Wild about the Witch (27 page)

Evie had to slap her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, and Piper didn’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed. She could see how hard it was for Lachlan to let her stay and how relieved he was that she was going back, but wished she could have spent more time with her. She felt a little sorry for Shane. Everyone seemed to think he was such a player, but she liked the kid, and he’d seemed genuinely interested in Catie.

“You made her see what a catch Oliver was,” Evie said appreciatively.

“Aye, I figured it wouldn’t hurt if she truly didn’t like him, but if she did, it would light a fire under her if she thought someone else might want him.”

“How did ye get so wise?” Lachlan asked.

Mellie wrinkled her nose, uncomfortable at the praise. She looked questioningly at Evie. “I thought Sam was coming to take you to the doctor?”

Evie’s eyes widened and she stepped away from Piper, which meant she wanted to avoid getting smacked for something. “Uh, well, I never actually sent him a message. I wanted to see how everything turned out,” she said, yelping when Mellie swatted her shoulder.

“If you’ll forgive me saying so, that’s rather foolish in your condition,” Mellie said.

“It’s insane and reckless,” Piper exclaimed, collapsing back onto the cushions in her distress.

“I’ll take her right now,” Mellie said, when Lachlan looked as if he was about to sling her over his shoulder and take her himself. “I actually want to get out for a bit, as I lied about the spell not being scary. It actually still scares the crap out of me.”

“Me too, Mel,” Evie said. “Let’s go find Sam and get me checked out, then we can eat at Maison Craig to celebrate.”

“What are you celebrating?” Piper asked.

She lifted her legs so Lachlan could sit on the couch with her and he pulled her blanket over them both. He massaged her feet with his strong hands and she felt cozy and safe as he smiled at her, eyes full of love. Evie squeezed her arm and held Mags out to her so she could kiss his velvety soft cheek.

“Life,” she said, and shrugged. “Everything.”

“Perfect reasons.” Piper hauled herself forward, and had to shut her eyes against a rush of dizziness. “We’ll join you.”

Lachlan steadied her with a hand under her elbow. “It sounds exactly the opposite of what the doctor would order, if ye were to take my recommendation and call him.” He leaned to kiss her nose and smile at her, softening his stern tone. “I am going to carry ye upstairs and get ye in dry clothes, and this time make sure ye stay in bed.”

She smiled contentedly and waved at Evie and Mel. His plan sounded even better than Maison Craig.

“We must get Mellie an extravagant Christmas present,” he said after they were gone.

She laughed at his relief. “Why did you tell Catie she could stay if you didn’t want her to?”

Piper had mixed feelings about it herself. She’d been so agitated by her headaches and blackouts, she’d only wanted Catie gone, but now she already missed her.

“I didna want ye to think me harsh and cruel for making her go back,” he said, picking her up and heading for their room.

“I could never think that,” she said, resting against his chest.

As soon as she had her warm, dry pajamas on, he got into bed with her and pulled the covers to their chins.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him like a starfish and sighed, already feeling stronger. It would be a long time, if ever, before she tried any of her new magic skills again.

“Tell me what you’re feeling, love,” Lachlan asked tentatively, and she knew he worried she might feel bad about banishing her grandmother.

She prodded at her emotions and only felt relief. Everyone she cared about was okay, she was alive, and she’d finally learned that she was in control.

She no longer felt sick and ashamed at what she was, and suspected a lot of it didn’t even have anything to do with Daria. It was her legacy, same as the land and the castle. A happy tear slid down her cheek and Lachlan pulled her closer.

“I feel fine,” she said, and for the first time in a long time, meant it.

Pietro leaned against the fence and let his eyes rest on the horses grazing in the field. He was exhausted from helping with a foaling the night before, and he’d spent a good part of that morning trying to help wherever he was needed.

Four of his stable hands were down with the illness, six of his guards. Many of the castle servants who remained healthy were wary to be around the sick and refused to go near the quarantined area that had been set up when it looked like it was going to well and truly be an epidemic. They’d lost four people to the raging fever, one child and three elderly folks.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his darling Bella sleep, never leaving wee Callum’s bedside. Their lad was hanging on by a thread, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold on in his weakened state.

Pietro gripped the fence rail and struggled against tears. There was no time to break down, and he’d rested long enough. The only time Bella would even take a break was if he was with Callum, and he had to go now, so she could eat something, or wash her face, or pray.

As much as he wanted to check on them, he feared the worst. Every time he stood outside the closed door of his son’s room, he was taken by the most cowardly dread, and had to force himself to open it. He didn’t know how he could stand to lose his middle child. He’d have to go on for the others, but he didn’t know how he would.

As he pushed through the somber halls of the castle, being stopped for news, complaints, questions, he wondered if he should continue holding out hope for Quinn’s return. He’d thought it would only be a few hours before they’d have their miracle medicines from his own time, but four days had passed and now death had them in its grasp.

If Quinn returned at all, had the sickness advanced too far for even heavy duty antibiotics? He’d been kicking himself since they left for not taking Bella and the children and just going with them. This time was dangerous and hard. Every time he thought he was getting used to it, something new and terrible happened.

Bella would never consider leaving, though. No matter what she said, she loved every second of clan intrigue. There was no way he could be laird of this place without her by his side, giving him ideas and answers. He held the title, but over the years she’d become the true leader of this clan.

Her heart would be torn out if Callum didn’t survive. Which would be worse, his own pain, or having to watch Bella go through it?

He was interrupted from his dark thoughts by his wife’s maid flying into him, her face streaked with tears, so distraught she could barely speak. He gave up trying to get an answer out of her and brushed past her, running full tilt to the baby’s room.

