“Are there many old castles around?”

  “Aye, there are a few, I suppose.” Edan snorted a laugh, shaking his head. “You Americans and yer castles. Yer all the same.”

  In a short time, they turned off onto a smaller paved lane leading to a cluster of small whitewashed cottages.

  “Here we are,” Edan announced as he headed toward the door of one of the small houses. “You can have yer-self a wee rest before we head out for Fleenasmore.”

  Destiny paused at the entrance, feeling suddenly unsure of herself. Facing an adult with her lies felt scarier than dealing with a kid.

  “Wait. You don’t think your mom will mind you dragging a perfect stranger into the house?”

  “No at all,” a feminine voice lilted from inside. “My Irish granny always told me I should never turn any stranger away. It could be an angel in disguise.”

  The owner of the voice appeared at the doorway, holding out her hand. “I’m Corinne Abernethy. Welcome to my home.”

  A pleasantly plump woman with light brown hair, Corinne had the most welcoming smile Destiny could remember having seen.

  “This is Destiny Noble, mum. She got herself lost from her friends in the forest out near Achnatone and needs to get to Fleenasmore to find them.”

  Destiny followed the boy and his mother into the kitchen, allowing Edan to roll with his understanding of her story. It sounded much better coming from him anyway.

  “Make yerself to home at the table,” Corinne invited as she plopped a tea bag into a cup and filled it with steaming water before setting it in front of Destiny. “We’ll have ourselves a lovely cup and some biscuits before we motor you over to Fleenasmore.”

  The aroma of the strong dark tea made Destiny’s mouth water and she found herself eagerly reaching for the shortbreads Corinne placed on the table.

  “Ms. Noble is looking for castles to visit around Fleenasmore,” Edan added as he washed his hands before sitting down next to her.

  “Castles, is it?” Corinne asked thoughtfully. “We’ve nothing nearby so grand as to compare to Cawdor or Brodie castles, of course, but we’ve a few small, private homes I could point out. Most locals would be more than happy to give you a tour if you asked.”

  “But no MacIntosh Hall, eh, Mum?” Edan laughed as he swept up another cookie.

  “That’s for certain, lad. I’d no even show that one to our guest. Especially not with herself in residence again.” Corinne shook her head emphatically.

  “The MacIntoshes don’t like strangers dropping in?” That sounded interesting. People holding a kidnapped girl prisoner probably wouldn’t be too happy about having uninvited guests stop by for a visit.

  “There’s no a MacIntosh to be found in the hall these days. It’s owned by an outsider who rarely comes to stay, but when she does, oh my!” Corinne shook her head again, her eyebrows arching up to touch the curled bangs she wore. “Her household staff is required to stay on the property when the lady is in residence. Their families say they canna even speak to them on the phone. Thank the saints she’s so rarely here.”

  Destiny sipped at her tea, working up her courage. If she didn’t ask, she’d never know.

  “This woman, is she a tall, really pretty redhead?” She felt as if she should hold her breath after asking.

  “That’s her!” Edan blurted out around another cookie.

  “If you can call someone with those hard eyes pretty,” his mother added. “Do you know the woman?”

  Sticking as close to the truth as possible seemed the best tack to Destiny. “Not really, but from the description, I think I bumped into her. Maybe you’d be willing to show me her place just so I know where to avoid.”

  Destiny took another sip of tea, keeping her eyes down, focused on anything but her hostess.

  “She has a point, Mum. Best to know where not to go.”

  “So it is,” his mother agreed, rising to refill her cup. “And a lovely home it is, in spite of the woman who owns it. We’ll let you take a peek on our way into the village.”

  Destiny didn’t doubt for one second she’d found the place she hunted. As soon as she knew where the house was, and could manage to get away from the wonderful people who’d welcomed her into their home, she planned to go pay Adira a call.

  And if she found that the nightmare she’d had last night was vision and not dream?

  Then a visit wasn’t the only thing Adira was getting from her. She’d personally see to it that red-haired bitch regretted the day she laid her hands on Leah.

  Chapter 25

  “Mistress?” Flynn poked his head into the library as he called out, his eyes darting from one side of the room to the other.

  “Over here, Flynn.” Adira sighed and put aside the book she’d been trying to read. It wasn’t holding her attention anyway. “I see you finally decided to return.”

  The man’s jaw clenched, but he kept his tone respectful when he spoke. “I had a chance last evening to mull over the events of our escape from the desert and I have a concern. I felt I should bring it to your attention immediately, my lady.”

  He’d do well to have many concerns, as poorly as he’d performed recently. Letting Destiny escape after they’d only just managed to capture the woman was the tip of the iceberg.

  It was his fault that she’d been forced to put her plans on hold last night when the local authorities had arrived. If Flynn had been here as he should have been, he would have been the one to deal with them. It would have been him out at the pub until early this morning instead of Dermond.

  Even now, thinking of the inconveniences Flynn had caused her, irritation sparked anew like kindling in a fire. She considered sending him away, ignoring him and his concerns, letting him stew in his incompetent misery a while longer. And yet, there was something smug in his demeanor today that didn’t seem to belong. Something there, as if he actually did have knowledge that would benefit her.

