Chapter 17
"Ye'll do this boy, or so help me."
Killian's eyes widened with fear as he stole a step back. His father towered over him, the steel of the dirk in his hand shimmering with the reflection of the flames from the fireplace. Swallowing hard, Killian shook his head.
"I will nae," Killian shouted. "Ye cannae make me, nae any more. I'll nae do this, Faither."
"Ye’re weak, just like yer maither. She was nothin' but a weak thin' I could snap like a twig. I should have done it meself. But yer brother has come into this world a killer as is tradition."
The spark of malice in his father's eyes twisted like a dagger in Killian's heart. He had only ever seen the darkness before. A shimmer here, a glimmer there in the depths of his father's eyes. But seeing just how sinister the man really was snapped something within Killian.
"Ye'll nae touch him," Killian growled and took his position. "Ye hear me? Ye willnae get yer hands on Mason, I'll nae allow it."
"And ye think ye can stop me? Let us see how far ye come from yer first lesson.
Ye take me down, and I'll spare yer brother.
But ye'll only be doin' him a disservice.
He's already got blood on his hands, just as ye do, wee lad," Killian's father hissed as Killian glanced at the swords hanging on the wall over the fireplace mantel.
"I'll nae see me brother become the man ye want him to be. His fate will be different," Killian vowed as he noticed his father readying himself for the attack.
"Ye cannae beat me, lad."
"We'll see about that."
Killian's heart crashed relentlessly against its bony cage.
His eyes popped open as his fingers instinctively curled around the worn leather hilt of the dirk he had stashed under the mattress.
Shooting up from the pillow, Killian sucked down the cool pre-dawn air.
The icy air was like a jolt to the body.
Killian ran his fingers through his shaggy hair as he tried to quell the violent images of his dream. Oh, how the dream had been all too real. He couldn't explain how it managed to stir up the contemptuous dark things he had chained to the darkest recesses of his mind.
Searching the shadows, Killian hunted for the threat as he tried regulating his breathing.
The silvery light of the moon shimmered off the steel of his dirk.
As he took a deep breath to steady his nerves, his gaze scanned the darkened room.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the faint moonlight streaming through the curtains around the window.
In the corner of his eye, Killian could have sworn the shadows appeared to writhe and twist on the walls like living things. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized there was no one there. No assassin, no threat. Just the quiet of the night and the steady breathing of Leah beside him.
Killian gently stroked her hair, which was flowing over the pillow.
The peace and tranquility that came over him looking at her was undeniable.
She had the ability to banish every monster that lurked in the back of his mind.
A smile pulled at the corners of his lips as Leah stirred beside him, her soft voice breaking the silence.
"Killian, what's wrong? Ye’re shakin' like a leaf in the wind, ye all right?
" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she slowly rose.
The last thing he wanted was for her to be troubled.
He'd bedded her so well before they went to sleep that he found it a pity she wasn't still in that delirious slumber.
The panic that flickered across her face made his heart skip.
Her eyes shot to the dirk still in his hand. "Killian?"
"It was a bad dream," he confessed as he relaxed his hand and put the dirk on the small table by his bedside. "Go back to sleep, lass."
But Leah's eyes were already open, her gaze fixed on him with concern. "Ye’re nae fine, Killian. Ye’re as jumpy as a cat in a barrel of oats What is goin' on? Ye can talk to me, ye ken that."
Killian sighed, rubbing his temples. He didn't want to burden her with his troubles, but he couldn't shake the nagging in the pit of his stomach that someone was watching him, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Ye need nae trouble yerself over such matters.
Go on and get some sleep. Ye're goin' to need it come mornin'. "
Leah's expression softened, and she reached out to touch his arm. "I understand if ye daenae want to talk to me, but clearly there is somethin' big troublin' ye and ye got to get it off yer chest or it'll eat ye alive."
Killian's gaze met hers, and the spark of gratitude brewing within him expanded.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he could lay his soul bare to Leah, and she'd be as gentle with him as he needed.
But could she handle his troubles? It wasn't like he could go to anyone and discuss such matters.
It was bad enough that his men thought of him as a bit touched in the head, but to bring this new suspicion to their attention would only cause him problems.
