Bree’s heart felt like a wrung-out sponge. She had a sudden longing for home and Jared. Maybe he’d gotten back from his trip. She walked to the phone and punched in the number. “Is Jared there?” she asked, when a man’s shaky voice answered.

“Who’s this?”

“Bree Kirkland. Is this Jared’s uncle?”

There was silence and then a whisper. “You shouldn’t…” A noise sounded in the background, and he spoke louder. “Here he is.”

“Bree.” Jared’s voice slid over her like a warm hug. “Hey. How’s your trip?”

“Great. But I miss home. How’s everything there?”

“Fine,” he said. He didn’t sound fine. He sounded worried. “I met with my backers. They’re on hold for the moment.”

“I’ll be home in a day or so.”

“That soon? I wish you’d stay longer. At least until they catch the killer. Peter’s not eager for you to come back either. Besides, Scotland is nice this time of year.”

“You’ve been here?”

“Years ago. Seems like another lifetime. Are you making progress with the documents?”

“Yes… they’re old family papers.” It wasn’t a complete lie. There was the map Faelan’s brothers made, but she hated not telling Jared the whole truth.

“Sounds interesting. Wish I were there with you. Enjoy the job and the scenery. The house, and me, we’ll be here when you get back.”

Thoughts of Sorcha and Faelan, destined mates, and Angus’s bloodied body made her want to bawl. “I miss you, Jared.”

A noise sounded behind her, and she turned. Faelan stood there, his face tight. He’d changed to jeans. He must’ve given Sorcha a quickie. Bree turned her back to him. “I should go,” she told Jared. “You’re sure everything is okay?” There were so many things that could go wrong. Dead bodies, demons, and halflings.

“It’s all good. I’ll take care of things here, and we’ll talk when you get back.”

“Jared, be careful.” She hung up and turned to blast Faelan, but she was alone.

Bree grabbed her coat and walked outside, following the stone path to the flower garden Coira had shown her earlier. She sat on the bench and tried to let the fragrant scents wash away images of Faelan naked in Sorcha’s bed. Footsteps shuffled behind her.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Sean asked, dropping next to her on the bench.

“I had a lot on my mind.”

“I come here when I’m troubled. Helps me put things to right. Could be the scent of Coira’s roses or maybe the night air. Gets a mite chilly in these parts.”

“That’s for sure.” Bree shivered and pulled her lightweight wool coat closer. “Don’t your legs get cold?” she asked, looking at his kilt.

“A bit. I usually wear trousers. Most warriors wear jeans when they’re not here. The kilt draws too much attention. We have to protect the clan, protect what we do, and we don’t want to announce our presence to the demons. But as soon as the lads come back, they put on the kilt.”

“I’m not complaining,” Bree said, smiling. She sobered. “How’s Angus?”

Sean sighed. “Not good. Blessed idiot drove himself here.”

“How did he get through the front gate?”

“He didn’t. There’s a hidden entrance, a tunnel that leads to the secret passages. Angus left his car there and walked.”

“Why didn’t he call someone?”

“His cell phone’s missing.”

“What do you think he meant about a traitor?”

“I don’t know, but I fear there’s something bad brewing. Cody said he’d felt it too. Even before Angus called him.”

“What do you know about Cody?” Bree asked. She still needed to talk to him.

Sean watched her for a minute, and Bree knew he was judging what to tell her. “Fierce warrior. His brothers, too, from what I hear. They’re private. I’ve heard their secrets run deep. Cody finished his duty a few weeks ago. Besides Faelan, Cody’s the only warrior in recent times who’s been assigned one of the ancient demons.”

Bree remembered the danger emanating from him. She guessed the demons were happy he was retired. “But he offered to help fight?”

“Warriors can fight as long as they can hold a sword. They’re encouraged to marry and have families after their duty is over, but some choose to serve for life.”

“Do the talismans still work, even if a warrior is retired?”

“That they do. Why this interest in Cody?”

“I had a premonition, a vision, something about him. There was a woman with him. I think she’s in trouble. I should warn him. Like I should’ve warned Angus.”

“Angus?”

“I’ve seen him before. In New York, at the bed and breakfast where Faelan and I stayed. I sensed danger surrounding him, but I brushed it off. I didn’t recognize him until Coira cleaned off the blood. I think he recognized me.”

Sean grew quiet. “Have you had these feelings, these visions, before?”

