Amethyst Destiny (8 page)

Julia gasped.

Talon grinned at her, a new man. “’Tis certain I have the right lamp,” he told her. “My reason for being in this place is done.”

“I hope the castle survives your mission.”

He threw her a wry look over his shoulder as he started down the stair, holding her hand tight. The twisty stair continued down, and down, and down some more. The damned stairs seemed to go on forever.

“We must be halfway through the center of the earth by now,” she muttered.

“Nay. We’re nearly to the Great Hall.” He said something more, something she didn’t catch.

And suddenly, out of nowhere, a blanket fell on top of her.

She squeaked with alarm. Fabric tangled under her feet and she cried out as she pitched forward. Talon whirled and caught her in his arms. Barely pausing, he set her upright, steadying her on her feet, then pushed the blanket off her head.

Julia stared at him. He was wearing a brown hooded robe. A quick glance down confirmed she’d acquired one just like it. Not a blanket at all.

She frowned. “We look like a pair of Jedi knights.”

“Jedi ... ?”

“Your ring’s doing?”

“Aye.”

“Wish it’d give me a little notice next time.” She looked down to find the robe dragging the floor, a good six inches too long. “Order me a size extra-small next time, would you please?”

Talon leaned forward and grabbed up the extra fabric and shoved it into her hands. “We must hurry.” He pulled her hood over her hair again and whirled to continue the rest of the way down the stairs, the lantern hidden beneath his robe.

Moments later, they erupted into a large, cavernous room she assumed was the Great Hall, though it didn’t much look like she’d imagined. Instead of rows of wooden tables and weapons hanging on the walls, this one actually had upholstered chairs and sofas situated in seating groups around the several hearths, like an oversized living room.

“Fire!” Talon shouted. “Fire in the lord’s chambers!”

As the men and women readying the hall for their master’s arrival took off running, Talon grabbed Julia’s hand, leading her toward an entryway.

He glanced at her. “Can you ride?”

“A
horse?”
She looked at him with horror.

He scowled, then began muttering to his ring again.

The others had left the thick doors wide open. Talon and Julia raced through them and into the courtyard scattered with frantic people. Firelight flickered from torches and lanterns, sending shadows dancing in the dark. Some of the men carried buckets of water into the castle, but most of the people were fleeing. Two young men led horses out of the stables.

With a shout, one of the men lost hold of two of the horses, a pair that appeared saddled and ready for riding. Talon whistled low and the pair swung toward them.

They were going to run them down!

Julia leaped behind Talon, her already speeding pulse beginning to thunder as she imagined being trampled to death.

But the pair stopped abruptly in front of them in a cloud of dust.

Talon pulled her around. “Mount, Julia. Now!”

“I don’t know how to ride!”

“Aye, you do.”

She stared at him. How in the hell would he know whether or not she could ride?

“The ring, lass.
Mount.”

The ring? Understanding swept through her frantic mind. She whirled to the horse, grabbed the reins, and swung into the saddle—skirts, oversized Jedi robe, and all—as if she’d been doing it all her life.

Holy shit.

Talon mounted in a single, fluid move and together they took off toward the open gates. She didn’t even have to think about it. Her body knew what to do to make the horse obey.

Amazing. A million possibilities for that ring ran through her head. She could learn anything with a single wish. A black belt in karate? Instantly. Nuclear physics? In the blink of an eye.

“Stop them!” The shout echoed into the night behind her. “They’ve stolen the laird’s treasure!”

“Bollocks.”
Talon’s softly uttered curse carried back to her.

Julia’s pulse sped as she leaned forward, urging her mount faster. A single guard raced to stop them, his sword raised. But Talon pulled a sword of his own and swung as they galloped by. With the clank of metal on metal, the guard’s sword flew from his hand.

Talon looked at her over his shoulder, met her gaze, then turned forward and urged his horse faster as if he expected pursuit.

As Julia followed, the cool wind in her face, adrenaline pouring through her system, she felt the strange and inappropriate urge to laugh.

She’d never felt so alive! If she were home, she’d be in front of the television or curled up with a book, reading about another woman’s adventures. She’d never longed for adventures of her own. She’d thought the stress of her job was all the excitement she’d ever need.

