Highland Fires (27 page)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ahryn walked the halls of the palace, deep in
thought. Her grandfather’s words rang in her mind, and with the
imminent arrival of her parents, she knew she had precious little
time to speak to Lugus alone.

It still didn’t matter to
her what he had done. Even if he had been the one that nearly
destroyed
Caer Rhoemyr
, he wasn’t the same man and she would gladly place her life
in his hands. She just needed to tell him that.

Then they could decide what was right for
them. She knew if she didn’t have a chance to speak to Lugus before
her parents arrived, she never would. Her parents still treated her
like a child.

“Maybe its time I stopped letting them,” she
whispered.

It was time she stopped complaining about how
her parents treated her and did something about it. She smiled at
her decision, knowing it had been Lugus’ influence on her that had
changed her into what she was.

Her feet hurried as she turned and walked to
Lugus’ chamber. By the time she reached it, she was nearly giddy
with excitement.

Which made her disappointment all the worse
when she found the room empty.

“I think he’s feeling much better.”

Ahryn spun around to find Rufina behind her.
“My queen. I didn’t hear you approach.”

Rufina gave her a knowing smile. “That is
obvious. I’d like to speak with you a moment if you please.”

Ahryn glanced at Lugus’ bed. She would have
to wait to find him, but find him she would.

“Aye, my queen.”

“Good,” Rufina said. “Come with me.”

Ahryn didn’t know why Rufina took her to the
small chamber off of the king and queen’s private quarters. It felt
more like an interrogation coming.

“Have a seat,” Rufina said as they passed one
of the many chairs.

Ahryn sank into one and waited.

She didn’t have long to wait.

“Tell me, Ahryn, how much do
you love Lugus?”


Ahryn blinked. “I love him so much that I would give up my
immortality to be with him.”

“That much, aye,” Rufina said, her face
devoid of expression.

“Aye.”

“Without knowing what demons
haunt him?”


Ahryn
nodded. “It doesn’t matter what he has done in the past. I know
what kind of man he is now.”

“One more question,” Rufina said. “Did you
somehow manage to link yourself to him while he was in the Realm of
Shadows?”

Ahryn swallowed. “I did. I knew he would need
help and I sought to give him that.”

Rufina suddenly smiled. “You’ll be quite
happy with Lugus. He is a good man, Ahryn, despite what some think
of him.”

“I know,” Ahryn said, a smile on her face as
well. “I went to his chamber to tell him of my love and that I
don’t care what he has done in the past. I will help him release
his demons. We can do it together.”

Rufina stood then and patted Ahryn’s
shoulder. “Wait in the throne room. I’ll find Lugus and send him
there. Oh, and Ahryn. Don’t worry about your parents. I’ve kept
them away and I will continue to do so until you and Lugus have had
a chance to talk.”

Ahryn hugged herself and gave a prayer of
thanks before hurrying to the throne room.

She walked aimlessly around the massive room
as her mind raced with everything she wished to say to Lugus. She
went over every possible outcome and her reaction to each, just so
she could be prepared for any eventuality.

When the door opened, she jumped and turned
expecting to find Lugus but found Theron instead. He was leaning
against the door as if it had taken every ounce of his strength
just to open it.

She hurried to her king and slipped her arm
around his waist to help support him.

“I don’t think you were supposed to be out of
bed yet. Queen Rufina will have your head if you hurt
yourself.”

He smiled, though his mouth was pinched with
fatigue. “I’m fine, Ahryn, just incredibly weak. I’ve never felt
this before, and I will be perfectly content to never feel it
again.”

She helped him into his
throne and made sure he was comfortable before she stepped back.
“Can I get you anything?”


“Nay,” he said, his eyes closed as he
leaned his head against the back of the throne. “I had felt fine
when I awoke and thought I would go looking for my wife, but it was
only a few steps away from the bed that I realized my
mistake.”

Ahryn chuckled. “I’ll find someone to get you
back to your chamber.”

“Not yet,” he said. “I’m comfortable for
now.”

