*Fiona lay on the bed but didn’t put on the heavy, itchy nightdress that had been set out for her. She hoped Donalda would fall asleep soon. She’d have to wait till after dark to try her magic and sneak away. She was having a hard time holding her eyes open despite the worry for the others. Was it the drink Donalda had given her?
She must have dozed off but awoke to someone beside her in the bed in the pitch-black tent. Had Angus gotten drunk and decided he’d forgo the nuptials and move on to the post-wedding activities? She even briefly considered it might be Donalda when she felt the long silky hair near her pillow.
A large hand clamped over her mouth when she was about to call out. Judging by the firmness and muscularity it was definitely a male body beside her. Then she recognized the familiar scent and saw a silvery blue aura.
“Do not cry out, Fiona Maguire.”
She relaxed, letting out a breath when Rohese took away his hand.
“Rohese. Are you really here or is this a dream?”
“You dream of me in your bed, Fiona Maguire?” She could hear the humor in his voice.
“We have to find Lorcan and Arianna and Darius. I believe they’re being held in a prison nearby, yet everything is messed up historically and…”
“Shh,” he whispered. “What you say is correct. The demon and your grandparents are in the nearby prison. We suspect dark magic has created chaos within timelines and events.”
Fiona nodded. “We must get them out of prison, for I believe Arianna will be burned at the stake and Darius hanged.”
“It is why I have come for you, Fiona Maguire, aside from not wantin’ you to marry that damn Highlander who couldn’t keep his eyes or his hands off of you.”
“How long have you been watchin’ me?” Fiona whispered.
“Long enough, but that woman beyond this enclosure has the eyes of an elven ocular beast.”
Fiona nearly laughed out loud at the comparison, for Rohese had pointed out one of those creatures when he’d taken her to his realm. It had four huge bulging eyes, one on each side of its large head and could apparently see an impossible distance.
“If it was not dark, I could see your lovely smile, Fiona Maguire.”
Then Rohese softly lit up the tent with the silvery glow. She saw his own smile. It was hard to remain upset with him about Jaycee or what had happened when they’d nearly slept together—not when he wore such an appealing expression.
“How are we going to break them out of prison?” she asked when it seemed he was about to kiss her. “With your selective invisibility you’d be able to get in, perhaps unlock the doors, maybe even kill the guards, but would we be able to get them out and find a place to hide while I create a time portal to take them to where they’re out of danger?”
“Even invisible, I can’t move through locked doors or walls. We need to get you inside the prison so you can use your magic from within.”
“But if we are caught…well if I’m caught, I really will be burned alive just like I saw in the mirror.”
“The mirror?” Rohese asked. “You must explain.”
“I think the explainin’ can wait. How do you intend to get me inside the prison without bein’ seen?”
“Can you not wish yourself to another location with your magic?”
She sighed. “I have to see a place first to be able to envision it. And then even if we did free the others, if my magic is sapped from overuse, I don’t know if I can create a time portal. We might need the mystical cabin, but I don’t know where it is. I don’t even know where the lantern is. Donalda might have it.”
Rohese listened to her but only nodded.
“How did you get here to this time?” she finally thought to ask. “If you used LAMB’s time portal, how did you even know to come to this era? Did Dewey discover this was where I was? Did they know Jaycee was involved?”
“We went back in time and directed the peculiar domicile to return to where it had been.”
“Wait? What? You used the cabin without the lantern?”
She sensed there was a lot more to it.
“I think the explainin’ can wait,” he said with a smile.
“How did you get in the cabin? Did you find a witch to…?”
“Shhh!” Rohese said when they heard footsteps outside the tent.
“Are you talking to someone, Malina?” Donalda called. “I thought you were sleeping.”
She pulled the tent flap back and Fiona tugged the covers over Rohese as Donalda shone a lantern inside, but not the lantern Fiona hoped for.
Fiona had reacted out of instinct but of course Rohese had become invisible.