But there was something about running for your life that cleared the senses, wiping them clean of all the minutiae. She couldn’t call this fun, exactly. Not when they could well be executed if they were caught. But this little detour on her way back to New York had certainly gotten her blood pumping.

This little detour to the past that should be over.

Julia frowned as the wind whipped her hair back from her face. Talon’s robes and beard had disappeared with his retrieval of the lantern. If her purpose had been to act as Talon’s distraction, shouldn’t she have disappeared, too? Shouldn’t she be home by now?

She felt the necklace thudding lightly against her chest, lifting and dropping with the gait of the horse, and was reminded, all too clearly, of her suspicions that it hadn’t been his ring that had brought her here at all. It had been Cat’s purple garnet.

Which meant she had no idea what to do to get home. A chill settled over her heart. She tried to shake it off. Maybe the ring was still in control. Maybe she simply hadn’t performed whatever task it meant for her to do.

She had to believe that was the case. The ring would send her home. Because the alternative was too frightening to contemplate.

If the necklace alone controlled her fate, she might be stuck here for good.

Six

Talon pulled up at last and Julia did the same, bringing her horse to a stop beside him. They must have been riding for hours, though it was still fully night.

She glanced up at the nearly full moon shining across a sky filled with far more stars than she’d ever seen, noting with dismay that the moon hadn’t moved far since they set out. They hadn’t been riding long at all. It just seemed that way.

Time in this place moved at the speed of Manhattan traffic. A snail’s pace.

Her rear was numb, her body sore, and her adrenaline spent. All she wanted was a hot bath and a warm, soft bed.

Which were about as likely as suddenly riding upon a 7-Eleven. She’d finally accepted that she was well and truly in the past.

“We’ll hide,” Talon said in a low voice, dismounting.

A cool, woodsy-smelling breeze tugged at her Jedi robe. Night insects clicked and chirped against the tinkling sound of a nearby creek. No sound of horses met her ears.

“Have we lost them?” She pulled up her robe, preparing to attempt a dismount as Talon walked to her.

“’Tis unlikely.” Talon reached up and grabbed her around the waist, then swung her down off the horse like some kind of old-fashioned gentleman.

His face was in shadow, but as he lowered her to the ground, she was suddenly all too aware of him. There was something about him, a raw and powerful masculinity that turned her inside out every time he got too near. That made her forget to breathe.

He released her and turned to the horses. As she grabbed at her robe, pulling the extra length out from beneath her feet so she didn’t trip, he slapped the horses’ rumps. In a spray of grass and pebbles, the pair raced off.

Julia stared after them in surprise. “We don’t need them anymore?”

“’Tis my hope they’ll lead our pursuers away from us. Like as not, they’ll find their way back to Castle Rayne.”

“And what are we going to do? Walk?”

He reached for her, his hand closing around hers. “We’ll worry about that come morn.” With a tug, he led her into the shadowed and spooky woods.

An owl hooted nearby, making her jump.

Talon squeezed her hand gently. “’Tis only an owl.”

Of course it was. She knew that, but knowing it didn’t do anything to settle her suddenly racing pulse. There was something unnerving about dark woods in the middle of the night. Or maybe she’d just watched too many movies.

Talon led her deeper and deeper into the shadows as her disquiet grew. How well did she know this guy? He could be an ax murderer for all she knew. Though, considering the size of the sword he carried, he probably didn’t need the ax.

A twig snapped beneath her foot. Maybe he really was a witch and was leading her into some kind of gingerbread prison.

“Calm yerself, lassie,” he said softly beside her. “They’ll not find us.”

Right. Exactly what she was thinking. Maybe no one would ever find her. Yet, perversely, her fear only made her sidle closer to him and cling to his hand harder.

Despite the direction of her thoughts, she really did trust him to keep her safe. Which was a revelation.

The woods grew more dense, their scent rich and loamy, as they continued to walk for several more minutes. Finally, Talon pulled up. “There’s a cave ahead, but it’s behind a thick stand of brush. Be mindful, lass. I wouldna have the branches scratch your bonny face.”

The offhand compliment annoyed her as such compliments from men always had. Yet his words softened the knot in her chest and sent a pleasant, tingling warmth flowing through her blood.

