Doon (Doon Novel, A) (21 page)

Fergus’s lips formed a grim line of resolve as he towered over us. I could see the self-recrimination on his face. He’d been focused on Fiona when his job had been to watch us—watch Vee. Now, he felt responsible. “I’ll have one of the lads organize a search o’ the castle. But we should search the village and the woods at the same time, m’ lairds.”

Jamie’s response was practically a snarl. “Get it done, man.”

Fiona put a gentle hand on my shoulder and spoke over my head to Duncan. “I’ll get Mackenna back ta the castle, m’ laird.”

As I watched Fergus hurry away, my attention shifted to a single white speck floating downward from the sky. In slow motion, I reached out my hand and wondered as the tiny object came to a rest in my palm. A nearly perfect snowflake.

“It snows in summer here?”

Duncan, Fiona, and Jamie stopped mid-discussion to stare into my cupped hand. They watched the already melting snowflake dissolve into a speck of water. Duncan gaped in wide-eyed shock as Fiona pronounced, “Veronica’s tryin’ ta cross through the mountains.”

Already on the move, Jamie growled at us from over his shoulder. “I’ll get Fergus to stop the search parties.”

Totally confused by Jamie and Duncan’s reaction to the wintery weather, I twisted first toward Duncan and then Fiona. “Why is he calling off the search parties? And how do you know where she is? And what—”

Duncan gently, but firmly, cut me off. “We’ve no time for this right now.”

“Time for what?” I struggled free of Duncan’s arms and back onto my feet as Jamie and Fergus barreled toward us at a
full run. Obviously, I was missing something. Something huge. “What the hell is going on?”

“Hell is right.” Jamie skidded to a halt. His nostrils flared like a bull and his fisted hands jerked as if seeking something to hit.

Fiona looked at me, sympathy radiating from her kind face. I knew that look—it was the one people gave before breaking terrible news. “Your friend’s tryin’ ta leave the kingdom.”

“No, she’s not. She loves it here.” If anything, I’d have to hog-tie and carry her back to Alloway when the bridge opened for the Centennial. “And she’d never leave without me.”

But the panic on the faces of the three guys before me made me ask, “Why do you think Vee’s trying to leave?”

“Because—” Jamie harshly snatched another errant snowflake and held it before me as evidence. “The borders are tryin’ to stop her any way they can.”

Fergus cleared his throat. “We must hurry, m’ lairds. The mountain range is vast. We’ll need ta split up.”

I grabbed at Duncan’s arm in desperation. “I’m going with you.”

“Nay. If your friend doesna turn back, there’s to be a full-on blizzard comin’. We’ll not risk any more lives than is necessary. Fergus and I will go.” Duncan stepped in front of Jamie and angled his body to block him. “You’re our king now. You should stay behind as well.”

“Not a chance.” Jamie’s eyes were hard slits providing no context to his granite features or his flat voice.

Duncan pulled free of my grasp and crowded his brother’s personal space. “So you’d risk the crown then?”

Just as forcefully, Jamie leaned forward until their chests were less than an inch apart. “This isn’t just about Verranica. If she makes it across the mountains and through ta the other side, we’re all doomed.”

“Whoa!” I appealed to Fiona and Fergus. “Would someone please explain?”

As the brothers glared at one another, Fiona tersely elaborated for my benefit. “Doon’s borders are enchanted. Impassable. If anyone tries ta breach them, the kingdom itself’ll stop them.”

I thought of Vee—of how stubborn she could be when she got an idea in her head. I had no idea what motivated her to leave, but she would not give up easily. “What if she succeeds?”

“If she succeeds, the pact between Doon and our Protector will be broken,” Jamie ground out.

As much as I dreaded what he’d left unsaid, I needed to hear it. “And?”

He ran a trembling hand through his snow-coated hair, combing the wet, blond strands away from his face. “If she doesn’t get herself killed in her attempt to reach the border, the Covenant will be destroyed, and Doon will vanish into the mists. Don’t you see? If she succeeds, it will be the end of us all.”

The end? Numerous questions flitted through my head, but now was not the time. The snowfall was thicker, making it difficult to look at Jamie without shielding my eyes. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just get out of my way. I’m going after her. Alone.” He growled as I scrambled out of his way. But Duncan didn’t move. Coiled and ready to strike, Jamie angled himself closer to his baby brother. “You too.”

When Duncan still didn’t budge, Jamie raged, “Thas’ an order from your king! Stand down!”

