His brother squinted out toward the wood, now eerily quiet. “I dinna ken… something’s not right.”
“My horse!”, Bren commanded. One of the men ran to do his bidding. Bren looked to Eian, his mouth drawing into a stern line.
“Take Faith back to the castle. Keep her safe, with yer verra life, Eian. I think it is her they are after. I am trusting ye with my woman. Her life is yer life.”
Eian stepped forward, his face unusually solemn, eyes questioning, and Bren pushed Faith gently towards his brother, whose arms came around to steady her. Bren stepped back and turned away, but not before Eian had caught the look of warning on his face. He had claimed Faith as his own, and any man who dared touch her would die. Eian smiled to himself. This was a good thing.A very good thing.
He gave Faith his arm, having to drag her a little to start her moving towards the keep, but he was intent on his task. She turned to look back at Bren, who was swinging up onto his horse, the last rays of the setting sun behind him and his long, thick hair blowing back in the wind. He looked like the warrior that he was, beautiful and invincible. His men fell in behind him and as one they turned to ride, to hunt their enemy and to make things right.
Bren turned his head to watch Faith go, strong emotion tightening his chest. Rage, at the danger they had been in whenthey should have been safe. Pride, that such a woman belonged to him. And jealousy, just at seeing his brother touch her. A new and uncomfortable feeling. Never before had he cared so much about a woman that he wanted to be the only one to possess her. The only one to touch her. It was true that in the past he and his brothers had even shared women occasionally, as easily as they might share a flask of whiskey or a loaf of bread. But this woman, she belonged to him and him alone. He would never share. The ring had brought her tohim, after all. And he had a certain sorcerer to thank, if Dirc ever found the courage to come home again after what he’d done. And if Bren was able to swallow his pride.
Faith was silent on the short walk back to the castle. Eian didn’t speak either, just walked close to her side. When they reached the door, he gently took her arm and led her inside, past several curious gazes, and straight to the study. A cozy fire was already burning, though the night wasn’t particularly chilly. Faith collapsed on the small sofa near the hearth and tucked her legs up under her. Eian latched the door, poured them each a cup of wine from the jug on the table, and sank down into the ornately carved and upholstered chair across from her.
She sipped the wine, then took a slightly shaky breath and looked straight at him, a small and slightly desperate smile curving her lips. “Should I even venture to ask what is going on?”
Eian let out a long breath. “Dark wizard.”
“Oh, of course”, Faith replied without humor. “Eian, what are you talking about? Who or what was after us?”
“Mored. He and his followers are the biggest threat to the Mac Coinnach clan. He has always wanted to destroy us, because he is ever hungry for more power. And we have more than anyone.” He paused at the baffled look on Faith’s face.Had Bren told her nothing at all? Evidently not. His lips twisted in amusement. His brother most likely had other, more urgent matters on his mind.
“Ye see, all wizards are born with the ability to use the power of the earth. Most use it for good only. There are a few that dinna, and the harm they do is felt by many.”
Faith’s eyes were wide in awe of the implications. She had known there was something… not quite normal about this place. “They can use the power of theearth? How?”
Eian shrugged. “It’s a trait passed down through families, just like hair color or temperament, I suppose. It runs strong in some, others are born with only limited abilities.”
Faith felt her heart almost stop beating as she recalled the strange things that happened around Bren, things she had tried to brush off as just her imagination. She was almost afraid to ask, especially now that she suspected, no… knew, that she was the mate he had long been searching for.
She swallowed nervously. “Bren?”
Eian gave her a wry smile and nodded. “Aye, one of the verra strongest.”
She went silent, sinking slowly back into the sofa, trying to take everything in. It was a damn good thing she had such a strong constitution, because this had been one hell of a week.
After a while Eian rose from his chair. “It’s getting late, I’ll take ye up to yer chamber so ye can get some rest.” He rose, going to the door and opening it for her. But she had one more question, well, for tonight anyway, and a burning need to know the answer.
“Eian”, she called softly before she lost her courage.
He turned back into the room. “Aye Lass?”
Her hand went to the cord around her throat. “Earlier, Bren followed me out to the meadow, and… he saw this”, she pulled the ring out from under her clothing and held it up forhim to see. “And he… well, he said that I belong to him. Did he mean because of this ring?”
Eian broke into a broad grin. “Aye. Aye! It worked, praise the Saints, it worked!”
Faith regarded him dubiously. “What worked? Did you know about all this? Do you know how I got here?”
“Aye. The ring must have brought ye. Dirc asked me to steal it for him, and I agreed. Against my better judgment, mind ye, because he wanted to send it to find Bren’s true mate. He must have done something right, because ye are here now. How did ye find the ring lass?”
“I knew it was the ring! God, I knew it from the moment I put it on and everything went dark. Then I woke up in the heather, Eian. All alone in the dark of night.”
“But where did ye come from?”
She shook her head slowly, as if to say he wasn’t going to believe her. “From America, and the 21stcentury.”
“God almighty. Bloody hell… I didna ken.” Eian scrubbed his hands over his face in disbelief. “Ye must have been terrified. I’m sorry, lass. I didna ken.”
“It’s all right. I’m all right… but what I don’t understand is… if I haven’t actually beenbornyet, in this time, how could I be fated to be Bren’s mate? It doesn’t make sense. Or at least it makes less sense to me than everything else that’s happened so far.”