Her own mixed reaction confused and bothered her. She tried to shove it away.

“Are we’re going
in?”
she asked when they seemed to have reached a wall of dark.

“Aye.”

“I don’t suppose you have a flashlight. Or any kind of light, for that matter.”

“I cannot tell how close our pursuers are. We canna risk a light.”

“Great.” How was she supposed to protect her face when one hand was holding up her robe and the other was firmly caught in Talon’s?

Talon seemed to realize her problem. He pulled her hood over her head and curled his arm around the back of her neck, pulling her face-first against his chest.

“Stay close,” he murmured, then eased her through the bushes. As he’d predicted, the branches pulled and scraped against her robe, but with his help, left her unscathed.

He released her in utter darkness. The air of the cave felt cooler than that of the forest, and more damp. And it smelled faintly of ... A shiver tore through her.
Wet fur.

“An animal,” she whispered. What if there was a bear sleeping in here? Or a wolf? Or a whole pack of wolves?

She grabbed for Talon, her hand encountering a thick, muscular arm beneath the robe, and she hung on tight.

“Easy, lass. I dinna think there are any beasties in here at present.” To her surprise, he pulled her close, almost like he was giving her a hug, before he set her away from him, prying her fingers loose from his arm. “Stay here while I make certain.”

Her eyes went wide, her pulse leaping. She could see nothing.
Nothing.
And he was going to blithely walk around and see if he kicked something awake? He was out of his mind.

As his fingers slipped away from hers, the darkness swallowed her. The pounding of her heart stole all sound. Talon could be in a fight to the death with a dragon and she doubted she’d hear it over the thundering in her ears. Her flesh crawled with goose bumps, sweat starting to bead along her hairline.

What was the matter with her? She’d never been afraid of the dark before. Then again, when had she ever really been in true dark? In a place that was anything but safe?

She pulled the robe tight around her, fighting the panic, struggling against the urge to push out of the cave and race into the moonlight.

The seconds turned to minutes. The minutes felt like they were turning into hours, though it was probably just another case of time holding still in this place.

Still ... what if Talon had been attacked and she hadn’t heard him go down? What if he never came back? What if whatever attacked him was, even now, stalking her?

Panic twisted her insides into knots, turning her body into a sweating, shaking mess.
Send me home,
she silently begged the necklace.
Send me home, send me home, send me home.

“’Tis safe, lass.” The sound of Talon’s voice nearly had her knees buckling in relief. He took her hand and looped her arm into the crook of his own. “The cave isna large, little wider than the chaplain’s chamber in Rayne, but about three times as deep.” He took a step and she followed. “We’ll sleep in the back.”

The thought of sleeping in this utter dark didn’t please her at all, but she allowed him to lead her without voicing her dismay. It wasn’t like they’d passed any Holiday Inns along the way.

They hadn’t gone far when Talon took her hand and tugged her down. She felt around, feeling dirt and stones and ...
euww
. Something sticky. No way in hell was she going to be able to sleep in here.

She remembered thinking her accommodations were rustic at Cat’s wedding when she’d discovered her room didn’t have a private bath and the only showerhead in the bathroom was a handheld attached to the tub spigot. Right now, she’d give just about anything for that clean, warm inn with the down duvet and the hot, flowing water.

And light. Lots of light.

“Come, lass,” Talon said softly, tugging on her hand.

She let him pull her close, not realizing his intent until he tried to pull her into his arms.

Julia stiffened and jerked away. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll keep you warm while you sleep.”

She snorted and pulled her hand from his grasp. “I’ll bet. Thanks but no thanks, Casanova. I’m fine over here.” The thought of him holding her close, his hands roaming God-knew-where, sent a strange combination of chills and warmth fighting one another for dominance over her body.

Maybe she was too aware of him, but that didn’t mean she wanted anything to do with him. Not like that. She knew what he really wanted. Sex.

A cold, hard knot formed in her stomach. She’d been there, done that. And she wasn’t doing it again.

“Then lay ye down, lass. You need sleep.”

Unfortunately, she couldn’t argue that one. With a shudder of revulsion, she slowly lowered herself to the ground, glad for the Jedi robe between her skin and the actual dirt. But as she laid her head on the hard ground, she knew it was a lost cause.

