The Magic of Highland Dragons (6 page)

Bren leaned back in his chair. He knew the old man was telling the truth, or at least he wasn’t outright lying. He would sense that easily, as Dirc did not have the power to hide a lie from him. Very few people did. He was relieved that at least the old man wasn’t trying to play matchmaker again. It never went well when he did. In fact, Bren had long ago begun to suspect Dirc’s matchmaking went badly on purpose, though why, he did not know. But he was not such a fool to think that there was not more to the story than Dirc was telling him now. He played along for now; it was the only way to deal with the sorcerer, as he had long ago learned. He rubbed his chin, as if in thought.

“And just when were ye going to tell me about this new ward of yours, Dirc? After all, if she is on my lands, and truly without home or family, then by our laws she must give her oath of loyalty and beg the protection of Creagmor.”

Dirc gave him a complacent look. He may not be able to lie to Bren, but he did not need to, nor did he want to. He had known the laird since he was a babe in the cradle, knew the way he thought, knew exactly how to steer him to his own course. He almost always got his own way in the end.

“Ye are a busy man, my laird. I didna think it an urgent matter and likely would have mentioned it when next I happened to speak with ye. I truly saw nay harm in it. Although now that I think on it some more, she is a verra lovely lass, and perhaps it isna safe to leave her in the cottage alone while I go about my business between the villages. I shouldna want to think of a man finding her there alone. My protection spells can only do so much. They might hold out against one, but if there were several…” He bit his lip in concern, waiting. He knew how the laird hated rapists above all others, especially after what had happened to his mother six years ago.

Bren’s eyes narrowed, full of suspicion, and rightly so. He leaned forward. “Ye want a place for her at the castle?” He knew that was exactly what Dirc wanted. He could see right through the sorcerer’s carefully chosen words, obviously meant to bait him. But in truth, he couldn’t stop thinking about the lass. He could still see her in his mind, could still feel the incredible urge to reach for her and pull her close. There it was… that strange tightening in his chest again, and the restless energy that filled him, making it so difficult to sit still. As if he had something to do, something very important, and he was only wasting time.

Dirc looked up from where he had been contemplating his hands, folded neatly and innocently in his lap. “If ye could find a place for her my laird, I would be most grateful. To ken she is safe within the castle walls while I’m about my business… it would put my mind much at ease.”

Bren silently conceded this victory, sitting back in his chair again. Dirc had known he would take her in, and he had no real interest in proving him wrong. Not this time. He had other plans. Plans that involved naked flesh and sinful pleasure. “Perhaps there’s a place for her with the other women. Bring her by this afternoon, so that I can meet her for myself, and I will give ye my decision.”

Chapter 4
҈

Faith paced the tiny cottage, which only seemed to become smaller with every step. Ten steps this way, ten steps that. She had long since investigated every clay jar, every book, every corner, and Dirc had asked her not to go outside until he returned. Since she had to assume he had a good reason, and remembering her earlier feeling of being watched, she stayed put. Though it wasn’t easy. She didn’t like to be indoors if she didn’t have to be, and the day outside was sunny and bright, beckoning her to be out enjoying it. And she had thought her apartment in D.C. was small. Well, to be fair it had been, but this was even smaller. And with fewer windows. Finally she heard the rattle of the latch and Dirc calling to her from the other side of the door. She reached over and slid the bolt open.

“God, I thought you’d never come back! I was getting absolutely claustrophobic in here.”

“Och now, I wasna gone all that long”. He came into the room and slung his worn leather pack down on the table. “I had a few errands, that’s all. And I spoke with the laird himself. He will meet ye this afternoon, maybe even find a place for ye in the castle.”

Faith felt her face light up at the prospect of seeing the inside of the castle. A real, working mediaeval castle! Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought she would ever… it was just completely and utterly unbelievable. Her mouth turned up in a smile of pure excitement. Would it be just like she imagined all these years, when she lay in bed at night unable to sleep, piecing together such fantasies in her mind? Would it be as cold and drafty, and crowded with people? Would there be rushes on the floor and deerhounds sleeping in front of the fire?

But then as
all
of his words sunk in, she bit her lower lip and eyed the older man suspiciously.

“What kind of
place
in the castle?” That could mean anything from a bed in the fanciest chamber to a cell in the dungeon, as far as she was concerned. She really would rather know what she was getting herself into, and know if she could get herself out of it again if need be, before she went anywhere.

He studiously avoided her gaze, opening the pack on the table and pulling out various bunches of herbs, wrapped in leather cords, stacking them in neat piles according to the kind of plant. “Well, he didna say, exactly, but it’s a very big castle, lass. With lots of different places. And it’s only temporary, of course. I think ye’ll find our laird to be a verra good man, all in all. He’s no’ nearly as frightening as he appears.”

Faith thought the little lines around his mouth seemed tighter, as if he were under some sort of strain. Or… as if there was something else he wasn’t telling her. What exactly was she in for if she went to the castle with him? And what was she in for if she didn’t, for that matter.

“Well, I’ll just have to see. If I don’t like it, I can always leave.” She watched his face. “It’s not like there’s anything keeping me here.” She looked up from beneath her lashes, and she couldn’t have missed the flash of uneasiness in his eyes. She was right then, he didn’t want her to leave. Of course he didn’t; he had brought her here. But why? What did he want from her? He wanted something, or he wouldn’t have bothered. Perhaps there was some 21
^st
century knowledge that he needed? It was the most plausible explanation. It was the only one she had come up with so far, at any rate, though for the life of her she couldn’t think of what she could possibly know that someone else didn’t know more about. Why would he choose her? Or maybe it had been completely random. But the odds of that had to be one in… billions, at least. He was agitated now, though she could tell when he spoke that he was trying hard to keep his voice even.

