Highland Mist (29 page)

But, alas, nothing happened. She slumped onto the ground and noticed a tree she hadn’t seen before. Even in the dark of night she could see how red the berries were that grew on the tree.

“It’s a rowan tree.”

Glenna whirled around to find a man leaning against an oak. He had no weapons and didn’t wear a plaid. His blonde hair was long and flowing, and the glowing blue of his eyes reminded her of the Fae on Beltaine. He was as finely made as Conall but with a different air about him.

She chided herself for being so stupid as to venture away from the castle at night, but she didn’t fear this man, if he was a man.

“Who are you?” she asked, and slowly got to her feet in case she needed to run.

He chuckled. “The rowan is an old tree of magical repute. It repels evil forces.”

“Who are you?” she repeated.

“You called me here.”

Her stomach fell to her feet with a thud. “But…”

“What did you expect,” he said, and pushed from the tree. “A grand an entrance as Beltaine? That only happens when many of us visit.”

She nodded, her mind taking everything in.

“Are you going to tell me what you called me for?”

Her mind went blank. There were so many things she wanted, but what to ask him?

He pushed off the oak and walked toward the rowan. “Did you know the rowan is associated with positive Faerie influence? It is the wood you Druids burn for the magical fires.”

“I didn’t know.”

He gave her a sad smile that said he knew. “You haven’t much time left to learn.”

“I’m afraid I won’t learn in time.”

“We gave you and your sisters your powers because you are worthy, because if the Druids are to survive MacNeil must be destroyed.”

“You can see into the future?”

“You could call it that.”

“Then why didn’t you save my parents?” Her anger began to consume her.

He raised his hands and instantly her anger diminished. “You must learn to control that rage. That is what your enemies will use against you.” He sighed and looked at the owl still perched on the hawthorn. “As to your parents. We didn’t foresee that. It happened suddenly and we didn’t have time to stop it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There was a traitor in the Sinclair clan.”

Glenna sank to her knees. The more she learned, the more complex things became. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“You have the strength and fortitude, or you wouldn’t have been chosen, Glenna.”

She raised her eyes. His smile was devastatingly handsome, but it didn’t melt her insides like Conall did with a mere grin. “What are you?”

“An Otherworld being as some people like to call us, a Fae by others. What we are matters not. You will learn more of us later. It was my suggestion to Moira that she hold off filling your head with too much at once.”

“And your name?”

“You may call me Aimery.”

“Aimery,” she repeated. “Can you help me?”

“What is it you wish? Do you want Conall’s love? Do you wish to have him erased from your memory?”

“You can do that?”

“I can do many things,” he said ominously.

“I want… I want…”

Aimery laughed. “You should’ve thought about what you wanted before you called me.”

“There are many things I want.”

“I know.” The sorrow in his tone spoke volumes. “Sadly, I cannot help you in any of them.”

“What? I thought you had magic.”

“I do. However, you have enough magic yourself to make all your wants happen.”

Glenna put her head in her hands. She felt as if the weight of the world held her down.

“Just don’t doubt yourself and you’ll be fine.”

“But I don’t know enough yet.”

“You will in time.”

She looked up and Aimery was gone. “Figures,” she said, and stood. With one last look at the mound, Glenna began to walk back to the castle with more questions than when she had come.

* * * * *

“Aye, you will.”

Glenna tried in vain to control her rising temper and ignore the crowded great hall and the many people who listened to her. No matter how hard she strived she couldn’t clear her mind. Ever since she entered the hall to break her fast and Conall had informed her he would trade her for Iona and Ailsa. The pain of it cut more deeply than she had thought possible.

“I’ll not let you stay there though,” he said as though it would make the hurt less harsh. “I’ll come for you.”

She had tried everything to change his mind. He wasn’t budging though. “I can help you,” she tried again.

“I’ll be more worried about you than finding MacNeil. I can’t have that.”

“Nay. You just can’t stand there and tell me the truth, that you don’t want me.”

“Glenna,” he said slowly, his jaw clenched. “You know that’s a lie.”

“Really? If you truly wanted me for your wife you wouldn’t be willing to turn me back over to the man who murdered my parents.”

“Glenna.” His tone lowered, he rose to his feet.

“I was a fool to stay here and trust you. Iona was wrong. You aren’t the man who would set me free.” She turned on her heel ready to flee, but an iron grip on her arm stopped her.

“What do you mean Iona said I would set you free?” he asked after turning her around to face him.

For a brief moment she thought to refuse to answer him, but the pain in his eyes changed her mind. She hated herself then, for she knew this man held her heart though she didn’t hold his.

“Iona told me there would be a man who could come and set me free. When you came and took me from MacNeil, I foolishly thought you were that man.”

He stared hard at her. “What else did she say?”

“That I must trust this man with my life.”

He let go of her arm and turned his back on her. “Go.”

“What?” she asked, afraid she had heard him wrong.

“You’re right, Glenna. I’m a monster for thinking of turning you back to MacNeil for my family. Go. Leave.”

“How will you get Iona and Ailsa back? What of your vow to your mother?”

He braced both hands on the table. “I’ll think of something else. You deserve better than me, and I proved it this morning.”

Glenna opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong. He was doing everything in his power to get his family back yet here she was being selfish. He had lost everything and she was only thinking of herself.