A muscle ticked in Duncan’s jaw as he mutely took a halfstep to the side. Without the slightest hint of remorse, Jamie continued, “Don’t let that one”—he jerked his head my direction—“out of your sight until I return. That, too, is an order.”

As Jamie shouldered his brother the rest of the way out of
his path, Fergus pleaded with him. “But, m’ laird, how will you know where to look for the lass?”

Jamie tensed, but didn’t turn around. In a voice thick with condemnation and colder than the winter storm, he answered, “Because I willingly gave her everything she needed, including her escape route. If Verranica succeeds, it will be me who’s destroyed Doon.”

R
elentless, icy snow pelted my face, sticking to my eyelashes and obscuring my vision. The hood of my thin cloak had long ago soaked through and lay like a wet second skin on my head. Covered by the saturated fabric, my ears felt as if stakes were being driven into them with a giant hammer.

“Verrannica!”

Clearly, I was hallucinating.

I stumbled forward, my toes and fingers burning with a cold, penetrating fire. I’d almost turned back dozens of times, realizing the futility of getting anywhere in this raging blizzard. But despite the pitch-black night and the blinding snow, turning back wasn’t an option.

The wind screamed through the mountain valley like an angry beast, pushing me to my knees. I sank down on my haunches in the snow and found I didn’t have the energy to get back up. As I slumped forward, my eyes drifted closed and I lay my head on my legs. I’ll just rest here for a moment, I promised myself.

I had to get the journal out of Doon. No matter what the cost.

That morning, while Kenna was in the bath, I’d thrown the book into the fireplace and watched the flames leap around it like it wasn’t even there. After twenty minutes, I’d pulled the unblemished journal out of the blaze with a pair of iron tongs—it’s flawless condition confirming my suspicion that getting the cursed object out of Doon was the only solution.

Since the bridge was impassible until the Centennial, I’d snuck away from the funeral, headed for Muir Lea. If I’d read Jamie correctly, very few people knew about the secret cliff path that lead down to the beach and out of Doon. But none of my plans or calculations had included this freakish blizzard.

The roaring in my ears clued me in to the fact I was not only hallucinating, frostbitten, and lost—but most likely dying. I should have confided in Kenna or even Fiona. If I perished now, the knowledge of the cursed journal would die with me and the witch would win.

No freaking way was I letting that happen.

Drawing together my last reserves of strength, I began to uncurl and get to my feet when a strange warming sensation permeated the hood of my cloak. I opened my ice-crusted eyelids and lifted my head. But instead of finding the endless snow-covered landscape, I stared directly into the eyes of the biggest animal I’d ever seen—a giant brown bear crouched so close, I could smell its rotten breath.

I choked on a scream and fell back onto my behind, the movement startling the animal into action. It took a step back and let out a furious, ear-splitting roar. I scrambled back on my arms and legs like a crab, cursing my snow-encrusted skirts. The angry beast stalked toward me, a deep growl vibrating from its massive chest.

Heart hammering, I continued to move backward on all fours until my shoulder slammed into what I assumed was a tree. Unable to take my eyes from the advancing monster, I pushed myself to my feet. Big mistake. Apparently, the bear saw this as a challenge, and rose to its full height. As it lumbered toward me on its hind legs, I swallowed a scream, afraid the noise would trigger the animal to charge.

If a bear attacked, you were supposed to poke it in the eye—or was that for a shark? I searched for a stick or rock, anything that I could use as a weapon. Nothing. Not that I had any delusions of defending myself against the eight hundred pound mass of muscle looming over me.

The next raging roar shook snow from the leaves above my head. Wicked-sharp claws and huge jagged teeth flashed in my face. I sent up a quick prayer and balled my hands into fists, bracing for the first strike.

Thwack!

The bear stumbled back, roaring furiously into the sky with a red-feathered arrow lodged neatly in its chest. Then it charged, its razor claws slashing toward me. I ducked as another arrow whizzed close by my ear, landing in the animal’s muzzle. Dropping to all fours, it whined and swiped at the arrow with its paws.

“Let’s go!” A tall hooded figure appeared beside me. He jerked me by the arm and we set off at a quick walk into the dark forest. The wind howled, whipping through the trees with an almost human anger. I leaned forward as my protector pulled me directly into its raging strength.

The unidentified archer wore a heavy fur-lined cloak, a scarf around his face, and a bow and quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. Letting go of my arm, he looked back the
way we’d come. I followed the direction of his hooded stare, and saw that the bear was no longer in view.

