Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (33 page)

The man now moved off to one side, still studying her, and then made his way to the only avenue of escape she had: down the aisle she’d followe
d to this little area in the fi
rst place.

Shona turned and stared up into the man’s eyes. He gave her a soft look compelling her muscles
to relax a notch.  He then
added a tender smile.

Hello,
it said.

She sucked in her breath and tried to move away, but didn’t get far before his look changed to concern. He took a small step toward her and held his arms out slightly from his sides, the palms of his hands toward her.
Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.

Shona’s eyes widened further as another odd sensation deep inside her responded to the man and his actions, understanding him. She stepped to the
other side of the table to put it between them
.

He made the same gesture with his
body and hands and gave
a small shake of his head for emphasis.
I won’t hurt you, please don’t be afraid
of me.

Shona took a deep breath, her mus
cles relaxing another notch. Th
eir
eyes locked, and her body
jerked as so
mething inside her took
control, something that wanted… out. She pleaded with her eyes to the man;
Please let me by. I must leave here.

The man glanced around before turning
back to her, his look changed
to tender curiosity.
Why?

Panic slowly crawled up her back. My God, how could this be? How could she possibly understand him? But she did. She knew she did. And he could understand her.
My friends, I have to go home. Please, let me go.

The man’s look softened even more, almost saddened as he stared at her, a
nalyzing her face,
memorizi
ng it. He off
ered another tender smile and stepped aside, motioning to the aisle with one hand. She was free to go.

Shona gathered her courage and began to slowly walk around the table toward the aisle, her feet stopping involuntarily as she came parallel with the ma
n. She balled her hands into fists but could not fi
ght the urge to look up at him one more time. When their eyes
met again, he captured her
in his own intense stare. Yet he was not forceful, and some how she knew she could just walk away.
Th
e choice was hers.

She looked up into his bright cat-green eyes and saw something there, something very familiar,
though she couldn’t put her fi
nger on what. All she knew at the moment was how it was pen
etrating
her protective walls
, as if to make them crack. If she didn’t leave now
it would surely be the end of her.

But she did not want to go.

Come back tomorrow. Please.
The man’s
eyes spoke with such intensity
Shona
unexpectedly
gasped.

She looke
d deeply into them, her own fil
ling with an unfamiliar emotion.
I will…

She then hurried down the aisle and disappeared around the nearest corner, running all the way down to the double doors that would lead outside to freedom.

But how badly did she want it?

* * *

Dallan slowly made his way
to the nearest chair
and sat down heavily, his whole body a confused mess, muscles twitching and dancing at random. He noticed how his hands were
shaking and balled them into fists in a vain eff
ort to stop them. His head felt light as sweat popped out on his brow.

By the Saints; he didn’t know what was worse; the thing John referred to as the Call, or being in the presence of the wee lass, the Maiden.

“Dallan?”
John emerged from behind a book
shelf, his face a mask of
concern as he watched Dallan fi
ght the involuntary spasms his body put him through. “Are you all right?”

Dallan stood, his eyes following the Maiden’s retreating path. “Aye, John,” he whispered. “Let’s be gone from this place. I dinna want to stay any longer.” He swallowed hard and continued to stare down the aisle. He could still feel her. So familiar…

“Let’s go, then,” John replied with a comforting smile. “I’ll take you back to the apartment.” The two men walked off down the same path earlier graced by the Maiden.

Dallan caught the faint scent of her
as they made their way to the lobby of the library. “John?”

John looked up at him as they continued to walk. “Yes?”

Dallan stopped abruptly and looked directly into John’s eyes, grabbing them with the intensity of his own. “I must come here again tomorrow.”

John smiled. “I thought you might.”

“Dinna tell the heathen. I wilna do this if Kwaku is hiding in the corner watching me. I canna… I dinna see how…”

“How you can befriend the Maiden with a
n audience looking on,” John fi
nished for him.

Dallan raised an eyebrow. “Aye. I’ll do this for ye, but I’ll do it my way, not the way everyone else thinks I should. I’m a man, John, not a whelp of a
lad
as some in this group seem to think. I ha’ been around a lass or two, enough to be able to tell what’s needed.”

John stared up at Dallan, his hopes soaring once again, and nodded his agreement. “I’ll see that you have your privacy. But remember, Dallan, the Maiden is not like any other woman you have dealt wit
h in the past. She is very diff
erent…”

“How is she diff
erent?” Dallan demanded.

John started at the question. He’d fallen into that one! “Kwaku will explain everything in a few days if not sooner. Right now, the thing to do is get to know her.”

“Just why is it, John, that yer so anxious I get better acquainted with the lass?”

John gave him a somber look. “To be better able to protect her.”

Dallan’s eyes narrowed, searching the face of the Lord Councilor. “Protect her from what?”

John let go a nervous sigh. “I hope we n
ever have to fi
nd out, my friend.” He took Dallan’s elbow and
began to lead him. “Let’s go find some fl
at cakes. I know just where to go.”

Th
at slippery Stair goes
unstraight
, stoops and high,

Do like his neck turn his whole course awry.

