Anita Clenney - Heart Of A Highland Warrior

An ancient demon?

She wanted to believe it was a mistake, but it explained some things Anna had never understood about herself. She was stronger than other female warriors, and she had some unusual abilities. Angus had always said she did things that weren’t possible for a human, even for a warrior. And there were other things. Strange dreams. Warriors sometimes had prophetic dreams, but hers were dark. And she’d always felt so compelled by beauty, though she despised it in herself. Demons were drawn to beauty. Probably because they were so ugly. And she was one of them. Half demon. She was a bloody halfling.

She smelled the sulfur before she heard his hiss. Anna grabbed her dagger and leapt to her feet, turning to face the demon. It wasn’t just any demon. It was her father.

* * *

“Anna.” The words whispered from Tavis’s lips. “My Anna?”

“Yes. She’s Voltar’s daughter.”

He was the one who’d raped Anna’s mother. Anna, beautiful Anna was half demon. Not any demon, but the one who had killed Liam and his father. Tavis thought he might throw up. His insides crawled and hurt.

“That’s the darkness I sensed in Anna,” Bree said.

“They’re working together?” Sorcha asked.

“No. But when he finds out she’s his daughter it won’t stop him from killing her.”

“How do you know she’s his daughter?” Tavis asked. There had to be a mistake. Demons were evil and vile, not kind and caring.

“I make it my business to know what the rest of the League is up to,” Tristol said.

“So you’ll lead us to Voltar and we’ll kill him?” Faelan said.

“That’s the gist of it,” Tristol said. “We all win.”

“Until you slaughter us,” Tavis said. “Or lock us up in your dungeon and torture us.”

“As I’m sure you’re aware, my dungeon is missing,” Tristol said, his eyes reddening slightly.

“I bet you have another one,” Ronan said. “What’s to say after Voltar is dead you don’t kill the rest of us?”

“There could be a hundred vampires waiting outside to slaughter us,” Niall said.

“On my honor. I came alone. And I came to help.”

“Your honor?” Tavis said.

“My honor,” Tristol said. “As you’ve seen, I can move faster than you.” He looked at Shay and Bree. “Most of you, that is. The two of you are quite remarkable.”

“Assuming we agree to this,” Tavis said, “what do we do next?”

“We go hunting and bring Anna home.”

“Be careful with her,” Tavis said. “She’s carrying my bairn.”

Tristol frowned. “Your bairn?”

“Aye. And I’ll kill anything that harms a hair on her head. Voltar’s daughter or not.”

AM I THE only one freaking out?” Brodie asked. “This is Tristol, the ancient demon, or ancient vampire, whatever the bloody hell he is. And now we find out Anna is Voltar’s daughter.”

“We’re all freaked out,” Ronan said.

“Maybe he’s lying,” Brodie said. “Then again, it might explain why she can do the things she does.” He frowned. “Do you think she can shift?”

“She’s not a demon,” Tavis growled. “I don’t care what her father is. She’s a woman.”

Brodie held up his hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult her. Anna’s awesome. But you have to admit it’s a shock. I’ve never heard of any such thing. A warrior and a demon.”

It was a shock. Tavis had never trusted beauty. He’d avoided beautiful women for fear that they might be a demon in disguise. Just when he’d let his guard down and let a beautiful woman steal his heart, she turned out to be half demon. Daughter of an ancient demon. The very one who’d killed Liam and his father. But she was Anna. And did it really matter who her parents were? Wasn’t it the heart that made the warrior? One thing he knew: Voltar was going to die today.

“Bring that big rifle you showed me earlier,” Tavis said. He rubbed his battle marks, which were itching so badly they burned.

“The assault weapon?” Brodie asked. “Got it right here.”

“Bring everything we have,” Niall said. “We don’t know how many demons he’ll have with him.”

“Do you believe Tristol is telling the truth about helping us?” Tomas asked.

