Chapter 14

"Imiss the warmth of the mortal's beating heart."The deep voice echoed through the cave at the edge of the sea, drowning out the sound of the lapping waves.

"We agreed to release the mortal to this time. Ye ken as well as I that we canna keep them imprisoned forever. Brid forbids it, and I've no wish to return to her prison." Goddess Clíodhna"s melodic voice trickled through the crevices of the cavern, like water gurgling across river stones. "Besides, what of the one ye have watched and nurtured for so long? Is she not ready to join ye? She is of age now."

A rumbling rose from deep within the stones around the cave as though something powerful struggled to bubble to the surface. "I have as yet been unable to win her heart. It would be so much more pleasing if she wished to join with me of her own accord. I wish it to be her choice to be at my side. Not my own."

"Bah! Mortals never know their own minds. Trick her to make her choose. Ye ken her weaknesses as well as I do. Surely 'twould be no feat for the God of the Sea to woo her in a way she couldna refuse." Goddess Clíodhna"s haunting laugh vibrated through the cave, her voice taunting.

The sides of the cavern shook with a slow trembling. The ground beneath the waves shuddered and rolled. "Dinna think I dinna ken what ye are about, Clíodhna. I am nay the fool. All ye wish for is the return of yer adoring wee mortal. Ye are jealous of how he yearns for the one we brought to this time."

A spray of white foam shot through the cave as though fighting for more space. "Brid has forbidden me to reclaim my sweet Ronan. I dare not touch him lest she banish me from this realm permanently. But there is no protection for the one he desires, and the one ye seek is yet to be punished for breaching the sacred law set forth by the Fates."

Deep, rumbling laughter filled the salty air, vibrating through every tunnel and turn. "We will work together, yerself and I, Clíodhna. In so doing, we shall each gain that which we desire."

"Aye, old friend. We shall each have our mortal amusements to bide us through the epochs of time." Then the tide reversed, and the gods washed out of the cave as quickly as they washed in.

Ronan slowly loweredhis arms to his sides, erasing the images from the Mirrors of Time. His heart ached at what he had just witnessed. How could anyone treat his precious Harley in such a callous manner? Blatantly lie to her? Humiliate her and play her for a fool? He rubbed his chin while replaying the scenes of Harley's past through his mind. That cur she almost wed had wounded her deeply. It explained a great deal about her leeriness toward men.

Then MacCallen had trapped her with the guise of an elderly man. Ronan clenched his fists, envisioning his hands wrapped around that fickle bastard's throat. When the locket had sucked her soul into its wee prison, his frustration with his thoughtless sister made him hunger to cast her into the locket's chamber to see how it felt. Aveline was fortunate they had been able to restore Harley and free her, else her transgression against the sacred laws would have been deemed even worse. The Fates and Goddess Brid had yet to pass down their punishment, but Ronan knew without a doubt they had not forgotten about Aveline and what she had done.

He loved his sister dearly, but she had never learned that with great power comes great responsibility. That basic tenet had been ingrained in all the MacKay children at an early age. But with headstrong Aveline, the lesson had been lost.

Now that he had looked into Harley's past, Ronan knew exactly what to do. She needed to be wooed. Both her trust and her heart would have to be won, and he was determined to do it. He didn't know for certain when he had decided to make Harley his own. Perhaps it was when he opened his eyes to find her lying in his arms upon her release from the locket. Or maybe it was the way she had fought him on the beach. Remembering her fire made him smile. It didn't matter when he came to the conclusion he needed her. All that mattered was that what he felt for Harley was more than just a passing desire. She was his other half. His one true mate—and he didn't need the MacKay curse to know it.

Ronan took the stairs two at a time up to her room. He stared at the door a long moment before knocking on it. Muffled stirrings came from the other side. She must've been lying down. He resettled his footing, wishing she would hurry and open the door.

Ellen jerked open the door. "And just what do ye be wanting, Master Ronan?"

Disgruntled at finding himself facing the elderly maid rather than Harley, he peered past her into the room. "Where is Mistress Harley? Did she not retire after the evening meal?"

Ellen scowled at him, then planted her fists on her bony hips. "The mistress has gone for a stroll of the grounds. She thought it might calm her mind and help her sleep."

"A stroll of the grounds?" He narrowed his eyes at the wily matron's smug expression. "She is out there alone?"

"Did I say she was alone?" Ellen clucked like an old hen, then toddled back across the room and started tugging and smoothing the bed coverings.

"Then who is she with?" He charged after her, taking every step she did as she flitted about the room, preparing it for the evening. "Ellen—I bid ye answer."

She snorted. "Ye bid me answer? I used to help yer mam clean yer bum when ye shite yerself. Dinna be thinking about pushing yer bidding with me, Master Ronan. I answer to my laird. Ye ken that well enough."

"Who is she with?" He struggled not to raise his voice, knowing it would make the old cow dig in and be even more unhelpful.

