She remembered how he’d been there to save her from the selmyr, and how he’d almost died in the process. Then there was the fund-raiser. She’d felt like Cinderella, and though the dress had been spectacular, that wasn’t the reason.
It had been Arran.
His smile, his touch. The way he held her. The way his golden eyes had filled with desire and yearning.
“Oh, God,” she said as fresh tears coursed down her face. “I love him.”
* * *
Arran sped around corners and passed untold number of cars as he raced to get Charon to MacLeod Castle and Sonya. Some ways back, Broc had left the black SUV and flown to the castle in full view of anyone who dared to look up.
The dire situation called for such drastic measures. It was a chance they all took, because Charon’s life depended upon it.
Arran glanced in the backseat as Ian stared gloomily at Charon.
“We’re no’ going to make it,” Ian said.
Arran jerked the wheel to miss a dog that trotted onto the road and noticed his skin was still white. The others had already tamped down their gods. With a sigh, Arran did as well. “Then use your blood.”
“We have been.”
Phelan cut his arm. “Let me. My blood will heal him instantly.”
It was the first time any of them had spoke since leaving the mansion. Arran glanced in the rearview mirror to see Phelan cutting his arm deep to let his blood flow into Charon’s wound.
“What happened at the mansion?” Arran asked. “How did everyone get free of the
droughs
?”
Phelan shrugged, his face lined with worry. “Charon and I discovered the Druids had gotten the upper hand. We hid as they were herded into the foyer and then into Jason’s office.”
“No one noticed you?” Ian asked in surprise.
Phelan said, “Nay. Amazing as that is. Too many
droughs
to know who was doing what. We slipped right in the foyer and watched as we waited for the appropriate time to attack.”
A cold chill ran down Arran’s spine just thinking about it.
“And then you and Jason were having words,” Phelan said. “I waited until the opportune time so you could get as much information as you could out of him. And then, I used my power to alter reality a wee bit.”
Ian made a sound in the back of his throat. “He made the
droughs
think dozens of
mies
had flooded the mansion.”
“Too bad I missed that,” Arran said while trying to form some semblance of a grin. He would have loved to see the
droughs
turn in fear.
Phelan’s face was grim. “All but a few
droughs
were so frightened they dropped their magic and tried to run. That’s when we began to attack.”
“I almost killed Wallace,” Arran said with a shake of his head.
Phelan briefly put his hand on his shoulder. “I know. I saw. I also saw what Charon did.”
Arran swallowed past the lump of emotion in his throat. “He can no’ die. Especially no’ for me.”
“What happened to Ronnie?” Ian asked as he watched Phelan cut his arm once more.
Arran didn’t let off the accelerator as he came to one of the numerous one-lane stone bridges, even though there was a car coming at him. He wasn’t going to be the one to slow. Fortunately, the other car slammed on its brakes and turned into the grass to miss Arran.
“Close one,” Phelan said grimly.
Arran gripped the steering wheel. “Fallon took Ronnie. I pray she’s at the castle with the others.”
“Where else would he have taken her?” Ian asked. “The castle is where we’ve always taken Druids who needed protection.”
“She broke Wallace’s nose,” Arran said. “She faked it all. The problem is, I need to know why. He had to have used something against her.”
Ian nodded with approval. “Good for her for hitting him. Wish I could’ve.”
“You didna hear her asking me to stop as she stood beside him. I want to believe she lied, but I’m no’ sure.”
Phelan cleared his throat. “A lot could’ve happened at the mansion before we arrived. Remember that.”
“Deirdre was inventive when it came to getting people to do what she wanted,” Ian said. “Declan was as well. What would make Jason any different?”
Arran did a quick glance over his shoulder at Charon. “How is he?”
“My blood seems to be helping. A little. It’s no’ healing him as it should, but it’s doing something. I just doona know for how long.”
Phelan paused as he cut his arm again to use more of his blood in Charon’s wound. His lips were in a tight line and worry lines bracketed his mouth. That in itself made Arran push the car to greater limits. Phelan’s blood always healed instantly. Just what was going on with this
drough
blood?
First Larena was killed, and now Phelan’s blood couldn’t stop it. Unease churned in Arran’s stomach.
