Susan King - [Celtic Nights 03] (33 page)

She felt an overwhelming urge to throw her arms around him, to feel his passion again. Wanting him to hold her, to love her and never let her go, she closed her eyes and pressed closer to him. "Lachlann," she whispered, wanting to tell him her thoughts about Colin, about pledges.

"Hush." He shifted his head, and his mouth swept over hers, certain and hungry. When he gently tilted her chin and deepened the kiss, she dissolved in his arms. Tender, magical, she did not want the moment to end. A kind of wildness filled her, tinged with desperation. She wanted him fiercely, and felt his desire manifest, firm and urgent, against her hip.

"Dhia,"
he breathed in her ear. His fingers traced downward, over her shoulder, lingering upon her breast. She gasped as his thumb brushed her stiffening nipple, the feeling deep, startling, irresistible. His palm stilled over her beating heart and his mouth sought hers again, gave and slaked. She arched against him as his mouth traced over her cheek.

"This is madness," he whispered. "I cannot be near you without..." His lips took hers again, and her body responded with a burst of passion, deep and low. "Eva, tell me you do not want that marriage." His voice spiraled into her like a flame. "Tell me so," he said, kissing her.

"Ach Dhia,"
she moaned, "I do not want it—"

"Good," he murmured, his mouth fitting over hers again. Her lips opened for him as his tongue touched, swept over hers, while she wrapped her arms around him, sighed, began to tremble.

"Lachlann—" she whispered.

"Shhh." He turned his head, his hand stilling at her waist. She froze, aware of the crunch of footsteps through leaves. The silence crackled with another's presence.

"If you continue like that, my friend," Simon drawled, "you will be the one marrying my sister before the night is out, regardless of who else might claim her."

* * *

Suppressing an oath, Lachlann flipped back a corner of the cloak. "Simon," he murmured calmly, disguising his astonishment.

Eva's brother leaned easily against a tree that sprouted upright out of the steep hillside. He folded his arms and stared down at them. "Lachlann. Eva, come out, girl."

Eva sat up. "Simon, you cannot stay out here in the open. The king's men are searching for you."

"Looks like one of them found me," he said. "Lachlann, your friends went down the hill calling for you."

Lachlann stood and assisted Eva to her feet, then turned. "We must talk," he said.

"Not here. Follow me." Simon headed up the slope, with Eva and Lachlann close behind him.

Lachlann had climbed this way before, but not for years. Moonlight and the milky froth of the burn marked the way in the darkness as they climbed along a rocky gorge, moving carefully over the slick stones.

He knew exactly where they headed. Above the gorge and to the left of the waterfall, he remembered an excellent cave, large and dry, tucked in the rocky wall that soared above the hillside. Only the locals would know this place; rebels would be safe here.

Eva moved ahead with Simon, while Lachlann followed at a slower pace, encumbered by armor and more cautious by nature than the MacArthur siblings. His polished cuirass shone silvery, and he pulled the cloak around his shoulders to hide the glint.

At the peak of the slope, where the burn poured into the gorge, Eva and Simon crossed the stream, stepping from stone to stone, and walked toward the soaring black rock face.

The cave entrance was as he remembered, a narrow cleft hidden by scree and bracken, further disguised by a dark blanket slung on a rope. They entered a tunnel-like passageway that opened into a spacious natural chamber. Golden firelight flickered on rough walls, and familiar faces turned toward him.

Lachlann paused inside the opening. Parian and William came forward, grinning. He had not seen Margaret's twin brothers since they had been with him in France, and he returned their hearty embraces with a smile. Then he turned to see three young men, brown-haired, lean, handsome, and lightly bearded. He recognized Margaret's youngest brothers, Fergus, Andra, and Micheil, who stood with an older man he had never seen.

"You have grown, you rascals," he said, grinning as he grasped the boys' hands in turn. "Tall as me now, you are," he said to Andra, the youngest. "Still playing pranks?"

Andra laughed. "Whenever I can."

