Highland Protector
Page 71
“Move away, Selma,” Amber didn’t recognize her cold and calculating voice.
Selma didn’t need to be told twice. She stumbled behind Amber and Gavin.
Amber opened her gift, pushed into this man’s head. He struggled to breathe while cursing Selma. Called her a witch. He hated her… only her. Wanted to hurt her as much as he’d been hurt.
The man fell to his knees, his face turned bright red.
Amber!
No one hurts my family…my friends!
Gavin moved into her line of sight. “Amber! Stop!”
She blinked several times.
“Let him go!”
She tilted her head. Let who go?
Kincaid looked at Amber, saw the darkness swirling in the whites of her eyes.
Let him go. You’re killing him.
Amber sucked in a breath. Oh, God. Breathe.
He didn’t need to turn around to know the man behind them pulled in a desperate breath of air.
Confusion marred Amber’s brow. “What did I do?”
Kincaid gripped her shoulders. “Focus. Someone else is here.” As soon as Amber darted outside, the world darkened. Opposing forces with evil intent surrounded them all. He noticed the girls playing and before the first wolf emerged, Amber had covered the girls in the thickest layer of blue he’d ever seen. He couldn’t remember, not once, an ability to protect someone from as far away as they were. When the wolf dropped into a lifeless heap, he turned to his wife. Pulsating power surged from her and wouldn’t let him in. He couldn’t get into her head. He called her name but she didn’t respond.
She was looking at him now… his innocent wife.
“Focus.”
Amber closed her eyes and envisioned the back of the house. Someone was still there watching them.
“Stay here. Keep him from leaving.” Gavin shoved his weapon in her hand and ran to the back of the house.
Jake and his girls were in the center of the yard. One dead wolf lay on the ground, but the others were gone.
The air shifted and a high sulfur scent filled the air.
Whoever had been there was gone.
Shifted in time and gone.
****
The Arizona man, Norman Rock, was led away in handcuffs. The blood of his ex-girlfriend and her fiancé was found all over towels in the trunk of his car.
He mumbled about witches and supernatural power, which simply put him on a medical evaluation list. Kincaid knew, however, if they didn’t start placing the right barriers and protection around Mrs. Dawson’s home, the kind of finger pointing the man who’d attempted to kidnap Selma would draw attention. Unwanted and potentially dangerous attention.
The entire time the police were at the home, Amber remained silent. Her worry about what happened, why and how it happened was a constant sea of emotion inside him.
Kincaid saw the darkness in her eyes but, more than that, he’d felt the darkness inside them both. His ability to force another to move in any way was limited, yet Kincaid knew he had forced Norman to throw his weapon aside. Worse, Amber tried to destroy him. Nearly did.
Helen and Selma had taken the girls inside while Simon and Jake spoke with the police, and Mrs. Dawson and Giles huddled together in the library. Kincaid and Amber stood on the porch watching the police as they finished talking.
“The prophesy is about us,” Amber said under her breath.
He wanted to deny her.
“Grainna could steal away one’s breath.”
Kincaid moved to her side and slid his arm over her shoulders. “You were saving the life of a friend, an honorable friend.”
“That isn’t the point, Gavin. I nearly killed a man with only a thought. I didn’t mourn the animal. And the animal was only acting on the will of someone else.”
Gavin stood in front of her and caught her eyes. “You’re not evil, Amber. You’re human. When the innocent around us are in trouble, we do whatever we can to save them.”
“But to kill?”
“Were you not a part of destroying Grainna? It took all of you, but you did. If you could have done it alone, wouldn’t you have tried?”
Amber squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m scared, Gavin.”
The clear sky above him cracked.
“My father’s gift is only a thought. I feel it as easily as I feel yours.”
When his insides turned on themselves, the growl of faraway thunder erupted. Gavin thought of the growl again, and the earth replied. I feel his gift, too.
A tear fell down Amber’s cheek. We’re cursed.
“No, Amber. We’re gifted. We saved innocent lives today.”
“But what if we don’t? What if the power swallows us, pushes us to her ways?”
“We’re in this together, Amber. I will keep you grounded, and you must keep me the same.”
And if we can’t?
We will. We have to believe we will.
“Promise me.”
“Promise you what?” Gavin asked.
“Promise me we’ll leave this world together if the power consumes us. On our love, promise me.”
Kincaid met her unwavering eyes. “On our love, I will do anything in my power to remove us both if the power turns us.”
****
“It’s just going to help them forget…to ease the pain.” Selma stood over the stove, her pot simmered with what Amber assumed was tea.
Jake crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled.
“Trust me.”
Amber and Kincaid moved into the room filled with their family and friends. Holding hands in unity. Honesty in the home was paramount, and they didn’t make exceptions.
If the others weren’t comfortable with the changes happening inside them both, they would leave.
The conversation ceased as they walked in.
“We need to talk with all of you.”
Selma turned the fire off the stove and moved to stand beside Jake.
Giles stood beside Mrs. Dawson while Simon took the space beside his wife.
“Go ahead, child,” Mrs. Dawson said. “We’re listening.”
Gavin smiled at the older woman. “The prophecy…it was right. We don’t know what changed to shift what’s happening inside us, but we both feel a change in our power.”
Amber watched Simon’s jaw clench. “We noticed.”
“I almost killed that man.”
Simon shook his head. “On a field of battle in our time, he would have been dead by the swiftness of a sword.”
“But I nearly did it with a thought…her thought.”
“You’re not her.”
