Highland Blessings (31 page)

“There must be something we’re missing.” Bryce rubbed his forehead. “Inspect that room from top to bottom. Make sure there are no secret passages leading to that chamber that I don’t know about. That is the only way for someone to enter without a guard noticing. Without a window in that room, there’s no other explanation. We’ve got to find it.”

“I’ll check it out again on the morrow,” Balloch promised. He held out his goblet for Bryce to refill.

“Aye, nothing better than the sweetness of good cider on occasion.” After refilling Balloch’s goblet, the laird leaned back with his hands behind his head in thoughtful concentration.

“I suppose we’ll need to replace Tavis,” Bryce said at last. He grew silent for a moment, considering who might be up to the task. “See that Rae completes Tavis’s duties for a while. If he proves trustworthy and competent, we’ll select him.”

Balloch nodded and took another swallow.

“How do ye think Sim is doing with his training?” Bryce asked, changing the subject.

“Splendid, considering his drawbacks. He’s faster on the attacks than he is on the defensive. As we feared, he has trouble detecting a backward assault and fares better with the frontal and side assaults. He’s developing muscle and becoming solid enough. I believe yer wife is teaching him a few sword tricks. He’s becoming quite handy with a sword, but is still developing the strength of a man. One thing Sim has learned from Akira is speed. There may be a need for a swordswoman after all. She has learned that her speed makes up for her lack of strength. If Sim develops both speed and strength, along with using his wit when fighting, he’ll more than make up for his lack of hearing.”

“Keep up the good work, and if he and Akira are sword-fighting, don’t stop them. However, if she tries to fight anyone else, interfere immediately. It appears we have a murderer on our hands, and right now I trust no one.”

They finished their drinks and retired from the library. Bryce went upstairs to clean and change before the evening meal. Akira wasn’t in her chamber, and he questioned everyone he passed as to her whereabouts, but no one seemed to know. By the time he settled in his chair at the head of the table, Akira still had not appeared. Finella hustled into the great hall carrying a basket of bread.

“Finella, where is Akira?”

“She said to tell ye she’ll be dining with Vika tonight. She was worried about her being alone. Akira is trying to convince her to come to the castle and live, but Vika has refused thus far. She doesn’t want to be a burden.”

“I’m going after them. If I wish to see my wife, I suppose I must beg Vika to move in,” Bryce muttered as he left the hall. His men exchanged knowing smiles as the great door to the foyer slammed behind him.

B
ryce went to the stables, saddled Ahern, and rode out the gate into the village. He would not have Akira wandering about at night with a murderer on the loose. How could she be so careless knowing the recent events that had taken place? He rode Ahern hard in the dark, eager to ensure his wife’s safety. After spending the day with his men, he had grown weary of their company and missed Akira. He needed her.

He mulled over the day’s events in his mind. It occurred to him that the murderer might be someone close to him, and he feared Akira could be their target. Based on the strength required to move that dresser, and the height needed to reach the rafters, Bryce suspected a man to be the most likely culprit.

Something spooked Ahern and he reared. Wrestled from his thoughts, Bryce grappled with the reins. “Whoa!” He eased Ahern, gaining command as best he could. Bryce squinted in the dark, but could see naught in the scarce light of the quarter moon. He thought he heard a slight rustle, but had no time to decide what it was before Ahern reared again, throwing him to the ground. Bryce had just enough time to roll to the side and miss Ahern’s hooves before his horse took off in the opposite direction.

Bryce shook his head, trying to clear his mind and stay awake. Nausea overcame him, and he fought to keep his stomach. Wetness dripped down his face from the intense pounding in his right temple, where he must have struck a rock. He wiped the blood away and tried to stand, but dizziness hit him, and he fell to his knees. Taking a deep breath, Bryce growled with determination and managed to sway to his feet. He wasn’t far from Vika’s home. He would continue. He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. His progress was slow, but he finally staggered to Vika’s house.

Vika answered his knock and yelled for Akira. He must have looked a sight. The throbbing in his head heightened, and he was tempted to yell along with her to shut out the pain. Akira hurried to the door, and bless her, she did not scream. Instead, she pulled him in and led him to a nearby couch.

“Nay, I don’t want to lie down,” he protested, but when Akira pushed him down, he willingly lay there. He hadn’t the strength to argue.

Vika brought a cloth and warm water. She watched Akira clean his head wound.

“What happened? Would ye care to explain?” Akira sounded ready to scold him.

“Not particularly,” he said, with a lazy grin, pleased to be near her again. He thought the short walk to Vika’s would take him forever after Ahern left him, but here he was with Akira’s warm, gentle hands attending him.

“Well, I would particularly like to know how ye came about this large lump on the side of yer head. Ye’ve managed a huge gash, and I fear it might swell as large as an onion.”

She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

Bryce chuckled. “Well, I canna exactly complain about the attention it’s getting me.”

“I can think of at least half a dozen other things that would earn ye lots of attention without yer getting knocked senseless.” She brushed her lips against his, relief apparent in her face. “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” she scolded. “Is yer head the only thing that’s hurt?” Akira checked the rest of his limbs, apparently concerned he might not remember with the huge lump on his head.

“The rest of me is fine.”

“I’m still waiting to hear what happened.”

Bryce sighed, hating the pain of trying to remember. “Something or someone spooked Ahern. I lost my balance, fell, and my head must have struck a rock.”

Akira patted his arm. “I believe we shall be Vika’s guests for the night. There is no way ye’re getting up. That head of yers would start bleeding again, and I refuse to walk back without Ahern.” A curious look crossed Akira’s face. “What were ye doing out anyway? Ye should have been having yer evening meal.”

