Sacrifice of Greatest Price

Prologue

Come, Dattr. It is time. The hell transporter’s crimson robe fell away from his outstretched hand as he beckoned the spider toward him. Steady and firm, the hand did not reveal the excitement that coursed through him at the thought. Oh, how long he’d waited for this moment. Centuries were but a flicker of the eye, the seasons falling away one after the other for two millenia while he’d waited for the sign that had only just come.

The powerful storm that had kicked up in the islands north of the Scottish mainland by itself would not have garnered a mention from news reporters. The weather in Orkney was wildly unpredictable, often sweeping from clear, blue skies to pelting hail in the space of an hour, so lightning in the middle of the day would hardly have been called newsworthy. No, it was the accompanying power surge that had drawn their attention. The blackout had extended across the water as far south as Inverness. The locals were completely dumbfounded, but Torag knew what it meant. When news crews flooded the area, trying to divine the center of the storm, they discovered a standing stone cracked in half, like it had been nothing more than a piece of paper ripped in two by a toddler’s clumsy hands. What could have possibly done this? Other stone circles dotted the isles, some of them with broken pieces, but they’d always been that way. No stone had been torn in two in recorded history, so they could only guess at the cause. Was this what had happened at Stonehenge? The theories swirled like dust, insubstantial and easily blown asunder. The blackout was over almost before it started, and so, without finding answers, the reporters left, seeking mayhem elsewhere, and leaving Torag to wait for the next full moon to begin building his army.

The tarantula slowly made her way toward her master, the placement of each hairy leg an exercise in patience. She was getting old and would die soon, he thought with a shrug. Everything did. Everything and everyone died except him. No matter. When that day came, a new Dattr would take her place. He’d stopped counting the number of spiders who’d been his companion. When he’d first been brought back to life, the Master of Hell had given him one goal and he’d failed at carrying it out. The millenia could not erase the shame and guilt that came with that knowledge. The need to rectify his failure burned like a hot poker in his chest. He’d tried amassing a transporter army before, to help him in his quest, bringing them through the full moon’s portal one at a time, but without knowing where the rest of the stones were, his created soldiers had been useless. And unlike him, they grew old and died again.

That wicked girl had stolen everything from him.

And of course, she’d been gone for over two thousand years, but his hatred for her was just as fresh as it had been the day she ran off with his precious gems and dagger, damning him to this tormented existence. He had to consciously resist curling his fingers into a fist as Dattr finally made her way up his hand and across his arm to rest on his shoulder.

The windows rattled with the force of the wind and rain outside. Moonlight streamed into the room, interrupted only by the flickering candles around his altar. He stepped forward, chanting an incantation in a tongue that had not survived the ages, the one he was born to speak.

Ceriida telus kvarial

Hubride shalaa miejr

His hand disappeared into the folds of his cloak briefly as he extracted a sgian dubh with a razor sharp edge. On the altar rested a small cauldron, already brimming with the blood of an innocent girl he’d slain that morning in preparation for the evening’s rites. She was a street urchin; she would not be missed. Light as a feather in his steely grip, she’d made a soft, gurgling sound as he’d sliced the blade across her neck, extracting the necessary ingredient for his birthing ceremony. He’d dropped her in the shadows beside a dumpster to be collected with the day’s trash. She’d served her purpose. He felt no remorse.

Reveloria onghamii plius

Desari sodam glarava

The storm kicked up outside as he drew nearer the cauldron. A quick flash of silver and his own essence was mingling with that of the urchin’s. Drip. Hiss. Drip. Hiss. His nostrils flared at the familiar scent of the now writhing pool of blood.

Decevus uighel hy yawe

Torag avear iuyovir da

A shimmering haze formed in the air above the cauldron. Voice rising with each phrase, he lifted both arms and called to the souls on the other side of the portal. He felt their response to his summons like a vise grip on his lungs. His body shook with the effort to keep the wavering portal alive. Hell itself pressed against the thin film, straining to be set free, yearning for the gates to be thrown open at last, the goal he had so utterly failed at before, but now lay within his reach.

