Highlander's Kiss by Joanne Wadsworth

through the dirty blood-red was so thick she couldn’t tell if his words were the truth and her parents truly lived.
    “I’ll never allow one of my kin to wed you.” Cherub shoved him back then dissolved into a mist and reappeared in full form on his other side. She walked backward, drawing Jeremiah farther away from her hidden position in the nook.
    “An alliance by marriage is what my father and I seek between our clans.” Jeremiah stalked Cherub. “There will never be peace unless Julia and I speak vows and wed. Does she no’ care for her parents? Does she wish them dead?”
    Never would she wish her parents dead. She shoved out of the recess, rushed along the walkway and pounded her fists into Jeremiah’s back. “Tell me where they are! Tell me where they are!”
    “Wed me and I shall.” He snagged her hands and rammed her into the wall behind her. “Guards,” he shouted, “come.”
    Her head hit the stone and her breath whooshed out. Everything swayed then the wind rushed and Jeremiah was thrust from her. Cherub gripped her hand, cloaked them both and swept them high into the skies.
    “Fire your arrows,” Jeremiah bellowed to his men.
    Arrows flew, arched high and sailed right past them as they sped back toward the House of Clan Matheson.
    “Are you all right, Julia?” Cherub’s hold on her tightened.
    “I shall be. I’m sorry. I shouldnae have attacked him but I couldnae help it.” She rubbed her achy head. “This time I saw his true aura and heard the venomous strength of it as well.”
    “Could you tell if he told the truth about your parents being alive?”
    “All I could sense was his evilness.” The pain of her loss welled up again and suffocated her.
    “Just breathe.” Cherub rubbed her back. “Put all thought of what’s happened from your mind. We’ll find your parents, and then we’ll free them. This I promise you.”
    “Thank you.” Touching her heart, she strengthened her resolve. She had an entire clan who would aid her in her search, as well as a soul bound mate who would stand by her side no matter what the future held. Grandmother had been right when she’d said she needed to see and hear with her own eyes and ears as well. Her parents would never have wished for her to wed their enemy, not now she’d seen exactly who Jeremiah was.
    Find her parents, she would. There was no other choice.
     

Chapter 6
     
    Across the inner channel of Loch Alsh, Cherub whisked Julia back toward the House of Clan Matheson while overhead, the afternoon skies darkened with the promise of rain. Foamy white waves crashed onto the pebbly shore.
    “Oh dear, it looks like we’ve arrived just in time.” Cherub settled them gently down on the slick stone landing as Tavish and Kirk, wearing full battle attire, raced down the winding castle trail toward them. Cherub uncloaked them both and gently squeezed her hand. “Might I recommend you give Tavish a kiss. I’ve found distracting one’s mate in such a way works rather well, particularly when I’ve inadvertently gotten myself into trouble. Kiss your mate, and dinnae stop until you’ve completely muddled his mind. That is what I shall be doing.”
    “Cherub!” Kirk stormed toward her, the claymore holstered in a baldric across his back bobbing with each step he took. Hands firm on his sides, he halted before her. “You, my elusive imp, have some serious explaining to do. I couldn’t reach you along our link. Where have you been?”
    “To the MacKenzie’s lair.” She sidled up against him, lifted up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I should have taken you, but sometimes I cannae help but act alone, particularly when I’ve done so for over a thousand years. Allow me to apologize the right way.”
    “Don’t go thinking you can get out of this argument by—”
    Cherub kissed him and he moaned, gripped her tight and kissed her back. The wind swirled and the two of them disappeared on the breeze as Cherub took them