Midnight's Seduction (13 page)

“I see you favor leather now, just as I expected you would.”

She chuckled. “Admit that you just liked seeing the way it conformed to my body.”

“Exactly. Why else would I have given it to you to wear?”

He was certainly a charmer, but she had been alive long enough to know that beneath the charm was a man who was willing to do anything to get what he wanted. And right now, he wanted her.

But how far would he go? she wondered.

She walked into the small sitting room outside her chamber and took a seat on the plush sofa Malcolm had retrieved for her. Deirdre motioned for Declan to take the chair opposite her, but after he tossed his long coat on the back of the chair, he instead sat on the other end of the couch.

“What information do you have for me?” Deirdre asked.

Declan smiled and leaned back in the corner, one arm resting on the arm of the couch and the other on the back. “No pleasantries?”

“You pulled me from my time to this one, taking me away from all I had accrued, then kept me prisoner in your house for three months, and you want pleasantries? Maybe I should kill you now.”

“You would do that to the person who saved you from our master?”

Deirdre’s stomach clenched in terror, though she did not allow it to show on her face. “How did you do that?”

“He’s pissed off, Deirdre. He wanted to take away all the magic he had given you because you haven’t given up on your need for the artifacts the MacLeods have.”

She knew the Devil hadn’t been to see her in some time, but that wasn’t always so strange. However, she’d had no idea he was going to take away her magic.

“Do you know what those artifacts will do, Declan?”

He shrugged. “Enlighten me.”

“They will awaken my twin sister, who has the ability to kill me regardless of how much magic I use to try and save my spirit once again.”

One side of Declan’s mouth lifted in a grin. “I confess, I knew that. I wanted to know if you did.”

“So what is your information? That Satan is angry with me?”

“That’s a portion of it, my sweet. The second part is that the MacLeods have found your dear sister’s hideaway. And they are awakening her tonight.”

Deirdre jerked to her feet and began to pace. Not tonight. It couldn’t happen tonight. She wasn’t ready to face Laria. All those years growing up she had thought Laria had no magic, but her twin had kept it from her.

If Deirdre was going to kill Laria she needed more Druids to take magic from, and she needed more Warriors. She paused and put her hands to her stomach.

“Get out,” she told Declan.

“I thought you’d like to hear the rest of my proposal,” he said as he leaned forward and braced his forearms on his knees.

Deirdre swung around as her magic raced through her. A strand of her floor-length white hair struck out and wrapped around Declan’s throat. He didn’t grab for it or even flinch as she began to squeeze.

“No’ this time, my darling,” he said, and cut the strand with a small dagger she hadn’t seen him withdraw. He stood and brushed aside the hair around his throat.

He flipped the dagger end over end as he went to retrieve his coat. He looked at her. “Verra soon you will be coming to me for help. Verra soon you’ll be begging me.”

“Never.”

“Ah, you should watch what you say.”

As he took his coat and walked out of her sitting room, Deirdre wondered for the first time in thousands of centuries if she should have listened.

*   *   *

Saffron’s happy morning turned dour after her argument with Camdyn. What was it about the man that set off her anger every time he opened his mouth?

Even though she had wanted to return to the castle, Arran had convinced her to let him show her around the grounds. They spent a few hours in the village looking at all the cottages that had been restored. He, Ramsey, and Camdyn all had cottages.

“But there’s room enough in the castle,” she’d said.

“It’s getting tight. It was always the plan for the unwed Warriors to live here and all the Druids in the castle.”

It had made sense to her, and though she hadn’t wanted to know, she’d taken special interest in Camdyn’s cottage when Arran pointed it out.

Next they had spent some time in the old ruins of the abbey. It saddened Saffron that so many innocent people had died upon MacLeod land. If she were one to believe in ghosts she’d expect everything to be haunted.

Saffron asked to be taken to the beach, and they were on their way to the side of the castle where Cara had her garden and the path that led down to the water.

They were standing at the path when Arran stopped her. “It’s icy and no’ safe for you.”

