The Fae Ring (15 page)

He’d left twice, both for short trips to the Faery Stones. The first time, there’d been six winged warriors. The second, there had only been three; Mikhias and Ruark, and a blond Fae Warrior Xander hadn’t known. The two warriors he’d stunned and questioned looked normal.

Flying high above, with his invisibility spell in place, Xander had sensed a large warding, either intended for protection or defense—a clue that Ruark remembered and reported their encounter.

Xander hadn’t chanced getting closer, in case the spell was simply an alarm, but there was a great deal of magic packed into it. He hadn’t had to touch it to feel it. To get them home, he’d have to break through it, damn the consequences, but he couldn’t risk taking the time to explore unless the guard was light, and he had his wife with him.

He hadn’t told Janet much upon his return to the cave, but when they were together, neither seemed to have much need for conversation. Now that he’d had her, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. He’d lost count of how many times he’d taken her, in the bed and in the spring at the back of the cavern.

Xander glanced over his shoulder, spotting the steam idly rising from the pool. Almost as if it was beckoning. It was quiet.

Normal
, even with the roar of the falls.

He strained his ears, but still caught nothing more of what had woken him—what had sounded like an ambush.

Was I dreaming?

Nay.

His instincts screamed:
Move. Now.

Janet made a noise in her sleep, nestling closer. The arm thrown across his waist tightened, her fingers squeezing his hip.

When he looked down, his mate’s face was drawn tight, although she wasn’t awake. As if she, too felt something.

Xander closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. He threw magic out into the cave, probing everything he could. He sensed no stealth magic, no warding. No protection spells or tricks. No Fae Warriors burst into the cave, either from the side of the cliff’s face, or through the rushing water.

It’d always been his talent, his gift to cast such stealth magic, as well as feel it.

Still, his gut, his magic was shouting that he needed to gather his wife up and get them away from Grànnda Falls.

This isn’t magic. It’s instinct.

He couldn’t afford to question it. Even now, the hair was standing on the back of his neck.
Danger!
it shouted. “Lass.” He smoothed her knitted brow. “Wake up,
m
ò
aingeal
.” Xander caressed her cheeks, pushing her dark hair away from her face.

Janet came around slowly, blinking as she opened her beautiful sapphire eyes. “What’s wrong?” Her voice was thick with sleep, her lovely body sleep-warmed.

He wished nothing was wrong, that he could curl back up with her. Hold her, take her again. “We need to leave.”

She sat up, rubbing her eyes, but when their gazes met, his wife stiffened. “Somethin’s wrong.”

“Aye, I think so. We need to gather our things and go.”

Fright darted across her face and she latched onto his arm. “Wh-what’s happenin’?”

His stomach fluttered. Xander gathered her to him, kissing her softly. “We’re going home.”

She pulled back, staring hard. “Is it safe?”

“I don’t know, but my gut—as well as my magic—is saying we need to move now. I can keep us invisible until we get to the dais that holds the Faery Stones. They’re warded against stealth magic, but I’ll get the Stones open as quickly as I’m able.” He didn’t tell her about the large spell he’d sensed when he’d flown overhead that morning. Xander didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was, and he’d have to pray they’d get to the Stones unscathed.

Janet swallowed, but she nodded. “I trust you.”

He cupped her face, looking deep into her eyes. “I will get you home.”

“Us.”

“Aye, us.” He nodded. Her mixed emotions hit him from the mating bond, spreading slowly across his chest and down his limbs. “It will be all right,
m
ò
aingeal
.”

Once again his wife nodded, but she made no move to pull away.

“If something happens, I need you to shut down our bond, lass.”

“Wh-what?”

“You’ll have to concentrate and shut me out. Push the magic away from you. We’ll still be bonded—that will never go—but it will shove my feelings and emotions to the back of your mind, like an echo.”

“Why, Xander?” Her whisper was so low he almost missed it.