“He could have killed us in the chapel if he’d wanted to,” Shane said. “Ripped us all to shreds.”

“And still could,” Brodie said.

“What choice do we have?” Sorcha asked. “He knows where we are, says he knows each of us personally, and he isn’t constrained by the whole holy ground thing. Hell, we have to let him help. Or help him. I’ll gladly help get rid of Voltar.”

“No one can do it except me,” Tavis said. He had been tempted to sneak off and go on ahead to find Anna, but he would need help. Voltar wouldn’t be alone. If Tristol wanted Voltar dead more than he wanted Anna or Tavis tortured, that was good enough for now. Later, they would settle the score. He would still make Tristol regret what he’d done to Anna. To him.

“The Council thinks you were both assigned,” Sorcha said.

Another reason they needed to hurry. God knew what she might try. “I know what Michael said.”

“Maybe that was before you defied him and went into the time vault,” Sorcha said.

“He’s not reassigned. Anna’s mistaken. I’m not letting her kill him.”

“She’d be killing her own father,” Sorcha said. “You’re still in love with her? Even knowing what she is?”

“And what if I am? Do you have anything to say about it?”

Sorcha raised a brow. “Not a thing. Other than best wishes. Invite me to the wedding and all that.”

Tavis turned back to his weapons, tucking another collapsed sword onto his belt.

“Are you sure you want to wear a kilt?” Faelan asked. He lowered his voice. “We’re not just fighting alongside men now. In our day it didn’t matter if a kilt stayed down or not.”

“I don’t bloody care what my kilt shows. I’m more comfortable fighting in it, and I can’t make a mistake. They’ve all seen it anyway.”

“Whatever floats your boat.”

“What’s that mean?”

Faelan frowned. “It’s something Ronan says. I need to check on Bree. I’m afraid she’ll do something barmy.”

“You don’t have to go with me,” Tavis said. “I know you worry about Bree and the bairn.”

“I do have to go. It’s my fault you’re in this mess.”

“I chose to come,” Tavis said.

“You’re my brother. I won’t lose you. The others will keep an eye on Bree and Shay.”

Cody walked over. He had pistols on each side of his belt, a dagger, and a worried frown. “You don’t think Shay and Bree will try something stupid, do you?”

“Someone call and make sure Bree and Shay don’t get any ideas about following us,” Faelan said.

Brodie took out his cell phone. “I’ll do it.”

“They’d better stay put if they know what’s good for them,” Faelan said.

Brodie ended the call. “I, for one, would feel better if they tagged along. They’re the ones who seem to be equipped to fight vampires.”

“We’re not fighting vampires,” Duncan said. “We’re fighting alongside a vampire, to rescue a warrior who’s part demon. What’s the world coming to?”

“Did you check on Bree and Shay?” Cody asked Brodie.

“Sean says they’ve got a bunch of babysitters. Coira, Ewan, Laura, Nina, and Matilda. I’m not sure Matilda’s helping. I could hear her in the background asking if Tristol gives interviews.”

“Where is Tristol?” Tavis asked.

“Outside where Anna was taken,” Brodie said. “He’s trying to pick up her trail, see if Voltar took her by car or on foot. I guess a vampire’s sense of smell is even better than ours. And he says she smells mighty fine.”

“Bastard. I’ll kill him yet,” Tavis said.

“Get in line,” Ronan said. In addition to daggers and those fancy swords, he had a bow slung over his shoulder. “A bloody vampire on clan grounds.”

“Someone needs to keep an eye on him,” Tavis said. “I don’t fully trust him.”

“Sorcha, you take the first watch,” Duncan said.

“You take it, cousin. I want to fight,” she said.

“They’re cousins?” Tavis whispered to Faelan.

“Not really, or so distant it doesn’t count.”

“You’ll get to fight,” Duncan said. “I’ll take the second watch.”

“Are you going to try to suspend him?” Ronan asked.

