19. Home
Home
Her side ached. That was unsurprising, considering that she’d been stabbed quite recently. Malvina had smeared on some foul-smelling paste, which nevertheless took the pain away. Hard to complain about that.
By the time Niall carried her out of the shack, however, there was no sign of the woman. It was tempting to search for her, but the mist was coming in thickly, obscuring the paths.
“We can find her later,” Catriona said. “For now, I want us to get within the Keep’s walls quickly.”
Niall frowned, biting his lower lip. “She talked about things that she couldn’t have known. She has to explain her part in all of this. I’ve heard the stories, but I want to hear it from her.”
“Later,” Catriona promised.
Nodding, he lifted her up onto the horse’s saddle. The poor creature was nearly lame, but soon there would be a warm stable, a blacksmith to take care of her sore feet, and all the oats and hay she could eat.
As they limped up the last stretch of road towards Keep MacAlpin, Catriona’s chest constricted.
What if it’s not how I remember? What if they aren’t happy to see me?
Anxiety clawed at the back of her mind. She sat on the front of Niall’s saddle, a thoroughly uncomfortable position, leaning forward to peer inside the gates.
Movement. Who was that?
A hulking man appeared, lifting a meaty hand to shade his eyes. He was looking at her, looking at…
Her heart shifted.
“Da,” she breathed. “It’s Da, Niall.”
“Go to him,” Niall whispered.
She stumbled down from the saddle, limping a little, and hurried up the path.
Laird MacAlpin—her father—gave a strangled cry and ran down towards her. She had barely made it a third of the way before he caught her up in strong arms, holding her tight.
“My lass, my wee lass,” he whispered, his voice choked. “Alive, alive! All four of ye, alive! Och, I never dreamed of such blessings. And now ye are home.”
“Careful, my Laird,” Niall called, dismounting. “She’s wounded.”
Da released her at once, eyeing her worriedly. “I’ll have the healers look her over.”
“We went to Malvina, Da.”
He blinked. “Oh. Well, her handiwork is good. Come inside, both of ye. Catriona, yer sisters are waiting.”
Anxiety and excitement rippled through her. Swallowing, Catriona nodded, following her father.
Inside the courtyard, a collection of people waited. The mist, mercifully, had not reached the Keep yet. That was something, at least.
Alyth stood at the forefront, twisting her fingers together. As the eldest, she spoke first.
“I got yer letter,” she said at once. “We were coming for ye, Catriona.”
Catriona smiled. “I know. I know.”
Fiona came next, hurrying forward to wrap Catriona in her arms.
“Welcome home, sister,” she whispered. “I know how it hurts to be away for so long.”
Men hovered behind Alyth and Fiona, presumably their husbands. They eyed each other and Catriona with wariness, as if expecting trouble at any moment. Fiona’s husband narrowed his eyes at Niall as he entered.
“Ye must tell us everything,” Alyth said, stepping forward. “I want to hear about Isobel. Is it true she doesn’t want to come home?”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “Ye know it is true. I told ye.”
“Aye, but—”
“Come on, lassies,” Da laughed, wrapping his arms around them. “Yer sister is home! This is a celebration! Let’s enjoy ourselves, eh! And Niall, I understand ye are my newest son-in-law. I look forward to getting to know ye better. Much better,” he added, with a hint of warning in his voice.
Niall lifted his eyebrows, glancing at Fiona and Alyth’s husbands.
“His bark is worse than his bite,” Rowan murmured, coming forward to clap him on the shoulder. “Welcome, Niall. I’m married to Fiona. I have no clan of my own, since I was never allowed to claim Clan Farrish. This here is Ewan, and he’s Cunningham, through and through.”
Ewan rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get in out of this bloody cold, aye?”
Niall met Catriona’s eye and dropped a wink. Warmth spread through her, and she hid a smile.
Somehow, it felt as though everything, just everything, was going to be all right.
“I’m afraid that Kenneth has Keep MacLeod,” Niall finished. “I have loyal men inside, waiting for my return. Kenneth is no laird yet, no matter what he might think.”
Silence fell around the table. Catriona had expected to dine at a huge table in a cavernous Great Hall and was relieved to be shown to a smaller, more friendly space. The family crowded in around a circular table, leaning forward over goblets of wine and dishes of meat and vegetables.
“That’s bad news,” Da sighed. “But ye think ye can retake it from him?”
“Aye, I do. Kenneth is not such a fine leader as he thinks. The people don’t love him. The trouble is that Laird Farrish backs him.”
“That won’t last,” Rowan observed. “That’s a thin alliance, at best.”
“Thin alliance?” Alyth spoke up.
Rowan grimaced, lifting his chin. “Laird Farrish is my… my father. I know him. I know how he works. He doesn’t share power with anyone.
