Stone Heart (7 page)

Looking in the direction she pointed, Angus nodded and was off before Karen could say another word. He had to push his way through thickets of gorse and undergrowth, but the chore was a pleasure after being encapsulated for so long.

Finally, he found the monstrosity called
car
. He slowly approached and walked around the thing. "An
amazement
,"

he muttered. He carefully placed one hand, then another, on the silver hood. The moon seemed to make its silvery color glow. "'Tis like a cart without horses." He shook his head in 54

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

wonder. "I will learn to use this thing. Perhaps Karen would show me."

His stomach growled and reminded him of the task he had been sent to complete. Karen had said there was food and wine on the back seat of this beastie. Looking inside, he could indeed see that there was some kind of long seat inside and another behind. On the second seat, there was a basket.

Undoubtedly that was the food, but how did one go about getting inside
car
. He scratched his head and thought.

Once he'd seen a nobleman being driven in a fancy coach.

The liveryman had opened the door to let its rider out. Angus assumed there must be a similar way inside
car
. He ran his hand down the side of the silver body until he a felt metal hinge of some sort. Sliding his fingers beneath the metal, he pulled and the door swung out. Angus jumped back, looked around to make sure no one had seen him jump, then grinned like a fool. He quickly reached inside
car,
pulled out the basket and stepped back. If one could open a door, then it stood to reason it could be shut. He gently pushed the door away from him and watched it close. He repeated the procedure several more times until he was satisfied.

"There. I have mastered opening and closing this great beastie." He pointed at it before turning to walk back. "I shall learn all there is to know of you,
car
. Since you are a way of transport, carry us well and I will see to it you are fed proper." He nodded, then walked toward the clearing and Karen.

Karen heard him returning, but she was so warm and cozy in her green bed that she just didn't want to get up. "I see 55

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

you found the car," she said as he set the basket between them.

"Aye. And a wonder it is. There are many questions about it and other things I must ask. But I know not where to begin."

Karen laughed. "First, lets eat. I'm hungry." It occurred to her she hadn't eaten a thing since breakfast. For some reason, her waning appetite seemed to have returned with a vengeance. She arranged the food and chuckled when Angus openly stared. The man was almost drooling. At her request, the hotel had packed crisp, homemade bread, fruit, cheese and wine. She wasn't supposed to have the alcohol, but what the hell. This was her adventure, and she was going to live it to the fullest.

"I'm afraid they only packed one wine glass, so we'll have to share," she told him. "Do you mind?"

"Sharing with
you
?" He beamed. "It will be my honor, lady.

And the glass you hold will be our quaich."

Karen grinned back at him, uncorked the wine with the complimentary cork screw and poured some into the little glass. She lifted it in a toast to Angus. "To our friendship.

We're a family forever!" She sipped a little of the sweet, red drink and handed the glass to Angus.

He carefully took it from her, lifted it in her direction and added to the oath. "To family and friendship.
A-chaoidh,
m'cridhe
." Then he sipped the warm fluid and let it flow down his gullet, warming him to the core.

Her eyes met his. "What did that mean?"

56

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

He shrugged his shoulders and slowly smiled. "A simple toast that we remain steadfast friends forever," he lied. It had actually meant something more intimate. But how could he explain the Gaelic words for "
forever my heart?"
Those words would frighten her. She would take the meaning wrong. Their friendship was too new to explain what he felt. Rather, he had never had the practice expressing himself in such a way. This frail, little creature would never know how precious her gift of companionship was. How rare and wondrous that a family like hers could keep a promise after so many years. For the rest of his days, she would hold his heart in her hands. It was hers to do with as she pleased. Angus only hoped he could be worthy of this new life she had given him. He vowed to never cause her regret for coming to this place and freeing him.

"You go first." She broke off a huge hunk of bread and handed it to him.

The food and the wine were the best he had ever eaten.

The company was far grander than any he had ever kept.

Angus would never forget a single moment, nor a word or a gesture which passed between them. It would all play in his memory forever. He wanted to dance, sing and shout the joy he felt. Through her line, little Elspeth had sent him a new life. The child's promise had been kept. To honor Karen, as the last of that line, he would show her the gifts of magic forbidden to the outside world. Ironically, Angus knew it would probably cost him the very life she had come to save.

The life he now treasured. But what was
his
sorry existence compared to those who had tried, for centuries, to help him.

He owed them everything, and it was a debt he meant to pay.

57

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Whatever the cost.

58

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Chapter Four

"It's obvious what has happened, Hugh. Someone had the proper enchantment to release MacGregor and
used
it."

Shayla paced around the remnants of Angus' shattered pedestal.

"We can alert our people to be on the lookout for him.

They can sense his presence, even if they don't know what he looks like." Hugh stood with his hands on his hips and viewed the surrounding area. "The campfire is still warm. MacGregor can't be that far ahead of us."

As a cold breeze blew, Hugh watched Shayla close her eyes and hold out her hands. She tilted her head as if trying to glean information from the surroundings themselves. Then she opened her eyes, shook her head and smiled. "We won't have to find him. I think he's coming to us."

"He'll be back here?" Hugh turned to her as she walked toward their car.

"No. I mean he's trying to find his way back to the forests in England. It will only take him a few days to discover we're where we've
always
been. But he's with the person who released him from the curse."

"You can sense all this?" Hugh asked, awed for at least the hundredth time at how powerful Shayla was.

