HauntedLaird (6 page)

Lynn knew he wasn’t happy this day had come. It meant the
man he loved would be leaving him behind. She moved to his side and wished she
could hug him without her arms going right through him. Instead, she stood as
close as possible even though his coldness chilled her to the bone.

Looking up at him, she knew in her heart what he needed to
do even if he wasn’t sure about doing it. Though it made her hand feel frozen
solid, she placed it where his would be if it wasn’t transparent and whispered,
“You must tell him the way of your heart. It will free your soul.”

* * * * *

Frustrated and tired, Lynn sat between Travis and Fin in the
late-afternoon sun at the mouth of the cave. She was grateful for the
provisions Travis had in his pack and was glad he’d even brought stuff from her
pack as well. Nibbling on dried fruit and drinking water helped reenergize her
system but did nothing for her spirits. She’d checked on Padon several times,
knowing he’d still be frozen in his stone casket.

Absently she spoke the anti-curse, not realizing she did. “I
wish I knew what the words meant.”

“
Step free o’ stone. Be ye beast or man. ’Tis love either
way. Though ye be mine by night, if not by day.
At least that’s what I
figure it says.” Fin shrugged at Travis’ dropped-jaw, surprised look. “What? I
know a bit o’ the ol’ language.”

“I’ve known you forever and this be the first time you ever
told me that one.” Travis shook his head. “Just when you think you know
someone.”

“Didn’t think it mattered. Grandma thought it best for the
young ta know the ways o’ the old.” Fin grinned as he wagged his eyebrows at
Lynn. “And look how it paid off. I helped a lady learn the meaning o’ an
anti-curse.”

“Now don’t you be hitting on Lynn,” Travis retorted, taking
a stand between her and Fin.

She couldn’t help but laugh at their antics, knowing that
neither of them was truly interested in her in any physical sense. Fin’s green
eyes glistened from beneath his mop of unruly black curls. When he took a
playful fighting stance to match Travis’, his thin frame looked anything but
wiry like she’d first thought. He seemed much more leanly muscled but not as
tall as Travis. He stood more eye-to-eye with her.

“Okay, gentlemen,” she said as she stood and cleared the
laughter from her throat. In a playful tone, she teased, “There’ll be no
fighting over me today. Besides, I know I’m not your flavor.”

Travis gently pulled one of her curls as he shot a wink at
Fin. “Well maybe you be the one ta sway us both. What say you, Fin? You up ta a
challenge?”

Fin stood in front of Lynn and wrapped his arms around her,
capturing her between him and Travis. “You do be a lot softer and you smell a
heck o’ a lot better than Travis.”

“Hey,” Travis jested, feigning being hurt.

Fin released Lynn and immediately took Travis into a hug.
“But I think I like ’em hard and smelling o’ the woods and man sweat.” He
looked back at Lynn. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Lynn laughed at the two of them lovingly
bickering back and forth as they moved to sort the packs and make ready for
them to start out the moment the sun went down and Padon came to life.

She settled onto the deerskin blanket, taking in the beauty
of the world outside the cave. The heavy storm seemed to have washed everything
clean, giving it a pristine appearance and the air a clean scent. Seeing but not
really seeing, she was focused on the task at hand—getting Padon home. She’d
told herself repeatedly that was their first priority, not sex. Though almost
every time she thought of him, sex sprang to mind, which in turn added another
ingredient into the boiling pot of guilt in her stomach over Eddie’s memory.

A slight movement had her turning her head in time to see
the rope begin to jiggle. They’d tied it to one of the large rocks to keep it
in place for when they were ready to climb back up it.

“Umm, guys,” she spoke hurriedly and in a hushed tone so
whoever was on that rope didn’t hear her. “I think we’re about to have
visitors.” She scurried away from the mouth of the cave to stand behind them.

Travis stared at the rope then at Fin. “You think those two
found us?”

“It’s possible. Didn’t think they had any tracking skills in
’em.” Fin nodded toward the rear of the cave. “Let’s wait back there and give
them a welcome they’ll never forget.”

