Amethyst Destiny (7 page)

“More than just a nightgown and boots?” she asked dryly.

Talon grinned. “Aye.” But his body heated, remembering all too well the way her slender body had teased him through the thin shift, a shift that even now caressed those womanly curves. Curves his hands itched to trace.

The longer he watched her pace the room, the more he thought about taking her into his arms, the more he longed to taste her.

And the more certain he became that he was going to have to employ a bit of trickery if he hoped to make that happen. He feared wooing this lass would take far more time than the ring would give.

Julia paced the room, glad to be able to walk more than three steps before she hit a wall, as had been the case all day. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d told him this had been the longest day of her life. Every minute she’d wondered if she should try to leave the room and escape the castle. Doubts had preyed on her mind that she was really in the past.

They still did. How did she know she wasn’t merely locked up in some mock-up of a castle designed to reflect a seventeenth-century way of life?

She didn’t. Not for sure. Maybe Catriona had come from here, but that didn’t mean she’d been a time traveler.

Then again, such a scenario neatly overlooked the fact that her clothes had disappeared. No, as much as she’d like to pretend otherwise, there was no denying magic was involved.

Which was why every time she’d thought about leaving the room, she’d lost her nerve. Deep down, she was all too afraid everything Talon had told her was true. And while he was willing to accept her strangeness, that didn’t mean anyone else would.

Minute after minute, hour after hour, she’d waited, wondering where he was, wondering if he was in trouble, if he’d ever come back. They were going to have to have a serious talk. If she was going to help him, he was going to have to show her a little more consideration. At the very least, leave her with food and something decent to drink. And some small sense of how long he might be gone.

She reached the far end of the room and turned back, only to stop as Talon rushed toward her through the shadows, his body radiating a sudden tension.

“Someone comes,” he whispered urgently.

Julia’s pulse leaped.

Talon grabbed her arm. “We must hide.” He pulled her into the corner and into the tight space between a large, carved armoire and the wall. The space was barely wide enough for both of them, forcing them to squeeze together, chest to chest. The scent of his wool cloak teased her nose.

His hands slid over her shoulders, one slipping behind her and tugging her closer as if he were trying to pull her into his arms.

She stiffened, intensely uncomfortable with the closeness even as she strained to hear the sounds of footsteps over the pounding of her heart.

“Calm, lass,” Talon said softly. “Your heart is about to race from your chest.” His hands slid back and forth over her shoulders, a light touch that was probably meant to calm her, but was having the opposite effect.

He was too close, everything about him too much. Too virile, too physical, too charming. Her pulse sped instead of calming, her body warmed, flushing with heat. Sexually experienced or not, she’d never been comfortable around men and this man less than most.

His warm, male scent filled her senses and all she wanted to do was put some distance between them, yet she didn’t dare move. Not when someone could walk into the room at any moment.

Talon’s fingers slid beneath her hair. His thumbs began to trace light, gentle strokes up and down the sides of her neck, sending her breathing into an awkward unevenness.

Deep and low inside, her body began to ache.

“Calm, lass,” he whispered leaning down until his mouth was against her temple, his warm breath stirring her hair and smelling faintly of beer. He smelled . . . so good.

Other than to bend his head toward her, she’d swear he hadn’t moved, yet she suddenly felt as if he were closer, enveloping her in his warmth and scent, in his overpowering maleness.

The fingers at her nape slid down, caressing her upper back, then slowly moved to the base of her neck where her shoulders were bare. Everywhere his fingers touched, her skin flushed and heated.

“Don’t.” Her voice lacked its usual firmness, sounding soft and breathless to her ears.

His mouth touched the corner of her eye, making her swallow hard against the intimacy. “I only mean to calm ye, lass.”

“I don’t need calming. Remove your hands.”

“I havena anywhere else to put them.”

Julia groaned at the oh-so-innocent tone. “Yeah, I think you do.” She tried to shift away from him and only managed to brush her hip against his pelvis. The unmistakable feel of a thick erection jolted through her.

He was hard as a rock, pressing against her, touching her, his mouth on her temple, on her eye, as if he were in full seduction mode.

She froze with a shock of realization. He wasn’t acting like a man hiding from imminent danger. This was a man playing at danger to worm his way closer to a woman.

“You
jerk.
Let me out of here.” She shoved away from him and into the room.

“Julia . . .” he said urgently.

“Can it, you liar. God, what a cheap, sleazy trick. You didn’t hear anyone, you just wanted to rub yourself against me. What a pervert!”

He grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, none too gently. Julia’s heart leaped into her throat as she stared up at him, her breathing suddenly harsh. Would he hit her? She kept pushing him, kept forgetting he was nothing like the civilized men she knew.

