Time Everlastin' Book 5 (32 page)

"How...how did ye get into
the water?" he asked wearily.

"Fell in, how
else."

"Yer welcome, Yer
Majesty."

"Thank you," she muttered,
and rolled onto her side away from him. Braced on elbows, she
squinted at the beds some twenty feet away. The thought of dragging
herself the distance choked her up with tears of
frustration.

She gave a mute prayer of
thanks when Reith lifted her into his arms, although his lassitude
tweaked her conscience. He stepped upon one of the beds and sat
with her across his lap, his head angled back and his eyes
closed.

"You may put me down now,"
she said, not intending to sound so cold and imperious, but
unnerved to be in his arms.

His head slowly
straightened, and through heavy eyelids he searched her features
for an inordinately long time.

"Did you hear
me?"

He nodded. "Engage yer
wings."

She willed them forth.
Again, in vain. "I have no power," she said, panic in her
tone.

"Mine be gone as weel," he
said tiredly.

"Put me down!"

His eyebrows lifted. "Do I
detect a wee pettishness in yer eloquent voice, Yer
Majesty?"

"Reith!" she snapped, then
bit her lower lip at the slip.

"Ye do remember ma name," he
said with mock surprise.

"Please...put me
down."

He sighed theatrically. "It
occurs to me, ma love, ye are at a disadvantage."

"Meaning what?" she said
with a frown.

He shifted her more
comfortably in his arms, and grinned. "Yer magic would have me on
the wee side o' caution."

"What are you babbling
about?"

"I can handle a nip, a
slap...even a sound punch. Twould all be worth the
prize."

Blue jabbed an elbow into
his ribs. "You must have water on the brain!"

"Somethin' be a fact," he
said, broadening the grin.

Suspicion clouded her eyes
before they widened. "You wouldn't dare!"

With a nasty chuckle, he
rolled to one side and maneuvered her beneath him. Her hands
slapped to his bare shoulders and her arms locked straight to
distance him. Undaunted, Reith braced himself on knees to each side
of her outer thighs, his hands at the curvatures of her
shoulders.

"I'm warning you, back off!"
she cried, and turned her head aside when droplets of water dripped
from his hair onto her face.

"Give me one good reason why
I should."

"Because I don't want
you!"

Reith snared her wrists and
pinned them beside her head with a swiftness that startled her. She
stared into the smoldering intensity in his eyes, her lungs
refusing to accept air.

He lowered his head with
deliberate slowness, whether to test or tease her, she wasn't
sure.

His mouth was cold and damp
at first contact. Blue flinched and shriveled within, and released
a mewl of revulsion. She wasn't exactly clear when she realized she
was lost in the kiss, when heat banished the cold, and she first
clung to him. Through a dizzying haze of sensation, of rapture, the
past lost its integrity in her mind and heart. Every song ever
written sang through her blood.

Then—

With a gasp, Reith keeled
over onto his back, his hands cupping his crotch. Blue sat up,
staring at his contorted features in burgeoning
perplexity.

"What happened?"

"Ye...kneed me," he choked
out.

She glanced down to see her
legs folded in front of her. Static roared in her ears. Moments
passed before she ventured to straighten them, and miraculously,
the muscles complied.

"H-how is this p-possible?"
she stammered, and stared dumbfoundedly as she wiggled her
toes.

Still gasping in pain, Reith
forced himself to sit up. "Ye stood afore."

"Not since you injured me!"
she cried.

"In the basement at that
inn." He took a second to catch his breath. "Ye kissed me,
remember? Then...when Dougie stuck ye wi' the needle, ye stood and
faced him."

The memory slammed home. "I
remember," she whispered, staring off into space.

"Twas the kissin, right
enough."

"You egotistical—" She bit
off the retort and, concentrating on her legs, cautiously pushed
herself onto her feet. She held out her arms to better balance,
took a step, another, then a third.

Although still in pain, a
smile broke out on Reith's face.

"They're tingly but...I can
walk!" she laughed.

A gush of air from behind,
brought her head around. She screamed and twisted around, and fell
into Reith, who, despite his discomfort, scrambled in front of Blue
to block her view of the creature staring down at them.

"Go away!" he commanded, and
flagged a hand. "Shoo!"

Karok released a second
snort and settled on his haunches. He proffered two blue and green
plaid blankets.

Reith gaped at the offering
before hesitantly taking them. "Thank ye," he said warily, passing
the blankets to Blue.

She peered around him at the
creature. "He's a gargoyle," she said and quickly glanced about the
room.

"That's why we have no
power. We must be beneath the menhirs."

"The sacred
site?"

"Yes," Blue said. "Fairies
are not permitted on these grounds."

"But we dinna come here o'
our own volition," he said out the side of his mouth, as if to do
so would prevent the creature from hearing.

"Nonetheless...we're
here."

Reith eased to his feet and
bowed his head to the gargoyle. "We humbly offer our apologies for
this intrusion," he said respectfully, and looked up to find the
creature smiling. "Blue, am I seein' rightly?"

Holding onto Reith's arm for
support, she stood beside him. "Yes. He's incredible. His eyes are
so human—"

Karok chuffed in
indignation.

"You understand our
language?" she asked, incredulous.

Karok nodded.

"Blue!" a voice
boomed.

"Lachlan!" she cried
joyously.

Reith leaned forward, still
engrossed in perusing the gargoyle when Lachlan, Roan, Taryn and
Broc rushed to their side. A giddy grin was forming on Reith's
mouth when Lachlan abruptly placed himself between the creature and
the group, a broadsword raised to ward off the gargoyle.

"I have no quarrel wi' you,"
Lachlan said, scowling.

