Anita Clenney - Heart Of A Highland Warrior

He heard a sound in the hall. Angus? Tavis dressed quickly and left the room. There were three other doors here, and he found himself drawn to one in particular. When he touched the door, the walls started to spin. He grabbed the door. He was still weak. Perhaps he should wait for Angus. A door opened across the landing. A man stood framed in the doorway. His hair was black as midnight, his face pale, beautiful. Before Tavis could even reach for his dirk, Tristol was next to him, and Tavis was swallowed by a black mist.

Tavis straightened. He remembered most everything except what had happened to the Book of Battles and the satchel. Angus must have taken it. Tavis left the chapel and walked to the graveyard. He passed the crypt and counted off five paces from the corner, and then found the third grave. The gravestone was smooth with age. He dropped down in front of it and ran a trembling hand over the unmarked stone.

“Da.” A lump formed in Tavis’s throat. It seemed just yesterday they’d dug up Faelan’s time vault. His father had pretended to be strong for Tavis’s and Ian’s sakes, but he’d aged overnight. Tavis leaned his head against the stone. “Faelan’s alive, Da. He’s here with me. I’m sorry I wasn’t there in time to stop Voltar.”

But Voltar hadn’t been assigned to him yet. If he and Ian had been there, they could have both died along with Da and Quinn. The thought was Tavis’s, but he could almost hear his father speaking the words.

Why was it he was never in time? Not with Liam or Faelan or his father. What bloody good was he if he couldn’t save those he loved? Anna. The name rushed through his head like a wind, and another memory returned. Michael standing before Tavis, telling him that he had to destroy Voltar and protect the woman. Michael had shown him Anna’s face. That was why he felt a connection to her. She was part of his assignment.

He’d not only failed to protect, but he’d hurt her instead. Even knowing that they both would likely have died if he hadn’t, it was still a disgrace that his body had even functioned under the circumstances. What kind of a man did that? Not a protector. “What have I done, Da?”

Faelan dropped down to his haunches next to Tavis. Tavis hadn’t heard him coming. But Faelan had always been the stealthiest of the brothers. Even when they were lads, he could always sneak up on them. He was bare-chested and wore the same strange trousers that the guards had worn.

“This is Da’s grave?” Faelan touched the worn stone, his face somber.

“Aye.”

“He was here all the time. We thought he was buried in Scotland?”

“That’s what we wanted everyone to believe.”

“How did he die?” he asked quietly.

“Ian and I found him in the woods.” Tavis nodded toward the path behind the chapel. “Da was already dead. Quinn didn’t last long. Long enough to tell me Voltar attacked them.”

“Voltar? Druan told me he’d killed him.”

“Probably just to torment you. Damned demons.”

Faelan stared at the blank stone. “If I hadn’t got myself locked in the time vault, he wouldn’t have died.”

“It wasn’t your fault. What we do is dangerous. Sometimes we suffer losses. We’ll mark his grave. Let the world know where he rests.”

Tavis nodded. “We’re all that’s left of the family.”

“No. All those warriors you met. They’re all related to us through Ian.”

“Ian. It took me a long while to convince him this was the right thing to do,” Tavis said.

“I don’t blame him for not wanting to.” Faelan shook his head. “I’m not sure I would have agreed. You should have left me to fend on my own.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Tavis said.

“You bloody fool.” Faelan hit him on the shoulder, but Tavis knew it was really a hug. “I wish you hadn’t come, for your sake. But for mine, I’m glad you did. I thought I’d lost everyone.”

“I wondered if I’d ever see you again. I thought you might be dead. We all did. Druan’s sorcerer said he thought you were alive.”

“It was a smart thing you did, killing Druan’s sorcerer.”

“Do you know who he was? Old Donnal.”

“From the apothecary shop?”

“Aye. His real name was Selwyn. He was working on Druan’s virus there. And Druan had Selwyn following another demon who was there to kill a warrior. Selwyn couldn’t remember the demon’s name but said it started with an L. That was when Liam died.”

“The demon came to kill Liam?”

“Aye. Da wasn’t the reason Liam died.”

“I thought he grabbed him because he was the easiest target, the youngest of Da’s boys. Did you tell Da?”

“He was dead when we got back to Frederick and Isabel’s. I wish I could have told him. That would have been one less guilt to carry to his grave.”

“I’ve thought about the demon often,” Faelan said. “I think I should know him, but I can’t place his face.”