Bryce looked disgruntled.

“I was, until Finella informed me that ye were dining with Vika tonight. I decided to come after ye—the both of ye,” he clarified, closing his eyes from the pain of talking.

Akira patted his cheeks, and his eyes fluttered open in wonder.

“I’m sorry, darling, but I canna allow ye to fall asleep. Angus says it isn’t good to allow someone to fall asleep with a head wound.”

Bryce rolled his eyes. “Trust me, Akira, I wasn’t sleeping. My head is pounding worse than the surf on the shore.” She looked uncertain and moved to better settle a pillow behind his head. “Nay,” he moaned. “Don’t touch it.”

Akira bit her bottom lip in a worried frown, unsure of what to do for him.

“Could ye make me something to eat?” he asked softly. She nodded and stood when Vika interrupted her.

“Sit down. I’ll make him some soup. My poor Tavis always loved a broth to soothe his stomach when he wasn’t feeling well.”

The mention of Tavis reminded Bryce of his other reason for coming for his wife. “Vika, I’ve been meaning to talk to ye.”

Vika didn’t answer him as she bustled around pouring ingredients into a pot and hanging it over the fire. Her home was small like most houses in the village. Made of mud, clay, and stone, the walls were simple, the dirt floor compact and hard, and no spare rooms existed for privacy. Life would now be hard on her without Tavis, unless she were to remarry.

“I would like ye and yer son to come and live with us. Without Tavis, ye’ll need protection, and I can provide it better at the castle. There is plenty of room for ye both, and I know Tavis would prefer it. Ye’d want for naught. Yer lad could train in my army when he grows older.”

Vika looked nervous as she continued to remain busy. “I appreciate the offer, but we canna take it. Tavis wouldn’t like a handout, and he’d prefer me to make me own way.”

“Not if I were here to offer a way out, and I am. He would rather ye have protection and comfort over the struggles and hardships ye would have to endure here alone.”

Vika clasped her hands together in front of her and bowed, looking down at the floor. She kept quiet a long time before looking up. Silent tears ran down her face.

“’Tis kind of ye, m’lord. If I agree, ’twould be because of my son, and on the condition that I could work in yer household to pay my way.”

“We agree,” Akira said before Bryce could answer. She jumped up and hugged Vika, jubilant that she would soon have a friend in the castle.

Bryce half closed his eyes. He wasn’t asleep, only dreaming of blissful peace. As the hours passed, if he closed his eyes Akira would shake his arm or poke at his chest. After Vika retired, Akira sat and told him funny little stories and joked with him. At one time she sang to him, until she realized her voice lulled him to sleep. Finally, she fell asleep on top of his chest, and he thanked the heavens above for the pestering angel in his arms. He said a quick prayer for their safety and the ability to catch the murderer before he hurt someone else. Bryce blinked several times, but his heavy lids wouldn’t stay open. In spite of his efforts to stay awake, he too entered the blissful surrender of sleep.

Akira splashed around in the water, wishing she hadn’t agreed to Sim’s crazy scheme. He thought it a wonderful idea for him to teach her to swim since she had taught him how to speak a few words. Now as she held her lungs until she thought they would burst and continued kicking only to get nowhere, she feared this was the worst idea of the century and prayed she would get through the afternoon alive. If and when she ever made it back to dry land, she wouldn’t allow him to tempt her into going swimming again.

Akira’s head surfaced and she sputtered, gulping water while trying to catch her breath.

“Sim!” she screamed, when her lungs had enough air. “How dare ye to trick me into this.”

Knowing her words were falling on deaf ears, she roughly thumped him on the back of the head to gain his attention and repeated herself so that he could read her lips. Sim only laughed as he struggled to keep a serious expression and failed miserably. A chuckle escaped him. Akira found herself smiling in spite of her fright.

Sometimes it still amazed her to hear sound coming from him. Just the thought of what he’d accomplished was a miracle, and she would never forget the agonizing hours he spent trying to pronounce words he’d never heard, and achieving what so many others took for granted—the spoken word.

“Akira.” He said her name so easily now that it almost sounded like music to her ears.

“Aye?” She gave him her full attention.

“Ye … twead … water,” he pointed out, almost as excited to see her swim as to feel his throat muscles move the first time he felt them.

Akira gasped in disbelief. She glanced at her arms moving of their own accord and noticed that her legs had been moving on their own as well. She stayed afloat all by herself.

“Maybe my fate isn’t to die by drowning after all.” She breathed heavily, beginning to feel the fatigue in her muscles and lungs. Somehow being aware of her success made her all the more tired.

“Ye … for-got … drowning.” Sim swam toward the bank.

Unaware of his intent, Akira struggled to follow him, realizing he was right. If she kept her mind on other things besides drowning, she didn’t panic as easily. Before she knew it, her feet were touching the sodden ground beneath. Akira sighed with relief, increasing her speed to the dry ground a few feet beyond.

“How ever did ye convince me to do it?” Her lungs expanded and contracted with each breath and word. She tried to slow her breathing and ended up coughing. Even her throat hurt. Mayhap she had swallowed too much water.

“Did … good.” Sim grinned at her.

Akira folded to her knees, pressing her hands into solid ground. She slid to her stomach, allowing herself to relax with the side of her face buried in the thick grass. After spending the past couple of hours worried she would sink and die of suffocation, she welcomed the wonderful feeling of security beneath her—and fresh air.