“Can ye run?” he yelled, his words barely reaching me over the wind.

Nodding, I picked up my pace. He stayed beside me even though it was clear he could’ve outdistanced me easily. We reached the other side of the glen and stopped at the base of a mountain path. As I pulled in deep breaths of icy air, the archer took the bow and quiver off his shoulder and lowered his scarf.

“Jamie!” I flew into his arms, clinging to his neck as if my life depended on it. If I hadn’t been frozen from the inside out, I would’ve cried at the sight of the face I thought I’d never see again. He pulled my arms from around his neck and set me away from him. Oh, right; he hated me. But at least he was here.

He unfastened his cloak and shrugged it off. Swinging it around my shoulders, he lowered his face to within inches of mine—his cheekbones stained bright red and his lips pressed into a dangerous line.

“What the devil were you thinking!” he shouted as he fastened me into his cloak.

“I … I …” My teeth were chattering so hard speech was difficult. Not that I really knew what to say anyway.

“Never mind! Come on.” Slinging his weapons back onto his shoulder, he took off up the path. I stood watching his long strides eating up the trail, shaking with cold and aftershocks of fear. The luxurious fur-lined cloak seemed only to trap the cold closer to my wet skin. When Jamie glanced over his shoulder and saw I hadn’t moved, he came back for me, a mask of rage distorting his features.

“Dinna just stand there. We need to go now!” Grabbing my upper arm, he turned and guided me up the path. Although he’d nearly wrenched my arm from its socket, I was grateful
for the support as my knees kept giving way on the steep, slippery trail.

Long, agonizing minutes blurred together as I forced my frozen, exhausted body to keep moving. Finally, we turned right onto a narrow path sheltered by giant evergreen trees. Here, there was only a light coating of snow, the trees a barrier to the harsh wind.

Then Jamie cut left and a door appeared as if set into the mountain. Pushing me through the entrance, he followed closely on my heels. He pushed the door shut and we were plunged into complete blackness. I blinked, blind and disoriented, with no choice but to trust him as he took my hand.

“There’s a staircase in front o’ you. Step up and hold on to the railing on yer right.”

I followed his instructions like a robot. My fingers and toes stung with tiny needle pricks as my blood warmed. The soaked dress I wore hung on my shoulders like a thousand-pound weight. More than once, I tripped up the steps, with Jamie pulling me to my feet each time. After what felt like an eternity, we made it to a landing where he opened another door.

Moonlight flooded into the room through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, bisected by a massive stone fireplace. He led me to a sheet-covered sofa in front of an empty hearth. Judging by the animal heads hanging lifeless on the walls, I figured we were in some sort of hunting lodge.

“Sit.” Jamie’s voice was void of emotion as he pushed my shoulder, and I fell onto the cushions behind me. He stacked logs and kindling in the fireplace while I shook so hard I had to clench my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering like a battery-powered Halloween skeleton.

A tiny fire began to grow as Jamie knelt, blowing patiently into the flames.

“Ye need to get out of that wet dress.”

I stared into the fire, and standing on shaky legs made my way toward the heat.

“Verranica.”

My teeth clicked together uncontrollably, making words impossible. When I failed to answer, Jamie turned me by the shoulders to face him. His jaw clenched and his brows scrunched over his eyes.

“I’ll be back.” He let go of me, and I swayed but managed to stay on my feet. My brain felt like it was shutting down. Maybe I was in shock.

Jamie returned with a pile of clothing. “Can ye change or do I need to undress you myself?” Despite the small act of kindness, his mouth remained hard.

“I … I … cccann … mmanange,” I stammered between shakes.

“Fine. I shall be changing in the other room.”

Several uncomfortable moments later, I wore a shirt that went down to my knees and huge trousers rolled and hanging on my hips. I wiggled my toes inside large wool socks, relieved that the feeling began to return. I’d stashed the journal under the cushions of the sofa—not an ideal hiding place, but since I didn’t have a plastic bag it would have to do.

Sitting on the stone hearth, my arms wrapped around my bent knees, I was as close to the fire as I could get without burning my skin—and I’d finally stopped shaking. What was going on? Did summer blizzards occur often in Doon?

