Dragon Knight's Ring (Order of the Dragon Knights Book 5) (26 page)

By the time they returned, their voices were raw from the cold, talking, laughing, and at times, Meggie’s weeping.

Stripping her clothes free, he gently tucked her under the covers. Her eyes remained closed the entire time. Kissing her forehead, he murmured, “Sleep well, my bonny
leannan
. I will look after our son in the morn.”

A small moan was her only response.

As he stepped quietly out of the chamber, his hand froze on the handle. “Never will I part from ye, Meggie. Please God, hear my prayer, and always protect her and Jamie.”

Walking down the corridor, Adam crept silently into his son’s room. The embers from the fire had died down low, giving him a partial view of his sleeping son. Skye lifted her head from her resting place at the end of his bed. Smiling at the scene before him, he understood what Meggie saw the night she realized Jamie was his son. The lad had his arms flung outward, sword at his side. “Ye are my heart, too, wee Jamie,” he whispered.

Grabbing a blanket from the chair, he curled up by the hearth and fell instantly asleep.

****

Pain stabbed into Adam’s side. Warrior instincts took over his brain, and he woke in a crouching stance, ready for attack. Blinking several times, he glanced around at his surroundings. Sitting on the floor in front of him were Skye, and Jamie holding the weapon that most likely caused him pain—his wooden sword. Now would be a good time to teach his son some manners.

Standing to his full height, he fisted his hands on his hips and glared at his son. “Pray tell me why ye were stabbing my side with your sword? Am I now the enemy ye must slay?” His words a bit more gruff than he intended, especially when he noticed the lad’s lip quiver for a brief moment.

Jamie stood, but he did so without his sword. “I am…” He swallowed. Lifting his chin, he said with more force, “I am sorry, Adam. But ye were snoring loudly and ’tis late in the morning. Mama is still sleeping and my cousin—”

“Which one?” interrupted Adam.

“Scott. He told me to wake ye. Even if I had to use my sword.”

Adam rubbed his hand vigorously over his face. He wanted to take a fist to the MacKay. “Scott was
wrong
in telling ye to do so. Have ye not been listening to my words about the proper handling of a sword? Did I ever mention that ye should wake anyone with the blunt end?”

Jamie glanced down at his sword and then shrugged. Returning his gaze to Adam, he replied, “It’s only wood, so no harm came to ye.”

“James William MacFh…
MacKay
. I am training ye as if this”—Adam picked up the sword—“is as real as my own blade. Do ye ken my meaning?”

“I said I’m sorry,” Jamie protested.

“Did ye mean the words ye spoke with a full heart?” countered Adam.

The lad pursed his lips in thought and then straightened. “Nae. I am truly sorry, Sir Dragon Knight.”

Adam fought the smile forming on his mouth. Turning away, he walked to the window. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground. Perfect, he mused. Time was slipping by, and he wanted to spend a few hours not worrying about ancient battles and evil. For a brief time, he wished for his son to be able to play as he did when he was a young lad.

Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the rigid stance in his son.
Already a warrior.
“Your mother is tired from her long day out at Urquhart Castle. I deem it would be best to let her have a day of rest.” Walking back to him, he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I have yet to break my fast. Would ye care to join me, Jamie? Afterwards, we can take a walk in the snow. Build a fortress.”

“What about your chores?”

Adam chuckled. “I shall speak with Scott. I am sure he would nae mind in doing them for me this once.”

Jamie’s eyes went wide. “Can I watch when ye speak with him?”

This time Adam roared with laughter. “Aye.” Tossing Jamie’s sword onto the bed, he picked up the lad.

“We aren’t going to take our swords with us?” asked Jamie.

“Nae. Today we shall not be doing any battles.”

Walking out of the room, Adam whistled for Skye. “Come lady. Your mistress needs her rest. All will be well.”

Skye dashed ahead of them and bounded down the stairs.

When they all reached the kitchen, Lena was packing a basket. “Good morning, Adam. If you’re looking for a meal, you’ll have to fix something on your own.”

“There’s bread, cheese, and apples,” suggested Jamie.

“’Tis a fine meal.”

“I’ll fetch the apples and cheese. Do ye want a beer? Mama says ye like the stuff.”

“Water will be fine, Jamie.”

Adam moved past Lena, noticing her frown as he reached for some bread. “Are ye planning a trip?”

“Yes. Scott, Lucas, and I have some business in Inverness. We shall return after Samhain,” she replied averting his gaze.

