Chapter Thirty-Eight
Sloan
Sloan stood on the shore of Iona after the storm the next morning and scanned the area. Lennox paced the beach, Meg and Eva both sitting on rocks nearby. The four had come with Hagen and Jowell, who’d assisted with the rowing. The sea was still ferocious, so they had asked for help.
Lennox asked, “Now what do we do?” They’d arrived an hour ago and gone right to the abbess, who revealed that Sheona had been missing since she’d gone to Ionaland. Dermot and Rut had never appeared.
The abbess had taken them to Sheona’s chamber, giving Sloan and Eva the chance to sift through her meager belongings, but there were no clues there. “Mother Mary,” Sloan had asked. “Have you seen anyone else looking for my sister? Two men in a boat?”
“Nay, no one has come looking for her. I don’t know what has happened, but Simone is looking into it for me. She will return when she knows where Sheona is. I trust Simone.”
Sloan nodded, agreeing with her. “Simone is a fierce woman. If anyone can find her, Simone can.”
The abbess left, so the group made their way to the shore again, trying to formulate a plan.
Lennox stared up at the morning clouds. “The storm is over. I say we travel back to MacClane’s and visit with Tristan.
Mayhap he’s seen some activity. He’s directly on the point and can see far from that new curtain wall they built. ”
Eva said, “That’s as good a suggestion as any I can think of. How the hell can four people disappear like that?”
Lennox gave his sister a glare. “You know the answer to that, and I refuse to say it.”
Sloan wouldn’t say it either. The idea that all four had been in a boat didn’t sit well with him because that meant they’d all been on the water when that storm hit.
And the thought that Dyna and Avelina had been right, that Taskill and Sheona’s boat had been destroyed, didn’t sit well with any of them, especially if they never made it to shore.
No one would say the words.
Meg muttered, “It came on so quickly.” She hugged herself and shivered, Lennox wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek.
“We’ll find them. All of them.”
***
Hagen and Jowell readied their boat, swords sheathed, but kept an eye on everything around them.
Two lasses came flying toward them, running as fast as they could. “Wait! Please wait!”
Hagen froze, his gaze locked on the taller of the two.
Her hair was a mix of gold and yellow, braided on both sides and plaited to the back of her head.
Ice-blue eyes caught him, along with the slight curves of her lithe body.
She had powerful shoulders for a lass, and her legs could probably level a man with one kick.
She wore brown leggings with a tunic of gold and green. He would wager they came from Simone.
He’d never seen anyone more beautiful in his life. Totally entranced, he had to find out who she was.
Sloan and Lennox moved together to greet the lasses, standing in front of their wives to protect them. Sloan had no idea who the lasses were or what they wanted. “What is it?” Sloan asked.
One lass stopped, the other directly behind her. “We were in the same chamber as Sheona. We know where she went.”
“Where?” Sloan asked, stepping closer. He gripped Eva’s hand tightly, pulling her next to him.
“She got in a boat with someone named Taskill,” the fair-haired girl said. “I’m Brynja and this is Hildi. She went with us to deliver vegetables to Simone at Ionaland. We saw Magni.”
“How do you know his name was Taskill?” Lennox asked. Meg moved up next to him and the four circled the two lasses, listening intently.
Hagen and Jowell strolled up behind them, giving the lasses their full attention.
Hildi said, “Because Lia told us he was coming. She said Taskill was coming across the water, and that Sheona needed to go with him because Clyde was coming for her with another man. As soon as Taskill arrived, they left. He didn’t wish to go because of the oncoming storm, but when he heard about Clyde, they hopped in the boat and headed toward Mull. ”
“Do you know where they were going?”
“Back to the direction Taskill came from,” Hildi said. She pointed toward MacLean land. “Where you came from.”
“Hildi, tell me more about Clyde. Did you see him? And who is the other man with him?” Sloan asked. He had to discover where the bastard was so he could rip out his heart.
“Is he not one of your guards, Rankin?” Lennox asked.
Sloan glared at him. “Probably, but I’d like to hear all she knows. He’s capable of it.”
Brynja spoke up, “Hildi never saw him. I did. I saw the boat arrive in the middle of the night, so I came out to see who it was. They were looking for a lass and were arguing about who was going to get her first. So, I shut them up.”
Lennox asked, “How?”
Hildi giggled. “She hit him with her knife.”
Brynja pulled out a dagger and fired it at the nearest tree.
It landed deep in the bark with a loud thwack.
“I put a stop to them getting off the boat.” Her hands settled on her hips.
“I would have used my spear, but it was dark. I had to get close to do any damage with my spear so I chose the smaller weapon.”
“Did you kill either one?” Sloan asked.
“Nay, just wounded them both.”
“Who was the other man with Clyde? Think carefully. Did he use a name? Any identifying characteristics?”
Brynja chuckled. “Nay, no name, but I’m sure the hole I put in his shoulder with my dagger will give him away. It should be full of pus by now. I hit one in his right shoulder and the other in his thigh. They rowed like wee laddies.”
Sloan smiled and said, “Many thanks to you. I appreciate you coming to find us. We’ll find them, I’m sure.”
When Hagen was finally able to move, he followed the lass named Brynja. Jowell grabbed him by the shoulder and asked, “What the hell are you doing?”
He shoved his cousin away and said, “I have to know more.”
He followed Brynja but then grabbed the dagger she left in the nearby tree to return it to her. “Lass, you forgot this.”
He held it out, hilt toward her, his gaze locked on her face, doing his best to remember every detail. Brynja was the most stunning lass he’d ever seen, and the fact that she could use a weapon like that amazed him.
“My thanks to you,” she said, taking the weapon from him. “Are you related to Sheona?”
“Nay, we are Grants. From Duart Castle.” He stared at her, enchanted. “Your hair. Where did you learn that?” It was a style exactly like his mother wore.
“My mother. She’s Norse. A Scot raped her and left her with me in her womb. Then he left. I prefer to think of myself as a Norsewoman, not a lass.” Her eyes carried a pain he didn’t like to see.
“I’m Hagen Grant. My mother is also Norse. But she wasn’t raped by my father. He married her. Scots can be good.”
“The only Norsewoman I know in the area used to be known as the Ice Queen. Her name is Sela. Have you heard of her?”
Hagen smiled. “Aye, I know her well. Sela is my mother.”
Brynja smiled, then spun on her heel and strode away.
Hagen felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He took a step toward her, but Jowell grabbed his upper arm. “We’re leaving. Let it go. She’s going to take her vows. That’s why she’s here.”
“Nay, she’s not.”
“How the hell do you know?” Jowell asked.
“Because I’m going to marry her.”
Hagen strode back to the ship, his steps a bit lighter than usual.