Faelan: A Highland Warrior Brief (10 page)

“Bloody hell! It is him,” Ian said.

Old Donnal looked the same, exc
ept for the priest’s robes. He looked down his long nose at them. “My name is Selwyn.”

Tavis pulled the sorcerer from the carriage and put his dirk to his throat. “You’d best start explaining, Selwyn. How long have you been working for Druan?”

“Longer than you can imagine.”

“What were you doing in that apothecary shop pretending to be Old Donnal?”

“Druan paid me to follow another demon. He wanted to know what the demon was up to. The owner of the apothecary shop had recently died, and I needed a place to work on the virus, so I took over his shop so I could watch for the demon.”

“Virus? You mean Druan’s disease? You worked on it in the apothecary shop?” Ian asked.

“I’ve been working on this damned virus for longer than you’ve been alive. I’ve worked on it in so many locations I can’t recall them all.”

“We were in that shop when we were lads,” Tavis said.

“
What is this virus?” Ian asked.

“It will destroy humans.”

Tavis frowned. “How?”

“I’ve said enough. If Druan finds out I’ve talked to you he’ll kill me.”

Tavis didn’t tell him but the sorcerer would be dead as soon as he told them where to find Druan and the virus. “Was this demon you followed to Scotland working with Druan?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t know why Druan was interested in him. I saw him only once,” Selwyn said.

“Why was he there and why was Druan spying on him?”

“The demon was there to kill a warrior.”

“What was the warrior’s name?”

“Something with an L. Liam, I think.”

Tavis felt as if his bones had crumbled. He remembered Old Donnal looking out the window, his face shocked as the demon dragged Liam away. Beside him, Ian looked stunned. “Liam Connor was our brother,” Tavis said. “He was killed by a demon when he was only two.” They’d always assumed Liam was killed out o
f revenge against their father.

“I remember,” the sorcerer said. “I was there when it happened.”

“Who was the demon?” Ian asked.

“Druan didn’t tell me his name,” the sorcerer said. But his dark eyes narrowed, almost taunting, and Tavis was certain he lied.

“What demon could have known Liam was a warrior?” Ian asked. “He was just two.”

“One of the demons Liam would have destroyed when he grew up.”

“How did the demon f
ind out about Liam?” Ian asked.

“If your name is Connor,” the sorcerer said, “then you must be the Mighty Faelan’s brothers.”

“Aye, we are,” Tavis said. “Why did Druan lock Faelan in the time vault?”

“I wasn’t there. I don’t know his plans.”

But he didn’t question what a time vault was, so he knew more than he was saying. Tavis dug the point of his dirk into the sorce
rer’s chest. “Is Faelan alive?”

“I believe he is,” the sorcerer said, tr
ying to get away from the dirk.

“Is he injured?” Ian asked.

“I don’t know.” The sorcerer threw up his hands when Tavis started to stab him again. “I tell you the truth. I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t there.”

“You were there when Liam died. You know who killed him.” Tavis was so full of anger and frustration that he knew he needed to step away before he did something he would regret.

Ian, reading his thoughts as Ian often did, pulled Tavis aside. “I know how you feel. I want to know who killed Liam, but we have to remember what’s important. Liam is dead. Faelan is lying in a time vault. Probably alive.
We might be able to save him.”

Tavis swallowed and nodded his head. A warning cry rose from the warriors surrounding them, and Tavis turned back to see the sorcerer chanting and waving his hands. Ian pulled out his dirk an
d buried it in the man’s heart.

Tavis cursed. “Why’d you do that?”

“I thought he was casting a spell,” Ian grumbled.

“You and your bloody spells. Now we’ll never know where Druan and the virus is or who killed Liam.”

“He wouldn’t have told us anyway. He would have killed himself first.”

“You’re probably right. Let’s hope killing him stops Druan’s virus. Or at least slows it down until Faelan wakes and can destroy Druan.”