Terio mi cinarr su

Ao ghaeb muertis don

The immortality stone slipped from his grasp and landed in the cauldron. White hot flames shot toward the roof, forcing him back, pressing him into the floor. Screeches like nails being rent from a board echoed in the space. Dattr’s fangs sank into his neck in reaction to the unholy presence that filled the air. He welcomed the pain, the chance to focus on something other than the shards of his soul being torn from him and handed over to the newcomer who was emerging from the portal. It had been over a thousand years since he’d last performed this ceremony, and while he hadn’t forgotten the cost to resurrect a hell transporter, the memories had dimmed over time.

And then, with a hiss and a pop like a light bulb going out, the portal disappeared, leaving a naked, disoriented, and angry man at his feet. Torag stood and pressed his boot into the side of the transporter’s face, establishing his dominance like he was the lead wolf in a pack.

You live only because I have willed it, and should I change my mind, you will live no more.

A pause, and then, Yes, master. The man struggled to nod from beneath Torag’s foot. With a final push that elicited a groan from the newcomer, Torag released him and bid him rise.

Come, we have work to do before the next full moon when another will join us.

Chapter 1

Huge didn’t even begin to cover it. I was immense. Like elephantine, I swear. Nine months of pregnancy—which, at forty weeks, is really ten months if you ask me—had ballooned my belly out to mammoth proportions, not to mention my butt. I was so swollen that I waddled when I walked and my bellybutton had popped out to signify that the baby was fully baked and ready to come out. But my due date had come and gone, creating a new level of impatience that I didn’t know I possessed. Mom was calling me every day, asking in that grating, hopeful tone, Have you had the baby yet? Yes, Mom, I went into labor last week and just forgot to mention it to you. Sorry about that.

Okay, I know I was in a pissy mood, but I didn’t have the energy to care. My pelvic bones ground together when I walked. The doctor said my sciatic nerve was pinched, which was causing all sorts of problems. I’d never even heard of this stupid nerve, but it had taken over my life. Regardless of whether I was lying down or standing up, I was uncomfortable and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I’d heard enough horror stories about the pain of childbirth to last me a lifetime, but I’d had no idea women went through this amount of suffering before the labor pains even started. Exhaustion pulled at me with leaden fingers. Sleep came in sporadic chunks because just when I’d really konk out, my teeny weeny bladder would wake me moments later. Aiden tried to rationalize it, saying that my body was preparing me for getting up every two hours to feed the baby, but honestly, that made no sense at all. Wouldn’t it be smarter to be strong, healthy, and well-rested than in a near-zombie state when the big day came? I mean, seriously. Who came up with this crap?

Shaking my head, I made my way into the new nursery that Aiden and Ian had spent all summer building. The cottage where we lived on the MacKinnons’ property was too small for our growing family, but Ian wouldn’t hear of us leaving. Construction is Ian’s business, after all, so I guess it wasn’t that big of a deal for him to add on a room to the little house. He tried to downplay it, but every time I saw him working side by side with Aiden, laying the foundation, putting up walls, pounding in nails…it made my heart catch and my bottom lip would start to quiver. My hormones had been all over the place and it seemed I would cry at the stupidest things, but that—Aiden and Ian working together like father and son in preparation for this baby—that got me every time. At least I’d been out of their hair for the majority of the summer, since I spent most of my time at the school, cramming in enough classes to compensate for having to take the fall semester off. I’d even made special arrangements with my professors to take finals ahead of time just in case the baby arrived early. Of course, none of that extra work had been necessary, since my due date had passed and I was still humongously pregnant.

Nice.

Standing in the doorway of the nursery, I let my gaze travel over the results of Aiden and Ian’s handiwork for what seemed the millionth time. Late afternoon sunbeams streaked through the soft white curtains and blended into the pastel yellow walls. Horses of every size and color danced along the border just below the ceiling. A mobile hung over the crib, its tempting little brown foals just out of reach. Sarah had sewn a stuffed animal for the baby—a cream-colored horse with blue eyes like one of the Lusitanians that King Louis XIV loved—and it watched me from within the crib like it, too, was waiting. They’d done all of this for me, for the baby, for our little family. Emotion swelled in my throat and I didn’t even bother to wipe away the tear that slipped down my cheek.

Resting my hand on the swell of my stomach, I felt the baby stir underneath my palm.

When are you coming, little one? I asked aloud. Mommy wants to meet you.

Mommy. The word felt so odd on my tongue. Me, the mommy.

Craziness.

She’s not the only one, said a deep, Scottish voice behind me. I turned and smiled into Aiden’s handsome face.

