Shadow Highlander

TEN

The next morning Reaghan expected everyone to know she and Galen had been lovers the night before, but no one looked at her differently as she walked through the small village.

That is, no one except Logan.

He smiled at her, his hazel eyes knowing. “Galen tells me you want to return with us.”

Reaghan hastily looked around her to make sure no one else heard him. “Aye.”

“Good. I think you will enjoy it at the castle.”

“I’m pleased you are welcoming me.”

He cocked a brow. “You worried I wouldn’t?”

“You and Galen are friends. He trusts your judgment.”

Logan chuckled, a long stick in his hand that he repeatedly stabbed into the earth. “Galen has been around longer than I. He doesna need my permission for anything.”

“Regardless, I think it important both of you agree.”

“Galen wants to bring the entire village with us. Did you know he spoke with Odara about it?”

Reaghan nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He told me last night.”

“Be careful in your questioning about the artifact,” Logan cautioned in a low voice, his gaze wandering around them. “Whatever it is, everyone here reveres it and willna part with it easily.”

“I cannot understand their need to keep it when it could help against Deirdre.”

Logan’s hazel eyes came to rest on her. “It comes down to trust and what they have believed for many generations. It will take a significant event for them to hand it over.”

“Or we just take it.”

He grinned. “You surprise me. These are your people.”

“Aye, they are. However, Deirdre’s threat is of great importance. We have been sheltered from the world here, but for how much longer? Galen said it will only be a matter of time before Deirdre comes looking for the artifact herself. I say we strike before she does.”

“I like the way you think,” Logan said, grinning again. “I wish you could convince the elders.”

She sighed and found herself searching for Galen. “I as well.”

“You think you will find the answers to your past at Foinaven Mountain?”

“I don’t know, but I must try. I want to know where I come from and why I’m no longer with my family.”

“Sometimes the past is better left alone.”

“You can say that because you know who your family is.”

“Was. I know who my family was, and I’d like nothing more than to forget,” he ground out before he turned on his heel and walked away.

Reaghan was stunned by the fury in his tone. Was it better to have the memories and long to forget them? Or to never know and yearn to remember?

She walked to the loch to bathe and think about who she could speak with next about the artifact. What was it about this object that made the village keep it so secret?

If only she knew where it was. She could take it, and help Galen and Logan in their fight against Deirdre. Then she, Galen, and Logan could set out for MacLeod Castle.

A smile tugged at her lips as she thought of the adventure that awaited her. Stealing from the very people she called her own wouldn’t be easy, but she would be doing it to help save them all. Surely they would understand that in the end.

She removed her clothes and grabbed the soap she had brought before she stepped into the cool waters of the loch. The water rippled around her as she walked out into the blue depths until it reached her shoulders. She tilted her head back to wet her hair and began to lather the thick strands with the soap. After a long scrub, she dunked her head under the water to help rinse away the suds.

It was while she washed her body that she felt someone’s gaze. Heat sizzled through her veins, causing her heart to beat unsteadily. She knew without looking it was Galen. When she turned toward shore, she saw him standing in the trees, his cobalt gaze filled with desire as he watched her.

She wanted him to join her, and nearly motioned for him to do so when she caught sight of Braden walking toward Galen. Reaghan smiled and shrugged. Maybe later they could go for a swim. She wondered what it would be like to feel the cool liquid lap at her skin while they made love.

*

Galen couldn’t take his eyes off Reaghan with her skin wet and glistening in the morning sun, her auburn locks darkened by the water and slick against her head.

He recalled the taste of her skin, knew how it felt to hold her soft body against him. He grew hard just thinking about taking her again, of filling her and thrusting deep inside her.

When she looked at him, her smile welcoming, her gaze inviting, Galen had been about to throw caution to the wind and join her. He knew it was best if they kept their affair from the rest of the village, but when it came to Reaghan, he lost all sense of reason.

He reached to unpin his brooch when his enhanced hearing caught the sound of quick, light footsteps coming toward him. Galen frowned, knowing he would have to wait to join Reaghan.

