Samhain Publishing

“Who’s there?”

Tensing, I hoped the cover of darkness would keep me from their view. When a head of fire engine red hair appeared above me, I knew the night had done little to help me out. I looked up at the man’s wide blue eyes and smiled. His crooked nose told me he’d had it broken on more than one occasion in his life.

His jaw dropped open when he saw me. “Kerr, come and see what I’ve found lurkin’ in the mud. She’s wearin’ nothin’ but her drawers,” he said in English, or at least I thought it was English. It was so muddled with his accent that I couldn’t make out half of it.

I sat up but the man put his hand on my shoulder. “No, lass, I think you’d better be stayin’ put till we know more about you. We’ll not be havin’ any sleeveens’ runnin’ round here.” I’d heard plenty of Scottish accents during my work as a Valkyrie but none were as thick as his.

“Cian, what are you goin’ about?” I heard the sexy deep voice that had made my belly tickle. Another head of red hair appeared above me, but this hair was long, straight and several shades darker than Cian’s. The man moved his hair out of his royal blue eyes and it was my turn to look surprised. My insides twisted and my pulse sped. I thought for sure I’d become the first Valkyrie ever to die of a heart attack.

I’d never been this attracted to a man before in my life and Valhalla overflowed with men. Not even Beau had made me feel this alive. I visually traced the edges of the redheaded hunk’s jawline and took in every detail of his face. He seemed as if he’d been left behind by the Vikings. Almost as though they’d stopped by long enough to leave a warrior of their caliber behind, but I knew better. He was a Scot and he was surprised to see me.

He spoke to me again, but I was too fixated on his mouth to hear what he’d said. Were his lips as soft as they looked? I wanted to run my fingers over his neck and down his back, so I did. I touched his face and his eyes widened.

“What the…?” he asked, shocked.

“It’s a lady,” Cian said. “I found her lyin’ here, Kerr. What should we do with her? Kerr, yer scarlet. Ya do nae fancy her, do you?”

Kerr’s ears reddened more and he put his hand up and touched mine. His hand was rough but it felt wonderful. I didn’t want him to take it away. His eyelids fluttered closed and Cian grabbed his arm. “Do nae go touchin’ her—what if she’s a faerie?”

Kerr smiled and our gazes met. “Then I suppose it’d be good to have one on our side, do ya think, brother?”

“Aye, Kerr, yer right.”

I took Kerr’s hand and let him help me to my feet. My mother would be appalled that I let a man do something like this for me. She’d always taught me to stand on my own two feet, but right now they were covered in mud and so was my backside.

“What’d be yer name, lass?” Cian asked.

I debated on telling them I was a Valkyrie sent to look for Bhreac Laochailan. I didn’t want to scare them. They already suspected I was faerie. I thought about it for a moment and watched as Kerr’s eyebrows rose slightly. He looked me up and down one more time before he took off a green wrap he wore and handed it to me. “Here. You’ll freeze to death in just that. Cover up, or you’ll catch the fever.”

Nodding, I accepted Kerr’s offer. He was right. I would freeze without my cloak. I went to wrap it around myself and was hit with a vision. I staggered forward and grabbed Kerr’s arm to steady myself. My head swam with the sights of what was to come. The elders had labeled me a visionary and here now, was proof that my powers were growing stronger because I’d never had one off Valhalla grounds before.

It showed Cian and Kerr fighting for their lives against a group of men dressed in red. I watched as a killing blow was delivered to Cian. Kerr ran to his side and was struck down from behind. I sucked in a large breath of fresh air and the vision receded.

I’d had them since birth. Some Valkyrie elders had once possessed the gift of foresight, but had lost it with age. Mine seemed to be growing stronger the older I got.

Rubbing my eyes, I attempted to wipe away the slight headache I was always left with. It didn’t quite work. I glanced up to find Cian staring at me like I was a leper and Kerr with a serious look on his face. Kerr patted my hand lightly and moved in closer. “State yer business, woman, and quickly.”

“I seek Bhreac Laochailan of the MacLaochailan clan.”

Cian started to say something but Kerr put his hand up and stopped him. From the size difference, I was willing to bet Kerr could break Cian in an instant and apparently, Cian knew it too, because he shut up.

“What is it that you want to see our cousin for?” Kerr asked.

Cian tried to say something else and this time Kerr shot him a nasty look. Cian cleared his throat. “Aye, what business do ya’ have with Bhreac?”

I glanced down the darkened dirt road and back at the two men before me. I wasn’t sure how much leeway my vision had given me. The group of men dressed in red could be arriving any minute or not for days. I never really did get a set timeline—though that would have been most appreciated. The events in my visions were always subject to change if I intervened and that’s what I planned on doing. I wouldn’t let these two die for helping me.

Kerr watched me closely—suspicion covered his face. He knew something was different about me. I could tell.

“Do you think we could discuss this somewhere else?” I asked, nervously watching the road for signs of red coats.

Kerr nodded and glanced down the road. No sooner did he agree to head out with me than I saw the approaching horses. It wasn’t until I spotted the red coats approaching that I got concerned. The men on horseback took note of us and their pace quickened.

