Midnight's Captive(102)

Aiden watched the dark clouds in the sky, hating that after so many centuries, he’d finally found a woman he could love, a woman he wanted to go to bed with every night and wake up to every morning.

Could fate be so cruel as to give them only a few weeks together? Aiden knew all too clearly how harsh fate could be, especially when people least expected it.

“I’m going inside,” he said, and turned on his heel.

“Nay,” Galen said as he ran up with Phelan at his side.

Quinn was next to them in an instant. “What is it?”

“We leave,” Phelan said as he looked around. “Now.”

Aiden didn’t have to be told twice. He ran into the cottage, banging open the door as he did. “Britt!”

She stood at the sound of her name, her eyes still heavy-lidded from sleep. Aiden grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the cottage behind him.

“We need to move fast,” Galen said.

A muscle in Phelan’s jaw jumped. “Wallace is here.”

“Holy hell,” Quinn mumbled. He then held out his hand to Britt. “Well, lass, it looks like I’ll be carrying you.”

Aiden saw the question in her lovely blue eyes, but there wasn’t time for anything other than to give her a quick kiss and push her toward his father. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Once Quinn had Britt in his arms, Aiden met his father’s eyes and knew Quinn would give his life to protect Britt.

“They’ve found us,” Galen said as he looked across the field.

Phelan spread his legs as he took up a stance facing the direction Wallace would come. “I’ll hold them off. Get moving.”

Aiden started running in the direction his father went, but Quinn was already out of sight. It took no time for Galen to catch up with him.

“You run too slow,” Galen said with a grin.

Aiden sidestepped before Galen could grab him. “I’ll make it. You make sure Wallace doesna capture Phelan. Charon will never forgive us.”

The grin fell from Galen’s face. “Aye. But doona get caught either. I’ve no wish to face your father.”

And then Aiden was alone, running as fast as he could toward Britt.

Toward the love that grew in his heart each time it beat.



Camdyn rolled over in the bed and reached out, only to find his wife’s space empty. Instantly, Camdyn sat up and looked around the room.

He threw off the covers and rose from the bed. Just as he’d expected, he found Saffron in the doorway to their daughter’s room.

“What is it?” he whispered as he came up behind Saffron and wrapped his arms around her waist to drag her back against him.

Saffron shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Are you worried about the others?”

“Of course.” She turned in his arms and placed her hands on his chest. “I know we should be there helping them, but I can’t risk Emma.”

“Nay, we can no’,” Camdyn agreed. “I’ve given most of my time as a Warrior in the pursuit of evil. But all that changed the moment we discovered you were carrying our child.”

“I know,” Saffron said.

“Then what is it?”

“I just feel…” She trailed off with a shrug. “I feel so selfish.”

Camdyn placed a kiss upon her lips. “There’s no need. Quinn and Marcail were able to raise Aiden without the threat of evil. If they were in our places, they’d be hiding their child as well.”

“I know.”

He took her hand in his and turned to pull her back to their bedroom when he felt a tremor run through her body. Camdyn jerked around in time to see Saffron’s eyes turn milky white and began to swirl.

Her body crumpled, and he easily caught her in his arms, holding her tightly against him. “What do you see?” he asked.

“Dragons. There are dragons in the sky.”

No matter how many times he witnessed her having a vision, he would never get used to hearing what sounded like thousands of voices added to Saffron’s.

“Dragons? Are you sure?”

“So many colors,” she whispered. “They’re helping the others, but it won’t be enough to stop Jason.”

Camdyn ground his teeth together. Jason Wallace. How he couldn’t wait to kill the drough.

Suddenly, Saffron blinked and her eyes returned to the beautiful tawny color he loved so well. He smoothed back the walnut-colored strands of her hair from her face as she clung to him.

“Oh, God, Camdyn,” she said in a shaky voice. “The Druids are going to try to help the Warriors against Jason, but it’s only going to allow him to get free.”

Camdyn glanced over Saffron’s head to Emma, sleeping peacefully in her crib. He didn’t want his daughter knee-deep in evil as he had been. She deserved better.