“I’m undecided,” Tavis said. “But either way, we need to make sure Tristol doesn’t see. The last thing we need him knowing is how talismans and time vaults work.”

“He probably knows already,” Brodie said.

They left several warriors to take the wedding guests back to the castle. Two other clans had been called for reinforcement, one from Maine and one from Pennsylvania. They were flying in and would arrive within two hours.

Tavis led the way to where Tristol waited. He put aside his hatred and focused on Anna, on what Tristol could do to help. “Did you pick up her scent?”

“Too easily. He wants you to follow.”

“Where is she?” Tavis asked. “His penthouse?”

“No. It’s not there anymore. It burned down. He’s holding her in a cave. I’m sure he would have already killed her, but he’s hoping to lure Tavis.”

“Let’s go then,” Tavis said. “And everyone stay away from Voltar. You too, Tristol.” He didn’t want Tristol figuring out all their secrets.

“Be warned,” Tristol said. “He’s set traps. There are demons hiding in trees and underground.”

“Can you point them out?” Ronan asked tightly. “I’ll use my bow.”

Tristol agreed, and they started off. Faelan and Cody stayed near Tavis. If he needed help with Voltar, warriors who had destroyed ancient demons were less likely to be fatally injured.

“We’re close,” Tristol said. “There, up in that tree. He’s the lookout.” He hadn’t spotted them yet. A demon’s eyesight wasn’t usually as good as a warrior’s.

“I got him. We don’t want to alert Voltar with gunshots.” Ronan slipped his bow off his shoulder and nocked an arrow. He lifted the bow, held the arrow against his nose, and then let go. The demon fell from the tree and hit the leaves below. “One down.”

“The next one is hiding behind that outcropping of rock,” Tristol said. “He’s strong. I’m not sure an arrow will bring him down.”

“Can’t you just zoom up there and rip out his throat?” Niall asked.

“I’d rather not,” Tristol said.

“But you could,” Brodie said.

“I could.”

Brodie stepped back from Tristol. The vampire demon smiled, and something about his expression unleashed a memory from Tavis’s past. “Shite. You’re the one who told Ian and me where to find Druan’s sorcerer,” Tavis said.

“I’d hoped you wouldn’t remember,” Tristol said. “But you’ll realize now that I’ve helped your clan more than you knew.”

“You’re saying Tristol helped save our lives even then?” Faelan said.

Tavis was disturbed by the memory. He wanted to hate Tristol for what he’d done to him and Anna. “I’m sure it suited his purpose.”

Ronan frowned at Tristol. “I remember something too.”

“Doesn’t look pleasant,” Tristol said, studying Ronan silently.

“It isn’t.”

“The cave is there.” Tristol pointed to an area where the trees grew thicker. “He’ll have lots of demons guarding her.”

The warriors split up so they could approach the cave from different angles. Faelan and Tavis went with Ronan, Lachlan, and Shane. Tristol went ahead doing his mist thing.

“That’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen,” Lachlan said, watching the black mist vanish in the sky.

Instead of killing the demon waiting behind the rock, Ronan shot him with his bow, wounding him, so they could question him. “Where is Anna?” Tavis asked, holding a dagger to the demon’s throat.

“She’s with Voltar.”

“Where?” Faelan asked. “What’s he planning?”

“A sacrifice,” the demon said.

“What kind of sacrifice?” Lachlan asked.

“He’s going to sacrifice his own daughter to get me,” Tavis said.

“Daughter?” The demon laughed. “Voltar doesn’t have a daughter. He hates females.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tavis said, before he drove the dagger Faelan had given him into the demon’s chest.

They spaced themselves out and continued their advance. A minute later, Tavis heard a bird call. Faelan stopped. “That’s Ronan.” They looked across and spotted him motioning up ahead. He held up four fingers. Tavis and Faelan worked toward Ronan. He pointed out four demons waiting on the ground near the trees. The warriors attacked as quietly as possible. Ronan took out one with his bow, and then the warriors crept up on the other three.