“He started hanging out with weird people. They’d call the house late at night, and he’d go off for days without any word. He was like a stranger when he got back, hateful and jealous, like a shell of himself. I know he stole money my dad left me. And there were other things.” Her lips thinned.

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“I kept making excuses for him. Then one day… one day when he was out doing whatever it was that he did, I packed and went to Grandma’s, and I got a restraining order, a legal document that says he has to stay away. Fat lot of good it did against a demon. As soon as I left, he started begging for another chance. I guess he was desperate to find you.”

“Did he hurt you?” He’d asked the question before, but he suspected he hadn’t gotten the correct answer.

She met his gaze then looked away. “Once.” Her chin tilted. “Only once.”

“What did he do?” he asked, dreading her answer.

“He hit me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s embarrassing that I stayed long enough to let him.”

“He’ll pay,” Faelan said. “I’ll make him pay.” But he had to find him to kill him, and if Druan had been reassigned, Faelan would die too. “Did anyone see you in the castle?”

“I don’t think so. Where were you when I came home earlier?”

“I went for a run to clear my head.”

“Did it?” She cast a sideways glance at him.

“Up until an hour ago.” He wouldn’t mention the time vault in the cellar or that the castle was invisible to him, until he could sort it out.

“None of this would’ve happened if you’d taken the cell phone with you.”

None of this would’ve happened if she’d taken a minute to think things through instead of leaping to conclusions. The woman was a magnet for danger.

He saw a quick movement in the side mirror. He spun around and looked out the back window.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something’s back there.”

“Behind us?”

“In the air.”

“A bird?”

“Bigger.”

“Can demons fly?”

“Not that I know. They can choose an animal form, but I’ve never seen one as a bird.”

“I saw two huge vultures at the castle. We’d better move faster, just in case.” For ten minutes she drove like a horse running from flies.

“I think we’d be safer back at the castle fighting demons.”

“You’re not used to riding in a car. After Janie’s boyfriend gets you a driver’s license, I’ll give you some lessons. You can practice in the driveway until you get the hang of it.”

A woman giving him lessons, like a bairn learning to walk. A man didn’t need a license to ride a horse. Then again, horses didn’t have that rumbling sound that gave him chill bumps. “You need a GPS,” he said, after she’d taken so many turns he figured they must be lost.

Bree frowned at him. “You’re from 1860. What could you possibly know about GPS?”

“I saw it on a commercial. We’ll have to find somewhere to stay.”

“I guess it’s not safe to go back to the house.”

“Not tonight.”

“There’s a hotel up ahead.”

“And food?” His stomach rumbled. “You must be hungry.” He hadn’t eaten in two whole hours.

“We’ll hit a McDonald’s.”

He started to ask what the MacDonalds were doing in America and what they had to do with food, when she pulled up to a store with that name. She ordered food at a talking sign, then went to a little window and gave a plastic card to a lad with tattoos covering his arms from the wrist up. The next window slid open, and a lass with metal wires on her teeth smiled and handed Bree a bag of food. It was remarkable, but distressing. He didn’t belong here, but he couldn’t go back. Did he belong anywhere?

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t keep living like this. I had to take money from your kitchen drawer to get a taxi.”

“You’ve got a demon to kill and a world to save,” she said quietly. “You’ll feel better after you find your family. It’ll be proof you exist. You can figure out money and all the other stuff later. You could always write a book. You could keep the clan stuff secret and write about the people of that time. Better yet, write a novel about your battles. Nobody would believe it, and they’d probably make a movie of it. You’d be rich.” She looked him over, head to feet. “You could always model. They’d probably pay double if you wore the kilt.”

“Model?”

“Pose.”

“Pose? Doing what?”

“Just stand there, smile, look good holding some product.”

“You mean people in this time will pay a person to just stand and smile? That’s daft.”

“It’s complicated. Do warriors get paid?”

“We live modestly, but our needs are met. The clan has someone who handles those things.”

“I’ll cover your expenses for now, and you can pay me back.” She took a drink of her soda. “You could always work with horses. I don’t imagine they’ve changed.”

“Horses.” He gave her a quick look. “I know horses.” He was good with horses. He picked up his food, took a bite, and almost moaned. “What is this?”