"Perhaps," Killian answered as he rubbed the back of his neck to ease the mounting tension.
"Am I nae the healer? I would ken about these sorts of things. When healin' a person, ye cannae just heal their bodies, ye must also heal their pride," Leah said, pulling the pillow closer to her. The adoration that flowed off her and crashed into him and stirred his desires for her.
"Aye, ye’re a healer that cannae stand the sight of blood," Killian countered, his voice not as serious as before. He looked at Leah, wondering if she had learned to pick up on his teasing yet. "I cannae say that makes ye the best person to be takin' advice from."
"What do ye ken?" Leah said, snapping the silence with her slap to Killian's arm.
"I ken that I'll be fine. I just need a moment," Killian said, glancing over his shoulder.
With a nod, Leah settled back into bed, her eyes never leaving his face.
Killian watched her for a moment, his mind racing with thoughts of the dream and the danger that lurked in the shadows.
He knew he had to be careful, to always keep his wits about him and his dirk close at hand.
But for now, he rested his head on the pillow beside Leah.
His heart still raced with the memory of the dream as his mind skipped and jumped around a single thought: who was out to get him, and why?
The first golden rays of sunlight streamed through the window, giving Leah a celestial aura about her that captivated Killian.
He lay beside her, captivated by the sight of her slowly coming to life as he fiddled with a loose strand of her hair.
Her eyelids fluttered open as a sleepy smile graced her face.
The soft strains of music floated up from the village square, a cheerful melody that promised a day filled with laughter and joy. Leah stretched the sleep from her bones as a contented smile played on her lips. Slowly, she turned to meet his gaze.
"Mornin'," she murmured, her voice still tinged with the sweetness of dreams.
"Aye, that it is," he grinned, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "And how did ye sleep?"
"Wasnae the best, but it wasnae the worse either," Leah answered as she pulled the pillow closer to her chest and leaned into Killian's body. "What about ye? Did ye get any more sleep?"
"Would have if someone wasnae snorin' all night," he answered, hoping to get a rise out of Leah. She didn't disappoint. Jumping up, she gave him a good beating with the goose-down pillow.
"Ye never tell a lady she snores," Leah said as she clobbered Killian once more before giving up. Killian's laughter filled the room as he shook his head.
"I have to say, I was expectin' a bit more out of ye, but ye give up so easily," Killian said to goad her on.
"Ye'd just end up winnin' in the end," Leah said and stuck her tongue out at him.
"I'm pleased to hear ye finally figured that bit out," he said as he dropped to his back and watched as she nuzzled her way into the nook of his arm.
How well she fit beside him didn't go unnoticed.
Killian was about to ask what she wanted to do, but the clamor of the music in the village below made the decision for them.
"The fair, I almost forgot," Leah said. Killian found himself irritated by the light coming to intrude on his time with her. But he knew they couldn't stay in bed all day either.
"When would ye like to go?"
Leah's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she sat up, the sheet slipping from her shoulders. "As soon as possible! I cannae wait to see everythin'."
With a laugh, he leaped out of bed, his eagerness matching hers. "Then let us nae waste a moment more."
Killian gazed out at the sea of somber faces and couldn't help but wonder if they had stumbled into a wake instead of a fair.
The usually vibrant colors of the stalls and games seemed dull and muted, and the air was thick with an unspoken gloom.
Even the music, usually a lively mix of folk tunes and calliope melodies, was subdued and replaced by a mournful dirge that seemed to match the mood of the crowd.
"I daenae think I've seen a more pitiful lot," Killian muttered as he noticed the villager's eyes stalking him as he moved with Leah from one stall to another.
"Can ye blame them? They almost lost everythin'. Some of them actually did," Leah said as she pulled Killian along. When she stopped suddenly, it snapped Killian awake. He glanced at her, dumbfounded by what drew her attention.
"Oh, let us bob for an apple," Leah pleaded as she turned to Killian with such expectation that it made him laugh. She was like a little kid begging for things she didn't need.
"We have apples at the castle. Why get wet over somethin' ye can pluck from a basket?
"Come on, Killian," she said, her voice bright and cheerful, a stark contrast to the dismal atmosphere. "Just because everyone else isnae havin' fun doesnae mean we cannae."