Highland Shift (Highland Destiny: 1) (36 page)

Brigid’s
heart lurched with an emotion so sharp it bruised Elena’s own heart, their gazes locked, and Elena was suddenly certain.

“Tell him,”
Elena thought into the older woman’s mind. Brigid continued to look at Elena for a long time, her thoughts colored with uncertainty, and some other strong emotion Elena couldn’t fathom. Faolan, who seemed to be waiting for Elena to say something about not being allowed to train, suddenly became aware of the incredible tension between the two women.

Seeking to be a peacemaker he soothed, “Elena, fear not, you will have time to train after the baby is born. Canna she at least read the books, gather the history?” he asked Brigid. 

“Tell him…”

With a deep sigh, Brigid said, “Tis not the problem, Faolan. There is aught I must tell you. Your Elena is a clever
lass. She knew right away.” Sighing again, she glanced at Elena who nodded encouragement.

Brigid began, “Before your Da married your mother, he was here on the island, receiving his Druid training. I was also here in training, and we did everything together. He challenged me, and I challenged him. We were well matched. We became lovers and made plans to live our lives together. He returned home before I did only to discover his betrothal had been announced in an arranged marriage.

Faolan went very still and watched Brigid through narrowed eyes.

“Your grandfather was a poor estate manager. He was an even weaker Druid and promised his son’s title and marriage in exchange for some much needed gold. Your father was a man of honor and accepted his father’s obligations. He was married before I returned home.

“When next we spoke, he learned I was pregnant with his child. He spoke to his wife. They agreed to raise the child as their own, and so it was. Their first-born son grew to be a fine man, and no one ever doubted the love his parents felt for him.”

Brigid paused and put her hand on Faolan’s arm. “When they came to kill your father for the Druid secrets he protected, he did everything he could to keep you safe. He didna mistakenly reveal any information. Nay, he revealed what he had to in order to keep them from learning about you, Faolan.”

The room was silent, everyone was breathless listening to Brigid’s story. She paused, looking at Faolan, her face a mixture of love and pain. “After your father died, I nearly lost my will to live, I loved him so much. Looking after his first-born son, making sure you found your path, making sure you finally take your rightful place as your legacy foretells. That kept me going. It keeps me going still.”

Faolan looked at her and whispered, “
You loved my father? You are my mother?”

“Aye, lad, you are my son, my one and only.”
A sheen of tears filmed Brigid’s eyes, and her face wore an expression of love and pride. She’d been waiting over three hundred years to tell Faolan of their relationship. Centuries of watching, caring, guiding, protecting. Elena thought there was nothing so pure as the love of a mother for her child.

****

Worthington was nearly finished with his preparations; however, he needed to bring Liam fully into the plan before it was finalized. It was time he knew the truth. They were in the sitting room of the Edinburgh manse and Worthington was about to tell a story.

“My ancestor, the one who founded the Etarlam, was named Oswald. It means divinely powerful, and near as I can tell he was. There are few of his writings in our vault, but those that exist paint the portrait of a man who felt power running in his veins, but unsure of why or of what to do with it. Men sought his opinion, followed him into battle,
deferred to his wishes.

“Knowing he was not of royalty, Oswald began to research other men of power throughout history, looking for others on whom power had been bestowed. He discovered the Sorcerers and Druids, and began to believe he was descended from one or the other. There was very little lore about either that he could find, but what he did manage to locate led him to believe he was a Druid.”

Worthington stopped and looked at Liam for a minute, as if assessing him, his reaction. “Am I boring you with this old family tale?” he asked.

“Not at all. I always wondered how—

Worthington continued to look at him, so Liam went on, “I always wondered how the Etarlam started…who had first noticed the power.”

Worthington leaned forward then and asked very quietly, “Do you feel the power?”

“Aye, ever since I was a lad.”

Worthington nodded and then continued, “You know the story of the Fae and the Druids? It explained why everyone believed that
Druidry was only an oral tradition, since the Queen destroyed all of their books. Oswald believed that some of the Druids must have survived, which is why he felt the power. He began to look for others like him and for places that their elders might have hidden some of their books and treasures.

“He found that even without spells, he could bend the will of others, he could direct attention toward other objects, and he could draw people of power to him. He formed the Order of the
Breslan Etarlam and they began a worldwide search for books and writings that had escaped the Queen’s wrath.

“This was how Oswald gathered those to him to form the initial members of the order. From that time forward, whenever a person of power was located, a member of the Order would get close to determine if that person knew of
Druidry or had artifacts. An attempt would be made to bring the person to the Order, but if it was unsuccessful—”

Worthington paused. This was it; this was where he would know whether Liam had what it took to go forward.

Watching Liam carefully, he continued, “If the person could not be recruited for the Order, he was considered an enemy of the Order, and he was killed, and his artifacts added to the collection.”

Liam never even flinched. Not physically, not mentally.

Worthington was pleased. He continued, “My father and his father before him were weak men. They wanted nothing to do with the Order, so the leadership passed to other members, lest the work be lost. I felt the power, and sought to participate from an early age. I was always suspect, because of the weakness of my father,” he said bitterly.

“Some of what I have told you tonight you already knew, but some of this information is only to be known by the council and the Master. You must guard against Symington. He is a talented reader. However, he has not been able to read me, and he does not seem to be able to read you, for you have guarded my secrets well.

“You know that I desire to be the Master of the Order. The rules of our Order allow any member of the Council to present a challenge to the leadership, should he suspect the Master is weakening. Symington has made his plan for succession, and has chosen his own son over me, that way should any ever choose to challenge him, his son can step forward, and the family retains the power.