Seeing her shoulders tense, Adam asked, “What troubles ye?”

Lena bit her lip and then turned toward Adam. “Oh, nothing. I have a lot on my mind—many thoughts.” Lifting the basket, she walked out of the kitchen, but paused at the door. “I wish you well, Adam MacFhearguis. Watch over Meggie and Jamie. May the Fae guide your steps.”

Stunned by her words, Adam gaped at her retreating form. He could not fathom her meaning. Why would she mention the Fae?

Fingers tugged at his trews. “Are ye going to stand there all morning?”

“Nae,” Adam replied hoarsely. Grabbing a basket off the counter, he placed the loaf of bread inside and lowered it for Jamie. “Put the apples and cheese in here. I will break my fast in the stables. It would seem your cousins are leaving for a few days.”

Jamie’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Nae fortress today?”

Scooping up Jamie in one hand, he answered, “Ye can help me feed and tend to the animals. Four hands will make the work go quickly, aye?”

“And then we can play?”

“Aye.”

Jamie squealed in delight and wrapped his arms around him. Adam’s heart swelled at the gesture, and he reveled in his son’s embrace. Strolling out of the kitchen, he made his way out of the castle and toward the stables. He watched as Meggie’s cousins departed though the gate, still troubled by what Lena had told him.

“Look at all the snow. Do ye believe there will be enough?”

Jamie’s words brought Adam’s focus to their plans. He sniffed the air. “If not, more will soon follow.”

Lowering his son to the ground, Adam moved to a bench. Tearing a piece of bread from the loaf, he handed it to Jamie, along with a chunk of cheese. Removing his
sgian dubh
, he sliced the apples and spread them out on a cloth.

“This is the way warriors ate, right, Adam?” Jamie shoved a mouthful of bread and cheese into his mouth.

Adam chuckled. Holding up the bread and cheese, he said, “This is far better.”

Wiping his face with the back of his hand, Jamie frowned. “How would ye know?”

“My travels have led me to many places. None have tasted as fine as this.”

Reaching for an apple, Jamie replied, “But I was speaking of warriors in the past. Are ye one?”

“And what would ye say if I was?” Adam bent to retrieve more bread and cheese.

“Then ye could tell me real warriors’ tales at bedtime.”

Adam almost choked on his food. Grabbing a bottle of water, he downed the liquid. Meggie was correct. Their son had wisdom beyond his age. Naught seemed unfathomable to the lad.
Ye are the true warrior, Jamie.

Standing, Adam brushed the crumbs from his trews. “I will tend to the horses. Ye check on the sheep and the goats. Check their food bins. The quicker we finish our tasks, the sooner we can make our way to the trees.”

Jamie shouted playfully and ran off.

As Adam moved toward the horses, he patted Ciar in passing. “Ye are settling well here, my friend. Of course, I can see ye are smitten with the lovely lady in the next stall. And how are ye this fine morn, Fion?”

The horse whinnied softly, and Adam stroked her mane. Quickly tending to the rest of the horses, he cleaned his hands in the water basin and left the stables, pulling a cart along.

He saw his son speaking to the hawk Meggie called Marcus near the gates. The bird sat on a lower tree branch, and Adam tried to make out his son’s words. The hawk listened with rapt attention, tilting its head every so often. Leaning against a pillar, he waited for his son to finish his conversation. Fascination soon turned to shock as Jamie waved his fist in the air, speaking his last words in the old language of Adam’s people.

He pushed away from the wall and made his way to his son. When Jamie glanced over his shoulder, Adam’s steps faltered. The look on Jamie’s face was one of an old soul, and his eyes blazed with the power that burned within his body.

“By the saints,” he muttered. Stepping closer, Adam bent down. “How did ye ken the old language, son?”

Jamie blinked, and then he patted his chest. “It has always been inside me.”

Adam nodded to the hawk. “What were ye saying to Marcus?”

Smiling, Jamie replied, “I gave him a message for the Great Dragon.”

“Dragon?” he asked mystified.

“Aye. The one that lives in the loch. Ye should speak with her, Adam. She could help ye.”

Standing, Adam fisted his hands on his hips. “Pray tell what I need help with and why I would seek said help from a beast who dwells in the loch?”

“Stuff in your head,” he stated casually and walked away from Adam.

“And what would ye ken about my head?” he demanded.