While Tavis and Ian went to tell their father the news, the warriors split up. Some stayed to dispose of Selwyn’s body, while the others continued searching for signs of Druan. They knew not to approach him, but they still hoped to find and destroy his virus. If it wasn’t for the pain it would cause Ma, Tavis would be tempted to take on the demon himself and weaken him as Kieran had Onwar. But Tavis couldn’t bear the thought of Ian having to tell Ma that she’d lost two more sons.

“You were right,” Ian said, as they rode back to Frederick and Isabel’s house.

“About what?”

“Old Donnal. You always said he was a sorcerer.”

“Right there under our noses,” Tavis said. “I wish he’d told us who killed Liam. We need to know how a demon knew Liam would destroy him. We’ve got to warn the clan.”

“I’m sorry I killed Selwyn, but he was looking right at you when he was casting that spell.” Ian’s jaw tightened. “I won’t lose another brother.”

Tavis sighed. “It’s probably best. But Druan’s going to be pis
sed that his sorcerer is dead.”

A raven cried out. Startled, Tavis looked up just as something dark flew over their heads.

“What was that?” Ian asked.

“I don’t know.” But it was too big to be a bird. He felt the same odd chill along his spine that he’d felt the other times he’d seen the raven.

“This has been a bloody strange night,” Ian said. “A demon we can’t remember clearly helping us find Druan’s sorcerer, and now we
find out he’s Old Donnal. I would wonder if the demon was the one Selwyn was spying on, the one who killed Liam, but I don’t think he was as ugly.”

“I can’t remember clearly either, but I’m sure h
e’s not the one. This demon was...
different.”

“I thought they worked together against us.”

“Maybe demons suffer from the same jealousy and greed that they spread.” It still concerned Tavis that he couldn’t remember what the mysterious demon looked like. He was certain he knew him. “What are you thinking?” Tavis asked.

“Wondering what Da will say when he finds out he wasn’t the reason Liam died.”

“I don’t think we should tell him until we get back to Connor Castle. He’s already troubled over Faelan. I don’t want to remind him of Liam.”

“I’d wager he’s already
thinking about Liam,” Ian said.

“Aye, I reckon you’re right. He’s taking this hard. I’m glad Quinn
’s with him so he’s not alone.”

Ian nodded, but didn’t speak. His brow was bunched into a frown.

“What’re you thinking? You’ve got that look.” God knows enough had happened tonight to puzzle over for the next decade.

“Why d
o you think Quinn really came?”

“He said it was to find out more ab
out Nigel Ellwood,” Tavis said.

“He hasn’t even mentioned Nigel since we arrived. He’s hiding something.”

“He is acting strange. He’s guarding that trunk of his like it’s full of gold. But we don’t have
time to worry about Quinn now.”

It was nearing dawn when they arrived at Frederick and Isabel’s house. They didn’t want to wake everyone so they decided to rest in the crypt. They were walking toward the graveyard when Tavis hear
d a noise. “Did you hear that?”

Ian’s head was tilted, listening. “It came fro
m the woods behind the chapel.”

When they reached the path, Tavis sniffed the air. “I smell blood.” He drew his dirk. “I have a bad feeling.”

He’d no sooner spoke when Ian cursed and scrambled toward a pile of rocks. Tavis followed and they found their father lying on his back, his body bloodied,
eyes staring beyond the trees.

“No!” Tavis knelt beside Ian and touched his father’s chest, feeling for a heartbeat that wasn’t there. It was apparent what had happened fro
m the slashes across his chest.

“A demon,” Ian said, his voice raw.

Druan? Tavis heard a moan and dragged himself to his feet. He found the Keeper not far away under the shelter of a pine tree. “It’s Quinn.”

“Is he alive?” Ian called, still hu
nched over their father’s body.

“Aye, he’s breathing.” There were similar slashes across Quinn’s chest too.