Karok eyed the weapon with
haughty contempt before he snatched it from Lachlan and tossed it
aside. Surprised by the creature's agility, Lachlan set his balled
hands on his hips and stepped forward. "Maybe I do," he added, the
scowl returning.

Karok’s shrewd gaze passed
from Lachlan to Broc, who stepped to Lachlan's side.

"Dougie be awake," Broc said
and Karok made a rueful face.

"He understands?" Lachlan
asked, eyeing the creature skeptically.

"Aye."

To everyone's but Broc and
Reith's surprise, Blue walked to the creature and tentatively
brushed her fingertips along the side of Karok’s neck. Karok
offered a purring gurgle in response.

"You can walk?" Roan asked
with a laugh.

Lachlan remained silent,
gawking at her legs.

"Yes," she said. "They feel
a little strange, still." The underside of one hand pressed to
Karok’s lowered cheek, she cooed, "Isn't he incredible?"

"Aye," Roan said.

"Should you be standin' so
close?" Lachlan asked, his distrust of Karok unwavering.

With a lopsided grin, the
gargoyle thumped Lachlan's chest and released a volley of liquid
sounds to Broc.

"Aye," Broc muttered,
chagrin heightening his color. "He be concerned."

More from Karok, and Broc
sighed impatiently.

"He be close to these
fairies," said Broc, passing Lachlan a disgruntled look.

"Wha' is he sayin'?" Lachlan
asked.

"First, tha' ye remind him
o' me."

"Insultin' me, eh?" Lachlan
grumbled.

Broc's eyebrows arched.
Ignoring the comment, he added, "And he be curious abou'
ye."

"Why?" Lachlan said, a scowl
riveted on Karok.

"No doubt, puttin' yersel
between us an' him."

Lachlan's gaze shifted to
Broc. "Wha' are you no' tellin' me?"

"Ye trust no one, do ye?"
Broc said, facing Lachlan and unwittingly placing his hands on his
hips. Nose to nose, they resembled ancient warriors, one daring the
other to cross the line.

Karok snorted loudly,
drawing their attention back to him before he released a series of
watery sounds.

"If they canna?" Broc asked
him.

The creature's jutting brow
scrolled down into a frown.

Broc released a breath of
frustration. "But if I dinna ken, how can they?"

"Is this abou' tha' key?"
Lachlan asked.

"Aye."

Lachlan's spine stiffened
when Karok leaned toward him, their faces inches apart. One not to
succumb easily to intimidation, Lachlan folded his arms against his
chest and cocked his head. "Mr. Gargoyle, sir, wha' guarantee have
we tha' if we find this key o' yers, you will free us
all?"

Straightening, Karok folded
his arms and cocked his head, mocking Lachlan's stance.

"Get his ire up, why dinna
ye," Broc muttered.

"Tis a fair enough
question," Lachlan said stubbornly.

"Your name is Karok?" Blue
asked.

He nodded.

"If the key isn't down
here," said Taryn, "how can we search for it if you won't let us
leave?"

"Ye all can leave," Broc
said.

"Not without you, I won't,"
Taryn said stubbornly.

A ponderous expression
softened Lachlan's features as his arms dropped to his sides.
"Key?" he murmured. "Why does tha'—" A sound between a laugh and a
cry boomed from him. "Karok’s family key!"

Taryn, dazed, positioned
herself beside Lachlan. "The dirk?"

"Aye, the bloody
done-me-in-twice dirk!" Lachlan said jubilantly. "Part o' the runes
translate to Karok’s Family Key!"

"The MacLachlan dirk," said
Roan, now at Broc's side.

"Is it the dirk ye’re
lookin' for?" Lachlan asked the gargoyle.

Karok studied each face as
if running the question over and over through his mind. He nodded
hesitantly, his gaze fixed on Broc.

"I remember a dirk," Broc
said, puzzled. "I havena seen it for a verra long time, though." He
frowned at Lachlan. "Wha' do ye mean by
done-ye-in-twice?"

"It has a fondness for ma
heart," Lachlan said wryly, rubbing the area.

"Do ye know where it be?"
Broc asked.

"I...borrowed it from
Lachlan," Taryn said. "It's in my knapsack!"

"Which is where?" Roan
asked.

"I lost it somewhere down
here."

"A black sack wi' tiny
teeth?" Broc said.

"Teeth? A zipper? Yes! Have
you seen it?"

Broc moaned and slapped a
palm to his brow. "Och! I searched it. There be no dirk,
lass."

"What do you mean you
searched— Never mind. Did you find the secret compartment in the
bottom?"

Broc scrinched up his face.
"Mayhaps ye best look," he said, and lit into a run, calling over
his shoulder, "I'll fetch it. Wait here!"

Karok lowered onto his rump
as if suddenly exhausted. Shoulders slumped, head lowered, he
stared off into space through an expression of bewilderment. Tears
blurred Taryn's vision as she closed the distance and slipped her
arms around Karok’s neck.

"It's been here all this
time," she said. Tilting back her head to look into his eyes, she
smiled and gently rubbed her knuckles along the bridge of his nose.
Karok purred. "The dirk brought me here. I had no idea, Karok, it
was what you've been looking for."

In response, the great beast
brushed his brow against hers, and sighed emotively.

"Wha' does the dirk and a
key have in common?" Reith asked.

While Taryn explained the
necessity of the key, Karok’s gaze pinged between Blue and Reith
until, straightening, he swept Reith into a massive hand and
deposited him next to Blue. Before either could react, Karok nudged
them into each other’s arms.

The fairy couple clung to
each other and stared at the gargoyle with a mute
question.

"Tis a fair guess he wants
you two thegither," Lachlan chuckled.

Crimson stole into Blue's
face. Reith tightened his embrace to prevent her from pulling away.
"Ye canna ignore the wisdom o' a gargoyle," Reith said, mightily
chipper.