Midnight's Captive (Dark Warriors) (36 page)

“What are their powers?”

“Lucan can call the darkness and shadows around him while Broc can find anyone, anywhere.”

Laura came to a halt outside the parlor. Voices from within could be heard, and she peered around the edge of the door for a glimpse inside.

“They’ll love you,” he said.

She jerked her head to him, some deep emotion moving through her eyes. “Will they?”

“Aye.” He pulled her into his arms and gazed into her eyes.

Charon gently placed his lips atop hers for a quick kiss. He knew their time alone had come to an end, and it tore at him. He wanted to roar his fury. There was no getting around leaving her.

There was evil to fight.

And his woman to protect.

He opened his mouth to tell her she was his when Fallon appeared in the foyer next to them.

Laura stepped out of Charon’s arms with a soft smile. And for the first time in his very long life, he felt as if he could do anything.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Aisley stopped short in the small grove of trees when Dale held up his hand to halt her. She waited, straining to listen to whatever he heard so effortlessly with his enhanced hearing.

A second later, Dale turned toward her, but he looked over her shoulder to Jason. “It’s quiet.”

“So?” Jason whispered impatiently. “They wouldna be making a lot of noise, would they?”

Aisley saw Dale curl his hands into tight fists until his knuckles turned white. It was a good thing Jason controlled Dale, or she imagined Dale would have already ripped his head off.

“Go have a look, Aisley,” Jason said as he nudged her roughly from behind.

She ground her teeth together when she heard Mindy’s grating giggle. Aisley turned and glared at the Druid, a thought taking root. “I think Mindy should take one side while I take the other. Surrounding them.”

That silenced the bitch instantly. Aisley inwardly rejoiced when Mindy jerked her gaze to Jason and gasped in outrage when he gave a nod.

Dale gave Aisley a wink as she walked past, and hid his smile as he turned his back to Jason. It gave her some relief to know she wasn’t completely alone. Dale was the closest thing she had to a friend. She just hoped he lived long enough so she could repay him for all the times he had saved her ass.

Aisley peered at the crumbling ruin of a cottage that stood three hundred yards in front of her. In order to reach the structure, she was going to have to leave the safety of the trees.

There were two Warriors with Britt, and then the Druid, Aiden. She’d seen Aiden fight in the alley in Edinburgh. He could hold his own, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

There had been an intensity to the Druid, a recklessness that told her he cared about Britt and would do whatever it took to protect her.

How different her life would have been had she had someone like Aiden to watch over her. Aisley mentally shook her head to clear it of such thoughts and concentrated on the cabin.

Who would attack her? A Warrior or Aiden? Aisley imagined both scenarios as she crept out of the trees to the cottage. She took the right side while Mindy went to the left.

Aisley bent at the waist and jogged the last few feet until she was able to put her back against the cottage near a window. She slowly peeked through the broken shutters to see Britt sleeping in a chair.

Galen and Quinn were cautious. They would be patrolling the area, and then there was the fact they could feel a Druid’s magic. So the Warriors knew they were there. But where were the Warriors?

Something was off. Aisley knew it instantly. Whether it was a trap or not was still up in the air. She didn’t want to be caught by the Warriors of MacLeod Castle, but then again, they could just kill her instead of taking her captive.

Aisley crept around the side of the cottage until she came to another window. There, she was able to make out another form. She couldn’t see the man’s face, but she suspected it was Aiden.

Her gaze surveyed the area before her, waiting for Quinn or Galen to attack. Jason had told her Quinn’s power was to communicate with animals, and Galen’s was to read people’s minds.

There was a lot the Warriors could learn of Jason if Galen got ahold of her. That’s when Aisley realized Jason had no intention of letting her get captured. He planned to kill her the instant Quinn or Galen showed up.

The realization shouldn’t have surprised Aisley, but it did. She was expendable to Jason. He doubted her, and in doing so it meant her death.

One way or another.

Aisley took a deep breath and slowly released it as her mind focused, sharpened. She felt the hum of her magic and let it fill her.

If she was going to die, she was going to go out in her own way. And it wouldn’t be by Jason’s hand, if she had any say in it.

