Page 104 of Dark Embrace

Chills swept Aidan, the sensation entirely unfamiliar. “I belong to no one,” he said harshly, and then he thought he felt Brianna’s ring, hot against his chest. Moray knew too much. Because of Aidan, Brianna was in the midst of their war, dangerously so. Once again, he was afraid for her.

He had lost Ian. He couldn’t lose her to evil, too.

“Do you really think I’d let young Ian live?” Frasier cried. “And if I did, do you think I would let you take him back?”

More games. Despair rose up and as hope was crushed, fury arose. “Ye played me another time. Ye lied, yet again.”

Frasier came close and said softly, “Lady Tabitha was under my spell. I am all powerful now. There is no greater entity in Alba! I chased her guides away,” Moray mocked him.

Aidan met Moray’s cruel, sadistic gaze. “Good. The truth, at last.” Before he could draw his sword, a dozen giants, all possessed with extraordinary strength, seized him. He knew he could fling them off, one by one, but he did not attempt to do so. “What do ye want?” he asked. “Because I willna do yer evil. Ye canna turn me now.”

“No son defies his father and no one defies me,” Frasier cried, red eyes ablaze. “You will pay for your defiance. Only then will you die.”

“I have paid. Ye stole my son. Ye took his life.”

“By defying me, you deny me your great powers, which should be mine! Only one of us can triumph—the goddess said so. It will be me.” Moray trembled in anger.

Aidan stared, wondering if a goddess had actually promised Moray victory. If so, that would explain his hanging. “Which goddess do ye consort with? Is that how ye survived Malcolm’s beheading?”

Moray smiled. “Aye. Faola saved me that day.”

“Why would a goddess help ye survive?”

Moray snarled, “I’m her son. Once, I was her favorite.”

Aidan went still. He was the son of a deamhan and the grandson of a great goddess. It explained so much. It explained the Choosing and his healing powers. It explained why he had never been entirely turned.

“Long ago, I served the Brotherhood,” Moray said. “The fall is not what you fear. The fall frees a man. The fall could have freed you. Faola helped me survive the vanquishing because of the trial between us. ’Tis written.”

Aidan tensed. This war was written by the gods?

“She was so hot and lovely last night,” Moray whispered in his ear.

Horror began. His heart thundered. “Ye win. I give up.”

“Really?” Moray laughed. “I will take your lady love and use her endlessly. I will cause her unimaginable pain, and even greater fear.”

Aidan’s racing heart slowed. He would never allow Brianna such a Fate. A ruthless calm descended. He would gladly give his life for Brianna Rose. Once he was gone, Moray would have no reason to hunt her, torture her and murder her.

She deserved that much from him.

He looked at his father.

Moray smiled. “Your power is still so fresh, but it doesn’t match mine.”

Aidan sent all of his power at him, as he had never used it before.

Moray answered in kind.

Their powers met in the short distance between them with explosive force. Chairs fell, the table cracked, lights fell and fires started. Aidan was hurled backward by the explosion, into the wall.

Before he could get up, a blade pierced his throat. He looked up at Moray, who smiled down at him. “Will you die for her?”

“Yes.”

“Arrest him.”

As he was seized again, Aidan instinctively tried to leap back in time, to the moment he had left Brie at Awe. Nothing happened.