Midnight's Captive(57)

“Yes, she will,” Sonya said. “I’ve healed the bruise, and it appears as if someone knocked her out by the bump on her head.”

Charon leaned a shoulder against the stone wall of the narrow chamber. “Who would have done that and no’ taken her?”

“Good question. Let her rest, and then we’ll ask,” Phelan said.

Charon let Phelan nudge him from the room. He walked silently down the corridor and stairs to stop in the great hall. Everyone wanted answers, answers he didn’t have.

“Thank you for helping Laura,” he said to the room at large.

Ramsey wrapped an arm around his wife, Tara, and said, “We did it for you.”

“Jason isna done with me,” Charon said instead of responding to Ramsey’s statement. “He’ll be looking to hurt each of us in ways we willna expect.”

“I told them,” Fallon said, his face lined with worry.

Marcail cleared her throat and tugged on one of the many small braids atop the crown of her head. “Aiden is being extra careful. My son knows what’s at stake, and it’s why he wants to stay and learn what he can of the blood. Quinn and Galen are keeping watch over Aiden and Britt, who is helping him.”

“Blood?” Charon asked with a frown.

Phelan lowered himself onto a bench at the long table. “Aye. After the battle at Wallace’s mansion and my blood didna heal you, it was mentioned that Wallace might have done something to the drough blood to make it a stronger weapon against us.”

“Aye,” Camdyn said as he gently moved his infant daughter out of his arms and into those of his wife, Saffron. “If it can be determined what makes the drough blood react to ours, then we can have something to counter it when Wallace uses the X90s.”

Charon found his hand lifting to rub his chest, but stopped himself before he could touch the wound. “That’s a good plan.”

“What is it?” Logan asked when Charon paused.

“When Wallace used the drough blood on me yesterday, I was healed in an instant by the blast of magic that destroyed my cabin.”

Hayden grunted. “I’d like to know who is capable of that.”

Charon glanced down at his hand. “I felt mie magic right before I was knocked unconscious. The only other person near us was Laura.”

“I didna feel magic from her when you arrived,” Arran said.

Charon frowned in worry. “Neither did I for two years, but I did today. That’s the crux of the problem.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE



“What do you mean she’s gone?” Jason demanded.

Malcolm recognized the Warrior with Jason from his vantage point atop a building in Ferness. Dale merely shrugged, which sent Jason into a rage.

“She can no’ be gone!”

The leggy dark-haired woman with Jason picked at her fingernails and said, “She’s gone. Move on to the next plan.”

The next instant, Jason was in her face. “Aisley, I doona need your comments.”

Malcolm narrowed his eyes on Aisley as she dared to return Jason’s glare. The drough had gumption, but whether it was from lack of knowledge to what Jason could do, or indifference, Malcolm didn’t know.

“Why you let your cousin talk to you like that, I doona know,” replied another woman. Her skin was so pale, it looked sickly, and her bright red lipstick and nails did nothing to help.

So, Aisley was his cousin. Interesting.

Jason’s voice lowered into a whisper as he bent his head toward Aisley. Malcolm might be several blocks away, but his enhanced hearing allowed him to pick up the slightest of murmurs.

“Are you testing me?”

Aisley’s bored look didn’t change, but Malcolm saw a subtle stiffening of her body. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Cousin.”

“See that you doona.” With one final glare, Jason turned away and opened the door of a white BMW. “I’ll get Laura soon enough. Time to regroup.”

Malcolm flicked his thumb over one of his maroon claws as Jason and his entourage departed Ferness. He hadn’t planned on coming here, but after Larena’s call, he found himself heading north.

He stood, the sound of someone approaching putting him on guard. Malcolm turned to watch a tall, barrel-chested man walk out onto the roof of the building.

His gaze scanned the area until he spotted Malcolm. The man cleared his throat. “I saw you with Charon a bit ago. I need to know if everything is all right with the lass and all.”

Malcolm frowned until he realized the man was referring to Laura. “I’ve no’ heard. Charon took her somewhere she’ll be safe.”

“Good, good,” the man said and shifted from one foot to the other.