Book Seven In The Guardians of the Isles
They have seven days to break the curse…
Banished to the Gairloch woods near Dunvegan Castle and cast with a spell that turns her into a beast, fairy Gille Dubh retains enough magic to protect the woodlands and lost children. She’s lonely, and in peril, but her solitary life is better than the torment of the fairy realm. When local villagers try to capture Gille, she’s rescued by a handsome MacLeod warrior, who asks a favor.
Callum MacLeod is both warrior and musician, yet when he learns locals hunt a rumored magical creature, he rides to the rescue hoping to save the beast and perhaps free his mother’s ghost, the Grey Lady. Callum and Gille prevail, yet as they escape the burning forest, an unseen enemy emerges, dooming Gille and perhaps the entire MacLeod clan. Time is running out for Gille, who’s temporarily transformed into a stunning beauty by the magic steeped into the castle walls. Their foes gather even as she and Callum fall deeply in love. Callum’s loyalties are tested. Will he use the legendary Fairy Flag to save his clan or the mysterious woman he loves?
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Shafts of morning light pierced the thick canopy, dappling the moss-covered ground. The air smelled of damp earth with a hint of salt from open waters beyond Loch Dunvegan. He came to the forest today for one purpose: to find the fairy who lived here and bring her back to his home. His mother’s existence hung in the balance, and even though he didn’t like the fact he would be asking a fairy for help, Gille was his only hope.
As Callum ventured deeper, the forest around him came alive. Ferns brushed against his legs, rustling leaves overhead seemed to announce his arrival, and unseen creatures scurried away. He followed a narrow path, guided only by his desperation.
He could see no one, yet he sensed a presence. He pushed forward, heart pounding, until he reached a glade bathed in sunlight. The sensation of someone watching him sent a shiver across his flesh. “Who’s there?” he asked, standing perfectly still, listening for any sound to indicate the fairy’s presence. “I mean you no harm.”
There was no response, not even the slightest intake of breath.
All the same, Callum sensed Gille was close. He steeled himself for what he had to ask. “I have come to request your help. My mother is . . . dying.” The last word caught in his throat. It was not entirely the truth, for his mother was already dead. However, she was fading away and would soon be lost to them in a way that she had not been before her murder.
“Please.” His voice was raw. “I must have your help.”
The rustle of leaves sounded towards his left. He turned to see a creature rising from the forest floor covered in a cloak of moss-covered leather. She pushed back her hood to reveal red hair that reflected the morning light yet hid her features from him. Even so, he knew this was Aria’s sister, Gille.
“Why do you think I can help you? And why seek me out now when I have lived within walking distance of Dunvegan for the past year?”
He frowned. “Does no one come to see you? Not even Aria or your mother?”
Her emerald-green eyes held the weight of centuries. “The only ones who come are the villagers who want my magic for themselves.” Her gaze narrowed to slits. “Everyone wants something from me. Even you.” Her words carried as much hurt as anger.
He met her gaze, and his breath caught. Her pupils were dilated to an unnatural extent and devoid of any warmth, giving her a predatory appearance. “I will not lie to you. I had forgotten about you until yesterday.” She was not the same fairy he remembered. A hint of danger surrounded her and her rugged almost beastly appearance. Her hair was tangled, her skin streaked with dirt, and her features were somewhat distorted.
She turned her face away, hiding her emotions. “You have all been enjoying yourselves so much that you barely spared a thought for who was no longer among you.”
“The last year has not been an easy one, if that is what you think. The MacLeods have faced many dangers.”
When she turned back to face him, her expression was blank. “And I have had no difficulties at all, here in the woods all alone.”
“That is not what I meant.” Callum pressed his lips together. She would not make this easy on him. If he wanted her help, he would have to at least appear remorseful for not remembering about the fairy he only wanted to forget. “I apologise if we hurt you.” His words sounded sincere as he held her gaze.
She shrugged. “At least it was you who came today and not the villagers. They are getting more aggressive every time they come to search for me.”
His gaze dropped to the unusual cloak she wore. “You are very adept at concealing yourself.”
“Out of necessity.” She pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders as silence settled between them.
Callum took a step forward. Despite her anger at being forgotten, he was determined to persuade the fairy to help his mother. “Do you remember my mother?”
She nodded, then tilted her head, assessing him. As her hair fell away from her face, he could finally see her features more clearly. Despite her beautiful eyes, her face was pale, her nose seemed flatter rather than rounded, her brow jutted forward slightly. As sisters, how could Aria be so ethereal and Gille be almost animalistic?
He shook off the thought. Her looks mattered not. It was her magic he needed. “Lady Janet needs your help. Aria and Pearl have both tried to stop her from fading away, but they were unsuccessful. Without your intervention, she will die.”
“Your mother is a ghost, and already dead. I cannot save her. You have wasted your time coming here.” Her voice was tight. “Go home and forget all about me again.”
Gille started to turn around, but Callum caught her arm. “My mother is fading away. Without your help she will be restlessly trapped in the spirit realm for all eternity.”
Gille jerked away from him, and her eyes narrowed once more. “I do not know if I even have magic any longer. Oberon has taken everything from me, why not that too?”
He frowned. “You mean you have never tried to escape these woods by using your magic?”
“If your mother remembers me, she should have also remembered that I am cursed. I cannot leave.”
“You can leave for a short time.” His frown deepened. “Why did you not try to come back to Dunvegan?”
Anger flashed in her eyes. “I . . . you know nothing about—” The anger in her eyes was replaced by a sudden flash of fear at the sound of leaves rustling in the distance. “I must go.” She pulled her hood up over her red hair and raced past him into the denser woodlands.
“Wait!” Callum sprinted after her. He usually had no trouble keeping up with his older brothers, but this woman was light on her feet, flying over the root buttresses that slowed him down as if they were no obstacle at all. She wove her way through the trees, gaining distance, until she somehow seemed to vanish.