As his son kept walking away, Adam had a sense that in that moment, he was the child learning, and Jamie was the teacher. Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, he dashed forward and lifted the lad under one arm. Hoisting him into the cart, he strolled out of the gates. “Let’s go find a place to make our snow fortress. We shall bring this extra wood to help make it sturdy.

Jamie immediately shouted for joy!

Finding an area away from the loch, Adam pulled Jamie from the cart. “Gather as many loose pine branches and twigs, the bigger the better. Dump them on the ground near the larger tree. We shall use the tree for the back of our dwelling.”

Watching as Jamie rushed away, Adam then proceeded to build a circular base with the snow. This would help brace the end branches. He secured the wood pillars he snatched from Scott’s workroom. He smiled, passing a hand over the smoothness of the wood. He deemed it fitting to take, since Scott owed him thus for teaching his son poor manners.

Time passed in silence as they worked together—father and son. Snow fell softly around them as they continued to build their small enclosure. Every so often, Adam would press snow together into a ball and toss it outward for Jamie to catch, only to watch as the boy slipped and fell. However, this did not stop his son. Nae. Jamie continued to jump back up, shouting for another chance.

The day turned into early afternoon, as they continued to play and work. Skye had wandered away, mostly likely back to the castle to be near Meggie. When they deemed it worthy of a test, Adam waved his son inside for the final inspection.

“This is the best camping ever!” exclaimed Jamie.

Adam knelt down. “I dinnae ken the word.”

The boy shook his head. “Ye need lessons with Archie.” He scrunched his face in thought and then smiled. “To sleep outdoors. Did ye not do so on your travels?”

Crawling inside, he placed an arm around his son. “Aye, but none as fine as this one.”

Jamie’s eyes went wide. “Truth?”

Adam nodded, holding his son close. “Look out yonder. What do ye see?”

Leaning forward, Jamie shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Hmm…I see the head of a rabbit, peeking around from its burrow.”

“Oh, I see him now,” whispered Jamie.

“Can ye say for certain ’tis a he?”

Jamie wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Yep.”

Adam chuckled softly. “Let me guess. Ye have your mother’s gift of speaking with the animals.”

Jamie’s head snapped up. “Ye know about Mama’s gift?”

“Aye. ’Tis a wonder, and I am happy to hear she passed it down to ye.”

“How long have ye known Mama?”

“Years, Jamie.”

The lad rested his head on his knees. “A couple? A few? More than five?”

“More than five,” Adam whispered, his thoughts drifting back to their first encounter. Raven hair that rivaled his own. However, it was her eyes. Never had he beheld such a sight. They reminded him of the heather that blanketed the hills in spring. And other times, he caught a glimpse of another. As if the stars dusted the color with their own brilliance.

“Do ye love my mama?”

Jamie’s question startled Adam, bringing him back to the present, and he replied without hesitation, “With all of my heart, Jamie.”

“Hmm…”

“Does that bother ye?” Adam had never considered how the lad might feel stepping into their lives, and his heart stilled for a moment.

“Could ye love me, too?”

In that quiet moment, surrounded by nature and his son, his heart soared. “Aye, Jamie. I already do love ye.”

Jamie glanced up at Adam. “Are ye my father?”

Without hesitation, he replied, “Aye, my son.” He took his small hand into his. “I am sorry I have not been here for ye. But from this day forward, we journey together.”

Jamie’s eyes shifted from hazel to amber. “As Dragon Knights?”

“Aye, as Dragon Knights.”

His son glanced away. “The battle is coming.”

Fear froze Adam’s heart. “Ye ken?”

Tapping his chest, Jamie replied, “I feel it. Something dark.”

“I dinnae want ye far from your mother or me. Have Skye with ye at all times. Do ye understand, Jamie?”

“Aye, Da,” whispered Jamie.

They sat in comfortable silence until Meggie’s frantic voice could be heard shouting their names in the distance.

“Did ye not leave a note for Mama?”

Adam shrugged. “Nae.”

Jamie shook his head, smiling. “She is going to be verra mad at us.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“The pages of your life mirror those in a book. Fill them with laughter, love, and joy, before your final chapter.”

Rubbing her hands to ward off the chill, Meggie started to grow frantic. Gone were her cousins, Adam, and her son. Even Archie was nowhere to be found. Did not Adam mention something about an evil being present the night of her death—on Samhain? She could sense the veil thinning, but that was due to the approaching feast day. Shrugging off the disquiet within her mind, she yelled one more time.