Chapter 13 #2
But when she'd kissed his cheek in her dark bedchamber... her warm lips, the sweet female scent of her, so familiar, had lured him like naught else ever could. She still enthralled him, even after being away from her for a year and a half.
Looking into her cornflower blue eyes was like being dirked in the chest... over and over. Damned if she wasn't the most beautiful assassin he could imagine.
The way she held her ground and berated him made her all the more captivating.
She'd always possessed an intriguing hidden strength, even in her innocence a couple of years prior.
She appeared harmless and gentle, but those knives she concealed were symbolic.
Now that she was a woman grown, experienced and a bit jaded, she was like tempered steel.
Why had she put herself at such extreme risk to help women she didn't know? Was she that altruistic, in truth? He knew no other woman who would do that. Well, his sister might. She was just as wild and headstrong.
Had anything Elsea had said been true?
She had been right about Margaret, at least. As for the whoreson earl, had her brother indeed signed the contract for her, or had she?
Why would an unmarried lady forgo marrying a prominent earl, even if he was in debt?
Obviously, he was determined to regain his wealth by any means, no matter how despicable.
Carrying his sealskin, Brodie strode into the surf, shifted into seal form again, and swam toward Rònmòrach Isle. The cool water and exertion did naught to diminish his frustration this time. Once he arrived, he shifted again and hastened toward the selkies' main cave.
"Chief Scarth," he called to alert them of his presence.
Scarth emerged and greeted him, then Harcus came out, carrying his plaid and belt.
"Is the human woman alright?" Scarth asked.
"Aye, I took her to Farspag to recover." Brodie belted his plaid in place.
"Lady Elsea is the sister of a clan chief I know.
" To avoid questions, Brodie shielded his thoughts of his past association with her.
Even in human form, the selkies were telepathic.
"What of the two males who fell beneath the blades of the raiders during the battle? " Brodie asked.
"They survived and are recovering."
"How many females went missing?"
Scarth's brows lowered. "Eight more. We must find them."
"I intend to."
"The ones we rescued said the human lady cut their bindings," Harcus said.
Brodie nodded. "Indeed."
"Please express our sincere thanks to her. We owe her a grand debt of gratitude." Scarth's solemn tone was reverent.
"I will." Brodie followed them into the cave.
"Ronin salvaged this from the sea." Scarth handed Brodie a wet leather belt with a sheathed dirk attached. "Is it hers?"
"Aye. I thank you." 'Twas the same floral engraved bronze and steel dirk she'd worn when Brodie had met her. An amethyst stone decorated the thistle pommel. "She will appreciate getting this back. She said her father gave it to her."
"She is a female warrior, aye?" Harcus asked, straight white teeth flashing within his dark beard.
"I suppose so." Brodie had watched her practice a few times in the past, sparing with Kieran. Brodie hadn't wanted to spar with her himself, afraid he would hurt her. Or that he would be so lax and hesitant, she would stab him.
"She was brave to help our women." Scarth sat down by the fire pit.
"Indeed." Brodie joined him. "She told me the leader of the raiders is a vile human earl named Talnaroch.
When I learn where the bastard launched the galleys from, I'll need some of your tribesmen to accompany me.
'Haps tonight or tomorrow, depending on when I learn the location.
We'll search the castle and, if the females are there, rescue them. "
Several of the males nodded, while Scarth said, "Aye, we must hurry."
"We were nay able to stop the other birlinn," Harcus grumbled. "'Twas too far ahead and moving swiftly. We wanted to make certain all the freed females returned safely to the island. We helped some of them who grew tired."
Brodie nodded.
"I've sent out patrols to search for the birlinn, to see where it's docked. They haven't found it yet," Scarth said, smoothing his braided, silver-streaked beard.
"What of the humans who fell overboard?" Brodie asked.
Scarth shrugged. "At least two drowned. No one saw the others. When the tide came in, the capsized birlinn smashed onto the rocks near the mainland shore."
"The earl will be furious about his losses and will likely return, seeking revenge," Brodie said, rage striking anew. "You must stay vigilant."
"Aye, we are," Scarth assured him.
"Did you find out why the females did nay shift and why they were so easy to capture?"
"Their sealskins blew away, up into the cliffs and bushes," Harcus growled.
