Defending Destiny (The Warrior Chronicles) by Leigh Morgan

with him. Daisy realized she hadn’t responded and Jesse wasn’t making conversation. “Is Taryn there? I need to ask her about the Druid’s Scroll.”
    Daisy heard laughter in the background. The sound of babies laughing always lightened her mood. “I’ll put her on. Uh, Daisy?”
    “Yeah.”
    “You know I love you, right?”
    “Of course I do.” She did. Jesse hadn’t had any family who loved him before Reed adopted him. Jesse would do anything for her and she knew it. “I love you too.”
    “I can be there in seven hours if you need me.”
    That was the last thing she needed. Where Jesse went, Taryn followed. And if Jordon thought she needed her brother, for whatever reason, then her father would be on the next plane. Her mother would come too, and then she’d be knee deep in well-meaning Bennetts showering her with their smothering care.
    “Ah, thanks, but I’m great here. All shiny and happy and delving into my work. Besides, Lauren’s here. What could possibly go wrong?” Oh God and Goddess, I shouldn’t have said that.
    “Everything’s fine, Jesse. Really. I just need to ask Taryn if she has any leads on where I should start looking for the Scroll, or anything else in the area. I’m working here. You’d be bored silly. And besides, do you really want to be separated from the twins?” Pulling out the twin card was her ace in the hole. Daisy crossed her fingers hoping it worked.
    “Don’t think I don’t know that you’ve just played me, but I won’t come unless you need me. I wouldn’t want to blacken the Dark Lord’s eye before I have to, since I like him. Here’s Taryn.”
    There were some shuffling noises, more laughter, this time Jesse’s, and then her sister was on the phone. “Hey, how’s it going? Have you choked out Magnus yet?”
    Daisy rolled her eyes. “For the love of Pete, not you too.”
    Taryn laughed. “Okay, I’ll drop it.” Taryn’s tone turned serious. “Right before you left, I met with Lauren. He wanted to know what I could tell him about the Druid’s Scroll. I haven’t figured it out, but I think he saw something in one of the charms. He didn’t say anything, it’s just a feeling I got. I think he knows something about it. I think that’s why you’re there, Daisy.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “No, I’m not sure. He saw something, though, some sort of clue I didn’t. I’m not sure the Scroll is a scroll at all. I think it may be a series of symbols connected by the female Druid who created them. I think you need to find a stone circle. I know there are lots of them in that area, but this one has a dolmen close by. If I’m reading the charm correctly, it’s not far from the glen, because I can see what may be piles of stones. I think that’s a reference to the line of cairns in the glen, right where Lauren decided to begin shooting his documentary. What are the odds? Anyway, I’m seeing a sword and a Viking dragon boat. I’ve got a feeling there’s more going on here. Be careful.”
    When Taryn got feelings, Daisy listened. Her sister was the key to deciphering the charm bracelet map that led to many of the artifacts Daisy had already found. “Okay. I guess I’ll start searching for stone circles. How is a sword connected to the Scroll?”
    “I don’t know. I think it’s a Viking sword, if that helps.”

It didn’t, unless it was the Ulfberht Magnus told her about the night he walked back into her life, so Daisy focused instead on the Druid’s Scroll. That was a prize she’d been looking for since Taryn first told her that the written secrets of the Druids might be real.
    “Thanks, Taryn. Let me know if you find anything else. Finding the Druid’s Scroll would make it awfully hard for the Arm-Righ to turn down Lauren’s petition to make me a Finder. He’s been looking for it or any part of it for decades.”
    “The King is dangerous, Daisy. He’s not to be trusted. If you find anything, don’t go to him. Go to Lauren.”
    “You just