“I’m curious how Deirdre didn’t know of her existence until now,” Lucan said into the silence.
Fallon repeated Larena’s tale, and when he finished, Lucan whistled long and low.
“She’s been alone most of the time,” Fallon said. “She’s survived on her wits and courage, as well as her mistrust of everyone. Only recently has Malcolm accompanied her.”
“Malcolm has put himself in an incredible amount of danger.”
“He’s a good man. You would like him. It’s too bad he isn’t a Warrior. I would have liked to have him fight with us.”
Lucan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sure I would like him. Where is he now?”
Fallon wondered that himself. “I have no idea. There’s no reason for him to stay in Edinburgh, so I assume he’ll return to his clan. I told him he was welcome here any time.”
“I still don’t understand why the Warriors would want to kill Larena instead of bringing her to Deirdre. Deirdre would want to use Larena, not have her murdrered.”
Fallon ran a hand through his hair and straightened. “I agree. I imagine we’ll hear what happened once Larena wakes.”
“I’m anxious to find out.”
So was Fallon.
“You aren’t going to ask her about the ring, are you?” Lucan asked.
“I told her we were looking for it and the reason why. She chose to keep the information from me.”
“Ask her for it, Fallon. Tell her our plan. You saved her life, so she owes you.”
He shook his head. “She doesn’t owe me anything. How can we ask her to endanger many lives for Quinn? She doesn’t know us, Lucan, so she cannot trust what we say as the truth. We will find another way. Using the Scroll as leverage was always going to be a gamble.”
Lucan stared at him a long moment before he swore and pushed away from the wall. “The answer to everything is right before us. I think we should talk to Larena, tell her our plan, and ask her to trust us. God’s blood! I cannot sleep with wondering what Deirdre is doing to Quinn.”
Fallon looked toward the rolling hills and the mountains that were obscured in the darkness. For too long Fallon had been selfish, and he was doing it again.
Quinn needed him, and Fallon had promised himself and Lucan they would get their youngest brother out of Deirdre’s clutches. Too much time had passed already.
“I know,” Fallon said. “We will get Quinn out of Deirdre’s hold. I can talk to Larena, but it’s her decision. If she says nay, it’s nay.”
Lucan clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Agreed. She might have told you about the Scroll later.”
“Maybe. It doesn’t matter now.”
Lucan started to walk away, his boot heels hitting the stones. Then he stopped and said over his shoulder, “If you care for her, Fallon, then fight for her.”
Fallon thought about Lucan’s words long after he left. He didn’t deserve a woman like Larena, nor should she be strapped with a man that couldn’t protect his family and friends.
He walked the battlements content in his solitude. The others must have sensed it, too, for they didn’t speak when he passed them as they stood guard.
The one thing he couldn’t deny was that he did care for Larena. He wanted her back in his bed. He wanted to kiss her sweet lips and feel her silky skin beneath his hands. He wanted to hear her call out his name as he brought her to fulfillment, and he wanted to fill her again and again and again.
If he had his way he would lock them in a chamber for days and make endless love to her, only stopping to eat. He wanted her head filled with him just as she consumed him.
Aye, he did want her. And he would fight for her.
Larena tried to stay in the confines of sleep. She didn’t want to feel the pain anymore or see the look of grave concern on Fallon’s face.
Just the thought of him made her heart quicken. She woke slowly, though she didn’t lift her eyelids. Breathing evenly, she waited to feel the consuming fire that had raced through her blood. Instead, there was nothing.
She opened her eyes to find herself on her left side where the light from the nearby window reached the bed — a bed she didn’t recognize.
“How are you feeling?”
Her gaze jerked to the chair near her and the large, dark-headed man with twin braids on either side of his temples seated there. He gave her a smile that reached all the way to his sea-green eyes.
A glance at his neck and the golden torc confirmed what she had suspected. She was staring at one of Fallon’s brothers. “You must be Lucan.”
He inclined his head. “I am. You had us all worried. Fallon especially.”
Larena slowly sat up, hoping to see Fallon, but only she and Lucan were in the large chamber. No pain filled her body now. She licked her lips and looked around.
Directly across from the bed was the large hearth. A table with two chairs stood between the fireplace and the window. There was a small table on one side of the bed where a pitcher and cup sat. There were two chests on either side of the bed, and an old round shield with two swords crossed beneath it hung on the wall near the door.
“You’re in Fallon’s chamber, the master chamber,” Lucan said. “Would you like some water?”
She nodded and watched him pour the liquid into the cup. She drank three cups before she sat back and sighed. The disappointment in not finding Fallon was great. She wondered where he was. It was silly, but she had expected him to be by her bedside
“Is there any pain?”
Larena was startled out of her thoughts by Lucan’s deep voice. “Nay. Whom do I thank for saving me?”
“You mean besides Fallon?” Lucan smiled after he spoke, but she saw the hard light in his green eyes, eyes so similar to Fallon’s.
She swallowed and nodded. “Aye, besides Fallon.”
Before he could answer the door opened and a beautiful woman with chestnut hair and dark eyes walked to Lucan’s side. She slid her arms around the Highlander’s waist and smiled down at Larena.
“I hope my husband hasn’t been rude,” the woman said.
Lucan threaded his fingers with hers. “I would never dream of it.”
The woman laughed and focused her eyes on Larena. “I’m Cara. We’ve heard so much about you. I cannot believe you’re a Warrior.”
“Thank you for helping to heal me,” Larena said. The easy, open friendliness of Cara made her wary, but she liked the honesty she saw in Cara’s dark eyes. “Fallon told me you are a Druid.”
Cara looked at her husband, her brow furrowed, before she turned back to Larena. “Aye, I am a Druid. Are you hungry? I can get you some soup I made.”
“That would be wonderful.” She hadn’t missed the look between Cara and Lucan. What were they keeping from her? And why?
Lucan kissed Cara and whispered something in her ear before he left. Larena shifted beneath the covers. She wore a different chemise, one that was clean and unmarred by blood and claw marks. Larena picked at the neckline as her thoughts moved to Fallon once more.
“Your chemise was ruined,” Cara said as she took Lucan’s seat. “I found another. It’s not as nice as the one you wore.”
“It’s perfect,” Larena said. “What I had in Edinburgh was for show only.”
Cara rubbed her hands together nervously. “Fallon told us of your cousin and what you both went through. That sounds so dangerous.”
“It was something I had to do, and Malcolm wouldn’t let me go alone.”
“Will he come here?”
Larena shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where he is now.”
“I want to ask what happened during the attack, but I promised Lucan I wouldn’t. He and Fallon have been waiting for you to wake so they can find out what occurred.”
