Midnight's Temptation

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Phelan tried to pretend he didn’t know Corann and Aisley were deep in conversation. By the frown marring Aisley’s forehead he could tell she wasn’t happy with whatever Corann told her.

It wasn’t until he felt Ravyn’s magic billow around them that he knew the Druid was trying to stop him from hearing Corann’s conversation.

“Resorting to magic now, aye?”

Ravyn smiled. “Corann warned me that your hearing was excellent.”

“It is.”

“I had no choice then.”

“You’ve some cheek.”

The Druid’s intense blue eyes sparkled with merriment. “It’s not every day I get to meet a Warrior. I’m curious to see just how much power your god gives you.”

“I could show you, but I’d much rather you tell me why Corann has such an interest in Aisley.”

Ravyn’s smile fell. “Corann fears any kind of alliance between Druids and Warriors.”

“Because of Deirdre?”

“Yes,” Ravyn said and looked away as if struggling to come to terms with something. When she met his gaze again she had obviously resolved whatever concerned her. “I like Aisley, and I know you do as well.”

“Your point?” Ravyn didn’t immediately answer, and it set Phelan on edge. “Do you have a Seer? Has someone seen something of Aisley’s future?”

Ravyn put her hand on his arm. “There is no Seer here. It’s just … the ancients. They told us of Aisley.”

“What else did they tell you about her?” Phelan knew Ravyn to be no more than twenty, but she let the veil fall from around her and he saw there lived a very old soul in the body of a young girl.

“There is evil after her.”

“Wallace,” Phelan said between clenched teeth. “He’s going to hurt her to get to me. It’s what he promised the last time we fought him. Those who fight him are in his way. He’s resorted to all sorts of unspeakable acts to take us out.”

Ravyn licked her lips and stepped closer to him. “If this Wallace is everything you say he is, be careful.”

“You’re telling a Warrior to be careful.”

She rolled her eyes. “Stop teasing. Corann told us all about Deirdre.”

“But do you know all of it? Do you know she was brought forward to your time by another drough? Do you know how we killed her?”

Ravyn slowly shook her head, her eyes bright with interest. “The elders discovered Deirdre’s death through the ancients. The wind told me.”

“How many of you are there?”

She raised a black brow. “You don’t seem surprised that I can speak to the wind.”

“Why should I? I know another Druid who has that ability. She’s at MacLeod Castle. Gwynn is her name.”

“She’s a Windtalker?”

Phelan glanced at Aisley to see her conversation ending with Corann. “She is that. Gwynn thinks she’s the only one. She’ll be happy to know there is another.”

“Do you have a Firewalker or Waterdancer? What about a Bleeder or Healer? Or a Skinwalker, Treewhisperer, or Timebender?”

“Slow down,” he said with a grin. “Do you have such Druids here?”

“Of course.”

He hid a smirk at her derision. “I know of a Healer. I also know a Treewhisperer.”

“What are their names?”

“It’s the same Druid. Sonya has been at MacLeod Castle for four centuries. She’s also married to a Warrior.”

Ravyn’s eyes widened. “Married?”

“All the Druids at the castle are married to Warriors. Why does that bother you?”

“Are the Druids droughs?”

Phelan snorted. “Nay.” Then he thought of Isla. Her story was too complicated, and if he told it he’d have to tell part of his story. It was better if they knew nothing of Isla. Yet.

“That’s good,” Ravyn said.

“Why? What would happen?”

“Do you no’ know the prophecy? A powerful drough will mate with a Warrior and produce a child that holds all the evil of the world.”

“First, lass, that prophecy has come and gone since it involved Deirdre when she tried to get Quinn MacLeod to become hers. Second, the child couldna hold all the evil since there is evil everywhere.”

Aisley walked up then. She looked from Ravyn to Phelan. “What’s going on?”

“I gather Ravyn spoke of the prophecy,” Corann said as he joined them.

Ravyn shrugged and leaned dispassionately against the stone wall. “He asked. I told.”

Phelan heard the enthusiasm in her voice. She was lying to Corann. But why? “And I was telling her we all knew of that prophecy. It involved Deirdre and Quinn MacLeod. Quinn rejected her, of course. Even when Declan Wallace brought Deirdre to this time and our Seer—”

“You have a Seer?” Corann interrupted.

Phelan blew out an exasperated breath. “Saffron. Declan kidnapped her and kept her for his own. She was saved by those at MacLeod Castle, and she saw Deidre heavy with Declan’s child. But we killed Deirdre. The prophecy is no more.”

“Unfortunately you’re wrong,” Ravyn said quietly.

Phelan felt Aisley stiffen beside him. He edged closer to her and asked Ravyn, “What do you mean?”