Kerr looked at me and tipped his head down. “Go and hide, if they see ya runnin’ ’bout in that outfit they’ll think yer a…” He stopped just short of saying whore. I knew what men in this time period did with women they assumed to be whores and it wasn’t kind. As much as I really did want to avoid being mistaken as a prostitute, I wouldn’t leave Cian and Kerr to suffer their fate alone. I stood my ground and folded my arms over my chest.

Kerr moved closer to me. His six-foot-five frame loomed over my five-foot-seven self. I backed up, but then stopped. “I’m not going to hide.”

He reached around me and picked me up.

Never saw that one coming.

I sort of expected him to argue with me, not to simply resort to moving me himself. I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed at him to put me down. The effort was pointless. There was no way I was moving that man and that said something, since I possessed strength greater than humans. He moved me back behind the same rock I’d landed near and set me down in the mud. He wasn’t exactly gentle about it either.

“Stay here,” he commanded and turned to walk back out by the road. I grabbed his arm and was impressed by the size of it. He was not only tall, but strong, that was clear.

“I’m not going to hide. You two need me with you, or you’ll…” I stopped just short of saying die.

Kerr stared down at me and bit at his lower lip. “I’ve never raised my hand to a woman before, but if you do nae stay put, I’ll knock ya across yer arse.”

Shocked, I went to protest but was gripped by another vision. This one came so hard and fast it made me fall over. I held my head tight and cried out from the pain. Kerr grabbed my arms and held me steady.

In my vision I saw the faces of the men in the red coats. I had assumed them to be the British, but no, they weren’t even human. I’d seen them before, many times before. They were demons—vampires, to be exact. Vampires were evil’s favorite warriors. They were attractive, smart and deadly. I must have landed in the right place, because they were here for Bhreac too. If they beat me to him, they’d kill him or recruit him. It didn’t matter to them. They’d just as soon take him dead than to risk our side having him. I wouldn’t let that happen. Good would win here. I would see to that, or die trying.

I opened my eyes to find Kerr holding me close. My head was buried against his massive chest. I took in the fresh, manly scent of him and was happy that I was already on the ground. I would have fainted if I wasn’t.

I heard the sound of voices near us, lifted my head and locked gazes with Kerr. I started to say something but his mouth came down on mine hard. I didn’t fight him as I had Beau. Kerr’s kiss was chaste at first. It stopped being that way when I thrust my tongue into his mouth. I feared he might pull away but his body stiffened and his arms wrapped around me tighter. His warm tongue found mine and I suddenly forgot how to breathe. His tongue inched around mine, caressing it, drawing the tiniest of moans from me. My fingers smoothed over his chest and an ache I couldn’t explain began between my legs.

“You there, tell me where Bhreac Laochailan can be found. Who’s that with you?” The accent was common British but I knew what lay beneath was anything but ordinary.

Cian answered first, “We do nae know any Bhreac. Are you sure yer lookin’ round the right parts?”

“Do not lie to me, farmer. I will not hesitate to kill you. I might even enjoy it.” The rest of the group laughed and I shuddered. “You there, in the back, who is that with you?”

Kerr stood. I grabbed him to me and whispered in his ear, “They can sense a lie. They’re not what they appear to be. They’re not human.”

He nodded and started to speak. I pulled him to me and kissed him again, this time with so much passion that he fell forward a bit. My intentions weren’t just to shut him up—they were to feel his lips on mine one more time before we parted ways. When he pulled back, I let out a sultry laugh.

“How much you willin’ to offer for a night of fun?” I called out, trying my best to imitate Kerr’s accent. I’d spent my entire life studying cultures and time periods. I was equipped to deal with almost anything. Anything, that was, except a group of twenty vampires. Kerr’s eyes widened and I put my finger to his lips warning him to remain silent.

“We have no need for a whore—we are looking for a man.”

I let out another laugh. “If that’s what you fancy, then by all means carry on. You’ll find none here willin’ to serve ya.”

“Tell your whore to mind her place,” he said in a stern voice. “We seek Bhreac Laochailan.”

Kerr stood slowly and glanced over at the men on horseback. He shifted his tartan. His cheeks were now flushed, both from the cold and, no doubt, the rush of the kiss. I unfastened the green wrap he’d let me borrow and pulled my top over my head. Kerr looked at me and his eyes widened to the point they looked like they’d pop from his head.

I stood from behind the rock and covered my breasts with my arm. “I’ve no clue where Bhreac Laochailan is. I suspect he’s in town. I’ll be lookin’ for him myself soon, he owes me a debt. Got a wee one at home that needs tendin’. Leavin’ me to lie on my back to put food on the table, whilst he runs about drinkin’ and carryin’ on, has put him on my list, if ya know what I mean.” I stretched the truth to the breaking point—okay, past the breaking point—but I had an advantage. I knew to believe in my lie.

I focused on the man on horse closest to us. He seemed to be the leader. His dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. His jaw was thin and his face was very narrow. I’d never been into men who had fine features before and he was no exception. His black eyes locked on me and I fought the urge to shudder. I’d seen the demon that hid under the mask of a man he wore now. I knew that, upon demand, the demon could surface and then we’d all be in danger.

“Who shall I tell ’em is lookin’ for him then?” I asked.

The man’s lips curved into a smile. “Corbin. Tell him to be on the lookout for Captain Corbin because I will find him. We have some business to attend to with him.” His gaze skimmed over me. “And after I find him I’ll come back for you. You look like you would be good at least for a little while.”