He ran his right hand through his hair, averting his eyes from the Scorched, blackened skin. It was obvious enough what his nightmares were about. Even though he’d survived, he was still haunted by the night he’d nearly burned to death.
Since trading places with Lachlan to become Nessie, it seemed the fire magic in his veins had been quenched out of existence—but the evidence of its past use remained on his arm and the right half of his face. Cam couldn’t feel the fire inside him at all now. He believed it was crushed under the watery influence of the loch, which he felt as a weight bearing down on him all the time. Like a heavy blanket draped over his head and dulling his senses; it pulled at him to return to the water.
Lachlan was frowning at him. Cam quickly sought to put him at ease with a grin. ‘Ready to do some witching?’
Lachlan nodded, looping an arm round his waist. ‘Yes. Though I’m more worried about the journey.’
‘I promise you’ll be fine.’
They walked through the trees to the muddy layby where Cam’s motorbike was parked. Cam had spent many of his human hours patching up the Matchless after its previous misadventures, buffing the sleek black and silver frame back to a glorious shine. The vintage parts were much harder to find these days, and Cam relied mostly on a mix of bodge and ingenuity to keep it running.
Two helmets waited on the leather seat, along with two sets of matching riding gear. Cam had bought Lachlan the same type he wore himself: figure-hugging black leather trousers and a separate jacket that zipped up the front. He’d been looking forward to seeing the result.
Cam watched with amusement as Lachlan clumsily struggled into the creaking leather.
‘Is this really necessary?’ Lachlan asked, fumbling with the zip.
‘Safety first.’ Cam pulled his own gear on easily, feeling snug and protected in the way it moulded to his shape. ‘It just needs wearing in a little.’
‘Okay. I’m ready.’
Lachlan stood awkwardly next to the bike, flushed pink with nerves. Despite his embarrassment, the leathersdidsuit him. Black wasn’t a colour Cam was used to seeing Lachlan in. The stark contrast served to highlight the pale gold of his hair and the brilliant blue of his eyes. And unlike the loose T-shirts and shorts Lachlan often favoured, the tight fit accentuated the outline of his athletic body.
Unable to help himself, Cam dragged Lachlan close and seized his mouth for a deep kiss. Lachlan gave a surprised squeak, which swiftly turned into a moan as Cam ground their hips together, hugging one arm around Lachlan’s waist.
Cam broke for air, satisfied by the dazed and lusty expression on Lachlan’s face. He darted in for a quick nibble of Lachlan’s ear for good measure. ‘Let’s get this over with, so I can get you home and out of these leathers again as fast as possible.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Lachlan said breathlessly.
Cam smirked, passing him a helmet. He hoped the kiss might have taken Lachlan’s mind off what was about to happen. He knew exactly how terrified Lachlan was of riding on modern vehicles.
He’d gotten used to it to some extent, or so he claimed, due to necessity. With The Lucky Teapot’s recent renovations, Lachlan had spent much of the last two months living in Glencoe, with Meredith regularly ferrying him to and from Loch Ness in her ancient little Corsa.
But Cam knew that having him ride on the Matchless was a tremendous extra leap of faith. He was amazed and grateful for Lachlan’s persistence. Cam had given him so many chances to opt out—plenty of extremely reasonable arguments as to why he shouldn’t need to get involved—yet Lachlan was determined to be as much a part of all the facets of Cam’s life as he could. Which included the rather large facet of witchcraft.
Cam squeezed Lachlan’s shoulders, bringing his attention back into focus. ‘Okay. You remember what we talked about? Brace yourself for the corners and try not to lean too far one way or the other. Tap on my right leg if you need me to slow down. Tap on my left if you need me to stop entirely.’
‘I remember.’ Lachlan swallowed hard. ‘I trust you.’
Cam kissed him again, endeavouring for it to be warm with reassurance.
Once their baggage was stowed and helmets firmly fixed in place, Cam directed Lachlan to sit behind him with arms fastened around his waist. He felt Lachlan’s anxiety in the tightness of his grip.
He kicked off, nimbly manoeuvring the bike into the road and starting a slow descent alongside the banks of the loch. They were heading south to pass Fort Augustus at the bottom end of Loch Ness, where Cam would then cut north-west towards the coast and their destination: Strome Castle.
They stopped twice on the way, for Lachlan to stretch his legs and calm his nerves. It was a beautiful March day and Cam picked scenic spots overlooking Loch Cluanie and Loch Duich for their stops, reasoning that Lachlan seemed more at ease when he was near water.
As the road climbed out of a steep valley of jagged peaks, they were hit by fresh, salty sea air. Vistas of ocean lochs and the Inner Sound rose and fell from view, sparkling in the sunlight. Lachlan leaned into Cam’s back, squeezing him tighter.
They reached Strome in the middle of the afternoon. Leaving the Matchless tucked against a wall in a narrow country lane, Cam grabbed the backpack and the iron chain, and led Lachlan off the road. They followed an uncropped trail around a rocky bluff that jutted out into Loch Carron. The ruins of Strome Castle sat atop it, commanding a wide view of a channel that led to open ocean. Only a handful of roofless walls remained, hinting at the shape of a courtyard and a grand tower that might have stood there.
Lachlan stopped to peer through a crumbling window arch. It framed a single white cloud floating serenely through the cerulean sky.
‘It’s like Urquhart Castle, but more romantic,’ Lachlan said, referring to the bustling tourist attraction that sat on the north bank of Loch Ness. ‘I wonder who lived here.’
‘Clan MacDonell of Glengarry,’ Cam supplied, grinning as Lachlan’s face lit up with interest. ‘They took it over about five hundred years ago, I think.’
‘Wow. Do you know what happened to them?’