"'Tis none of my business. Your father has spoken to us more than once about engaging in idle gossip. He'll not have it, he said. Wise man, our laird. He knows how tales can fester and boil until they scorch some poor, innocent soul." She ignored Ronan while filling a pitcher with hot, lavender-scented water.

"Ellen—it is not idle gossip if ye are the one who saw who went with her on her stroll." Reasoning with the old woman had always been a chore, and it had become none easier with age.

Ellen shook her head as she plumped the pillows and stacked them against the headboard. "Nay, Master Ronan. If ye wish to know who's keeping Mistress Harley company, ye will have to find that one out for yerself."

With an exasperated snarl that did nothing to make him feel better, Ronan stormed out of the room, down the back stairs, and shot outside. He scanned the outer bailey to see if Harley was there. She had taken to checking in on her little mare before she went up to bed each evening. But the only movement in the yard was a bit of straw blown about by the rising wind. Harley and her companion must be in the gardens. The thought of her meandering through the torchlit plots of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with a man other than him set his blood to boiling. If Latharn or Faolan thought to pursue her, he would have their heads on a pike.

"She is mine," he growled soft and low through his clenched teeth.

As he rounded a wall leafy and lush with vines of ivy, he heard the low murmuring of voices. Keeping to the shadows, he leaned in close and strained to pick up every word of what the evening strollers had to say. He peered through the leafiness of the vines, relieved that it was not another man with Harley, but his mother.

"So, there is no such thing as condoms yet?" Harley sat beside Rachel on a stone bench, plucking leaves from a stem and dropping them into a bowl in her lap.

"I'm sure there are in China—but not Scotland yet. Scots have no idea what a condom is for." Rachel leaned forward and snipped off a bushy top from a nearby herb that Ronan couldn't make out. "The next best thing I found was a bit of sea sponge soaked in oil of tansy. Make sure it's inserted deeply before…" Rachel smiled and tipped her head. "You know. If not for that little trick, there is no telling how many little MacKays would've been running around here, creating chaos along with Aveline and the boys."

"A sea sponge soaked in tansy oil? Seriously?" Harley frowned down into her bowl, picked up another stem, and stripped the leaves from it.

Insert where? Ronan wondered. There could be only one place, and he couldn't imagine Harley putting it there. And what the devil was a condom? What did all those things have in common? He shifted positions and strained to hear more. This must be some sort of new spell his mother had worked out on her own. Some sort of spell to do with womanly things—but what? Their monthly courses?

"I've also heard talk about using beeswax," Rachel said. "But I'm just not too sure I'd trust that in the heat of the moment. If you know what I mean?" She playfully nudged Harley with her elbow.

"Well, that sort of is another problem. I don't know what you mean." Harley blew out a heavy sigh, almost cringing as she looked at Rachel.

Ronan frowned. Why would she cringe like that? She and Mother appeared to be getting along well enough.

"Surely, you're not still a virgin?" Rachel asked.

Harley sat straighter and glared at her. "Why is everyone so surprised when I say that?"

Feeling a bit sheepish, Ronan cringed. He had not handled that news well with Harley at all.

Rachel frowned and turned toward Harley. "Who exactly do you mean by everyone? That's not the sort of subject that you bring up with just anyone in the 1400s."

Harley rose and paced back and forth in front of the bench. "Your son—Ronan. He seemed shocked as well. Said something about my age. What exactly have you told them about the future?"

"Might I ask how the subject of your virginity came up with my son? Or is that the reason for all the questions about birth control?"

Birth control. Ronan nodded, full understanding dawning as he remembered how worried Harley had been about getting with a bairn.

With her arms set across her chest, Harley tilted her chin to a defiant angle. "I was saving myself for the man I was to marry—for the one who truly loved me. The thing was, the jerk was so understanding about no sex until marriage because he was banging my best friend!"

Rachel rose and hugged an arm around Harley's shoulders. "It's a horrible thing when the one you think you love hurts you. Your fiancé sounds a lot like my first husband."

Harley narrowed her eyes, her gaze centering on Ronan amid the ivy leaves. "Someone is watching us."

"Shite," he whispered. How had she spotted him?

Rachel looked right at him and crooked a finger for him to come out. "It is rude to eavesdrop. Did we not discuss this breach of manners when you were a child?"

With disgruntled surrender, Ronan emerged from the shadows. "I was merely checking on Harley to make certain she was safe—during her evening stroll."

Rachel bent and retrieved the bowl of herbs. "Then I shall leave you to accompany her the rest of the way. I'm sure your father is wondering where I am." She winked at Harley and mouthed sea sponges before she turned to go.

"Sea sponges?" Ronan repeated while watching his mother head back toward the keep. After she disappeared inside, he turned back to Harley and grinned, waiting for her to explain why she was talking to his mother about not getting a bairn.

"Never mind," Harley said. "How did you know I was out here? I thought you were in Emrys's study."

With his most disarming smile, he offered her his arm and waited for her to take it so he might escort her up the lane. "I finished my studies, then found myself a bit lonely. 'Twas my hope ye wouldna mind having some company for a while."