Bella stood shaking over Callum’s bed. His wee lad was hidden by a mound of covers, but there was no hiding Bella’s tears. His heart thumped hard and slow and the air became thick. With nothing to reach for to keep him from falling, he staggered to Bella and grabbed her arm.

She turned into him, sobbing against his chest. Callum moaned and rolled over in his blanket nest and Pietro’s knees nearly gave out from relief. Unable to speak for a moment, he held Bella tightly.

“What is it, sweetheart?” he finally managed in a weak rasp. He reached over to lay his hand on Callum’s head, shocked at how hot he felt.

“We’ve lost Gordon,” she cried. She took a deep breath and stepped away from him, looking up with her deep golden eyes. Tears welled over the lids and he pulled her close again, unable to look at her sadness. “What shall I do without him?”

It hit him like an electric shock. The man wasn’t even that old, and had only come down with the fever the day before. Pietro wasn’t sure himself what they would do without her trusted advisor. Her uncle had been the voice of reason on too many occasions to count, and had been more of a father to her throughout her life than her own, cruel sire had been.

He would miss him, and he knew once the shock wore off, a deep sadness would overtake him, as he’d truly liked the taciturn fellow. But he couldn’t allow emotions right now. This sickness was going to swallow them all, raging through the castle as it was, becoming stronger and claiming its victims at lightning speeds. He had to get his family to safety.

She must have sensed his agitation and reached up to smooth his hair, patting his shoulders in the way she did to young Reid when he got upset. He felt ashamed at his fear and lack of leadership, and for the millionth time was grateful she loved him after all these years.

“How did ye know I was panicking?” he asked. He rested his forehead against her soft, russet hair and kissed the top of her head.

“Because ye love us so,” she said, wiping her tears. “I feel it, too, day and night. The urge to run away.” Before he could respond, she held up her hand. “But ye know we must stay in this time. We dinna know if we could do the spell, and I feel quite certain we shouldna try. This is our lot we’ve been given, and for all we know we’d only make things worse.” She stood on her toes to kiss him. “I only hope ye have no regret.”

“I thought you gave up saying daft things like that years ago,” he told her.

He sat on the edge of Callum’s bed and lightly rested his hand on the boy’s blanketed form. Callum whimpered and opened his eyes for a moment, then struggled to say something. In the few days he’d been ill, most of his sturdy toddler fat had melted away, leaving him looking alarmingly frail.

Bella sat beside him and took their son’s tiny hand. “Your da has come at last, Cal,” she said, turning to Pietro. “He’s been wanting ye all day. I know ye’re trying to pick up the slack everywhere, but perhaps just stay by our side for now, if ye will.” Her voice broke and he knew she feared Callum dying at any moment. It took all his strength not to blubber like a baby.

“Of course,” he said. “I shall tell ye boring stories of my own childhood, lad.”

Callum smiled and fell back to sleep, and Bella began to cry again. All Pietro could do was sit and hold her, never taking his hand off their sleeping child.

***

Quinn opened his eyes to Lizzie frantically looking down at him, her hand poised to slap him. “Oi, why?” he asked, rolling to a sitting position.

“I thought you were unconscious again,” she said, quickly lowering her hand and smoothing his bandage.

Oliver dry heaved beside him and he reached around to pat him on the back. Thankfully, nothing came up, as they were in the tight confines of the secret passage.

“Thank God we only have to do that once more,” Oliver said, sagging against the wall. “How come it doesn’t make you lot sick?”

Quinn ignored his complaining and jumped up, looking for Catie. Had she not made it through? He took three steps in the dark hallway and tripped over her.

“Are ye all right, Catie?” He ran his hands over her face and shoulders. She seemed in one piece.

She shoved him away, leaned over and retched. “That was the worst thing that ever happened to me,” she said weakly. “I much prefer Lord Ashford’s way.”

“If we ever see the man again, we can tell him,” Quinn said, hauling her to her feet. “After I knock his teeth out.”

Oliver recovered enough to stand and put his arm around Catie’s waist to steady her. Quinn didn’t like it, but he let it go. Perhaps this lad would end up her husband, and he’d already broken his nose. He’d never get invited for anything if he didn’t start acting civilized.

“We should hurry and find Bella,” Lizzie said. “Perhaps Oliver and Catie can go on ahead of us.”

“No,” Quinn said in a hurry. “Let’s all go back together, aye?”

He didn’t feel confident he could do the spell and didn’t want to be stuck seven years ahead of everyone, waiting to see what happened to them, and missing out on everything. If the next time he saw his sister, she was older than him and had children already, he didn’t think he could stand that.

Lizzie squeezed his arm comfortingly. “I only meant they should go to the woods ahead of us. Of course we’ll all stick together.”

He wrapped Catie in a death hug before pointing into the darkness. “If ye keep walking, it’ll seem like miles, but ye’ll come out near the duck pond. Go directly to the woods and wait just inside the trees for us.”

“How do you know so much about this place?” Lizzie asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

He pulled her close and kissed her. “I lived here for a time, as ye well know.”

“And you had to hide out in the secret passages a lot?” Even in the dark he could see her raised eyebrow and her disbelieving tone was plain.

He would have laughed at her if she didn’t sound so insecure. He had to admit he quite liked her being jealous, but there was no part of him that wanted her to suffer anymore.

“Aye, plenty of these Glens wanted me dead at the time. Both for myself and to hurt my brother. But it was rarely because of a woman.”

“Rarely?” She poked him in the chest. He slid his hands down her back and felt her relax. “I hope they’re over it by now.”

He grumbled at that. He’d never be able to fully trust a Glen. Piper almost didn’t seem like she was one at all.

“Let’s try not to cause a ruckus, just in case they’re still nursing a grudge,” he said.