She squared her shoulders and pushed away from the cottage to walk around the second corner to the front of the house. Mindy already stood there, her hand reaching for the doorknob. Before Aisley could stop her, Mindy opened the door and walked inside.

Aisley took a step toward her and stopped. Something touched her skin. It felt as soft as a caress, tender as a kiss. And as brilliant as a summer’s day.

As swiftly as it had touched her, it was gone. Aisley had never experienced anything like it before. She didn’t know what it was, but it had been something spectacular.

She was so absorbed in what had happened that she was taken unawares when there was a shout from Mindy as Aiden and Britt ran out of the cottage.

Aisley rushed after them, but Mindy blasted her with magic from behind that sent Aisley tumbling to the ground.

“They’re mine,” Mindy said between clenched teeth and took off after them.

Aisley climbed to her feet and hurried back to Jason. “Aiden and Britt ran,” she told him between panting breaths.

Jason narrowed his cold blue eyes on her. “Why are you no’ chasing them?”

“Mindy wanted to catch them. She’s after them now.”

Jason smiled, satisfied with her answer. “Where are Galen and Quinn? Quinn wouldna leave his son for long.”

“I saw no Warriors in the cottage.” Aisley looked around, noticing for the first time a few other Druids and Dale were missing. “Where’s Dale?”

“Hunting,” was Jason’s reply.

Which meant Dale was hunting the Warriors.

“They’re here,” Jason whispered as he leaned a shoulder against one of the tall pines. “I know Galen and Quinn are near. Dale willna fail me. He’ll bring me at least one of the Warriors.”

“They’re older than Dale,” Aisley pointed out. “Which means they’re stronger. Their power will be greater since they have full control over their god.”

Jason’s head slowly swiveled to her. “Are you doubting me, cousin?”

“Merely pointing out the facts.
Cousin
.”

“No’ always a wise move.”

She shrugged. “If you’re looking for a reason to kill me, there’s no need. Just do it.”

“You’re still useful,” Jason said with a mocking grin. “But I doubt that’ll last too much longer.”

Aisley opened her mouth to reply when Mindy let loose a shrill scream that was cut short. Jason instantly took off running to where the sound had come from.

She was the only Druid of his coven that stayed behind. Aisley looked around and saw that she was alone. She could take a chance and run now. Jason would eventually find her, and what he’d do to her when he did would be horrendous.

“Now’s your chance,” Dale said as he walked from behind a tree.

Aisley jumped and turned to look up at him. There was a frown marring Dale’s forehead, his mouth turning down at the corners in concern. “What are you doing? I thought you were looking for Galen and Quinn?”

“They are no’ here. Something is, though.”

“A Druid?”

Dale shook his head. “I suspect another Warrior. Doona concern yourself with that. You should leave. Jason will just get you killed.”

“I know.”

“Do you want to die?”

Aisley looked away from Dale’s probing stare. “I chose this life. I’ll live—and die—with what I’ve chosen.”

“You deserve better. You deserve more.”

She forced a grin, startled by the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew the real me. The me before I became
drough
. I wasn’t a good person.”

“No one is ever a good person,” he whispered.

A moment later there was a shout of pure fury.

A shudder of foreboding ran through Aisley. “That was Jason.”

“I doona think you’ll have to worry about Mindy anymore,” Dale said. “Come. We need to get to Jason.”

*   *   *

Laura stood by the door of the parlor as the Druids of MacLeod Castle gathered to recount their last few hours.

She learned a lot by just watching them. Not a one of them vied for power over the others. It was as if each Druid was comfortable with who she was.

A novel concept after the way Laura had been raised. Especially now that she knew her magic had been stolen from her. There was much laughter among the Druids, and lots of hugs.

Sadness weighed heavily in the room as talk of the innocents dying in Edinburgh reached Laura’s ears. She leaned back against the door and watched as Marcail wrapped an arm around Cara in comfort.

Laura might not have been introduced to anyone yet, but she had caught their names as they greeted each other. She was waiting to learn the others’ names when a woman with silvery blond hair and amazing emerald eyes turned to her.

“You must be Laura,” the woman said with a welcoming smile as she walked to her. “I apologize for leaving you out. It’s been a trying night. I’m Danielle Kerr, but everyone calls me Dani.”

