Midnight's Captive (Dark Warriors) (13 page)

“I’ve fought Jason and his Druids before. I know what to expect. You said you trusted me. I’m asking you to trust me now.”

She swallowed and put her hands on her hips as she looked away. “What do you want me to do?”

He grabbed her shoulders to force her to look at him. “The cabin is another three miles. Continue southeast on this same heading. You’ll find it.”

“And if I don’t?”

“You will,” he said reassuringly. “I’ll keep them heading in the opposite direction. Wait for Phelan at the cabin. If Phelan doesna show, only go with Ian Kerr.”

“What of the MacLeods you speak of?”

“Ian will be with them. He and his woman, Dani.”

“Charon—” she began.

He gave her a hard, quick kiss and turned her in the direction she needed to go. After a second, he gave her a little push. “Now, hurry!”

She stumbled forward, and then took off at a brisk run. Charon watched her for a beat before he turned the other way. He quickly removed any evidence of him and Laura, and then set about making sure he left a trail anyone could follow.

*   *   *

Phelan wanted nothing more than to walk up behind Jason Wallace as he got out of his BMW and snap his neck. But getting close enough with all the
droughs
surrounding Wallace was the problem.

Phelan growled, his god instantly rising to his call. He looked down at his hand to see his skin turn gold. He clicked his long claws together, itching to sink them into the flesh of a
drough
.

How he despised them. It was always
droughs
who continued to think they could take over the world. Based on the idea that they were better than anyone else.

Phelan stayed in the shadows, his eyes glued to Wallace. The man was a prick, and would soon follow Declan and Deirdre into death.

There was a niggle of worry in Phelan’s mind though. Jason had proved to be smarter than either Declan or Deirdre. The question was, was he smart enough to best the Warriors?

Phelan waited until Jason and several
droughs
went into Charon’s pub before he glanced at a nearby rooftop to see one of Charon’s men watching him for the signal.

Phelan gave a nod, and the man ducked from view. Thanks to Charon’s careful planning, the town knew what to do in case of such an event. Phelan just hoped everything went according to plan.

He’d have liked to wait and see where the other
droughs
with Jason were going as they fanned out in the village, but Phelan kept his gaze on the big brute of a Warrior with Jason.

There was little time to waste, so Phelan crept away and entered through the back door of the bakery. The old woman lifted her head from stirring the batter and gave him a swift nod before going back to her baking.

Phelan reached for the phone on the wall and quickly dialed Fallon MacLeod’s number. Fortunately, Fallon answered on the second ring.

“We have a problem,” Phelan said as he kept watch through the small window of the kitchen door that led out into the main store.

“Phelan?”

“Aye. Wallace is in Ferness. He had a man try to kidnap one of Charon’s employees, a woman. The kidnapping failed, so Wallace showed up here. They were going to use Laura to get to Charon.”

There was a mumbled curse through the phone before Fallon asked, “Where are Charon and the woman now?”

“Wallace somehow cut off the mobile phones. Phelan took Laura out into the woods to try to stay hidden until you and the others arrived.”

There was a sound as if someone covered the phone, and then Phelan heard Fallon bellow for Quinn and Lucan.

“I’ve no’ been to Ferness so I can no’ jump there,” Fallon said when he got back on the phone. “But Ian has been to the village. Where are you?”

“At the bakery. Be warned, Wallace and the
droughs
are all over town.”

There was some talking Phelan heard through the phone, and he picked up Ian’s voice. Then suddenly, Ian was on the phone.

“Phelan, can you get to the roof of the inn?”

“Aye,” Phelan answered.

“Good. Meet us there. Now.”

Phelan hung up the phone and hurried out of the bakery. The inn was across the street and four buildings down. He was halfway there when he spotted Ian atop the roof before he disappeared.

In the next instant, there were nine people surrounding him.

“Fuck me,” Phelan muttered as he stumbled backwards when he collided with Ian.

Phelan looked around at the Warriors—Fallon and Lucan MacLeod, Hayden, Ian, Ramsey, Logan, and the only female Warrior, Larena, who was also Fallon’s wife.