His hands pinned her shoulders to the wall, his face lowering angrily to hers. “Ye’ll ne’er call me a pervert again.”

She stared up at him, torn between trying to placate him, which went utterly against her nature, and retaliating with a swift, hard lift of her knee. But the thought of his retaliation had her swallowing her pride. No one else had ever hit her before, but she had little doubt he’d do it again if she provoked him.

“I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “For calling you a pervert. But you took advantage of the situation. Of me. And I don’t appreciate it one bit.”

Half his face was lit by moonlight and she watched the anger slowly drain from his features, though the hardness remained. “Ye want me.”

“No. I don’t. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Do ye not? I feel the heat rising from your skin, lass.” His lips grazed her temple, sending shivers through her body. “Now who’s the liar?”

Julia struggled to free herself, but to her shock, he grabbed her by the upper arms and lifted her off the floor until her feet dangled, until her face was even with his. Before she could gather her wits, he pressed against her, pinning her to the wall, and covered her mouth with his.

Shock turned to disbelief, her senses swamped by sensation. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. His lips moved over hers, at once hard and gentle. His tongue swept inside her mouth, stroking her own. Her pride tried to protest his high-handedness, but the heat and pleasure swirling inside her kept her silent, stealing her will.

He tasted wonderful, a hint of beer and clean rain.

Raw desire flowed through her limbs, spiraling low inside her until she was meeting his kiss, meeting his tongue, and moving her lips in time with his.

A sound of primal satisfaction rumbled deep in his throat, his hips pressing against hers, pushing that thick erection—an erection that was not well-controlled behind a firm zipper—into her skirts, pressing between her legs, seeking her heat through all the layers of clothing.

Julia wrenched her head sideways, freeing herself from his mouth. “Let me go!” She tried to kick him, but he had her tight against the wall.

Talon released her, dropping her fast and backing up a step, out of the reach of her boots.

She caught her balance, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, shocked by the way she’d responded. And furious at him for forcing himself on her.

But instead of looking apologetic or the slightest bit abashed, she saw him grinning in the moonlight.

“Aye, ye warm to me, lass. Ye’ll not deny it again.”

“You asshole.” Her temper spit and snapped. Leading with her fury, she yanked the unlit candle stub from the small brass candleholder sitting on the table beside her, and threw it at him.

Talon caught it, chuckling, infuriating her more. She grabbed the brass holder and threw it, too, but her aim was off and it clattered to the wood floor, making enough racket to wake the dead. The sound startled her out of her temper.

“Whoops.” A bit of retaliation was one thing. Getting them both caught, and God knew what would come after that, wasn’t what she’d intended.

Talon stared at her, his body still and tense.

Then she heard it. The sound of shouts outside. The pounding of running feet.

Her heart began to thud in her chest. Surely all the commotion couldn’t be over one thrown candlestick.

“Has your temper run its course?” Talon asked evenly.

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s leave this place at once.” He held out his hand to her.

Julia didn’t think twice before she placed her hand in his. Together, they ran for the door.

FIVE

Julia held tight to Talon’s hand as he grabbed the lantern and started down the stairs. The infuriating man descended the narrow, uneven wedges as nimbly as a mountain goat, moving far faster than she felt comfortable with.

“Talon, slow down.”

To her relief, he did, even as he squeezed her hand. “I’ll catch you if you fall.”

She believed him. But not three steps later, he lurched suddenly, careening into the wall, and she thought they were both going down. The lantern swung wildly, slamming against stone, the glass breaking with an awful crash that made the thud of the candlestick in the bedroom sound like a light tap on the floor in comparison.

The flame sputtered out, casting them into utter darkness.

Julia tightened her grip on Talon’s hand. “Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer.

“Talon?”

His only response was a groan as he slowly slid into her, pressing her down until she was sitting on the narrow wedge behind her, the back of Talon’s head listing onto her breast.

“Talon, what’s wrong?” Had he had a heart attack?

Her heart pounded. All day she’d wondered if anything had happened to him. Now something had and she didn’t know what to do to help. He was far from her favorite person, but he was the only one she knew in this entire world. And very possibly the only one who could get her home.

Like it or not, she needed this guy. Desperately.

“Are you sick?” She lifted his head from her breast, her fingers sliding through the soft, wavy strands as she stroked the hair back from his face, encountering the cool, clammy skin of his brow.

“Nay.” His voice was low, but strong. “The ring sent me a vision. I finally know why it sent me to this castle.”

“Why?”

He reached for the hand on his forehead and tugged it to his mouth for a soft kiss. “’Tis a lamp I must find. A golden lamp.”

“A golden lamp, a golden chalice. This ring of yours has a thing for gold. Where’s the lamp?”

“In the laird’s chambers. Hidden in the wall.”

