Redeeming Vows (27 page)

He sat atop the tallest tree. The moon lit the landscape below. With vision far beyond his human capacity, Simon witnessed more atrocities in the past twenty-four hours than he had in the entirety of his life.

Tatiana fumbled upon fallen trees as she made her way closer to Ian’s stronghold. He watched, wondering how far she would go. When he’d told Cian that something about the girl wasn’t right, he hadn’t lied. Yes, he wanted to strike out at his friend for being so cruel, but the girl had an air about her that upset his stomach and filled his mind with dread.

Simon dipped off his perch and landed several feet from the girl. He tucked his falcon wings close and watched.

She held her hand against her body and risked injury protecting it. As a falcon, his sense of sight reminded him of Superman’s x-ray vision. As a wolf, smell took over.

Simon flew to the ground and hit the dense foliage on four legs. He shook from head to tail and 235

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pressed his nose to the air.
Burned flesh.
He inched closer. Tatiana peered over her shoulder, hearing his approach. He kept to the shadows, avoiding her eyes.

Then the worse scent of all filled his brain with wicked memories.

Grainna.

The rotting flesh of the witch hovered over the girl like a plague. Simon had scented it the previous night before the witch gained consciousness. Fearful that she’d awaken and find him, Simon fled quickly, not looking back. He was a coward.

He should have done something to destroy her while she was vulnerable and weak. Cian would have. Fin, too. But Simon froze, unable to do anything but stare.

Fear rolled off Tatiana as she ran through the forest. Had Grainna hurt her? Was she fleeing to escape the witch?

The girl swiveled around, most likely hearing his approach. Simon didn’t try to stay quiet. There was no need. She couldn’t hurt him. She didn’t have a weapon.

Simon bounded forward, making his presence known. Tatiana met his eyes and stifled a scream deep in her throat. “Please, nay.”

She was petrified and attempted to walk backwards, her gaze never leaving his.

He considered shifting, letting her know she didn’t have to fear him, but he wouldn’t risk being discovered by someone who held Grainna’s scent.

Behind her, a rock she didn’t see blocked her path. Simon barked out a warning, scaring her further. Her ankle caught and tripped her to the earth. She landed on her injured hand, rent the air with a scream, and then passed out cold.

Standing over her in wolf form, Simon wondered what he should do. The camp wasn’t far. In fact, Tatiana seemed to be heading that way when he’d 236

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found her.

Having more strength as a wolf than human, Simon gathered the material of her dress with his jowls and dragged her along the forest floor. Her battered hand flopped on the earth, probably keeping her unconscious from the pain.

As the smells from camp reached his nose, Simon continued to tug and pull. He stopped before anyone could see him, moved several paces beyond the girl, and howled. Voices of alarm rose. He thought he heard his Aunt Tara call his name.

Men carrying torches moved in his direction.

“There,” someone shouted.

Simon bound into the forest, leaped over rocks and trees and then sprung into the air on wings.

Cian ran past his father and fell at the head of Tatiana, calling her name.

Ian followed his son.

Tara called Simon’s name, pleading for him to return.

****

Ian watched Cian handle the girl as if she were made of glass. So this was the one Simon spoke of, the girl who’d captured her son’s young heart.

“I saw a wolf drag her from the forest,” Logan said from the mouth of the tent.

Those inside froze.
Simon.
Why had he run?

“Keep watch. If ye see the wolf again, call me or Duncan, but do not harm it.”

“Aye, my lord. Though the wolf’s behavior,

’twasn’t normal.”

“Nothing appears normal these past few days.”

Ian didn’t concern himself with voicing his unease to Logan. Every one of his men felt danger in the air.

“Tatiana?” Cian stroked the lass’s cheek as he coaxed her from her unconscious state.

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Logan left the tent, leaving only family behind.

“Todd, see that no one enters.”

Todd nodded and slipped away.

The girl stirred, bringing a sigh of relief from his son. She moaned.

“Be mindful of her hand, Cian,” Lora told him, already removing the soiled linen binding the obviously deformed bones.

