Stone Heart (17 page)

"Angus, it's all right. Just say it." She put her hands on his chest.

He took a deep breath and tried to phrase what he wanted to say without hurting her further. As good as his intentions might be, he was unpracticed in matters requiring great tact.

"Your condition does no' appear to leave you physically able to ... well ... and I babbled about children and bringing them to see Pixies and..." His voice trailed away.

Understanding crept in. Angus believed he'd hurt her feelings by mentioning childbirth and reminding her of her inability to bear children. Part of his reasoning was true.

She'd known all her life pregnancy wasn't something that would be possible. Doctors had said so. But it was really the thought of someone making love to Angus night after night, some stranger whose face she might never know, that suddenly bothered her. It was the thought of
another
woman giving him children that hurt. She pondered that eventuality for a moment. Angus would probably be the kind of man who would spoil a pregnant wife, hold her close in the night and 147

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stroke her aching body when the pain of labor came. And Karen was sure he'd love his children endlessly. He'd bring them to see the Pixies, and they'd have beautiful summer evenings together. He, his children and some beautiful, unknown woman.

The need to set his mind at ease was more important than her own inevitable situation. So she did something she rarely did. She lied. "Oh, Angus!" She raised a hand in dismissal.

"You mentioning children had nothing to do with my sour mood. It's just that, all of a sudden, I was afraid whoever I meet tomorrow won't tolerate my being here as readily as the Pixies seem to. And ... I'm a little scared, that's all."

He pulled her to him and hugged her. "Ach, dunna' trouble your heart, little one. Nothing will go amiss. I promise you."

"I'm hoping you do have lots and lots of children. I think you'd make a great father." She hugged him back, wondering about how easily the lie came.

His mood brightened considerably, and she rambled on about what the next day would bring and her false, trumped up fears of what might happen. Her heart warmed with each of Angus' assurances that nothing bad would occur, that he would be with her the whole time. Giving him a reason to protect her seemed to be what he needed. All the while, it never seemed to occur to him there was precious little anyone could do to harm her. She hated pretending to be such a coward, but it was better that than to have Angus know how his eventually being with someone
else
hurt her .

Somewhere along the short journey they had traveled, he'd become far too important. Far too necessary.

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* * * *

There were some things about this century for which he was exceedingly grateful. Standing beneath the sparkling spray and lathering himself with clean-scented, herbal soap was one of them. He grabbed the razor Karen had loaned him and, for some odd reason, felt the depression from the night before wash down the drain with the foaming bubbles. Feeling so clean was not something he had been used to. Lice and other vermin were common in his time. Magic could do nothing to chase some of the horrid beasties away. To be without the threat of them was wonderful.

Karen sat up and stretched. It wasn't quite dawn, but Angus' booming baritone voice would have awakened anything within a hundred yards of the cottage. The song he sang was about the Highlands and was probably as old as he.

She grinned as she grabbed up her bathrobe and quickly slipped into it. The previous night, she'd taken advantage of the small, clean bathroom to use as a changing facility. Her pink bathrobe covered the cotton nightshirt admirably, but it would somehow be humiliating for Angus to appear and catch her wearing a shirt with glow-in-the-dark fireflies on the front. It seemed a silly thing for her to have chosen to wear, sillier still for her to worry over it. But that was the way she felt. Last night, she'd purposely removed her robe beneath the covers so the iron-on designs wouldn't glow in the dark.

Karen looked down at herself and suddenly wished for a
killer
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body and a sexy blue negligee. Something like models wore on the covers of catalogs. Then she grinned and shook her head.
Right! Like I'd know what to do with either the body or
the gown.
She listened to a few more minutes of his singing before shouting a warning. "Hey, don't use all the hot water."

"I will be but a moment longer," he loudly returned, "This shower is a marvel."

"But not your singing, you oversized waste of space! Hurry up and get a move on. The others will be gathering in the great clearing soon," a familiar voice shouted from outside the cottage wall.

In a few moments, the bathroom door crashed open and Angus bellowed out the little man's name. "
Pluck!
We will be ready when Karen has broken fast and no' before. Insolent little lizard-faced..."

Karen tried not to laugh as she moved past the large, towel-clad man who was currently blocking the bathroom door. "He's goading you, Angus, and you're helping him."

"Take your time, Karen," Angus raised his voice so the Elf could hear every syllable, "I will dress and make tea."

A half hour later, Angus watched Karen emerge from the bathroom in her Druid robe, towel-drying her honey-colored hair. "You remind me of a lily with dew upon its petals," he blurted without thinking. Then he congratulated himself on saying something kind and worthy instead of what he might once have done in the same situation. He watched an attractive blush blossom over her face.

"Thank you, Angus. What a sweet thing to say." She watched him lower his eyes and turn to fill a mug with freshly 150

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brewed tea. Karen spied warm scones in a basket on the center of the table. After placing the towel upon a bathroom rack to dry, she joined him.

As they sat together and exchanged a warm smile before sharing their food, Angus felt the air in the tiny room was suddenly too warm. The thought came, unbidden, that it would be grand to wake each morning with someone across the table. Someone sweet, generous and courageous enough for them both. Such was not his lot. Things of that nature came only to those who were deserving. Not to someone with his history.

"Don't suppose those are blueberry scones?" a voice squeaked from outside the cottage door.

Angus stared at Karen when she softly laughed and then looked at him with the most adorable expression. Her blue eyes pleaded with him to let the Elf inside. "Karen," he warned, "Elves are like cats. If you feed them they will never go away. Especially the Irish variety."

"Please?" she softly pleaded and smiled her brightest smile.

How could he refuse her anything? She was so sweet and winsome. He reluctantly sighed, got up and opened the door.