“So, what now? You’ll just go pluck it from the wall and leave?”
What about me?

Talon squeezed her hand, then stilled.

The pounding of heavy footsteps sounded below. “You must hide, lass. Back up the stairs you go. Quickly!”

“I can’t see a thing!” With a groan, she pulled herself up, lifted her skirts, and felt her way up the dark, uneven steps, praying she didn’t miss one and tumble into Talon and the broken glass.

In the total dark, her other senses heightened. And not in a good way. She heard the scratching in the wall of a rodent and smelled the unpleasant, if faint, odors of excrement and mold.

She kept going until she reached the hallway above. If she had to, she could probably find the door to that big bedroom again, but she wasn’t sure that was a great idea since she’d made so much noise in there.

From below she heard the sound of voices.

“Lost my footing.” Talon’s calm voice carried to her clearly. “And hit my head, but ’tis clearing, now.”

“I’ll help ye back to your chambers,” a deep male voice offered.

Julia heard the crunch of broken glass and the sounds of footsteps fading away. She hugged herself, her back to the wall as she stood in complete darkness. A bead of perspiration rolled between her breasts.

A draft breezed over her face, chilling her to the bone. Ghosts were known to haunt castles, weren’t they? Would they haunt someone who wasn’t even supposed to be here? Someone who wouldn’t be born for close to three hundred years?

Her hand clasped around the garnet at her throat. “Start glowing again, please? Send me home. If my being here was your doing, please send me home.”

But the stone remained dark and cold and the wall at her back refused to spin.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d stood there when she heard the crunch of broken glass. Her heart leaped into her throat. Talon? Or someone else? Before she could decide whether or not to start searching for a door, she heard his low voice.

“Julia, lass?”

With an exhalation of relief, she pushed away from the wall.

“Here.” She hurried back toward the stair, watching the light of another lamp come into view, followed closely by Talon. His strong face and piercing eyes were an intensely welcome sight.

He held out his hand to her and she went to him without hesitation.

“We have to hurry, Julia Brodie.”

“What’s going on? Did they hear us up here?”

“Nay. Did ye hear the shouting?”

“Yes, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.”

“The marquess has returned. His retinue is less than a mile down the road.”

She glanced at him with dismay. “That can’t be good.”

“Nay, ‘tis not. We’ll ne’er get into his chambers to get the lamp if we dinna do it quickly.”

“You keep saying
we.
Does that mean I’m going with you?”

“The ring sent you to me for a purpose. Now that it’s told me where to find the lamp, you’ll stay with me until I know what that purpose is.”

They reached the bottom of the stairs and he led her down the hallway, the opposite direction from the way they’d come.

“Where are we going? Where’s his room?”

“In the south tower. The chambermaids will be opening the towers and readying the chambers.”

She wanted to point out that they’d almost certainly get caught if the maids were heading to the same place they were, but that seemed kind of obvious. And maybe it didn’t matter anymore. Once the castle was swarming with the people who really belonged here, someone was bound to see her sooner or later.

Two women scurried past, carrying piles of linens in their arms. While one looked to be of legal age, the other couldn’t be more than thirteen or fourteen. Were these the maids? Both eyed Talon with blushes. The younger eyed Julia with curiosity, the older one with a sharp look of jealousy, but neither said anything as they passed. And Talon paid them no attention.

The hallway grew lighter and lighter as they moved down the passage. She saw why as they turned the corner and passed a teenaged boy lighting wall sconces with rapt concentration. He didn’t seem to notice them at all.

Talon led her up another flight of twisty stairs. Julia grabbed her skirts a second before she tripped over them, and followed him, still clinging to his hand. At least these stairs were well lit, sconces flickering with firelight every full turn. The candlelight gave the space a cool, atmospheric feel, though she’d enjoy it more if it were all part of some tourist attraction instead of the real, honest-to-God thing.

As they climbed, the sound of activity above grew louder and louder. They were definitely going to have company. But Talon’s steps weren’t slowing.

At the top of the stairs, he led her down a short hallway and into a palatial room, far bigger even than the one they’d briefly hung out in earlier. This one was lit up like a movie set, light flickering from no fewer than a dozen brass sconces. A mammoth unmade bed sat in the middle, framed by red velvet bed curtains. The walls were covered in fancy gold and black wallpaper and the furniture was beautifully carved and must have cost a fortune, even in this time period. Especially in this time period, when all that carving had to have been done by hand.

They paused in the doorway, drawing the attention of the three young maids. Two changed the sheets while a third dusted the furniture with a rag. All three glanced at Talon with pleasure and her with curiosity that turned to pity as they caught sight of her short hair.