Th
at trap for public place, that Jacob’s ladder…

Enemies of Sir John
Dalrymple
,

Master of Stair,

Murderer of Glencoe

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Well, well, well. Are we getting soft, Philip? Are you actually reminiscing on your dear, departed,
dead
wife?”

Philip sat down in a large black leather wing chair and
stared coldly at his own refle
ction
across the room. A refl
ection he simply referred to as Brennan. “I miss her at times, yes.”

Brennan, also sitting, laughed back at him, his dark eyes narrowing. “You’re a fool, Philip, a sentimental fool. She’s gone, and will remain gone forever.” He chuckled lightly. “Unless of course you’ve found a way to bring back the dead. The closest you could come would be to go back, and you don’t have even the means for that. Pitiful.” He gave a mock pout.

Philip stood, as did Brennan. “Stay out of it. She’s none of your concern.”

“Oh,” Brennan began, his voice seductive, “bu
t she is, Philip. She most defi
nitely is. As will be the next one.”

Philip turned away from Brennan. “She was everything to me. My life, all I ever lived for.” His voice was low with remembrance. “I loved her.” His eyes wandered to the large window of the
bedroom which
overlooked the expansive gardens of the estate below.

“Then whatever possessed you to kill her?”

Brennan’s voice cut deep into his heart, his soul. Philip spun to face him. “Because you told me to, remember?”

Brennan smiled at him. “Of course I remember. I even helped you.” His voice still held a seductive timbre. “And I’ll help you again.”

Philip turned away from him and walked slowly to the window. He looked down over the lighted gardens, his face expressionless. Lissa had loved the gardens at night. He had put the elaborate lighting system in just so she could walk the paths either by moonlight or simulation. She loved the beauty of the garden, taking in the colors, textures, and delicate patterns of t
he thousands of varieties of fl
owers, plants and shrubbery, enjoying the multitude of fragrant, rare, and life-giving trees he had planted. He allowed her to spend as much time there as she needed to renew her strength, to free her mind of trou
bles and her spirit of sorrows.
Philip had created and nurtured the garden just for her.
All for Lissa, his beautiful Lissa who was no more.

“More sentiment?” Brennan began. “Really, old boy, don’t waste your time. We’ve business to discuss, remember?”

Philip turned reluctantly from the window and looked at Brennan across the room, staring back at him. He still wore his black evening wear from the
Sonderson’s
party, his collar-length blonde hair looking even lighter than usual against the darkness of his tuxedo. His face was framed by a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. His dark brown eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Philip, causing several lines to appear around the lower lash area. A sure sign he was aging.

“Like what you see, old boy? I’ll grant I’m not as fetching as I once was, but still in good form, I assure you.” Brennan lifted his face slightly and looked down his nose at him.

Philip turned away. “I despise you.”

Brennan began to laugh. “Despise me? Really, Philip, you’re hardly in a position to. On the contrary, I should be the person you least despise.”

“Leave me alone. Go away.”

Brennan’s laughter returned. “Oh no, you’re not getting rid of me that easily. Not tonight. Not with such wonderful happenings going on at this very moment.” His voice lowered. “Can’t you imagine what it will be like, Philip?
To have it all?
The
power to do whatever you want
?
To possess the ultimate control?
To be the master again?”

Silence. Philip could only shake his head.

“To have the world at your feet, Philip.
To possess pure, raw power.
Oh, it excites me!” Brennan’s breathing picked up, and he began to pace. “And the girl, Philip. Think of the girl! Doesn’t she excite you? Does the thought of having such a woman
again not set your blood on fi
re? To have control over such a creature, to be able to take her and…”

“Stop it!”

“Stop?” Brennan’s voice became incredulous. “Oh, I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, you may not care about her now, but later…” He paused to cat
ch his breath. “It will be diff
erent. I’d wager yo
u
won’t
be able to keep your fi
lthy hands off her.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Once you have her, you know what you’ll do with her.”

“I said
stop
it!” Philip’s face was re
d now, his hands balled into fi
sts at his sides. “I don’t want to hear anymore! Get out of here! Leave me alone!” He shook wit
h rage as he glared at Brennan
across the room.

Brennan began to take deep breaths. “You’re upset because of what happened to Lissa.” He gulped more air. “The same thing need not happen this time. You’ll have more power, more control. It’s all been arranged, Philip. You can’t back out now.”

Philip breathed just as hard. “Yes, I can!”

Brennan’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t win, Philip. I’ll lock you up again and throw away the key, just like before.” He wiped a hand across his mouth, his breathing still heavy. “And then I’ll have her all to myself. You won’t have to be involved. You won’t have to share her with me. Remember how you shared Lissa with me? Remember what I used to do to her? How she would scream, Philip?” He began whispering again. “I’ll make this one scream, too. Just like Lissa. But don’t worr
y; I won’t kill her right away.
No, this one is much stronger. She’ll last.”

Philip’s eyes were glassy as he stared at the thin line of saliva on his hand. “Have you no decency in you at all?”