Next Phelan took note of the Druids who had also come—Gwynn and Isla, Logan and Hayden’s wives respectively.

Phelan barely glanced at Isla. He hadn’t forgiven her yet for following Deirdre’s orders and tricking him when he was just a small lad to go with her. He’d been locked in Deirdre’s mountain until he reached manhood, and then she unbound his god.

“We doona have much time,” Phelan said.

Ian glanced around. “Where in the woods is Charon?”

“There’s a cabin he uses. It’s deep in the forest, and verra difficult to find.”

“Have you been there?” Ramsey asked.

Phelan gritted his teeth. “Nay. That was the one place Charon wanted absolute privacy. I never tried to find it.”

“Holy hell,” Quinn said.

Isla let out a deep breath. “We can’t sit around. We need to get in the woods and find the cottage.”

“What we need is Broc,” Fallon said before he disappeared.

Phelan was thankful for Fallon’s teleportation abilities. Broc—who was able to find anyone, anywhere—would help make up lost time in discovering where the cabin was.

In a matter of seconds, Fallon returned with Broc.

Phelan glanced down the alley to the street. “I’ll make sure no one sees you.”

They lined up behind him as Phelan pointed to the pub. “The quickest way into the forest is behind the pub.”

“I’ve found him,” Broc whispered as he stood with his eyes closed. “Charon is alone.”

Hayden frowned and turned his gaze to Phelan. “I thought you said there was a woman with him.”

Phelan stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “Charon probably sent her to the cabin while he led Jason in the opposite direction.”

“Aye,” Broc said. “Jason and six
droughs
are in the woods. But…”

“But what?” Phelan ground out when Broc’s voice faded away.

Broc’s black eyes opened to stare at him. “Wallace isna heading toward Charon. He’s following another trail.”

“Laura,” Phelan whispered.

Ian clasped Phelan’s shoulder. “Get us in the woods.”

Phelan was all too happy to use the power of his god. It was a trick that had come in handy more times than he cared to admit.

The ability to alter someone’s perception of reality was easy enough to do, especially when all he had to do was hide the fact that he and the others were crossing the street.

He gave a nod to let everyone know it was time to get moving. They all crossed without any mishap, Phelan walking right behind a
drough
in the process.

Just when he was about to take the
drough
out, Ramsey caught his eye before Phelan could kill the Druid. Phelan knew they couldn’t risk being discovered, but if one less
drough
was out in the world, the better.

Once they were all safely in the woods, Phelan released his power. Now it was time to find Charon and Laura. And hopefully end Jason Wallace.

*   *   *

Charon knew the instant Jason decided to track Laura instead of him. Fear snaked down Charon’s spine as he used his unnatural speed to race through the forest toward Laura.

His legs pumped faster than ever before, while the question of why Wallace wanted Laura so desperately rolled through his mind.

Charon jumped down a cliff, landing on bent legs, before he leaped over a wide stream. He was close to the cabin, and the feel of
drough
magic was so thick, he was gaging with it.

When the cabin came into view, he almost sighed with relief since Jason wasn’t there. Yet.

Charon busted through the door of the cabin in time to see Laura whirl around. She flew into his arms, and he held her tightly, squeezing his eyes closed at the feel of her.

“I didn’t think you’d get here,” she said as she pulled away.

Charon pulled out of her arms to shut and bar the door even though he knew it wouldn’t keep Jason out. Then he slowly turned to face Laura. “It didna work. My plan. Jason followed you, no’ me.”

“Me?” she asked, confusion marring her face. “Why?”

“I suspect he wants to make me suffer. What better way than to do it to someone I care about.”

She leaned against a wall, dazed with the knowledge he shared. “What do we do?”

“We wait and hope Phelan has gotten ahold of the MacLeods.”

“And if he hasn’t?”

“Phelan willna let us down.”

She sighed loudly. “How long do you think it’ll take?”

Charon opened his mouth to answer when he felt the
drough
magic closing in. They were out of time.

Which meant he had only one option. But he would do anything to keep her safe.

