Donna Grant: Midnight's Temptation

Phelan waited for her to drive at least twenty minutes ahead of him before he followed. Just as he began to reach for his helmet, his mobile rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a call from Charon. “Aye?”

“Wanted to let you know it looks like Britt’s serum is working. It’s nearly ready to be tested.”

Phelan was glad of the news, and even happier to hear the note of relief in his friend’s voice. “Good. How soon until it’s ready?”

“Aiden has asked for a couple more days, but I could hear the excitement in Ian’s voice when he called.”

“Now might be a good time to have Fallon jump you back to the castle.”

“Why?” Charon asked suspiciously. “Have you found something of Wallace?”

Phelan briefly closed his eyes, knowing he wasn’t doing himself or Charon any favors by following Aisley instead of searching for Wallace. Yet, Phelan told himself that he was searching—as he followed Aisley.

“I would’ve told you if I had. I assumed you’d want to be with the others at the castle to celebrate.”

“I’ll celebrate when this shite is finished.” There was a pause over the line, and then Charon let out a sigh. “I’d rather be preparing for an unwinnable battle than waiting as we are.”

“I wish I had good news, my friend.”

“You suspect you’ll find him.” It wasn’t a question.

And Phelan wasn’t in the habit of lying, especially to Charon, who was like a brother to him. “Aye, I do. Just as Deirdre resurrected, I think Wallace will do the same if he is dead.”

“There wasna a body after the battle was over,” Charon pointed out.

“That means nothing and you know it. It’s a matter of when and how.”

“And how he’ll attack us.”

“Precisely.”

“He’ll come after me and Laura first,” Charon said.

Phelan wished he had words to reassure his friend, but he didn’t. “If he’s stupid enough to do it a second time, then we’ll be waiting. Would it make you feel better if I was in Ferness to help you guard Laura?”

“Aye, but you need to stay out there. Fallon jumped Isla, Reaghan, and Marcail here a few days ago to set up protection shields around the building and they will alert us to a drough getting close to the village.”

“That’ll give you enough time to get Laura away.”

“Like I did last time? We all know how well that went. She nearly died.”

Phelan was at a loss how to respond, but that normally happened when he saw or heard Isla’s name. He must have sat there in his thoughts too long because Charon began cussing.

“Sorry. I didna mean to say Isla’s name.”

Phelan shrugged even though Charon couldn’t see it. “Doona fash yourself about it. It’s fine.”

“Nay, it’s no’, and that’s what worries me. After all this time, you have no’ forgiven her, have you?”

“I’m trying.” And Phelan was, just not as much as he should be.

“Deirdre had all of us in some way, shape, or form. You know what she did to me and what she made me do. Isla explained why she tricked you as a lad to leave your family and go with her.”

“I know,” Phelan said harshly. He slammed his fist on his thigh. “I can no’ talk about it without losing my temper, Charon.”

“That’s just it, my friend. You doona talk about it, and you should.”

“It’s better if I doona. Isla is at the castle, and I’m here. The few times I do have to see her is when we’re going into battle. That I can handle.”

There was another pause on Charon’s end of the phone. “She’s a good person. She suffered just as we did. Try to remember that.”

“If I doona, Hayden is there to protect her from me.”

Charon laughed, but Phelan hadn’t been joking. The only thing that kept him from attacking Isla was her husband.

“It looks like we need to have that chat again about the differences between mies and droughs, ” Charon said.

“There’s no need. I know the difference.”

“Then you should know Isla isna just a drough .” Gone was Charon’s teasing tone. It had turned hard as steel.

This was something new. Always before Charon had felt the same as Phelan regarding MacLeod Castle and those within its walls. What had changed?

“She underwent the drough ceremony. That makes her a drough ,” Phelan argued.

“There’s more to her story than that. You know I’m right.”

“What I know is that I kill droughs .”

Charon gave a wry laugh through the phone. “You know, Hayden used to hunt them as well. He ended up in love with one.”

“No’ me. And Hayden should never have stopped hunting them. It’s droughs who keep us in constant battle. You want peace for your life with Laura, my brother, then you need to be hunting and killing the droughs as well.”

Phelan ended the call before Charon could respond. It wasn’t like Charon to defend Isla or those at the castle. Was that what falling in love meant? That he would suddenly change his views on everything?

“No’ likely,” Phelan muttered as he put on his helmet and started the Ducati.

He waited for two cars to pass before he pulled out of the stand of trees and onto the road.

No matter how many miles passed beneath his tires, he couldn’t get the conversation with Charon out of his head. It angered him that Charon was defending Isla.

Isla had had a choice. She decided to take a small lad away from his family to be locked away in a cold, dank prison for years. Chained, lonely, and scared, the darkness never easing away.

There was no forgiveness for Isla.

Not now.

Not ever.

Isla tried to redeem herself when she unlocked him from the magical chains that bound him to Cairn Toul Mountain. He should’ve killed her then, but her wounds had been severe enough he’d thought she would die on her own. But she hadn’t. Somehow she survived and wound up at MacLeod Castle.

Mercy would never come for him.

Retribution, however, would.

That sickening feeling of being betrayed stayed with a person. He had been but a small lad, but even then he realized what happened to him. There was no forgiveness in him for anyone who deceived him.

It wasn’t as if he wanted to kill people, but if he didn’t they would be fighting droughs until the end of time. Druids seemed to be fading away, yet there was always a drough ready to take over the world.

Phelan refused to give Isla any more thought. He pushed her from his mind and followed Aisley for several more hours. Phelan made sure to keep far enough back that she didn’t realize he was tailing her.

He wasn’t surprised when she stopped at a small town around six for another bite to eat. Once more Phelan found a place to keep watch out of sight.

While she ordered, he did a quick search of the town to check for other Druids, especially droughs . He wasn’t surprised to know that Aisley’s magic was the only one he felt.

She had her food by the time he made it back to his motorbike. He began to worry when he saw her take a pill, and then shield her eyes from the lamplight above her.

No matter what she said, Phelan wasn’t going to let her go another night without sleep. He crossed the street to the small hotel and paid for a room.

* * *

Aisley wasn’t sure her food was going to stay down. The migraine hadn’t let up. She took another pill and prayed this time it would help.

She kept eyeing the lighted hotel sign flashing Vacancy from the restaurant window. As tempting as it was, she would sleep for a few hours in her car, and then get back on the road.

Enough time had been wasted driving around Scotland gathering the money she needed to make her escape until she could take on Jason herself. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt as if her time was running out. Whether that meant her life, or time to get out of Scotland, she wasn’t sure.