“I was just talkin’ to myself. I’m so excited about tomorrow, I couldn’t get to sleep.”
“I would’ve sworn I heard you snoring earlier,” Donalda said. “You and my brother will make a fine pair, for he’s prone to snoring as well.”
“Good night,” Fiona said. “Aren’t you going to sleep, too?”
She snorted. “Who’d watch over you and the encampment till the men get back? Though they’ll nae be in any shape to defend the place so I’ll be up all night. I have my sword at the ready.”
Fiona saw the broadsword on Donalda’s hip. She cleared her throat and nudged Rohese who from beneath the covers had pressed his lips to her neck and placed his hand to her breast.
“What in hell are you doin’?” Fiona whispered when Donalda finally left.
“Preparin’ you for what comes next.”
She pulled the covers over her head, too. “You’d better explain right bloody now.”
“I have a way for you to become invisible, too. However, we will need to become one.”
“Turn your elven light on this instant, Prince Rohese,” she whispered. “I need to see your face to determine if you’re meanin’ what I think you’re meanin’ and if you are, you might just get kneed in the elven jewels.”
The shimmering light from his elven-Fae magic illuminated their faces beneath the blankets and Rohese wore a mischievous albeit desirous expression.
“You’re saying if we…couple, that I’d become invisible if you are?”
He nodded. “That is what I am indicatin’.”
“Wow! That has to be the most imaginative way I’ve ever heard to try to get a woman to have sex. Did Lorcan put you up to this?”
“I do not think the demon would be pleased if we were to be together in such a manner.”
“What makes you think that would work?” Fiona asked.
Even by the minimal blue light she could see his face redden and sense his discomfort.
“Because it has happened before,” he admitted.
She shook her head. “What? How? When?” she stammered. “With me?”
“I have lain with no other witch.” Rohese sounded insulted. “I suspect it is our combined magic that caused the occurrence.”
“When?” she asked, feeling her heart race.
“In your bedchamber both our reflections disappeared when I became invisible when we were…one.”
“Okay, firstly, why would you choose to become invisible when we were makin’ love? Why wouldn’t I know? And how did you see if we couldn’t be seen?”
God, that sounded daft even to her!
“I wanted to determine what would occur if I tried that power while we were joined. You wouldn’t have known. Your eyes were closed for you were nearin’ your completion. I was lookin’ in the mirror, which was admittedly most arousin’. I didn’t maintain invisibility for long, for it was far more erotic to watch your lovely face when you crested.”
Fiona felt her face flush now and she fanned it.
“Even if we did what you’re suggestin’ and I’m not sayin’ we will, how do you know we’ll remain invisible if I should transport us somewhere else with my magic? What if we were…you know, doin’ that when we reappeared and we were no longer invisible?”
Rohese shrugged. “If we arrived at the prison no longer under my power of invisibility and guards witnessed us matin’, they would surely try to kill us both. If the demon saw he’d probably kill only me. If either of your grandparents should see, they’d likely be embarrassed…as would you and I. Although I should inform you, they do not know you…yet.”
Fiona put a hand over her own mouth to stop herself from cussing. “You’re sayin’ that Jaycee went back in time to get Arianna and Darius before they had children…that my mother hasn’t been born?”
Rohese hadn’t mentioned anything about Jaycee being involved, but was probably trying not to upset her.
He nodded. “That is the truth of it.”
She took a breath. “I’m still here so obviously somehow we change things or keep Darius and Arianna safe so they can return to their time and procreate.”
“It is what we must do,” he said.
“What about Jaycee? Where is she now if you took the cabin? She was in the cabin when last I saw her. How did you get control of it?”
“We will speak of how later. She is not to be considered in this, Fiona Maguire. I have no feelin’s toward her.”
Fiona shook her head. “Do you know how bizarre it is that I’m even considerin’ this? Besides, do you think you’d be able to…do that for long enough to get to the prison and then break them out? And how…pray tell would we incapacitate guards while we’re joined?”
