Midnight's Temptation

CHAPTER EIGHT

He had no idea where he was, only that he had to get back. There were times he lost track of exactly where “where” was, but then he’d remember.

His memories latched onto one person—Aisley. She betrayed him. She left him to die alone.

And she would pay for it with her life—slowly and painfully.

The longer he held onto his memories the stronger he got. At first it was too difficult. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he was growing stronger.

It would only be a matter of time before he once more walked the earth. His vengeance against Aisley and those at MacLeod Castle would be swift.

They’d never see him coming.

Until it was too late.

MacLeod Castle

“Has Phelan found Jason or not?” Gwynn asked from her seat at the long table in the great hall.

Logan rubbed the back of his neck and looked across the table at his wife as he searched for a different way to answer the question he’d already responded to three times in the past ten minutes.

“As he told Charon,” Arran spoke into the silence, “Phelan felt Wallace’s magic but didna see him.”

Sonya pushed her red curls behind her ears. “Then why isn’t he looking?”

“He has a Druid with him,” Broc explained to his wife.

Logan exchanged a glance with Galen, who sat next to him. “The point is that Wallace isna dead as we’d hoped.”

“Logan’s right.” Fallon’s voice rang out through the hall. He turned from the hearth and crossed his arms over his chest. “Until I see Wallace, I’ll hold out that small thread of hope that he’s gone.”

Thick black lashes lowered over silver eyes as Ramsey frowned. “Are you telling me you doona believe what Phelan felt? We all know how drough magic feels. There’s no forgetting that.”

“That’s no’ what my brother meant,” Quinn said.

Logan stood and looked around the hall. “We could argue this for decades. The simple fact is we need to prepare in case Wallace does return.”

“Aye,” Hayden said with a nod. “Because if Wallace is back, he’ll be wanting revenge.”

Isla threaded her fingers with Hayden’s and smiled. “Better to be safe, my love. I agree.”

Larena rolled her smoky blue eyes and glared at her husband as she sat on the bottom step of the stairs. “And what about us looking for the spell to bind our gods, Fallon?”

“That’s put on hold,” Lucan said before Fallon could.

“My life has been put on hold,” Larena argued angrily. “I’ve been waiting centuries to have a family. We have an opportunity now to find this Evangeline Walker and see if she knows about the necklace.”

Dr. Veronica MacCarrick, or Ronnie to her friends, rose from her seat at the table and walked to Larena. “I’ve not been a part of the castle that long, and I do understand you want to start a family.”

Larena smiled sadly. “You’ve no idea, Ronnie. None at all.”

“But … if we focus on finding the spell to bind the gods, how in the world will we fight Wallace?”

Larena raised a blond brow. “We’d obviously wait until he was defeated.”

Logan winced at the hard edge to Larena’s voice. It wasn’t like her, but then again, the strain of the constant battles and her need for a family were taking its toll.

“And what if there’s another drough to take Wallace’s place?” Camdyn asked. “It happens every time we kill one. What do we do then if our gods are bound?”

“I don’t give a bloody damn what you do!” Larena yelled as she jumped to her feet.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Fallon walked to Larena and pulled her into his arms. Her silent tears tore at everyone.

“She didna mean it,” Fallon said.

Cara nodded from beside Lucan. “We know. As much as we’d all like to be normal, we aren’t.”

Tara gave an unladylike snort from beside Ramsey. “No, we’re not normal. We Druids have magic that sets us apart from others. Whether we grew up knowing our magic or not, we were never normal.”

Ramsey leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Ah, but I like that you’re so different. I wouldna want normal.”

“But would you if your god was bound?” Reaghan asked. She glanced at Galen and frowned. “Really? With your god bound, no longer would you be immortal or have enhanced senses. No longer would you hear your gods inside you or be able to call up your god. Each of you would be a regular person. How would we, as Druids, fit into your lives?”

“Quite easily,” Galen answered. “I didna fall in love with your magic. I fell in love with you.”

Saffron folded her hands atop the table. “Do any of you remember what it was like before you were Warriors?”

“What are you getting at?” Camdyn asked her.

“Answer it,” she urged.

Quinn gave a slight shake of his head. “My memories of life are there, but I doona recall much else.”

“Memories aren’t the same as living it, feeling it,” Danielle said.

Ian tugged Dani closer. “What’s that mean?”

“It means,” Isla said, “that each of you will feel things differently when your gods are bound. Your gods don’t just give you enhanced senses, they boost your feelings as well.”

Hayden shrugged. “Perhaps, but I know it willna change my love for you.”

Marcail rubbed her finger along Quinn’s torc around his neck. “You may not, but things will change. No matter how much we hope they won’t.”

Quinn’s lips flattened for a moment. “You think we ought to stay Warriors? You want to continue to live in the castle surrounded by Isla’s shield? What about more children?”