“I’ve been thinking,” Phelan said. “If the evil bastards we keep fighting can have ways to hurt us like the X90s or anything with
drough
blood, why could we no’ have something as well?”
“Or something that could counter the effects of the
drough
blood,” Ian said thoughtfully. “That’s a good question.”
Arran weaved his way between cars. His friends were trying to take their minds off the fact Phelan’s blood wasn’t working on Charon.
He sighed and tried to stay calm. Charon couldn’t die. No more Warriors could be lost, no matter what Arran thought of him. “Aye, but one no’ easily answered. We have no idea what it is about
drough
blood that affects us, nor why the blood of another Warrior helps to counter it.”
“True,” Ian said. “And blood type doesna matter when it comes to us.”
Phelan shrugged, never taking his eyes off Charon. “We’re Warriors. There isna much that does pertain to us as it does mortals.”
They fell into silence as the miles passed. Night had finally fallen, but it wouldn’t last for long. At this time of night the roads were nearly deserted, which allowed Arran and the others to travel as fast as they wanted.
Several times Phelan phoned Lucan and Quinn to see if Fallon had woken. The fact Fallon hadn’t began to worry everyone. First Duncan, and then Larena. Arran was still wrapping his head around Larena’s death. To lose Charon and possibly Fallon as well made Arran want to tear Wallace in half.
They were about an hour from the castle when Broc phoned to say he’d arrived at the castle and was going to bring Sonya to meet them.
Arran was determining the best place to go when Ian’s phone rang, and he motioned for Arran to pull over.
“Fallon’s awake,” Ian said.
Arran put the car in park once he came to a stop. “Stay there,” he told Broc before he disconnected his phone.
A second later, Phelan opened the passenger door as Fallon strode up. Fallon didn’t say a word to any of them as he hefted Charon over his shoulder and was gone in a blink.
Arran got out of the car and walked to the hood where he placed his hands on the metal and hung his head. With Charon now being cared for by the Druids, there was a chance of his survival.
“We need to get back to the castle,” Phelan said.
Arran lifted his head to look at him from across the car as the others walked up. “I have somewhere else to be.”
“Aye, you do,” Fallon said from behind him.
Arran whirled around to find Fallon and Broc. “What do you mean?”
“Ronnie told me she agreed to help Jason because he had Andy.”
Arran slammed his hand against the hood of the car. “I knew Jason used something against her.”
“There was no one in the dungeon,” Camdyn said as he walked up. “No one other than the
droughs
waiting for us.”
Ian and Galen exchanged looks before Ian said, “We didna get to look in every room, but I didna see anyone other than the
droughs
.”
“Same here,” Lucan said.
Arran turned to Broc. “Can you find Andy for me?”
Broc closed his eyes, and a few moments later opened them. “Andy is in Glasgow. He’s safe, and trying to find Ronnie.”
“Why did Ronnie think it was Andy?” Arran asked, more to himself than anyone else.
Quinn leaned his hip against the car. “We underestimated Wallace. We thought he would be like Declan and Deirdre. He’s proven he isna. Which means, we have no idea what kind of magic he has, or what that magic is capable of.”
“If he can make someone believe they’re looking at someone else, we’re fucked,” Hayden said.
Logan nodded. “We’ll never know what’s real and what isna.”
“Malcolm was injured as well,” Fallon said into the silence. “Sonya was still healing him when I dropped off Charon. She said there’s something different about this
drough
blood being used now.”
Phelan crossed his arms over his chest. “I already figured that out.”
“If Jason didna have Andy, then at least we doona have that to worry about,” Ramsey said.
Lucan said, “And Ronnie is free of Jason. How is she faring with the others at the castle, Fallon?”
“She’s no’ at the castle.”
Arran stilled as Fallon’s gaze turned to him. “What do you mean she’s no’ at the castle.” Fallon was his leader, the man he trusted, but when it came to Ronnie, none of that mattered.
“I had to know she wasna working with Jason. Until I did, I wasna going to take her to the castle to possibly harm any of the Druids.”
Arran moved to stand nose to nose with Fallon. He felt the others tense, ready to tear them apart.
“Where. Is. She?” Arran demanded.
