CHAPTER FIVE
–Willow–
I KNEW I shouldn’t agree to spend time with Sloan in the Morrow because I was still attracted to him, considering my love for him had never died, and I knew I’d be pressing my luck, but what was going on with this blasted pact was bigger than the two of us.
Bigger than me dying if I didn’t know how to shift when the time came.
This was about my sisters’ safety, too.
About Clan MacLeod and the rest of not just medieval Scotland, but possibly modern-day Scotland if we didn’t keep history on track.
So I had a stipulation when Sloan asked once again if I’d spend time with him in his, our, Morrow because he was very much a part of it. He always had been.
“Fine,” I replied, from where we stood together in front of the living room fire, doing my best to keep my heart under control at his proximity. He was huge and gorgeous, and so damn distracting. “But only if your fiancée, Lorna, knows and things remain one hundred percent platonic.”
“Aye, things can remain platonic,” he vowed, shaking his head. “But Lorna cannae know nor can anyone in my era. ‘Tis far too dangerous.”
“On that we agree,” Adlin said, seeming to know just when the timing was right to return with Ellie. “’Tis best only those in this room know for now, Willow. As it is in this era, people tend to talk and ‘tis impossible, especially in our day and age, to know who can truly be trusted.”
Adlin shook his head before continuing. “There are clans who would benefit from the MacLeods and Sutherlands going to war, currying favor with the king for starters, eager to fill the MacLeod’s role because ‘twould be your MacLeods on the wrong side of the battle. Your MacLeods who would suffer for not staying true to Sloan’s vow to Elspet and Dugal and breaking their word to the king. ”
I was about to say they weren’t my MacLeods, but I couldn’t seem to get the words out of my mouth.
The truth was that, deep down, from Sloan sharing so much about them over the years, I was eager to call them family, because they were mine.
They always had been in a way I’d never been able to shake free from, despite shunning him and repressing my dragon.
Not just that, but two of my sisters were now married into the clan, so officially, they were family.
“Aye,” Sloan agreed, following my thoughts a little too quickly now. “Plus, you have nephews on the way that dinnae need to be born into a clan shunned by not just our king but all the clans that would side with him.”
He didn’t need to say what else he was thinking because I caught it clearly enough. If the MacLeods ended up on the wrong side of this, it could very well risk Aspen’s pregnancy, and nothing would be more tragic, given they were the only children she would ever be able to have.
“Holy Hell,” I cursed, focusing first and foremost on Aspen, given things were heating up so much in medieval Scotland. “Is she okay?” I looked at Adlin. “Does she need me? Should I go—”
“Nay.” Adlin shook his head. “She has an entire clan of MacLeods protecting her, so she’s just fine, but I’m sure you ken the urgency to go about this correctly now, aye? Not just for the sake of the pact, but because Apsen doesnae need to lose a sister nor end up an enemy of the king.”
“No,” I managed, frowning at Sloan. “Why didn’t you tell me right away? I should have known what was going on the moment we reconnected again.”
“Because I didnae want to upset you any more than you already would be when you found out Hazel was gone too.” Sloan’s gaze still lingered on my face as if he hated looking away.
“You’ve my word I willnae do anything to make you feel uncomfortable in the Morrow.
‘Tis only to help your dragon surface so when the time comes, you can protect yourself.”
“Assuming I’m not destined for a Sutherland,” I reminded him, having trouble believing it, given how strongly I felt about Sloan.
“Aye,” he agreed roughly, clearly having as much trouble believing it. “Assuming as much.”
“Then ‘tis decided?” Adlin perked his white eyebrows and looked back and forth between us. “You’ll stay in the Morrow, wherever that might be, for as long as you can?” He cocked his head.
“Which is how long, again, as time passes for you in the Morrow versus here or in medieval Scotland, as it were?”
“Usually, until my tree reappears, then I know it’s time to go,” I said. “Assuming, of course, things still work like they used to, which, again, was a long time ago and under much different circumstances.”
“Indeed, they were,” Sloan said softly. “Far too long ago, and I never traveled to you in the future.”
“Nope, you coming here was a first.” My gaze fell to the blade sheathed at his waist when it flickered with a deep reddish light.
The very color my dragon vision became years ago, even though I had never shifted.
I wasn’t sure how that helped me understand what the blade was, but I did.
“And I’m guessing that’s at the root of it?
