Mark of the Highlander (The MacLomain Series: Next Generation, Book 1) (7 page)

Trevor roared in rage but it was too late. A ring similar to Caitlin’s appeared on her finger with a bright emerald at its center. McKayla felt nothing but a cool breeze wrap around her finger before the ring appeared. Dumbfounded she stared. This couldn’t be!

“You bloody bastard, I dinnae have green eyes in my true form!” Trevor said.

“Sucks to be you!” Seth roared back. “If you hadn’t been deceiving her all these years you might not be in this position.”

Before Trevor could get to him, Ferchar was between them.

It took more magic than any of them were ready to witness for Ferchar to keep them apart. Black sparks spit around the room. The microwave crackled then lit on fire. Dishware exploded. Even the overhead light popped and broke.

The girls screeched.

Caitlin waved a loose hand and put out the fires.

Only little Logan’s declaration seemed to halt them all. “No more Scotland!”

“Och, nay laddie,” Ferchar said and lashed out one last time. Whatever he unleashed had both men falling back, motionless. He scooped up his son and walked away, whispering, “Always Scotland for ye me wee bairn, just not for the likes of them, aye?”

Caitlin stood, hands on her hips, and looked between the paralyzed men. “Never a good idea to piss off a Scotsman’s bairn. It tends to piss off the Scotsman himself.” She looked at Trevor, disappointed. “You especially should know that.”

Shaking her head, Caitlin pursued her husband and son out of the room.

McKayla, Leslie and Sheila all remained motionless, looking back and forth between the unmoving slack-jawed men. Never in her wildest imagination could she have dreamed up what she’d just witnessed. Not only did she wear the very ring she’d requested of Seth but Ferchar with one quick motion of his hand turned both of these big men senseless.

Leslie waved her hand in front of Trevor’s face but he only stared back unseeing. Sheila did the same with Seth but his expression remained frozen. The women looked at each other before they sat down at the table. McKayla, for the life of her, could summon no fear for either man. Shouldn’t she be afraid? What if they remained this way? Lifeless.

“Do you think…” Sheila started but stopped.

“Perhaps they’re just…” McKayla started but stopped.

Leslie stared blankly for several long seconds before she stood and grabbed the coffee pot, careful not to nudge Trevor’s lifeless form. After she filled hers and McKayla’s mugs she sat down again, not touching what she’d just poured. She folded her hands neatly on the table.

“Do you suppose we’re all wearing a Lucid Dream mask and don’t realize it?”

For the first time in a very long time Sheila smiled in Leslie’s direction. “I’m not sure if I hope so or not.”

McKayla placed her hand on the table and they all stared at the ring. “Do you think I should take it off?”

Leslie touched it then glanced between the two men before her eyes returned to McKayla’s. “It couldn’t hurt, right?”

“Who knows. Maybe it could,” Sheila said.

“Well she won’t know unless she tries.”

“Look at everything we just witnessed. God knows what might happen,” Sheila argued.

And just like that, the two of them were at it again. So she took matters into her own hands and tried to pull it off. No luck. The elegantly carved ring didn’t budge an inch. Instead of panicking she asked logically, “What do we know about Claddagh rings?”

Sheila and Leslie shook their heads and said simultaneously, “Nothing.”

It took everything she had not to look at the men. They were her best friends! Any normal person would call 911 but not her or her cousins apparently. Why was that? She laid her head in her hands on the table. She knew why. Ferchar wouldn’t hurt them. The Claddagh ring Seth put on her finger proved magic was real. Ferchar had simply sealed the deal when he punished Seth and Trevor.

But what did all of this mean exactly?

“Magic,” Sheila said. “Unbelievable.”

“And I believe it still is,” Leslie replied.

“How, after all of this, could you think that?” Sheila asked.

“Everything has a practical explanation. Somehow, we’ll make sense of this.”

“You’re unbelievable, Leslie,” Sheila said. “But at least you’re still predictable.”

