the ancients. The wind told me.”
“How many of you are there?”
She raised a black brow. “You don’t seem surprised that I can speak to the wind.”
“Why should I? I know another Druid who has that ability. She’s at MacLeod Castle. Gwynn is her name.”
“She’s a Windtalker?”
Phelan glanced at Aisley to see her conversation ending with Corann. “She is that. Gwynn thinks she’s the only one. She’ll be happy to know there is another.”
“Do you have a Firewalker or Waterdancer? What about a Bleeder or Healer? Or a Skinwalker, Treewhisperer, or Timebender?”
“Slow down,” he said with a grin. “Do you have such Druids here?”
“Of course.”
He hid a smirk at her derision. “I know of a Healer. I also know a Treewhisperer.”
“What are their names?”
“It’s the same Druid. Sonya has been at MacLeod Castle for four centuries. She’s also married to a Warrior.”
Ravyn’s eyes widened. “Married?”
“All the Druids at the castle are married to Warriors. Why does that bother you?”
“Are the Druids
Phelan snorted. “Nay.” Then he thought of Isla. Her story was too complicated, and if he told it he’d have to tell part of his story. It was better if they knew nothing of Isla. Yet.
“That’s good,” Ravyn said.
“Why? What would happen?”
“Do you no’ know the prophecy? A powerful
“First, lass, that prophecy has come and gone since it involved Deirdre when she tried to get Quinn MacLeod to become hers. Second, the child couldna hold all the evil since there is evil everywhere.”
Aisley walked up then. She looked from Ravyn to Phelan. “What’s going on?”
“I gather Ravyn spoke of the prophecy,” Corann said as he joined them.
Ravyn shrugged and leaned dispassionately against the stone wall. “He asked. I told.”
Phelan heard the enthusiasm in her voice. She was lying to Corann. But why? “And I was telling her we all knew of that prophecy. It involved Deirdre and Quinn MacLeod. Quinn rejected her, of course. Even when Declan Wallace brought Deirdre to this time and our Seer—”
“You have a Seer?” Corann interrupted.
Phelan blew out an exasperated breath. “Saffron. Declan kidnapped her and kept her for his own. She was saved by those at MacLeod Castle, and she saw Deidre heavy with Declan’s child. But we killed Deirdre. The prophecy is no more.”
“Unfortunately you’re wrong,” Ravyn said quietly.
Phelan felt Aisley stiffen beside him. He edged closer to her and asked Ravyn, “What do you mean?”
“The prophecy states that a
Corann said, “And now you understand one reason we’re so leery of Warriors.”
“You’ve nothing to worry about,” Phelan said. “There isna a Warrior I know who would dare to sully themselves with a
“It,” Aisley said. “A
“Aye,” he answered without looking at her. He looked to Corann. “We killed Deirdre and Declan. We’ll kill Jason. We’ll make sure no more gods can be unbound. Then you willna have to worry about your prophecy.”
Corann’s grunt was full of doubt. “How many Warriors are at the castle?”
“They’re married.”
“You’re not,” Ravyn pointed out.
It took great effort for him not to turn to Aisley and claim her right then. Instead, he grinned. “As much as I loathe
A few words later and Phelan was leading Aisley out of the cave. He didn’t like how Corann looked at him as if he’d be the one to fulfill the prophecy—a prophecy no one at the castle had worried about in years.
Damn. He wanted to leave Skye with good news. Instead he had semi-decent news regarding the selmyr and bad news about the prophecy.
He lifted Aisley in his arms when they reached the steep path up the cliff. She wrapped her arms around him a second before he jumped them to the top.
“That just never gets old,” she said with a wide grin.
“Glad I can be of use.”
“Oh, I’ve plenty of uses for you,” she said with a wink.
He linked hands with her and glanced down at the Fairy Pool. The Fae had allowed him to find the pool once. Would they do it again?
“We can stay longer if you want,” Aisley said.
Phelan shook his head. “There are more important matters to tend to. I’ll be back though.”
“But you’re concerned they won’t let you find the pool again.”
“Aye.”
She rested her head against his arm. “There’s a reason they showed you this time, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the Druids or the selmyr.”
“What then?”
“That I can’t answer. Do you … do you think it might have something to do with your family?”
He jerked his head to her and frowned. “My family? If that was the case, why wouldna they let me find this place the many times I’ve tried to come to Skye?”
“It was just a suggestion. Nothing more,” Aisley hastily said.
Phelan regretted his outburst, but it was always the case when he thought of his family. He was angry at them for not looking for him. More than that, he carried a huge weight of guilt for leaving them and remembering nothing of them.
“I’m sorry,” he said and kissed her.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. We all have parts of our past that are touchy.”
He led her away from the Fairy Pool and the Druids of Skye. Each step made him doubt his insistence to leave.
“How do you know the Druids weren’t really Fae?” Aisley asked some time later.
“I doona, though I felt the Druids’ magic. I know they were Druids.”
“But you’ve never met a Fae. You don’t know what they look like.”
Phelan chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. In three jumps he had them atop the mountain. He could have done it in two, but he was being careful with Aisley. “True. I’ve learned all I could about them through the legends and myths, but I’ve no’ talked to anyone who actually met a Fae.”
“I’d bet the entire royal fortune that you talked to one who know the Fae.”
“Corann.” Phelan rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re probably right. I was so caught up in answers for the selmyr that I didna even think to ask him.”
“So go back and ask.”
He looked back down to where the Fairy Pool was, but it was no longer visible. “I think our time is done. We need to get back to the mainland quickly.”
“Back to reality.”
There was no mistaking the distress in her words. Phelan could get them back to the hotel in about an hour. If he went at Aisley’s pace it could take all day.
“I can take you back to my cabin,” Phelan said. “Wallace didna attack you there.”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes, preferring to stare at his chest instead. “I don’t think it matters where I am. If Jason Wallace wants to find me, he will.”