Jamie returned with two steaming mugs. As I watched him approach, my insides thawed, quickly reaching the molten state that was fast becoming a constant when he was around. He wore a dark cable-knit sweater, a casual pair of trousers, and his feet were bare. His golden hair was damp and curling against
his neck. He handed me a mug as he sat on the stone hearth. Facing me, he kept one foot on the floor and bent one knee in front of him, resting the crook of his arm casually on top.

Not taking my eyes off him, I took a sip of the hot tea, the liquid sliding down my throat to warm my belly. He appeared to have calmed himself, except for a muscle that still ticked in the square line of his jaw. Several moments passed, the crackle of the fire and occasional howl of wind the only sounds in the room. I felt a compulsive need to fill the silence, but I wanted him to say what was on his mind first, so I distracted myself by shifting my attention to his large hands. His fingers, wrapped around his mug, were long and blunt, his nails almost perfectly square.

“Why? Why did ye do it, Verranica?” His eyes were narrow, his lips tight. I could see despite his casual posture, his anger was barely in check.

Turning away from his penetrating gaze, I stared into the dancing flames, unsure how much to tell him. “After you told me about your nightmares, I knew I needed to leave.”

“Tell me why,” he demanded harshly.

What was so hard for him to understand? “I figured it was the best way to protect … everyone.”

“You mean everyone, or yerself?”

“That’s not fair,” I said evenly, determined not to fuel his anger with my own. I set my tea down, straightened my legs, and put my feet on the floor. None of this was his fault.

“So destroying Doon was for the good of everyone?” He asked in a rough whisper, setting his mug on the hearth with a loud clunk.

“What?” My voice raised several octaves. “What are you talking about?”

I stood unsteadily and I stared down at him. “You’re the
one who told me I was”—I made air quotes with my fingers—“contaminating the kingdom with my presence.” His expression didn’t change. “I was trying to save Doon, you pig-headed jerk!”

Jamie stood and grabbed my shoulders, his eyes burning into mine. “You stupid lass! I told ye if anyone crosses the borders o’ Doon it would break the Covenant!”

“No! You said if you crossed the border.”

“Don’t tell me what I said or didna say.”

I shook my head in denial. “I’m not even a citizen of Doon. You said I shouldn’t concern—”

His hands tightened painfully on my arms, cutting off my words. “I meant that the rules were my burden to bear. I dinna say they wouldn’t apply to you. If you’ve accepted Doon as yer home in your heart, yer a citizen.”

“You’re hurting me.” I shrugged my shoulders and his hands dropped instantly.

He turned and began to pace, his every move punctuated by frustration. When he finally spoke, his words were as curt as his movements. “What did ye think caused the blizzard?” He took a step closer, his hands clenched into fists. “And the bear attack?”

I stepped back and stumbled over my own feet. Grabbing the sofa to steady myself, my stomach did a nauseating flip. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying—that I’d almost fulfilled his dreams by destroying Doon and everyone in it.

He advanced on me, his every move feral. I scrambled backward, shaking my head in denial of the awful truth.

“It was the kingdom, the enchantment trying to stop ye from reaching the border—and obliterating us all.”

My knees gave out and I landed hard on the stone hearth.
How could I have been so colossally stupid? I buried my head in my hands so Jamie couldn’t see my shame.

He grabbed my shoulders again and pulled me to my feet. I kept my arms locked, my hands on my face. Should I tell him about Addie and the journal? Show him proof of why I was trying to leave before the Centennial? Some deeply seeded instinct warned me against it. Without knowing how the witch’s dark magic worked through the book, I might be putting Jamie in more danger.

“Verranica, look at me,” Jamie barked.

Slowly, I lowered my hands and he released my arms.

“Tell me ye didna know,” he demanded. His eyes bore into me, searching. “Tell me ye didna think leaving would destroy the kingdom!”

“Jamie, I promise. I didn’t know. I didn’t understand,” I implored. “I was trying to protect you—by leaving.”

Unable to face his condemnation, I tore my eyes away and focused on his chest. He thought I was in league with the witch and deliberately trying to destroy Doon and everyone he loved along with it. “No wonder you hate me.”

A heated silence crackled between us. Had I spoken that last part aloud? It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. All I wanted to do was get away from him, but there was nowhere for me to go.

“Hate you? Is that what ye think?” he spoke in a hushed tone. His silence stretched on until I raised my eyes to his.

His body was wound so tight he looked like he might snap into pieces. When he spoke, his voice was deep and raw. “Do you have any idea what it was like when you walked into that throne room—my every dream and fantasy come to life?”