He walked to Laura and pulled her against him as he took her mouth in a sensual kiss that convey his need, his longing for her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I waited so long to kiss you. I’m sorry you’re in this mess. But mostly I’m sorry for what you’re about to see.”

He turned and walked to the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob when she called his name.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

Charon looked over his shoulder at her and forced a smile. “I’m saving you. When I go out there, they’ll be distracted. Leave through the hidden door beneath your feet. Run. Doona stop, Laura, and doona look back. Phelan and the others will find you.”

“Charon, wait.”

“Be ready,” he warned. “As soon as I go out, you have to run.”

He waited until she moved aside the rug and found the handle to the hidden door. Charon had built the cabin on the side of the mountain for any kind of emergency.

Now all he had to do was keep Jason focused on him, and pray Phelan found Laura.

With one last look at Laura, Charon opened the door.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Laura’s hand wrapped around the handle, but she couldn’t pull up the hidden access in the floor, because her gaze was locked on the place Charon had been.

The look he had given her before he walked from the cabin left her cold, hollow. Empty. There had been sadness and resignation in his dark eyes, a misery that yanked at her heart.

Charon, the man she’d wanted for years, had finally been hers for a few splendid hours. He hadn’t told her how he was involved in a world of magic, but she knew him well enough to know he was worried.

That in itself gave her pause. Charon had never shown fear for anyone or anything. Whoever this Jason Wallace was had Charon troubled. Laura knew she needed to run away, but she couldn’t make herself leave Charon.

She released the handle and straightened. The cabin had numerous windows to gaze at the beauty of the forest, which gave her a good view of Charon and the people who had surrounded him.

These were the Druids he’d been running from? The ones who had followed her instead of him?

Evil Druids.

Laura fisted her hands at her sides in an effort to keep them from shaking. Magic wasn’t supposed to be real. People weren’t supposed to use magic, but there was no doubt looking at the people who appeared, they were definitely evil.

She wanted to help Charon. He was one man against many. Yet how could she? What few self-defense moves she had picked up hadn’t helped her with Ben. That left her little option in how to get both her and Charon away.

A glance around the cabin showed no weapons of any kind. She had never fired a gun, but for Charon she was willing to give it a try. If only he had one in the cabin.

“Bloody hell,” she said, wishing he could have been there to hear her cuss.

Her attention was snagged when a man with blond hair and five vicious gashes across his face stepped out of the group. He held his hands in his pockets of his dress pants, a knowing smirk on his hawkish face while his frigid blue eyes looked Charon up and down with revulsion.

“You’ve foiled my plans, mate,” the man said.

Charon shrugged. “You can see how much I’m torn up about that, Wallace. I think the scars on your face improve your appearance somewhat.”

So this is Jason Wallace
. God, how Laura wished she could see Charon’s face. His voice was filled with sarcasm. And anger. His stillness told her of the rage he barely contained.

A muscle in Jason’s jaw jumped as he glared at Charon. “You know you doona stand a chance against us.”

“Care to find out?” Charon said and held out his arms.

Laura took in the sight of Charon with his shirt straining against his thick muscles, a sheen of sweat covering him. With the sun alighting upon him through the tree limbs, it looked as if he were offering himself to some ancient god.

Her thoughts halted while she watched, transfixed, as Charon’s tanned skin changed to a beautiful copper right before her eyes. She took a step back in alarm when long, gleaming copper claws extended from his fingers.

But it was the deep, resonating growl coming from him that made her heart skip a beat.

This was what he hadn’t wanted her to see. This was what the villagers had been whispering about for months. This was his secret he hadn’t wanted to share.

Laura hurried back a few steps, knowing she should run, but she couldn’t. What Charon had become scared her more than she could put into words, but he had never harmed her.

He had protected her, watched over her. And made love to her.

“Oh, God,” she mumbled, her stomach knotted with disbelief.

Druids and whatever it was Charon had turned into. Phelan had said he and Charon were warriors. Could this be what he meant?

Her thoughts were torn away from what Charon looked like and what he could possibly be by the tension growing around them. It pulsed angrily, steadily expanding until her skin all but buzzed with it.