Free Conquer the Highland Beast: The Vampire Dylan Macgregor (Hearts of Darkness) by Eliza March

flowers, resting beneath a warm sun. Because of his foresight, she was safe for now. Alone, she couldn’t care for herself for long. She picked at the pills in the fabric of the tartan, worrying as the night grew darker. Where would she go? What would she do?
    Evie needed Dylan’s help. What more could a wee lass do? The knowledge of how quickly powerful men could be slaughtered terrified her. He had to wake up soon, or she’d go mad waiting. Torn between touching his mind or allowing him to open to her, she gave in to her frustration. She risked the fate of Dylan’s mother and called out to him again through the forest.
    “Dylan. Do ye hear me?”
    She trusted him to keep her secret as she would keep his, but there was always danger sharing her gift. An inexperienced one such as she ran the risk of touching the wrong mind and being exposed, not for her fae lineage, but as a witch. After seeing what happened through Dylan’s mind, Evie would be doubly careful about using her ability. She had no intension of suffering his mother’s fate. She would use extra care.
    ~~~~
    “Come to me, Dylan. There is safety here.”
    The voice in his head sounded weak . As if it came from a great distance. The familiar voice echoed like a ghost in his mind. “Evie, you live? Thank the stars.”
    “Aye, Da bid me hide when he heard the horsemen comin’.”
    Dylan’s heart soared. He wasn’t completely alone. He still had the daughter of his father’s best friend, Rory MacClure. Although younger by a few years, they’d spent all their lives within the same keep, playing side by side since the nursery.
    “Thank the gods , you survived.” For the first time since the attack had begun, Dylan breathed a sigh of relief, and then he grew wary. Was it really Evie or was this some trick?
    “How is it I can hear ye in my head?”
    For all the time he’d known the child, they’d never shared thoughts. Suddenly she was in his mind, speaking clear as day.
    “Come to me and I’ll explain. Dylan, please.”
    “Where are ye, lassie?”
    “I’m in the smugglers’ cave above the old yew.”
    He needed to make sure this wasn’t a trap. “What else is it called?”
    “You mean the faery cave?”
    “Aye. Stay hidden there, Evie.” Trust didn’t come easy to Dylan, not after losing everything at his uncle’s command, but not many knew of the cave’s other name. And, no one outside the close-knit clan called it the faery cave. “There’s danger afield. Do not reveal yourself to anyone but me.”
    “Whistle our tune if the path is clear, and I’ll come for you.”
    “Aye, but you stay hidden until you hear me whistle.”
    “I’ll wait for you, then. We’ll be safe for the night. I’ve a little food and a blanket to share.”
    “I’ll fetch water from the brook on the way up.”
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 9   Facing the Past
    Highland Bar and Grill, French Quarter
    “When you speak, it’s as if I’m in Evie’s head.” Max wasn’t sure where his emotions left off and Dylan’s picked up. “I can even feel the young girl’s fear, Dylan. Why?”
    “I could read her mind. We shared much over the ensuing years. You experienced a small part of my gift when we first met —when I revealed what happened after Kyle returned. I’ll show you Evie’s thoughts as well as my own, and then you’ll understand the mental gift I inherited from my mother.” Dylan rubbed at the scruff beginning to form on his jaw. “The fae gift has been a blessing and a curse over the years.” He skipped the glass and went straight to the bottle, lifting it and taking a good, long pull. He wiped his broad arm across his lips and offered the bottle to Max.
    He accepted and let the whiskey burn its way down his throat before he shuddered. The Scotch was too good to drink this way, but Dylan’s memories were having an effect on him. They were too painful to face without liquid courage. Dylan gripped the bottle and put it aside. “Are you