She felt her cheeks becoming hotter.
“I suspect we will need to mate twice. Once to get away from the overbearin’ woman. And again to get inside the prison. You are not difficult to carry. My arms are strong. We will find a way.”
Strength, virility and stamina had never been an issue with Rohese. Therefore, she didn’t doubt he’d be capable. But the whole invisibility thing while they were having sex—she wasn’t at all confident.
“What about protection and I don’t mean your weapons?”
“Is that truly what should be a concern at this moment?” he asked. “When lives are in question?”
Fiona let out a long breath. What other choice did they have? They could probably rush out and get past Donalda. But if they didn’t incapacitate her, permanently, she’d search for them or tell Angus and his men who’d maybe come after them.
Even if Rohese was invisible, and Fiona took off or used magic to disappear, Angus would be devastated that she’d left him. The real Malina must be here somewhere. Fiona hoped they’d find her and the two could be wed.
If expediency was crucial, Fiona using magic to transport her and Rohese to the prison would be much quicker. They could possibly take the guards by surprise, but not knowing how many there’d be and to get by everyone, they would have to be invisible.
Fiona let out a long breath. “Fine.”
“Fine?” Rohese said. “When you began teachin’ me your language, you led me to believe fine meant something lovely or welcomed…a fine day, fine wine, fine hair.” He stroked her hair as he spoke. “However, the demon has confused me. He tells me when a woman says fine, it is not a fortuitous thing.”
“Lorcan has been schoolin’ you on understandin’ women?”
“He does know more about women than anyone I know.”
“True…but me sayin’ fine now, well it’s tellin’ you, okay, yes, I will go along with this harebrained scheme because I don’t want my grandparents or Lorcan to die. If I don’t do this, and my mother isn’t born, I’ll never exist, nor my children or grandchildren.”
“Those are the only reasons you would agree to this then, Cailleach Bhan?” he whispered in her ear and made her shiver. “It is not because you would wish to mate with me?”
He caressed her throat and she quivered, her skin tingling.
“You really have been spendin’ too much time with Lorcan. You sound just as arrogant and cocksure as he does.”
“Cocksure?” he said, his voice husky with arousal.
He placed his hand inside her gown and cupped her breast then kissed her neck, humming lightly, already making her sing with pleasure. He began to untie her laces.
“Wait?” she said.
“If you stop me now, again, I may go past the brink of insanity,” he whispered.
“I won’t stop you.” She’d be entirely mad herself, for she was on fire with need. “You just can’t take my clothes off.” She pushed his hand away. “I’ll lift my dress. You untie your breeches, but we certainly can’t be naked when we might become visible at the prison.”
“I much prefer your skin against mine,” he said. “But this will do for now.”
“I’ll have to touch your head and you’ll reveal your thoughts so I’ll know where to direct us. You’ll need to think of the location and then the layout of the prison, to lead us to where the others are being kept.”
“If my dick, willy, johnson, cock, pecker, knob, tallywacker is within your…”
She nearly laughed aloud. “Hush! If Lorcan has been teaching you more of our language, don’t you dare start listin’ words for the female sex, for there are many I’d find offensive.”
He nodded. “I only meant to say that if I am within you, if we are one…” He lifted her skirt and ran his hand the length of her inner thigh and she gasped. “My thoughts will not be on a cold dark prison, but on your delightfully warm…”
“Shh.” She kissed him hard, their tongues moved together and she was highly aroused. They breathlessly began working at unfastening and lowering his breeches.
“You will have to think of the prison if this is to work at all,” she said and she had to bite his tunic so she wouldn’t cry out in pleasure as he touched her intimately and she moved against his hand.
She fumbled beneath the blankets to touch his sex, too, and he gave a low moan.
“If that woman should enter this tent, we’re likely goin’ to both be dead before we get to the prison,” Fiona warned.
“Then we will need to make haste.” He positioned himself above her and completed the joining.
“This better work,” she moaned into his shoulder.