“Nay, Simon. I’m not. But it’s here.” Amber poked her chest. “And it’s dark.”
Selma didn’t need to be told twice. She stumbled behind Amber and Gavin.
Amber opened her gift, pushed into this man’s head. He struggled to breathe while cursing Selma. Called her a witch. He hated her… only her. Wanted to hurt her as much as he’d been hurt.
The man fell to his knees, his face turned bright red.
Amber!
No one hurts my family…my friends!
Gavin moved into her line of sight. “Amber! Stop!”
She blinked several times.
“Let him go!”
She tilted her head. Let who go?
Kincaid looked at Amber, saw the darkness swirling in the whites of her eyes.
Let him go. You’re killing him.
Amber sucked in a breath. Oh, God. Breathe.
He didn’t need to turn around to know the man behind them pulled in a desperate breath of air.
Confusion marred Amber’s brow. “What did I do?”
Kincaid gripped her shoulders. “Focus. Someone else is here.” As soon as Amber darted outside, the world darkened. Opposing forces with evil intent surrounded them all. He noticed the girls playing and before the first wolf emerged, Amber had covered the girls in the thickest layer of blue he’d ever seen. He couldn’t remember, not once, an ability to protect someone from as far away as they were. When the wolf dropped into a lifeless heap, he turned to his wife. Pulsating power surged from her and wouldn’t let him in. He couldn’t get into her head. He called her name but she didn’t respond.
She was looking at him now… his innocent wife.
“Focus.”
Amber closed her eyes and envisioned the back of the house. Someone was still there watching them.
“Stay here. Keep him from leaving.” Gavin shoved his weapon in her hand and ran to the back of the house.
Jake and his girls were in the center of the yard. One dead wolf lay on the ground, but the others were gone.
The air shifted and a high sulfur scent filled the air.
Whoever had been there was gone.
Shifted in time and gone.
****
The Arizona man, Norman Rock, was led away in handcuffs. The blood of his ex-girlfriend and her fiancé was found all over towels in the trunk of his car.
He mumbled about witches and supernatural power, which simply put him on a medical evaluation list. Kincaid knew, however, if they didn’t start placing the right barriers and protection around Mrs. Dawson’s home, the kind of finger pointing the man who’d attempted to kidnap Selma would draw attention. Unwanted and potentially dangerous attention.
The entire time the police were at the home, Amber remained silent. Her worry about what happened, why and how it happened was a constant sea of emotion inside him.
Kincaid saw the darkness in her eyes but, more than that, he’d felt the darkness inside them both. His ability to force another to move in any way was limited, yet Kincaid knew he had forced Norman to throw his weapon aside. Worse, Amber tried to destroy him. Nearly did.
Helen and Selma had taken the girls inside while Simon and Jake spoke with the police, and Mrs. Dawson and Giles huddled together in the library. Kincaid and Amber stood on the porch watching the police as they finished talking.
“The prophesy is about us,” Amber said under her breath.
He wanted to deny her.
“Grainna could steal away one’s breath.”
Kincaid moved to her side and slid his arm over her shoulders. “You were saving the life of a friend, an honorable friend.”
“That isn’t the point, Gavin. I nearly killed a man with only a thought. I didn’t mourn the animal. And the animal was only acting on the will of someone else.”
Gavin stood in front of her and caught her eyes. “You’re not evil, Amber. You’re human. When the innocent around us are in trouble, we do whatever we can to save them.”
“But to kill?”
“Were you not a part of destroying Grainna? It took all of you, but you did. If you could have done it alone, wouldn’t you have tried?”
Amber squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m scared, Gavin.”
The clear sky above him cracked.
“My father’s gift is only a thought. I feel it as easily as I feel yours.”
When his insides turned on themselves, the growl of faraway thunder erupted. Gavin thought of the growl again, and the earth replied. I feel his gift, too.
A tear fell down Amber’s cheek. We’re cursed.
“No, Amber. We’re gifted. We saved innocent lives today.”
“But what if we don’t? What if the power swallows us, pushes us to her ways?”
“We’re in this together, Amber. I will keep you grounded, and you must keep me the same.”
And if we can’t?
We will. We have to believe we will.
“Promise me.”
“Promise you what?” Gavin asked.
“Promise me we’ll leave this world together if the power consumes us. On our love, promise me.”
Kincaid met her unwavering eyes. “On our love, I will do anything in my power to remove us both if the power turns us.”
****
“It’s just going to help them forget…to ease the pain.” Selma stood over the stove, her pot simmered with what Amber assumed was tea.
Jake crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled.
“Trust me.”
Amber and Kincaid moved into the room filled with their family and friends. Holding hands in unity. Honesty in the home was paramount, and they didn’t make exceptions.
If the others weren’t comfortable with the changes happening inside them both, they would leave.
The conversation ceased as they walked in.
“We need to talk with all of you.”
Selma turned the fire off the stove and moved to stand beside Jake.
Giles stood beside Mrs. Dawson while Simon took the space beside his wife.
“Go ahead, child,” Mrs. Dawson said. “We’re listening.”
Gavin smiled at the older woman. “The prophecy…it was right. We don’t know what changed to shift what’s happening inside us, but we both feel a change in our power.”
Amber watched Simon’s jaw clench. “We noticed.”
“I almost killed that man.”
Simon shook his head. “On a field of battle in our time, he would have been dead by the swiftness of a sword.”
“But I nearly did it with a thought…her thought.”
“You’re not her.”
“Nay, Simon. I’m not. But it’s here.” Amber poked her chest. “And it’s dark.”