Jasper appeared. “Let mi handle this. Ye stay out o’ sight.”
He shot them a devilish grin that displayed how much he loved his job. He
disappeared and they knew he hovered near, waiting for the opportune moment.

Travis and Fin grabbed their gear and, together with Lynn,
hid out of sight in the tunnel. Of course, they only went far enough not to be
seen but were still able to watch the action. It seemed like forever before
Timothy touched down on the ledge.

“I made it,” he yelled up at someone they assumed had to be
Lonnie, then he entered the cave. He hadn’t taken three steps when Jasper made
his appearance. But from the looks of it, Timothy didn’t see him. That didn’t
faze Jasper.

Lynn stifled a laugh when Jasper lifted the deerskin blanket
from where she’d left it and draped it across Timothy’s shoulders. Timothy spun
around, his head snapping from side to side.

“Who’s there?” he questioned in a panicked voice, snatching
the blanket off and tossing it to the side.

Jasper stated boldly and loudly enough it seemed to bounce
around the cave. “Ye be trespassing. Stay and be crucified for thy misdeeds or
leave and live.”

He pelted Timothy with an array of oddities from his
collection. A camera hit Timothy in the side of the head. A canteen hard to the
gut made Timothy bend at the waist, gasping for air. But when Jasper draped the
deerskin blanket over his own head and levitated several feet off the ground,
Timothy’s eyes widened and his feet couldn’t move fast enough. He untied the
rope from the rock, wrapped it around his waist and tugged on it, screaming,
“Pull me up. Pull me up quick!”

From what she could see from her hiding spot, it appeared as
if Lonnie didn’t react quickly enough for Timothy. She saw him jump out of the
cave and heard a loud scream when something she could only imagine was Timothy
hit the side of the mountain with a thud. Rocks tumbled past the opening of the
cave as the three in hiding came forward laughing until they cried. They never
saw anyone turn so white or move so fast. Jasper floated next to them with a
broad smile on his face.

“Did I do that ta your satisfaction?”

“You did just fine, Jasper,” Travis stated, wiping tears
from his eyes.

“Great job,” Lynn said the moment she caught her breath.

“Now I understand how you’ve managed ta protect him from
being found,” Fin declared after clearing his throat. “Unfortunately, all that
did was buy us some time. I’ve got a bad feeling that’s not the last we’ll see
o’ them.”

“I’m betting you’re right,” Travis agreed. He winked at
Lynn. “But we’ve got a way ta get him out o’ here they don’t know about. You
said you doubted those two were true believers. Timothy just proved that by not
being able ta see Jasper. He could only hear him and see the objects Jasper
moved.”

“How is it those two are even involved in the society?” Lynn
asked, shaking her head.

“Unfortunately, ta be a member o’ the society you simply
have ta be a descendent from one o’ the original clans who took the oath. But
those two are bad seeds. At the meetings, neither o’ them cared why they were
there. They never believed in the so-called fairy tales o’ the ancestors, as I
remember them saying. The only time they showed any interest was at the last
meeting when Angus MacDonnell, the head o’ the society, announced a bounty for
any o’ the MacKinnon statues. They were ta be brought ta Grant’s Tavern in Lochsbury.”

“If they never paid attention like you suggest, then they
probably don’t know about or care about the anti-curse.” Fin nodded and Travis
continued. “So they won’t realize that the man dressed in the kilt climbing up
the mountain is the statue they’re looking to cash in on.”

“There’s a flaw in your theory,” Fin stated grimly.

“What?”

“They took the rope. How’re we getting ta the top?”

“Ye shall leave through the easier way.” Jasper spoke the
words as if it were a well-known statement to all in the cave. “If ye think
Padon and I climbed the side o’ the mountain every time ta get here, then ye be
mistaken. There be an easier path.”

Chapter Six

Lynn couldn’t believe she stood in front of Padon, waiting
for the sun to go down so he would step free of his stone prison. Just a little
over a week ago, she sat in her bedroom packing for vacation. She hugged
herself, not certain if she actually lived in the moment or had been in an
accident, hit her head and now lay in a hospital somewhere in Scotland, hallucinating
she was here.