“And you, as always, take everything at face value. Had you listened to my advice when trying to save your forest last year you might’ve…I don’t know…saved a forest!”

Sheila frowned. “You don’t understand my endeavors.”

“Nobody understands your endeavors. Not even you.”

“Shh. Wait. He’s moving,” Sheila said.

McKayla lifted her head. It was Trevor. His eyes were alert and his arms were moving. She might be frustrated but he was her friend. Scooping up his cell phone she stood.

Sheila grabbed her arm. “You sure you want to do that?”

No, but she would mainly because she’d expect the same from him if their positions were reversed. So she brought the phone over. Fingers moving fast, he texted, “I’m so sorry.”

“You should be,” she said.

“I will show you me,” he texted. “Soon.”

Eying him, McKayla breathed deeply and sat back on her haunches. What was a shape-shifter exactly? What if Trevor wasn’t Trevor at all? Which he obviously wasn’t. She nodded and turned to check on Seth. He remained completely motionless.

“Oh sweetie.” She cupped his cheek. “You’ll be back. Make me a promise? When you come back don’t kill Trevor, all right? I’ll owe you one…maybe a thousand. But you know how much I care about him.”

Seth stared aimlessly. Please, God, let him hear me.

Thump.

Trevor fell forward onto his hands, gasping for air. “Bloody hell, lad’s got some kick-arse magic,” he croaked.

Putting her arm around his shoulder she helped support him as he stood.

“McKayla,” he gasped and pulled her close. “Forgive me.”

Before she could respond he set her aside and stumbled from the room. She was about to go after him when Seth gasped.

She once more crouched and cupped his cheeks. “Seth, are you okay? Talk to me.”

His hand shot up and clasped her arm the moment his eyes shot open. “So sorry, hon.”

Before she could respond he started coughing. Eventually, he fell back, his body moving more and more. He whispered, “Never met a vamp, werewolf or reaper with more power than Ferchar. Scary shit this.” After another deep breath he asked, “Are we sure he’s not a demon?”

She tried not to think about the creatures he implied existed. “Logan got involved. He’s always been an overprotective Dad.”

Seth wiped a hand across his mouth and winced. “Was I drooling?”

“Yes,” Leslie said.

“No,” McKayla assured. “Stop stressing.”

“Or maybe he shouldn’t stop stressing quite yet,” Sheila said in awe.

Huh? Looking up, McKayla nearly toppled over backward.

As though she were right back in her dream, Colin MacLomain, tall and kilted, held out his hand to help her up. She cocked her head as though looking at someone who wasn’t there. Broad shouldered with muscles rippling down his arms, Colin wore a dark tunic with a blue and green checkered plaid wrapped around his waist and over his shoulder. Licking her lips, McKayla tried to focus on his black boots, on the hand he still held out, on anything but his face.

But in the end she couldn’t focus at all.

The world tilted, swayed and then went away.

A loud buzz filled her ears. All vanished. Within seconds reality surfaced and she was in his arms. Trevor? No, it couldn’t be. Colin? Had to be.

“I always meant to just look once and then leave you to your life,” he murmured as he carried her. “But it turns out I was too selfish.”

He smelled of outdoors, fresh cut grass, warmed cedar, and fresh air. Trevor had always spelled of soap and woodsy cologne. But it couldn’t touch this new smell, the very scent of this man’s skin. “Who are you?”

Then she was lying in her bed with a warm comforter pulled over her. Sunlight tried to stream through drawn crème-colored curtains. “I’m not tired,” she whispered.

“You were tired the moment Leslie started on you this morn. Take a nap, love. Then you’ll see me again. The way you were always meant to.”

McKayla tried to respond but couldn’t. Instead her heavy lids slid shut. Though it seemed only a few minutes had passed, when she next opened her eyes the sun’s cast on the curtains was low. Wind blew the oak tree and spikes of sunlight danced across the room. Somehow, it was tremendously peaceful.

Could it be she’d simply dreamt it all? No. It had happened. Of that she was sure.

“This was Arianna’s room even before it was mine.”