“Nay lass, if ye are unhappy, ye must tell me! If ye leave on your own ye will surely nay survive for more than a few days. There are far too many dangers… all sorts of dangers… promise me”. He took her by the arms and forced her to look at him. “Promise me ye willna leave the castle without… without at least an escort.”

She took in a quick little breath, a bit taken aback by the sudden vehemence in his voice, and the intensity of the expression on his face. Something very important to him was at play here, and she had best be very cautious. She was beginning to suspect she was caught up in some sort of game, one where no one wanted her to know the rules. She shook her head and took a step back from him. “I really can’t make a promise like that, when I don’t even know what I’m getting into.”

She saw it again. At least she thought she did, a darkness shifting in eyes that weren’t quite right. A chill of apprehension slid down her spine. God, who was this man really? And why was it so important to him that she remain at the castle?

Dirc took in a deep breath, calmed himself, and tried once more to convince her. “Now lass, I only want ye to be safe. There are people out there who would harm ye.” He made a sweeping gesture across the horizon. “There is evil out there. Danger. Ye canna just go off on yer own.”

“There is always evil. Everywhere. In my time too.” But then she was not so naïve that she thought she could survive for long on her own in the Scottish Highlands, whether she wanted to leave or not. With the shock of being here at all, she hadn’t even given thought yet to what dangers she could face, but a woman alone in any time was vulnerable. And here… a woman not under the protection of a man was fair game. Winner take all. That much had been written in the history books. She would be a fool to go anywhere else until she knew more of what was going on. Better the devil you know… She sighed, turning her face away to gaze out the window. Between the tops of the trees, she could see one of the stone towers of the keep.

“I said I’d stay at the castle for now, and I will. I’ll be sure to tell you first if I decide to leave. All right?”

He nodded, looking relieved. “Aye. And I thank ye, for the consideration. I will rest much easier if I ken ye will be well protected. There is nay safer place for miles than Creagmor Castle.” Then he turned from her to clear away the few things on the table. “We’ll leave now then, it’s only a short walk. With any luck your accommodations this night will be much improved”, he said with a teasing smile. His mood had completely turned around, just like that. She crossed her arms and regarded him warily. What the hell?

Only a few minutes later they were on their way, walking at a leisurely pace along the path that ran through the oaks. Faith ran her fingers along the bark of one of the ancient trees, and it almost seemed to vibrate with life… and history, years and years of history. She smiled. “It’s so beautiful here. I love it. It’s almost… familiar somehow.” She gave a nervous little laugh. “I still can’t quite believe it. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up any minute, but I can’t ever remember having a dream that went on for so long, and in so much detail.”
This just doesn’t really happen. Only in the movies, or in a science fiction novel. How could I not be dreaming it all?

Dirc smiled at her indulgently. “It’s nay dream, lass. Ye’re here, real as anyone. If ye’re nay real, then neither am I.”

“If you say so. But you could just be someone in my dream, for all I know.”

Dirc was walking faster now, and she had to hurry to keep up. The castle came into sight through the trees, and he whistled to one of the guards at the gate to warn them of their approach. When they were close enough, he yelled up to the man on top of the gate house.

“Tell yer laird I’ve come! He’s expecting me.” He turned to Faith, who was staring open-mouthed at the gate house with its massive portcullis and larger-than-life stone towers. Though these towers were dwarfed by the much larger ones of the keep. Normally he would not come to the front gate, but would enter at the back of the keep. He chose to use the front gate now only because introducing Faith to the Laird of Creagmor felt like an important occasion, worthy of such formalities. He only hoped Faith could hold her own with Bren. And he hoped that Bren would behave as he expected him to. From what he had seen of the lass so far, it was all very promising, but he was still anxious. The laird was a powerful and complex man, physically imposing, and he could be quite difficult at times. Nay,
most
of the time. He hoped it would not be much longer before fate took the matter out of his hands. This much responsibility simply did not suit him. How Bren carried such a load as Laird and Chief, he didn’t know, but he did not envy him the chore.

The guard returned to open the gate, and they walked together into the bailey, with Faith still looking around in absolute awe and disbelief. Dirc nudged her arm impatiently.

“Close yer mouth, lass, ye’re gaping like a fish. The laird will think ye’re daft! Ye must try to make a good impression, at least.”

She obligingly pressed her lips together, but her eyes were still wide. “I can’t believe it!” she said in a breathless whisper close to Dirc’s ear. He had taken her by the arm, drawing her closer and steering her unerringly towards the huge stone keep before she could escape and wander away to look at something else.

“It’s just like I imagined, even the smell!”
Like horses and leather and stone dust and wood smoke, with a little bit of rotting vegetables and male sweat mixed in
. She grinned at him, forgetting herself for a moment. “If my friend Brian knew where I was right now, he’d just die! You know, just before I got here he asked me…”

She stopped midsentence, the exuberant smile sliding abruptly from her face. For she had caught sight of the man who could only be the laird of the castle. Her hand grasped Dirc’s arm without her even realizing it, and she drew in a nervous little breath.

He held her arm tighter, steadying her as they walked the rest of the distance across the bailey. Dirc watched her face closely, nervously waiting to see what her reaction would be to the laird. He glanced at Bren, and frowned in annoyance. Could the man look any more large and forbidding? Bloody hell, he wouldn’t blame the lass if she turned and ran from him after the first look. He hoped Faith’s sudden silence didn’t mean she was about to faint or go into feminine hysterics of some kind. He didn’t think so, but then he didn’t know all that much about women. To his way of thinking, women were probably the greatest remaining mystery on earth, and the least likely to ever be solved. He was very glad that he didn’t need to worry about that, either.