Midnight's Surrender

“The ancients don’t talk to the droughs.”

“Ah, but the droughs know of the ancients because before the Druids chose the evil path, they spoke with the ancients when they were still mies.”

Rennie once more sat on one of the seats. “I didn’t think of that.” Silence filled the void as they both stared into the flames of the fire. She couldn’t deny the strange feeling of her magic. “You were right,” she finally said. “My magic is stronger here. Why?”

“That I can no’ answer. The ancients can, however.”

Rennie knew she had no choice but to contact the ancients. She shifted her gaze to Dale who hadn’t moved from his spot near the door. “Will you stay with me?”

“If that is your wish, lass.”

She waited until he took a seat across the fire from her. Rennie removed her coat and took a deep breath before she slowly released it.

Then she called to her magic once more as she stared into the fire. It answered instantly, the power of it making her tremble. Deeper and deeper into her magic she went. This wouldn’t be the first time she had spoken to the ancients, but it had been a long time.

They had never told her anything before. In the past, they had all but refused to tell her why others got visions from touching her. Would she get answers now?

Did she want them?

Now that Dale was with her, it didn’t seem to matter. Then she recalled Harriet and her bid to buy Rennie’s land. Answers were definitely something Rennie needed, even if she didn’t like what she heard.

Her head cocked to the side when she heard the distant beat of drums. They grew louder and louder until they deafened her. Rising to meet them was the chanting of thousands of ancient Druids long dead.

“Thereeeeeee you are,” they said in unison. “What took you so long, Rennie?”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to find you.”

“You brought a Warrior. He fought for the side of evil with the drough Jason Wallace.”

“He’s chosen our side now.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“What is this place?”

“A holy place,” they said together. “We’ve been waiting for you to find it.”

“Why?”

“Your destiny, Rennieeeeeee.”

She began to grow frustrated with the lack of in-depth answers. “What destiny? I have to know more, please.”

“Your ancestors practiced magic here, anticipating a Druid who would come who could grant freedom to someone.”

“Freedom? Freedom from what?”

“The confines of a spell.”

Rennie immediately thought of Dale.

“Aye,” the ancients said. “You can free him from his god and make him mortal once more. That is your gift.”

“I could do it now?”

“It comes with a price.”

“What kind of price?”

“One your Warrior must pay.”

“Can you tell me more?”

“You will know what to do when the time comes.”

Rennie fisted her hands. “Why am I here, really? Why has my magic increased, and why can’t I leave?”

“You’ll be able to leave once you accept who you are.”

“I have!”

There was a beat of silence before the drums pounded louder. Then the ancients said, “You haven’t, child.”

“Why has my magic increased while here?”

“It’s your destiny. Embrace it!”

Chapter Eight

Rennie looked away from the flames as the ancients’ words echoed in her head. Her destiny. What, exactly, was her destiny?

She looked across the fire to see Dale with his hands clenched and his head down as if he were in tremendous pain. Rennie rushed to him.

“Dale? What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked as she kneeled beside him, smoothing her hands over his arms and chest, looking for some wound.

When his head lifted she found herself looking into Warrior eyes. They were a pale green from corner to corner. The stark contrast to his normally dark irises took her aback for a second. Then she placed her hand on his cheek.

That’s all it took for him to grab her and yank her roughly against his chest. His arms were like bands of steel wrapped around her as he kissed her as if he’d die without her. He was thorough, sensual as he explored her mouth before deepening the kiss and demanding she relent.

Rennie wound her arms around his neck. The passion had barely been contained from the moment she had woken that morning. No one had ever made her feel such a burning need, such a feverish hunger that only Dale could quench.

With every look, every touch the desire had grown. The kiss earlier had set her ablaze. The craving, the excitement consumed her, engulfed her.

Seized her.

She moaned as his hand cupped her breast. When he bent her back over his arm while he kissed down her neck, Rennie clutched at his shoulders as desire pooled between her legs.

“This is a holy place,” Dale said between kisses.

“Shut up and keep kissing me.”

He chuckled and nipped her skin with his teeth. “Such demands.”

Rennie flexed her fingers against his shirt, loving the feel of his hard muscle beneath. “How can you think right now?”

“Because if I doona, I’ll lay you down and claim your body once more.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “And the problem with that is?”

His lopsided smile made her stomach flutter even as his green eyes vanished so she was once more looking into his dark irises. “This is a holy place.”

“You’ve said that already. People have been having sex and religious ceremonies in the standing stones since they were first constructed. How is this any different?”

“Because this is your family’s place.”

Rennie watched as his gaze lowered to her mouth, and she knew for all his talk, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. It sent a thrill through her, and for the first time in her life she was going to take the lead with a man.

She reached for the hem of his shirt and slid her hand beneath the material to run along his warm skin. “You would deny your desire?”

“Nay,” he answered tightly.