"Lachlann, this is our father's cousin, Iain Og MacArthur," Fergus said, indicating the older man beside him. Iain nodded his iron gray head in gruff greeting.

Simon gestured for Lachlann and Eva to follow him to the deepest part of the cave, while the others resumed their seats around a small campfire. Game roasted on a spit, and Fergus tested the meat with a short dagger. Lachlann noticed that the smoke spiraled upward and disappeared, drawn by a good draft.

In a shadowed corner, where the ceiling dipped down and the smoky air was fragrant with charred cooking, Eva and Simon took seats on a split log. Lachlann sat on the earthen floor next to Eva and propped a knee up, resting his back against the wall.

Simon leaned forward, forearms on his knees, and listened while Eva explained that Colin had returned with the deed to Innisfarna in his pocket, as they had all expected—and the offer of a pardon for the MacArthurs, including Donal, if they accepted exile.

"Soon you will be free, and Donal released," she said.

"Exile?" Simon asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Freedom for all of us? And at what price?"

"Eva's marriage," Lachlann said stiffly. "And her isle."

Simon shook his head. "We cannot do that."

"But they hunt for you even now," Eva said. "If you are caught this time, this will be your only chance. Colin is furious."

"That cattle raid was ill timed," Lachlann added.

"The cattle we borrowed will net us a nice profit," Simon said. "We will be able to pay you to smith weapons for us."

Lachlann frowned. "That will do you no good. And Colin is not as tolerant as Robson. I guarantee it."

"You will be free men soon—do not take such risks!" Eva pleaded.

"I dislike Colin's arrangements for us," her brother answered. "Donal would not like them either, if he were here."

"Simon, we do not have a choice," Eva said.

"We do," he insisted. "There must be some other way. Lachlann, we need weapons from you. We will be fighting our way out of this, I think."

"Simon, please," Eva said. "Colin has offered the means to save all of you. Listen to me." She grabbed his arm. "I will do whatever I must to keep you safe, do you not know that?"

"Just because you are older," he said, "you do not have to shepherd me still." He sounded weary but affectionate.

"Our father is gone—and Donal in prison, and all our people sent away from their homes. Simon, I cannot lose you too."

"We will think of some way to free you from this marriage," he said stubbornly.

"I thought there was a way," she said, looking at her brother with pain and earnestness in her eyes. "I hoped so. But now I see that it would save only me, and not you. I cannot ask that sacrifice from you."

"And I cannot ask you to sacrifice yourself for us," he said. "So we disagree once again."

Eva sighed and lowered her head, covering her brow with her hand for a moment. "Simon, I beg you. No more fighting, no more raids. Accept the king's pardon. Exile is often remanded. After a while we will petition again, and the king will let you come back to Scotland."

Simon narrowed his eyes, shook his head.

"I want you to live," Eva said in a raw whisper. "It does not matter to me where you are, so long as you are alive."

Lachlann frowned, watching her. Not for the first time, he admired her tenacity, her dedication, her fire. And he understood clearly then why she believed she must remain married to a man she loathed; she loved her brother and her kinsmen that much. When Eva loved someone, she gave her whole soul and self into the bargain. He closed his eyes, sighed.

Fergus came forward. "We could gather men and weapons, and win Eva's isle for our stronghold. Then we could bargain with the crown on our own, without Green Colin's interference."

Micheil joined his brother, the two young men standing tall and strong together, and within moments the others gathered with them. "We do not want Eva to give in to Colin," he said.

Iain Og stood. "We will fight. Eva should fight, too."

"If you will not make weapons for us, smith," Micheil said, "then make a sword for Eva. You are a MacKerron, after all. You have the knowledge of making a faery blade, and she needs one now, to do what she must do."

Eva looked at Lachlann. "Faery blade?"

"You know it is just a tale," he answered, frowning.

"So is Aeife's legend, but we would be foolish to ignore it," Fergus said. "Magic exists."