When her eyes misted over, Xander almost lost his nerve. But he
couldn’t
. He needed to protect her. If they were captured, death wouldn’t be quick. He wouldn’t be able to endure if Janet could physically feel what they were doing to him—or the reverse. The Fae would hurt his wife in the worst way possible before they killed her.

Especially
if the king discovered she was a MacLeod, but worse if his uncle found out she was Alex’s sister.

“It’s not difficult.” He cleared his throat when his voice cracked. “Picture the golden rope, gather it up, throw it away from you.”

“Xander—”

“
Aingeal,
just tell me you’ll do it, if I tell you to.” Xander stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, wiping a tear away when it rolled down.

“Is it permanent?”

After they kill me, aye.
“Nay. You can open the magic back up once we’re home. It will only work at all because we’ve been together such a short time. Our bond is still young, flexible. But it is still strong, as you see in the golden glow. In years to come, you won’t be able to shut me out even if you’re angry with me.” He’d been going for a tease, but the look on Janet’s face shouted that he missed his mark.

“I’ve…grown used to feelin’ you with me.”

“Aye, so have I, lass. My Janie.” He stared into her blue eyes. The emotion there made his heart jump. It was echoed in the bond, and she wasn’t alone in what she felt for him, though neither of them had exchanged words of affection—caring?

More?

It’s been mere days.

How can I feel so much for her?

Xander didn’t answer his question. He couldn’t.

The mating bond deepening was one thing.

He’d never considered it would affect him in other ways.

Which was foolish in and of itself. Mating bonds were rare, and scared most Fae, even those born with the most powerful magic.

Mating bonds were forever, and Fae could be fickle, especially with their affections.

They could never be torn asunder. They were known to connect people at a level Xander hadn’t understood until he and Janet had made love for the first time.

Bonded couples shared
everything
. Deep love. Mental and physical links that could never be replaced. Or bettered.

If either of them died, the other would soon follow—
that
scared him the most.

Janet’s life literally depended on his ability to get them back to Skye.

“Let’s go home,
m
ò
aingeal
.”

A ghost of a smile played at her lips, and she nodded.

Complete trust—among other things he was afraid to name—traversed the bond. Warmed him all over.

He kissed her long and hard, holding her tight against his chest for as long as he dared.

Afterward, his lass, true to her strong nature, squared her shoulders and sucked in a breath when she exited the bed, and started to dress in silence.

Xander prayed to the gods for stealth and strength.

He had vows to carry out.

Janet had never been so scared in her life as she slung the hide bag Xander had brought from Dunvegan across her body to avoid having to hold onto the strap. Perhaps she shouldn’t have arranged it as such. Then she could’ve clung to it with white knuckles. For now, she was fighting the urge, but her whole body shook.

He smiled when their gazes met, and if the circumstances were different, she would’ve melted on the spot.

Xander was
hers
.

When he closed the distance between them and cupped her face, she met his mouth without pause. She took strength from him—and their bond—as they kissed. She only wished it made her feel better—or more confident—that they’d get back to Skye in one piece.

“Come,
m
ò
aingeal
.” Xander looped her arm in his and escorted her to the ledge outside the waterfall as if they were sauntering into the great hall. “Hold tight to me.” He drew her into his arms and pumped the wings she’d caressed, kissed, and explored so many times in the last two days.

The bliss of being with him for the last five days had almost made her forget they were in the Fae Realm. Janet shivered. She banished her fear of heights, and tried not to think of soaring high
above
the solid ground.

He squeezed her against his hard chest, as if he could read her mind—though as far as she knew he still could not. Although he said nothing, the move comforted. She felt it from their bond as well, and crushed her eyes shut against his shoulder as he slowly lifted into the air.

Her stomach somersaulted, and it had little to do with the ledge, then the falls, melting away as Xander rose higher. She still sensed in her entire being that her husband wasn’t telling her everything.

The sense of helplessness didn’t sit well, but she could do nothing, save pray they’d get the Faery Stones open and get back to the island where she’d grown up. Back to Dunvegan, her family’s stronghold, the only home she’d ever known.

