land died.”
The way he said it made her soul ache. She heard the horror and acceptance in his voice, and it saddened her. “I’m sorry, Quinn.”
“My wife and son died in the slaughter along with my parents. I was with Fallon and Lucan and a handful of clansmen as we went to meet Fallon’s intended. Deirdre must have attacked right after we left.”
Marcail’s stomach rolled. She’d had no idea Quinn had been married and a father. She placed her hand atop his on his leg. “There is nothing I can say that will lessen the pain of losing a wife and child.”
“What else did you hear?”
She removed her hand and cleared her throat. It was obvious he didn’t like talking about his wife and son, not that she could blame him. She had always heard time heals all wounds. It might diminish the pain, but one never forgot the dead.
“The stories say you went looking for Deirdre.”
“Nay,” Quinn said with a shake of his head. “She sent us a note saying she knew who had attacked us. My brothers and I never realized the trap for what it was. As soon as we stepped foot in this mountain she chained us and unleashed the god.”
“What was it like having the god unbound?”
“More painful than you can imagine.” He blew out a breath and leaned back against the stones. “It felt as if every bone in my body snapped in two and then melded back together. My blood was like fire in my veins as the power of the god flowed through me. My body shook from the pain, but the power the god gave us overcame even that. We shattered the chains she had put us in and escaped before she realized what had happened.”
“You three were lucky.”
“Extremely so. Though at the time we didna think it. What do the stories say happened to us?”
Marcail tucked her legs underneath her. “Once you escaped Deirdre you disappeared, always fighting her.”
“Disappeared.” Quinn chuckled. “We lived for fifty years like animals in the mountains, fighting each other. We were too afraid to go into villages. It was Lucan who took us back to our castle.”
“MacLeod Castle?”
“Aye.”
Marcail couldn’t believe it. “No one ever thought to look there. The MacLeod lands were divided between clans and everyone assumed the castle was empty.”
“There was a village near the castle that made it interesting for us. We led them to believe the castle was haunted.”
“And you never left the castle?”
Quinn shrugged. “Occasionally I would, but my brothers didn’t. We wanted to stay hidden from Deirdre, and any time we spotted a wyrran we would kill it.”
“Is that how you got captured?”
Quinn hung his head. Marcail was full of questions. He might not have wanted her to know the real him, but it would come out eventually. He never cared to lie, and he didn’t want to lie to her, even if the trust disappeared from her turquoise eyes.
“Nay, Marcail. I got captured because Lucan fell in love with Cara, and I couldn’t bear to see them together.”
“Because you missed your wife?”
If only it were that simple. “In a way. Deirdre attacked the castle in an effort to capture Cara, who is a Druid. We beat back the Warriors and wyrran to save her, and despite Cara being mortal and Lucan immortal, their love knew no bounds. So, I ran away to have some time to myself. I spotted a wyrran and gave chase only to fall into a trap. Again.”
“So Deirdre discovered where you and your brothers were?”
“She did. I’m sure she’s attacked again since that time, and if I know my brothers and the other Warriors with them, Deirdre wouldna have stood a chance.”
“There are other Warriors with your brothers?” she asked, shock in her voice.
Quinn paused in his story. Marcail hadn’t turned from him when he confessed to running away from his brothers. He was curious as to why. “Aye, there are others. When I left, four had joined us to fight Deirdre.”
“Does she know this?”
“She does.”
Marcail’s eyes were wide with disbelief and hope. “Do you expect more Warriors to join you?”
“My brothers expect more, and Arran, Duncan, and Ian have joined me.”
“Will that be enough to defeat Deirdre?”
“It will have to be.”
Marcail put her hand on his arm and scooted closer to him. Quinn’s heart raced every time she touched him. He wanted to drag her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless and lay her down so he could cover her body with his own. To press into her softness, to hear her soft moans of desire.
“Another Druid can help,” she said. “May I join with you?”
Quinn’s mouth suddenly went dry. Marcail’s face was breaths away, her breast brushing against his arm. His body was ablaze and the only thing that would quench him was the woman beseeching him with her exotic turquoise eyes.
“Of course,” he answered. “Cara will enjoy having another Druid in the castle.”
Marcail’s smile was blinding. “Thank you.”
It was Quinn who should be thanking her. Marcail was special, and not just because she was a Druid. She was extraordinary because she made him feel like a man again.
The desire flooding his veins must have shown in his eyes because the smile slowly dropped from her face. She didn’t move away from him, though.
And that was all Quinn needed to give in to the urge to kiss her.
Eight
“Quinn.”
Arran’s voice broke whatever held Marcail and Quinn. Marcail looked away so Quinn wouldn’t see how desperately she had wanted his kiss.
It was a startling sensation to want him to touch her. During her brief marriage, Marcail hadn’t enjoyed Rory’s touch or his unfeeling, chaste kisses.
But with Quinn everything was different. Her heart raced, her breath quickened, and her body burned. She didn’t understand how one man could do such things to her, but she enjoyed it too much to question it.
Marcail licked her lips as Quinn rose to his feet. There were no more words between the men. Whatever Arran had wanted Quinn to know, just saying his name had conveyed the information.
Quinn gave a brief nod to Arran before he turned to her. “Stay in the shadows. Doona move, and for God’s sake, doona make a sound.”
“Is it Deirdre?” she asked.
“I doona think so, but whoever it is, I doona want them to know of you.”
Marcail squared her shoulders. “I’ll do as you ask.”
Quinn gave her a wink and freed his hair from the queue before he doused the torch. He hesitated a moment, but it was enough that she realized he had transformed into a Warrior.
The cave was blanketed in darkness, leaving Marcail feeling alone. She huddled against the cool stones. She didn’t think there was time for her to move to one of the darker corners.
With the light of the few other torches Marcail could see Quinn and Arran take places at the entrance to Quinn’s cave. She also spotted the twin with short hair, Ian, moving near them.
“Stay where you are,” Duncan said as he came to stand in front of her. “I will shield you.”
