Highland Blessings (36 page)

“Aye, I received it from a messenger the day before. Akira wounded Elliot in the side, not in the heart.” Birk took a moment to collect his thoughts and compose himself. “Elliot was strong and healthy. He would have survived Akira’s wound. ’Twasn’t a mortal wound.”

Bryce was relieved that she hadn’t betrayed him as Rae thought and felt guilty for wrongly accusing her. He swallowed with difficulty and turned to Birk.

“After Akira accidentally stabbed Elliot, she dropped her sword. When we returned for Elliot, both he and the sword were missing without a trace. Akira didn’t see the person attacking them from behind, but Elliot told her ’twas a man with a mask. My younger brother, Sim, might have seen him, but Sim is deaf and mute. And right now he is still unconscious from a head wound he received from the villain.”

“I want to see Akira,” Birk demanded.

“She isn’t well right now.” Bryce hoped Birk would agree to leave her alone.

“What do ye mean? What’s wrong with her?”

“She didn’t know Elliot was dead until ye yelled it awhile ago. She didn’t take the news verra well.”

“No woman does.” Birk waved his hand in the air as a dismissal. “Nara cries often.”

A frown creased Bryce’s forehead, and he looked at the bloodstained sword still in his hand. “For now, yer men must remain outside the castle walls.”

Birk nodded. “Aye.”

Bryce waited while Birk returned to his men and dispensed orders. A moment later he rejoined Bryce. They walked over the bridge and through the castle gates. Bryce told one of his men to find Akira for him. He waited until his warrior returned.

“Lady MacPhearson is no longer in the tower.”

“She must have returned to the castle. See that she is told to meet us in the library.”

Bryce turned to Birk, and they continued to the castle discussing who could have put Elliot’s body outside the MacKenzie gates and why. Once they settled in the library, they grew weary of conversing, and each man lapsed into a tense silence. After a considerable amount of time, Bryce excused himself and left to call on his servants.

Finella immediately appeared. “Aye, Bryce?”

“Where’s my wife?”

Finella’s expression grew concerned. “With all the commotion going on this day, I’ve not seen her.”

He turned around at the sound of booted footsteps and saw Balloch striding toward him. Bryce glanced at Finella still standing behind him.

“Look for her,” he ordered, turning his attention to Balloch. “What is it?” he demanded irritably, dreading more bad news.

“The men informed me that ye’re looking for Akira.”

“And?” Bryce raised black eyebrows, growing increasingly impatient. Why couldn’t anyone finish a sentence or a complete thought without him constantly having to prompt them to continue?

“I have twenty men searching the castle and the grounds for her. She’s disappeared without a trace.”

“That isn’t possible,” Bryce growled, rubbing his forehead in concentration, and began to pace while Balloch continued. “The guards insist she didn’t pass through the gates. I even took the liberty of speaking to Gavin, and he promises she hasn’t escaped to see him. In light of the situation with the MacKenzie clan, I didn’t know if ye would want me to put more men on the search.”

“Twenty more,” Bryce said without hesitation. “Akira must be found immediately. There is a murderer in this castle, and I want my wife found.”

“Do I take it ye’ve lost my daughter?” Birk appeared behind Bryce.

Bryce rolled his eyes heavenward and turned, not knowing what to tell the man.

Balloch quietly backed away, leaving him alone to deal with his father-in-law. Bryce paced.

“Nay, I haven’t lost her,” he finally answered. “She likes to disappear when she’s upset.”

“Then ye’ve lost her until ye’ve found her,” Birk corrected, well aware of his daughter’s habits. “What do ye mean a murderer is in this castle? Have ye had more deaths?”

“Two deaths here in the last two weeks, and Elliot makes the third. It must be someone I know and trust.” Suddenly, Bryce began to laugh at his own folly so hard he doubled over as the stress of it all got the better of him, and he couldn’t stop. His eyes began to water until Birk pounded him on the back.

“Lad, now isn’t the time to go mad,” Birk said harshly.

Bryce pounded his fist into his other hand.

“Ye might want to save yer knuckles for someone else,” Birk suggested. “Keep yer wits about ye. I want my daughter found.”

Bryce laughed even harder. “’Tis someone I trust, and I was fool enough to even think ’twas Akira. I thought she betrayed me and that’s why ye came the way ye did. I doubt she’ll be able to forgive me for the things I said.”

“Ye better hope she does. Akira’s the only reason I’ve not wasted this place.”

“Go ahead. I’ll not fight her father. I thought I could, but that’s the one thing she’ll not forgive me for.”

“Where does she like to go to be alone? When she was home, there were particular places we could go to find her if she had disappeared. Think, lad! Think!” Birk demanded.

Bryce paced in circles, trying to think of places within the keep that Akira would go besides the chapel and her chamber, both of which had already been searched.

“Stop pacing. Ye’re making me dizzy.” Birk rubbed his temples.

Bryce suddenly stopped and looked at Birk. “What if one of the men searching for her is the murderer? I need yer help, Birk.” Bryce rushed to Birk’s side, fully intent on carrying out a new plan. “I want to pair them up. Each of my men will be paired with one of yers. I don’t know how many of mine are involved and yers will surely not hide it if anything goes amiss. ’Tis humiliating, but I don’t trust my men right now.”

“Ye’ll have my help, lad.” Birk slapped Bryce on the back. “Excellent plan. We’ll pair them up, we will.”

Birk went back to his men to discuss the plan with Gavin. Balloch rounded up the MacPhearson men, and they were each paired with a MacKenzie. It appeared that they understood the situation well and were more than willing to watch each other.

Bryce called their attention. “If just one of ye comes back bruised or bleeding, I’ll lock ye up in the dungeon, and ye’ll not see the light of day until I decide to let ye out. If ye’re fighting, ye canna be looking for Akira. Is that clear?” They nodded and were dismissed to their designated search areas.

