CHAPTER 24
They had spent the rest of the day in bed together. It was a luxury Chloe had never afforded herself—to spend a day in bed with a sexy Highlander seemed indulgent. One she would have never allowed her past, career-driven self.
A sensual, tender indulgence. As she lay in his arms, remembering everything they did with each other, her cheeks warmed. And yet, she found she was unable to sate her desire for him.
She decided she was under a spell from the keystone and that was the reason for her wanton actions, even though she knew, deep down, the truth was she had allowed herself to fall in love with Malcolm.
Night had fallen. It pressed against the window, plunging the bedchamber in flickering shadows from the candles he had lit and the fire he stoked. The yellow-orange glow gave the room a warm, quixotic radiance. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe they were the only two people in the entire keep. No one and nothing else mattered. There were no prophesies or destinies or black-hearted men out there wanting to steal the keystone away from her—or worse. It was just her and Malcolm. He dozed next to her. She listened to his rhythmic deep breathing, memorizing everything about him, loving everything there was about him.
A knock sounded on the door. It startled her out of her dreamy trance, making her heart thunder in her chest. She sat up, clutching the blankets to her chest, wondering if she’d imagined it.
But no. The knock sounded again. This time louder. She nudged him since he seemed not to have heard.
“Malcolm, there’s someone at the door.”
As another, more urgent knock landed on the door, he grumbled under his breath as he pushed from the bed. He grabbed his tartan to wrap around his waist as he padded across the room to answer it.
Chloe shrank back into the shadowy alcove of the bed, clutching the blanket in her fists, and holding her breath. She was unable to see who was on the other side, but it was a low man’s voice. Callum, perhaps. They exchanged quiet words.
Malcolm cast a worried glance back to her, which made her heart thunder louder. Something was wrong. It sent icy pinpricks through her as she waited.
“A moment,” Malcolm said.
“We dinnae have a moment.”
“I need a moment, brother.”
He slammed the door without waiting for a reply and turned to her. There was a fierce look on his face. One that was a mixture of terror and worry. She didn’t like it one bit.
“What’s happened?” A knot of fear coiled in her chest.
“Evie had a vision.”
By the sound of that, it wasn’t good. “A vision of the present?”
He nodded, his face solemn, but he didn’t answer.
Chloe scooted to the edge of the bed, the blankets bunching up around her waist as her legs dangled off the edge. “Tell me.”
“Yer sister saw Rory MacDonald using the power of the great axe to come here. To invade. She thinks ye are both in danger.”
A coldness settled over her as pinpricks of fear trickled up her spine. “How does he know how to use it?”
“I dinnae ken.”
It was a question to which Chloe thought she might have the answer, one she needn’t have asked aloud. Maybe when Bruce arrived, he had brought with him some ancient knowledge about the history of his clan. Maybe he had shared that knowledgewith Rory and now they were on the move. She had no proof of this, of course, but she remembered with clarity the look of stern determination in Bruce’s eyes when he’d promised things were not over between them.
“Callum wants ye both to get to safety.” He paused then, swiping his hand across his stubbled chin. “I want that, too.”
“What does that mean—get us to safety?” A sudden quake overtook her as she feared his answer.
“There’s a secret way out that—”
“No,” she said at once.
Instantly, she thought of Evie’s story when Callum had tried to send her away before the battle. The battle that would have taken his life if she had not stayed and used the power of the keystone.
Malcolm crossed the room in two long strides. He reached for her, releasing the material of his tartan. It pooled around his feet and he stood before her in all his glorious flesh. His hands landed on her shoulders as he gripped her tight, so tight. She saw the apprehension and the trepidation deep in his eyes.
