Donna Grant: Shadow Highlander

“It’s something I do,” Reaghan said with a slight shrug. “If I look into a person’s eyes when they are speaking, I can tell if they are lying or not.”

“That’s convenient,” Logan said.

Galen agreed. “When was the last time your elders allowed anyone into the village?”

“Not once that I can remember, but that has just been ten years,” Reaghan answered.

“Just ten years?” Logan repeated with a frown. “What happened ten years ago?”

Reaghan lifted a slim shoulder in a shrug. A small frown appeared on her brow and her body stiffened. “I contracted a fever that killed many Druids. Mairi stayed by my side the entire time until I was healed.”

“And your family?” Galen asked. “Are they here?”

“I don’t remember my family. In fact, I recall nothing of my life before I awoke from the fever. Mairi said it’s better that I don’t remember.” Reaghan’s lips were pinched as she cut off her words.

“Maybe she believes the past is better left buried,” Galen said.

Her eyes met his for a moment before she turned her face away. “These people are my family. I will not see them harmed. You’ve been allowed inside. If you want more information, as I said, you will need to earn their trust.”

Galen kept scanning the forest with his gaze. It wouldn’t surprise him if the Druids had someone watching. “We appreciate your elders’ allowing us inside your village. It is most fortunate we found you.”

Reaghan stared at him, her silver gaze intense, as if she were searching his soul for the truth. For the briefest of moments Galen wanted to reach out and touch her, to pull her against him and hold her.

But he couldn’t — and wouldn’t. He had no desire to see her thoughts, and touching her would ensure that he did. While other Warriors fought to learn to use their powers when not in their Warrior form, Galen fought to keep his power from intruding on his life.

He’d failed so far.

The simplest, smallest touch would give Galen a glance into anyone’s mind. And he didn’t want that kind of knowledge. People’s minds were meant to be private.

The longing, the heartache, the anger, the grief he saw could be so relentless, so intense it brought him to his knees. To not be able to touch someone, to hold someone, to feel the comfort of a hand or the passion of a kiss without his power intruding, had sent Galen away from everyone.

He went through life trying his damnedest not to touch anyone except when he had to. Even when he battled the wyrran he saw into their wicked minds, saw the evil they yearned to swathe the world in.

It left him disgusted and sick to his stomach, but he would endure it if it meant more wyrran were killed.

Galen paused when he saw the stone pillars so similar to the structures that dotted many of the isles around Scotland.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Reaghan said. “I’m always taken aback when I look at them.”

The pillars stood half the size of an oak with a thick slab of stone laid atop them. They were covered in the ancient text of the Celts. Mixed with the language was intricate knotwork that wound around the stones in a lavish and spectacular display of craftsmanship.

“Incredible,” Logan murmured.

Reaghan smiled and let out a contented sigh.

“Who crafted these?” Galen asked.

She shrugged. “As far as I know, they’ve been around for centuries.”

“Can anyone in your village read the language?”

“Can you?”

Galen looked at Logan and chanced telling Reaghan half the truth despite his curiosity at her not answering him. If they wanted to find the artifact they were searching for, they would need someone from the village on their side. “Some of it.”

“What does it say?”

Logan moved to the stone nearest him and pointed to the top. “It says Loch Awe and the surrounding area are protected by the magic of the Druids, and to do evil is to provoke that magic.”

Reaghan’s silver eyes were ablaze with excitement. “And the rest?”

“We’ll need more time to decipher it,” Galen said.

“Interesting.” Reaghan’s smile was bright, lighting up her face with a warm glow.

Galen felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach.

“Come,” Reaghan said. “It’s time you saw the village.”

Galen watched her walk through the pillars and knew that somehow the stones were responsible for hiding the Druids.

“Are you all right?” Logan asked Galen.

“Aye. Why do you ask?”

Logan snorted and gave him a wry smile. “Because I saw your face when Reaghan smiled. If you find her attractive there’s no reason you cannot take your pleasure with her if she’s willing.”

“If only it were that easy, my friend. If only it were that easy.”

Galen took a deep, calming breath and followed Reaghan through the pillars. Once through, he was able to see the village. It wasn’t hidden by the same shielding magic Isla used at MacLeod Castle, but it was similar.

Logan halted beside him as they surveyed the small settlement. Dotted along the slope of the mountain were cottages built around trees or between clusters of trees.

“This wasn’t what I expected,” Logan said under his breath.

“If their magic is waning, as Reaghan said, this is probably the best they could do, but it also means it willna keep the wyrran from finding them eventually.”

“We doona have much time. Deirdre knows there are Druids here.”

Galen clenched his jaw and nodded. “If she was coming to take the artifact, then it means she will most likely send wyrran here in the hopes of finding Druids.”

“We need to convince the Druids to leave with us.”

“You know that willna happen.”

Logan turned hazel eyes to him. “Even if we get the artifact, I cannot leave Druids here to await their death by Deirdre’s hand.”

Galen agreed with Logan, but he could tell by the way the Druids lived that they were entrenched in the land. Galen didn’t even want to entertain the thought of forcing them to leave.

Reaghan turned and waved for them to follow. Galen tried to tamp down his growing desire and started toward Reaghan and the elders. He, like Logan, had anticipated something different. For one, he had envisioned more Druids.

He counted just over a score. And many of the twenty-three were old and frail. The only younger ones were women who didn’t stand a chance against wyrran.

“We have guests,” Mairi’s voice rang out when Galen and Logan came to stand behind her. “They’ve come from MacLeod Castle and are looking for ways to destroy Deirdre.”

At the mention of the MacLeods the people began to talk, no longer paying attention to Mairi. Galen couldn’t fault them. He’d felt much the same way when he’d learned the MacLeods had been found and were taking a stand against Deirdre.

The MacLeods were the eldest of the Warriors, the initial ones to have their gods unbound. And they were the first to escape Deirdre.

“How did you find us?” someone shouted.

“A Druid told us where to locate you,” Logan answered. “There are four Druids at MacLeod Castle.”

At their obvious skepticism Galen said, “There are still groups of Druids in Scotland. They are hiding, just as you are, but they are out there.”

“We feared Deirdre had captured everyone except us,” Odara said.

Galen couldn’t believe they thought their magic was strong enough to outlast Deirdre, but it was clear they did. What did they have that gave them that kind of protection? Even as Galen stood near the elders, he felt little magic coming from them.

With such insignificant magic, they had to have something they felt could keep them safe. Something like the artifact. And if they had it, there was no way they would willingly give it to him or Logan if it left them vulnerable.