Forbidden Highlander (18 page)

However, there was the village. It wasn’t as close to the castle as Fallon would have preferred, but it was near enough. They could rebuild the cottages and Warriors could live there if need be.

He was deep in concentration, thinking about the village, when he felt a presence beside him. Fallon turned his head to find Ramsey there. The quiet Warrior gazed at the village as he leaned his hands upon the stones of the saw-toothed merlon while he braced a foot on the crenel.

“You did the right thing in bringing Larena here,” Ramsey said. “We will need her.”

Fallon blew out a breath. “I’d rather she didn’t fight beside us. I know she’s a Warrior and killed many wyrran, but she’s only battled other Warriors once. And it nearly killed her.”

“They cheated.” Ramsey turned his gray eyes on Fallon. “And she willna like being coddled.”

“I know,” Fallon admitted. And he did. He had to acknowledge that she could take care of herself and allow her to do so, or he would lose her forever.

“You care for her.”

It wasn’t a question. Fallon stared into Ramsey’s unwavering gray gaze a moment before he nodded. “I do.”

“What do you want to do with the village?”

Fallon was surprised by the abrupt change of subject. “I’d like to rebuild the cottages and make them ours. We might need the room. No other Warriors have come as yet, and we still have a few chambers in the castle.”

“But you think it would be to our benefit?”

“Aye.”

Ramsey stared at the village for several silent moments. “What if the MacClures return?”

“We’ll deal with that when it happens. We have bigger worries. No one else might come to fight us, but I’d rather be prepared.”

“I agree,” Ramsey and faced him. “Good thinking, Fallon. When do you want to begin?”

Fallon turned and looked at the castle. There was still much to do. “We finish the castle first.”

“The third tower is nearly complete, and Hayden and Logan have begun reconstruction of the fourth.”

Fallon listened to Ramsey, mentally checking off what had been done and what was left to do. “Good.”

His gaze was drawn downward as the men walked out of the castle. Fallon jumped to the bailey, landing as softly as a cat. Ramsey followed close behind him.

“Cara and Sonya are showing Larena around the castle,” Lucan said.

Fallon nodded to his brother then looked at each Warrior in turn. “I need every one of you to think about the stories you’ve heard of the Scroll. I want to begin making the replica immediately.”

“All of us wanted to go after Quinn as soon as we found him gone,” Galen said. “But you did the right thing.”

Had he? Was securing the castle more important than getting his brother free?

“Deirdre willna harm him,” Hayden said.

Logan shifted from one foot to the other and crossed his arms over his chest. “She wants you and Lucan also. She wouldn’t dare hurt Quinn since she needs the combined power of all three of you.”

“None of that matters,” Fallon said, more tersely than he intended. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He knew the men were just trying to help, but they didn’t understand the hopelessness and guilt that weighed so heavily upon his shoulders.

When Fallon opened his eyes it was to find Lucan with his eyes on the ground. Fallon let out a sigh and said, “We’ve all been inside Deirdre’s mountain. Some of us longer than others, but we know what goes on there. She willna kill Quinn, nay, but God only knows what she’s done to him already. I shouldn’t have gone to Edinburgh.”

“Then you wouldn’t have found Larena,” Lucan said as he raised his gaze to Fallon. “With Larena’s ability to turn invisible, she can get to Quinn better than any of us. We might not need the Scroll.”

“And then what?” Fallon asked. “Larena won’t be seen, but Quinn will. Do you think Deirdre won’t keep Quinn near her?”

Ramsey, who had remained silent during the exchange, turned his head to Fallon. “Finding Quinn within the castle is important. Once we learn where he is being kept, we can plan our strategy, even if that does include using the fake scroll. If we can set it up so that you can reach Quinn, you can bring him back here before Deirdre has time to understand what’s happened.”

“And the rest of you? Am I to leave you to her?” Fallon shook his head. “I’m not saying the idea isna a good one. It could work, but the last thing I want is to leave someone behind. I don’t ever want to go to Deirdre’s mountain again after this.”

Logan, who usually always wore a smile, turned bleak hazel eyes to Fallon. “I don’t want to go at all, Fallon, but I know Quinn would do it for me. So I will face that evil bitch again if it means Quinn’s freedom.”