“Cian?” Tatiana whispered. “’Tis ye.”

“Shhh, quiet. Ye’r safe now.”

The girl’s eyes opened wide. “The wolf?”

“He’s gone. Rest, lass.”

“Nay, I can’t. I’ve come to warn ye.” Her gaze swept the tent. She reached for Cian’s hand, pressed it to her chest and then turned her eyes directly to Ian. “Keep yer men close this night, m’lord.”

Ian stepped toward her.

“Why?”

“They are not safe. She is collecting bodies, hands.” The words left her mouth before she muffled a cry when Lora unwrapped the last of her bandage.

“Who do ye speak of?” But Ian already knew.

“Grainna.”

Everyone grew still.

“How do ye know of her?” Cian asked.

Tatiana looked down at her hand, and back to Cian.

“She did this to you?”

“Aye. I spoke against her. ’Twas the result.”

Ian squared his shoulders. “How do ye know her, lass?”

“She captured our caravan, killed those who didn’t comply to her desires. I became useful to her.”

“How so?”

Her gaze slowly shifted back to Cian.

Damnation. The lass used his son.

“I never meant to hurt anyone. I swear it on my 238

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life.” Cian backed away.

“Did she follow ye here?”

“Nay. I escaped when she was not looking. I came alone.”

“Why?” Cian’s voice held ice. His expression turned to stone. “Why are ye here?”

“I came to warn ye.”

“And then?” Cian asked.

“Then flee.”

Lora glanced at Ian and spoke to him in his head.
We cannot trust her.

“Where does Grainna lurk?” Ian drew closer while Cian stood and put distance between them.

She sat up and cradled her trembling hand in her lap. “Grainna changes her form. I know not how, but I’ve seen her take the shape of a crow. She is everywhere. But that is not the answer ye seek.”

Tatiana’s eyes followed Cian as he paced the far side of the tent.

“Tell my father where she is.” Cian’s harsh tone reflected his pain.

“Her camp is north of here, on the base of the cliffs. Her power there is absolute. To attempt defeating her there would mean death to any who tried.”

These words Ian believed.

“Do ye know of any weakness?”

Tatiana closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Her evil feeds her power.”

“Why did she allow ye to be with me?” Cian asked.

Sorrow filled the darkness of Tatiana’s eyes.

Amber knelt at Lora’s side and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

Is she using her gift?
Ian asked his wife silently.

Amber seeks the truth.

“I do not know.”

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“Ye do not strike me as dense, lass,” Ian scolded.

“Nay. I am many things, but daft is not one of them. Grainna wants to destroy ye all, gain the powers ye yield, and rule all who cross her path. She did not reveal to me any goal of my knowing Cian.”

She bit her lip before continuing. “I cannot be a part of hurting anyone anymore. I cannot be a part of hurting ye, Cian.”

Amber caught Ian’s attention, stood, and walked toward him.

“Myra, Tara, fetch fresh water and have Logan bring me some ale.” Lora directed the women and coaxed Tatiana into allowing her to tend the wound.

Amber lowered her head and her voice. “She is in such pain, physical and in here.” She placed a hand to the center of her chest.

“Guilt does that.”

“Aye, guilt and remorse. I think she speaks the truth. And the way she gazes at Cian reminds me of how Myra looks at Todd, and the way Duncan coos over Tara.”

Ian had seen that for himself. The girl obviously held feelings for his son. Without a way of knowing if she were under a spell, trusting her was out of the question.

“’Tis no use, m’lady. The bones are beyond repair. In time the pain may go away, but I know I will never use it again.”

“You cannot be certain of that.”

“I can.”

Tara returned with ale, which Lora gave Tatiana to drink.

“Nay. I will not be under any spell, with drink or by witch.”

“But the pain…”

“Is not so great.”

Cian, who had said nothing, now walked to the girl’s side and calmly placed his healing hands on 240

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her. Tatiana flinched.

“I will not hurt ye.”

“I don’t deserve yer compassion.”

Cian said nothing, yet continued his task. He closed his eyes and held his breath in concentration.