"If one of
us
had found a way to free this man, I'm certain that person would have reported it to me and the faction leaders. I highly suspect MacGregor is traveling with the same person who hacked into our database, and I want to know 59

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

how it was done. Our survival might depend upon it." Once she reached the large sedan in which they traveled, she paused and took one more look around the area. "As soon as you're able, send someone to destroy the remnants of the pedestal and every sign that anyone was present. For some reason, MacGregor is extremely sloppy. It's as if he just doesn't care if outsiders find out about his presence, or he's in a hurry."

"As you command," Hugh said, nodding in agreement. He opened the passenger door for the Sorceress then got behind the wheel. Their destination was the deep forests in England which protected the Order.

* * * *

Karen smiled for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Everything was new and wonderful to him. Since leaving the little clearing, she and Angus had driven south. They occasionally stopped to consult a map and let Angus view the countryside. This, he claimed, was to get his bearings. A task more easily done when the car was stopped and he could actually get out and look around for some familiar landmark.

She suspected he was more disconcerted at riding in a car than he let on. The speed at which they traveled had him gripping the edge of the seat until his knuckles turned white.

She knew he'd never admit it frightened him, and she didn't 60

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

dare tell him that she was considered a conservative driver by anyone who'd ever ridden with her. There were people in her neighborhood back home who jogged faster than she was driving.

Watching him quickly turn his head to view the cottages that whizzed by, Karen smiled and pulled the car into a parallel parking spot. The village they were passing through was small, but it had a lot to offer a man who had been without contact for so long. "Come on, Angus. I've got a sweet tooth."

He tilted his head as she got out of the car, then opened his own door and stood on the walkway. "Does it hurt, this sweet tooth?"

"It's an
expression
." She laughed at his confusion then walked around the car to where he stood. Boldly grabbing his arm, Karen half-pulled him into a confectioner's shop. "Get whatever you want, it's on me."

"Ah, this is another
expression,
" Angus said, understanding. "The sweets are no' ... really ... on..." His voice trailed away.

Never in his life had he seen such beautiful bounty. There were small biscuits decorated with icing, flowers and sparkling bits that reminded him of the Fairy dust he had seen as a child. There were cakes, tarts, pies and nuts whose particular origins were unknown to him. And everywhere, there was an aroma that could put a god on his knees. A woman behind the counter was dipping a white, puffy round object into a vat of dark, dripping goo.

61

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

"
What
?" he breathed, as he pointed at the woman and then turned to Karen.

It was so hard not to laugh, but Karen managed to contain her mirth. Angus' eyes were as large as twin moons. If she didn't get him something to sample soon, he'd probably start foaming at the mouth.

"It's called a marshmallow. And she's dipping it into chocolate," Karen whispered. There was no one else in the shop, but there was also no sense in alerting the employees to Angus' ignorance.

The woman behind the counter looked up, took one look at Angus and presented him with a blinding smile. "Would you like a sample?" she asked, holding up the marshmallow she'd just dipped.

Karen smirked. The woman was twice his age, but that didn't seem to matter. A man who looked like Angus would have a way of attracting any woman's attention. Even if they just stopped for a traffic light, or slowed to let another vehicle pass, ladies in the vicinity stared. She was glad there were punk rockers who wore similar leather clothing, or he really
would
cause some commotion. Still, he could do with some less conspicuous garments.

"Aye," he sighed. "I would definitely love to sample." His eyes never left the dripping marshmallow.

"Here ya' go then, love. I make the best candies in the area and that's a fact," the woman gushed as she handed Angus the treat.

Angus carefully took the offering. When he put it in his mouth, a feeling came over him not unlike what happened 62

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

when he bedded a loving wench. His manhood even responded the same way. The warm chocolate ran down his throat. He closed his eyes and chewed the gummy morsel, then licked his sticky fingers. And as his mouth became used to the flavor, Angus thought he had died and been delivered into the hands of the Goddess herself. "You are right, kind lady. 'Tis the best thing I have ever put in my mouth and that's a pure fact!"

Karen held back a snort of laughter as she watched the woman blush and hand Angus yet another sweet to try. "If you would, let him have a little of anything he wants." She handed the woman a large bill. "If that isn't enough, let me know."

"What about you, lass? Won't you have something?" Angus held up a small brown cake the clerk gave him.

"Just a small glass of water. Maybe some shortbread."

Angus nodded in approval. If he could get her to eat more, then she might feel better. And if she couldn't find something in this heavenly place to tempt her, there was simply nothing on Earth that
could
.

An hour later, Karen stopped trying to hold back the laughter. Angus and the counter help were engaging in a joking conversation having to do with what he
hadn't
sampled yet. At last, he turned to Karen and rubbed his stomach.

"Ach, lass. I believe I am catching this sweet tooth malady.

'Tis a wonderful sickness."

"I hope you haven't overdone it," she replied.

"There is no such thing. A man canna' overdo bliss."

63

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Karen's shoulders shook in mirth. "I've created a monster.

You're a
chocoholic
!"

"Is that a
bad
thing?"

"Not really. There are some people who think that life without chocolate isn't worth living."

"Wise they are," he agreed, slapped his hand on the table then downed a tall glass of ice-cold soda.

Karen picked up a napkin, leaned over to wipe a small bit of chocolate from the corner of his mouth, and Angus grabbed her forearm. He placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist and smiled wickedly. She felt herself blush deeply and slowly pulled her hand away.

"There are other things just as tempting to a man." He winked.

Karen pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. "If you think flattery will get you more chocolate ... well, that's where you're probably right." She broke into a grin. "For now, we'd better get back on the road."