I didn’t hear you come in, I said as he wrapped his arms around me and placed a lingering kiss on my lips. My huge belly made it impossible for us to get very close, but I still breathed in the scent of him. He smelled like the woods. Have you been out riding? I thought you were helping Ian out at the big house.

Aye, we finished and I came back earlier but you were napping and I didn’t want to wake ye, so I took Fallon out for a wee gallop to stretch his legs. His hands stroked down my arms, then he turned me so that my back was pressed flush against him. He rubbed the sides of my jutting stomach lightly. I placed my hands over his and our fingers intertwined, resting together, as our eyes lingered over the baby’s room.

Do ye like it, then? he asked with a quick kiss on my temple.

You know I do, silly. I’ve said so a thousand times.

A moment of silence and then, Do ye think the babe will like it?

Oh, so that’s what he’s getting at.

Of course he will. Or she will. Either way. It’s beautiful. We’d talked about whether or not to find out the sex of the baby beforehand and Aiden was decidedly against it. I’d tried rationalizing with him, telling him all the reasons why it would be better to know in advance: we wouldn’t waste energy coming up with a boy’s name and a girl’s name; we could pick out clothes in pink or blue rather than having to stick to neutral colors; and we could say things like ‘he’ or ‘she’ when referring to the baby. But women didn’t know the gender of their children before the birth back in his day, so he felt it was unnatural. I told him it was called progress, but in the end, he won.

Stubborn Scot.

For me, I would have loved to get a peek, if only to have one thing settled. Even though Aiden had adamantly refused to even contemplate that the child could be Eagan’s, that hell transporter blood could run in the baby’s veins, the fact remained that I’d slept with Eagan in Between and when I’d returned to Earth, I was carrying this child. In my defense, Eagan had tricked me into thinking he was Aiden, but still…

A dark cloud of worry had colored everything about the pregnancy for me. I’d tried to keep my fears from Aiden, tried to lock them away where they couldn’t touch us, but they still burned inside me, demanding answers. And I had none. Only questions.

As if he could sense my shifting mood, Aiden turned me to face him. One hand lightly stroked the hair away from my temple.

When I finished my ride, Ian met me out at the barn. He and Sarah have a surprise for us. We’re to come to the house as soon as you’re ready. Shall we be off to see what it is? The dimple in his smile chased away my dark thoughts and I took a deep breath. Well, as deep a breath as I could manage with limited lung space.

A surprise, huh? Don’t you think they’ve done enough for us already? I gestured to the nursery with one hand.

That they have. But love knows no bounds. Not theirs for us. And not mine for you.

His lips lowered over mine, soft and seeking. I opened for him and tasted him, allowed myself to get lost in him for a moment. When we pulled apart, his blue eyes had darkened and gone fuzzy around the edges.

Perhaps they can wait just a moment longer… He reached down and picked me up, making me squeak in surprise. He grinned, obviously proud of his ability to still carry me in his arms. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Damn, I am so lost to this man.

You know, they say that sex can bring on labor, I said in a teasing tone.

What? he said, his jaw dropping open so dramatically that I laughed harder. Truly? he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Stop it. You’re going to make me pee.

With a flourish, he set me back on my feet and gave me a raucous wink. Fine, pee. And then we’re going to test this theory of yours. I reckon we’ve waited long enough to meet this bairn, aye? With a smack on my bottom, he chased me down the hall to our tiny bathroom and waited for me, then led me into the bedroom where he proved just how creative he could be in getting his way.

Flushed and smiling, we headed outside to the car to drive the short distance to Ian and Sarah’s grand home. Normally, we would enjoy the late summer sunshine and walk hand in hand through the lush, green landscape that made up the MacKinnons’ land, but my pelvic bones made it difficult to walk a distance of any length. When I’d asked the doctor what could be done to fix the problem, he’d said, Have the baby. A regular riot, that one. I wanted to chop his balls off.

Aiden shut the front door behind us and brushed past the row of dahlias blooming in the yard. It was the first week of September and they were bursting with color: reds, yellows, pinks. My favorite was a ginormous purple and white specked flower the size of a dinner plate. Hey, kinda like me.

Sunlight glinted on Aiden’s blond hair as he turned and linked his fingers through mine for the short walk to the car. An overwhelming sense of home welled up in me all of a sudden and I stopped, feeling that traitorous bottom lip start to quiver again.