“If not it wouldn’t be such an objectional way to die,” Rohese whispered in her ear.
“This doesn’t mean we are together as a couple.” She began to pant.
“I would suggest at this moment we are a couple.”
“I mean long term, we won’t be…”
She didn’t finish speaking, for he was making this incredibly pleasurable.
“You must stop movin’, Cailleach Bhan,” he moaned.
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“I like it very much but it is too pleasin’. I may not be able to delay my crest, which would end our invisibility.”
“Oh. I understand. In my time, I’m told men hold off their crest by thinkin’ of baseball.”
He stared so she touched his temples. “Just envision the prison and I will take us there,” she ordered and in her mind’s eye she saw it.
*
Lorcan put his hand to his swollen eye. He could barely see out of it. He and Darius had fought off several men when they’d been taken to be questioned, but there were too many. Lorcan’s strength was returning, but he still couldn’t use his demon abilities.
If he was hanged or burned at the stake, he wouldn’t be able to help anyone. He hoped Rohese had found Fiona.
Darius and Arianna had been talking to one another, holding hands through the bars when the guards came for them. Lorcan felt their terror at the thought of being forever parted.
Arianna still hadn’t been returned and Darius was beside himself pacing like a madman. He kept looking out the small window, trying to see if Arianna had been taken where they could see four stakes with ample firewood beneath had been erected.
Lorcan also wondered where Jaycee was. That bitch! He wanted to wring her fucking scaly neck.
He heard a thump outside the door, then another. He was stunned when the lock turned and the door opened. He looked to see two guards on the floor. One was missing his head. He then watched it roll down the corridor. The other guard had a large gut wound.
Lorcan stepped through the door. Darius followed and they saw Arianna in the hallway now, too. Another guard had been returning her.
“You’re all to be burned at the stake come daybreak,” he declared but then his throat was slit before their eyes, though they could see no one.
“What the actual fuck?” Lorcan whispered. “Is that you, Goldilocks?”
“Make haste out of the prison now, Demon and Fiona Maguire’s grandparents.” It was Rohese’s voice but he sounded breathless. “The guards outside the prison are likewise incapacitated, but we haven’t much time. We don’t know where Jaycee Orm is. If she discovers we’ve escaped sure she’ll be displeased and likely return.”
“Where’s Fiona?” Lorcan asked. “Did you find her?”
“She is with me.”
“You’re saying she’s here?”
“Yes, I’m bloody here, Lorcan.”
Arianna gasped. “My granddaughter is invisible? Did you use a cloakin’ spell? I didn’t know invisibility was a power any witch had?”
“There’s no time for talk. You must follow us,” Rohese urged.
“How are we to do that when we can’t even see you?” Arianna asked.
Rohese’s magical aura began to glow. Then Fiona appeared beside him, adjusting her skirts.
“Okay, lead the damn way then,” Lorcan said.
Darius clutched Arianna’s hand and everyone made it down the long corridor and outside of the prison. Several other guards were dead. Lorcan could see the ones Rohese had killed were left with a silvery glow around arrows that were now becoming visible.
Had Fiona killed the others? But how the hell had she become invisible? No time to consider that now.
It was dark outside, but the moon was nearly full. Shit, tribus lunus Lorcan thought. They’d better not encounter any MBs. That was all they’d need. Plus, he could smell a serpentine scent.
“Jaycee is somewhere close,” Lorcan whispered.
“There’s a forest nearby?” Rohese said. “We must take cover there.”
“I see it,” Darius replied. “But when they find those dead guards they’ll be sending out a search party.”
“I saw dogs in pens out back,” Arianna said. “They’re liable to send them after us.”
“Maybe you could control them,” Darius said to Arianna.
Lorcan groaned. “Fuck! Dogs don’t really like me.”
“Do you blame them?” Rohese said.
“You’re being super quiet, Boomer?” Lorcan said.
“You should be, too,” she puffed. “We are supposed to be tryin’ to be silent.”
