Page 62 of Treachery in the Highlands
I rub my eyes, feeling a headache trying to blossom."I don't know, Rach.Not sure I have it in me to wield supernatural powers.I'm a thief, not a hero.Besides, I'm more concerned with whatAn Bodachhas up his sleeve.If other dark forces are working with him...we're royally screwed."
Rachel sets her hands on her hips, defiantly lifting her chin."Ye listen to me, Joey Finnegan.Ye may have been a thief in your past life, but here, now, yer so much more.As forAn Bodachand whomever else he brings with him, they'll ne'er know what hit them when we're through."
I can't help but smile at her fiery spirit, even as doubt gnaws at me."And how exactly are we going to take on a centuries-old evil sorcerer?With your second sight and my ability to pick pockets?"
"Mayhap."She kisses me again, harder than before."But ye've got more than that up your sleeve, Joey.Ye just havenae discovered it yet."She claims my hand."Come with me.I want to show ye something."
Rachel tugs on my hand until I give in and let her lead me away.
She guides me through the winding stone corridors of Dùndubhan, her steps sure and purposeful.I shuffle after her, too consumed by my own thoughts to pay much attention to anything else.As we descend a narrow staircase, the air grows cooler and damper and warmer with every step.
"Where are we going?"I whisper, but Rachel just shakes her head, holding a finger to her lips.
Up ahead, I see a wooden door.
Rachel halts there, her hand resting on the doorknob."You've earned wee bit of relaxation, or as my mother would say, a mini spa vacation."
"What are you talking about?This isn't the garderobe, so I'm totally confused."
Her smile is enigmatic."Close your eyes,m'eudail.I have a wonderful surprise for you."And to prevent confusion,m'eudailis the Gaelic version of 'my dear.'"
At last, she pulls the door open---and a wave of steamy air washes over me.
I gape at the room she's revealed."Is this a steam room?"
"Aye, that's what my mother calls it.She swears that spending time in the steam room will cure all your ills and revitalize you in body and soul."She winks."And it will, most likely, make us both very aroused."
"Steam room sex?Hell yeah, I'm on board for that."
The little sanctuary is composed of darker stones than the ones that make up the walls of the castle and the other buildings within the complex.Here, I find an oblong wooden tub and a chair as well as, of course, a hearth with a brass pot hanging above it that keeps the water steamy.
"This is incredible," I say, watching as Rachel latches the door behind us.
The stones beneath my feet radiate just enough heat that our feet won't get cold.I realize they must be connected somehow to the hearth.The air is thick with moisture and fragrant herbs---rosemary, lavender, and something else I can't quite place.
"My great-aunts created this chamber not long after I was born," Rachel explains, her fingers already working at the laces of her bodice."The stones are from the sacred circle atop the mountain calledBeinn Mhòr.They hold memories, Joey, and the wisdom of the MacTaggart witches who came before us."
I stand transfixed as she sheds her clothing with practiced ease, her hair cascading down her back.Steam curls around her naked body, lending her the appearance of a mythical creature---half woman, half mist."How can the floor be so warm?"
She wags her eyebrows."A bit ofceò-draoidhconjured by thedaoine maithe, mayhap."
"You're claiming invisible faires were involved?"I lift my brows."That other phrase you spoke is Greek to me."
"No, it's Gaelic.Ceò-draoidhmeans'magic mist.'"
"You don't need magic, baby.I've been entranced by you since the moment we met, no spells required."
"Are you simply going to stand there staring like a wee bairn?"she teases, stepping forward to help me with the fastenings of my own clothing."The magic works better when we're both bare beneath the mist."
I let her undress me, her fingers deftly working the unfamiliar clasps and ties of my medieval garb.I hiss in a breath as her knuckles brush against my skin.Then we both climb into the tub.
"I still don't understand how this is supposed to help us fight againstAn Bodach," I say, but I'm already distracted by the sight of her naked body and those gorgeous tits, glowing in the light from the hearth.
"The steam room isn't just for pleasure, Joey," she explains, though the gleam in her eye suggests that pleasure is definitely on the agenda."The sacred stones amplify our connection to the old magic.In here, the veil between worlds grows thin.The heat and the herbs open our senses to what lies beyond ordinary sight."
As she speaks, she moves behind me, her hands sliding up my back to my shoulders.Her touch sends ripples of awareness through my body.I can feel the warmth of her breasts against my back, the softness of her belly against my spine.
"Relax," she demands, her breath tickling my ear."Let the steam enter your lungs.Feel it coursing through your blood."
