Thoughts of why we were being chased, of why I was the target suddenly bloomed. I was the last Daughter of Winter. Cailleach’s descendant. The one prophesied to end a centuries-old war with an immortal Druid. A man who broke the Druidic Code to worship a dark god.
A familiar panic settled in my bones, an urge to run away from it all. I wasn’t equipped to carry out the role that destiny had planned for me. How could I be? Thanks to my father, I’d grown up secreted away, completely ignorant of the prophecy. And the man destined to protect me had only discovered my existence days before—all because my grandmother, the previous Daughter of Winter, was murdered. The reminder sent a chill down my spine, but I’d made my decision on the plane, knew that running away from my destiny wasn’t an option. Too many variables would keep me chained to its path, including the man destined to protect me—Gage.
We were still in danger, still needed to get to the Estate. And from what Gage had said last night, it was the only place where I would be safe. My nerves settled at that false sense of security. The noise of the coffee machine came again, interrupting my musings.
Ian didn’t see me approach; he was busy frothing his milk as the machine poured coffee into his mug. The aroma was rich and pungent.
I leaned against the bifold doors that separated the living room from the kitchen. “Good morning, Ian.”
He glanced up, face erupting into a smile. “Good morning! Did I wake you?”
“I was already awake,” I lied.
“Good. I have an unhealthy penchant for coffee.” He gestured to the machine. “Want one?”
I shook my head. “Thank you, but no. I don’t drink coffee.”
“What?” His dark chocolate eyebrows shot above his glasses. “You don’t drink coffee? Everybody drinks coffee!”
I shrugged. “I don’t like the taste.”
He looked aghast. “All right then, a tea?”
“That would be lovely. Any herbal will do, please.”
His face immediately fell. “That I can’t do.”
I smiled. “Water it is, then.”
He grabbed a glass from the cupboard above his head, filled it with tap water, and brought it over to me. “I guess you’re going to tell me you’re vegan as well?” he asked as our fingers met.
I gave a short laugh, accepting the glass. “Close. I’m vegetarian.”
“Well, you can’t blame me; the vegans I’ve met never drink coffee.”
The kitchen was just large enough to accommodate a small table with three chairs. I took one, surprised that I didn’t feel uncomfortable in his presence, even though we’d only met for the first time last night.
“Where’s Gage?”
Ian waved a hand down the short hallway leading off the kitchen. “Sleeping in the spare bedroom.”
Surprising. I’d never seen Gage sleep, had wondered if he even needed to. He’d always appeared invincible, tireless. It was also the first time he’d left me unguarded, which meant he clearly trusted Ian.
“I apologize for falling asleep during the drive,” I murmured as Ian turned back to his coffee and poured the frothed milk into his mug. “And thank you so much for coming to get us and putting us up for the night.”
Coffee mug firmly grasped in one hand; Ian waved the other in instant dismissal. “You’re more than welcome. I was glad to offer assistance. Besides, having another face around that’s not Gage is a nice surprise.”
The comment betrayed a lot about their relationship. It was another shock, for Gage appeared to need nothing and nobody. I’d also assumed he didn’t have friends. “You two seem close.”
“We’ve known each other for a long time.” His eyes slid to mine as he added, “And we have the prophecy in common. I’m sure Gage told you I’m also one of the descendants.”
I nodded. “Yes, he told me before you arrived. It’s all we appear to have in common, too. Gage seems to be the dark, silent type who likes to give orders.”
Ian gave a faint smile as he took the seat opposite. “Gage keeps to himself. It’s true he’s not the warmest to have around, but he’s the most trustworthy person I know.” His expression sobered as he added, “I know for a fact he’ll do everything in his power to keep you safe, Brydie. Never question that.”
“Because prophecy dictates it?” I returned sharply.
He frowned. “He’s not a bad person, Brydie. Regardless of whether prophecy pulls his strings in his role as your Guardian, I know Gage. He’d never intentionally harm anyone.”
I bit my lip, wondering if he knew that Gage had kidnapped me and brought me to Scotland without my consent. If Ian knew the full story, would he still side with his friend and accept the methods used? But now wasn’t the time to find out. I took a sip of my water and changed the subject. “What’s your ability? Gage told me we all have an element that we naturally gravitate toward.”
“Not me, I’m Dormant. I’ve no magic to speak of.”
My brows rose. “So, you’re not a Druid then?”
“What makes you say that?” He cocked his head to the side. “Performing magic isn’t what makes you a Druid—being born of the blood does.”
My nose wrinkled at the term. “Born of the blood?”
Ian considered me. “You really don’t know?”
I shook my head, again frustrated that I was the ignorant one. “No. I only just discovered who I am”—I gestured at the pendant on my chest—"and what this all means, a few days ago.”
“I heard the story,” he said sympathetically. “How is it that the descendent grew up unaware of her heritage?”
“Nora thought I was Dormant,” I said quietly. “Which made her believe that she would be the one to end the prophecy, especially as the descendants began aligning with the tattoos.” I flicked a pointed look to the inside of his right forearm, where a tattoo written in the Ogham script was visible on his skin.
“And she thought that by keeping you ignorant, she could save you from unnecessarily learning the history of your legacy?” guessed Ian.
I nodded.
Understanding glimmered in his eyes. “You look just like Nora, you know. I’ve seen pictures of her when she was younger. But even without them, the family resemblance is strong. You have the same hair, same eyes, even the same posture. It’s uncanny, and a wonder that your existence remained hidden for this long.”
I automatically lifted a hand to my hair, smoothing the long, ash-blond strands that extended to my waist. My unruly mane was very different from Nora’s coiffured look. “I don’t know about that; she always appeared very refined.”
His lips tipped slightly. “Yes, Nora did have her airs.”
There was a moment of silence as Ian took a gulp of coffee, then offered, “To answer your question, the term ‘of the blood’ is an old one. It refers back to one’s lineage, or the first Druid of your line. Each family’s powers are inherited from their ancestors, and every family has its own individual strengths and abilities. The first Druids were the children of twelve of the most powerful Celtic deities of the time. They inherited a sample of that power.”
“So, I am one of many descended from a Celtic god?” Did that mean I wasn’t alone in all this?
He burst that bubble when he shook his head, a crooked smile on his lips. “’Fraid not. There’s only a few of you with clean bloodlines. You’re the only child in our clan who is directly descended from Cailleach without any dilution in the family line. Others became interbred.”
His answers prompted more questions. “What do you mean?”
“The Oaken Tree is our clan, right? I know Gage told you that. What ties us all together is our allegiance to one of the gods. In our case, it’s Cailleach. Her prophecy cements that.”