The Highlander’s Witch (25 page)

Chapter Nine
 

E
njoying the way his muscles rippled as he dressed, Skye sighed in pleasure after he closed the door behind him.

Shaking her head to clear her lustful thoughts, she looked around the room, desperately needing clothes and finding nothing but her dress crumpled on the floor.

Sighing wistfully, she got off the bed and put her nightgown on before throwing a couple logs into the dwindling fire.

Stoking the flames to life, she replaced the poker and sank down.

Guessing it was near morning where her sister was, she concentrated hard for several long minutes, trying to keep her inability to help Aiden out of her mind.

“Come on, Sarah, please answer me.”

“I’m here, Skye.”

“Sarah! Are you all right? I have been scared to death!”

“It wasn’t very fun over here either. I had to call 9-1-1 when Doug passed out.”

“His heart?”

Sarah nodded. “Then they put me on a monitor and you can guess what they found.”

It was Skye’s turn to nod.

“But everything’s all right, right? I mean, I saved the baby.”

“We figured you had. Talk about in the nick of time though.” Sarah looked behind her sister. “That’s a big bed.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She brushed her off, blushing. “So why haven’t I heard from you?”

“They kept us in the hospital to make sure neither Doug or the baby had a relapse.” She waved her hand in frustration. “Not like I could tell them what was going on or light a candle in the hospital.”

Skye let out a sigh of relief. “Well, that makes sense then, but it wasn’t fun and I don’t relish the thought of going through that again.”

Sarah laughed just before her eyes widened and she looked over her sister’s shoulder. “Ut, oh.”

Skye turned and saw Aiden paused at the doorway.

She stood as he took a step inside the room and closed the door behind him. Biting her lip, Skye kept silent, not knowing how Aiden was going to react to what he was seeing.

Stepping slowly, unable to take his eyes off the figure in the flames, he made his way next to Skye.

No one spoke for a long moment, Skye’s heart racing.

“Yer sister?” Aiden asked making out the familiar features.

“Yes.” Skye answered softly.

“Tell me this is not a bad thing, Skye.”

Skye looked from her sister to Aiden and worried her lower lip.

How Aiden stayed in place as the flames wavered with spoken words he did not know but his eyes widened. Then he gritted his teeth, remembering why he returned.

“I be pleased to meet ye an wish for a more proper time for introductions. However, I require yer sisters’ attentions elsewhere.” He turned his attention to Skye. “They be bringin Donally in from the fields. Tis no good, lass.”

Skye nodded her understanding and turned to the flames.

“It’s alright Sarah, I told them everything and it’s alright. I’ll get you up to speed but right now I need to go.”

“Of course you do. Thank you for calming my fears too. I will see you later.”

Skye nodded and headed for the door, stopping when Aiden took her arm.

“What?”

Aiden glared. “Ye will no be goin out in that.”

“It’s not like I have anything else.”

When he went to his closet, Skye looked at Sarah in the flames and rolled her eyes.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright, Skye?”

“Of course I am. Don’t worry about me.” Skye smiled gently.

“Good, then call me later. I be headin back to bed.” She said in her best Scottish accent before the flames engulfed her features and she disappeared.

“Here ye go. This will cover ye for now.” Aiden placed a heavy cape over her shoulders and looked into the fire.

“She went to bed.” Skye explained.

Nodding, he led her out the door.

“I doona want ye to heal the Sheppard completely, just enough to ensure his life, like ye did to Seelie.”

When she looked at him questioningly, he stopped and took her by her shoulders.

“I will no have yer health risked. We will take this slow. Ye ken?”

“But as long as you are there . . .”

“I will no be there long enough. We be headin out to find the Reivers. I came to get ye while me men be gatherin.”

Skye’s heart leapt to her throat but kept her fears to herself, knowing he couldn’t stay when his people were being threatened.

“You will stay safe.”

Aiden smiled at the concern she tried so hard to hide and the catch in her voice as she demanded his safety.

*     *     *

Elizabeth spoke softly as they headed to her chambers after Skye was finished with the injured man.

“Poor, Donally. He came here from Ireland with his wife, May, when her family wouldn’t accept their marriage.”

“I liked her. She was very calm even with the sight before her.”

It had not been pretty. Donally had been beaten rather harshly and it had been difficult to tell where the most damage was because of all the blood but Elizabeth had given her privacy to heal the man and she had done a rather good job ensuring his survival.

Afterwards, they had helped May clean him and make him comfortable, letting her know they would be back to check on his progress and for Skye to do some more healing.

“They are good people and did not deserve this.” Elizabeth said just before Skye stopped them at the base of the stairs.

“What is it, child?”

Elizabeth turned to look over her shoulder as Skye passed her to go into Aiden’s study. She watched as Skye knelt at the fireplace before the chained Seelie.

“Can you close the door for me, Elizabeth?” Skye asked, not really paying attention. “Okay, girl, time for us to finish this.”

Elizabeth did as asked then watched quietly as the girl laid her hands on the animal’s head.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth ushered Skye into her chambers and sat her at a chair for her to recuperate.

Anna was helping set a table with food as two maids quickly worked to get everything in order before leaving them alone.

Elizabeth smiled as the girls’ left and walked over to the bed.

“Here we go.” She pulled up a gown and held it out to Skye. “If you feel up to it, let us get you properly dressed before sitting down to break our fast, shall we?”

Decently clothed and feeling relaxed, they finally sat down to eat.

