“It means that the two of you are connected despite being on opposite sides of the portal. You can communicate.”
CHAPTER 18
Duncan
Mackenna’s footsteps sounded on the cobbled stones behind me. For a lass, she had a sure, strong gait—not like that of a dainty damsel in distress, but the presence of an Amazon warrior. Now, thanks to her dedication, she was beginning to fight like one.
As she approached the bench, she stopped. It was endearing that she assumed she could watch me without my knowing it. And I allowed her that misconception, although, in truth, I was attuned to her presence in a way that was almost supernatural.
I remembered how it felt when I landed in Chicago with the purpose of escorting her back to Doon to face the Eldritch Limbus. The instant I stepped off the plane, I could feel my heart—the one that beat inside her chest—pulling me on an invisible tether. By the time I got to the theater, my entire body vibrated with the need to reclaim my soul mate.
Mackenna’s name on the marquee and her face on the color advertisements beckoned to me. The performance was sold out, so I paid a young couple six times the price to get their tickets. As I walked through the lobby, my hands began to shake so badly I could hardly manage to hold the program.
From my seat in the darkened third row, I could feel her in the wings—and when she made her grand entrance, I had to bite my lip to keep from calling out. Although her dialogue was humorous, I fought the urge to weep. After months of being numb, every nerve in my body sprang to life. Suddenly, I was alive again to experience the excruciating agony of loving Mackenna Reid.
“Boo!”
I started, causing Mackenna to chuckle as she leaned over the back of the bench. “Guess you didn’t hear me sneaking up on you. I’m getting good at this.”
“Come and sit with me.” As she rounded the bench, I turned away, pretending to stare at the moon while I surreptitiously wiped at my face with the palms of my hands. For what needed to be done, it would serve no purpose for her to see me teary-eyed. Thankfully, she was too preoccupied to notice.
She reached over and grasped my hand. “Guess what?”
“What?” I asked. I focused on the river lest my emotions betray me.
“Your hand’s all wet. Duncan, are you sweating? Maybe you’re getting sick.” She touched my forehead with the back of her free hand. “You don’t feel hot.”
“I’m not. Come here and warm a lad up.” I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close to my chest. As she rested her cheek against my shirt, I felt her heart beating for the both of us. “What am I to be guessin’?”
Mackenna sighed, and I felt her exhalation sweep through my body down to my toes. “I’ve been having these crazy dreams about Vee, and Fiona thinks we’re having a Calling. Do you know what that means?”
She paused as I processed the information with growing excitement. “That you should be able to communicate.”
“Geez!” She sat up and twisted in her seat to face me. “Am I the only one who didn’t know this?”
The mock outrage on her face was adorable. “Apparently, woman.”
She swatted at my bicep. “Don’t you ‘woman’ me. I’m a modern lass, remember. There’s no way I should be expected to know all your crazy Doonian hoodoo.”
“It’s not hoodoo. It’s destiny. The bridge should be ready by the day after tomorrow.” I pointed toward the darkened construction site where scaffolding supported the recently completed bridge. “But we only have one of the Rings of Aontacht. Without the other, we won’t be able to cross.”
I had dropped the other ring, the ruby encircled with gold, when we’d fled Doon. After an extensive search of the riverbank, I was fair certain that it hadn’t ended up in the modern world—which meant it was still in Doon. I just hoped that one of my kinsmen had found it and returned it to Queen Veronica. If the witch had it, we were in serious trouble.
“Son of a Sondheim! I didn’t think about Aunt Gracie’s ring.”
I took both her hands in mine. Her flesh felt chilled to the touch, so I gently rubbed her skin. “Why would ye? But we need to find out if the queen is in possession of