The Highlander's Servant: Book One of the Highlander Possession Series (28 page)

             
Kirstin and Ewan had taken a seat at one of the tables, and continued to watch them with curious eyes. Evening grew into the darkness of night, and many hours passed with everything going smoothly. Kirstin felt that she was about to fall asleep, until there was a knock at the door.

             
Kirstin went to open it, since Vanora and Alana had barely even noticed. Her hand grasped the knob, turning it slightly until the door opened. Confused eyes followed up the form of a man who wore muddy boots and tight breeches, and only when her eyes fell upon his face, did she know who it was.

             
Kirstin screamed, for it was no other than Graham Ruskin himself.

Chapter Thirty-Three

             
Kirstin did not waste a minute as she jumped back and ran to her friends, who watched with wide eyes. “Who are ye, and what are ye doing in my home?” Vanora bellowed, “Surely if Kirstin doesna take a kind liking to ye, then yer no’ welcome here.”

             
Graham leered, taking a step inside anyway. He began to walk towards Kirstin, who hid behind Ewan. There was doubt that Graham could hurt the old man and take Kirstin away if he wanted to, but he wanted to gain her affection first and if he hurt her friends, then he would fail.

             
“Kirstin,” he purred, “Donna be so afraid of me, for I am no’ here to hurt ye.”

             
The blonde haired woman peeked out from behind Ewan, and demanded, “Where is Lachlan?”

             
A half frown touched Graham’s lips, “Let us no’ talk about him right now.”

             
“Then,” Kirstin said, defiantly stepping away from Ewan, “I donna want to talk to ye at all. Ye must leave, now.”

             
Graham did not budge, and as he began to approach Kirstin once more, Vanora cut in between them, “If ye willna leave by Kirstin’s orders, then I must demand ye myself. Leave my home, this instant.”

             
Alana had been fanning herself, questioning how all of this could be happening. Ewan went to comfort her but it did little to nothing to calm the old woman.

             
Graham glared down at Vanora, his eyes penetrating her own, “I canna do that without Kirstin.”

             
Vanora glared back, “She is no’ yers to begin with, so leave my house now!”

             
Graham shook his head, ignoring her demands, “Ye donna understand. Kirstin is mine, and has been since before our births.”

             
This time Kirstin added mockingly, “It was a sorrowful mistake our fathers made on my part.”

             
After those words left her mouth, Graham’s head snapped in her direction, “I did no’ run my horse the entire way here without stop, for ye to say such things. Now come,” Graham reached for Kirstin, grabbing her arm before she could react, “Let us return to
our
home.”

             
“Nay!” Kirstin shouted, yanking her arm away from him abruptly, “I willna go with ye!” She glared at him as she said that, and when he made a move to grab for her again, she dodged his hand and ran away from him. She went further into Vanora’s house, remembering where the stairs were. Kirstin did not hesitate to go up the stairs and down a hallway, until she found the guest bedroom that she had once slept in before. She slammed the door shut and quickly found a chair to put under the handle since there was no lock.

             
Kirstin could hear Alana screaming at Graham, but she could not make out what she was yelling at him about. Apparently both, Alana and Vanora, tried to stop him but they could not. In a short time, Graham appeared on the other side of the door. He tried to open it once and when he found that it would not budge, he made a fist and banged on the door twice.

             
“Kirstin,” he said lowly, “We really do need to talk before I take ye away.”

             
Kirstin was shaking from fear of him, “I willna go with ye!” she retorted, but it came out weaker than she had hoped for.

             
“Ye have no choice, now open the door so that I might be able to at least help ye understand.” He said once more.

             
“Nay,” she yelled back, “There is nothing for me to understand. I am in love with another, and no’ ye!”

             
Kirstin immediately screamed after that, as the chair was knocked aside when the door flew open. She took shaky steps back away from Graham, but he quickly closed the distance between them.

             
“Kirstin,” he said more calmly, his muscles relaxing, “Let me just talk to ye.”

             
Kirstin demanded again, “Where is Lachlan?”

             
This time he did not frown, though, and instead a look of pure annoyance took place on his face, “Stop asking about him.”

             
She crossed her arms across her chest and gave him a reviled look, “Then speak, but understand that I willna go with ye.”

             
He smirked at, causing Kirstin’s nerves to rile up again. Then he finally took a seat onto the bed, and patted the spot next to him. When she made no move to sit, he said, “I willna hurt ye.” Kirstin hesitantly crossed the wooden floor and took a seat next to Graham, but she made sure that a good foot was spaced between them.

             
“Kirstin,” turning to face her, he continued, “Ye donna understand my true feelings for ye, and I fear ye may never, but there is one thing ye must understand about me.”

             
Kirstin crossed her arms again, and raised a brow as if to push him to continue. Graham calmly scooted closer to her so that he could cup her cheek, “I am no’ as bad as people make me out to be. I can be gentle, kind, and patient. All I ask is that ye give me a chance. I am no’ asking ye to open yer heart to me, but I want to show ye that I am no’ as corrupt as they say I am.”

