Midnight's Temptation

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Malcolm glanced at his phone to see he’d missed four calls from Fallon. None from Larena. Which was strange. If those at the castle really wanted to get in touch with him, Larena was the one to call.

He then saw a text from Phelan telling him they were setting a trap for Wallace in Ferness. Malcolm looked out over the mountains.

Did he go and help the others again? Or did he stay away? Larena would never forgive him, but it was becoming harder and harder to be around her or the others.

If there were no more Druids there wouldn’t be a reason for Warriors. It wasn’t that he wanted his friends to die, just that he realized things would be better off without Druids or Warriors.

As cold and empty as his soul was, did he remove the last drop—and that’s all it was—of feeling from himself and not go to Ferness?

Malcolm took a deep breath and remained where he was.

* * *

It was hours later that Phelan stood on the roof of Charon’s building and stared over the deserted streets. Signs had been put up blocking the road in and out of Ferness saying there was a gas leak.

It wasn’t yet noon, but Phelan already felt as if the day had lasted an eternity. He and the other Warriors had their places throughout the town and surrounding area, waiting for Wallace to arrive.

If he arrived.

Phelan wasn’t sure the plan the Druids had come up with would work.

He wished that was their only worry. News had broken a half hour before about a grayish mist that floated upon the air. There were two witnesses to that mist killing an elderly woman in Elgin.

It was the selmyr. They all knew it, but nothing could be done about it. At least not now. Gwynn’s research had yielded several other surnames that branched off the one the Fae had given him.

They weren’t any closer to finding someone who could contain the selmyr than they had been before. It frustrated him, but more than that, it worried him.

With as much magic as Wallace was broadcasting, and the magic the Druids were answering with from Ferness, Phelan had little doubt the selmyr were going to pay them a visit.

Unlike last time, the dragons wouldn’t be there to help.

What unsettled him more than the upcoming battle or the selmyr was the thought of seeing Aisley again. He wasn’t sure how he was going to react when he spotted her standing with Wallace, because he knew that’s where she was.

A woman he shared his body with, a woman who had given more to him than anyone wouldn’t stand with Wallace. Why did she have to betray him? Why couldn’t what they had be real?

“How are you holding up?”

Phelan turned around, surprised to find Larena beside him. “I might ask you the same question.”

The normally vibrant female Warrior looked frail and weary. Dark circles marred her pale skin and said what she couldn’t. Whatever was inside her was slowly eating away at her.

Larena shrugged. “Fallon hovers. He means well, but I was about to scream if I didn’t get away for a moment. He only let me go when I told him I was coming up here with you.”

“He loves you. He just wants to see you well.”

“I know.” Her sigh said it all. “Believe me, I know.”

Phelan licked his lips. “You’ve spent four centuries with Fallon. Was there ever a time you regretted it?”

“Never. I knew as soon as I saw him that he was different, and not just that he was a Warrior. When I’m with him, I’ve found my other half.”

“I normally only spend a few hours in the company of any one woman.”

“Until Aisley.”

Phelan glanced at her, noting there was no anger in her voice. “Aye.”

“Were you happy with her?”

He thought of Aisley’s smile, her penchant for burning anything she cooked, and the way she left a trail of her stuff all over his house. “I was. Until I learned she was drough.”

“Forget that for a moment,” Larena said as she faced him. “You’re over five centuries old, Phelan. In all that time, can you tell me another instance you were as happy?”

He couldn’t answer her, because he couldn’t fathom having a drough give him the peace and contentment that Aisley did.

“I take that as a no,” Larena said. She laughed softly. “Why is it men always fight what’s in front of them?”

“I’m no’ fighting anything. She’s a damned drough.”

“She’s a Druid,” Larena corrected, her voice edged with anger. “You admitted yourself she went through a lot before Jason found her. You don’t know what led her to make the decision to become drough or if Jason forced her.”

Phelan shook his head and looked back over the town, refusing to listen anymore. “Nothing excuses becoming drough. Nothing.”

“This coming from a man who thinks sleeping with a different woman every night is all right.”

“As if I have no’ heard that before. The women I leave are satisfied.”

“Perhaps. Are you there when they wake? Do you know what happens to them after you’re gone?”

