Malcolm blew out a breath and stood. “Hal’s right. I’m no’ in control of my emotions. I doona know if I can remain levelheaded if something goes wrong.”
“Something always goes wrong,” Guy said. “It’s inevitable. But we’ll be prepared.”
“If it is Wallace, he’s mine.” Malcolm waited for the Kings to argue, but they simply nodded in understanding.
Hal rubbed his chin. “If it is Wallace, we willna be able to help you. But we’ll get the innocents out.”
“And look after Evie and Brian,” Guy added.
Malcolm agreed, and after confirming the meeting at noon, Hal and Rhys drove away. Malcolm looked back over the loch and tried to draw the feel of Evie’s magic closer around him.
“What’s changed with you?” Guy asked.
“The Druid. I knew it as soon as I came across her. She’s … different.”
“And now a
drough
.”
Malcolm inwardly winced. “Just one reason I didna call the Warriors.”
“What are the other reasons?”
He turned to glare at the Dragon King, refusing to state the reasons. “You’re nosy.”
“I usually am with my friends.”
Malcolm jerked as if punched. “Friend?”
“Aye. Doona look so surprised,” Guy said with a crooked grin. “Well, maybe you should since I didna want to think of you as a friend at first. You’re too obstinate and careless.” His smile faded. “But I saw your pain. You did a good job of hiding it from your fellow Warriors, but no’ from me.”
“I’ve no right to ask, but will you look after Evie and Brian for me?”
Guy’s brows lowered over his eyes as he took a step closer, understanding dawning. “You doona plan to come out of this alive.”
It wasn’t a question, and Malcolm didn’t treat it as one. “If it’s Wallace, I’ll no’ stand by and allow him to get away.”
“Deliberately putting yourself in his path with no one to help you is foolish. What will Evie think?”
Malcolm’s hands clenched as he thought of holding her in his arms again. “She’ll understand. Just keep her away from Wallace. I doona know what his plans for her are, but they can no’ be good.”
“I’m in agreement there. And of course we’ll watch over her and her brother. She belongs with the others at MacLeod Castle.”
“Nay,” Malcolm said angrily and immediately took a step back to calm himself. “She’s
drough
, Guy. They may no’ believe her when she tells them why she did it.”
“Then you be there to tell them.”
“I doona know why she came into my life. I hate the constant feelings that bombard me incessantly. Just when I think I can get a handle on one, another arrives. I’m undeserving of her soft touch and giving heart. If she remains near me, she’ll get hurt. It’s what always happens. I can no’ walk away from her, but she can leave me.”
“If she will.” Guy stared at him for several seconds. “I think you’re making a mistake in this.”
“I’m no’. Trust me. For once, I’m doing the right thing.”
“No’ if she’s the one bringing back your feelings. You were a cold bastard before. I often wondered if there was any humanity left in you.”
“There was,” Malcolm said with a shrug. “It wouldna have fit in a thimble, but somehow Evie found it.”
Guy smiled wryly. “She sounds like a remarkable woman.”
“She is. She’ll no’ know you. Evie is already concerned by the fact that I’ll be there. If you have to take her and Brian away, tell her I sent you.”
“If she’s anything like Elena, she’ll no’ want to leave you behind.”
Malcolm knew that wouldn’t be an issue. “She’ll have Brian to concern herself with. He’s her only family.”
“So you mean nothing to her?”
“I protected her when she needed it. That’s all it is.”
“On her part,” Guy said as he pinned him with a stare. “And you?”
Malcolm turned to the inn. “Me? I’d like to say that I doona crave the feel of her magic. I’d like to tell you that I could walk away and forget her kisses or the way she feels in my arms. But I’d be lying. Evie found my soul, and in the process touched my heart.”
CHAPTER
THIRTY
Dreagan Distillery
Constantine replaced the receiver on the phone atop his intricately carved desk and leaned back in his chair. “Well, that was interesting.”
Banan sat forward in his chair across the desk. “I gather that was Warriors from the castle.”
“Aye. Looking for Malcolm.”
Banan met Con’s gaze. “You didna tell them what we know. Why?”
