Phoenix Rising I (30 page)

With a small gasp, MacKenzie started to fall. Connor caught her and realized she was unconscious. As he laid her on the bed, dread tightened his gut. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, then turned back to the witch with a scowl. “Scotia.”

“Aye. I’d thought perhaps ye sensed who I was earlier, but then ye let me walk away.” She shook her head and sauntered into the room. As she got closer, she dispersed the glamour cloaking her with youth. Stopping in front of him, she looked as she had when she’d cursed him.

A grimy white gown hung off her bony frame, sharp hips and ribs showing through the thin material. Algae was strung through her long, gray hair and trailed down her clothing. She trailed one thin hand across his abdomen. When she reached toward his erection, he slapped her hand away.

Black eyes narrowed on him. “Be careful how ye treat me, bonny Prince Connor.”

He snorted. “Or what? You’ll curse me? No, wait. You’ve already done that.”

“I could do more.”

“You cursed me to be a werewolf and prey on my own people, you hell-bitch.” He resisted the urge to wrap his hands around her throat, but just barely. She’d already turned him into a monster. “What more can you do?”

“Oh, look behind you, boyo. I could do a fair bit more, don’t ye think?” She cackled a dragged her hand across his abdomen once more. “Ye’ve one last chance to marry me daughter. Or live to regret it.”

He fisted his hands. “You leave MacKenzie alone. She has nothing to do with this.”

“Doesn’t she?” When he didn’t respond, she nodded. “Fine. I set yer lover to slumber, I’ll do the same to ye. When ye wake up, it will be the first day of the full moon.” She laughed again, the sound icing down his spine. Her eyes gleamed with crimson as she called forth her power. “Do ye think she’s got enough Fae in her to be in danger?”

Connor grabbed for her, but she danced out of his reach, her laugh like broken glass against his soul. She waved her hand and muttered a sleep incantation. He surged toward her, but on his third step he faltered. Shaking his head to try to dispel the dizziness, he took another step, then another, hands reaching for her, his feet dragging forward with great effort. One more step, and blackness claimed him.

Chapter Six

“MacKenzie? MacKenzie!”

Mackey swam to groggy awareness. Fingers lightly patted her cheeks and she recognized Liam’s voice. He sounded worried.

“I think she’s coming around. Check on
him
again.”

Movement and footsteps. A low groan.

“Mackey?”

She blinked her eyes, trying to focus, finally able to zero in on Liam’s concerned face filling her field of vision. “Liam? What happened?”

“That’s what I was about to ask you, sweetheart. When you didn’t come down for dinner, I thought perhaps you were … occupied. Breakfast and lunch, too. But when you went twenty-four hours ...” His voice still held a note of concern, but now mixed with relief. “I was about to call for emergency services. I’ve been trying to wake you for the last hour.” He gestured to the side with a motion of his head. “And him.”

Him?
“Connor!” She started to sit up and moaned, one hand going to her head. It felt like all the Fae in the world were trooping through her head, and they weren’t being very quiet about it at that.

“Easy, lass.” He helped her up, keeping the sheet firmly about her, for which she was grateful, as she’d forgotten she was naked underneath. Liam settled her against the headboard with pillows propped behind her, then sat beside her. She turned her head toward the right and saw Angus bent at the waist, helping a clearly dazed Connor to his feet.

When they reached the bed, Connor turned and slowly sat on the edge of the mattress, one leg bent at the knee, the other hanging over the edge in a mirror image of Liam on the other side of the bed. Connor leaned over and cupped her cheek, his fingers sliding into her hair. “Are you all right,
mo chroi?
”

Mackey nodded. Her head still throbbed and her stomach flip-flopped, but the touch of his hand helped. She swallowed against a new roil of nausea.

Well, his touch helped emotionally, anyway.

“What happened?” she asked, leaning toward him, running one hand over his nearest shoulder.

“That damned hell-bitch put us under a sleeping spell...” He turned his head sharply and looked at Liam. “What time is it?”

“Don’t you mean what
day
is it?” Liam stood, gesturing toward the window on the west wall, from which strong sunlight streamed into the room. “It’s only an hour from sunset. The day after the two of you met.” He looked back at Mackey. “I wasn’t really serious, love. About the shtupping,” he added
sotto voce
.

