm shrugged. “My family did wrong by her. I’m just trying to make it right.”

“Is she ready?”

“I’ve come to tell you she’s already in the garden. She’s eager to leave Edinburgh.”

“Thank God,” Fallon said.

Malcolm barked with laughter. He lost his smile and stepped closer to Fallon and lowered his voice. “Larena has been alone for much of her life. She’s used to fending for herself, and she doesn’t trust easily. Give her time.”

“I willna constrict her,” Fallon promised. “I’m merely taking her somewhere she’ll be safe from Deirdre. My castle is being repaired as we speak. There are four other Warriors at the castle as well as two Druids.”

“Two?” Malcolm repeated, his eyes wide. “How did you find two?”

“One of them is my brother’s wife. The second found us.”

“Found you? How?”

“The trees told her,” Fallon said with a smile.

Malcolm whistled low. “Amazing.”

Fallon nodded. “It is. You know much about us, Monroe. If Deirdre ever gets her hands on you…”

“I would never endanger Larena. Never,” he swore. His eyes were narrowed, his cheeks reddening in anger. “There is nothing Deirdre could do that would make me tell her anything.”

Fallon was skeptical, but he gave a nod of his head to Malcolm. “I hope you are right.”