Fallon clenched his hands in an effort to control the emotion within him. As the rage at what Deirdre had done to them slid through his veins, his claws extended. He wanted to leave right now to rescue Quinn, but it would be rushing in recklessly. Their da had taught them better than that.

“Others will come,” Galen said. “Larena told us Camdyn was on his way.”

“Let’s hope he gets here before we leave,” Fallon said.

“I have a bit of talent for drawing.” Ramsey spoke into the silence. “I was told the Scroll had the knotwork of the Celts around the edges.”

“Aye,” Hayden agreed. “I was told that as well.”

Fallon nodded to the two men, thankful Larena wouldn’t have to tell them about the Scroll she guarded. “Good. Get to work on that. Anyone else who knows anything about the Scroll either tell Ramsey and Hayden or go with them. The rest of us will finish rebuilding the towers.”

He needed to do something with his hands, anything to occupy his mind. Quinn was gone and Larena was falling further and further out of his reach. He could see it in her eyes. Whatever had been between them in Edinburgh was fading, and if he wanted to keep her, he needed to think fast.

Quinn forced his legs to hold him up even though his body screamed in agony. He’d barely begun to heal before Deirdre sent Warriors to torture him yet again.

He had lost his boots and his tunic. His breeches were torn and ripped in so many places that they scarcely covered him. The only thing they hadn’t taken from him was his torc. But not for lack of trying.

Quinn smiled, and then winced when his busted lip cracked open again. The Warriors couldn’t understand why the torc wouldn’t come off, not even using their superior strength. They didn’t realize the torc was made to never be removed, and apparently, some magic had been put into it as well. At least that was Deirdre’s explanation to the Warriors.

Quinn didn’t care as long as it got them to leave his torc alone. He was exhausted and weary. He wasn’t sure how many hours or days had passed since he had been brought to the mountain.

All he knew was the darkness, the hunger clawing at his belly, and the constant anguish of his body.

The Warriors had begun standing outside his cell waiting for him to slump over in sleep. As soon as he did, they would unlock the door and come inside to begin hitting him. Quinn doubted if Deirdre knew what her swine were doing.

Part of him longed for death, to end the constant cycle of pain, but he couldn’t do that to his brothers. He owed it to them to stay alive, for he knew they would come for him. No matter how long it took, they would come.

Quinn’s eyes drifted shut and sleep claimed him almost immediately. He felt his knees begin to crumple, and he came awake with a jolt. He wanted to shout in anger and frustration, but he didn’t dare. It would give Deirdre what she wanted.

He chuckled as he realized Deirdre had gotten him to do what his brothers hadn’t in three hundred years. He was controlling his god. Though he didn’t know how long he could continue. Every fiber of his being wanted to get his hands on the Warriors torturing him and rip them apart.

When he thought of killing them, his rage bubbled, and the god threatened to break free. Quinn fought against the rising tide of his fury and focused on his breathing and staying awake.

The Warriors outside his cell suddenly scrambled to their feet. Quinn watched with curiosity, because the only person who could make the Warriors react in this way was Deirdre. Yet, she hadn’t been to see him in … well, a long time. She had said she wouldn’t return until he released his god.

He forced his newly broken leg to bear some of his weight since his other leg was numb. Deirdre came into view, hardly giving her Warriors a glance, before the door was unlocked and she walked inside.

She took one look at him and spun around to her Warriors. “Who did this to him?” she demanded.

The three Warriors looked at the ground like little children who had gotten caught in a lie.

“Did I order him to be beaten again?”

One of the Warriors spoke an almost indiscernible, “Nay.”

Quinn tried to keep his eyes open, but his broken leg sent pain shooting through him. He wouldn’t be able to stand much longer, and then he would sag against his chains and pull his shoulder that was already dislocated.

His body could heal rapidly, but it was hard to keep up because of how much torture had been inflicted on him.

He heard Deirdre shouting, but couldn’t make out what she said. Hands grabbed him, and he yelled out as they wrenched his dislocated arm. When something brushed against his broken leg, the anguish was excruciating.

Quinn welcomed the blackness that swallowed him and took him from his living hell.