“It’s no’ my problem.”

Larena’s mouth twisted in a grimace. “No, I don’t guess it is.”

“What are you getting at?”

“I always took you for a smart man, Phelan.”

He threw up his hands in defeat. “Enlighten me then.”

“Only you know why you do the things you do. You’re the only one who knows what happened in your past to make you the man you are.”

“So,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.

One perfectly arched blond brow lifted. “So, we might guess why you are the way you are, but only you know the truth.”

“Why are you taking up for Aisley? She shot you, Larena. She killed you.”

Larena’s face went into a cool mask of indifference as she turned her face away. “Dale was going to behead me. There wouldn’t have been anything to bring me back from that. Maybe Aisley did me a favor.”

Phelan had heard enough. He shook his head and wished Fallon would come retrieve his wife. “Now you’re defending her. You wouldna be struggling with what you are if she hadna shot you.”

“And you wouldn’t be alive today if Deirdre hadn’t unbound your god.” Larena’s head swiveled back to him. “Life is what it is. We’re the lucky ones, because we survive it all and live to see the world change around us. We have chances to change things in our lives that mortals can’t. I can’t claim to know what drove Aisley to become drough, but I know the yearning for a child.

“She held her daughter in her arms. Aisley watched her take her last breath. I want to feel life grow within me. Aisley had that opportunity. I can only imagine the anguish she felt as a mother to not be able to save her child. That would tear anyone up inside.”

Phelan didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to think of Aisley in any kind of compassionate way. If he felt pity for her, then he opened himself up to other feelings he couldn’t allow.

Ever.

He knew it was time to change the subject. “Can you handle the battle?”

“I doubt it.”

Phelan wasn’t surprised she didn’t try to lie. Larena had always faced whatever life threw at her with bravery and courage. “Does Fallon know?”

“You mean does Fallon know that by releasing my goddess and killing I could give away enough control that she takes over?”

“Aye.”

Larena swallowed and gave one shake of her head. “He has enough to worry over. It’ll be up to me to keep my goddess in check.”

“Have you told anyone else?”

“Cara and Marcail know. They, like you, suspected.”

Phelan wanted to bellow his frustration to the sky. Droughs were the cause of all their problems. If they had never existed he would’ve never been taken from his family, and Larena wouldn’t be suffering as she is now.

And Aisley’s soul wouldn’t belong to Satan.

“What about Malcolm?”

Larena smiled sadly. “My dear cousin has done so much for me already. I don’t want him to know what’s happening to me.”

“He’d want to know.”

“I don’t care,” she said with a shrug. “He barely responds to me anymore. I fear if something does happen, he’ll be lost to everyone.”

Phelan had long assumed that. “You could help him. Together you two could help the other.”

“Phelan, I—”

Larena’s words halted as both of them felt a pulse of black magic in the air at the same instant Gwynn let out a loud cry when wind rushed through the streets.

“The wind told Gwynn something,” Larena said.

“Aye.”

“Is he here?” she asked, looking around. “I can’t tell.”

“No’ yet. Though I’m eager to begin this fight. The bastard needs to die.”

Larena pulled her golden locks into one hand at the back of her head and quickly secured them into a ponytail. “That he does. I just wish we could’ve waited another day to give Britt time to finish the serum.”

“That’s what I’m here for. My blood, remember?”

She paced from one side of the roof to the other. “Jason isn’t going to come. I told Fallon this wouldn’t work.”

“Oh, it’ll work,” Phelan said. “Wallace wants to end us. This is the perfect place since we’re all gathered in one spot.”

“It should work, but it isn’t going to. Jason wants this on his terms.”

Phelan tried to suppress the anxiety that was building at a rapid rate inside him. He wanted to disregard what Larena said, but he knew she was right.

“He’s not coming,” Gwynn shouted as she ran out of the bar and into the streets.

“Shite,” Phelan said.

He and Larena looked at each other and at the same time said, “The castle.”

Larena raced back into the building while Phelan jumped from rooftop to rooftop on his way to Charon. He landed to find Charon scowling at him.

“What the hell does Gwynn mean he isna coming?” Charon demanded.

Phelan felt his gut clench. “Wallace isna coming here.”

