Forbidden Highlander

Chapter Ten

Quinn’s body ached. He’d been cut, bruised, and beaten, yet he hadn’t given in to his god as Deirdre wanted. He smiled and then winced as his busted lip cracked open and began to bleed again.

Deirdre had actually come down to his cell. She had stood in the entrance and watched her Warriors beat him. After a while she had called a halt and told Quinn to turn, to let his god free.

He had looked at her through the one eye that wasn’t swollen shut and laughed at her. The beating had started again, and this time the Warriors used their claws. They had repeated the process several times until Deirdre had left the prison.

He knew the instant she departed because the Warriors went at him as though they wanted to kill him. And they nearly had. He would heal, though it would take time.

His shoulders ached from hanging by the chains, but it was better than rolling around with the rats. He shuddered. God, he hated the rats. They were always there, their squeaking heard throughout the dungeons. Quinn had felt them run across his feet too many times.

With both eyes swollen shut now he couldn’t see, but he could hear the rat coming toward him. He knew by the sound of its tiny claws on the rocks that it was almost upon him.

Stop.

The rat paused, but kept coming.

Stop! Dammit, stop!

And to his confusion, the rat did.

Quinn felt something in his mind. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he would try anything to keep the rats away from him.

Don’t come near me. Keep the others away.

His heart leaped into his throat when the rat turned and scurried away. Quinn wasn’t sure what had happened, and he was too tired to think about it. His head felt as if someone had tried to crack open his skull. All he wanted to do was sleep and dream of home, of his brothers.

He wanted to tell his brothers he had pushed aside the anger that hadn’t left him in three hundred years. That fury had allowed his god to rule him, and when Quinn discovered that’s what Deirdre wanted, he had fought his god with everything he had. He would die now before he let his god out.

Fallon paced his chamber as he watched the sun break the horizon, his mind occupied with thoughts of Larena. He hadn’t wanted to let her go, but if they were to leave for his castle, she had to get things in order.

He still couldn’t believe she was a Warrior. Never would he have guessed there would be a female Warrior. Though why he should be surprised, he wasn’t sure. It was well known that some of the fiercest Celtic warriors had been women.

A chill wrapped around his heart as he thought of Deirdre discovering Larena. Fallon had experienced for himself the treachery of Deirdre, and he didn’t want Larena coming anywhere near that evil bitch.

The need to get to MacLeod Castle was great. If he’d had his way, they would already be there, but Larena was insistent on talking to Malcolm first. He understood, Malcolm had done much for her, but Fallon couldn’t help thinking the longer they stayed at the king’s castle the longer Larena put herself in danger.

They were to meet in the garden in less than an hour. Larena had no idea they would be at MacLeod Castle in less time than it took to blink. He couldn’t wait to return, though regrettably he would have no news of the Scroll that could help free Quinn from Deirdre.

Fallon blew out a breath. He hadn’t been able to talk to the king. He would, however, ask Larena if she knew anything of the Scroll. There had to be some Warrior or Druid who knew if it was real or not.

Fallon found himself staring at a bush of dark red roses. His mother had loved roses. His father had brought a shrub back from a trip to Glasgow one year. Fallon smiled as he recalled how his mother had reverently planted the shrub, watching over it every day. Fallon had doubted it would survive in their rocky soil, but with her care, the plant had grown and bloomed with flowers of virginal white.

He should have taken care of the roses, but like everything else, he had let them wither and die.

The sound of a knock on his door brought Fallon out of his thoughts. He opened it to find Malcolm. Fallon looked at the young lord with new eyes. Malcolm had put his own life at risk helping Larena.

“I owe you a debt of thanks,” Malcolm said. He pushed away a lock of blond hair that kept falling in his eyes.

Fallon nodded and invited Malcolm inside his chamber. “She told me what you’ve done for her. I doona know if you realize how much danger you’re in.”

Malcolm shrugged. “My family did wrong by her. I’m just trying to make it right.”

“Is she ready?”

“I’ve come to tell you she’s already in the garden. She’s eager to leave Edinburgh.”

“Thank God,” Fallon said.

Malcolm barked with laughter. He lost his smile and stepped closer to Fallon and lowered his voice. “Larena has been alone for much of her life. She’s used to fending for herself, and she doesn’t trust easily. Give her time.”

“I willna constrict her,” Fallon promised. “I’m merely taking her somewhere she’ll be safe from Deirdre. My castle is being repaired as we speak. There are four other Warriors at the castle as well as two Druids.”

“Two?” Malcolm repeated, his eyes wide. “How did you find two?”

“One of them is my brother’s wife. The second found us.”

“Found you? How?”

“The trees told her,” Fallon said with a smile.

Malcolm whistled low. “Amazing.”