They’d barely gotten into the wooded area, when Rohese stepped behind a tree. Was he taking a leak? Lorcan sensed he was lacing his breeches? Had he and Fiona had sex?
Even in the moonlight, when she glanced at Rohese, Lorcan could see Fiona’s cheeks were flushed. He looked at her and she turned away.
Rohese faced them now, but it was obvious she was avoiding his eyes. Lorcan felt a stab of jealousy. But they had freed them so he supposed he had to be grateful if them fucking was what it took.
Rohese touched Fiona’s arm and steered her away from the others. He spoke in a low voice but with Lorcan’s demon ears, he could hear every word.
“Are you truly ashamed that we coupled?” Rohese whispered.
Fiona shook her head, speaking very quietly. “Of course not. That’s not it.”
“Perhaps you’re humiliated someone might know you have mated with my kind?” Rohese sounded bitter.
“Why would you think that, Rohese?” Fiona whispered. “It isn’t true.”
“Is it because you don’t want the demon to know? Or because you wish it had been with him?”
“That’s ridiculous! I’m not ashamed we were together, but it doesn’t mean I want to announce that we just had sex. I’m a private person.”
Rohese sighed. “But you never wanted others to know about us bein’ together.”
“Not because we were together. I didn’t want others to know about you when we were seein’ one another because I didn’t want LAMB findin’ out about you and maybe doin’ experiments on you.”
The elven prince appeared unusually irked, but he was hypersensitive and took offense easily. It was one of the reasons Lorcan thought he and Fiona were a terrible match. They’d be offended all the damn time.
Rohese squared his jaw and looked away. Fiona reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled away. Lorcan could feel the tension between them.
“I suppose you believe I should have my ears surgically altered to appear human, too?”
“What? No. Absolutely not! I like your ears. They’re part of you. Part of what makes you who you are. You have it all wrong if you think I’ve ever been embarrassed by you, Rohese.” Fiona sounded impatient now, too. “You’re a wonderful person, strong, proud, intelligent, and kind, intriguing and passionate. Why would I be embarrassed? You’re a damn elven prince. You have magic from both sides of your lineage. I saw how your kin looked at me when you took me to your realm. They were mortified you’d stoop so low as to bring a human witch to their world. And they didn’t even know you hoped to be eternally mated with me. That would have been unacceptable. But we’ll discuss this later, Rohese.”
He only scowled. Lorcan could see his feelings were hurt.
Darius and Arianna were too busy holding one another to notice anything but each other and Fiona and her elfae had been fighting nearly silently.
When Darius and Arianna finally ended their embrace they both stared at Fiona curiously. How odd to see your granddaughter who was probably two and a half decades older.
“Now what?” Lorcan asked.
Fiona gazed at Rohese again, but evidently he wasn’t ready to make nice.
She sighed. “I believe we’ll need to create a portal to send Arianna and Darius back to their time so she can’t be burned alive.”
“I’d be wholly in favor of that,” Darius said.
Arianna smiled. “As much as I’d like to spend time and actually get to know you, Fiona, I’d prefer to get back home to ensure our children are born. But will you be safe here?”
Fiona nodded. “We’ll go back to our time, too.”
“Do you suppose the Jaycee Orms will simply permit us to do so?” Rohese asked. “I fear they’ll cause further discord. They were most displeased with you, Fiona Maguire.”
“Really, you still refer to her by her full name when the two of you just got busy, got down and dirty, bumped nasties, shagged, banged, boned?” Lorcan tried to lighten the mood—maybe wreak a little havoc.
“You can be such a bastard, Lorcan!” Fiona growled.
“What?” Darius sounded confused.
“You were truly up to that, Granddaughter,” Arianna asked, aghast. “While we were bein’ held in a prison and fearin’ for our lives?”
Fiona threw Lorcan a glare.
“Do not despair. It wasn’t because she was overwrought with desire for me. It was the only way for us to…” Rohese began.
