Midnight's Temptation

Gillian ran to Jason’s side, her laughter filling the forest. The battle about to begin was going to be a deadly one. And her precious, beautiful daughter was standing next to the man who had instigated it all.

Why couldn’t Jason have stayed dead?

Why couldn’t the Devil stop playing games and end Jason now?

Why couldn’t Phelan have killed her as she asked?

Aisley sniffled through her tears. Somehow she was going to have to keep both Gillian and Phelan alive. It didn’t matter what happened to her so long as she didn’t have to watch one of the two people she loved die.

The choice Corann had warned her about was here. She just prayed she had the magic to get through it. 

CHAPTER FIFTY

Phelan’s skin tingled from the feel of Aisley’s magic. There was great sadness in her magic, but it didn’t stop him from vowing to kill her as she’d asked him to do in Inverness.

Mixed with Aisley’s magic was the cloying, sickening feel of drough magic. Phelan recognized Wallace’s magic from the rest of the droughs he sensed.

It was Wallace he’d felt on Skye. Whether or not the bastard attacked Aisley or it was some elaborate setup didn’t matter.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Wallace’s voice shouted through the trees.

Phelan nodded to Charon and walked the path his friend had told him about. It would take Phelan around to flank Wallace. Malcolm was supposed to take the other side, but they hadn’t heard from him. Whether he showed up or not was anyone’s guess.

There was time for one more try. Phelan moved silently through the trees as he sent a quick text to Malcolm. Almost instantly Malcolm responded to let him know he was already there and watching Wallace.

Phelan smiled. It was going to be up to him and Malcolm. The other Warriors would do their part, but they also had to keep the Druids safe. He and Malcolm didn’t have that problem.

Wallace was set up atop a small rise that was protected by huge oaks, alders, pines, and chestnuts. There was a steep slope leading up to Wallace’s back. The ground on the remaining three sides were gentle rolling hills.

Phelan clenched his jaw when he felt the magic behind Wallace preventing anyone from attacking there. Wallace had set up the battlefield distinctly to his advantage.

Much as they had done at Dreagan. Wallace hadn’t known what he was walking into then, but Phelan and the others certainly did.

No one knew this woodland as Charon did. As soon as they’d discovered that’s where Wallace was, Charon had drawn a quick map of the forest.

Once Broc discovered exactly where Wallace was, it was simply a matter of Charon showing where everyone needed to go to be most effective.

Phelan unleashed his god and watched the gold claws extend from his fingers as he braced a hand against the trunk of a tree. Fighting droughs was what he was meant to do.

To his left the other ten Warriors had taken their places while the three MacLeod brothers would be visible to Wallace.

Phelan peered through the foliage and spotted Quinn with Fallon and Lucan on either side of him. Quinn’s rage was palpable. The brothers removed their shirts so Wallace could see the black skin and claws of their shared god.

As many battles as he’d been in, Phelan knew this one could change everything. With Aiden being held captive, it was up to Fallon and Lucan to control Quinn if something should happen to his son.

Phelan continued through the trees until he found the protruding rock formation Charon had told him about. He lay outstretched on his stomach and peered down at Wallace. Though he wasn’t as close as he wanted to be, there was a distinct advantage to him taking the higher ground on the next hill.

He let his gaze slowly sweep the area until he spotted a young lad, Wallace, and a black-haired little girl. The toddler gave him pause, especially when she turned her head and he saw fawn-colored eyes.

Phelan continued his search until he found Aiden being held by two female droughs using magic to keep him submissive. Though Aiden was fighting it.

A smile pulled at Phelan’s lips. It was just like a MacLeod to be stubborn enough to think he could get out of a situation like that alone.

But no matter how much of Aiden’s magic Phelan felt, it wasn’t enough for Aiden to overcome his captors.

Then Phelan saw Aisley.

His breath left him in a whoosh, as if someone had kicked him in the gut. Her midnight locks were in disarray and tangled. Her clothes were dirty, and he could almost swear he smelled blood on her. Fresh blood.

She was standing a ways behind Wallace and in front of Aiden. Yet she didn’t move. Not a twitch of her fingers or quirk of her lips. Only the breeze rustling the leaves dared to sweep through her hair.

A strand tangled in her eyelashes. He waited to see her move it out of the way, but nothing happened. Her gaze was riveted on the little girl Wallace had ahold of.

Phelan made himself look away from Aisley. If he continued, he was likely to think the expression on her face was one of dejection and pain.

He knew better.

After how easily she’d lied to him, Phelan didn’t trust what his eyes saw or what his ears heard. He’d already anticipated that if he came in contact with her he would believe the opposite of whatever she said.

“Are you going to wait forever?” Wallace shouted to the forest.

Phelan peeled back his lips when he saw Wallace exchange a smile with the lad next to him. The bastard thought it was funny. By the time Phelan got done with him, Wallace wouldn’t have anything to smile about.

The MacLeods walked out of the shadow of the trees and halted. Fallon had his arms crossed over his chest while Lucan’s hung by his side in anything but a casual stance. Quinn, however, had his hands fisted and his lips peeled back as he growled.

“Put a leash on it,” Wallace told Fallon of Quinn.

Fallon quirked a brow. “Release his son, and I willna have to.”

Wallace opened his mouth in a dramatic O and glanced over his shoulder at Aiden. “You mean him? I’m afraid that’s no’ going to happen.”

“Then prepare to die, drough,” Quinn said menacingly.

In response, Wallace laughed. “You dim-witted thugs think you can walk up and kill me? After all I survived? I came back from the dead and gained more power in the process.”

“You’re no’ the first,” Lucan said. “Deirdre did it before you. Better, I think, too.”

Fallon nodded. “Deirdre did do it better.”

“I doona give a shite how many people have done it,” Wallace ground out, his vanity showing by the thickening of his accent. “I’m back, and you willna be getting rid of me so easily.”

Quinn took a step toward him before Lucan and Fallon grabbed his arms. “Keep thinking that. We’ve no’ killed two powerful droughs for nothing. You’re next on the list, Wallace.”

“And I’m shaking in my shoes,” Jason said with a chuckle. “What none of you yet realize is that I have the advantage.”

Lucan gave a derisive smirk. “With three droughs?”

“With three droughs.”

It was Wallace’s cool demeanor that got Phelan’s attention. The bastard might be a sociopath, but he had a plan. And one they weren’t prepared for.

There was no time to warn the others. Phelan called up his power and altered the forest so Wallace thought the MacLeods were gone. It was done seconds before Wallace let loose a blast of magic along with three knives