What is it, love? he asked softly, but I shook my head. Sheesh—I went from scowling over the doctor’s attempt at humor to nearly crying over love for my husband in the space of two breaths. I was completely losing my mind.

Thankfully, Aiden took my roller coaster of emotions in stride, and offered me a smile as he opened the car door and helped me fold myself into the seat. His right hand rested lightly on my thigh as we drove through the woods to see what surprise awaited us. Though I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with a guess of what it might be. Between Sarah, my mom, and my college friends, I’d had several baby showers, so we had everything we needed for the baby’s arrival.

Rex, the MacKinnons’ black lab, was sleeping on the white wraparound porch, as always. He lifted his head in greeting as we pulled into the circular drive, then promptly dropped it back down onto his paws to resume his nap. An unfamiliar green sedan with Thrifty car rental plates was parked in front of the house. I gestured toward it with a questioning look as Aiden helped me out of the car, but he just shrugged.

As we ascended the steps to the porch, the front door burst open.

Surprise!

Two identical faces, flushed with mischief and excitement, glowed down at me. Moira and Janette MacKinnon stood in the doorway with their hands open wide like they were the final number in a Broadway show. I hadn’t seen them since our wedding back in Scotland, nine months earlier.

My mouth fell open and before I could even muster a stunned What are you doing here?, the girls vaulted down the steps and surrounded me in a huge hug. I couldn’t help it. Tears started streaming down my face as I tried to hug both of them at once. Aiden’s exclamation at my side had me turning to take in the second part of our surprise, as both Joanna and Mark—the twins’ parents—appeared in the doorway. Aiden clasped forearms with Mark in greeting as Joanna peeled the twins off long enough for me to finish making my way up the stairs.

Since you’re past your due date, we thought we’d shock you and see if we couldn’t get a little action started down there, Moira said while patting my belly.

Finally finding my voice, I said, I appreciate the help. But what are you guys doing here? And how long have you known you were coming? And why didn’t you tell me? You brats! My smile was so wide, my cheeks hurt. The twins both started talking at once and I could hardly make out a word of what they were saying, their Scottish accents coming out thicker than usual in their excitement.

—help ye wi’ the babe.

—could use the company.

—finished A levels.

—want to see America.

—hot guys with those accents.

Then they both made a swooning motion and dissolved into giggles. Aiden rolled his eyes and strode inside the house, apparently uninterested in hearing about the twins’ desire to meet cute American boys.

Girls, Joanne said, why don’t we go inside where Lindsey can sit down?

I threw her a grateful smile and followed them into the MacKinnons’ country mansion, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

~

When did you guys get in? I asked Joanne as we walked through the MacKinnons’ living room with its high ceilings and soft, cushy furniture. The afghan Sarah had been working on was draped over the arm of one couch, a basket full of yarn on the floor beneath.

Just this morning, actually, she said, trying to cover a yawn with her fingers.

I’ll bet you guys are knackered, I said. The twins snickered at my use of their phrase. What? You guys are rubbing off on me. In fact, I’m really chuffed that you’re here. Moira snorted and called me a bampot under her breath. Hey, I know what that means, I said, waggling my finger at her. You forget I married a Scotsman.

Janette’s head swiveled toward Aiden and her eyes got all soft and dreamy. Like we could ever forget him, she said with a blissful sigh, then snapped to attention as she realized everyone was staring at her. Aiden’s mouth quirked up on one side at Janette’s bright pink face. Er…do I smell food? she squeaked before practically sprinting through the double French doors onto the side patio.

I take it back. She’s the bampot, Moira said, following behind her and shaking her head.

Ian was outside, flipping meat on the barbeque. A white apron tied around his middle read, The Scotsman Always Gets the Grill. He turned as we filed out onto the deck and his face lit up when he saw me. Hallo, lass. How’s the wee one today?

Ready to come out, I think. Better late than never, right?

All in good time, he said. Would you prefer a burger or steak?

Um, do you have any chicken?

He winked and waved his spatula over the grill, showing off the chicken breast he already had cooked and waiting for me.

Rocking onto my tiptoes, I pressed a kiss to his cheek. You’re a sweetheart, you know that?

Gotta take care of my girls, don’t I? he said with a quick glance over to Sarah who was pouring lemonade for everyone. Think we’ll have one more?