As they all watched, Tatiana’s burned flesh slowly started to pull together. Several popping sounds, like that of wood crackling on a fire, flowed from her hand.

She gasped, but held perfectly still. With wide eyes filling with tears, Tatiana beheld the benefit of Cian’s newfound gift.

Once he backed away, she flexed her fingers and palm. Her reddened skin still held scars, but the flesh no longer oozed blood and soot.

“Thank ye.”

For a moment, the two of them stared at the other as if they were the only two there. Then Cian pivoted and left the tent.

“I should leave.”

“Nay.”

“I’ve caused enough pain.”

“We’ve no way of knowing if you are a spy and are returning to Grainna.”

“Then I have replaced one prison with another.”

Ian tilted his head back and worked some of the growing tension out of his neck with his hand. “Our prison will not damn ye to hell. Grainna’s will.”

Before Ian could leave the tent, Tatiana’s voice made him pause. “I have already seen hell.”

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“It won’t be long now, love.” Fin placed his hand to the small of Liz’s back and led her through the crowd of people all staring off and into the stars.

The observatory was perched on a hill overlooking the city of Los Angeles. The twinkling lights below flickered as far as his eye could see. The sight would stay with him for his entire life. If he had to choose a perfect night to remember in Liz’s century, this one would be it. He’d listened to a man who claimed to be a weekend astronomer explain why the lunar eclipse was taking place, and how often, or in all reality how rare a full eclipse was. He wished he could have spent countless hours poring over the inside of the planetarium to learn the wonders of the universe.

He knew how lucky he was, however. How blessed to have ever stepped foot in such a time and place.

“Do you think this is going to work?” Liz hunched her shoulders and drew the backpack higher onto her arm.

“I do.”

“I hope so. I’d hate to think of Selma doing all this to watch our plan fail.”

Fin leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her head. “There is something in the air tonight. I feel it.” It wasn’t simply the buzz of excitement rolling off the people around them either. His gut said they were going home.

“How much longer?” he asked, staring at the 242

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fullness of the moon. The actual eclipse took longer than he thought possible. The earth had cast a shadow on the moon for nearly an hour already. The people who gathered there were focused on their telescopes and not paying much attention to them.

“About fifteen minutes until the moon turns red.” “We should change.”

Liz jerked her head toward him, her brows slid together. “Into what?”

“Our rightful clothing.”

“You want to run around here in a kilt and have me in a wool gown?”

“If we were to end up ‘landing’ in the encampment, surrounded by people, there would be enough to explain without trying to address these wee shorts.” Although he did appreciate the look of Liz’s arse in the garment she wore.

“I didn’t think of that.”

Selma stepped up, interrupting their conversation. “We’re all ready. Beth is standing in the middle of the circle where she put your…” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “You know.”

Fin chuckled. Since Tara’s blood sent Grainna through time before, they thought it would work again for them. One of Selma’s family members was a nurse and drew blood out of their bodies with a needle and vial. It sounded as if the blood was in place and the night’s journey was set.

“Then we should change.”

“Change? Into what?”

“Our medieval clothes,” Liz told her.

“Not the best way to blend in.”

“I think once we start chanting and light a fire around us, blending in will be the last of our worries.”

Selma laughed. “True. Goodness, I’m really going to miss you two.”

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Liz placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “We will miss you, too.”

An emotional goodbye would cut into their last minutes, which felt suddenly short to Fin. “We need to change, lass.”

Fin shuffled Liz to the women’s bathroom and hurried into the men’s. When he emerged with his kilt in place, mantle properly hung with his sword at his hip, Fin felt more at ease than he had since they’d arrived.

He received plenty of stares as he left the bathroom and waited for Liz by the door.

When she did, she didn’t wear the handmade gown she’d arrived to their time in but instead wore a white spun linen with gold and silver threads.

She’d brushed her hair free and it now flowed to her mid back.

“Why so fine?” Not that he was complaining. She looked like an angel.

“Something Selma said the other night had me thinking about how we could convince others to help once we made it home. This gown is part of my plan.”