The Keeper opened
his eyes and saw Tavis. “Demon...
stop him.”

“Who did this?” Tavis asked. “Druan?” Had the demon already learned of his sorcerer’s death and retaliated?

Blood trickled from the corner of Quinn’s mouth as he tried to speak.
“Not Druan...
Voltar.”

Voltar? Tavis’
heart knocked against
his ribs. Voltar was here too?

“Mistake...
made a mistake,” the Keeper said.

“It’s all right, Quinn. It’s all right.” Whatever he’d done, he wouldn’t regret it much longer.

Quinn grabbed Tavis’
shirt and pulled in a rattling breath. “The book, you must find it.”

“What book?” Tavis asked, with
a terrible sense of foreboding.

“The Book of Battles...
stolen.”

Bloody hell! “Is that why you’re here? Did the Co
uncil send you to get it back?”
That would explain Quinn’s odd behavior and what he was guarding in his trunk.

“Council doesn’t know...
traitor
...
.”

“There’s a traitor?”

“A traitor.
..I thought I could get it back.”

“How long’s it been missing?”

“Decades...”

I
f it had been missing for decades, it was a wonder any of the warriors were still alive. “Who’s the traitor?”

“I should have told someone...
” the Keeper broke off with a cough, bringing up more blood. “I thought I could fix it. They will use the book to destroy the clan. You must find it, keep it safe.”

“I’ll find it,” Tavis said. “Do you know which demon took it?”

“No, but I think I know
...
I know where to look. In my sporran, an old letter
...
from Nigel Ellwood.”

“Nigel?” Why would Quinn have a letter from Nigel?

“Swear you’ll protect the book. Swear it.”

“I’ll protect it. I swear on my life.”

A tear sl
id down Quinn’s cheek. “Mistake...” He squeezed Tavis’
hand and went still.

They kept the bodies in the crypt until they could be buried. Frederick and Isabel, kindhearted souls, offered them spots in the graveyard. Tavis convinced Frederick to sell him the crypt, and in the night they buried their father in the spot meant for Quinn, and put Quinn in the hole where they had removed Faelan’s time vault. They couldn’t let anyone know Faelan was alrea
dy in the crypt.

In Quinn’s sporran they had found the letter Nigel Ellwood had written long ago to the chief elder at that time. From the letter it seemed that Nigel suspected there was a traitor who was selling warrior’s names to a demon. Several warriors had died under suspicious circumstances. Nigel was worried that the Keeper, who would have been Quinn’s father at that time, was involved. He went to the Council and they appointed a secret group to look into matters. Nigel convinced them to let him find a place in America for the clan, a second clan seat so that they weren’t all in one place. He had taken the book with him and hidden it in America. Most of the Watchers who were investigating Nigel’s claims had also died mysteriously. Nigel hadn’t known who to trust, so he kept the book in America while he started work on the second castle. He figured the book was safest if it was believed missing, so he pretended to disappear himself. But now he was alarmed because he had spotted four ancient demons nearby. He was worried about the Book of Battles and had written to the chief elder asking him to send warriors to transport the book back to Scotland. He stressed in the letter the importan
ce that the Keeper not be told.

“The Council didn’t mention anything about thi
s letter from Nigel,” Ian said.

“I doubt the Council ever saw it. Quinn’s father must have taken it to protect his own hide.”

“How did Quinn get it, and why didn’t he tell anyone? He’s endangered the entire clan by keeping this secret. I knew he was hiding something.”

“Quinn’s father was the Keeper. Quinn was probably protecting him. That makes him as bad as a traitor.”

“Quinn’s father must have sold Liam’s name to a demon.”

“Bloody hell.” Tavis rubbed a hand through his hair. If Liam hadn’t died, he would have been a warrior. He would likely be with them now, grieving for Faelan. “I have to find the book. I promised Quinn I’d protect it.” And he would find and destroy the demon who had killed Liam if it took his last breath and his last drop of blood.