“What?” Connor surged to his feet and tottered for a moment, cursing under his breath as he made his way to the window. “This can’t be.”

“It is.” Liam walked over and stood beside him. Mackey studied the differences in the two men. Liam was tall, but Connor topped him by at least three inches. Connor had dark hair, a rich brown like a seal’s pelt, with darkly tanned skin.

Liam, while tanned, was more of a golden brown, with dark blond hair and the palest of blue eyes.

But both men had one thing in common. Sheer cussed stubbornness. If they could keep their macho tendencies in check, they might just end up as friends. That was, if Connor stayed around long enough. She bit her lip, knowing he couldn’t stay, not with the responsibilities he had.

She missed him already.

Connor turned to look at her. “This isn’t good. I have to leave. Now.” Frowning, he strode quickly across the room.

“What?” Mackey climbed out of bed and started after him, stumbling on the sheet. She would’ve pitched forward if not for Liam’s quick reflexes. She shrugged him off with a muttered “thanks” and kept going. “Connor!”

He stopped in the doorway, but didn’t turn. When she came up behind him, he muttered, “I can’t go through this here,
mo chroi
. Not in front of you.”

“So … what?” She put her hand on her shoulder and tugged until he at least shifted sideways. She moved in front of him. “You’re going to run off into the hills and … what?” She tried to keep her voice quiet, but it was hard. “Kill some poor farmer’s sheep? Or the farmer?”

“No!” He glared at Liam and Angus, who stood nearby, their bodies canted forward in an attitude of listening. They glanced away with identical guilty expressions. Connor sighed and looked back at Mackey. His voice pitched so that only she heard him, he said, “I only attack my own people. Never humans. Never animals.” He scrubbed one hand over his cheek and she was close enough to hear the rasp of the overnight growth of whiskers against his palm. “Just the Fae.”

“Stay with me, then.” Mackey stepped forward and, reaching up with tender hands, cupped his lean cheeks. “Let me help you through this.”

Closing his eyes, he turned his head and pressed a kiss into one of her palms. “I don’t want you to see my beast, sweetling. Besides ...”

“Besides … ?” she prompted.

He stared down at her with moist eyes and her breath hitched at the misery in their depths. Reaching out, he brushed her bangs to the side. “What if you’ve just enough Fae in you, despite what my mother said? I--”

He yanked her into his arms, holding her tight, one big hand cupping the back of her neck to his chest. She could hear the rapid beat of his heart, could feel it beneath her cheek.

“I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you. Or worse.”

“You won’t hurt me.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I’m not Fae.” At his skeptical look, she insisted, “I’m
not
.”

“Still, there might be--”

“Connor, I wasn’t Fae then. I’m not Fae now.” She pulled back and stared up at him. “And I am going to help you.” Moving out of his arms, she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his. Just in case he decided to try to run again.

“Then you’ll need to chain me up. With iron, preferably.” Connor gave her fingers a slight squeeze.

The solution came to Mackey fully formed. She turned to her friends, pressing her lips together at seeing they still stared at Connor and her with bald curiosity. With the knowledge Liam had, what she was about to ask wouldn’t seem so strange. But Angus ... he was an entirely different matter. “Angus--”

“No.” Her estate manager crossed his arms, his expression mutinous.

She frowned. “I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Well, I know what you’re about to say. You’re thinking to send me off on some nonsensical errand just to get me out of here. I demand to know what’s going on.” He stared at her, his face reddening. He started blinking and Mackey winced to know her lack of trust in this dear-hearted man was about to make him cry. “I’ve known you for ten years, Mackey. I
deserve
to know what’s going on.”

Torn between wanting to go to her friend and keep hold of Connor in case he decided to bolt when she let released his hand, she was happy to hear Connor murmur, “I promise I’ll stay put, sweetling. Go.”

She lightly squeezed his hand, then walked over to Angus. “You’re right. You
do
deserve to know what’s going on. And I plan to tell you.
After
we help Connor.” When Angus opened his mouth to respond, she hastily went on. “There’s no time now, Angus. Trust me?”

He responded without hesitation. “Aye, Mackey. I do, you know. Trust you, I mean.”