"Blew away?" Brodie frowned. "All of them?"
"Aye, but we climbed up and retrieved them," Ronin said.
"And during the battle, my sword blew away." Daavar scowled.
Brodie remembered he had said that before. "The wind was nay that fierce."
"I ken it, and none of us saw who trussed us up," Daavar continued. "'Twas as if the ropes wrapped around our ankles and wrists of their own accord. 'Twas some manner of sorcery."
Wilona MacRae's face leapt into his mind. "The witch!"
"There's a witch?" Scarth's fierce blue eyes widened.
"Aye, today I learned she's been lurking around for a month or longer. She's the one who cursed me into selkie form."
"Ah."
"Oh, hell," Brodie muttered. "I wager she's helping Talnaroch!"
The males grumbled amongst themselves. "How will we stop them if they have such powerful sorcery?" Scarth asked.
"I know not, as of yet. We'll figure it out.
Finnian has a magical keek stane in which he can keep an eye on people.
It has proven helpful to me." Brodie had already told Scarth who Finnian was previously.
"When I took Lady Elsea to Ròncreag, Finnian saw that I needed help.
He sent a few of my clansmen with a galley.
Would you agree for him to check in on your tribe from time to time to see if you're being attacked? "
"Aye," Scarth said. "We ken we are not yet a match for a large force of human warriors."
"'Twould be only as long as necessary. I would like you to meet him. He is a wise elder."
Scarth nodded. "We would consider it an honor."
"I will do my best to bring him and Lady Elsea to meet you later today."
"We look forward to it."
***
AFTER ELSEA brOKE HER fast in her chamber, Brodie's mother sent in the lady's maid, Muriel, who was perhaps around thirty summers. She helped Elsea dress in a clean, borrowed arisaid, then styled her hair beautifully in two thick French braids.
Brodie had been gone for hours and 'twas approaching noon.
Mayhap he had changed his mind about the trip after their argument.
But if he could harness his rage, maybe he would want her to show him where the earl's castle was this day, and she would be ready.
She would not allow his insults and mistrust to dishearten her.
She knew she was a good person, only trying to help him and the selkies.
Elsea looked into the silver mirror, impressed with how her hair looked. "You're highly skilled, Muriel."
"I thank you, m'lady, but you've always been a stunning beauty. I hope you will forgive me for overstepping my bounds, but his lairdship will nay be able to take his eyes off you."
Elsea's face heated. "Goodness. I hope he will nay look at me at all."
Muriel giggled. "He will. The other maids are saying he is still smitten with you."
"Ha. I doubt that, considering how enraged he was when he left."
Muriel grinned, then whispered, "Her ladyship said there is a thin line between love and hate."
Her face burning even hotter, Elsea shook her head. "All love has been demolished, I assure you."
"It has been rough for the clan since the curse struck. His lairdship was rarely here to lead us."
"I pray his curse will end soon." Even if 'twas not Elsea who helped break it. Though he had impulsively kissed her, she did not expect him to forgive her. Physical attraction was a vast distance from love and trust.
A light knock sounded at the door, and Muriel opened it.
Agatha entered, smiling, her dark eyes inspecting Elsea. "Heavens! How gorgeous you look, my dear."
Stunned by her flattery, Elsea grinned. "Oh, I thank you, m'lady."
"Are you feeling better since you regained your memory?"
"Indeed, and I'm so thankful." Even though the return of her memory brought back all the worries, pain, and regret.
"Good. Then you recall that you and Brodie used to be betrothed."
"Of course, but I'd rather not discuss it." Elsea hoped the lady was not offended by her bluntness.
"Oh. Alright." Agatha lifted her brows. "I simply thought you might want to sit in the drawing room with me. I'm certain you're tired of being cooped up in here."
What was the woman about? Did she want to pry and question Elsea further? Interfere and matchmake? In the past, she had always liked Brodie's mother, and they'd had no conflicts.
"I want you to feel welcome here, lass," Agatha said warmly. She appeared genuine and honest at present. Maybe she was grasping at straws, hoping someone, anyone, would destroy Brodie's curse.
"I appreciate it," Elsea said.
"The moment I met you, I wished for you to be my daughter-in-law from the bottom of my—"
A thunderous knock sounded at the door, making them all jump.