She lay there shivering until the sound of some small creature running nearby had her shooting upright again. A
mouse
? She didn’t mind mice, not in theory, but no way was she letting one use her as a jungle gym.

Maybe it wasn’t a mouse. Maybe it was a rat.
Or
a snake
. No, snakes didn’t scurry. Not unless they grew Scottish snakes like they did Scottish men—big, with too many hands.

She pulled up her knees and buried her face against them, once more silently begging the stone to send her home. Either stone—hers or Talon’s ring. She wasn’t particular. She wanted a pillow. A hot shower. Clean clothes.

She listened for the sound of Talon’s breathing and heard nothing. Did he sleep as silently as he walked, or was he still awake, too? The thought was comforting. And yet not comforting at all. Everything about the man disturbed her. The way he manhandled her. The way he kissed her. The way he sent her pulse into overdrive every time he came near.

Her heart began to beat a hard, insistent rhythm in her chest. Why couldn’t he make just a little noise so she knew he was still there? What if he’d vanished as surely as his clerical robes and beard?

The pounding in her chest intensified, thudding against her ribs. A cool sweat dampened her scalp. Her fingers itched to reach for him, to be sure he hadn’t left her, but the last thing she wanted to do was wake him. Or make him think she needed him. She didn’t. Julia Brodie didn’t need anybody.

Oh hell, who was she kidding? It was exactly that she needed him. Desperately. What in the world would happen to her in this place if she lost him? Not only might she never get home, but she was unlikely to even survive.

Swallowing her pride, she reached out.

Talon heard her. Jesu, half the forest probably heard her. She had no understanding of silence, this one.

When her fingertips grazed his cheek, he slid his fingers around her hand before she could snatch it back.

She gasped.

“Easy, lass. What ails ye?”

“Nothing.”

He tugged lightly on her hand. “Come here.”

She jerked her hand away from him. “No. I’m fine.”

But she wasn’t fine. She was scared. He could feel it in the faint tremble of her hand and hear it in her voice, just as he’d been listening to her uneven breathing. Yet she refused to let him hold her.

Why? Was she, as she’d said, simply not interested in him? No. He’d felt the truth of her attraction when he’d kissed her. Was it
him
she was afraid of? But then why had she reached for him?

He’d never understand the mind of a woman. She sat there shivering with fright and cold and refused his warm arms. If he wasn’t good enough ...

Julia sneezed.

“Lass ... come here.”

“I’m fine, I just ... wanted to make sure the ring hadn’t poofed you out of here.”

He heard the fear she tried to hide and again wondered if she wasn’t just a little afraid of him. And why would a lass who’d known many men be afraid of a man’s arms around her? She wouldn’t. Unless one of them had hurt her.

Whatever her past, it was clear demons haunted her still. Perhaps she tried to shut out all men.

All people?

The thought found purchase deep within him. Aye. He could feel her solitude, feel the walls she’d built around herself. They felt surprisingly like his own.

With a sigh, he sat up. The lass was a mystery he’d not solve in a single night, not when he was dead tired. He needed rest. They both did.

“You’re not sleeping, Julia.”

“I’m not tired.”

“I canna sleep either. As you fear the ring’s power, so do I. I keep thinking the ring will steal you away.” He resisted reaching for her with effort. “I might be able to sleep if I could touch you, lass. Just to know you’re there. Perhaps you’ll feel the same.”

He heard her soft sound of disbelief, but her waspish tongue remained silent. So he did the reaching this time. “Take my hand, Julia-lass,” he said softly.

His fingers encountered her arm then moved slowly toward her hand. When his fingers closed around her chilled ones, he squeezed softly. “Come lie down, Julia. If ye get no sleep, ’twill be a hard day tomorrow.”

She didn’t pull away this time, but neither did she allow him to tug her forward.

Talon shifted closer until he sat beside her. With his free hand, he touched her silky hair, stroking ever so softly. “Drop yer shields, lass. Just for tonight.”

“I don’t have any shields.”

“Aye, you do. Let me keep you safe, Julia. I’ll treat you with honor, lass. No seduction, I vow it.”