Chapter Eleven #5
“Good play,” Gabby admitted. “I’m dying to read that book,” she admitted.
Ian scooched closer, getting out of Gryphen’s lap to sit next to Gabby.
“My man just left me for a woman,” he joked. “I never saw that coming.”
Ian was amused.
“She’s got the goods,” he said. “Find your man a journal in a haunted castle, and maybe he’ll stay in your lap, Lord Gryphen.”
That made Graham laugh, and only he understood the reference to that.
Well, maybe him and Gryphen—since he’d seen some shit when they were there.
“My lips are sealed,” Graham said, when Gryphen was giving him the hairy eyeball.
Instead of saying more, they got down to work.
Opening the book, Gabby went to the first page. She saw the date, and did the math.
“Oh, no,” she said.
That had everyone’s attention.
“What?” Graham asked.
“This is Duncan’s journal. It’s dated after they get back, and some time has passed. It’s right after Ciarán is killed in his place. It’s also in Scottish. I can’t read much of it other than his name and the year.
As soon as the ‘killed’ part, the air in the room got heavy.
In fact, it got so heavy that a sadness rolled over them, and there was no doubt that it was because Duncan was there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Suffering.
And Michael understood that pain. He felt like that for the longest time when he lost Graham.
It was still freaking him out that his life and the dead men’s lives were running parallel. He’d put his body over Graham to save him, and Ciarán had done the same to Duncan.
He’d lost his love and was forced to wander the rest of his life until they were united.
Both he and Graham had been soldiers.
He didn’t understand why they connected, but he could feel that they did.
“I can read it for you,” Graham offered. “Since Finn is still on his call.”
Gabby handed him the book, and he got ready to help translate the book.
The whole time, both Gabby and Ian were mesmerized. It read differently when you had a Scottish accent.
All around them, the room stayed chilly, and there was no doubt they weren’t alone.
Hopefully, this didn’t stir up the dead here.
Graham turned the page to the first entry.
“It begins with, ‘The day my life ended, and I was forced to walk this earth alone’,” he said.
Oh, that was definitely going to set the mood.
‘Today was the day I lost myself, and I don’t know how to breathe. For last night, when we slept, I was betrayed by someone I trusted in my employment. In the middle of the night, the enemy was let in, and Ciarán was lost to me.
I don’t know how to function now.
He placed his body over mine and was hurt trying to save me. I wish he did not. I wish he let me perish instead. I can hear his screams as the blade entered his body repeatedly, as he was brutally murdered in cold blood.
As he lay above me, his precious blood ran onto me in rivulets. He used his body to shield me in his final act of love and devotion.
His dying words to me were of his fidelity and love.
He promised to wait for me until I, too, passed.
When I was free of his body, I killed everyone who tried to harm me, and succeeded in destroying the love of my life.
I decimated them, in cold blood, not even knowing what I did.
It was automatic to avenge the only person I’ve ever loved, and to get my retribution.
It was an eye for an eye, and I have no regrets.
This was my fear.
When Catherine left, I knew there would be questions as to why I wouldn’t take a third wife, but now, I’m stuck wondering who betrayed me? Who sent the church to end my life all because I prefer to lie with men than women?
My secret is out, and I will not rest until the person who allowed the crusaders in to end me is handled. I will walk these halls until I find the answers.
That is my final act upon this earth, and I cannot wait until I can be with him again. Already, I’m cold and feel empty.
Love has left me.
Ciarán died for me, and now, I’m forced to walk alone. They forced me from the light into the darkness, and I will make sure whoever has done this will pay for their crimes.
They took my heart, and now, I will take their lives. I vow to find who was behind this and set my love free from his spirit wandering this castle.
He haunts me.
All of this haunts me.
I am definitely cursed, and until it can be broken, and the truth comes out, I shall not have a moment’s peace.
For they came for my heart, and slayed it.
And it is dead.
Lord Duncan Granndach.’
Graham stopped reading, and he had tears in his eyes. There was no doubt why.
Michael just held him.
“That was heavy,” Gryphen admitted. “You can feel his pain.”
That they could.
Ian agreed wholeheartedly.
“I feel bad for them. All they wanted to do was have their life in the castle. They weren’t bothering anyone, and he was forced to watch his lover die. That’s shitty. I’d haunt a place too. When Gryphen was in his coma, I wanted to die with him, and I was willing to.”
Michael recalled.
He and Jet had been on Ian watch for the three days leading up to him waking up. When he did wake up, Jet had gotten Gryphen to Ian before he took his life.
“I’d be furious,” Michael admitted. “If someone came into my home and hurt the man I loved, I’d never rest until I stalked them and put them down. They took Ciarán away from him,” he said.
Yes, yes, they did.
“I’d haunt the place too,” Gryphen said. “I would be so full of rage that I’d kill any and everyone in my path to avenge my love.”
There was no doubt there.
Why?
Because they all would do the same.
Gabby was curious.
“What’s next?” she asked.
When Graham turned the page, it began disintegrating in his fingers. It was so old, and looked like it got wet at some point.
“I think I can read it,” he said, trying to decipher the words. “It’s in rough shape, like the castle was before Callen and Chris bought it.”
Well, yeah.
It was a very long time ago.
He read slower, trying to figure out the words as some of them were destroyed.
‘For it has been a month of days since I buried my lover in the crypt. Still, I know he’s here with me.
I can feel Ciarán around all of the time.
I wish I was with him. Nothing feels good anymore.