The footsteps halted, sliding in the pine needles on the ground. Galen looked over his shoulder to find Braden. “Good morn.”

“Good morn,” the lad said, his large brown eyes watching Galen carefully.

“I willna harm you, lad. You can come closer.”

It took a few moments, but the boy drew up enough courage to stand beside Galen. “You’re watching Reaghan?”

“It appears that I am.”

“Reaghan is to be protected.”

Galen’s mind considered possible reasons. He squatted beside the boy and gave him a friendly smile. “True, but everyone must be protected.”

Braden shook his head vigorously. “Nay. Reaghan is sheltered above all.”

“Why?”

The boy looked down at his feet and shrugged as he kicked at the leaves with the toe of his boot. “I’m not sure.”

Galen knew he lied, but he couldn’t force the truth out of the lad. “Do you think we’re here to harm Reaghan?”

“Oh, nay,” Braden said, and raised his face to Galen. His brown eyes shone with honesty and youth. “I’ve seen how she smiles at you, and how you watch her when you doona think others are looking.”

“Has anyone else seen me watch her?”

Braden grimaced. “Aye. Mairi.”

“Ah,” Galen said. “She’s already told me as much. She does no’ want me near Reaghan.”

“I doona know why. You make Reaghan happy.”

“I make her happy, do I?” Galen looked at the loch to find Reaghan swimming leisurely, her slim arms propelling her through the water.

Braden smiled, showing a missing front tooth. “She always plays with me, and never tells me I’m in her way. I like Reaghan. I want her to be happy.”

“And you trust that I will make her happy?”

“My mum is always telling me I’ll be the man of the village one day, and that I’ll have to make important decisions. The elders tell me I have to learn to listen and trust myself, so that’s what I did. I trust you to keep Reaghan safe and happy.”

Galen rubbed his jaw and regarded the boy. Braden was astute for one so young. He could see it in the lad’s eyes and the way Braden observed what went on around him.

“Braden, what your mother and elders told you is the truth. I’m glad you trust me with Reaghan, but I have to know, lad, why does she need to be kept safe? I cannot fully protect her unless I know.”

Before Braden could answer, an unholy shriek filled the air. Galen stiffened, unsure if he’d heard a wyrran or not. But the second time the shrill screech came, Galen knew.

“What was that?” Braden asked in a small, terrified voice.

Galen grabbed Braden by his narrow shoulders. “Listen to me closely, lad, you need to get to the village and tell everyone to gather together and hide. Can you do that?”

Braden nodded woodenly. “What is it? What’s come?”

“Wyrran,” Galen said as he rose to his feet. “Tell everyone that Logan and I will make sure the wyrran doona get inside the village, but everyone must stay inside the magic.”

“Aye,” Braden said, and he took off up the hill as if Deirdre herself were after him.

And in a sense, she was.

Galen turned to go find Logan when his gaze snagged on Reaghan. She was closer to shore, her eyes wide with fear. There wasn’t time for her to get out of the water. The magic of the village extended to the loch, but not the water itself.

That’s when he realized the wyrran must have seen Reaghan and sensed her magic.

“Galen!” Logan shouted as he ran down the slope. He slid to a stop next to Galen and groaned as he saw Reaghan. “Shite. What do we do now?”

“Keep the wyrran from her.”

“She’ll see,” Logan cautioned.

Galen turned his back to the loch and took a deep breath. “I hate secrets. She needs to know anyway.”

“Why? So she’ll push you away? Is that what you hope?”

Was it? Was Galen so used to being alone that he feared having someone close to him? Not that he had time to think on it now. “We need to keep the wyrran from finding the entrance to the village.”

“Can they get through the magic?”

“I’d rather no’ find out.”

Logan nodded. “Then let’s bring them to us.”

“Aye.” Galen glanced over his shoulder and met Reaghan’s eyes. He wondered what he’d see in them after she witnessed his transformation. He doubted she would welcome him into her arms as she’d done the night before.