With her powers she could easily escape MacNeil, and he knew that. Yet, he hadn’t said anything. He was letting her go. And she knew it was forever.

She took a step toward him when he sat heavily in his chair. “Conall—”

“She’ll come with me.”

Every head in the hall turned to find Moira standing in the doorway. She walked with a confidence Glenna envied. She hadn’t expected Moira, indeed was surprised Conall hadn’t thrown her out already.

Instead he shook his head. “How many times have I said you aren’t welcome?”

“You ancestors made sure there was always a place for the Druids here. You don’t have the right to change that.”

He came to his feet so fast his chair tipped over backward. “I’m laird here, and if I want you gone, you will go.”

“You’ll have to kill me first.”

Glenna jumped in front of Moira before Conall could speak. “Hold your tongue,” she told him. “Don’t say anything I couldn’t forgive you for.”

“I don’t want her here,” he said between clenched teeth.

“Why? What’s the difference between her and me?”

He blinked, his brow furrowed. “A lot.”

“Nothing,” Glenna answered. Suddenly she knew Frang was right. Conall would never let her go on his own. That’s why he had pushed her away. He would never admit he wouldn’t give her to MacNeil, but he wouldn’t let her go either.

There was only one way to get Ailsa and Iona back and she was the person to do it. As much as it pained her she had to leave.

“Moira is right. I will go with her. That way you can fight the MacNeil without having to worry over me.”

Glenna turned and walked toward the door before she could change her mind. It wasn’t until she had walked out the castle gates that she realized Conall didn’t try to stop her.

“Remember what I told you,” Moira said beside her. “Don’t give up hope.”

“He didn’t even try…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“Pride stopped him. Had you done it when it was just the two of you things might have gone differently. Everything this morning would’ve gone differently.”

“He did all of this in front of everyone so I’d only have one choice.”

“Aye. He was counting on me coming for you.”

Her cracked heart split in two as tears filled her eyes. “He could’ve talked to me. We could’ve worked this out so everyone would win.”

“That’s the part you don’t ken, my sister. Not everyone can win. Conall knows this. You have yet to learn it.”

She stopped and looked at her sister. “Do you know what I did?”

“You left him to come with me.”

“Nay.” She laughed sadly through her tears. “I stood up for myself. I made a decision and did it.”

Moira smiled and put an arm around her shoulders. “If you’re to be a Highlander’s wife you need a strong backbone.”

What euphoria her actions had brought her evaporated at Moira’s words. “He’ll never accept me as a Druid.”

“Regardless, never is a very long time.”

“He showed me back there just how much he thought of my opinion.”

“He’s a laird, Glenna, and used to making decisions on his own.”

“This involved me.”

“It’s something you’ll have to teach him. It doesn’t come easy for men to confide in women. They think they can take care of everything.”

“When in truth it’s the women who take care of everything.”

“Aye.”

Glenna looked to her sister and saw such soul-wrenching misery in Moira’s eyes that it startled her. All this time she had been concerned about herself when Moira hurt just as bad.

“Moira—” Glenna began when Moira stopped in her tacks.

“We must hurry. MacNeil comes.”

* * * * *

The Shadow followed close behind Moira and Glenna. There was no way he could kill Glenna now that she was with his beloved, but he would make sure to keep an eye on her nonetheless. One never knew when an opportunity would present itself.

If only Moira would spare him another of her heavenly smiles. She was always kind to him, but then again she was kind to everyone. Why couldn’t she give him a little more? Just a hint that she shared his love.

But the time would come when she would take his hand, and he couldn’t wait to see the look of astonishment on Frang’s and Aimery’s faces. It would be worth everything he had suffered.

He had to hurry, Moira had quickened her pace. He hoped she hadn’t realized she was being followed. Just then he spotted the warrior Dartayous. He growled low in his throat.

It was no secret among the Druids that Dartayous and Moira didn’t get along, and the fact he followed her didn’t set well. He would have to kill Dartayous as well. No need to have a warrior on their trail all the time, especially one Moira didn’t like.

He crept closer, using his power to shield himself from prying eyes. He had managed to come with five paces of Dartayous and was about to strike when the warrior stopped. He watched as Dartayous looked first one way then the other.

The sound of metal leaving a scabbard reached his ears, and he dived quickly to the side. A long dagger had struck the ground were he had stood just moments before.

“I know you’re there, traitor,” Dartayous said as he retrieved his dagger. “You can cloak yourself all you like but you cannot hide from me. You stink of evil. I will find you and you’ll pay for what you’ve done.”

He waited until Dartayous disappeared before he stood and let his shield drop. He was hidden by the trees and no one would see him. He would have to be more careful now.

It had been a surprise to know Dartayous could sense him. None of the other Druids had been able to. Maybe Dartayous was more powerful than he realized. He threw off his cloak and hid it behind the stone before he began picking the herbs he had come for.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“She left.” Conall had repeated the same thing over and over since Glenna had walked from the castle, yet he refused to accept it.

The hall was empty now except for him, Angus and Gregor. He still couldn’t believe she had walked away without another word. Nothing. Not even goodbye. She hadn’t even looked back.

“You wanted her somewhere safe, and I’d say that was the safest place for her,” Gregor said.

Angus cleared his throat and leaned his elbows on the table. “He’s right, Conall. It’s where ye wanted her to begin with.”