“The prophecy states that a drough with potent magic will mate with a Warrior and produce the child of the prophecy.”

Corann said, “And now you understand one reason we’re so leery of Warriors.”

“You’ve nothing to worry about,” Phelan said. “There isna a Warrior I know who would dare to sully themselves with a drough. When I see one, I kill it.”

“It,” Aisley said. “A drough is an ‘it’?”

“Aye,” he answered without looking at her. He looked to Corann. “We killed Deirdre and Declan. We’ll kill Jason. We’ll make sure no more gods can be unbound. Then you willna have to worry about your prophecy.”

Corann’s grunt was full of doubt. “How many Warriors are at the castle?”

“They’re married.”

“You’re not,” Ravyn pointed out.

It took great effort for him not to turn to Aisley and claim her right then. Instead, he grinned. “As much as I loathe droughs, you doona have to worry.”

A few words later and Phelan was leading Aisley out of the cave. He didn’t like how Corann looked at him as if he’d be the one to fulfill the prophecy—a prophecy no one at the castle had worried about in years.

Damn. He wanted to leave Skye with good news. Instead he had semi-decent news regarding the selmyr and bad news about the prophecy.

He lifted Aisley in his arms when they reached the steep path up the cliff. She wrapped her arms around him a second before he jumped them to the top.

“That just never gets old,” she said with a wide grin.

“Glad I can be of use.”

“Oh, I’ve plenty of uses for you,” she said with a wink.

He linked hands with her and glanced down at the Fairy Pool. The Fae had allowed him to find the pool once. Would they do it again?

“We can stay longer if you want,” Aisley said.

Phelan shook his head. “There are more important matters to tend to. I’ll be back though.”

“But you’re concerned they won’t let you find the pool again.”

“Aye.”

She rested her head against his arm. “There’s a reason they showed you this time, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the Druids or the selmyr.”

“What then?”

“That I can’t answer. Do you … do you think it might have something to do with your family?”

He jerked his head to her and frowned. “My family? If that was the case, why wouldna they let me find this place the many times I’ve tried to come to Skye?”

“It was just a suggestion. Nothing more,” Aisley hastily said.

Phelan regretted his outburst, but it was always the case when he thought of his family. He was angry at them for not looking for him. More than that, he carried a huge weight of guilt for leaving them and remembering nothing of them.

“I’m sorry,” he said and kissed her.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. We all have parts of our past that are touchy.”

He led her away from the Fairy Pool and the Druids of Skye. Each step made him doubt his insistence to leave.

“How do you know the Druids weren’t really Fae?” Aisley asked some time later.

“I doona, though I felt the Druids’ magic. I know they were Druids.”

“But you’ve never met a Fae. You don’t know what they look like.”

Phelan chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. In three jumps he had them atop the mountain. He could have done it in two, but he was being careful with Aisley. “True. I’ve learned all I could about them through the legends and myths, but I’ve no’ talked to anyone who actually met a Fae.”

“I’d bet the entire royal fortune that you talked to one who know the Fae.”

“Corann.” Phelan rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re probably right. I was so caught up in answers for the selmyr that I didna even think to ask him.”

“So go back and ask.”

He looked back down to where the Fairy Pool was, but it was no longer visible. “I think our time is done. We need to get back to the mainland quickly.”

“Back to reality.”

There was no mistaking the distress in her words. Phelan could get them back to the hotel in about an hour. If he went at Aisley’s pace it could take all day.

“I can take you back to my cabin,” Phelan said. “Wallace didna attack you there.”

She wouldn’t meet his eyes, preferring to stare at his chest instead. “I don’t think it matters where I am. If Jason Wallace wants to find me, he will.”

“Do you know protection spells you can put around my cabin? If so, I can leave you there while I meet up with Charon and tell him all we’ve learned.”

“I know spells. I don’t know how effective they’d be however.”

He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face until she looked at him. “If you’re worried about telling me this awful secret you have once we get back to the mainland, then forget it. I know the person you are now. That’s enough for me.”

“You’re a good man, Phelan Stewart. A very good man. It’s because of who you are that you need to know all there is about me.”

“Why? What’s so damned important about your past?”

“It’s shaped who I am.”

“You say I’m a good man. I know you’re a good person, Aisley. Let that be enough.”

She looked away and let out a long, slow breath. “Will you leave me at your cabin?”

It had been his plan, but he suddenly realized she could run from him again. He didn’t mind chasing her. It was the thought that Wallace could get to her before he could that froze his blood.

“You wanted a nice dinner. I think I’ll give you that. Inverness has one of my favorite restaurants. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

He didn’t give her time to answer as he picked her up in his arms and used his speed to get them back to the hotel.