With her eyes closed tight, she breathed in deep, taking in
the cool air of the deepest part of the cave. Never would she have thought this
trip would have taken a turn into such an astronomically spiritual encounter,
with remarkably unbelievable paranormal activity.

All those years she and Eddie had devoured every article and
book on ghosts, spirits and paranormal experiences. They’d spent hours
researching haunted houses and grounds throughout the state of Texas. They’d
saved for the perfect trip to Scotland so they could explore some of the oldest
haunts in the world. But Eddie never made it here. It was just her. Still
hugging herself, she slowly spun full circle.

Was this real or simply a dream? A wild, outrageous dream.
She opened her eyes and focused on the statue…phenomenally handsome, most
gorgeous hunk of a man she’d seen in a long time. She shook off the thought.
The main reason she came on this adventure with Travis was to make contact and
speak with an otherworldly being.

Which she accomplished.

She helped Jasper with his request. She’d spoken the words
and Padon was released. Did that mean Jasper would finally tell her how to
reach Eddie before he crossed over? Or was this simply the first lesson in a
long list of things she needed to know before acquiring the skill to locate
Eddie on the other side? So far, every time she attempted to discuss this issue
with Jasper, he’d managed to avoid giving her straight answers. Before this was
all over, she hoped to wheedle information out of him.

Male voices grew louder, letting her know her time alone
with Padon had ended. Travis and Fin came down the stairs and moved behind her.
Jasper appeared at her side.

“It’s time,” he spoke. His voice was barely above a whisper
yet she heard his distress. If he weren’t already dead, the anticipation would
probably have killed him. Lord knew it was killing her. “Nightfall be almost
upon us.”

Her nerves were taut as a newly strung tennis racquet. She
took a deep breath and prayed nothing went wrong. Looking at Jasper and knowing
the depth of his love for this man, his pain was her pain.

The ground shook slightly, making her take a step for
balance. Bright light shot from a growing fissure splitting straight up the
center of the statue. Lynn shielded her eyes. Blinking, she tried to see
through the cloud of dirt and dust that rose from the disturbance. She fanned
the air in front of her face, attempting to clear it enough to focus. Though
the whole incident happened in a flash, it felt longer to Lynn before she saw
Padon.

Bits and pieces of stone lay scattered on the ground around
his bare feet. Padon stood as if ready to pounce. A layer of dust covered his
kilt and flesh as her gaze slid upward. It surprised her to see his sword held
poised and pointed, unwavering at Travis and Fin, keeping them at bay. It
appeared as if he dared either of them to move. And from the looks of it,
neither of them did. She couldn’t be certain if they even took a full breath.

The massive size of Padon’s arms left no doubts about his
ability to wield lethal damage with the ancient instrument of death. Following
the line of those tightly coiled muscles led her gaze to his shoulders and his
chest, which heaved with each intake and exhale of air. Was he scared or in
shock from the transformation?

Though she already knew his body, she stood, soaking him in
for a few seconds, giving him time to acclimate to his surroundings. He
appeared distraught and confused. Did the curse make him that way? Did he
remember her or had their rendezvous in the waterfall been wiped from his
memory when he fell to the curse for the night?

She couldn’t help but note his square jawline was held so
tight a faint twitch started in his cheek beneath his left eye. He had the
sexiest set of blue-green eyes even though his stare was so intense, never
leaving either of the men, as if waiting for them to make the first move. Lynn
sensed Padon hadn’t noticed she was there. A raw intensity wafted off him,
keeping
her
completely aware of him.

Would he actually hurt Travis or Fin? She couldn’t let that
happen. Lynn stepped forward and touched his arm, garnering his attention.
Padon turned his eyes toward her and his gaze softened with recognition. But he
didn’t relax.

“Mi wee one.” His voice sounded hoarse as he spoke and she
wished she had a drink for him to soothe his throat. “I woke startled by the
presence o’ two unknowns. Are ye safe or do ye need mi ta dispatch these
adversaries from this place?” She had no doubt of whom he spoke because he
didn’t lower his sword, he simply flicked it, causing her gaze to follow the
direction to which it pointed. Travis and Fin stood stock still, waiting for
Padon to drop his weapon.