“All right,” she said and
glanced at the doors.


“You act as though you are waiting on something, or someone,”
he said, one eye cracked open.

Ahryn threaded her hands together and faced
her king. “I am.”

“Who is the lucky suitor? Is Michyl
pleased?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure what my
grandfather thinks.”

“And the suitor?”

“Lugus.”



Theron’s eyes snapped open.
“My brother Lugus?”


Ahryn nodded, barely able to contain the shudder that ran down
her spine at the look on Theron’s face.

“I forbid it. You are not to even speak to
him. He isn’t worthy of you.”

“I think I’m the only one that can decide who
is or isn’t worthy of me,” Ahryn retorted. “My king.”

“If you won’t listen to my advice, maybe the
truth of what he is will change your mind.”

Ahryn opened her mouth to stop him. She
didn’t want to hear Lugus’ deeds from Theron. Now she understood
when Rufina had told her to let Lugus speak first.

“He might have been wrongly accused of
killing our father,” he began.”

“Might have been?” Ahryn asked outraged. “He
was. And wrongly imprisoned as well. You were in that realm for a
mere few days. He was there for millennia and survived.”

Theron sliced his hand in front of him for
her silence. “I’m not through,” he ground out.

Ahryn stared at him, not understanding the
hate Theron felt for the man that had saved his life.

“It was vengeance that kept Lugus alive those
millennia, Ahryn, and when he was able to free himself, he had more
power than anyone in any realm. He set out to take over this realm
and Earth.”

“This realm was rightly his,” she said
hastily.

“It doesn’t clear him of what he did. Not
only did he trap the entire Fae realm under his control, but he
released the Death Dragons which nearly destroyed this city.”

Lugus had just stepped into the throne room
as he heard his brother’s bellow. When Rufina had found him and
told him that Ahryn waited for him, Lugus had nearly ran the
distance. Now, as he waited for his brother to continue he felt a
knot of dread in the pit of his stomach.

He stood rooted to the spot as Theron
continued down his long list of crimes.

“He is a murderer, Ahryn.”

Lugus closed his eyes and sighed. Ahryn was
well and truly lost to him now, which was more than likely for the
best. He stepped into the throne room then and waited until both
Ahryn and Theron noticed him.

“There you have it, Ahryn. All of my crimes.
Everything that I had tried desperately to keep from you, the very
reason I left with no intention of ever returning.”

Before Ahryn could respond, Theron’s voice
boomed around them.

“How dare you enter this palace! You were
banished from this realm, and there is no reason for you to have
returned. Leave now before I throw you back into the Realm of
Shadows.”

Lugus stared at his brother and wished with
all his heart that he could apologize to Theron, but an apology
wasn’t enough. Nothing he did would ever make up for the
destruction he had wrought.

Theron was right. It was time for him to
leave. Lugus didn’t bother looking at Ahryn as he turned to leave.
He couldn’t stand to find the hate shining in her beautiful
mystical blue eyes, not after everything they had shared.

He hurried from the throne room, feeling
suddenly as if his heart was dying. But leaving the palace wasn’t
enough. He had to get farther away.

Lugus waited until he was clear of everyone,
then touched one of his tattoos. He had no idea where he was going,
but then again, it really didn’t matter anymore.

~ ~ ~

Ahryn stared aghast at her king. “What have
you done?” she cried and tried to chase after Lugus.

“Stop her,” Theron bellowed.

And before Ahryn could leave the throne room,
two guards had a hold of her.

“You have no idea what you have just done. Do
you even care what he risked to help you?”

Theron laughed. “Help me? Lugus has only
helped himself.”

“Not true,” Rufina said as she strode into
the throne room. “Theron, what is going on?” she asked when she saw
Ahryn being held.

“She’s trying to leave to follow Lugus. I’ve
stopped her. She doesn’t belong with him.”

“Aye, she does. Tell me you didn’t do what I
think you’ve done.”

Theron leaned back and
regarded his wife. “I’ve just returned from near death, Rufina.
What is it that you think I’ve done?”


