Enchanted Lover (33 page)

Walking over to the bed, he bent and kissed Asilinn's
soft lips. Her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled up at him.

“Still tired?” he asked.

“Aye,” she whispered in a voice still clouded with
sleep. Seeing his was partly dressed, she frowned. “Would you leave me so
soon?”

“I must meet with the council. But I'll be back.”

He felt her eyes on him while he finished dressing
but she pretended to be asleep if he turned her way. Amused by her play, he
moved to kiss her golden hair once more before he vacated their chamber.

The council was assembled in their special meeting
chamber. A quick glance around the room showed Jared all were present except
Keith. “Where is Keith? Find him so we can begin.”

“Milord, Keith and a group of your warriors have gone
to try to capture Osred,” Garrick explained. Seeing Jared's vexed expression,
he posed another question. “Is there some problem, Laird?”

“The messenger I sent to tell Laird Innes we were
coming never arrived. We found him dead on the trail. Whoever killed the
messenger rode Keith's horse.”

Ross gave him a questioning glance.

“I marked the hooves of each of your horses,” Jared
explained. “And if it was Keith, we have sent the traitor after his own
partner. I doubt either will return.”

“I've had my differences with Keith, but I dinna
think he would betray us,” Liam said.

“If it was not Keith, one of you is still against
me.”

The men at the table grew somber each assuring Jared
in turn they were on his side. He listened but made no comment.

“Do we adjourn to await Keith's return?” Morven
asked.

“There is another problem we must address,” Jared
said, watching their tentative faces. “Laird Innes has been attacked, his
villages pillaged and burned. The men wore our plaid. He and his council took a
chance and chose to believe our innocence, but we must root out these traitors.
There's no more time. We have signed the peace agreement and now we must fight to
preserve it.”

“Aye,” Garrick said. “It is a miracle we have
succeeded thus far with so much havoc by the masked riders. Let's mount an all
out attack on them.”

“But where do we attack?” Morven asked. “They seem to
appear and disappear at will. The only ones we found in our search of Burnum
Woods yesterday were the men who had been poisoned by Glenna. There was no sign
of others. We spent the whole day combing the woods.”

“A valid point,” Jared agreed. “I believe if we find
their leader and bring him to justice the unrest will die down. His men will
scatter to the four winds without his leadership.”

“Do you think it is Keith?” Morven asked. Jared gave
a noncommittal shrug.

The men continued their discussion for some time,
finally deciding to await Keith's return before condemning him. Most were
satisfied much of the danger was gone with the rescue of Lady Asilinn.

“But,” Jared reminded them. “We still dinna know what
they had planned to do with her. It makes no sense to keep her alive unless
there was some further purpose.”

Garrick sighed. “Perhaps I can shed some light
there,” he offered. “Some time ago Osred and Glenna both accused Asilinn of
witchcraft. I think they sought to stir up the people in order to have her
tried as a witch. She is at risk to such an attack because of her healing
skills. Your absence would be the perfect time to attempt such a ploy.”

“There is one flaw in that supposition,” Jared
commented. “Osred had Ivy try to poison Asilinn. Why do that if he wanted a
witchcraft trial? We are all well aware people accused of witchcraft are
usually found guilty.”

“I believe they were frantic to get rid of her
because she carried your heir,” Liam said. “The child binds us more tightly to
the peace with the Innes clan.”

The others nodded their agreement.

“I think the threat is over,” Morven said. “I dinna
think we'll see Keith or Osred again. They have fled in defeat. I'll wager the
masked men will disappear without a leader to guide them.”

Jared looked at him skeptically. “If only it were
that simple. I want daily patrols in Burnum Woods and full accounts of comings
and goings within the MacLean lands. By keeping careful track, I believe we can
ferret out the traitors. If Morven is right, our task will be even easier.” The
councilmen agreed and their talks turned to the organization of the patrols. It
was several hours before Jared had time to find Asilinn.

When he reached the tower, he was disappointed to
find her missing. Muttering under his breath, he went down to the lower levels
to search for her. Flanna's expression at his question told him something was
amiss.