Wind buffeted her skirts and tossed her hair as her husband flew. Janet buried her face in his neck when a look down made her heart skip a beat.

Xander
believed
everything would be all right.

She felt his confidence from their mating bond. Janet needed to remember that.

The rushing air continued to be the only sound that greeted her ears. She couldn’t watch the pink and purple trees when she’d tried to look around a second time, so Janet clung to her fated mate and prayed.

His flight slowed, but she didn’t risk opening her eyes. Sensations prickled up and down her spine, then her limbs, all the way down to her hands and feet. Uncomfortable tingling made Janet fight the urge to shake them out, as if her fingers had fallen asleep.

Xander gasped and she lifted her head, meeting his gaze. “We’ve breached the spell. Are you all right?”

“Spell?”

“They’ve cast a bubble over the area, but I cannot tell what type of magic.”

When she looked down, she tensed.

“We’re invisible; they can’t see us.”

They hovered high above the dais that held their only way home. There were two Fae Warriors guarding the sacred place Xander had told her they called the Field of Light.

Although it was dark, the crystals of the magic portal glinted, giving off light. They were shining and rotating as if they were a white prism, and someone was turning them in sunlight.

Xander grunted and stiffened against her.

“Xander?”

He pumped his wings and they rose higher. “I want you to close your eyes when we land next to the Stones. I have to take care of Mikhias and Ruark, and I do not want you to witness violence.”

“Are…you goin’ to kill them?”

“Not if I don’t have to.”

Janet nodded, sucking in a breath. She’d seen swordplay of course, and had had to dress training injuries, but she’d never been on a battlefield. Watching her clansmen fight in the bailey was one thing, but that was
training
. There was no real violence or tension.

“As soon as my boots touch down, my spell will be rendered useless. They’ll rush us. Stay close to the Stones. I will stop the Fae Warriors and open the portal as quickly as I can.”

Their eyes met and once again, she nodded. The utter surety she felt from her husband was the only thing that kept her from collapsing in his arms, or giving in to the threatening tears.

He kissed her, but it was too short. Still, Janet sensed even more determination from Xander as he lowered them slowly toward the glowing Faery Stones.

Janet winced at the dual shout, but her husband released her and threw two blue balls of light so fast his movements were a blur. She squinted against the brightness, but Xander was soon back at her side, studying her face.

“Are you well,
m
ò
aingeal
?”

“Aye,” came out as a croak.

Her husband offered a curt nod. “I’m going to open the Stones. We’re almost home.”

As Xander dashed toward the crystal-topped pillars, she scanned the orange grass. The two warriors were a few feet from each other, each lying in a heap of wings and limbs. “Are they dead?” she whispered.

“Nay,” he called. “Come to me, lass. When the portal opens, we must hurry.”

Janet obeyed, watching as Xander touched the center crystal. Then he tapped the other four, one after the other, as if in order. Each lit at his touch, and humming filled the air.

Wind was born from nowhere, and she shoved her hair out of her face so she could watch her husband work magic. She got nothing from the bond, except her body buzzed with an odd energy. It caused no pain, but forced her to rock back and forth on her heels. It didn’t feel right, but she didn’t want to distract him, so she didn’t voice the worry.

“Something’s wrong.” His murmur was low; Janet almost missed it with the wind rushing her ears, but her heart skipped.

“What?”

He didn’t answer. Xander’s hands few over the Stones again, in the same order. Nothing changed. He did it again, slapping the crystals this time and cursing in what had to be Fae, because she couldn’t translate the words to Gaelic.

Fire shot down Janet’s spine, and a scream was ripped from her lips as pain came from nowhere. Xander hollered and she fought the urge to give in when her knees buckled. She reached for him, but her couldn’t return the gesture. His hands were glowing red, and he stood bent and frozen at the Faery Stones, his beautiful wings crumpled on his back.

Pain radiated from her limbs, but Janet fought to straighten her shoulders and tried to inch toward him.