Forbidden Highlander

Chapter Nine

Larena had never shared so much with someone before. The fact that Fallon was being so open with her helped her to trust him more. Still, there was much she wanted to know about him.

“The stories about what Deirdre did to your clan are told all over the Highlands.”

“I know,” he said in a flat voice.

“Will you tell me what happened that day?”

He paused for a moment, as if weighing her words. “Sometimes I can still smell the blood and death of that day. All the happy memories I had of my clan, my family, and my home were gone in a blink. I was the next laird, yet I was powerless to do anything to help my people.”

“You couldn’t have done anything against Deirdre.”

“I know,” he admitted. “But at the time I had no idea it was a Druid who had done this to me, to my brothers. Our lives were over in an instant. And then she brought us to hell.”

She caressed his chest, wishing she could take away some of his heartache. “I know the pain of having my god unbound, and though I didn’t know it was going to be me, I knew what was happening. You didn’t know anything, did you?”

“Nay. Deirdre chained us as soon as we entered her mountain. Lucan jerked at his chains so hard that they cut into his skin. There was so much blood, and nothing I said to him could still him. And then there was Quinn. He couldn’t stop yelling at her. I doona know if he knew what he was saying, the ache of losing his wife and son had nearly killed him. It all seemed so surreal at the time. I was the eldest, I needed to show my brothers that I could stay calm in the face of such a crises.”

She swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. “Fallon.”

“But the moment she started chanting, all my good intentions flew out the door. I was ripped apart by the pain, blinded by the fury at what was happening. I knew something had come to pass, and it wasn’t for the better. I wanted to kill her, to seek vengeance for what she had done to my people. I ripped at the chains, expecting to get nowhere like Lucan, and then they broke. My brothers followed suit. As much as I wanted to kill Deirdre, and I would have had the chance, too, I knew we had to leave. She was stunned that we were able to break away, but I took my brothers out of the mountain. And we ran and ran and ran.”

“I can’t believe you got away.”

“We caught her by surprise. She wasna expecting us to run. The wyrran that came after us we killed. We hid for many years in the mountains, moving constantly. Then, we returned to our castle.”

He paused and she could feel his pain as if it were her own. She ran her hand over his chest wishing she could heal the wounds deep inside him.

“Our lands were gone, our castle falling down, but we stayed. We hid in the darkness, keeping away from everyone and everything.”

For long moments they sat in silence. Larena didn’t know what to say in response to Fallon’s admission. His tale was similar to what she had heard as a child, but she had never known what had happened to him at Deirdre’s hands.

And somehow, hearing it from him made it so much worse. How anyone so evil and vile as Deirdre could come into such power seemed unbelievable.

“You’re going to fight her, aren’t you?”

“Aye,” he said, and smoothed his fingers through her hair. “Our castle will house anyone who seeks to hide from her or fight against her.”

“I want to fight with you.”

He smiled against her forehead. “I’m glad.”

“It’s almost dawn. We’ve been talking all night.”

Fallon chuckled. “I doona think I’ve ever spent so much time talking to a woman before. And here I could have been making love to you again.”

Larena rolled on top of his chest to look into his dark green eyes. “Hm. I quite enjoyed our talk.”

“Apparently, though I did all of it.”

“I’ve told you all there is to know about my life.”

He gripped her buttocks and rocked her against his arousal. “We’ve time for another round.”

She wanted nothing more, but she also wanted to leave Edinburgh as soon as she could. Ever since she had seen the wyrran she’d had an uneasy feeling.

“Do we have time?” she asked.

Fallon glanced out the window. “Shite. When can you be ready?”

“Give me at least until dawn.”

“Why not just leave Malcolm a missive?”

She wrinkled her nose. “After all he’s done for me, that isn’t fair. I’ll hurry to get ready, and if he hasn’t come to my chamber by then I’ll go find him.”

“All right. Meet me in the gardens. There is a bench surrounded by yellow roses.”