Larena enjoyed her time with Cara and Sonya. Both women had welcomed her with friendly smiles and much laughter. Cara had told her how she and Lucan had met, and about their struggles against Deirdre.

She had even watched as Cara coaxed a plant to grow. Larena knew of the powers of the Druids thanks to Robena, but she had never known the Druids could make plants grow. It was fascinating, and the more Larena was around the Druids, the more she realized how important they were to the Warriors—and to mankind.

Sonya, it seemed, was very powerful for a Druid. She wouldn’t tell Larena everything she could do, but Larena did learn Sonya’s magic could aid in the healing of wounds.

Yet, when Larena asked whose blood had been used to help her, neither of the women would answer, and Cara had quickly changed the conversation.

Larena had let them. For some reason, they didn’t want her to know whose blood was inside her. It was silly, but she had hoped it was Fallon’s. Maybe it wasn’t, and that’s why the women wouldn’t tell her.

The afternoon had flown by faster than Larena realized. She spotted Ramsey and Hayden in the great hall bent over a piece of parchment, their voices low. She knew they were working on the Scroll, and a part of her itched to aid them. But it was better if she didn’t.

Instead, she went to the kitchen to assist Cara and Sonya with the evening meal. The men hunted and brought in whatever they could, from fish to fowl to boar to venison.

“It’s never enough,” Cara had said with a laugh as she kneaded more dough. “Galen eats as if he has two stomachs.”

“Three stomachs,” Sonya said with a nod. “His belly is never full. We had to begin hiding some of the food because he kept coming in here during the day to eat.”

Larena joined in their mirth. She learned a great deal about each of the Warriors from the women. Logan had a habit of playing tricks on everyone, which helped to keep their spirits from sinking too low. Ramsey was often seen standing alone or walking the perimeter of the castle by himself.

Hayden kept his distance from Cara because of his deep hatred for
droughs
. Cara’s mother was a
drough
, and Hayden suspected Cara would turn
drough
as well.

Lucan had easily stepped into Fallon’s shoes while Fallon had been gone, and he was a calm, steady influence, just as Fallon had said. Galen was the one who seemed to have an answer for everything.

It had been so long since Larena had been around women with whom she could be herself that at first she wasn’t sure how to act with Cara and Sonya. But the two quickly put her at ease with their casual banter, so that Larena allowed herself to be pulled into their small circle.

Then came the evening meal. Larena hadn’t seen Fallon except from a distance the entire afternoon. He worked longer and harder than the rest, and he was the last to come in to supper.

Larena tried to look away from his damp hair, but she wanted to run her fingers through the dark brown locks that had begun to show strands of burnished gold from being in the sun.

Everyone had their own places at the table. Larena didn’t know where to sit, so she hesitated. She was about to join Logan and Hayden at the other table when Galen touched her elbow.

“There is plenty of room for you to sit between me and Cara.”

She looked into his blue eyes, wondering if he had somehow read her mind. One blond brow lifted as he waited for her answer.

Larena glanced at the table to find Fallon watching her. “All right,” she answered.

Galen fell in step beside her as she walked to the table and slid into the seat on Cara’s right. Cara’s smile was bright as she turned to her, and the small squeeze she gave Larena’s hand was filled with genuine warmth.

“I meant to tell you earlier to sit next to me,” Cara said.

Larena waved away her words. “Think nothing of it.”

As they ate each Warrior gave an overview of what he had accomplished that day. Larena was surprised to hear that Fallon, Lucan, and Galen had completed the reconstruction of the third tower and moved on to the fourth.

“It should be finished in a day or two,” Lucan said. “I have a few more tables and chairs to make for the chambers as well.”

Fallon nodded. “Ramsey? How did you and Hayden fare today?”

“As well as can be expected,” Ramsey said after he swallowed a mouthful of food. “The knotwork takes time to create.”

“It looks good,” Hayden said. “Ramsey wasn’t jesting when he said he had drawing skills.”

“Excellent.” Fallon scratched his chin as his brow furrowed. “How long do you suspect it will take to complete?”

Ramsey shrugged. “I didn’t get as much done today as I would have liked, but now that I have the initial knotwork down, it should go faster.” He looked at Hayden. “What do you think?”