“I can’t either. I can see him, but I can’t. It was a demon who helped us find the sorcerer.”

“A demon? The clan still tells the story, but no one mentioned it being a demon.”

“Ian wouldn’t have told. We don’t know who it was, and who would have believed it anyway?”

“You don’t know him?”

“Neither of us could remember his face. It was like he stole our memories.” Tavis frowned. “Just like in the fortress.”

“I don’t know how Ian did what he did.”

Tavis could still see the tears running down Ian’s face as the lid closed. “I near had to knock him over the head to get him to see that it had to be me. He had the mark for Bessie.”

“That soon?”

“He was hiding it. I didn’t have anyone, so it had to be me.” Tavis thought about Marna, her plain face that looked pretty when she laughed. “I hope he was happy.”

“He didn’t live long,” Faelan said. “He died three years after Da.”

“No.” Tavis’s throat tightened. He’d hoped Ian lived a long life and had lots of sons and daughters. “How?”

“Druan killed him. Unless he lied about that too. But he showed me Ian’s casket just before I destroyed him. He put his hand on my head, and I saw it all. Ma and Ian’s son mourning.”

“He had a son?”

“Three. His wife was expecting twins when Ian died. I saw their graves.”

“Bloody demon. I thought Ian would live a good long life. What about Ma and Alana?”

“Ma died when she was fifty-three. Alana lived a long time, had lots of bairns,” Faelan said. “But we can’t focus on what we’ve lost now. We have to focus on keeping you alive. On the clan’s safety. Are you sure it was Tristol and Voltar?”

“I’m sure. I didn’t recognize Tristol at the fortress, but as soon as I saw Voltar, my memories came back.”

“You shouldn’t have attacked him. You could have been killed.”

“Voltar’s my demon. Michael assigned him to me right after Ian and I found Da dead.”

“An ancient demon?” Faelan ran a hand over his face. Then he frowned. “But if Michael assigned him to you, then…”

“I walked away from the assignment.”

“Shite.”

“Family comes first. I’d sworn to myself that I would help you get rid of Druan.”

“I can’t believe you ignored Michael’s order. And an ancient demon, no less. You can’t fight him now. You’re weak still.”

“I’m not even sure he’s still mine.”

“Maybe he’s been reassigned,” Faelan said. “But I haven’t heard, and I think news like that would travel.” He frowned. “Druan was still mine, even after all that time.”

“Voltar said he’d been waiting for me.”

“Then he knows? Well, you’re not to go near him.”

“Don’t start playing big brother. I’ll heal,” Tavis said. “You can’t fight my battles.”

“Like you always try to fight mine? Whenever I’m in trouble, you’re right behind me. You came after me to finish Druan off for me, thinking I might be dead. Isn’t that so?”

Tavis shrugged.

“You’ve always been watching out for me,” Faelan said. “Well, you’re weak, and I’m not letting you near Voltar.”

Tavis grinned. “You haven’t changed a bit. Other than got yourself a bonny wife.” Something he would never have. He’d decided long ago that love was a dangerous thing. He didn’t believe in destined mates, the way some of his clan did. Not that it didn’t happen sometimes. But more often than not, love led to heartache. Just look at their mother, losing her husband and two sons. He bore the burden of choosing to leave, adding to her pain, but he’d had little choice. It’d had to be him or Ian. Ian had Bessie. Destined mate or not, Ian loved her. Tavis had nothing but his family. He’d failed them once by letting Liam die. He hadn’t been about to fail Faelan too.

“Faelan,” a woman’s voice called softly, interrupting them.

“That’s her now, hardheaded woman. She’s supposed to be resting,” Faelan said, but his voice was soft, like their father’s had been when he spoke of their ma. “But she won’t listen, no matter that she’s carrying my bairn.”

Tavis felt an odd jolt hit the middle of his chest. “You’re having a bairn?”

AYE.” FAELAN SMILED. “You’re going to be an uncle.”

Tavis was glad that his brother had found happiness, after all he had lost. “I guess there was no marrying your mate, under the circumstances.”

“Bree is my mate.”

“You’re not even from the same time.”

“I think it was meant to be this way. Perhaps it was meant for you to be here too.” Faelan laid a hand on Tavis’s shoulder, but Tavis was lost in thought.

“How did you know she was your mate?”

“I knew as soon as I looked at her. I recognized her. Well, first I tried to cut her head off. I thought she was a demon.”