He’ll not trust Kenneth, and if Kenneth is not an absolute fool, he won’t trust him either.
Once he outlives his usefulness or steps out of line, they’ll gut him.
They may already be getting tired of him. ”
Catriona swallowed, leaning forward. “And what of Alasdair Farrish?”
A coldness crept over the table. Rowan visibly stiffened.
“He’s not a man,” he whispered. “He’s a weapon. He was made without mercy, and he has none in turn. He was taught cruelty before he was taught to speak. Don’t get on his wrong side, I beg of ye.”
Catriona shivered, and Niall wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“We won’t,” Niall answered firmly. “But tell me, what do we do next?”
“Isobel,” Alyth whispered. “So long as she is gone, we’re weak. After all, if Laird Fraser stands on his Keep walls with a knife to Isobel’s throat, he knows fine well that none of us will fight him. We need to save her.”
“But how? I begged her to come with me,” Fiona murmured.
“That’s a problem for tomorrow,” Da said firmly, standing. “For now, it’s late, and we’re all exhausted. Bed time, all of ye. We’ll work out the problem with fresh minds tomorrow. Catriona? What is it?”
Catriona stood slowly, swallowing.
“My adoptive parents,” she said slowly, glancing around the table. “I want them to be safe. They raised me, and they loved me. Can… Can they come here?”
Da’s face softened. He reached out, cupping her cheek.
“Aye, bonnie girl,” he murmured. “They can come here. I look forward to meeting the people who took care of ye and kept ye safe when I could not. Bring them here when ye can.”
Catriona nodded, relief creeping over her face.
They separated after that, each MacAlpin sister going to her room, her husband in tow. Da trudged off alone, a solitary figure with a candle flickering in his hand. Catriona pulled back, watching him go.
Strong, warm fingers laced through hers. Gently, Niall pulled her back towards him. She let him, curling against his warmth and closing her eyes. Strong arms wound around her.
“What are ye thinking?” he whispered. “Ye are frowning.”
“I’m thinking of the future,” she responded with a sigh. “It worries me.”
“Aye, perhaps it does. But we’ll be together, won’t we?”
“I am terrified of losing ye again.”
“And I am afraid of losing ye.”
She gave a throaty laugh. “I thought ye had been pushed off a cliff.”
“And I thought ye had been stabbed to death. Let’s make a bargain to avoid getting killed anytime soon, agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Perfect.”
He curled his fingers around her chin, tilting up her face. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the kiss. His lips were soft and warm, a counterpoint to rough stubble. She was not sure whether she wanted him to shave or not. The roughness was nice, maybe.
They stood at the foot of a wide staircase, the steps leading up to a dark hallway, walls hung with tapestries.
“This place is unfamiliar to me now,” she murmured when they broke apart to breathe.
He pressed his forehead against hers. “Then we’ll make a new home, aye? How does that sound?”
She smiled. “It sounds wonderful.”
“Ye know, when I climbed up that endless cliff, fingers bleeding and the wind trying to push me off and down onto the rocks, I thought of only one thing. Can ye guess what it was?”
Catriona gave a mischievous smile. “Oh God, oh God, don’t let me fall?”
“Oi, cheeky. Nay, it was ye. I thought of ye. Nothing but ye. Yer name, yer face. I almost imagined that ye would be waiting for me up there when I got to the top.”
“But I wasn’t,” she responded, heart sinking. “I rode back to find ye, ye know. When I got back to the keep and ye weren’t there.”
He kissed her again, fingers warm against the side of her neck.
“Ye will never have to search for me again, lass,” he whispered. “We’ll save our clans, Catriona. I promise ye that. Together, we can do anything.”
“Aye,” she whispered, nodding tightly. “I really believe that. And we must go back to find Malvina. I’m sure she knows more than she is telling us.”
His gaze hardened. “Malvina carries more guilt than ye know.”
“What do ye mean?”
He shook his head. “I cannot tell what is fiction and what is fact. The stories abound, and they can’t all be true. Best that we hear it from her.”
“Aye, we will. We’ll talk to her.”
“But first,” he drew back, fingers curling around her hand, “bed, I think.”
Her smile widened. “Oh?”
“Just to sleep,” he added pointedly, gesturing to her injured side. “Wait for that to heal.”
She pouted. “That’s disappointing.”
“But I will carry ye over the threshold, at least,” he added, bending down and sweeping her off her feet and into his arms. She gave a giggle of delight, clinging to his shoulders.
He ran up the stairs as if she weighed nothing, and Catriona threw back her hair, laughing aloud.
Safe, she thought distantly. I’m safe.
“I love ye,” she said aloud.
Niall reached the top of the staircase, not even out of breath.
“And I love ye, ye wee vixen,” he laughed. “Now. Which room is ours?”