“Good.” She cast a glance around the room, knowing by the lengthening shadows they didn’t have much time. “I need you to go to the barn and clear out any staff and tourists who are there. Then stay there to keep people out until we get there, okay?”

He nodded, his demeanor one of purpose. Straightening his posture, he patted her on the shoulder. “You can count on me, lass.”

“I know I can.” She watched him walk past Connor, his head turning to look at the prince one last time before he left the room. She looked at Liam. “We’ll give Angus a few minutes to get everyone cleared out, then we’ll go to the barn as well. Once we’re there, we’ll need to find as long a chain as we can.”

Liam looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “And the chain would be for … ?”

“Me.” Connor leaned one shoulder against the wall by the door. He looked at Mackey.

She went to him and slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow. “You can trust Liam, Connor.”

“All right,
mo chroi
.” He straightened, but kept her arm through his, linking their fingers together. “A Fomorian
cailleach
--Scotia--put a curse on me two hundred years ago. In just a little while from now, when the moon rises, I’ll transform into a werewolf.”

Liam’s body stiffened, hands clenching at his sides. Looking at Mackey, he said through gritted teeth, “And you want him to stay?”

His gaze moved to Connor and his pale blue eyes narrowed. “And
you
. What the bloody hell are you thinking, to put her in danger like this? You son of a bitch.” He started toward them, fury in every rigid line of his frame.

Mackey put up one hand. “Liam, wait. It’s not what you think.”

“You don’t want to know what I think, lass.” He stopped an arm’s length away. “You really don’t.”

Connor tightened his grip on her hand. “Mackey should not be susceptible to any attack from me. I only attack my own kind when my beast is released.”

“Is that right?” Liam looked back and forth between them, his lips pressed together in a thin line. With an arched eyebrow, he asked Connor, “Then why the chains, boyo?”

A muscle ticked in Connor’s jaw, but he didn’t respond.

“Exactly.” Liam reached out and took Mackey’s other hand and tugged her toward him. Connor refused to release her. Liam’s scowl deepened. “Let go, or I’ll
make
you let go.”

“You’ve not got stones enough,” Connor muttered. He narrowed his eyes. “She’s mine.”

“Like hell she is. She can’t go back to Cnoc Meadha with you.” Liam pulled Mackey closer. “And I don’t believe for a second that one of you would give up a life of
eat, drink and be merry
for a mere mortal.”

Connor’s grip tightened. “MacKenzie is no mere mortal. She--”

“Enough already!” Mackey jerked her hands free and placed one palm on each male chest. “Jesus, Joseph and Mary,” she muttered. “Do I need to get a ruler? Or can we call this one a draw?”

The two men had the grace to look shamefaced. Connor scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “Sorry,
mo chroi
.”

Liam’s lips tightened, then he gave a muttered apology as well. “I don’t like this.”

“Aye. I got that.” She looked at the two men, so different yet so similar, and felt a tightening around her heart. She couldn’t put Liam in danger any more than he wanted her to place herself there. “But it’s going to happen whether you like it or not. Once we get Connor secured, I want you to be outside the barn with Angus.”

“Now, just a minute--”

She interrupted Liam in the middle of his outburst. “It has to happen this way, Liam.”

She leaned into Connor’s embrace. Even though she wasn’t Fae, she had to save Connor. Maybe especially
because
she wasn’t Fae. She hadn’t enough of the Other World in her to make her fit to return to Cnoc Meadha with him, which meant she wasn’t Fae enough to affect the curse. But she could do this one thing for him. “It’s the only way it can happen.”

* * * *

“Hurry.” Connor held himself rigid as Liam wrapped the thick iron chain around him, the links clanking, grating on his sensitive eardrums. Already he could feel the beast clawing its way up from his gut.

His gums ached as his canines lengthened. Bones grated, tendons shifted, muscles strengthened. He fought to hold it back, fought to retain the qualities that made him a man. That made him Connor mac Finnbheara, the son of the High King. Bile rose in his throat and he swallowed several times, hard.

Liam ran the final links around, and then twined a thick padlock to fasten the ends in place. “That does it.” He knelt and tested the length of chain around Connor’s ankles. Looking up, he asked, “you sure this will work, then?”