Galen refused to think about it. He held up his hand to tell her to stay put. When she nodded her understanding and moved deeper into the loch, he stepped into the forest so she couldn’t see him.

He unfastened his kilt from over his heart and wrapped the length around his waist and then removed his saffron shirt. With the barest of thoughts he unleashed his god. His skin turned deep green, claws extended from his fingers, and fangs filled his mouth. He was what the Druids feared. A Warrior.

But he was also the one thing that could keep them from being taken to Deirdre.

Slight movement to his right alerted Galen that Logan was ready. He nodded to his friend. Logan’s silver skin did not disguise him in the forest as Galen’s green skin did.

Logan smiled at him, showing his fangs, and moved off to find the wyrran. It wouldn’t be difficult. Galen could hear them from where he stood. They were close. Too damn close.

An angry scream from a wyrran told Galen that Logan had been spotted. Galen stayed in the forest and waited for the yellow-skinned beasts to find him.

The first one burst through the trees not five paces in front of Galen. Its large yellow eyes glared with malice. It hissed through its mouthful of sharp teeth, its thin lips unable to close over all the teeth.

Galen hated the beings that had been made by Deirdre with her black magic. Despite being no taller than a small child, the wyrran had long claws on both their hands and their feet. And they used them effectively.

When the wyrran launched itself at Galen, he easily stepped to the side and swung his arm down, his claws slicing the wyrran’s head off.

He didn’t have long to wait for the others. Off to his left he heard Logan battling his own wyrran. The three wyrran who next came at Galen were smarter. They circled him, saliva dripping from their thin lips.

Galen stayed still, his eyes moving to watch the beasts he could see. His hearing alerted him to the wyrran behind him as it readied to jump.

He smiled, eager to feed his god with battle and blood. His god, Ycewold, liked nothing better than a lengthy, vicious battle.

A wyrran jumped on his back, its claws from its feet embedding deep in Galen’s muscles while its hands shredded Galen’s skin over and over.

Galen clenched his jaw as images of death and evil filled his mind from the wyrran’s touch. He fought against the tide of malice and let out a roar.

The other two wyrran on each side of Galen attacked at that moment. One sliced his leg while the other raked its claws across Galen’s abdomen.

The pain from the wounds was brutal, but nothing compared to the horror of their minds. Galen had to get them off him, to give himself a moment without their malevolent feelings in his head.

Galen kicked the wyrran attacking his leg, sending the vile creature slamming into a nearby tree. He slashed his arm down and across the wyrran in front of him, cutting its throat with five long, brutal slices. With another roar, Galen reached behind him and grabbed hold of the wyrran on his back.

Blood spilled from Galen’s wounds, but they would heal soon enough. The beast on his back bit his hand, the numerous sharp teeth cutting through Galen’s flesh and bone.

Galen took two steps backward and slammed the wyrran against the tree. The creature’s claws sank deeper into his back, but when Galen stepped away, it fell unconscious to the ground.

Galen wasted no time in cutting off its head with his claws, but when he turned to the one he had kicked against a tree, he glimpsed it running toward the loch.

Toward Reaghan.

Galen didn’t think, just reacted. He chased after the wyrran, getting to it just as the creature stepped into the water.

The wyrran turned and raked its claws diagonally across Galen’s chest with first one hand and then the other, making an X. Galen growled, his anger burning bright inside him, dampening the images from the wyrran’s mind.

He kicked the wyrran’s feet out from beneath it and used his boot on its neck to keep it down. The wyrran continued to slice at his legs and any other part of Galen it could reach.

Galen stared down at the despicable beast. “It’s time you die.” He plunged his hand into the wyrran’s chest and pulled out its heart.

He tossed the heart away, and only when he knew the wyrran was dead did he realize he was at the loch. He blinked, his chest tightening.

Slowly, tentatively, he turned his head and found Reaghan watching him with her mouth open and horror in her beautiful gray eyes.