“Dani,” Laura repeated. “It’s nice to meet you.”

A second woman with black hair and violet eyes held out her hand. “I’m Gwynn. We’d hoped to meet you while you were at the castle, but Charon wanted to keep you all to himself.”

It was a nice way of saying she had been kept separated because Charon doubted her. Laura shook Gwynn’s outstretched hand.

Suddenly she was surround by all nine Druids. Laura ran her gaze over the faces before her, unsure of how to proceed.

It was Cara with her wealth of chestnut curls who stepped forward next. “Charon has finally come to his senses, I see. Now, we’re a loud bunch, so please forgive us. And with so many of us, we don’t expect you to remember everyone’s name. I’m Cara MacLeod. My husband is Lucan.”

Laura was quickly introduced to Marcail, Isla, Reaghan, Sonya, Tara, and Ronnie.

“We’re just missing Saffron and Larena,” Tara told her. “Saffron has a baby she’s keeping as far from the selmyr and Jason as she can.”

Isla nodded her head of inky black hair pulled back in a French braid that hung to her waist. “And Camdyn is with them, of course.”

“And Larena?” Laura asked.

Ronnie grinned, the corners of her hazel eyes crinkling. “I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s the only female Warrior.”

“Really?” Laura asked in surprise. She’d just assumed all the Warriors were male. But to have a female Warrior. It was exciting, and Laura couldn’t wait to meet Larena.

“You realize she’s our first English Druid,” Marcail pointed out.

Laura looked into Marcail’s unusual turquoise eyes before she glanced at the rows of tiny braids atop the crown her head. “The first?”

Tara took her hand and led her to one of the couches. “That’s right. Gwynn was the first American. Dani is half American, and Saffron and Ronnie are both Americans as well.”

“Cassie and Elena are from the States,” Laura said as she thought of the Dragon Kings’ wives.

Reaghan sat across from Laura. “Who?”

“Oh,” Laura said, comprehending that they hadn’t met any of the women at Dreagan yet. “Cassie is married to Hal, and Elena is married to Guy. They live here.”

Isla leaned forward and lowered her voice. “You know Dreagan is the Gaelic term for dragon.”

Laura looked away and bit her lip to keep from smiling. She couldn’t believe the Druids didn’t know about the Dragon Kings yet, but then again, when had the Warriors had time to tell them?

“Laura,” Gwynn said with a knowing look. “What do you know?”

Laura parted her lips and glanced around. “I’m not sure it’s for me to say.”

“Spill,” Dani urged with a grin. “Who knows when our men will tell us?”

The rest nodded their heads in agreement. Laura looked out one of the tall windows to find the rain coming down harder than ever. It was difficult to know when it was thunder she heard and when it was a dragon.

She stood and walked to the window. The storm had darkened the sky, and with the rain, it was almost impossible to make out the shapes of the dragons flying in and out of the clouds.

“I had to be shown,” Laura said into the silence of the room.

A moment later and Reaghan stood beside her. “What did you have to be shown?”

Laura pointed to the sky and the amber dragon that dived out of the clouds at that moment. “That. I had to be shown that.”

There was an audible gasp from the room as each Druid caught sight of the dragon.

“They’re real,” Isla murmured, stunned.

“Very real,” came a cultured voice from behind them.

Laura turned to see Jane. “I never get tired of looking at them.”

“Me either,” Jane said with a laugh. “And I’m married to one. I’ve made some tea, but since Con has sent everyone who isn’t a Dragon King or mate away, I’m afraid I’m going to need some help bringing it in here.”

Tara laid her hand on Jane’s arm. “Dragon King? Is that what they are?”

“While you have your tea, I’ll tell you everything,” Jane promised.

Laura was the last to leave the parlor as Jane directed them to the kitchen. Charon had been right. The Druids weren’t just kind, but welcoming as well.

“Are you all right?” Jane asked.

Laura nodded and walked beside Jane to the kitchen. “I wasn’t sure what they would think of me.”

“They’d be fools not to see what a wonderful person you are. You’re a Druid, Laura. From what Charon told Banan, there are few of you left. I’ve a feeling they protect their own.”

Laura paused inside the kitchen doorway. “Now I have something to protect. The Druids, Warriors, and the dragons.”