“Since I was little. Usually about family or friends.” When she was younger, after she’d learned about her sister, she’d believed it was her twin helping her from the other side.

“Anyone else in your family have these abilities?”

“I think my great-great-grandmother did. Are you thinking about Druan’s castle and how I could see it?”

“It is peculiar.”

“Maybe only warriors can’t see it. It was right there, plain as day.”

“Perhaps. There are many things we don’t understand.”

“That’s a problem for me. I have to know things.”

Sean chuckled. “So Faelan says.”

At least Faelan was saying something to someone. It sure wasn’t her. But her problems paled next to Angus’s fight for life. Bree sighed. “Will you let me know how Angus is doing? If I’d said something, warned him, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Angus is hard-headed as a mule. Who’s to say he would’ve believed you, anyway? You were a stranger to him. He’s strong. Dr. Gillum is with him, and Coira. She’s a fine nurse.”

“It must be tough on the women.”

“That’s part of the reason warriors aren’t to marry until their duty is over. Not to mention they don’t need the distraction of a demon targeting a mate.”

“What about the female warriors? Can they marry before their duty is up?”

He shook his head. “Same rules apply. It’s frowned on, because of the danger involved, but there’s plenty of time for raising a family after a warrior is done. It’s not uncommon for a warrior to live well beyond a hundred years. We almost never get sick. Something in the genes. It’s getting past the battles that’s tricky.” Sean patted her hand. “This has been a whirlwind for you, finding Faelan, getting thrown into the middle of all this. Most women wouldn’t have taken it so well. You’re strong, Bree Kirkland. It was good that you found him.”

“I don’t know. Maybe Sorcha should have…” Bree trailed off.

“No, I think it was best this way. Destiny. That’s what it was, destiny,” he repeated, almost to himself.

“Well, I thank you for your hospitality. I wish I had more time to see the sights, since this is my first trip to Scotland.”

“Ah, there’ll be plenty of time for that later. You’re welcome back here anytime you want, lass. You see the size of this house. We’ve got plenty of bedrooms, and they’re always ready. Warriors come and go like it’s a train station. I hope we’ll be seeing more of you.” He studied her again, as if trying to decipher a code. “In fact, Coira will likely come fetch you if you stay away too long. She’s taken a liking to you, as we all have. Now I’d best check on Angus and get these old bones off to bed.”

“Good night, Sean. Oh, can I ask you something?”

“Aye, lass.”

“You speak Gaelic?”

“I do, though we don’t use the language much now.”

“What does… let me see, I’m not sure I have this right. Tha thu as do chiall. What does it mean?”

Sean smiled. “Why don’t you ask Faelan?”

“He won’t tell me. He’s the one who said it.”

“Then I can’t say as I blame him,” he said, chuckling, with a twinkle in his eyes, “but I think I’ll leave that telling to him.”

Bree waited a minute before leaving the garden. The house was quiet. At the top of the steps, she turned the corner and saw Faelan enter her bedroom and close the door behind him. When she got over the shock, she began to seethe. Did he honestly think he could go from Sorcha’s bed to hers?

Bree turned and headed back downstairs, wandering aimlessly for a while, trying to distance herself from anger and hurt. She ended up in the library, every bit as grand as Druan’s. She sat at a table, staring at the pile of books Sean had given her to study, but her mind was too troubled to concentrate. She sank into an overstuffed leather chair near the low-burning fire and settled in for the night.

***

A noise pulled Bree from her restless dreams. She opened heavy lids and saw Ronan leaning against the door, arms crossed over his chest, watching her. Or was it Declan? He wore Levi’s and a black T-shirt. “Oh,” she said, sitting up from her awkward position. Had she snored or drooled in her sleep?

“Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes.”

Ronan. There was that sexy lilt to his voice.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you don’t snore.”

Thank God for small favors. “I fell asleep.”

“Must have been a good book.” He glanced from her bookless lap to the floor, but didn’t comment. “I’d wager you’re stiff as a board.”

“More like a steel beam.” She liked Ronan. He was easy to talk to, if you didn’t get distracted by his body and face.

“It’s not yet dawn. You could stretch out on a real bed.”

Bree’s stomach rumbled softly.

“Or we could raid the kitchen. I was headed there when I heard the moan.”

“Moan?”

“You must have been dreaming.” He gave her a grin that should’ve been outlawed.

“Do all warriors have Superman hearing?”