Chapter 8 #2
She rolled out of bed and placed her bare feet on the floor.
The cold stone was a pleasant contrast to her body’s heat.
She sat there for a moment, eyes closed, letting the sweat dry on her skin.
It was an unseasonably hot night. The maids who brought her food had discussed it among themselves—never with Nora.
They talked about the heat bringing out sicknesses from the bogs and valleys, with bad things crawling out of the undergrowth, excited by the heat.
People certainly did get sicker in the hot weather, when fleas jumped in the hedgerows, and bad smells lingered too long.
Enough. I’m nae lyin’ here, thinkin’ of Creighton and various plagues. I need air.
She rose to her feet, not bothering to light a candle. Her nightdress billowed around her, sticking to her skin in occasional damp patches. She swung a robe around her shoulders, more for modesty than for warmth, and slipped out into the hall.
She half expected to find guards there, ready to herd her back into her room, but the hall was empty. Torches burned at intervals in the wall, illuminating her way.
The hall led back down to a circular crossroads, the kind that seemed to fill the Keep. Pausing, she looked down each corridor in turn. Which route would be the best? She needed to make sure she could get back to her room.
At that moment, a cool draft of air circled her ankles. Almost without thinking, Nora followed that hallway.
It was a short hallway that ended in a dead end. No, not a dead end. A small door was set deep in the wall, half-open, letting in the fresh night air. She caught a glimpse of the sky through the door.
She stepped through the door and found herself on a short parapet, curving around the outside of the wall.
The breeze was stiffer outside, and the air was not as hot and stuffy as she had expected.
It was warmer than it should be for this time of year, but sudden bursts of hot and cold weather, almost at random, were common for this part of the world.
Generally speaking, the Highlands were cold, but when the heat came, it came unstoppably.
No guards? Me luck is in, she thought, moving over to the stone wall. The breeze tugged at her hair, blowing it back from her clammy neck. Closing her eyes, she rested her elbows on the rough, cold stone and tilted back her head. Oh, it felt so good to be out in the open air.
This is the longest I’ve been without goin’ outside.
Generally, healers spend their time in one of two ways.
Either out in the open air, crawling through forests in search of rare herbs or on their way to visit a patient, or they spend their time hunched over a chopping board, pestle and mortar at the ready, preparing endless pastes, teas, and tinctures.
There’s a reason a healer like me can go so long without bein’ kissed, she thought mournfully, biting her lower lip. Perhaps all kisses feel as good as that.
No, that couldn’t be right. She’d overheard her friends talking about men and kisses, and sometimes it sounded like a thing that was just endured. Something that was fine, but not… not meltingly so. Not in the way she’d felt when Creighton touched her.
Enough. I cannae think like this. I am here for Margaret. Have I forgotten already?
Sighing, Nora opened her eyes. The glare of the torches had finally faded from behind her eyelids, allowing her night vision to settle in.
She could see the dark landscape spread out below her, the shadows of trees and shrubs trembling in the night breeze.
It was too hot for dew tonight. Over the tops of the trees, between a curve of the hills, she could just barely catch a glimpse of the sea.
It was miles away, of course, but at a moment like this, one could almost imagine it was nearby, close enough to reach.
As if a person could climb onto the parapet and leap off, landing in the sea.
Silly, of course.
If a patient came up with that idea, she thought with a grim smile, I’d think they were delirious.
With a sigh, she stepped back from the wall until only her fingertips danced over the cool stone. Perhaps wandering around was a bad idea. After all, Creighton had warned her to try and stay alive. Why would he say that unless there was some danger? Uneasily, she glanced around, eyes peeled.
This is a restful spot. It’s odd that there are nay guards here, nay sentries. Nae that anybody could easily clamber up here, but still. It seems safe enough.
Then she heard the slow, distinct sound of a boot sole scuffing against stone. She froze.
I’m nae alone.
Glancing up, slowly and tentatively, Nora sighted along the balcony. It curved a little, throwing the end of the balcony into shadow. She was sure, however, that somebody stood there. Hiding. Watching.
Swallowing thickly, Nora took a step back. The stone suddenly felt sharply cold against her bare feet. Her nightgown whipped around her legs, and her open robe flapped uselessly. It occurred to her that the thin material of her nightdress must be almost translucent, even in the moonlight.
“Who… Who is there?” she stammered. “I thought this balcony was empty, otherwise I would never have…”
“Do not fret, lassie,” came a familiar, amused voice. The shadow detached itself from the darkness and strode confidently forward. Nora knew who it was before he even stepped into the light.
“Creighton,” she breathed, her fear dissipating. In its place came a new and possibly more troublesome sensation.
It was, unfortunately, desire.