Free Fighting Fate: Book 2 of the Warrior Chronicles by Leigh Morgan Page A

Shay said.
    Mary nodded. “Yes. Maybe. And if that’s true, you owe it to her to keep her safe. Marrying her will give you more legal rights to do just that. Not marrying her still leaves her vulnerable if your theory is correct.”
    “No.” Taryn said. “Not going to happen.”
    “If this is about James’s map and has nothing to do with being related to Jordon or Reed or this family, then this means that every treasure hunter, every museum curator, every corrupt private collector with unlimited resources and mercenary intent, not to mention religious fundamentalists of all stripes, will pay anything or do anything to obtain a find like one those charms suggests is real: Some to bring it to light. Some to destroy it. Some, worse yet, to use its magic for their own gain.”
    All eyes moved to Taryn and the bracelet she held in her hand.
    “What could possibly be of such value?” Reed asked.
    Taryn looked at each charm in turn, taking her time. Some were easy for her to interpret, others were beautiful, but whatever significance they held for her father wasn’t immediately clear to her. She chose one she had no problem deciphering, but had every reason to believe didn’t exist, The Druid’s Scroll.
    She separated the small charm and handed the bracelet to Reed, charm first, so she could see it. It was enameled in shades of blue and green and red and brown. A blue robed figure with long blond flowing hair stood next to a well, pointing to a scroll that floated in the air above the water. A small flame rose out of the water, but did not touch the scroll. Some sort of fish was clearly visible in the well water and a dark bird was soaring in the sky above.
    “I don’t know yet what all the charms mean, but this one depicts a legend, called the Druid’s Scroll, that details the writings of a very powerful female druid. It is said to contain, among other things, a cure for all illness including what we now define as cancer. It is a magical tome of earth worship. It is said to be the key for channeling the divine feminine and relates the history of goddess worship and earth magic, something most establishment churches would like to destroy. It also holds the keys to moving mass.”
    Taryn looked at Reed who was holding the bracelet as if it were a sacred thing, and then at Jesse who came to look at it over his mother’s shoulder. Reed’s expression held wonder. Jesse’s was harder to read, but no less intense.
    “You’ve heard of the search for the Higgs boson particle?” Taryn asked.
    Reed looked up at Taryn, Jesse’s gaze focused on her too, but neither said anything, they simply waited. It was her new aunt, Finn, who said, “You mean the search at CERN in Geneva for the God particle?”
    “Yep. That’s the one. Peter Higgs predicted it in 1964, relatively recently as particle physics goes, and scientists still haven’t defined it or how it works with any definite data.” Taryn nodded toward the charm still in Reed’s palm.
    “My father believed that the Druid’s Scroll holds the answer not only about what that particle is, but how to use it to manipulate mass.”
    “You mean there are magic spells in there that can transform one thing into another?” Shay asked.
    “Among other things, yes. That’s what my father believed.”
    Jesse took the bracelet from his mother’s palm, kissed the top of her head, then walked over to Taryn, took her hand and secured the bracelet onto her wrist. He kept her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.
    “Call Judge Emmanuel. Have him bring his clerk. We’ll be married in the gazebo, by the pond at six.” Jesse said to Shay, who promptly left the room before Taryn could stop him.”
    “I’m not going to marry you.”
    “You are.”
    “How in the world do you think you can make me do that?”
    “I’m going to bribe you.”
    “There’s not enough money-”
    Jesse pulled her to him and kissed her swiftly, taking her air. She pushed at him, but he didn’t let