Fallon nodded. “It is. You know much about us, Monroe. If Deirdre ever gets her hands on you…”

“I would never endanger Larena. Never,” he swore. His eyes were narrowed, his cheeks reddening in anger. “There is nothing Deirdre could do that would make me tell her anything.”

Fallon was skeptical, but he gave a nod of his head to Malcolm. “I hope you are right.”

“You have my word, MacLeod.”

“It seems I do.”

Malcolm bowed his head. “Take care of her.”

“I will. And Malcolm, if you ever need anything, you are welcome at my castle anytime.”

“Thank you.”

Fallon watched him leave. Malcolm was a fine Highlander. His clan should be proud of him for putting his life on the line for Larena. Fallon made a silent vow that if Malcolm or the Monroe clan ever needed assistance, he would lend it in any way necessary.

Without a backward glance at his chamber, Fallon strode from the room. He was ready to leave Edinburgh as well. He couldn’t wait to show Larena his power.

Fallon had found his power quite by accident. Lucan called it leum, the Gaelic word for “jumping.” The term had taken hold and everyone at the castle now used it.

Fallon still couldn’t believe he could do it. For hundreds of years he’d had a powerful tool to use, but he had drowned himself in wine instead of learning to control his power. He feared there would come a time when he needed to use it and he wouldn’t know how.

He followed a path through the garden until he came to a bench where Larena sat. It was secluded. Perfect for them to depart.

Fallon recalled the first time he had “jumped.” It had been by accident. He had let loose his god so he could learn not to fear it so. He’d been in the great hall and wished he was down at the beach. The next thing he knew, he stood ankle deep in the sea.

After that, he spent his time learning how to call up the power at any instance. He hated that he had to let his god loose in order to use the power, but he was determined to learn to use it without the god. He was sure it was possible, and he was going to make it so.

“Will you tell me now why we had to meet in the garden?” Larena asked, a welcoming smile on her face.

It struck Fallon that he had someone else now depending on him. Was it a trait of his to fail everyone? He hoped to God it wasn’t, because he couldn’t stand to have Larena look at him in disappointment.

“We’re leaving from here. By my power.”

Her brows rose. “Indeed? I cannot wait to see this power. What is it?”

“My brother calls it leum.”

“Jumping?” she asked with a frown.

He laughed and held out his hand. “Is there nothing you want to take with you?”

“Not a thing.”

“Then let me show you what leum is.”

Just as Fallon began to transform to use his power he heard a wyrran. He jerked and looked around for the creature.

“Another one?” Larena asked.

Fallon clenched his jaw. “You canna fight in your gown. Stay here. I’ll find this one.”

Larena didn’t like being left behind, but she knew Fallon was right. She sank back onto the bench and listened for the wyrran.

Fallon had told her to stay here, but she would help if she could.

As she sat there she contemplated all she had learned of Fallon. Never had she felt so beautiful, so cherished as she did in his arms. Every touch of his hands made her feel as though she were the center of his world.

Not even his admission of having been a drunk had any effect on her wanting him. He was trying to change from what he had been, and who was she to judge him after everything he had been through. She had known by being around him that he no longer drank. The reasons he had started she could understand, and she was happy to hear he had stopped.

The love he had for his brothers was obvious. All anyone needed to do was listen to his voice as he spoke of them. His brothers were all that mattered to him.

Larena wondered if she would matter to someone like that one day. She knew that something linked her and Fallon, but would it last? That, she couldn’t answer.

The one thing that bothered her was Fallon’s talk of the Scroll. He had no idea how close he was to it, and she wondered if he would take her ring if he knew what was inside it. She didn’t think so, but she knew he would ask her for it.

And could she blame him for that?

It wasn’t that she didn’t comprehend why he wanted it, but it was more than foolish to turn over such an important document to Deirdre. She didn’t like the idea of anyone being in Deirdre’s captivity, but nothing was worth the risk of Deirdre’s getting the Scroll.

There had to be another way to free Quinn, and she would help them figure that out. The Scroll wasn’t an option they could use, and she needed to guard her heart lest Fallon betray her for it.

Fallon already had her respect, and it wouldn’t take much more for her to care deeply for him. Once that happened, she wouldn’t be able to keep the Scroll from him.

She would have to keep her distance from him now. How was she going to endure seeing him day after day at his castle and not kiss him, not want his arms around her? It was going to be the most difficult thing she had ever done, but she didn’t have a choice.

Larena was ready for a new adventure even though it meant leaving Malcolm and being near a man who had touched her more deeply than she thought was possible. The connection between her and Fallon frightened her because it had been instantaneous, its pull too alluring to resist.

And she couldn’t afford another mistake like the one that had gotten her father killed.