“I can fly her down,” Broc said as he strode out of the kitchen and released his god so that his wings sprouted from his back.

Saffron took in the indigo color of his skin and the dark blue of his claws as well as the huge leathery wings that rose high over his head as he folded them behind his back.

Gwynn had explained the transformation of the Warriors to her many times, but seeing the claws, fangs, and the way the color of the god took over their skin and eyes was another matter altogether.

“Nay, you can’t,” Sonya said as she poked her head outside. “Fallon is looking for you, sweetheart. I think he wants you to make sure Deirdre is still at Cairn Toul.”

Broc shrugged, and just like that the indigo blue of his skin and eyes were gone as were the wings, claws, and fangs. “Sorry, Saffron. Another time.”

She smiled and was ready to see if she could help in the castle when Broc paused and said, “Camdyn can take you, however.”

Camdyn’s dark head jerked up from where he was sitting near the kitchen door. Saffron hadn’t realized he was there because Broc had stood in front of him, but now that she saw Camdyn, she couldn’t look away.

He laid aside the dagger on the bench beside him and rose to his feet. With determined strides he moved toward her.

“I … ah, I’m going to go,” Arran said, and hurried away.

Saffron took a deep breath and looked at her gloved hands. She cleared her throat and said to Camdyn, “You don’t have to do anything. It’s probably better if I wait until spring anyway.”

When he didn’t answer, she looked up to find him holding out his hand palm up. Saffron looked from it to his face and frowned.

“Do you trust me?” was all he asked.

Saffron nodded. “I do.”

“Then take my hand.”

She didn’t hesitate a second time. As soon as she put her hand in his, his fingers closed around her hand and he pulled her against him so that his arms wrapped securely around her. It gave her the excuse she wanted to wind her arms around his neck.

“Hang on,” he whispered in her ear.

A shiver of anticipation, of pleasure, raced down her spine. His arms tightened, and she had but an instant to get her breath. One moment they were standing on the cliffs by the castle, and the next they were falling through the air.

Saffron’s stomach jumped into her throat, but she wasn’t afraid. She’d heard that the Warriors leaped to the beach all the time. So, instead of burying her face in Camdyn’s neck in fear, she threw back her head and laughed at the idea of just being alive.

All too soon they landed. More gently than Saffron had expected.

She was still smiling when she looked up into Camdyn’s face. “That was amazing.”

“You were no’ frightened.” It wasn’t a question, and the confusion in his chocolate eyes startled her.

“No.”

She felt his hands spread over her back through her jacket and clothes, felt him pull her tighter against him. It became difficult to breathe as she found herself drowning in his gaze.

Sinking.

Tumbling.

Into everything that was Camdyn MacKenna. She didn’t want to feel this insatiable attraction to him, but it seemed there was no denying it.

She didn’t stop him or turn away when his head began to lower to hers, even though she knew in her heart she should. She should run as far and as fast from Camdyn as she could.

Because he was the type of man who could hurt her far worse than anything Declan had ever done to her.

Saffron forgot about running, forgot everything but Camdyn and the wonderful feel of him as his lips took hers. He nibbled her mouth softly, seductively, teasing her before his tongue slid between her lips.

She gasped as his tongue stroked along hers, fanning the flames of desire that had been scorching her since their first kiss.

The feel of his hard arousal was pressed into her stomach. His moan, low and long, when she returned his kiss with fervor only pushed her further.

The longer they kissed, the hotter the kiss grew. It consumed them. Devoured them.

And she loved every hot, wonderful moment of it.

His hands slipped into her jacket and held her firmly, as if he couldn’t let her go. His hands were everywhere, touching her, caressing her. Saffron was drunk with his kisses, her passion flying high as he grabbed her hips and ground his arousal into her.

She groaned and clung to him tighter.

Camdyn knew he was walking an edge as sharp as a blade, and any moment he was going to fall into all that was Saffron. Her scent was all over him, her body a temptation he couldn’t ignore.

And her kisses … they spoke of her passion, of her longing. Of her yearning.

