Highland Shift (Highland Destiny: 1) (28 page)

Lightning streaked from the sky, thunder exploded, and the tree that had burned the previous night was burning again.
Red and Faolan jerked back, momentarily distracted by the unexpected show of nature. When they turned around, Worthington was gone, the cell completely empty. Nearby, just to the side of the shrub, Elena was laying on the ground.

****

Elena was in the room but wasn’t in the room. It was confusing, but she couldn’t think of another way to describe it. She could see Worthington, in his boxers, standing with another man who was wearing a gray business suit under a slate cloak. The man had gray hair and a gray complexion. In fact, everything about the room was shades of gray, even Worthington. Maybe she was only seeing in black and white, as if she had an old television receiver that wasn’t in sync with modern day standards.

“Master
Symington,” said Worthington, inclining his head toward the other man in the room.

“What the bloody hell have you done?” the Master growled.

The office was opulent with a slate topped desk large enough to land a plane on, two leather couches, club chairs, a bar, and a flat panel television. The walls were filled with photos of the Master shaking hands with local and national leaders, political, business, and religious. It looked as though everyone wanted a piece of the Master. Or the Master owned a piece of everyone.

Elena could sense that Worthington needed to be careful here. She could hear
that he was having two very different levels of thought. Behind the words he was telling the Master were other thoughts. This was a deep game, one he had been playing for years. He would not lose now. He knew he was a dead man if the Master learned of his plans. He lied smoothly, weaving in bits of truth, in case the Master wanted to check up on him.

“Master, I found another person searching for the ancient ways. I do not believe he is part of an organization, but someone who stumbled upon the old rumors. He learned of the farm I own, far north of here, and believed the old stories of a hidden Druid library. We proved that story a myth many years ago, but he was unaware of that fact, which is why I am sure he is not with any organization.

“He’d tracked me to Phoenix and asked me if I had heard of such stories or had found any old books. I told him those were false rumors, that there was nothing there. When he left, I followed him back. He returned to the area of the farm, and even though I knew the stories to be untrue, I stayed around to watch. I was stupid. I went without back up and he trapped me in the cell by the clearing.”

The Master’s face was livid, and he said between clenched teeth, “What did he say?”

Worthington continued, “He was foolish. He told me he was looking for some ancient spell books, that he was going to be an author, and he was gathering a history of the ancient Druids. His story was consistent with what he’d said in Phoenix, and with what I stripped from his thoughts.

“I told him the land had been looted by treasure hunters for centuries, and long been proven to be artifact-free. I pointed out that as I was American, I would have no problem shooting him with my hunting rifle, should I catch him trespassing again. Although he left me in the cell, I believe the threat has been handled.”

“You did well, Worthington, but he concerns me. I want you to follow up, find where he is, and if he can be safely removed, do it.”

“For the good of the order, Master,” Worthington agreed.

When he left the Master, Worthington allowed the true nature of his thoughts free reign.

****

“Elenaaaaa!” Faolan ran to where Elena had suddenly appeared on the ground near the trees. He had no idea how she had gotten there or what was wrong with her. Red stayed near the window watching the cell in case Worthington had done that same shielding trick and was just blending in, appearing invisible.

“I smell
sulfur, Faolan. I expect that Worthington is really gone,” Red said.

Elena was breathing shallowly, her eyes moving rapidly under her li
ds. Faolan picked her up, and held her close against him, he carried her to the center of the clearing. He crooned to her, begged her to please wake up, told her he loved her, promised everything would be okay. Lilly left the Rover, running up to see what happened. Still Elena didn’t wake.

Lilly wanted to take Elena home, but Faolan said they would stay, she would know where to come to if he stayed here. Faolan didn’t know if Worthington had taken her, or if she had tried to follow, but he was certain
her spirit was not with them right now. He also knew something that none of the others knew, not even Worthington. He alone knew just how magick the clearing was, and that his ancestors were close by.

He directed Red to build a fire, which Red did by knocking a branch from the burning tree and Lilly brought stones and water from the brook. Faolan wished Brigid was here with him, but he knew the four elements needed to be greeted,
before he could petition his ancestors for help. He might not have the right words, but he could speak from the heart. He hoped it would be enough.

He sat near the center of the circle, holding Elena, and focused on opening himself to hear. The chanting started almost immediately and filled the small clearing. It was rhythmic,
ancient, resonating with power. The fire flared, sending sparks to carry on the wind. One by one, Faolan shut out all external sounds. He focused on hearing his heartbeat, forcing out everything else. He welcomed the visions when they came and was lost in them for a very long time.

Faintly at first, Faolan heard a second heartbeat inside his. It was faster, lighter than
his own beat. He focused everything on hearing that second pulse. It became stronger, louder, closer. Faolan’s eyes opened on a now dark night. He saw Red and Lilly watching him anxiously, but not interfering.

He sensed Elena was near. Faolan stroked her forehead, “Elena, it’s time to come home. Come back to me now.” He kissed her hair, smelling her sweetness.

Elena moaned softly and began to move. Her eyes fluttered open, and she screamed.

****

They gathered in the kitchen once again an, Elena told her story. “I am sorry I hid my plan from you, but I wasn’t sure you could shield by yourself against Worthington. I thought the two of us together would be stronger. I thought you would try to stop me if I told you.”

Faolan looked at Elena a long moment before he answered, “
Och, you are right. I wouldna have let you, and I would have been wrong. You said the two of us together would be stronger, and that is the new reality for us, lass.”