“We have other things to think about,” Fiona warned. “I need to know why you keep referring to Jaycee as them?”
No one replied to her question and Fiona flipped her hair. “I’ll make a portal, but I might need your magic to help me, Arianna.”
“Feeling a little breathless, Boomer?”
“You needn’t make such a mockery of it, Demon!” Rohese scolded. “When it is an activity you partake in regularly and only for pleasure.”
“You’re saying it wasn’t pleasurable? If I’d been with Boomer, you can bet she’d be wearing a smile.”
Rohese approached him, fists curled. Lorcan enjoyed the angry look he wore.
“Perhaps we should have only released Arianna and Darius Wyndham and left you to your fate, Demon.”
Fiona stepped between Lorcan and Rohese and put her hand on the elfae prince’s arm.
“He’s only tauntin’ you, Rohese.”
That didn’t seem to appease him, for the elfae stood rigidly and wouldn’t look at him or Fiona.
Fiona glanced at Arianna. “I believe I will need you to help create a time portal.”
Arianna shook her head. “I don’t have the ability to go through time…except in that peculiar cabin.”
“Alainn didn’t retain that ability either, but when we were together recently she was able to,” Fiona explained.
“You saw Alainn?” Arianna grinned. “Alainn O’Brien? The powerful witch who’s said to be my distant grandmother.”
“Yes.” Fiona smiled. “You’ll meet one day and become good friends.”
“Okay, ladies, no time for chitchat.” Lorcan looked at the moon and sniffed the air. “There’s an MB near…maybe more than one.”
“Then you might need us to stay.” Darius put his hand to his empty scabbard. “Christ, we didn’t get our weapons back.”
“Bloody hell…or my toolkit,” Lorcan growled.
“We can envision them and bring them to you,” Arianna offered.
Fiona nodded. Lorcan watched both women close their eyes. Sure enough both swords, their bows and his toolkit sailed through the air. He and Darius retrieved them.
“What type of MB?” Fiona asked Lorcan. “If it’s snake…then I would like to leave immediately if not sooner.”
“Shit!” Lorcan groaned. “You’re going to have to make that portal right fucking now.”
“What is it?” Fiona asked, tense.
Lorcan unsheathed his sword. “A nuckelavee,” he said.
Darius looked around and stood closer to Arianna. “I take it that’s not something fortuitous.”
“It’s a demon,” Lorcan said.
Rohese stared at Lorcan. “They’re certainly not fortuitous.” He sounded unusually growly. Guess he was still pissed at him for his previous comments, but it was more likely because he was upset with Fiona.
Fiona shook her head. “A nuckelavee is nothing like Lorcan. It’s part horse part devilish male. They’re probably the nastiest demons in Scottish history or folklore.”
The elven prince’s expression told Lorcan he clearly didn’t appreciate Fiona defending him.
“That sounds delightful!” Arianna’s voice was laced with sarcasm.
“If you like a creature with no skin, yellow veins and black blood whose breath sickens livestock and wilts crops,” Lorcan explained. “It’s said to be responsible for drought, famine, and plagues.”
“I’ll make a portal and send you back to Massachusetts Bay Colony.” Fiona lifted her hands.
“We can’t simply leave you here to fend off this hideous creature,” Darius said and Arianna nodded.
“Creatures,” Lorcan said for he could hear several hoofbeats.
Fiona must have heard as well. She looked afraid. “We’ll send you through and then I’ll create another portal so that we…”
“I don’t think there’s time, Boomer.”
“We must find a stream or river,” Rohese suggested. “They’ll not be able to follow. They cannot tolerate fresh water.”
“You’ve been studying supernatural beings, Goldilocks,” Lorcan said, impressed.
Rohese shook his head. “That’s not how I know of them. They are found in our lands, too. Do you think the human realm is the only location with dangerous creatures?”
Lorcan reached for Fiona’s arm. “I smell water nearby. We’d better get there and fucking fast!”