She fixed him with a look that plainly called him a liar. "I am honored."Her tone dripped with sarcasm. "I'm sure a man like you has a woman in every port. Especially the port he calls home." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You spend all your time here at the castle. Is she one of the kitchen maids?"

Clenching his teeth, Ronan fought to hide any reaction to her boldness. The little minx was baiting him. She chose her words with the same care a warrior used to choose his weapons. "Actually, up until recent days, I had no interest in any of the women here. 'Tis rare for me to stay ashore this long, and rarer still for me to stay in my home port any longer than a few days."

She gripped his arm tighter, obviously irritated that he hadn't taken her bait. It made him ache to unleash a victorious smile, but he didn't dare. Instead, he led her through the farthest gate and took the path nestled against the side of the castle overlooking the sea. With a tip of his head at the dancing waves, he drew in a deep breath and gusted it back out. "It calls to me, ye ken? The salty wind in my lungs. Open sea. 'Tis freedom unlike any other."

Harley relaxed against him and smiled. "It's so beautiful here. How could you ever leave all this? And your family too? The MacKays seem a close-knit group who care about each other."

"We are close," he said as he took her hands and gently turned her to face him. "But my life was out there—in search of someone I needed even more. Someone made to understand me as I was made to understand her. Someone to share in my love of the sea. Until I found her, I had no respite from my wandering ways. I had to keep searching."

She hitched in a breath and wet her lips with a nervous swipe of her tongue. "And have you found this someone?"

"Aye," he said softly, locking his eyes with hers. "She is all I ever wanted—ever needed—and even more than I dreamed possible. There is but one problem standing in the way of my happiness." He drew her closer and cupped her face in his palm.

She wet her lips again and appeared to swallow hard. "And what is that, exactly? What is standing in your way—between you and this person you've searched for all this time?"

He brushed his lips across hers and lowered his voice to a husky whisper. "The lass canna see that my heart is pure. She willna allow me to show her how wonderful we two could be."

A soft moan escaped her, and she thrilled him by pressing closer. "How wonderful the two of you could be?"

"Aye, love." He nuzzled tender kisses along her jawline and gently sucked on her earlobe until she moaned again. "Wonderful to share a life together. Share one heart, one soul, one love." Then he claimed her mouth with his and deepened the kiss to make it clear he intended to possess her.He crushed her close, shuddering as her body molded to his. When she melted against him, when the pounding of her heart tapped into his flesh, he lifted his head and stared down at her. "Trust me, Harley. That is all I ask. Let me show ye how easy it would be for ye to love me."

"I want to trust you," she whispered, her voice trembling. She reached up and combed back the wild strands of his hair tugged free by the wind. "You are so different from any man I have ever met before. Can I really trust you? Will my heart be safe with you?"

Tightening his embrace, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers as he whispered, "I swear to ye, upon my verra heart and soul, I will never hurt ye."

She laced her fingers into his hair and pulled him in for a hard kiss. The way she poured herself into him made him groan with the need to take her—the need to melt into her and never rise again.

Struggling for the control he knew he had to command, he lifted his head and eyed the moon's position in the sky. "The hour is late. I'd best get ye back to yer room. Back to yer bed."

Her eyes half closed, she leaned into him. "I am definitely ready for bed." The passion in her throaty tone nearly undid him.

Ronan gifted her with a wistful smile, then tenderly kissed her forehead. "I will be leaving ye to yer room by yerself, lass."

"By myself?"

"Aye, love. By yourself."

She scowled at him like a petulant child."Why won't you stay?"

With a firm tuck of her hand into the crook of his arm, he drew in a deep breath and snorted it out. "I willna lay with ye until I have had more time to gain yer trust. 'Tis only proper that I do so."

"Here I am—finally ready to divest myself of my virginity, and you decide to turn all noble on me?" She glared at him and jerked on his arm. "Is something wrong with me, or is this just payback for the times I've left you high and dry?" She pulled free and blocked the path so he couldn't pass until he answered.

Ronan threw back his head and laughed. "Trust me, lass, the only thing wrong with ye is that I'll not be able to sleep until I've had a long swim in the icy waters of the sea." Unable to resist teasing her, he caught her up in his arms, lifted her off the ground, and slowly spun her around. "And maybe 'tis a wee bit of payback, as ye put it, for the times ye've—what did ye say? Left me high and dry?"

With mischief and a tad bit of wickedness in her eyes, she nibbled a slow series of kisses across his mouth, making him hold his breath to keep from groaning. "While you're swimming, would you do something for me?"

"Anything, lass. Name it."

"Find me some sea sponges. A lot." Then she wriggled down out of his arms and bolted away, her laughter trailing behind her.

Ronan kept his gaze locked on her fine backside, regretting his decision to be gallant. He would get the lass her sea sponges. Enough so they could lock themselves away and lose themselves in each other's arms till well after Hogmanay.