Next to Lucan was Cara. On the other side of Cara was Galen Shaw. His dark blue eyes met Fallon’s as he nodded. Across from Galen was Ramsey MacDonald. Ramsey was a man of few words, but his keen insight was useful.
Ramsey gave Fallon a welcoming smile, his gray eyes crinkling at the corners. Beside Ramsey was Sonya, the red-haired Druid who had come to them just weeks ago. Fallon then nodded to Hayden and Logan at the opposite table before he took his seat.
“I see you’ve made a bigger table,” Fallon said to his brother. Much had been done while he was away, and he was anxious to see how far they had come on the castle.
Lucan laughed and glanced at Hayden and Logan. “There’s enough room for those two with us, but they prefer to eat alone.”
“I couldn’t let Hayden eat by himself,” Logan said. “Besides, I spent more time protecting my food from Galen than eating.”
The hall erupted with laughter. Fallon looked at Hayden. The big blond Warrior had a hatred for
Fallon waited until the chatter quieted down before he spoke. “I’m sure all of you know about Larena by now.”
“I told them,” Galen said.
Hayden leaned an elbow on the table. “Is she really a Warrior? Did you see her change?”
“I did,” Fallon answered. “She has a goddess inside her, not a god, which is why I think the goddess chose a woman instead of a man.”
“Do you know the name of the goddess?” Ramsey asked.
Fallon nodded. “Lelomai, goddess of defense.”
“Hmm,” Galen said. “What kind of powers does she have?”
Fallon thought back to the first time he saw her disappear. He had been dumbstruck that she had been able to do such a thing. It would definitely come in handy in a war. “She has the usual powers of sight and hearing, but she can make herself unseen.”
“Do you mean to say she can make herself invisible?” Lucan asked.
“I do. I doona know much about her goddess, but apparently there are some differences. It could be because Larena is female, or because she has a goddess inside her. When we turn, it is just our skin and eyes that change. With Larena, even her hair changes.”
“To what?” Logan asked.
“She shimmers.” It was the best Fallon could do to explain it. “You can see every color imaginable on her, but it’s muted.”
Cara smiled and placed her hand over Lucan’s on the table. “It sounds beautiful.”
“It is.” The words were out of Fallon’s mouth before he could stop them.
“So what happened in Edinburgh?” Ramsey wanted to know.
Fallon shrugged. “The king wasn’t in residence. He rules from London, so I wasn’t able to speak to him. However, Lorena’s cousin has the king’s ear and sent him a missive. I’m hoping to hear something soon. If not, I may have to take a trip to London.”
Hayden tapped his finger on the table to get Fallon’s attention. “And the Scroll? Did you learn if it was real or not?”
Though he and Lucan might not take the ring from Larena, Fallon wasn’t going to risk a chance that the others might discover her secret. Not yet anyway. “I learned nothing of importance.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Fallon saw Lucan’s brow furrow. He faced his brother and held his stare. “We’ll get Quinn out.”
“I have no doubt,” Lucan said.
But Fallon knew he did. It was written all over his face.
Chapter Fifteen
Fallon walked along the battlements. The constant wind whipped his hair about. He stared out over the sea that churned in the darkness, the water reflecting the moon’s glow.
It was a beautiful night, one he had wanted to share with Larena. Fallon knew he shouldn’t feel betrayed, but he did. He understood all too well the need to keep secrets. Yet, he had imagined things were different with him and Larena since they were both Warriors. How could he have been so stupid?
It was everything about Larena from her sharp mind to the regal way she moved to the feel of her legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust inside her.
Maybe it was because he had seen Lucan and Cara fall in love before his very eyes, but Fallon had felt something deep for Larena and something strong, special. He had thought she felt it too.
“I knew I would find you here,” Lucan said as he came up beside him.
“I wanted to see the water and smell the salt in the air.” Though Fallon had missed his brother, he wasn’t up for conversation just now. But if he knew Lucan, Fallon wouldn’t have a chance to deflect any questions.
Lucan was quiet for several moments as if gathering his thoughts. “Was it difficult for you in Edinburgh?”
Fallon shook his head as he remembered. “I hated every moment of it. You cannot trust anyone, and the gossip is unbelievable. Everyone there is out for themselves first and foremost.”
“Yet you survived it.”
Fallon blew out a breath and braced his hands on the stone wall in front of him. “Barely. I wasn’t there verra long.”
“Larena helped you, didn’t she?”
“Aye.” There was no sense lying to his brother.
Lucan turned his back to the wall and leaned against it as his head swiveled to Fallon. “She told you what she was. That must have taken a lot of faith in you.”
“She told me because she wanted me to bring her here and help protect her from Deirdre. I’d like to think she trusted me, but I think fear ruled her more than anything.” Even as he said it, Fallon knew he was lying to himself. It had taken a great amount of courage for Larena to show him what she was.
“What happened there, Fallon? You’ve come back a changed man.”
Fallon looked at Lucan and smiled wryly. “Worse?”
“Better. I think it was Larena’s influence.”
“Maybe,” Fallon admitted. “I saw her and wanted her. I’ve never felt lust like that before. Every man in Edinburgh wanted her.”
“What was she doing there?”
Fallon grinned. “She and her cousin, Malcolm, were there to look for information about Deirdre. She was tenacious and confronted me in my own chamber when she learned who I was.”
Lucan chuckled then. “The beautiful woman whom you thought you couldn’t have arrives in your chamber. I gather you didna resist her?”
“I tried, but in the end I didn’t want to.”
“Mother always told us everything happens for a reason.”
Fallon looked back out at the water. He could hear the waves breaking against the cliffs. How many times had he stood in this exact spot and watched the water? So many times, and always it had soothed him. But not tonight.
“How old is Larena?” Lucan asked.
“A hundred, or thereaboots.”