“I know the one,” she said, and reluctantly rolled from him and the bed. She stood next to him and bent to give him another kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

He sat up as she moved to the window. “Doona be late,” he called just as she turned invisible.

“I won’t,” she promised.

Larena couldn’t stop smiling. Ever since she had returned from Fallon’s chamber, she had been walking in a daze. Fallon had not only returned her desire, but he was going to take her to his castle. And protect her.

She knew she should be more cautious. After all, the first time she had given herself to a man, it had ended with her father’s murder.

But Fallon is different.

Was he? She trusted him with her life, she was trusting a man she barely knew. Then there was her biggest secret — the Scroll. Fallon wanted the Scroll to give to Deirdre. It was something she couldn’t allow.

But she had looked into Fallon’s eyes. Her instincts told her Fallon hadn’t lied when he vowed to protect her, but Larena knew she would also have to guard herself. Already she was thinking of being in his arms again. Nothing good could come of her unquenchable desire for Fallon.

For so long she had been on her own, hiding and running. It was going to be nice to have a place where she knew she was safe, where everyone knew her secret and didn’t care. She was going to miss Malcolm, but she knew this day had been coming for a while. Malcolm deserved a life, and she was going to ensure he had one.

She rose from her bath and dried off. She was sore from Fallon’s lovemaking, but it was a delectable soreness, one she wanted to experience again and again.

She had learned her lesson though. She didn’t trust anyone but Malcolm and other Warriors. The man who had claimed her body first had wooed her with pretty words and promises. She had seen too late what he was about, and even with her powers she’d been unable to save her father.

Even now, so many decades later, she could remember finding her lover standing over her father’s body, the dagger still buried in her father’s chest. Blind rage had consumed her, and when she had returned to herself, her lover was dead. By her hand.

It was the first time she had taken a human life, and though he had murdered her father, she still felt the weight of that life taken every day.

It was a bitter lesson, but one she had needed to help sustain her through her long, lonely years.

Larena dressed in a gown of the softest cream. The wired collar with decorative lace edging was all the rage, but she hated it. Just as she hated the cartwheel hoops she wore under her gown. It was ridiculous for a woman to wear such trappings. She couldn’t move freely to engage in battle if a wyrran came upon her, and it took her too much time to get out of the gown.

She adjusted the wide, lace-edged cuffs of her sleeve and longed to don the simple gowns she had worn while she lived with her clan. She much preferred life in the Highlands with men in their kilts to the stuffy, overindulged buffoons that walked around with knitted stockings and padded breeches.

As her maid combed and pinned her hair, a knock sounded on her door. Her heart leaped, thinking it was Fallon, but she realized a moment later Fallon wouldn’t come to see her.

“Enter,” she called.

She smiled as she saw Malcolm through the mirror of her dressing table. “Any news?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” he said as he leaned against the door. “Are you almost finished?”

“That will be all.” Larena dismissed the maid.

Once they were alone, Malcolm walked to the chair. He sat and braced his elbows on his knees. “Tell me you have good news.”

“The best.” She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading. “Fallon has agreed to take me to the castle. He wants to leave immediately.”

Malcolm grinned. “I’m relieved to hear it. I think the sooner you’re away from here the better.”

He wasn’t ready to say farewell, and she wasn’t either, truth be told. But Malcolm had sacrificed too much. “You must promise that you will forget about me and get on with your life.”

He chuckled. “Never. You’ve given me adventure the likes of which I’ll never know again.”

“You need to find a wife and sire plenty of children. You’ve a clan to lead, Malcolm, and I’ve no doubt you will be the best laird of the Monroes yet.”

He rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed. “Are you sure about MacLeod?”

“You know my issues with trusting people better than most. Fallon has given his vow to help protect me. I believe him.”

“That’s all I ask.”

She rose and held out her hand to him. “Thank you. For everything.”

“I’m going to miss you.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Aye. I feel the same.”