I’m tired all of the time, and still I push on for my son.
Callum needs me, and without Ciarán here, I am all he has left.
I spoke to Catherine today, and she is very unhappy in her new life.
She wishes to come back, and has sent me a letter asking me to allow her.
Honestly, I do not care either way.
I am too lost to enjoy company of anyone. So, let her return. She may have her old room back, and continue raising Callum. I don’t have it in me to do it.
I feel hollow inside.
I have all of this money, and if I could use it to bring Ciarán back, I would.
Only, I can’t. I still haven’t found the person who betrayed me, but I shall.
It is funny what money will buy. I’ll have their identity at some point, and then, they will suffer endlessly.
All I know is they found the secret way into the castle, and that wasn’t known by many.
Already, I’ve questioned the servants, and I will know what happened.
Damn them.
I will never be the same until the truth comes out.
I will never rest until I can put Ciarán beside me.
For now, I’ve hidden him where no one will desecrate his body.
He’s safe, and somewhere we loved to go.
My stable boy has told me that the church is protesting his burial in my crypt—as if they should have any say in it.
They anger me, and if they keep pushing, they shall have one hell of an unholy crusade on their hands.
By me.
Still, my heart aches, and I miss him terribly.
I will get you justice, Ciarán. I swear to you that we will be together again, and the truth will set us free.
D’.
Gabby lifted a brow.
“It won’t be Ciarán in the lake,” she admitted. “He’d never desecrate his body like that. He’s heartbroken,” she admitted.
Graham agreed.
“But then where is he?” he asked.
Michael stopped them.
“He might not have dumped his lover in the lake. What if someone did it AFTER Duncan died. That would make me angry and stir me up. We don’t know the timeframe, but we definitely know that Ciarán isn’t buried beside him in the crypt.”
Gabby agreed.
“It was empty.”
Ian was curious as he was thinking about what Michael had said.
“Do you think he’d be angry enough to drown people?” he asked.
It could be.
That rage grew over time, and the spirits might have gone from peaceful to vengeful.
“I’d be furious,” Gryphen admitted. “Over time, I’d fester in it.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Finn came into the room, and it was clear he’d heard them talking.
“I don’t think it’ll be Ciarán or Duncan in the water either,” he admitted. “We’ve seen them standing side-by-side on the shore. It’s like they’re policing that lake and trying to keep the evil in it.”
Well, shit.
That made sense too.
Gabby, Tony, Graham, and Finn had all seen them standing here in the mist at night watching over the lake like they were posted sentry there.
The woman sighed.
“Then, we aren’t any closer to figuring this out,” Gabby admitted. “We still don’t know who is in the water, and we don’t have proof of who killed Ceit. Add to it, now, we don’t know who snuck people in to kill Ciarán. How are we getting more questions and less answers?”
Ian was curious.
“Are there anymore entries in the journal?” he asked.
The man nodded.
“A couple more. He didn’t keep this journal long, or he died right after.”
Gabby knew when he died.
“He lived about ten years after Ciarán died before he did. We definitely have to research this.”
Finn stopped them.
“Well, if anyone is curious, I managed to get the red tape handled. It seems that we’re going to have a wedding today—in a few hours.”
Graham grinned.
“Really, Lad?” he asked.
His friend nodded.
“The Honorable Lord McCafferty is going to perform the ceremony, if you two are still interested.”
Michael laughed.
“Am I interested? Uh, yeah. I’ll go right now.”
He stopped him.
“The judge needs some time. He’s clearing his schedule as a favor. Like I said, in a few hours.”
That was perfect.
Michael forgot about Duncan, and was now focused on the man in his lap.
“Are you still up for a wedding?”
Graham took his face in his hands and stared deeply into his eyes.
“Are you kidding?” he asked. “Absolutely. There’s nothing I want more than to marry you. I’ll be there.”
Finn was to the point.
“Well, then, I suggest we get some shit done, because you can’t get married in jeans, Laddie. We’re going to have to get you ready.”
Shit.
He was right.
“I need to dive, and then, I need to get a suit. Tell me there’s a place to get suits in town.”
Ian laughed.
When he did, they all looked over at him.
“There’s a kilt place, but no suit place,” he said. “Someone’s going to be wearing a kilt to his wedding.”
Graham grinned.
“I mean, I’ll wear mine if you wear one,” he said. “Or we can just wear jeans. I just want to be married to you, D’Artangnan. I don’t care about the details of that.”
He kissed him softly on the mouth.
“Finn will help me, won’t you, Finn?” he asked. “As Gabby and Ian are playing in the archives, you’ll help me get a kilt.”
Oh, he would.
And he’d love spending some alone time with D’Artangnan. He was, after all, marrying his best friend.
“Done deal, Laddie.”
Then, it was set.
They were going to get ready for a wedding, but first, that meant there was a dive to do.
“Then, let’s get to the lake and get those bones up. I have some shopping to do,” Michael said, as Graham got up from his lap.
He put the journal down, and everyone excitedly got up to join in.
And when they walked out, there was a breeze in the library. The pages of the journal flipped, and opened to one particular one.
At the bottom, it said one thing.
‘The betrayer was left in the lake to rot and never be seen again. May the devil himself hold those bones in his hands. For it is done. My retribution is done, and now, Ciarán shall have his peace.’
They were so close to figuring it out.
And Duncan knew he’d have to follow them around more to make sure they got it. There would be no peace until his love was beside him for eternity.
The living…
They were infuriating.