Page 37 of Highlander Unraveled
Rory dismounted, helping his wife down, who ran to her twin sister.
I approached Rory, holding out my arm and he shook it. Then I pulled Moira to me, kissing her cheek.
“We’re here to help,” she said.
“My thanks,” I replied. “Shona has a theory that she thinks could work.”
Ewan jogged down the gate tower stairs and approached us. He clapped Rory on the back and embraced Moira.
“Did she tell ye?” Ewan eyed me warily.
I nodded. “We will go tonight.”
“Where?” Rory asked.
“Shona believes that if all of us go to the glen on a night like tonight, where there is a full moon, and we engage in passionate acts, that the power of it will break open whatever capsule of magic is needed to bring Emma back,” I explained.
“Passionate acts?” Rory raised a brow.
“These acts of passion…” Ewan said, glancing at me. “Did she explain that we’d be…?” Ewan cleared his throat.
Shona gasped. “I did. It’s not going to bethattype of orgy…”
Rory looked confused. “What type?”
Moira leaned up and whispered in his ear. His eyes widened.
Shona giggled, then elbowed Ewan. “’Haps I should call upon Hildie and a few of her lassies to come help, eh, Ewan?”
I grunted a laugh. Ewan had often engaged in passionate acts with more than one woman at a time before he’d met Shona.
Ewan stroked a hand over Shona’s belly. “’Haps a night of lovemaking will entice our young bairn to join the world.”
Watching the two loving couples made my heart seize. I couldn’t take it.
Rory cut into the affectionate display. “There is the possibility we will end up in the future.”
“I know it,” I said through gritted teeth. “Though I’m not happy over it. I just want her back. Go and settle in. I need some air. I’ll meet ye at the gates tonight.”
They eyed me oddly, for I was already outside, but I ignored them, charging off through the gates, reckless and uncaring that my enemies often waited for such a chance.
* * *
The moon rose upin the sky. A giant silver globe with a yellow hallo. Stars dotted the inky blackness, winking, taunting me with the magic they held but had not released for me.
All five of us stood in the center of the clearing, awkwardly smiling and looking nervous. A few attempts were made at mindless comments but then someone would forget to speak and silence reigned again.
My gut wrenched.
We were about to embark on something truly mad. A moment in our relationship that I’m certain none of us had thought to ever encounter, and yet, if we did and it worked, we could very well bring Emma home. And if it didn’t… Well, then we’d always have these awkward moments to remember.
“Let’s stand in a circle round the center stone,” Shona said. “We’ll hold hands and tell Fate exactly what we want.”
We moved to do as she suggested, our feet barely making a sound in the soft grass. Shona was to my left, Ewan to my right, Moira and Rory in front of me—though their faces were blocked by the thickness of the stone we surrounded. Ewan’s grip was steady, strong; Shona’s was firm but shaky.
Mine was somewhere in between.
I stared hard at the sacred stone, willing it to light up as it had done in my dream. It remained coldly stark.