He turned her slightly and reached up to cup her breast. She gasped as he circled her nipple through her sweater before thumbing it into a hard peak.

Camdyn knew he had to stop soon or find himself past the point of no return. It was only the thought of going through another death that doused the flames of his desire.

He lowered his hand and slowly ended the kiss. Then cursed himself for ten kinds of fool when he saw Saffron’s kiss-swollen lips and the question in her eyes.

“Camdyn?”

“I can no’ do this.” He didn’t recognize his own voice it was so hoarse, but he had to get the words out. “Regardless of what my body wants, I can no’.”

She nodded and let her arms fall from around him. Camdyn didn’t want to release her, didn’t want to sever what was between them, but he allowed her to do it as she stepped around him.

“I think it’s better that you leave,” she said and turned her back to him.

He watched her for several moments as she stared out to the sea, her back rigid and her arms crossed over her chest. The walnut-colored strands of her hair danced around her face in the sea air. In the end, he knew she was right. He did need to leave.

The only problem was, he could never get far enough away from her.

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

Saffron found herself standing once more in the great hall waiting for Fallon to teleport her to the Ring of Brodgar on the Orkney Islands.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t ready and willing to help the others end Deirdre, because she was. It was the thought of having to go underground that had her quaking in her boots.

Literally.

Everyone was bundled warmly since the wind whipping off the two lochs along with the already frigid temperatures would make things very uncomfortable.

Several of the Warriors had backpacks filled with water and food, and everyone had PowerBars stuffed into the pockets of their coats just in case.

Saffron raised her scarf so that it covered her mouth to just under her nose so no one could see her teeth chattering. With her jacket no one could see how she was near to hyperventilating, either.

It was appalling that the mere mention of going underground could terrify her. Just another reason to hate Declan. For three petrifying long years she had been deep under his house in his dungeon. Tortured in ways that she could hardly wrap her mind around.

Tormented by her greatest fears.

Starved for days at a time.

Beaten until she finally begged them to stop.

But the worst …

Saffron mentally shook her head. She wouldn’t venture down that road and open herself up to those memories. Not now.

Not ever again.

“Everyone ready?” Fallon asked as he glanced around him.

“I’ve been ready for over seven centuries,” Quinn replied.

Lucan smiled at his brother and nodded. “Hell yes, little brother.”

The other Warriors cheered, but as Saffron looked at the Druids, they weren’t as joyous. They were more worried than their husbands.

Someone bumped into Saffron on her left and she glanced over to see Kirstin, Braden, and Aiden. Saffron rolled her eyes at the way the two guys were falling all over the young Druid, though Kirstin was certainly enjoying the attention. When it didn’t appear as if her mind was taking a small vacation.

Isla stepped forward into the circle beside Fallon. The hall quieted almost immediately. “As before, the shield will stay in place protecting the castle. But just as before, whenever we leave here we won’t be immortal.”

“I’m hoping we awaken Laria before Deirdre gets there,” Fallon said. “But if the worst should happen and one of the Druids becomes injured, get them to Sonya immediately so she can heal them.”

As Fallon began to group people together, something slick and evil slid over Saffron. For a moment she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, as she recognized the feel of that malevolence.

She swallowed and tried to step to the side only to collide with Logan and Gwynn.

“Are you all right?” Gwynn asked, her brow puckering in worry.

She turned her head to them and gave a small shake of her head. “Need. Away.”

Logan and Gwynn didn’t ask any questions as they each took an arm and led her into the kitchen. The farther Saffron got from the evil the better she began to feel.

“What happened?” Logan asked, his brows knit over his hazel eyes. “You were white as death.”

Saffron shuddered. “I felt Declan’s evil. It’s here. In this castle. On someone.”

“Are you sure?” Gwynn asked.

“I’d stake my life on it.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Lucan said from the doorway of the kitchen.

Saffron hadn’t realized he had followed them into the kitchen. But he wasn’t the only one. Ramsey stood on one side of Lucan and Camdyn the other.