“Interfered where you had no right,”
she said. “And the only reason you’re back from near death, dear
husband, is because Lugus risked his own life to go into the Realm
of Shadows to find you.” Her voice shook with anger.

Theron’s face fell. “You mean he came after
me in hopes that we would restore his immortality?”

Ahryn watched as Rufina shook her head.

“Then why did he come after me?” Theron
asked.

“Because we asked him to,” Ahryn replied when
Rufina didn’t.

Theron closed his eyes and ran a hand down
his face. “By the stars what have I done, Rufina?”

“Where did he go?” Ahryn asked, impatient to
wait for Theron.

Rufina and Theron raised their gazes to her.
“I don’t know,” Theron answered. “But I have to find him.”

“Nay,” Ahryn said and jerked her arms out of
the guards’ grasp. “I will find him.”

She turned to leave the throne room when
Theron bellowed for her to stop. Ahryn sighed and turned back to
her king. He had risen, and with the help of Rufina, was slowly
walking towards her.

“You’re going to need help,” Theron said. “He
could be anywhere on this realm.”

“I don’t think he is on this realm,” Rufina
said.

Theron’s gaze turned to her. “What?”

“There hasn’t been time to tell you
everything, my love,” Rufina said softly. “But there is so much you
don’t know. Lugus risked his life to bring Ahryn here who had been
trapped on the Earth realm, then risked his life again to save you.
He intended to stay in the Realm of Shadows, but you were
unconscious and so he had to carry you home.”

“I don’t understand,” Theron mumbled. “How is
it that Ahryn was trapped?”

Ahryn stepped closer. “A mortal bound me to
him with an ancient Celtic Slave bracelet. It prevented me from
using my Fae powers, and that included opening the doorway. It was
Lugus who opened it.”

“How?” Theron repeated and looked between
Ahryn and Rufina.

“His tattoos, my love. They are special, and
from what I’ve found out, they were given to him because he was
heir to this throne.”

“We’ve got to find him,” Theron said.
“I’ve....” He turned beseeching eyes to Ahryn. “Forgive me, Ahryn.
There is no excuse for what I’ve done.”

Ahryn shook her head. “Just let me leave to
find him.”

“I will as soon as I find
Aimery. I’ll send him with you.”


“Nay,” Ahryn said more harshly than
she intended. “I reached Lugus before. I’ll do it again,” she said
and left the throne room.

“What do you suppose she meant?” Theron asked
Rufina.

Rufina smiled as she turned and walked Theron
back to their quarters. “She linked to him while he was searching
for you.”

“What?” he asked, disbelief widening his
eyes.

“I know. I was just as surprised. I don’t
think she knows how rare it is that she has that link to
Lugus.”

“She loves him.”

“Very much,” Rufina
said.


Theron
stopped and turned to his wife. “I cannot believe I acted such the
fool.”

Rufina touched his face and smiled. “He’ll
forgive you, my love. He isn’t the man you once knew. Your parents
would be proud of what he’s become.”

Theron sighed. “He belongs here. We must
bring him back.”

“Well, Tane said he had a destiny to
fulfill.”

“Tane?” Theron had nearly had enough
surprises for the day, but he realized he was probably in for more.
“Who is Tane?”

“I’ll tell you all about him as we take a
bath and give you a tongue lashing for what you nearly did to Ahryn
and Lugus.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lugus stepped out of the doorway and found
himself gazing at three moons. He blinked. Three moons stared back
him.

“Astonishing,” he said as he looked around
him.

The realm was in darkness, but amazingly, the
darkness didn’t frighten him as it used to. With the moons shedding
their light upon the land, he let his eyes rove over the tall
mountains, thick forests and dark beauty.

A sound he thought never to hear again
reached him. “Dragons,” he whispered as he raised his head to the
sky and found the dark shape of a massive dragon circling above
him.

“This I didn’t expect,” Tane said as he
walked from the forest.

Lugus was amazed to find himself smiling. “I
must be on Draconia.”

Tane nodded. “What do you think?”