  As annoying as Flynn could be, he did possess an uncanny ability to dig up the most useful information, a trait that had continued to ensure his value. And his life, although she’d had second thoughts on that after the debacle last night.

  Another sigh, this one designed to visibly express her irritation. “What? Out with it, Flynn. What is it?”

  “May I sit, my lady?”

  Sit? Oh, this had better be good.

  She swept her hand out in an artfully careless invitation to join her on her sofa before turning to fix a stare on him.

  His eyes, always so haughty, fluttered away from hers for a moment and she felt his unease. She understood his need to please her. Good. That was as it should be.

  “Well? I’m waiting. Thanks to your incompetence, I’ve a busy day ahead of me.”

  “The woman, Destiny, is obviously working with someone to locate her sister. Someone who proved a formidable obstacle in the desert.”

  “And?” she snapped. She was quite aware of the existence of new players in their little game. “I fail to see why this is of any importance to me right now.”

  Flynn arched an eyebrow in a smug expression she detested. It reminded her of too many men in her past. Too many who’d thought themselves so much better than she.

  “As I sat alone last evening, mulling over the situation, it occurred to me that you had spoken of our destination in front of the woman. What’s to stop them from coming here?”

  His breath played across her face, setting the loose tendrils of hair brushing against her cheek as his words slammed into her like a physical assault.

  She had never even considered the possibility, had barely remembered the conversation with Dermond about coming to the castle. It had meant nothing more to her at the time than soothing words intended to placate her distressed lover.

  How stupid of her to have missed such an important slipup. How careless. Already they had been here long enough that those working for Ms. Noble could be on their way to this very spot. Could be closing in at this very moment.

  “It shouldn’t prove much of a challenge to find our location. There can’t be too many places in the world named Fleenasmore.” Flynn put words to her own fears as he edged closer, the heat of his skin burning against her arm.

  Damn the Fates. She needed to come up with an alternative—and quickly—or she risked losing everything.

  Too late, she realized her panic must have been reflected on her face. Flynn had moved closer still, leaning in toward her, his hand resting over hers on the sofa.

  “Can we travel in the same way we did from the desert? We could build a circle of stones here.” This time Flynn’s gaze didn’t falter or move away.

  Though she didn’t like to share any more information than necessary with Flynn, this might be one of those necessary times.

  “No. A circle won’t work here.” It wasn’t stones, it was the energy lines she needed, and she didn’t know of any travel points near this castle. It would take time to do more research to find other such locations. The only one she could remember offhand, other than through the stone circle on Lewis, was at Avebury.

  The ancient text she’d found in Reynard’s library would certainly be useful now. Unfortunately she’d left it with her other possessions at the estate in France when she’d traveled to the States.

  With no readily available options of her own, this might be a good time to test Flynn’s resourcefulness.

  “Do you have any ideas, Flynn?”

  “Perhaps. There is a company Reynard used in Scotland once before. Helicopter transport. It’s the fastest route to get away from here. Shall I arrange to have one sent to pick us up?”

  That would have to do. Get them safely away from here and far enough south to send for a car. Then they could drive to Avebury. From there she’d figure out how to get home to France.

  She nodded her agreement, reaching out to run one finger down the side of Flynn’s face. She’d seriously underestimated the man. Perhaps she should be making better use of his intelligence than she had up to this point. Better use of him.

  “And when we reach our new destination, Flynn”—she trailed her hand down his chest to his leg, allowing her fingertips to tighten against the inside of his thigh as she leaned in closer—“would you join me in my bedchamber?”

  A smile played about the corners of his lips, and from the calculating gleam in his eyes, she knew he’d accept her offer.

  “Of course.” He paused, holding her gaze. “Whatever you ask, my queen.”

  Adira watched Flynn’s sure stride from the room, too pleased with his long-overdue acceptance of her rightful position to waste time chafing over this minor setback. She’d dropped her guard and gotten sloppy, but she was nothing if not a quick learner. She would be more careful in the future.

  For now, she’d find a way to get the girl back to her estate in France. Once there, they’d be safe and she could continue with her plans.

  One day soon, everything would be hers to command.

  Chapter 26

  Destiny stood in a thicket of trees across the road from the driveway entrance to MacIntosh Hall, studying the layout, desperate for anything even remotely resembling a plan to pop into her head.

  The house was massive, and though it might not qualify as a true castle, it was three stories of old stone, with an iron-railing-enclosed widow’s walk at the top. To Destiny, it looked like something creepy and haunted, right out of the 1800s.

  A huge stone walkway snaked around the perimeter of the house, and the whole thing sat in what looked from the road like a park, with flowers and trees and huge bushes everywhere.

  She could wait for Jesse to show up. In fact, that was probably the smart thing to do. Smart for her safety, maybe, but not smart for her sister’s well-being.

  While she’d been watching, a car had pulled into the drive and a man had gotten out. Not just any man, but the one who’d taken her captive at the Farmers’ Market in Sedona.

  He certainly didn’t seem any worse off for the gunshot wound in his arm.

  Her stomach tightened as she realized why he wouldn’t. They had Leah. They would have forced her to heal his wounds.

