Lilia slicked back her wet hair and slid into the vinyl seat of the car. “Whew. Nothing likeeau de parfumof wet dog.”
Mairi started the car. Her heart fell as she noticed the time on the dash. “Can you call Fiona and buy me some more time? You’re a better liar than I am.”
Lilia’s dark look effectively relayed exactly what she thought of that comment. “What am I supposed to tell her?”
“I don’t know. Be creative—but believable.”
Grudgingly, Lilia tapped the speed dial number to the third floor’s nursing station. “You owe me.”
Mairi ignored that remark as she pulled away from the curb and headed the car back toward home. The safest place she could think of to take the unusual dog was their own garage. It was not only dry but private. If the Fates allowed her to heal the beast, he could recuperate in peace until they figured out what to do about him.
“Hi, Fiona?” Lilia wrinkled her nose at Mairi then her voice took on a decided edge, sounding as though Lilia was double-clutching her storytelling gears into what-do-I-say-now mode.
Mairi frowned at the un-Fiona-like deeper voicewah-wah-wahingout of the phone pressed to Lilia’s cheek.
Lilia’s determined expression shifted to a wide-eyed look ofoh shit.“Uhm. Fiona’s not on shift today? This is Lilia Sinclair. I am calling for my sister, Mairi.”
Mairi stole another glance at Lilia. The bright crimson flush creeping up Lilia’s neck triggered a sense of dread as dark as the stormy sky. Who had answered the supervisor’s phone? Where was Fiona? Mairi mentally counted back the days again and her heart fell. Oh, no. She figured wrong. Today was Fiona’s day off. Hellatious Hyacinth was floor supervisor today.
“Yes.” Lilia shook her fist then thumped Mairi’s upper arm. Hard. “Yes . . . I . . . uhm . . . I know. Yes.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and waggled her head from side to side at the nasally voice still yammeringat high speed. Lilia propped her head in one hand and put the phone back up to her ear. “Yes. I understand your position completely and I am sure Mairi will too.” Lilia nodded as if the voice on the other end of the call could see her. “Yes. I will be sure to tell her. Thank you so much. Goodbye.” Lilia punched the off switch hard and tossed the phone into her purse. “Well, you’ve got all the time in the world to take care of the dog now. You just got fired.”
Mairi blew out a frustrated breath. “Well, shit.” She eased the car into the edge of the drive and punched the button to raise the garage door. She wasn’t angry with the hospital. Nor surprised either. She pulled the car in as far as it would go and switched off the engine. “I’ve got no one to blame but myself. You’d think a time runner could figure out how to be on time once in a while.”
“The only time you haven’t been late was when you beat me out of the birth canal.” Lilia shouldered open the car door and punched the button to lower the garage door. Her face brightened with an evil grin as she joined Mairi at the back of the car. “Just think. Now you’ve got one less excuse for not jumping back to the past. You better get creative and come up with something else. Granny’s going to have the edge now.”
“Shut up, Lilia.” Mairi was in no mood for her sister’s pestering. Today had started out badly and was wildly careening to epic fail status. She slowly lifted the hatch, praying nothing else would go wrong. The only thing that might remotely salvage the day was reversing what she had done to the poor dog.Please let him still be alive.Please let me be able to save him.
She leaned over the animal and ran a shaking hand across his wet head and ears, then bowed her head and blew out a relieved breath. Thank goodness.The warmth of life still pulsed through his relaxed body.
She directed Lilia to the space at the rear of the garage between the kitchen stairs and the ancient boiler. “I’m going to attempt to heal him here in the back of the car—just in case something goes wrong.” The thought made her flinch. Sometimes, the Fates refused her healing touch. Sometimes, those Mairi wished to help had come to the end of their destiny. “See if you can find Eliza’s stash of old plaids. If I’m able to stabilize him, he can finish mending on a pallet over there in the corner. It’s dry and warm down here; we might actually be able to keep him a secret from Eliza—at least for a little while.
“On it.” Lilia turned and hurried up the entry steps to find the blankets.
Mairi inhaled a deep cleansing breath then slowly exhaled. She rubbed her thumbs across her fingertips in a rapid, butterfly movement. Time to focus and build enough energy to reverse whatever damage she had done to this poor magnificent beast.
She pulled in another deep lungful of air and held it. Her slowing heartbeat pounded a dull thumping echo in her ears, effectively drowning out all other sounds. Her lungs burned with the need to breathe. She granted them a breath and closed her eyes.
A familiar ache blossomed just beneath her breastbone. A welcomed uplifting expanded inside her as though her soul was stretching in need of more space. Trulie and Granny complained the healing energy burned, but Mairi loved the feeling. She embraced the familiar sensation of building pressure like an old friend. Adrenaline spiked through every fiber. Every nerve ending stung with each slow beat of her heart. Mairi smiled and deepened her breathing again. She loved the stinging energy pulsing through her veins, throbbing to be released.
As the heat reached the hottest she could bear, she lifted her glowing hands and held them mere inches over the dog’s side. Time to hold on a bit longer. She had to build the burn just a bit more. She wanted to surge through the canine with the biggest charge she had.
Must. Wait.Mairi closed her eyes and leaned against the rear of the car. The strengthening wall of excruciating power vibrated through her. Just a bit more.Just as her senses started spinning, she fell forward and shoved both hands against the dog’s chest. A brilliant flash of blue-white light rocked the car as the healing energy exploded. The humming ring of power crackled and popped, arcing out and gradually receding like ripples across a pond.
She collapsed across the dog, one trembling finger barely stroking the long tapered muzzle beneath her hand. Without opening her eyes, she relaxed, lacing her fingers into the thick wet fur as the dog’s steady heartbeat thudded stronger against her cheek. Thank goodness.Today was going to be all right after all.
CHAPTER4
Ronan raked a paw across his tingling muzzle. So many smells. Damn, but something reeks worse than the rubbish pile in the back of Cook’s kitchen.He rolled from his side to his belly and burrowed his nose deeper into the softness gathered between his paws. A familiar scent, a dangerous scent, set fire to every instinct.Immediate realization snapped his eyes wide open. Son of a bitch! He scrambled backward until his rump hit a solid wall and he couldn’t retreat any farther. There it was, looming over him. The very monster that had rammed him with even more force than a pair of Highland stags sparring over a hind.
Power surged through his every tendon. Renewed strength heated through him like a swallow of good whisky. Thank the gods and the damnable witch. If not for the curse of lonely immortality, the wicked monstrosity crouched silently before him would have surely dragged him to the pits of its torturous hell.
Heart hammering so hard it nearly made him pant, he crouched with his hindquarters touching the wall, his head lowered for battle. Fangs bared; he rumbled with a low warning growl. The gleaming demon still had bits of his fur stuck in the gaping cracks of its wide leering mouth. Aye—this would be a true battle.He readied himself to attack, allowing his growl to thunder louder.
The strange beast from hell didn’t move.
Fearless, it was.Ronan licked the end of his nose and sniffed in an exploring breath. Lore a’mighty.Such a strange thing. What sort of place had future Edinburgh become to house such monstrous demons?
A soft creaking whined above him. He cautiously pulled his gaze from the silent monster staring him down and glanced up toward the sound. A new sweet scent caressed his senses. He breathed it in. Warm honey. Fresh-cut lavender. Woman.
