His Heart's Desire by Kristi Ahlers Read Free Book Online

steady.”
    “You’re so going to fail on that.” Alec laughed.
    “I can do slow and ste ady.” Braden frowned. He could.
    “Sure you can. You’ve only been hungering for her for what?” Alec pretended to count. “Six centuries.”
    “Eight,” Braden growled.
    “Yeah, but you’re not counting.” Alec smiled. “You might want to work on growling less and talking more. I have a feeling your lass will appreciate the difference.”
    “I have an idea. Why don’t you go and find a faery to pester for awhile.”
    Alec cocked a brow. “You told me to leave the fey alone.”
    “Aye, but now I’m telling you to go.”
    “All right, all right. I get the point. You want time alone to fret about all that could go wrong, rather than focus on all that could go right.”
    Braden turned to respond, but his friend was gone. He had also been right. Truth was, it was easier to plan for all that could go wrong rather than focus on all that could go right. In this situation, erring on the side of caution was better. Braden was so close to being able to hold his lass in his arms again. There was only one more night before Samhain. Catrìona was so near, and yet it felt as if she were lifetimes away.
    He needed this second chance. They deserved this second chance. He vowed that nothing would stand in the way of their happy ending. Not ti me, nor jealousy, nor fear.
    * * *
    Elspeth had shown Catrìona the way to the chamber, but escorted her only as far as the stairs before heading back to her cottage. Catrìona gingerly walked into Braden’s old room and noted there were no electric lights. Cat quickly lit the tapers in the wrought iron sconces before the sun dipped too low on the horizon.
    Elspeth had given Catrìona the key earlier in the morning, along with the chant she should say as she lit the candles. Being in the castle when no one was around was strange. The keep was so silent. Still.
    With care, she pulled the candles and portrait out of her carry-all. Catrìona sat on the tester bed and unrolled the canvas. She took a moment to stare at the picture that was her talisman.
    “I hope you find the peace you deserve.” She wiped a tear that slipped from her welling eyes. “Loving you has been so easy, but I need to find a man here in my time. I want you to find your own peace. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to find my own.”
    For a split second she contemplated packing her bag and returning to her hotel room. The desire was strong—so strong that it took her by surprise. Catrìona wanted to do this. She wanted to put her attraction and feelings for a long dead man into proper perspective. She needed to mourn him and then move on with her life. She deserved to be happy—not haunted by things she couldn’t have.
    Catrìona moved away from the bed and walked over to the candles. Picking them up, she began laying them out in a circle. She returned to the bed, retrieved the portrait, and placed it on a chair which she set in the center of the circle.
    She closed her eyes and let her breath out slowly. Taking the slip of paper out of her pocket, she scanned the words one more time, making sure she knew them by heart. The time had come. Catrìona whi spered in a low but sure voice,
    “A breath with the earth,
    A breath with the sky,
    A breath with the spirit of this place.”
    She bent and lit the first candle. The green was for harmony, followed by aqua for emotional healing, then orange for encouragement, and last red for love, passion and strength. A combination of excitement and fear rushed through Catrìona. This was the point of no return.
    Once all the candles were lit, she stood by the painting and said, “ O Goddess, grant me strength of humility and understanding. Give me knowledge of love and inspiration to do what I must. Give me your love and strength to say goodbye to the soul of the haunted. Give him strength to accept his new fate. Seek your peace, Laird Braden Ross. You are free to move on to the