  Dammit! The idea that these creeps would put her sister through that kind of pain stoked her anger all over again.

  No, she wasn’t waiting. She was going in there.

  Walking up the drive and knocking on the front door to announce that she had come to rescue Leah was hardly the way to go. She needed something better than that.

  The stone fence that surrounded the property was only a little more than waist high. Surely she could climb over and slip around back unnoticed, using the trees and foliage for cover. They obviously didn’t have guard dogs, since there was no gate at the driveway to keep them inside.

  That was it, then. That was her plan. Maybe Jesse would show up in time to help and maybe not. But whatever happened, she wasn’t waiting any longer. She didn’t intend to give those monsters one more second with her sister.

  She made her way back down the road, keeping to the cover of the trees, coming out into the open and crossing the road only after she’d gotten far enough away from the house she couldn’t see it clearly through the foliage.

  Hoisting herself up to sit on the fence, she swung her feet over the top and dropped down to the other side, slipping behind the nearest tree, waiting for her clamoring heart to slow down.

  She could do this. She could. There was no way she was letting the fear hold her back again. Not now. Not this close.

  Again, staying to the cover of trees and bushes, she made her way to the back of the house, where she hit her first major snag.

  While the front of the property reminded her of a park with its wealth of trees, bushes, and flowers, the back was more like a golf course or a football field. The open green space seemed to go on forever.

  Again her heart began to pound, her lungs constricting as if a fat man sat on her chest.

  “No.” She spoke aloud to assure herself this was real. “It doesn’t matter.” She simply needed to be more careful. More watchful.

  Only one door in sight along the back, but lots of windows. Given time, and cover, perhaps she could find one unlocked.

  Three tall, thin juniper-like trees stood clustered at each corner of the house, their branches perfectly shaped, joining to form a point reaching well above the first story. If she could make it to one of those, it would give her cover to decide on her next move.

  Two deep breaths to prepare herself and she raced across the open lawn, squeezing behind the evergreens.

  Eyes closed, she fought to catch her breath. When all this was over, she really needed to get on a regular exercise plan.

  Opening her eyes, she found herself inches from one of the largest spiders she’d ever seen. Paralyzed, she watched as the beast sat there in its massive web, staring at her like she was lunch.

  Stop it!

  It’s just a bug. Okay, not really a bug, but a buglike thing. Squashable, like a bug. But she’d have to touch it, and there’s no way in hell she could bring herself to touch it. It would be better to have every one of the evil Faeries in that house come out and catch her than have that creature touch her skin.

  Stop it!

  Near hysteria over a spider? Focus. Leah was what was important, not this almost-insect.

  But if she’d already found one spider in these trees…

  “No!” she whispered under her breath. Keep going. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about anything but Leah.

  Pressing her back against the wall, she bent her knees and slid down until she reached all fours, intending to crawl around the corner behind the cover of the trees. As she started forward, her knee scraped against a piece of metal protruding from the ground.

  Examining it closely, she realized it wasn’t just a piece of metal. It was a handle. She brushed the layers of pine needles away to discover it was a handle attached to a wooden door in the earth.

  Fully expecting it to be locked on the inside, she pulled up, shocked when the wood gave way and lifted, puffing a smell of musty air in its wake.

  Although the branches of the trees prevented her from fully opening the door, the space was already wide enough for her to slip inside.

  Once again her heart pounded, and she fought the urge to retch as she used her sleeve to wipe the spiderwebs from the opening. The black hole yawned before her like a wickedly toothless mouth, and she made her decision before she had time to scare herself out of going. Turning, she stuck her legs into the hole and slipped feetfirst down into the inky darkness.

  Chapter 27

  “Hold on.” Robert put a hand on Jesse’s forearm to get his attention. “The Gordon woman is headed in this direction.”

  Jesse shoved the car into PARK and bit back his irritation. They’d just wasted the last hour “touring” this woman’s home, pretending to take photos for a book they were writing about castle homes in Scotland. By the time Mrs. Gordon, her white curls bouncing with every step, toddled herself down the drive, there was no telling how much more time they’d lose.

  “Patience is a virtue,” Robert murmured under his breath, though whether his reminder was aimed at himself or his companion, Jesse wasn’t sure. He pasted a smile on his face all the same.

  Peter’s research had left them with four possibilities of homes around Fleenasmore likely to fit the description of the one they sought. This was the second on their list.

  They’d quickly ruled out the first when they learned a family with young children lived there. The mother had reluctantly offered to let them inside, but from her harried look and the screaming toddler in her arms, Jesse had felt certain it would be a waste of time.

  They’d offered to come back later and the woman had seemed genuinely grateful not to have to be a gracious hostess at the moment.

  Mrs. Gordon, on the other hand, was thrilled with the idea of having photos of her home appear in their book, in any book. Jesse had quickly realized their visit was the social highlight of the woman’s week. Week, hell. What was he thinking? More like the highlight of her year. She’d talked their ears off as she’d led them through the winding hallways of her home, her metal-tipped cane tapping in time to her halting steps, her yapping dust ball of a dog winding around everyone’s feet.