She wanted to yell, “It’s a hundred-dollar haircut!” but knew she wouldn’t impress them. Short hair was clearly out, out, out in this time period.

Talon released her hand then moved away, murmuring and making movements like some kind of priest. Under his breath she thought she heard the word distraction and wondered if he was talking to his ring instead of God. Probably. Slowly, he walked around the room, stopping every few steps to make the same kinds of holy motions.

Not a bad plan, really. Maybe no one would notice when he stopped and opened a door in the wall. Maybe. He was seriously going to need that distraction.

The sound of grunting and heavy footsteps preceded the arrival of two well-muscled young men each carrying a large bucket in each hand. As water splashed onto the floor, the girl doing the dusting released a squawk of disgust.

“Lachlan, ye dolt, ye’ll be cleaning that up!”

“Aye, Morna,” Lachlan replied evenly with a voice that sounded more boy than man. “I always do.”

The two youths carried the buckets to the dark hearth. While the other young man knelt before the hearth and started the fire, Lachlan pulled a round brass tub from behind a dressing curtain and rolled it across the room until it, too, sat in front of the hearth.

The pieces clicked into place. The tub. The buckets of water sitting in front of a soon-to-be-roaring fire, warming nicely. Apparently the marquess liked to be greeted with a hot bath. And without a bathroom and running water, this was the way he’d get it.

Lachlan straightened and started back toward the door, catching sight of her for the first time. “And who will you be, lass?”

Julia stiffened, meeting his curious gaze. She opened her mouth, uncertain what to say, when Talon beat her to it.

“Leave her be, lad. She suffered a blow to the head and hasna been right since. I’ll be taking her to the abbey soon enough.”

Julia resisted the urge to glare at him.

Lachlan studiously looked away from her as he left the room, as if she were some kind of leper. It pricked at her pride that Talon had led him to believe she was a nutcase, even as she knew it was better this way.

Talon’s words seemed to have had the opposite effect on the others. The remaining boy and all three girls stared at her now with open curiosity, as if they no longer believed she’d notice.

She stifled a groan and looked down, plucking at the ties on her top to keep from glaring at them all.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Talon pull a painting down off the wall. Her pulse sped. Had he found it, finally? As she watched him surreptitiously, he ran his hand over the wall.

She felt the strings loosen beneath her fingers and grimaced, realizing she’d accidentally untied them. A quick glance up told her the girls were laughing at her.

The young man who should have been paying attention to his fire building was instead watching her with anticipation. What did he think she was going to do, undress herself? He looked to be a little older than the girls, but not much. Or maybe he only looked older since his face had obviously seen a dozen too many fistfights.

Talon found the opening. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small door swing out and the glitter of gold within.

With a flutter of nervousness, she knew she had to keep the kids’ eyes on her, not him. With suddenly shaking fingers, she began to loosen her laces. Just a little. Just enough to keep them watching her.

Huh. Was she the distraction Talon had asked for? She and her hundred-dollar haircut? Seemed like a bit of overkill to haul her all the way from the future just for this, but that ring of Talon’s did seem to be as annoying as its owner.

Warming to her role, she began to hum the theme to
Friends
and sway her hips back and forth as she ran the loose ends of the laces between her fingers. With a bit of false awkwardness, she began to retie them. Nothing too overt. She didn’t want to do anything so strange they’d look at Talon to see if he’d noticed or was going to do something about her.

The sound of heavy footsteps sounded in the hall. Her breath caught, her skin going cold. Anyone walking into the room would have a direct line of sight to Talon’s theft.

“Time to go,” she sang to the
Friends
theme.

She saw the hidden door swing closed, but not quickly enough.

Lachlan stood in the doorway, staring at Talon. “Thief!”

Julia’s gaze swung to Talon. He whirled around, a small golden lantern in his hand.

“Now,” he muttered.

She tensed, confused, as a strange warm tingle raced over her skin. Now?

Lachlan’s shout of alarm had all their gazes swinging to the hearth, where the fire had leaped free and spread to a small pile of kindling nearby. Lachlan rushed toward the hearth, splashing water everywhere from the buckets he carried, as the youth who’d been tending the fire leaped to his feet and reached for another bucket.

The girls screamed and fled the room.

Talon raced toward her, the golden lantern in his hand. “Hurry.” He took her hand.

She raced out the door after him. “You’re not going to help them put out the fire?” The whole castle could go up in flames.

“’Tis the distraction I asked of the ring. They’ve plenty of water. They’ll put it out easily enough.”

Probably.

As they reached the stair, she felt that strange tingle a second time. In a flash of magic, Talon’s white chaplain’s robe disappeared to be replaced by black pants and a white shirt that set off his male body to perfection. His beard, too, evaporated, revealing a strong jaw and a breathtakingly handsome face.