Several hours later they all returned with no sign of her. By midnight, Bryce grew increasingly worried as the search continued. He sent Balloch and Kian to search the west wing again, while he and Birk searched the east. Gavin headed off to the stables, the courtyard, and the chapel, while Rae checked the second level and Fergus the third.

Sometime early the next morning, Bryce fell asleep, sitting in Akira’s chair by her harp in the solar. He dreamed of her on the tower and slept little. What sleep he did manage felt extremely uncomfortable in Akira’s small chair. After a couple of hours he woke with a start and rubbed his tired eyes.

Bryce looked at Gavin, who sat across the room, watching him. “I’m going to my bedchamber. She might have gone there when she grew weary.” He made his way to the stairs.

To Bryce’s disappointment, Akira wasn’t in their chamber. He walked over to their bed, running his fingers lightly over the still-made bed.

“Where are ye?” he asked aloud to the empty chamber.

Sighing, he walked over to the wash basin and splashed cold water on his face. He rolled back his sleeves to bathe his arms when he realized he was using Akira’s basin. His was on the other side of the room on his dresser. He restrained himself not to shatter something within reach. This desolate emptiness he felt without her grated on his nerves.

His instincts often kept him alive in battle, and this time he knew Akira’s disappearance wasn’t because she wished it. Danger permeated the air, and he feared for her. Bryce wiped the dripping water from his face as a scream rippled through the quiet morning. He ran down the hall to Sim’s room where Finella called his name.

“M’lord! M’lord! He’s awakened.” She ran toward him.

“Sim’s awake?” He felt one burden on his shoulders lift and continued past her.

“He’s asking for Akira.”

Bryce stopped. “Did ye tell him?”

The color drained from her face as she paused, shaking her head. “Nay, ye don’t understand.”

Bryce waved a hand. “Never mind. I need to see him.”

Finella tugged on his arm. “M’lord, he’s speaking. Sim
asked
for her.”

“Sim’s speaking? Impossible.” He looked at her in question. When she nodded, his curiosity outweighed his disbelief, and he hurried to Sim’s chamber. He stopped in the doorway, afraid to believe, afraid to hope. Sim struggled to sit up, situating his pillow just right. He didn’t notice Bryce at first until he turned. Sim’s expression broke into a huge grin. The bruise on the side of his jaw looked fainter.

“I … scared … ye, heh?”

“’Tis true then, ye’re speaking?” Bryce slowly came forward as tears filled his eyes. His voice sounded young, but squeaky like a lad going through the change into manhood. It was both strange and wonderful to hear his brother speak for the first time.

“Aye.” Sim nodded his brown head. “Akira … taught … me.”

Bryce narrowed his gaze. “What do ye mean?”

“To … speak.” Sim touched his throat, patting it. “See?”

Bryce reached out for the bedpost to steady himself. “This is unbelievable.” His amazement was contained by the grief and stress of the current situation. “I’m glad yer awake.” Bryce pulled a chair closer to his bed and sat down. “The two of ye managed a miracle.”

Sim nodded. “Aye.” He looked at the entrance and back to Bryce.

“Akira?”

Bryce’s smile faded. “I don’t know, Sim. She disappeared a day ago.”

Sim frowned. His brown eyes clouded with confusion. “Why?”

“I need to know what happened.” Bryce leaned toward his brother, still hardly believing he could now carry on a conversation with him. He listened intently while Sim spoke.

Sim’s expression wrinkled in concentration as he leaned back against his pillow. With the advent of speech still so new, Sim spoke slowly, sometimes confusing certain words with others or mispronouncing them. He stopped a moment and motioned to the goblet on his dresser.

Bryce got up and handed the goblet to Sim. He drank deeply and gave it back to Bryce. He continued relaying the same story as Akira had told him. Bryce scooted to the edge of his seat as Sim came to the part where he was attacked from behind.

“He … m-mask.” Sim made a motion as if to pull a mask from his face. He shook his head in disbelief. “Sor-ry.”

“Sim, I know someone I trust has betrayed me. I must know who. I believe he’s taken Akira.”

Sim touched the side of his face, remembering.

“Who was it?” Bryce prompted.

Sim looked at Bryce. “K … Kian.”

Bryce stood and crossed to the window. He opened it and leaned out, breathing deeply. The betrayal hurt. The day they went back for Elliot, Bryce began to suspect someone close to him, but Balloch or Kian never crossed his mind. He closed his eyes, asking himself why. And most of all, what did Kian hope to gain by taking his wife?

He walked back to the bed and knelt by his younger brother, considering the situation. “Then Kian knows ye know ’twas him, and he’s been sharing the responsibility of guarding yer chamber. He’s had ample opportunity to put an end to ye if he wanted.”

“Mute.” Sim covered his mouth with two fingers.

Bryce snapped his fingers. “’Tis true. I still don’t know his motive or what he wants.” Bryce stood and stretched, raising his arms and yawning. His two hours of sleep would have to do. “We can sit here and try to reason this out all day, but we still won’t know his reasons. We know that he’s not to be trusted, but what we don’t know is who else might be involved.” Bryce pointed at Sim. “Ye canna let anyone else know ye can speak. I’ll go see who Finella might have already told.”

Sim nodded and Bryce ruffled his head.

“Food.” Sim called out before Bryce could pass through the threshold.

Bryce turned. “I’ll send Finella up with something right after I’ve talked to her.” Bryce placed a finger over his lips and reminded him not to speak. For a lad who had been silent nearly all his life, Bryce knew he was asking for a bit much. “For Akira,” Bryce reminded him, and Sim nodded his agreement.