That’s the Viking sword I’ve been hearing about, even though it’s not a sword right now? ”
“’Tis,” Sloan confirmed, his pupils flaring as his eyes remained on mine and he unsheathed the blade. Surprisingly, he held it out hilt first. “And something tells me, by what I just saw in your eyes, it’s staying with you now.”
When I frowned in confusion, Ellie enlightened me, relief in her voice.
“It’s happening already, sis,” she said. “Your dragon eyes flickered when you looked at the blade.”
“You mean the blade flickered because my vision didn’t change,” I countered.
“Yet your dragon was there nonetheless.” Adlin rocked back on his heels and rubbed his hands together in anticipation, his eyes merry once more. “At least now Sloan’s in the Morrow, so your magical place must be working.”
“But this isn’t the Morrow.” I narrowed my eyes and looked around. “Although our surroundings are typically the same, the Morrow has a distinct look and feel about it, enchanting everything somehow. It's hard to explain.”
“At least the Morrow does that in my era,” Sloan said. “Mayhap ‘tis different when I travel to your era?”
“Either way,” Ellie said, “I would say it’s a promising first step.”
“And I agree,” Adlin added. “Not just that, but the willow out front hasnae faded, so I would say you’re en route to where you’re supposed to go.”
“Aye,” Sloan concurred. “As the willow has lingered on occasion when it wants us to travel a wee bit more than expected.”
It had, but I didn’t want to revisit that right now, given it had once brought us to where Sloan proposed to me. I had to keep him at arm’s length despite the tree, ring, and now the Viking sword-turned-dagger seemingly trying to nudge me his way again.
Even so, still drawn to the blade, I wrapped my hand around the hilt and took it from Sloan, surprised by the odd surge of power I swore rippled through me. It was brief but there, in some strange way, telling me it was time to go, and I said as much.
“Aye, then,” Sloan rumbled, clearly feeling the same when he chanted and manifested a sheath for my blade, wrapped it around my waist, and secured it rather than handing it over.
While he had done it swiftly with the expertise of a seasoned warrior, he’d been close enough, however briefly, to make my temperature spike all over again and sharp arousal to flare when that's the last thing I should be feeling.
“And you won’t be doing that again,” I made clear, narrowing my eyes at him because us being that close could lead to trouble.
Better still, lead somewhere I didn’t want to go so long as Lorna was in the picture.
“You taught me how to secure a sheath and wield a blade, years ago, so don’t pretend I don’t know what I’m doing. ”
“As you wish,” he rumbled, his voice husky enough to tell me being so close affected him just as much.
“What about sleep?” Ellie wondered as we headed back outside. She looked at me with concern. “I know that’s not something you tend to need a lot of, but will you be able to rest in your Morrow?” She shook her head. “Because something tells me you’ve done less of that than usual lately.”
“I’m fine, sis.” I gave her a big hug, then nodded at her in reassurance, and lied through my teeth. “I slept really well yesterday afternoon before I headed this way.”
It was believable enough, given I had flown both commercial and private planes at all hours of the day, meaning I slept when I could. Yet Ellie was right. As a rule, I didn’t need much sleep. In fact, I hadn’t slept well since I was young.
Ever since I had last seen Sloan.
Needless to say, that was my business, so I assured my sister I’d be okay as Adlin and Sloan crossed arms, hand to elbow, in parting, and Adlin wished both of us well. He would watch over Ellie until he heard where things stood.
Rather than linger and draw out the moment because I sensed both Adlin and Ellie were tempted to give me some sort of pep talk, I had never been one for sentimental moments or sweating things most would fear, so I moved right along.
Much like Aspen, I preferred to leap headfirst into the unknown.
Not so much because I was eager for the next thrilling adventure, but because there was no point looking back, only ahead.
And this time it was the Morrow.
So I offered my sister one last reassuring smile and strode toward the tree, knowing Sloan would follow, and it would take us where we were meant to go next.
I wasn’t any more afraid now than I had been in my youth.
Instead, I felt only sheer determination to leave it all behind and escape, just like I had back then, only for different reasons now.
This time, I wanted to stop being so angry at Sloan, despite missing him so desperately. This time, I wanted to find a way to let him go once and for all, even if it meant I was forced to feel all those old feelings. Even if it meant ripping open old wounds so I could finally heal.
Little did I expect where the beginning of that journey would take me, because it did the very opposite.