“You must love him very much indeed,” Tara said.
Laura’s chest tightened as she thought of Charon’s teasing grin, of his beautiful dark eyes, of his amazing kisses. If she were honest with herself, she’d loved him from the moment she walked into his pub and he smiled at her.
“This battle isn’t just about killing Jason,” Laura said. “For Charon, it’s about redeeming himself in his own eyes. If I go out there, I’ll distract him. I can’t chance ruining all of this just because I want to see him.”
Laura turned around to see the rest of the Druids in the doorway. She wasn’t sure how much they had heard, and it didn’t matter. For too long, she had hidden her feelings from everyone, even herself.
“I’ve an idea,” Isla said as she stepped forward, her ice blue eyes intelligent and kind as they focused on her. “It’s going to take all of us.”
Reaghan’s amber eyes were alight with excitement. “We are going to help our men and the Dragon Kings. No one said we had to be near the battle in order to use our magic.”
“I don’t really know how to use my magic,” Laura said when Isla pulled her into the large circle the Druids made. Laura wanted to help, but feared she’d be more of a hindrance than anything.
Isla tucked her long black hair behind her ear and winked. “We’ll guide you to the ancients. From there, you’ll learn quickly.”
“The ancients?” Laura whispered as she sank onto the ground and crossed her legs as the others did.
Gwynn squeezed her other hand. “Close your eyes, Laura, and think of your magic.”
Laura glanced up and caught sight of Jane, who stood off the side. Jane gave her an encouraging smile before Laura closed her eyes and her magic welled up inside her.
“Oh, shit,” Elena said as the car slid on a patch of wet earth.
She glanced in the rearview mirror to see Britt go skidding in the backseat before Elena could straighten the car.
“Maybe I should’ve driven,” Cassie said from beside her.
Elena rolled her eyes. “I remember all too well the story of your first day in Scotland. It’s better for all if I drive.”
“I’ve gotten better,” Cassie said defensively, and then ruined it with a smile. “Well. A little.”
“Wee bit,” Elena said, mimicking the Highland brogue.
“Not that I’m not grateful for all you’re doing,” Britt said as she grabbed the handle above her and held on as the Range Rover soared into the air and came to a bone-jarring landing before it continued down the hill. “But how the hell can you joke at a time like this?”
Cassie looked over her shoulder and laughed. “Stick around for a while and you’ll find out.”
Elena caught sight of a dark shape coming toward them. “I think I see Hal.”
“About time,” Cassie said.
Britt looked out the window in the steel gray sky but saw nothing. She thought she’d be a lot safer with Cassie and Elena, but she was beginning to think it would have been better to stay with Aiden.
Suddenly, something huge came out of the clouds and straight toward them. Britt’s mouth fell open when she saw the spread of large wings and the long body and tail.
“That’s…” She couldn’t get the words out.
Elena turned a sharp curve, the Range Rover jerking to the side before the tires found their grip and the SUV roared forward. “That’s a dragon. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you.”
Britt couldn’t take her eyes off the brilliant green scales of the dragon. How her two fellow Americans could be so nonchalant about it confounded her.
She turned as the dragon flew over them and straight into what looked like a massive gray ball of ash. The ball dispersed the instant the dragon flew through it.
“That’s my Hal,” Cassie said and let out a whoop.
Britt’s head jerked to the women. “What just happened?”
“I suspect that’s the selmyr Hal just saved us from,” Elena said.
“Selmyr,” Britt repeated, testing out the word.
“They feed off magic, but they’re pretty pissed right now, so they’ll attack anything,” Cassie explained.
Britt rubbed her forehead, not sure if her head ached from hitting it on the roof of the SUV as they bounced their way over the land, or because of everything she was learning. “What’s a selmyr?”
“Ancient creatures that were woken a short time ago by accident,” Elena explained.
“But we don’t have magic.”
Cassie’s smile was gone as her lips compressed tightly. “Like I said, they’re pissed. And they’ll attack those without magic when they get hungry enough.”