             
Kirstin’s eyelashes fluttered a bit as her sterling blue eyes looked up to his green ones, “I ken yer no’ a bad person, for yer mother even explained to me that yer intentions are not as cruel as they may seem to be. Though, it doesna prevent the bad things ye have done. Ye have threatened my friends and me, trespassed on Bateson lands, and continue to prevent me from seeing my betrothed. I believe that if we were to be anything, we would be friends.”

             
Graham frowned at that last part, and replied, “Donna ye understand we were betrothed since the beginning of time?”

             
“Aye,” Kirstin said genuinely, “but I truly believe there is a lass out there awaiting yer heart, and I believe that I am no’ her. I will give ye another chance at being a better person, but I canna give ye my heart in the end, for it belongs to Lachlan.”

             
Graham’s frown deepened but he said nothing. His hand dropped from her cheek and shame took place over his features.

             
“Graham,” Kirstin said, kindly putting a hand to his, “Where is Lachlan?”

             
His gaze met hers, his eyes a bit wide as his mouth formed his next words, “He is dying.” Kirstin froze. She was in utter shock when Graham said that, and did not know how to react. After a long moment of silence, she suddenly stood up and said, “I must go to him at once.”

             
Graham shook his head, “Nay, ‘tis too late.”

             
“What do ye mean ‘tis too late?” Kirstin snapped, turning around to look at him.

             
“Kirstin,” Graham said with a sorrowful look, “Laird Bateson is going to die by the time we get there. He took four arrows to the chest.”

             
Kirstin choked on a sob, thinking to herself that it was practically a miracle Lachlan had not died yet. She made to leave, only looking over shoulder once to say, “If yer no’ going to take me then I will go myself. I must see him.” The tears were streaming down her face then, and Graham called out from behind her, “Wait!”

             
She stopped, another sob racking her body, “I canna wait anymore.”

             
“Kirstin,” Graham said, “I will take ye to him.”

             
She nodded in acknowledgment to his words, but was still frowning. She did not bother to even grab her bag as they went down the stairs.

             
When Alana saw her state of sorrow, she glared at Graham, “Ye upset her.”

             
He expressed a look of regret at hurting Kirstin, “Aye.”

             
Vanora cut in this time, “Well, spit it out boy, what did ye say to her?”

             
Kirstin wailed, throwing her arms in to the air and crying out, “Lachlan is dying!”

             
Not only did both woman gasp, but so did Ewan. Kirstin continued by saying, “He has taken four arrows to the chest.”

             
Ewan stood up abruptly from his chair and walked over to Graham. The old, friendly man that Kirstin had once known was no longer present as he jabbed a finger into Graham’s shoulder, “If ye donna fix this, I will have ye killed by my own hands. Laird Bateson better live, for the better of Kirstin and the rest of us. Ye hear?”

             
Graham grimaced, “I will only help Laird Bateson for the request of Kirstin, no’ for ye.”

             
Ewan nodded in understanding, “’Tis better than no help. And ‘tis yer fault to begin with. This girl,” he said motioning to Kirstin who was holding in another sob, “is no’ good enough for ye.”

             
Graham frowned, “I ken that now.”

             
Alana and Vanora nodded, and said in unison, “’Tis about time!”

             
“Come,” Graham said to Kirstin, “Let us depart. Lachlan is at my manor and it will take us a few days to arrive.”

             
She nodded vigorously, following him out the door. Before she stepped outside, Alana grabbed her arm and said, “Donna give yer heart away to him, and whatever ye do, donna trust him fully.”

             
With tear-stained cheeks and a neutral expression, Kirstin nodded in comprehension. Then, she left with Graham into the night.

             
They rode together on his horse. It felt awkward being in another man’s arms, but she ignored the feeling. Kirstin had to focus on the matter at hand, and that was saving Lachlan.

Chapter Thirty-Four

              After about four days of horseback, with Graham attempting to sway Kirstin despite his earlier words at Vanora’s home, Graham and Kirstin finally arrived at his manor. A young boy came and took his horse, and a few other men greeted Graham but he ignored them.

He took Kirstin’s hand, but not out of affection, and pulled her to the brown stone building. Though, Graham did not guide her through the front doors of his grand home, and instead took her through the servant’s quarters. The
servants quarters were surprisingly well-kept, despite the grim look to the building. They did not stop there, and event when he did not let go of her hand, Graham said, “Follow me.”

             
Kirstin was fearful of why Graham guided her to another staircase that led to another level below. It was a level of his manor that was beyond the servant’s quarters, and it was dark with only a few candles lighting the staircase.

             
It was cold and humid when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Kirstin observed the damp floors that were made of gray stone, and metal bars that lined the walls. Only then, did she realize that they were in a dungeon of sorts. Beyond the metal bars, were prisoners, but they were not so to Kirstin. They were Lachlan’s men, some injured and others frail and dirty. Their voices called out to her, begging her to either help them or leave before she had a similar fate. When they saw Graham next to her, then they would stop talking and instead back away from the bars.

             
“Lachlan is this way,” Graham murmured, but Kirstin did not follow when she saw Roderick in one of the various cells.