“I be very curious, Skye. Ye simply must tell us about where ye come from.”

“Aye, if tis not too much trouble, I am also intrigued with the future and what it holds.”

Everyone was trying hard not to think about what their men were facing and she wanted to help keep their minds, as well as hers, away from what could be happening.

“A lot has happened in six hundred years.”

“Six hundred years.” Anna whispered in amazement.

Chewing her food slowly, Skye thought about what she could say without shocking them.

“Plumbing!”

At their looks of confusion, she laughed and told them what she knew about indoor and outdoor plumbing, specifically about toilets and bathtubs.

“I never worked with any of that stuff so can’t tell you much about how it’s done but it sure is nice to have running hot water where no one has to haul buckets around. Just a twist of a faucet and there it is.”

“Water goes through a pipe anywhere in a home?”

Skye nodded as she ate, trying not to grin at their look of wonder.

“Hot water just comes right out of a faucet, simply by turning a handle?”

“Pretty much.” Taking a mouthful, she listened as they went back and forth over the possibilities.

“That be amazin!” Anna breathed.

“You think that’s amazing, wait until I tell you about the wonders of refrigeration.”

She had done it; their worried faces transformed in wonder over future technology.

Trying to answer their numerous questions on washing machines and dryers, they froze in fear when a knock came at the door and Riona entered.

“I be wonderin where everyone be hidin.” She said as if offended at not being invited.

Relieved that it wasn’t a messenger with bad news, the women visibly relaxed.

“Sorry, Riona. Anna was tired of being in her own chambers so we moved our morning repast to mine.” Elizabeth smiled gently at the woman as she stood. “But I am most thankful for yer presence since it reminds me I have been negligent in taking care of the keep.”

Looking at the newcomer, Skye couldn’t help but feel angry and cautious. She was forgetting something about this girl. Unable to put her finger on it, Skye knew it went beyond the fact that her goon of a bodyguard had hauled her off and treated her like a criminal.

Riona watched as the older woman left, plastered a smile on her face, turned back to the other two, and sighed.

“I be hopin to have some company for raspberry pickin.” She said as she took the vacated chair. “Do ye think it safe fer ye to go?”

“Raspberries?” Skye asked, leaning forward in interest.

“Aye, tis the season for them.” Anna nodded enthusiastically. “I love raspberries an have missed their taste.”

“Raspberry leaf tea is actually very good during ones pregnancy and can make the labor and delivery easier.” Skye grinned at the soulful look the girl gave. “If we can get some, I could make you the tea daily to help.”

“Ohhhh, raspberry tea sounds lovely.” Anna sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back.

“Then we shall go berry pickin.” Riona said clapping her hands and rising.

Unsure if Skye really wanted to spend her time in Riona’s company, Aiden’s command came to her.

“I’m sorry but I can’t go.”

“Why ever no?” Anna asked, not wanting to be alone with Riona.

“Aiden said I was not to leave the keep.”

“Oh, poo. I want raspberries so much, ye canna ken me desire now that Riona brought it up, an ye must go with us.”

Skye could see the begging in Anna’s eyes to not be left with Riona and winked.

“When Aiden returns we can go.”

Anna slumped in her chair. “Twill be rainin an then we willna be able to.”

“Then why can’t we send others out to get some?”

“I have been cooped up in this here keep forever an ye want me to send someone else to go instead?” Anna actually pouted.

“Alright, alright.” Laughing, Skye held up her hands in defeat. “I give up. Let’s go berry picking.”

With Anna chatting excitedly, neither of them saw Riona nod to a barely discernible figure hiding in the shadows as they filed out of the room and down the stairs.

Skye was perplexed as to why there were no guards following her. For some reason that did not comfort her and she began to lag behind.

“Can we bring Seelie?” Skye asked as they walked past the study’s door.

Anna frowned in thought. “I doona have the keys to unchain her, only Aiden does.”

Riona waited impatiently at the door. “We need to hurry, I doona want it to rain before we get there.”

Once they were outside, Anna breathed deep and twirled, arms outstretched.

“This be woooonerful!”

Walking out the door, Skye felt her mood lighten a bit at Anna’s carefree laughter.

As Riona fetched buckets, Brian came running up to them.

“Are ye here to play with us, Skye?” He asked hopefully.

“Sorry, Brian, us girls are going raspberry picking.” She grinned down at the boy.

He frowned and pursed his lips. “Berry picking? That be fer lasses.”

Anna and Skye laughed.

Scuffing the toe of his shoe, he grumbled. “Well, mayhap I should go—just to make sure ye doona get wounded or nut’n.”

“Nay, tis just us goin.” Riona groused as she returned.

Both Skye and Anna frowned at Riona before turning back to the boy.

“Sorry, hun, maybe next time.” Skye smiled.

Brian sulked and continued to scuff his toe into the dirt.

Leaning in, she smiled wider. “Can you do me a favor though, Brian? It is most important.”

Puffing out his chest, he nodded vigorously. “Aye, Skye, I can do that!”

“Will you find one of the warriors—any one—and tell them what we are doing?”

Anna called out to Skye and she waved to her before looking back at the boy.

“Sure, but that doesna sound very import’nt to me.”

“It is, Brian.”

She hurried away glancing over her shoulder to see him looking around before heading off to the training fields.

Catching up to the other two, she slowed her steps.

“Maybe we should have a guard accompanying us?”