“Where is she?”

“I tried to stop her, Milord, but she wouldna listen
to me. I begged her to take it up with you first.”

“Take what up with me?”

“She's gone to talk with Ivy in the dungeon,” Flanna
explained. Jared gave out a frustrated snort and hurried off to find his
well-meaning wife.

***

Asilinn stood looking through the small barred window
at Ivy. “I want to know if you were aware of what was in the milk,” she
repeated.

Ivy sobbed into her hands. “I suspected,” she
admitted. “But I was bitter Laird Jared would join himself with an Innes. I
lost all sight of reason. I beg yer forgiveness.”

“Is Osred my husband's only enemy on the council?”

“I dinna know, Milady,” Ivy insisted.

Jared walked up behind his wife. “Asilinn, why would
you venture back into this musty hole? I have already questioned Ivy. Come with
me now.”

Asilinn stubbornly shook her head. She turned to him
and placed her small hand on his chest. “I have the most reason to want Ivy
locked away, but I beg you, place her under house arrest in one of the upper
rooms. After my own experience I wouldna wish this place on anyone.”

Looking at Ivy, Jared relented. Ivy fell to her knees
weeping at Asilinn's feet, but the guard picked her up and took her away.

“Thank you,” Asilinn whispered.

“I shall never understand you,” Jared said, “The
woman worked with those who locked you up.”

“Aye, but she was fearful for her own life.”

Jared snorted and Asilinn smiled. “You are amused by
my skepticism?”

“Only the snort you let out when you are totally
frustrated with me.”

He smiled in spite of himself. “And now I have showed
leniency for the prisoner, what else would you have me do?”

“I have one other request,” she said with a twinkle
in her eye. “I spent so long in the darkness I am ravenous for the wind in my
hair and the sun on my face. Can we go for a ride?”

A grin curled Jared's lips. “Mayhaps a short one, I
think I know of a safe place if it is what milady wishes.”

Fergus greeted them warmly at the stables. “You’re
keepin’ me busy today,” he said. “Morven and several of the men have gone out
already.”

A fleeting frown crossed Jared's face. “Did they say
where they were headed?”

“Nay, Milord, I thought you knew.”

“‘Tis not important,” he assured Fergus.

In no time, Jared and Asilinn were riding across the
vast emptiness of the towering gray-green mountains. Asilinn seemed unable to
get enough of the fresh mountain air and Faileas was enjoying her mistress'
return after having no exercise.

Jared watched Asilinn revel in her freedom. He
couldn't imagine the scope of her ordeal hidden away back some dark passage
with only occasional glimmers of light for over a week. Overall, she didn't
appear adversely affected by her experience. It must be her complete faith in
her vision.

He kicked Ailleagian in the ribs and caught up with
Asilinn and Faileas. “Asilinn,” he called, holding up a leather pouch. “I have
surprise. Flanna has provided us with some lunch.”

Asilinn grinned. “Where shall we eat?”

“Follow me,” Jared said, taking the lead. He led her
up a rocky trail to a clearing which looked out across the mountains.

They dismounted and Asilinn marveled at the view.
From the top they could see a panorama of the MacLean lands. To the west, the
glistening waters of the loch encircled the island which held Dunbocan Castle. The area around them was rugged pasture punctuated with sharp rock
outcroppings which grew out of the landscape to dwarf everything nearby. The
chill wind and ever-changing sky was full of misty clouds which broke
occasionally to brilliant rays of sun. In the distance, she could see the spiky
trees of Burnum Woods.

“It is magnificent.”

Jared came over behind her and wrapped his arms
around her waist. She leaned back against him basking in the heat of his
muscular chest as he protected her from the wind. They stood thus entwined
while he told of her about the peace plan and Ian’s role in its eventual
success.

“I was terrified in the dungeon,” Asilinn admitted.
“I had this terrible fear of never being found—of never feeling your strong
arms around me again or feeling your caress.”

“You wanted me.”

“Aye, and when I thought you might be dead… I
realized… just how much.” She gathered all her courage glad she was not facing
him. There was nothing left but to say it. “I love you, Jared.”