Jasper appeared beside Travis and Fin. “Nay,
m’cariad
.
These men be here ta help. Meet Travis Shain and mi kinfolk, Fin MacIntyre.”

“Ye kinfolk?” Padon questioned. His eyebrow arched as he
sheathed his sword.

Jasper quickly explained everything to Padon in their native
tongue of Gaelic. Lynn listened in awe of the beauty of the language and wished
she understood. But from the expression on Padon’s face, it was clear Jasper
spoke of Fin, explaining how they were related and why the two men were here.

* * * * *

When he woke, Padon’s vision was not clear and he knew not
where he was. Two men stood in his direct line of sight, strangely dressed but
seemingly unarmed. But he took no chances and kept them at sword’s length until
he regained composure. Where had they come from and were they associated with
MacGillivray were the questions that filtered through his fogged brain. His
heavy-headedness felt as if he’d drunk a vat of ale and it seemed as if cobwebs
lingered across his eyes, blurring his vision.

Though he’d had a lot of time to think while trapped
throughout the day, Padon’s thoughts were contorted, making it difficult to
sort time and place for several long seconds.
Cursed.
That’s what Lynn
and Jasper told him last night. His
brathairs
and he were cursed to
stone for centuries by the black-magic words spoken from MacGillivray.

Lynn’s touch to his arm grounded him and warmed his cold
heart. Her smile eased his angst and had him wanting to protect her, hold her
and kiss her until his world was made right. But Jasper interrupted the moment.
He listened to Jasper’s explanation of who the two men were and why they were
there. By the time Jasper was finished, Padon needed a second to think.

To gain his bearings, he closed his eyes. Though he tried
not to let it, the last memory from that fateful day roared to life, taking
over his mind, making him relive it again as he had throughout the hours
trapped in his stone tomb. He’d heard his
brathair
Ian yell some sort of
warning, then silence. No longer did he hear Ian’s voice. He’d grabbed his
sword and left his room in search of what had happened. The sight of his
brathair
frozen in stone terrified him. What sort of black magic was this? He’d heard a
noise and tracked it.

MacGillivray stood in the great hall, circling his
brathair
Struan, who now resembled poor Ian. Frozen, unable to move or fight. Padon
sprang into the room, sword held ready to spear MacGillivray through his
darkened heart. The bastard turned as Padon ran toward him. He didn’t blink,
just spoke a verse and life stood still. The last he remembered, his sword
stopped mere inches from the demon’s chest. Somehow he knew before his brain
shut down he’d fallen to the same fate as his
brathairs
.

When he rose from the curse for the first time last night,
he thought it was a bad dream. That it hadn’t really happened, because he woke
in the hunting cave and not the castle. He’d shaken it off as a horrible
nightmare brought on by too much drink. Seeing a woman in the waterfall gave
him an opportunity to believe his theory. She was beautiful and receptive and a
gift given to him by his best friend, Jasper. At least that’s what he’d tried
to convince himself as they’d shared intimacies. But the appearance of Jasper’s
ghost had set him straight with the help of Lynn.

Padon opened his eyes and let his gaze glide across Lynn’s
angelic features. Her nearness aroused his desire and made it easier for him to
shove the nightmare into a corner of his mind, for now.

But knowing a descendent of MacGillivray’s lived to carry on
his demonic work shredded his soul. He gallantly swallowed his hatred and held
it deep within, waiting for the perfect time to let it resurface into a useful
tool of revenge. No one need know this level of anger he kept at bay,
especially this gentle lamb beside him. Her beauty knew no such beast like the
one he knew would rear its ugly head once he found MacGillivray.

“Padon, are you all right?” she asked.

“Aye, mi wee one.” He liked her soft voice and its odd lilt
turned him on. A Texas twang she had called it. He knew not where she was from,
but admired how they grew their women—full-figured, with ample bosom and a set
of hips meant to handle childbirth. Aye, she was built nicely. “Just gaining mi
bearings. Takes a moment ta shake the curse from mi bones. Having ye beside mi
makes it an easier task ta accomplish.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed
a kiss to her knuckles.