Taking
a deep breath, Elena continued, “I saw Worthington direct you to shoot Red, so I projected Red’s image to a different spot.” She looked back to Lilly and Red, “If Faolan had succumbed to whatever Worthington was doing, I hoped he would shoot the image, not the man. Once Red was safe, I threw my shield around Faolan’s to reinforce his protection.

“It was then I felt Worthington drawing
in on himself, like a vacuum, as if he was sucking power from the clearing. I tried to sense inside of him, to see what he was planning. I hadn’t tried that before.”

Elena sh
uddered and gagged. She barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting. Faolan followed her and got a washcloth to bathe her face in cool water. She brushed her teeth and returned to the kitchen, apologizing.

“Touching his mind made me sick. He’s pure evil, Faolan. We must be careful. He does want to control you; he wants your power.”

“I doona’ even know I have any kind of real power,” Faolan said. “I thought it was all about the artifacts.”

“Worthington believes you do, and so do I. I can sense it in you,” Elena told him quietly. She continued, “I thought he was preparing to do magick in the clearing or on one of you. I thought I could prevent him from hurting you if I could get inside him. I didn’t realize he was leaving. He created a roar in his head, and there was an answer from somewhere farther away. I saw the lightning, and then he was gone, and I was trapped.”

Elena told them of watching Worthington and of Master Symington. She didn’t know who he was or of over what he presided, but he was one source of Worthington’s bitter blackness. She continued, “Worthington put up shields around most of his mind while he was with the Master. He was determined to keep his true feelings hidden. I could hear both the story he was telling and the thoughts he was hiding. He lied about the farm and he kept you hidden, Faolan.

“Once Worthington left
Symington, his thoughts lost some of their cohesiveness. He was thinking of finding someone, but I don’t know who. He thought about his son, and he thought about murder. It was like being in a room of thick, black smoke. Words and pictures floated on the inky tendrils, and I could sense some of them, while others were unclear.”

She looked at Faolan, and said simply, “I wanted to come home and I heard you calling me. I followed your voice with my heart.”

It was Faolan’s turn to tell Elena what had happened after Worthington left. Faolan said, “I saw you suddenly appear on the ground at the same time Worthington disappeared, and I couldna wake you. I called upon the spirits again, they were very near,” he said with an evasive expression.

“Visions overtook me and I was taken by boat to an island, surrounded by clouds. I told the island’s keeper you had been taken, and he said you were powerful. You had learned much and would return soon. There was a wren-”

Elena interrupted, “That told you to reflect, and you will be seen; follow the path of learning—

Faolan finished, “There is a time coming when all your skills and all the true disciples may still not be enough.”

They looked at each other for a long minute, wondering what it meant. Both of them had experienced the same vision now. Obviously, there was something they must do, somewhere they must go together.

Clearly shaken, Faolan said, “Red, do we have any unopened whisky? I willna take a chance on anything opened previously.”

“Aye, lad,” and he went to fetch a fresh bottle. Lilly got the glasses. Faolan was not inclined to let Elena move from his lap, and she was not inclined to want to move. Drinks were poured, tossed back, and refilled, in short order.

“’Tis a night’s rest we all need. ‘Twill be more clear in the morning.” Faolan said. Red and Lilly said good night.

Faolan insisted Elena have one more drink, and the warmth finally spread through her. She melted against him, relaxed and sleepy. Faolan held her close, nuzzling her hair, kissing the top of her head. Tonight she needed sleep, and her body needed to recover before he made love to her again. Just holding her in his arms while she slept would be sweet beyond belief.

Elena turned her face up for a kiss, and he kissed her eyes, her nose, before finally settling his lips possessively on her mouth. He stood, keeping her close in his arms, and carried Elena to their room. He ran a bath, filling the large tub with warm water and bubbles while she undressed. “Here you go, love. Climb in and relax. I’ll come get you out when you are finished.”

Elena stared at him, a bit dumbfounded. “Aren’t you coming in with me?”

He swiftly moved to her and cupped her face in his hands.
After planting a kiss on the tip of her nose, he said, “Nay, lass. Doona’ fash yourself. I will be satisfied to hold you while we sleep. In a few days, I will make love to you every way you can imagine. Maybe in some ways you canna imagine perhaps,” he laughed.

Elena snaked her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers.
She molded her naked body to his fully clothed one, she thrust her tongue in his mouth. Faolan growled and sucked her tongue deep into his mouth. His erection pressed against her stomach.

Faolan buried his face in Elena’s neck
, breathing hard. He whispered roughly, “Och, Elena, I willna be able to resist if you kiss me like that again.”

Elena scraped her fingernails lightly against his scalp before grabbing big handfuls of his hair to pull hard enough to guide his mouth back to hers. She kissed him hungrily. He capitulated with another throaty growl.

Elena smiled the self-satisfied smile of a woman who knows she is desired and watched him quickly undress. When he picked her up and stepped into the tub, soapy water went everywhere.
As big as this tub is, there’s not much room when a six and a half foot tall Highlander climbs in with you. Seems the only reasonable course of action is to climb on top,
she thought.

After rinsing off the bubbles, they dried each other, and Faolan carried Elena to their bed. He laughed easily and smiled often.
His mouth rained kisses upon every inch of her, and instead of quenching her thirst, they created a fire. “Faolan, I need you. I want you inside me, love me now.”

He was infinitely patient, filling her slowly, lovingly. He watched her face, responding to her quick intakes of breath, her moans, and sighs. He pleasured her again and again without seeking his own release. As she neared the crest again, she said, “Come with me, Faolan. Fill me now.”

With a groan, his restraint snapped and with fast, furious strokes, he pounded against her, possessing her, taking her higher than she’d been before. His yell of release coincided with hers, and they came thundering and shuddering to completion.