“I’m no’ sure.” Con rose and turned to one of the large windows behind his desk looking over his land. “Fallon told me Broc wasna able to use his power to locate Malcolm. They think Wallace may have him.”
“You could’ve told them Malcolm was all right.”
Con rolled up the sleeves to his starched dress shirt. “There’s a reason Malcolm called Guy and no’ those at MacLeod Castle. I doona know that reason yet, but I feel it’s important.”
“You’re the one who didna want to get us involved with the Warriors in the first place. But we have. To deliberately keep information from Fallon could be contrived as a betrayal.”
“Could be. I’m no’ worried about it.”
“Are you no’ troubled with why Malcolm asked for Guy’s help?”
Con turned and looked at Banan. Banan was loyal and a great King to his Blues. Con never stopped his Kings from questioning his decisions or motives. They hadn’t been chosen as Kings for nothing.
“Guy, Rhys, and Hal know they can no’ show their true form to humans. I’m no’ concerned with that possibility. We’ve remained hidden from humans for thousands of millennia, Banan. Tell me what’s truly bothering you.”
Banan slowly stood. “You’re making a mistake no’ telling Fallon about Malcolm. Malcolm could very well need them in the end since, as you say, the dragons with him willna be much help.”
“If it comes to that, I’ll no’ hesitate to inform Fallon.”
“Good. I like the Warriors. I doona want them to become our enemies. We have enough of them as it is.”
Con walked back to his desk and resumed his seat. “We were here since the beginning of time. We tried to keep the peace with the humans, and when we couldna we sent our dragons away. The humans will always hate and fear us.”
“I’m no’ talking about the humans,” Banan said, his voice lowering in anger. “I’m talking about the damned threat to us we still have no’ discovered. I’m talking about Ulrik and if he’s involved. And let’s no’ forget the Fae who have taken an interest again.”
Con snorted and shook his head. “It’s just Rhi. Forget the Fae. Their interest lies in Phelan since he’s a descendant. The Fae willna be bothering us.”
“Allies are good. We may only be killed by one of our own, but it’s happened before. Things are changing, Con. Be prepared for them.”
“Are you saying I’m no’?” he asked, quietly belying the anger simmering.
Banan suddenly smiled. “I know you too well, old friend. There’s no need to hide your rage from me. And aye, you can think we’re above many things. We tried to warn you about Ulrik and his human woman.”
“A woman who betrayed him!” Con bellowed as he jumped to his feet. He leaned his hands on his desk and regained his composure. When he spoke again, his voice was once more calm and low. “A decision had to be made regarding that traitor. The woman got what was coming to her.”
“And we made Ulrik an enemy for life. He’s one of us, a King. It may take him another five thousand millennia, but he
will
get his revenge. I’ve no doubt of that.”
Con watched him walk out of his office. He wanted to forget everything Banan said, but Con knew he was right. Ulrik would one day take his revenge.
What Banan had wrong was that they needed allies. They were Dragon Kings. They had ruled the skies, the land, and the waters of Earth since it was formed. They were masters.
They kept who they were a secret so the war between dragons and humans wouldn’t erupt again. Perhaps it was time to rethink a few things.
* * *
Evie couldn’t be angry at Malcolm no matter how hard she tried. She hadn’t wanted sleep, but her body needed it. With those few hours of rest, her mind was refreshed and more focused.
She finished her sandwich and tossed the paper away. Malcolm sat in the only chair while she remained on the bed. “All right, I admit it. I needed sleep.”
His lopsided, boyish grin made her heart flutter in her chest. “There are still two hours before the meeting.”
Evie wiped her mouth before setting the napkin aside. “Did it hurt when Deirdre released your god?”
“Verra much. Have you had a broken bone?”
“My arm.”
“Imagine every bone in your body breaking and your muscles shredding before everything healed.”
She winced. “That sounds painful.”
“It was.”
“If you don’t want to talk about it—”
“Ask your questions,” he interrupted her gently.
Evie picked at her nails, and took a deep breath before asking, “You mentioned that Warriors have powers. What are yours?”
“I only have one. I control lightning.”
“Control it,” she repeated in awe. “How exactly?”