Blue eyes filled with the brightness of the sun held a hint
of joy and happiness within them as heat colored her cheeks. When she smiled,
it lit up her face and he sensed she truly understood his needs. He fingered
the soft auburn curls that framed her face. It was cut too short for his
liking. If he asked, would she grow it long for him?

Would she get mad if he tugged one straight and let it go?
Before he could stop himself, his hand took action. Looping a curl between his
fingers, he gently pulled it straight and let go. It did exactly as he thought
it would by popping right back into a tight curl beside her face. She didn’t
slap his hand away, instead she laughed. The warmth of her laughter filled him,
making him smile.

“The only time those aren’t so curly is when I let it grow
long,” Lynn stated, fingering her hair as if ensuring it had returned to its
proper place.

He touched her chin, lifting her face to look into her eyes
again. “Long. Aye. Would be nice on ye, mi wee one.”

Padon stared at her until the realization of what Jasper had
said sank in. These men were here to help him return to Castle MacKinnon.
Though he hated looking away from those gorgeous eyes, he dropped his hand to
his side and looked at Jasper over Lynn’s head. “Man by night. Stone by day.
Apparently that part o’ the anti-curse be true.”

“Aye,” Jasper replied.

“Castle MacKinnon can no be reached in one night.”

Fin stepped forward and offered, “We have a way ta get you
home. We just have ta get ta my grandfather’s farm before sunrise.”

“How far?” Padon asked, looking at the wiry man.

“Travis and I have made the hike in a day and a half, but
that was pushing it.” Fin looked him directly in the eye. Padon liked that. It
was a true measure of a man. If he couldn’t or wouldn’t meet his gaze then he
was untrustworthy.

Padon said, “We shall leave now.”

“We’ll gather our gear.”

“Return here, quickly,” Jasper called to the retreating
backs of Travis and Fin as they hustled toward the stairs.

“Do you have shoes or a shirt for Padon?” She posed the
question to Jasper. Lynn’s sweet concern for his state of undress made him
pause as he adjusted the sheath around him.

Padon grinned at her. “Milady, ’tis no a concern.”

Jasper laughed heartily. “Lynn. Padon tends ta be without
shoes and shall we say clothes as much as propriety allows. Ye be lucky he had
on a kilt the day he was cursed.” At the mention of that day, a dark shadow
seemed to pass over Jasper’s expression. “The curse be o’ no luck at all. If’n
I were there I could have saved ye.”

“Nay, Jasper,” Padon replied in a reassuring tone.
“MacGillivray was determined ta end Clan MacKinnon. Ye would only have fallen
ta the curse as well.”

“I should never have left the castle that night,” Jasper
snapped, but more at himself rather than at Padon.

Padon rubbed his chin and his tone was laced with innuendo.
“As I recall it, ye left with a young maiden.”

“Aye.” Jasper’s head hung low in shame.

“Did ye enjoy the night?”

“Nay,” Jasper admitted. “Naught happened. I tried and failed.
She no be ta mi liking.”

Padon laughed. “More likely the amount o’ ale we drank that
night interfered.”

Jasper let loose a nervous laugh but Lynn saw right through
it. Padon didn’t seem to be catching on to what Jasper was trying to say. When
Jasper looked at her, his expression spoke what he couldn’t and Lynn’s heart
took a nosedive to her stomach. From what she understood, Jasper felt guilty
for not being at the castle to save his friend. And worst of all, he was trying
to prove himself to be a man by bedding a woman, which apparently didn’t work.
Oh lord, what was she going to do to help him?

Padon moved toward the waterfall. She followed. Jasper
lingered where Padon had stood for centuries. When she looked back, she saw a
light brighten around him and he shook his head as if saying no to someone she
could not see.

“Padon,” Lynn called out and he stopped. She pointed to
Jasper.

His shape flickered and it appeared he struggled to keep his
visceral appearance. Padon hurried to his side. He knelt in front of his
friend. Tears shimmered in his eyes.