His lips caressed the back of her neck while his
hands slipped beneath her dress to cup her breasts. She pulled away from him
when he opened the front of her dress but he drew her back against him.

“Jared, we are outside. Anyone could see us.”

“We are atop the highest peak for miles around. No
one can get near without us hearing them and no one can see what we are about.”

His hands already fondled the firm ripe breasts his
earlier moves had freed. “Say it again.”

“I love you,” she murmured. One of his hands dove
lower massaging the heart of her. She was moving restlessly back against him
unable to do anything but enjoy the strong stroking caresses. With a ragged
moan, he stopped long enough to slide her dress off her shoulders. It fell to
the ground around her boots as his hands once more moved over her. For a
minute, his roving hands of fire were gone and she felt his plaid drop
away—felt his hardness against her buttocks. He was planting wet kisses on her
neck while he pulled her down on his plaid. Turning her to face him, he brushed
the hair out of her eyes.

“Show me what you want.” Without a word, Asilinn
pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around him. She gasped when he
entered her and moved her hips to push him deeper.

“I want you to love me,” she whispered.

“I do love you, Asilinn,” he said, breathing hard.
Asilinn felt his heat flow through her and gave a low moan of approval as his
invasions turned more purposeful. She felt Jared fill her, enraptured by the
tight fit of him inside her when he melded them into one being in an instant of
pure euphoric bliss.

After a while, he disengaged and rolled off of her,
pulling her over to snuggle against him. “You love me,” she whispered in sated
contentment.

“Aye, my enchantress, I love you.”

They lay in each other’s arms for a while, unwilling
to break the spell their coupling had created.

At length Asilinn grew chilly and rose to collect her
clothes. He helped her dress and donned his own clothes.

“I never even noticed how chilly it was until
afterward,” she said with a grin. “And now, I'm starving!”

Jared laid out their feast and they sat on the
blanket looking over the beauty below them and talking about the recent events
that had plagued them.

“Did your vision sustain you in the dungeon?” he
asked. “It is all that kept me sane when I reached home to find you missing.”

“I wanted to believe it but in that small, airless
space some ugly doubts came to haunt me,” she confessed. “But it also made me
realize I loved you.”

Jared sighed and pulled her to him, gently caressing
her. “Aye, so, I could not admit I loved you until I was afraid I might not
hold you again. I look to the day when all this is behind us.”

Asilinn agreed wholeheartedly. “I want to live
peacefully and bear you many sons,” she said with a grin.

“Have you had a vision of that as well?”

“Nay, Milord, not yet,” she responded with a playful
gleam in her eye.

“Come love, it grows late and I want you safely
within the castle walls before dark.”

Asilinn frowned but allowed him to pull her to her
feet. “I'd like to stay here longer.”

“There will be many more days here.”

They were packing up when something in the distance
caught Asilinn's eye. “Jared look,” she said, pointing to smoke rising from
Burnum woods. “Are the woods on fire?”

Jared trained his gaze on the area where she pointed.
“So it would appear. As soon as I get you back to the castle I'll investigate.”

“But we're close, why not check it now? We can at
least get a view of what's happening.”

“Asilinn, it is almost dusk and I will not put you in
any danger,” he argued.

“Have you no faith in my vision? Jared, if it is the
masked men, can you afford not to check on it?”

“I canna put you in danger,” he said sternly. “I
dinna want to hear any more about it!”

They mounted and headed down from the lofty peak but
when they reached the bottom, Asilinn wheeled Faileas around and took off at
full tilt in the direction of Burnum Woods.

Jared muttered a curse and lit out after her, finally
catching her when she slowed to enter the brambles near the tree line. He
started to drag her back but a horseman was approaching. Instead, he led her to
a thicket until the rider had passed. He scowled at her.

“How could you take this risk?”

“It is for an important cause,” she reminded him.
“Come on, we are so close now. Listen, I hear voices.”

He motioned for her to dismount, grabbing her hand,
and leading her through some prickly underbrush until they had a view of the
clearing he had found with Liam and Keith.