Pluck bounced in and took
his
chair. He would have grabbed the little jackanapes right there and thrown him out like so much wash water, but for Karen's presence and the winning smile she bestowed upon him. "I'll get another chair and mug," he groused.

Breakfast proceeded without further incident. It alarmed Angus to see how very little Karen ate. Even the gregarious 151

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Elf noticed and glanced at him, his expression relaying the same sentiments. Neither of them said anything. The pale woman seemed unable to eat a healthy portion and harping on the matter would neither change it nor endear them to her.

"Everyone should be in the clearing by now. Are you ready?" Pluck asked as he glanced at the large Druid.

Angus nodded and Karen got up to place her plate in the kitchen sink. They all walked out into the sunshine together.

For the first time, Angus was glad of the other man's presence. Pluck chattered and constantly insulted him as they walked through the woods. While Karen kept her attention on the little man, Angus was able to watch her and attempt to gauge how she felt—physically
and
emotionally. It was almost as if Pluck planned the situation to give him the opportunity to do so. His suspicions, where the Elf's actions were concerned, were justified when the man turned to him and sent an unmistakable message of concern with his expression.

"We should rest here, Karen. The overstuffed oaf is having a hard time keeping up," Pluck said.

Karen laughed and sat upon a nearby log. Forever after that, Angus would never question Pluck's actions nor be angered by his impotent insults. Angus had been walking behind them both, and Pluck was using Angus' lagging as an excuse to give Karen a chance to rest. Angus suspected the ruse only worked because Karen believed Pluck was just taking another opportunity to insult Angus.

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In that moment, the Druid and Elf shared a meaningful, short gaze which cemented them as friends. And Angus suddenly realized that from the start the smaller man had only been goading him to make Karen smile. Such was the nature of most of the Order's inhabitants. Their ability to sense another being's pain or fear was uncanny. It shamed Angus to realize he was unable, or had been unwilling, to perceive what Pluck had been doing. Again, he resolved to change and be the man worthy of little Elspeth's devotion.

And of Karen and her kinsmen and their dedication to a promise.

Angus caught Pluck staring at him intently. It was as though the Elf was waiting for some sign that Angus understood there were no hard feelings as far as Pluck was concerned. "Stone is hard and unmovable, my small friend.

But given time, the smallest brook will wear even the largest mountain away."

Pluck grinned and nodded. The message was understood.

Angus wouldn't fight with him anymore. The large Druid finally understood his goading.

Karen glanced at Angus and Pluck.
What was that all
about?
She had the feeling something monumental had just passed between the two men. During the rest of the walk, no more arguments or insults pierced the morning air. Angus and Pluck joked with each other as though they'd been friends forever. She not only noticed, but silently questioned, the sudden camaraderie.

Their journey continued for almost another hour. Karen was thankful when they rested quite often, and Pluck took the 153

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time to point out landmarks she would have missed. Along the route, there were large stones scattered about the forest floor. These were covered with moss or ivy. Angus pushed some of the growth away to show her the marks of Celtic presence which were centuries old. Elaborate circles and knots had been carved into the stones, each with a precise meaning. They reminded her of the crop circles, and she wondered how many other historical markings could be attributed to these people—markings and drawings which the world thought of as inexplicable. And she was surprised by the sheer size of the forest itself. Breathtaking oak trees, which were hundreds of years old, canopied most of the paths. All the while, she had a sensation of being watched.

The fauna was thick enough to hide almost anything. Perhaps even an army of magical creatures. Altogether, it was the exact kind of place where myths were born. A place she was fortunate to see. Karen understood the gift that was being bestowed upon her and respected it. She prayed the memories of this ancient woods and its inhabitants would follow her into the next life. Finally, Pluck held up his hand, and she knew they stopped for the last time.

"Wait here, Karen," Pluck directed her to a stone where she might sit in the warm sun. "I'll go forward and announce us. It's just a formality."

Angus came to her, knelt by her side and took her small hands in his. "Frightened?"

"No. Well, maybe just a little," she conceded.

"That's a brave lass," he crooned. "In my time, outsiders believed these woods were enchanted, though those outsiders 154

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who lived near dinna' know what existed within. None would enter."

"How do you remember so much?" she asked as she squeezed his hand.

"I can recall a great many of the things my parents taught me, though I have forgotten so much more. It seems that being here has awakened memories."

It was the first time he'd spoken of his family and she wanted to learn more. Then she thought of Aggie and wished with all her heart that the woman who'd raised her could be here to see what
she
would. But that was all right. Her beliefs let her gain comfort in the thought she'd soon be able to see her aunt and tell her about every magical creature that existed in this place.

Angus suddenly stood and looked down the path. "It's time, lass. We are bidden."

She glanced in the direction he stared, then back at him.

The emotion on his face was a peculiar mixture of apprehension and stoic acceptance. A bit like a condemned man going to the gallows. She couldn't understand why he'd have such feelings of trepidation. He should feel happiness at being back with his own kind. Unless, because of voicing her false concerns the night before, he was worried for
her
sake.

That
she wouldn't have. She wanted Angus to be happy.

She'd brought him back to this world, and it was so very important that he find his place. She stood up and firmly took both his hands. He also stood and jerked his head in her direction, as if he'd lost connection with her presence for a 155

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moment. She smiled up at him. "You've seen a little of my world. Now let's see some of
yours
."

He took a very deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Aye."

Karen was glad when he looped her arm through his and slowly walked forward. The path stretched out a hundred more yards, then opened into an enormous clearing. This was flanked by trees even more massive in size than those she'd seen before. Hundreds of people stood within the clearing and all were facing them. Shayla, Hugh and three of the biggest men she'd ever seen stood in front of the rest.