He held out his hand palm up and a soft ball of light appeared. Evie gasped in surprise when she saw the lightning running from finger to finger.
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
“I doona feel it,” he said and made the lightning disappear. “It’s a part of me.”
“What are some of the other powers Warriors have?”
His azure eyes smiled at her. “Teleporting, fire, water, snow and ice, shadows, talking to animals, and the ground are a few. There is one who is able to find anyone, anywhere.”
“That’s amazing.”
“You talk to rocks. How is anything I just told you more astonishing than that?”
She laughed and shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess maybe because I thought I was the only one who could do something like that.”
“Does Brian have magic?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Sadly, no. I wished he did. What is your god’s name?”
“Daal. He’s called the Devourer.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“Because he is. He’s verra powerful, and no’ one who likes to be trifled with.”
“Do you enjoy the power he gives you?” she asked, hoping not to offend him.
There was a slight pause as if Malcolm was considering her words. “I do. It allows me to protect the ones I care about. If I had been a Warrior when I was attacked, I wouldna be scarred nor would I have lost the use of my arm.”
“You use your arm now.”
“Only because of Daal. The gods make us immortal, Evie. If I’m wounded, I heal quickly.”
“Immortal,” she mused. “You could potentially live forever.”
He shrugged. “I suppose. There are ways the Druids have figured out how to remain alive through the centuries to be with their men.”
The idea that she would die while he lived on had been like a kick in the stomach. Was Malcolm telling her how the other Druids remained alive so they could be together? She hoped so, because she wasn’t yet ready to be parted from him. “That’s good. Do you like being a Warrior?”
“If the spell to bind our gods is found as those at MacLeod Castle wish it to be, I would once more return to being a man with the use of only one arm. Given that choice, I’d rather remain a Warrior.”
His voice was level, but she saw the distress in his magnificent azure eyes. “There are worse things than having the use of only one arm.”
“In a world of magic and immortals, do you really believe that?”
She swallowed, unable to answer him. Evie looked away, thinking over his words. All the questions she wanted to ask about his god were gone. Malcolm put everything into perspective with just a few words.
“What will you and Brian do after all this is over?”
Evie was taken aback by the quick change in subject. She licked her lips and looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”
“It’s obvious your hackers are the ones who took Brian. Once he’s back and your necklace is safe, you know they’ll no’ bother you again.”
“Yeah,” she mumbled. It also meant Malcolm wouldn’t be in her life.
The thought of that made her sick to her stomach. She’d gotten used to Malcolm’s intense stare and his steely resolve. Even with everything he was suffering, he’d been there for her last night when she gave her soul to the Devil.
“What will you do?” she asked.
He shrugged but didn’t answer.
“You should go to Larena. You need to talk to her, and I know she would want to see you.”
Malcolm looked out the window. “I’ve considered it.”
They fell into silence. Worry began to eat away at Evie the longer she sat there. Worry about Brian, about keeping the necklace, but also about being able to use her new, stronger magic.
Evie called to her magic and let it gather around her. It spun around her, growing until she could feel it through every inch of her body.
She lifted her gaze to find Malcolm sitting with his forearms braced on his thighs and his hands in tight fists. His skin flashed maroon as he kept his head down and his face turned away from her.
“Malcolm?”
His head gradually lifted until she was staring into his azure eyes. “Doona. Stop.”
“Stop?” she asked in confusion.
“Your magic. Doona stop.”
Realization dawned as she remembered he could feel her magic. She rose from the bed and walked to him. Evie knelt before him so that she was looking up into his face.
“Does it hurt you, my magic?”
He shook his head. “Never.”
Evie swallowed and gathered magic in one palm before she placed that hand on his shoulder. A low growl rose up from his chest as his gaze speared her.
Desire and excitement raced through her. Her chest heaved, just as Malcolm’s did.
“More,” he demanded.
Evie moved closer, situating herself between his legs. She used her other hand and placed it on his face.
She sucked in a breath when she saw his eyes close and pleasure wash over him. There was no doubt he not only felt her magic, but enjoyed it.
His eyes snapped open as his hands grabbed her shoulders. He pulled her against him, the heat of him searing her. Evie wound her arms around his neck.