“Where could he…” Charon let out a string of curses. “The only ones no’ with us are Britt and Aiden. He’s going to the castle.”

“Aye. I just want to know how.”

“Aisley?”

Phelan shook his head. “No’ possible. She had no idea of what Britt and Aiden were doing.”

“Really? How do we know that? If she’s one of Wallace’s droughs then she was in Edinburgh when Aiden and Britt were attacked. She knows.”

“How would she know they didna come with us?”

Charon raked a hand through his hair. “I doona know. If you’re right and Wallace is more powerful than before maybe he found out on his own.”

Before Phelan could answer, there was a commotion in the middle of town as Fallon appeared with Britt in his arms. He must have teleported to the castle as soon as Gwynn told him about Wallace. Phelan and Charon leaped from the roof, landing with their legs bent before they took off running to the others.

“Britt!” Marcail shouted as she rushed to Fallon.

Phelan saw Fallon release a pent-up breath when Britt’s eyes fluttered open.

“Aiden?” Britt mumbled.

“He wasna at the castle,” Fallon told her. “What happened, lass?”

She squeezed her eyes closed. “Jason and his droughs.”

“Impossible. He shouldn’t have gotten through my shield,” Isla said.

Phelan felt Charon’s gaze on him. The time for keeping things to himself was at an end.

“That’s my fault.”

Everyone turned to him.

Phelan let out a deep breath. “I learned yesterday that Wallace returned with more magic than Deirdre ever had.”

“And you didna tell us?” Quinn shouted as he shoved Phelan backward. “You put my son and Britt at risk? Holy hell. What is wrong with you that you would keep this to yourself?”

Charon put himself between Quinn and Phelan. “Easy, Quinn. Phelan would never put your son or anyone at the castle in danger intentionally.”

“But I did,” Phelan said. “I didna want anyone to know where I got the information.”

Britt squirmed until Fallon set her on her feet. It was Marcail and Reaghan who steadied her. “Who did you get it from?” Britt demanded.

“A Fae.”

Tara covered her hand with her mouth and stared at him with wide eyes for several moments. Her hands dropped to her sides. “You saw one? A real Fae?”

“Aye. She came to see me yesterday and warned me that Wallace had gained much magic.”

Fallon took a step toward him. “And you didna think this important enough to share with us?”

“Nay. I thought this plan would work, and we could draw Wallace out. Isla said her shield would keep Britt and Aiden safe.”

Hayden growled low and deep. “Doona dare to put the blame on my wife. Your hatred of her blinds you to everything. Had you bothered to share that bit of news the Fae gave you, Isla could’ve strengthened the shield.”

“No,” Isla said into the silence that followed.

Phelan shifted his gaze to her. Isla turned her ice-blue eyes from Hayden to him.

“If what the Fae told Phelan is correct, there is nothing any magic could do to keep Jason out,” Isla said.

Marcail wiped at a lone tear that streaked down her face. “Perhaps not, Isla, but I wouldn’t have left my son and Britt behind for that monster to find. God only knows what he’s doing to Aiden.”

Britt wrapped her arms around Marcail. “Aiden is still alive. Jason is using him to ensure that we come where he wants.”

Phelan started to walk away when Britt said, “Wait.”

He turned around to see her pull a dropper bottle out of her pocket.

Britt held it up for everyone to see. “Each Warrior needs this.”

Phelan was about to ask what it was when he felt a tingle of magic he thought he’d never feel again. His cock responded instantly. It was everything he could do not to rush to Aisley’s side.

“It’s the serum,” Britt said. “Everyone take a drink. It’s not as much as I wanted each of you to have, but it’s all I could grab when Wallace came.”

Phelan barely heard her. He turned to where he felt Aisley’s magic. Her magic called to him, lured him. And saints help him, he wanted to go to her.

He felt something touch his arm. Phelan looked down to find Britt holding out the small vial. There was only a tiny bit left. Everyone else had already taken their turns.

Phelan took the vial and drained what was left. Whether Britt’s serum worked or not, he was about to put it to the test.

“Now. Where is Wallace?” Lucan asked.

Phelan pointed to the left, to the forest. “There. Wallace is there. And so is Aisley.”