Maybe, I answered while stroking my belly. Just then, Aiden came up to me with a plate and we settled into the business of getting food. Sarah had laid out a ridiculously elaborate spread for their relatives. The last time I’d seen that much food in one place was at our wedding in Eilean Donan Castle. Mark and Joanne MacKinnon had welcomed the two of us into their home in Scotland, no questions asked, and treated us like family from the very first. They’d never pressed Aiden for details about why his family wasn’t attending the wedding. They’d enfolded us, loved us, cared for us, and now here they were, thousands of miles away from home in order to be here for the birth of our child. My throat thickened with emotion and I took a drink of lemonade to pull myself together.

Conversation swirled around me like a warm breeze, flowing easily like the fountain in the backyard pond. My ear caught a snippet of a story I’d heard before, of how Ian and Sarah had met, and I smiled, listening to him tell their tale.

I love hearing how people met their spouses, I said, turning to Mark and Joanne. What about you two? How did you meet?

Joanne shifted in her seat while Mark cleared his throat. Neither one of them spoke for a moment longer than was comfortable and then both began speaking at once.

My mum worked for his father—

—knew each other as children.

A strange silence followed their words as I tried to puzzle out why this was a hard question. What weren’t they saying? Joanne’s eyes locked onto mine with a knowing stare that made me squirm in my seat.

It’s not very exciting, she said with a wave of her hand. Not like how you and Aiden met, I’m sure.

My heart started racing as she held my gaze. She couldn’t know, could she? We’d told Ian and Sarah the truth about Aiden being a transporter, but they wouldn’t tell anyone, I was certain of it. So why was she staring at me like she was urging me to tell the truth? Panic swirled inside me, but I forced a casual laugh.

We met at a grocery store. Not very exciting after all, I said. Was that disappointment I saw in Joanne’s eyes? Then she turned and asked Sarah where she’d found the pattern for the afghan she was knitting, and just like that, conversations resumed all around me. But I just sat there, stunned. What the hell had just happened? A quick glance at Aiden told me he hadn’t caught the exchange, and I started to wonder if I’d imagined the whole thing. I was a hormonal mess, after all. In fact, I’d found myself having odd pains here and there, ones I couldn’t explain, feeling like I’d cut myself when I hadn’t. I hadn’t mentioned anything to Aiden, since it didn’t make any sense and I didn’t want to freak him out. This thing with Joanne was obviously one more example of me losing my mind. Freaking pregnancy. I didn’t even care if it was going to hurt like hell; I wanted this childbirth thing over with. Stat.

Lindsey? Moira’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Janette and I want to see your school. Would you take us there after supper?

Oh, sure, I replied, making a concerted effort to focus on the present moment instead of things I couldn’t control. It’s a beautiful campus. But there won’t be any cute guys around, since summer school is out and the fall semester hasn’t started yet.

None at all? Janette sounded truly horrified, like they’d wasted a perfectly good trip to America by coming at the wrong time.

Well, maybe a couple… I said.

Two is all we need. Right, sis? Moira responded with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Aye. That’s not so much to ask, is it? Janette grinned and I couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them. Weird moment with Joanne aside, I was so glad to have them here.

Chapter 2

Deep in the night, my bladder screamed at me, demanding that I get out of bed, even though it felt like I’d done the same thing ten minutes before. Blearily, I pulled off the covers and padded down the hall to our tiny bathroom. The cottage where we lived was originally Sarah MacKinnon’s mother’s home and it was a great size for one person. But the bathroom was minuscule, and felt even smaller now with my pregnant belly. With my eyes still closed, I wedged myself between the sink and the toilet and emptied the thimble that had become my bladder.

The baby shifted and I placed my hand over my stomach instinctively, feeling a bony knee or elbow move underneath my palm. A moment later, a swift kick underneath my ribs had me gasping for air. Damn, that hurt. Groaning, I hurried to finish up, thinking that maybe the baby would settle down if I got back into bed. When I stood to pull on my panties, I felt a pop and then a gush of fluid running down my legs. It felt like I was peeing all over myself, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I understood what was happening, but I had no idea what to do next. Should I stay in the bathroom? Should I call for Aiden?

This is it. Oh my goodness.

My heart rate kicked up with excitement and panic while I waddled sideways, then turned and tried to bend down to get a pad out of the cabinet under the sink. It was impossible. I simply couldn’t bend like that, especially not while I was streaming a river around my feet. I wanted to be self-sufficient and not wake Aiden because