Midnight's Captive(79)

He expected to be taken to the front entrance as he was before, but instead Charon found himself entering the conservatory.

Charon whistled at the sheer size of the room and all the plants held within. He shook his head, sending droplets of water over everything near him.

“You brought the storm,” Guy said as he, too, shook off the rain. “Follow me.”

Charon was taken through the conservatory and into the front parlor before they started up the stairs. He paused beside the doorway when Guy gave a single knock before opening Con’s office door.

Constantine got to his feet when he spotted Charon. “I didna expect you back quite so soon.”

“A lot has happened since I was here.”

Con took his seat as he motioned for Charon to sit.

Guy poured three glasses of whisky before handing one to Charon. “Does this have to do with the epidemic in Edinburgh?”

Charon tilted back his glass and downed the whisky in one swallow. He normally savored the rich flavor, but all the way to Dreagan, he’d gone over and over in his head his conversation with Laura.

He knew without a doubt she had left MacLeod Castle. That bothered him, but not so much as wondering if she was with Jason or not.

“Charon?” Con urged.

“It is,” Charon answered, pulling his attention to the matter at hand. “I doona know how you know what I am. I’ll tell you anything you want to know as long as you can help us.”

Constantine leaned back in his chair and regarded Charon silently for several minutes. “I know all there is to know of Warriors.”

Charon shook his head, somehow not at all surprised by Con’s response. “Why did you no’ tell me that before?”

“You were no’ ready to hear it,” Guy said as he leaned a shoulder against the wall, his glass of whisky in his hand.

Charon ran a hand through his hair. “Jason Wallace started the epidemic because he learned we had someone studying how drough blood affects us as well as why other Warrior blood counters it.”

“A good plan,” Con said.

Charon shrugged. “It wasna my idea. I think this last battle with Jason where I was injured and nothing helped is what spurred this. Wallace has done something to the drough blood he’s using. It’s more powerful. It was thought that perhaps it was time we did some experimenting of our own.”

“What have you learned?”

“Nothing. I know we have someone in Edinburgh—”

“Aiden MacLeod,” Guy said. “His father, Quinn, and another Warrior, Galen, is also there.”

Charon leaned his head back to look at the ceiling as he realized just how long Con’s reach was. “Will you tell me how you know all of this?”

“You didna think you were the only magical creature, did you?” Guy asked with a smile. “Arrogant arse.”

Con cleared his throat and cut Guy a look. “The truth is, Charon, there’s a lot about Dreagan you doona know. Yet. We’ve made it our business to keep informed of Druids and Warriors.”

Charon lifted his head and met Con’s dark gaze. “Is there anything that’s happened that you doona know?”

“What happened at Ferness?”

“Jason Wallace. Again.” Charon pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “He was after Laura. He wanted to kidnap her to make me suffer. Wallace didna count on Laura fighting back, or for someone to interfere.”

Guy slammed his crystal glass down on Con’s desk. “Wallace went after Laura?”

Charon gave a single nod of his head. “I decided to keep watch over her after that. But I didna get her to MacLeod Castle in time. Wallace arrived with his droughs.”

“Does he have Laura?” Con asked slowly as he sat forward and braced his forearms on the desk.

“Nay. We took to the forest, but they found her. I went out to fight them so she could get away.” He trailed off as he remembered the feel of her magic.

It had been so … beautiful and pure. The force of it made his soul shudder and beg for more at the same time. No magic had ever felt so perfect.

Guy took the seat next to Charon. “She didna run, did she?”

Charon shook his head. “She stayed. And watched them slowly kill me. I didna know it was her magic that shot from the cabin. One touch of her magic, and it was like the drough blood inside me didn’t exist anymore.”

“Damn,” Con murmured. “I didna realize she was a Druid, and one obviously powerful.”

“I’d worked with her for two years and never knew she was a Druid. She says she didna know either, that it was her mother and sister who syphoned her magic from her.”