Fallon didn’t so much as flinch. His dark green gaze held steady, no emotion showing. “At her dig site. Now can we go?”
Arran caught Broc’s eyes. “Nay, but there is something else I have to do.”
“What is it you need?” Broc asked.
Arran clenched a fist and said, “I need you to find Pete Thornton.”
CHAPTER
FORTY-THREE
Arran somehow wasn’t surprised when Broc located Pete in Edinburgh. Fallon jumped them to a secluded alley they often used when coming to the city.
“Where is he?” Arran asked Broc.
Broc’s head turned to the right. “He’s in a warehouse no’ far from here.”
Arran halted the others as they started to follow him. “Pete is mine.”
“Understood,” Phelan said. Then he grinned, but it was full of cruelty and viciousness. “But if he tries to escape, he’s fair game.”
Arran shook his head. “He’s fair game to catch. But I deal with him.”
He said no more as he started jogging in the direction Broc had looked. Broc kept a little in front to lead the way. A few blocks later, Broc pointed to the warehouse, and the group split into different directions.
Arran and Broc continued straight on to the warehouse. Once they reached it, Arran came to a halt near the entrance.
“He’s alone,” Broc said before Arran could ask who else was in the building.
Arran looked at the door. “What floor?”
“Ground level.”
Arran’s god wanted to be released, and it was only by a thin thread of restraint that Arran held him back. He grasped the doorknob, and with one twist, broke it off. He then shoved his shoulder into the door to break past the dead bolt.
“That’s one way of doing it,” Broc said from behind him.
He probably should have been quieter about his entrance, but Arran didn’t want to chance losing control of Memphaea. Not when he needed to confront Pete with a clear head.
* * *
Ronnie had to get in touch with Arran somehow so she could tell him she had to find Andy. Surely Arran would help her in that.
She spent almost two hours scouring the debris of the site, looking for a cell phone. It wasn’t until she went to the vehicles that she got lucky.
Breaking into a car looked a lot easier on television than it actually was. She finally found a large rock and smashed it into the window to get to the phone.
She was punching in Arran’s numbers when she paused. Something told her to try calling Andy. She dialed his phone and licked her lips as it rang.
It was on its sixth ring, and she was just about to hang up when she heard, “Hello.”
“Andy?” she asked breathlessly.
“Ronnie. Oh, my God. Is that really you? Are you all right?”
Ronnie slumped against the car and slid to the ground. “Are you with Jason?”
“Jason? Jason who? Never mind. I’m in Glasgow at a pub, wondering why the hell Arran won’t answer his phone.”
She closed her eyes and sighed in relief. “Jason told me he had you. I saw you, Andy. I saw you beat up with all the blood over your face.”
“I’ve got a few scrapes from running away. And I think I might have broken my hand while I was helping this really gorgeous girl get away.”
Ronnie chuckled and leaned her head back against the car. Only Andy would think of women in a time like this. “I hope this chick at least gave you a kiss for such a valiant display.”
“Oh, she did. And much more.”
“I don’t need to know any more,” she hastily told him, but couldn’t hold back her laughter. As her smile faded, anger welled inside her. Jason had tricked her.
She’d given her word and betrayed Arran because of magic. It was then Ronnie knew she had to learn all there was to know of magic quickly.
“Andy, I need you to stay in Glasgow. I’ll contact you as soon as I can. I’ve got a lot I need to fill you in on. Some you won’t believe.”
“Is Arran with you?”
“No.”
Andy sighed. “He told me he’d keep you safe. Did he?”
“Without a doubt,” she whispered.
* * *
Arran stepped into the warehouse to see rows and rows of wide shelving stacked high above them. There was a soft sound, and Arran saw movement at the very top.
Camdyn squatted behind a large wooden crate and peered down at him and Broc.
“To the right,” Broc whispered.
Arran ran on silent feet toward the right. He’d gotten halfway down the huge warehouse when his enhanced hearing picked up a sound. Arran lengthened his strides as he gave a burst of speed and came around a row of shelving to catch a glimpse of Pete between crates stacked haphazardly on the ground.
Fury ripped through Arran. He slowed to a walk, his footsteps as quiet as a ghost’s. As he approached, he saw Pete had a crate open and was sifting through the packing material used to stuff the crate.