“His plan will fail, and come this Beltane, I will do more than challenge him. You have been working toward helping me make the challenge as you gathered artifacts and learned certain spells; an offense punishable by death should the challenge fail. Are you ready to go further to ensure that the leadership of the Order is returned to the rightful heir? Returned to me?”

Liam looked directly at Worthington and opened himself, allowing his thoughts to be examined. “Read me,” he said simply. “You have my word that I will do anything in my power to help you.”

Worthington looked into his eyes, probed deeply, then said, “You have been loyal, and loyalty is rewarded. There is more I must tell you.” Worthington stood and refilled their glasses, ordering his thoughts. Liam waited.

Handing Liam his drink, Worthington said, “Your mother was a lovely woman, Liam.” Liam’s head jerked back and he looked at Worthington in surprise. Whatever he expected, it wasn’t this.

“My wife is a lesbian. She has been since long before I met her. Her father was a very wealthy man, who was unwilling to indulge her lifestyle. He arranged for us to meet and offered me a large settlement if I married her. I knew nothing of her preference until our wedding night.

“Her father was pleased with our marriage. However, when we did not present him with a grandchild in a timely fashion, he withheld the remainder of his money until we produced a child, and provided proof via DNA that the child was ours. We traveled to Switzerland for one of our annual excursions, and while there, she had in vitro fertilization. Her father was satisfied and left his fortune to us upon his death. In truth, we have never consummated our marriage.

“When I was in London establishing our branch office there, my life was changed forever when I met your mother, Katarina. She was wild, exotic, and full of power. It was she who first recognized the full power in me, and it was she who encouraged me to pursue my rightful place among the Order. She was skilled at prophecy and at reading people. She had deep magick. She found more documents and artifacts than any ten members of the Order, combined.

“I know you are aware of our relationship; after all you have known me since you were a child. She told you I was an uncle. From the moment I met her, I begged her to come with me, to live near me in Phoenix, but she always refused. She wanted to move closer to her spiritual home, she said. Your mother was fiercely independent.

“She told you we met when you were four. It was the only lie I knew her to tell you. When she became pregnant with you, I told her I was buying a house for her, and if she wanted to have a say about where it was located, she’d better decide quickly. She chose Scotland, this house, and she chose to raise you alone.

“Although I was here and part of your life, there is more I would have done had she allowed it. I would have proclaimed the truth, but she was afraid it would place you in danger. As a powerful prophetess, she sensed extreme danger should some find out that she and I had produced a child. Together our power was formidable, and there are those on the council who would seek to destroy a child of our making.”

Standing, Worthington walked over to Liam and held out his hand. “I would claim you as my son.
My firstborn son. The son I will acknowledge to the council this Beltane, once I am proclaimed the Master, and then I will name you as my successor.”

Liam stood and put his hand out, stunned. Worthington grasped his hand and pulled him into a hug, slapping him on the back, before releasing him and turning quickly away, his throat working.

Liam had wondered, of course, if Worthington was his father, but Katarina had been so very firm in her denial of that fact that Liam had believed her. Not only was Worthington admitting he was Liam’s father, but he was going to acknowledge it before the council and name him as his successor. He did not underestimate the significance of that declaration. Worthington’s…no,
his father’s
plan must involve permanently removing Symington and his son, as well as his supporters from the council, and it must be foolproof.

“I am honored to be your son,” Liam said rather formally.

His father smiled at him, and said, “Although this is news to you, it is not to me. I have always been proud to be your father.”

Elena was not particularly happy. While everyone else was back at the castle practicing spells and getting ready for Beltane, she was back on the boat. Matt, one of the many
MacMartins, was taking her to the mainland so she could return to the farm and gather certain books they needed. Matt was a big, strapping lad with orders to watch over Elena, get her to the farm, and back, no later than the day of the Beltane ceremonies.

She thought that task would be impossible, since it had taken them so many weeks to find the island. Matt assured her that it was only a day’s boat ride, if you knew where you were going. A fast trip was preferable to Elena, since she was not anxious to be separated from Faolan for long.

The copies from the spell book and the other books Elena had discovered had stunned Brigid and Earnan. Neither had known the Gailtrys had such books in their possession, and Earnan thought it sounded as though some of the original Druid council’s library might be intact. He was desperate to get his hands on it and secure it on the island.

Unfortunately, no one else could leave because of the necessary preparations that must occur before Beltane, just under two weeks away now. So Elena had volunteered because it seemed petty not to, and there were good reasons for her to go. Faolan was finally convinced that she needed to go, not only for the sake of the Druid’s, but also for her self-esteem. She needed to be needed, to feel useful. Of course, now she really had no one to blame but herself.
Sigh.

Aside from getting the books, there were other good points to returning, and Elena tried to focus on those. She would get to see Lilly and Red, her beloved farm, and Shadow. In fact, she’d already decided the boat was big
enough, she was going to bring Shadow with her when she returned.

She had plenty of errands to keep her busy. They needed more clothes than they’d brought the first time, preferably clothes more suited to
Earnan’s preferred mild climate. Best of all, she was going to visit a doctor to confirm her pregnancy. Since she could determine that with a home pregnancy test, the doctor’s visit had an ulterior motive.

Dr. Gabhran MacLachlan was an obstetrician in Edinburgh. Brigid had come across the name multiple times over several generations. She wasn’t positive it was the same
man. It could have been a family name, but something about it resonated with her. The time had come to seek those of possible power, to draw them close and train them in the ways of Druidry. They would need every Druid they could find in order to fight for their side, the side of the light.