“A Big Mac. Welcome to fast food.” While he downed two Big Macs, a large order of french fries, and a vanilla milkshake, Bree made some phone calls and found lodging. Seemed there was a conference in the area that had all the hotels full. “It’s an old bed and breakfast,” she whispered, covering the phone. “This should make you feel right at home.”

He wasn’t worried about feeling at home. He was worried about keeping his hands off her. If necessary, he could sleep in the car.

“We’ll take two rooms,” she said into the phone, and Faelan gave a sigh of relief. Bree put the phone away and rummaged in her big bag, took out a tissue, and dabbed at his chin.

“What are you doing?” he asked, pulling away.

“You’ve got dirt on your face. They’ll think you’re an escaped convict.”

“Do you want to know how many cobwebs are in your hair?”

Bracing her knees against the steering wheel, she brushed at her hair with both hands.

Faelan stared at the cars approaching them. “I’d feel more comfortable if you weren’t driving with your knees.” He leaned over, running his hand through her hair, helping her clean up the worst of the mess. She grew unusually quiet. Had she finally realized how much danger she’d been in? It was a wonder she wasn’t swooning. Women were sensitive creatures, with delicate natures.

“I should’ve taken that sword and chopped him into little bitty bloody pieces.”

Damnation, but the woman was obsessed with swords. “You can’t fight him. He’s spent centuries preying on humans, figuring out their weaknesses, using deception, lies, any tricks he can to destroy them.”

“You’re right. Even as Russell, he got scary. How could I have not known he was a demon?”

“Deceiving is what they do best, especially the ancient demons. They give off an aura that draws people to them. Even warriors get fooled sometimes.”

“But I let him get close… oh, God.” Her face went white as alabaster. “Our children.”



Chapter 17


“Children?” Faelan’s lungs burned. He realized he’d stopped breathing.

Bree let the car roll to a stop on the side of the road and turned off the engine, looking as sick as he felt. She covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders started shaking, slight trembles growing into deep, silent sobs.

Faelan pulled her into his arms, mindful of her scratches, refusing to think how Druan had likely held her the same. The position was awkward, making his arm throb, but he held her close and let her cry. He rubbed her back, whispering soft words he hoped were of some comfort as he fought his own dread. Bree’s flesh and blood mixed with a demon’s?

“I’m sorry,” she said, when the tears were finished. “I guess the shock wore off.” She leaned back and wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt. “About five months ago, I thought I was pregnant. Russell went berserk. That’s when he hit me, and I knew I had to get out.”

“The bairn—”

“It was a false alarm. But if there had been a child, it would’ve been half… I can’t even say it.”

Half demon. A halfling. One of the things he was honor-bound to destroy, no matter who the mother was. And she could’ve gone years without discovering its true nature. Some didn’t reveal their evil side until puberty. He had no qualms about suspending and destroying demons. It was what he was born to do. They were tormentors, created for evil. But aiming a talisman at a nine-year-old trying to rip your throat out wasn’t an easy thing to do, and impossible to forget.

Thinking that Bree could be mother to one…

She sniffed. “I’m scared. If Druan doesn’t already know you’re awake, he will soon, and he’s going to come after us.”

Faelan reached for her again. “I won’t let him hurt you. I’ll destroy him if I have to.” Even if it meant his own death. His lips brushed her temple, then the side of her mouth. She made a soft sound that thickened his blood, and she moved her lips to meet his.

“What you do to me,” he whispered against her lips and then eased his tongue inside. Her hand, already resting on his thigh, brushed his groin, and he remembered slipping inside her, the desperate ache, the warmth, the belonging. He put his hand over hers, pressing it harder against him, then moved to her breast. His body cried mine, though his head knew she wasn’t. He moved to her thighs, then slid his hand under her skirt, encountering a frilly piece of cloth. His fingers tugged at the lace. “What’s this?”

“Panties,” she gasped, when he touched what lay beneath.

That hadn’t changed, but he didn’t remember it having this effect on him. The flicker of lights from an approaching car hit the windshield, breaking the spell. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thick as he slid the lace back in place and smoothed down her skirt. Bree pulled her hand from his lap and settled back in the seat, her face flushed. He couldn’t do this to her again. Not without his ring on her finger.