Dangerous Highlander

“She’s just a lass. Nothing more.”

Galen shook his head. “Deny it all you want, Lucan, but you’ll see for yourself.”

He wanted to hit Galen. Hard. Then leave him. But Lucan couldn’t. He had promised his brothers he would bring Galen back to the castle.

“Go ahead and hit me,” Galen said. He held his arms outstretched and waited.

Lucan was instantly cautious. “What makes you think I want to hit you?”

Galen burst out laughing. “Your eyes, MacLeod. They’re black. Now hit me. You’ll feel better.”

“Aye, I would, but I’m not going to. Keep up if you can.”

Lucan leapt into a run, pumping his legs faster and faster, his heart pounding in his chest. It had been so long since he’d felt such freedom that he exhilarated in the rush of wind over his face, the ground blurring beneath his feet.

He had run just as fast when he followed Cara, but he’d been worried about her safety. Now, he enjoyed the moment, since he didn’t know how long it would be until he had another.

It wasn’t long before the castle came into view. Lucan’s gaze moved over the towers, but he didn’t see Quinn’s shadow. A glance at the battlements showed that Fallon didn’t wait for him. It wasn’t like them not to be watching. Where were his brothers?

“You came back to your castle?” Galen’s voice was heavy with surprise. “We never thought to look here.”

Lucan didn’t bother answering. There was only one reason his brothers wouldn’t be standing guard and that was Cara. He pushed himself harder. The sound of Galen shouting his name was blurred with the wind.

When he reached the castle he didn’t stop in the bailey but went straight into the great hall. He slid to a halt when he saw Cara sitting at the table staring at her hands while his brothers paced around her.

“Lucan. Thank God,” Fallon said as he stalked toward him.

There was a sound behind Lucan. He turned and saw Galen fill the doorway. Lucan motioned Shaw inside. Just as Lucan opened his mouth to ask what was going on, Cara’s dark gaze turned to him. There was such hopelessness and fear in her depths that it chilled him.

He started toward her, but Fallon’s hand on Lucan’s chest blocked him. He pushed Fallon’s hand off, but Fallon grabbed his arm.

“Lucan,” Fallon growled.

He jerked his head to Fallon. “She needs me.”

“And you need to hear what has happened.”

That stopped Lucan cold. “Is she hurt?”

Fallon shook his head. “Nay. Not hurt exactly.”

“If you don’t tell me what has happened to her, Fallon, I’m going to rip you limb from limb.” Lucan was holding on to his anger by a thin thread. Something had happened to Cara, and by God, he would know what it was so he could fix it.

“Well, at least we know how to get him to show emotion,” Quinn said as he walked over. “I’m Quinn,” he said to Galen. “The one glaring at Lucan is Fallon.”

“And I’m Galen Shaw. It’s nice to finally find the three of you.”

Lucan knew he should have made the introductions, but his mind was occupied with Cara. “Fallon.”

Fallon nodded. “She was pulling weeds when I went to tell her you had gone.”

“It was green,” Cara murmured.

Lucan shifted his gaze to her. Her elbows were on the table, her palms facing her. She ran her thumbs over the pads of her fingers from her pinkies to her forefingers over and over again.

Quinn took a step closer to Lucan. “She got angry that we let you go alone. She said we needed to stay together, that none of us were safe apart.”

“She’s right,” Galen said.

Lucan threw Galen a dark look. “What happened next?”

Fallon shrugged. “She cried out. When we went to see what had happened, the plant she had been weeding around had begun to wither and die.”

Lucan was at a loss. “I doona understand.”

“I do,” Galen said. “I warned you she was a Druid. She doesn’t know how to control her magic yet.”

At this point Lucan was willing to hear and try anything. “Can you help her?”

“I can try.”

The four of them walked to the table. Galen sat opposite Cara, and Lucan slid onto the bench beside her. He reached for her hand. Thankfully, she let him have it, but she continued to stare at the other.

“Hello, Cara,” Galen said.

She gave him a weak smile. “I’m glad Lucan found you.”

“You know what happened in the garden, don’t you?”

She blinked rapidly, but it didn’t stop the tear that trailed down her cheek. Lucan pulled her against him and breathed in her scent of heather and earth.

“I killed the plant.” She spoke so softly Lucan almost didn’t hear her.

Galen nodded. “You are a Druid.”

“Explain,” Lucan bade him.

“Druids were born of this earth with the magic of all things natural. It is inherent for Druids to love the feel of the earth between their fingers, to watch—and even help—plants grow. You will find many mie walk barefoot to be that much closer to the earth.”

Cara laid her free hand palm down on the table. Lucan’s warmth had helped to stop her mind in its whirlwind. Now, as she listened to Galen, she began to understand.

“The mie get their magic from the earth,” she said.

Galen nodded. “Just as the drough get their magic from Hell and the blood of other Druids.”

“Does that mean I have the power to make a plant grow as well as kill it?”

“You were angry and you were touching the plant. The herb took your anger into itself, which caused it to wilt.”

Cara closed her eyes. “How is this possible? Druids and Warriors and wyrran and droughs. A few days ago none of this existed.”

Lucan’s hand squeezed hers. She looked into his sea green eyes and tried to smile. It was odd, and a bit disconcerting, to find herself so attached to a man after so short a period, but there was no denying Lucan comforted her just as the soil between her fingers had done.

“Don’t leave again without saying good-bye.”

He nodded. “You have my word.”

She turned her head to Galen. “What now? I know nothing of being a Druid.”

“I can tell you all I know,” Galen said.

Quinn leaned his hands on the table, his lips curled in a sneer. “And just how is it you know so much about Druids?”

Galen cut his eyes to Quinn and held his gaze. “I know so much because I was imprisoned with one in Deirdre’s mountain. She had him tortured daily. When he was brought back to the cell, he would be out of his mind with pain. In order to keep his mind sharp, and keep the pain to a minimum, he would tell me stories.”

Galen’s tale caused Cara’s stomach to churn. “What did Deirdre want with the Druid?”

“What does she want with any of us?” Galen gave his head a little shake. “As I told you before, it is the mie who knew the spell to bind the gods inside us. Deirdre wants the spell, and she wants to ensure no mie binds what she has undone.”

“Why?” Fallon asked. He stood at the other end of the table, his arms crossed over his chest. “She knows how to release the gods. Isn’t that enough?”

Galen shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Unless she didn’t release the god,” Cara said.

Quinn snorted. “Trust me, Cara. Deirdre released the god inside us. I was there. I experienced it.”

She turned to Lucan. “What if she didn’t, at least not fully? What if she only awakened it? Didn’t you tell me in