Startled, McKayla sat up to find Caitlin sitting in the corner.

Settling back some she said, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

“I should be the one apologizing. Not you.” Caitlin smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“A little off honestly.” She took a deep breath and said, “It all happened, didn’t it?”

“It did.” Caitlin pulled the chair closer, her golden eyes compassionate. “You and your cousins are handling this really well. I suppose it’s in our genes to adjust to all of this quicker than most. Are you all right? How can I help make this easier?”

Passing out like she had was handling it well? But she supposed it was better than going into hysterics like any normal person would.

“Are Seth and Trevor okay?” McKayla asked.

“Yes, they’re fine, just worried about you.”

“Okay. Good. I mean that they’re okay, not that they’re worried about me.”

“It’s good they’re worried about you,” Caitlin said. “They’re just as guilty as Ferchar and I in this terrible deception. We all deserve your anger.”

McKayla fingered the ring Seth had put on her finger. “Why was Trevor so upset about this?”

Caitlin schooled a frown. “I think mostly because Seth was showing you magic before he was.”

Never.
Trevor wouldn’t act that way over something so trivial.

“You’re lying,” she replied quietly. “Tell me the truth.”

Caitlin took her hand and rubbed her finger over the ring. “You’re right. I just don’t want to overwhelm you though it’s likely far too late.” She grimaced. “While I think Seth did this with your best interests in mind it might prove to make things difficult.”

“For who?”

“Trevor of course. He’s in love with you.” Caitlin frowned. “This ring bars that love. There’s no way around it.”

“Though I’m not buying into the whole Trevor loving me part, how would this ring bar it if it did exist?”

“Well, as far as I know the wizard’s eyes must match the stone. When Seth did this he ensured that Trevor could never be your one true love.” Caitlin shook her head. “What is it between them to make him act so harshly?”

McKayla sighed. “Who knows? Seth and I have long been best friends in the most unromantic sense. I’ve never quite understood it because we’re polar opposites. He loves a mountain cliff with no rope. I love a quiet, safe room where I can write. The only thing Seth and I shared were a few years of Youths Care Club boating when we were children. He was an inner city kid from Boston. I was privileged from the Cape.”

“There’s got to be more than that.”

“Does there?” McKayla responded.

Caitlin looked at her then away, nodding.

“We’ve always been there for each other. Simple as that.”

“All right,” Caitlin said gently. “Lord knows I don’t want to pry, Kay. For now I won’t but know this, I wish somebody had been there to lay all the facts on the line for me when I hooked up with Ferchar. My gram, Mildred, helped some, but there were a lot of semi-truths and I was thrust into a lot of scary stuff without knowing much.”

Before McKayla could respond, Caitlin said, “I would’ve given anything to have the sort of knowledge at my disposal that you do. And this was only four years ago.”

Caitlin looked concerned, almost frightened for her. It was hard to know what to make of that. “Thanks, Caitlin. I appreciate you being here for me. I’m just taking baby steps right now. If only I were strong enough to take leaps.”

Her cousin smiled. “Maybe you are taking leaps and don’t even know it.”

“I’m hiding under a blanket in the middle of the day. Pretty sure I’m regressing.”

“But you’re doing so in an important room.”

“Right, Arianna’s room. Now who is she again?”

“Well, I’m not sure how I should say this.” Caitlin scuffed her foot on the floor. “I suppose direct is best. Arianna Broun is Trevor’s mom…or should I say, Colin’s.”

McKayla bit her lip. “Oh.” A terrible feeling rolled through her. “So we’re actually related.”

Caitlin shook her head. “No even though it seems like it. She was from the eighteenth century and still a few generations removed. His Dad was from medieval Scotland and is Ferchar’s uncle.”

“I don’t know. Are you sure?”

“Completely. The blood lines are many, many generations thinned between you and Trevor. I assume you’re more comfortable with me saying that name. Rest assured, the clans in medieval Scotland and England, alongside many cultures in the world, were guilty of much, much closer blood relations.”