"It does, in some ways," Lachlann murmured, gazing steadily at Eva. "But it is ridiculous to ask me to smith a blade for her, magical or otherwise. It will solve nothing."

"Innisfarna must be won back with a sword of faery make, or there will be disaster for all of Scotland," Andra said. Micheil and Fergus nodded. "We must take back Innisfarna, and Eva must be the one to lead us."

"I will not assist such a scheme," Lachlann said. "Simon, are you in agreement with them?"

Simon shook his head. "I have no use for faery blades or superstitious schemes. Nor do I think my sister should give up her happiness for mine. Let me fight my own battles, Eva."

She stood. "I must honor my clan, and I must honor the legend of Innisfarna. I want all of you to be safe, and free!"

"No matter the cost to you?" Lachlann asked. She met his gaze silently.

"Eva, we will take our chances," Simon said.

She shook her head. "You do not understand."

"Eva," Lachlann said, "if we discuss it, we can find some way to solve it for all of us."

"Discuss it! You do not understand—I thought there was a way, but—" She whirled, smothering a sob. Lachlann reached for her, but she paced away. He closed his hand on empty space.

"What do we not understand?" he asked. Her kinsmen still watched them, heads turning as they looked from one to the other.

"I have made a horrible mistake," she said, making a circuit of the long, narrow cave. "I made a bargain with the devil. There is no way out for me. I thought there might be, but if I free myself from Colin, all the MacArthurs are condemned. I cannot trade my happiness for your deaths!"

Simon stood. "Eva, what are you talking about?"

Lachlann strode toward her and took her arm. "What is it?" he growled. "You are keeping something from us. Is it Colin? Why does he have so strong a hold over you?"

She looked up at him, and tears welled in her eyes. "Colin made me agree to betroth to him." She fought a wrenching sob. "He said he would have Donal beheaded. He swore to hunt Simon and the others down and see them all slain. Do you not see?"

Lachlann swore, shoved his fingers through his hair. "I see," he said. "Now I see. He forced you into it."

She nodded fiercely. "He promised to gain a pardon for them if I became his wife, and gave him Innisfarna. I agreed to the marriage. Now it does not matter what I truly want, or what I regret, or what I wish could change—" she gasped out, staring at Lachlann. "If I do not honor the proxy wedding, he will convince the king to declare death for the MacArthurs!" She stepped away from him again and resumed her agitated pacing.

"Jesu," Lachlann rumbled under his breath. "Eva, how long have you lived with this threat?"

"As long as you were gone," she snapped out. "And longer."

"You kept that from us all this time?" Simon demanded.

She nodded again, walking, turning. "I could not tell you. He threatened—" She sobbed out loud and dashed a hand at her eyes as tears seeped down.

"Colin is a cruel, arrogant—" Simon swore and punched a fist into the palm of his hand. "I would kill him if he were here, for what he has done to her," he muttered.

"That," Iain Og said, "is the best solution."

Eva came back to them now. "I hoped to gain time for Donal. I even thought I could refuse to marry Colin after the pardon was gained. But he fixed the marriage before he even returned from France!" She put a fist to her mouth and spun away.

"Eva," Lachlann said, following her. She shook her head and moved away from him again, crying openly now. Watching her, his heart turned with sadness, with love.

"He was never to be trusted, Eva," Simon said.

"I did not trust him," she said. "But I believed him. Now it is too late. He did not gain a pardon—he arranged exile for all of you!" She sobbed again, covering her eyes with a hand.

"We will have the marriage annulled," Simon said.

"Do that, and Colin will see all of you dead! And Donal will never come home to us! I made a terrible error when I agreed—oh, God. Simon, I am sorry. Lachlann—oh—" Crying, she whirled and ran out of the cave. The dark cloth at the entrance flapped behind her.

Lachlann strode after her, but Simon grabbed his shoulder. "Leave her alone for a little while. You will find her at Balnagovan soon enough. Meanwhile, we must solve this trouble. I am not eager to be exiled or beheaded, but neither will I let my sister give herself up to Green Colin Campbell."