Logan’s gaze was on Gwynn, waiting to see her reaction to Quinn’s question. Gwynn reached across the table and took his hand.

“Do you want me to stay a Warrior?”

Gwynn shrugged. “I want to be with you, wherever that takes us. There’s no doubt y’all are needed, Logan. As Camdyn stated, there is always evil that needs to be killed. Who will do that? The Dragon Kings?”

Arran tapped a finger on the table thoughtfully. “As much as I’m enjoying this conversation, it’s pointless to even have such a discussion. We’ve no’ found the necklace that houses the spell.”

“We may never find the spell,” Broc said.

Larena raised her head from Fallon’s shoulder and wiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry for … well, everything. The right thing to do is prepare for Wallace.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Cara said. “We’ve battled evil for over four centuries. We’re allowed to get irritated.”

Tara chuckled. “The correct word is pissy. And yes, we are allowed.”

There was a chorus of laughter, but Logan only had eyes for Gwynn. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. She, Tara, Saffron, Dani, and Ronnie were fairly new to the castle, but that didn’t make them any less aware of what their lives were.

The same could be said for Laura, though she and Charon chose to stay in Ferness rather than the castle.

“We can have children,” Gwynn whispered so the conversation was just between them while others talked around them.

Logan smiled. “That we can, love. Do you want to spend eternity in the castle?”

“Who knows what the next hundred years will bring? We take it one day at a time. As I’ve told you countless times, as long as I’m with you, I can face anything.”

“And the battles?”

She scrunched up her face. “I’ll always worry about you in battle, but you’re a Warrior. Then there’s Britt’s new serum. We’ll get through anything.”

“I can no’ lose you, Gwynn.”

“You won’t.”

Logan swallowed and glanced at the table. “Wallace went after Laura and captured her. He’ll come for you and the other Druids as well.”

“Are you forgetting that Laura was able to get away, and if she hadn’t been able to do it, Charon would have gotten her? I’ve no doubt you would come for me.”

“I’d walk through Hell itself to find you.”

Logan had never thought he’d feel so strongly about anyone. Gwynn’s answering smile filled him with peace and happiness. She had changed his life. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

“We are stronger together.” Fallon’s voice carried through the hall. “Remember that. Wallace will try to divide us.”

Logan’s mind began to spin with ways they could protect the castle. “He’ll come here.”

“And I’ll make sure there isn’t a place on MacLeod land he can touch without letting me know,” Isla stated.

Fallon nodded. “Good. The castle itself has been spelled many times with protection, but let’s get on that again.”

“Right away,” Reaghan said.

Quinn looked at Ian. “We need to get Charon and Laura here quickly.”

“Let’s no’ forget Phelan and his Druid,” Ramsey called out.

Fallon pointed to Ian. “Call Charon. Do whatever it takes to get him here. If he and Laura willna come willingly, I’ll go get them myself.”

Ian smiled wryly. “You doona know Charon at all if you think you can do that. He protects Ferness as you protect all of us here. Charon will stay to ensure none of the town is harmed because he wasna there to fight Wallace.”

“He’s right,” Dani said. “We need to inform Charon and let him and Laura make their own decisions.”

Tara lifted her hand in the air. “Laura is still learning her magic, so maybe some of us should go and strengthen the spells in Ferness again.”

“I agree,” Cara said. “We need to set alarms and spells for protection. There are too many innocents there for us not to do something.”

Larena cleared her throat and slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “I’ll let Malcolm know the plan and see what he wants to do.”

“What about Phelan and his Druid?” Arran asked.

Logan caught Fallon’s gaze. “Charon should probably talk to him, but Charon is busy with his own problems. I’ll give it a shot talking to Phelan.”

“Good luck with that,” Camdyn said sarcastically.

Logan ignored Camdyn. Phelan wasn’t the most agreeable Warrior, but then again, few had had such a life as Phelan. Logan looked at Isla and saw Hayden whispering something in her ear.

Isla wanted Phelan’s forgiveness for her part in his terrible life. Logan wasn’t so sure Isla would ever get it. In the four hundred years since Isla had freed him from Cairn Toul Mountain, Phelan hadn’t wanted any part of the castle or their little family.

“What are you thinking?” Gwynn asked.

Logan looked into his wife’s amazing violet eyes and grinned. “Phelan has a Druid with him.”

“Ah, you think he might have found his mate.”

“It’s possible. It’s happened to each of us.”

“Did Charon say how long Phelan had been with the Druid?”

Logan shook his head. “Nor did Phelan share her name. He’s being secretive.”

“Because Phelan wants her to himself,” Gwynn said with a sly grin.

“As I want you.”

Gwynn laughed as Fallon bade them to begin preparations. Logan watched her leave with the other Druids to being the spells. Already he was counting down the hours until she was in his bed.