Chapter 29
“Reid!” Eileen screamed.
She ran to the bed, slowing down before she got there and holding herself back from leaping atop him. She froze before him, the excitement coursing through her battling against her relief as she held back the tears—something she’d done a lot of over the past few days.
“I see someone,” Reid said weakly, reaching out an arm toward her. “A vision before me. Is it one of me delusions? A ghost come to haunt me? Am I bein’ drawn to the afterlife again?”
Eileen let out a choked cry. She fell to her knees by the bed, placing her hand on the sheets, but not daring to reach out and touch him as his eyes struggled to open.
“Reid, it’s me,” she said softly. “Eileen. Yer sister. Ye’ve been wounded badly.”
“Eileen?” Reid echoed slowly. “I’m tryin’ to remember. Me sister?”
Eileen leaned in close. “Aye, Reid, yer sister. I’m here with ye.”
“Eileen, aye,” he croaked. “I remember… I remember ye.”
“Just take yer time, Reid,” Eileen soothed. “Dinnae force yerself.”
“Ye’re the one… ye’re the one…”
“What, Reid? What is it?”
“Ye’re the ugly crier, are ye nae?” he asked, his eyes opening fully and his smile blossoming wide.
“Och, ye rascal!” Eileen slapped him on the arm.
“Ow!” Reid winced. “Please dinnae hit me, Eileen. I’m still sore, but I couldnae help meself.”
“Och, ye had me believin’ that ye were on death’s door! Are ye really well?”
“Aye, I’m fine,” Reid said. “I still need to get me strength back, but I’m nae goin’ anywhere.”
Eileen studied her brother. He was already scarred, and he would have more to add to his collection. The bandages on his chest had been changed recently, and while there were some red spots, they were mostly clear. There was a weariness in his eyes, but he smiled through it all.
“Can I give ye a hug?” Eileen asked.
“Aye, I would like that,” Reid replied.
He sat up in the bed, propping himself with one arm. Eileen leaned closer and gently wrapped her arms around him. He moved his free hand to her back and patted it gently as he used to do.
Her heart was torn. She needed to be with her brother, nurse him back to health, and then take him home. But she also needed to be with Archer; she was indebted to him.
She sniffed and gave a wobbly smile. “I thought I had lost ye, Reid.”
Reid pulled back a little but held her there so he could take a proper look at her. “It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me,” he told her.
“What happened?” she asked.
He lay back down on the bed and sighed. “I dinnae ken, nor do I care to, but O’Gunn’s men kenned I was comin’ to MacLennan Castle, and they ambushed me on the way. I tried to fight them off, but a blow to the back of the head knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in the dungeons.”
“Why?” she pressed. “Why did they take ye?”
“A power grab of some sort,” Reid muttered.
“They hounded me for any information I had, and that allowed me to gain information from them. I think O’Gunn grew suspicious of me and then decided to kill me and leave me on MacLennan lands so Laird MacLennan would be blamed.
He’s been spoilin’ for war as long as anyone can remember, and if he can get us fightin’ with the MacLennans, then he can swoop in and scoop up the spoils.
He couldnae secure an alliance through marriage, so he decided to take what we had through force. ”
“Aye, but he didnae count on ye, did he?” Eileen asked, pride lacing her voice.
“Nor ye,” Reid pointed out. “I would have died if ye hadnae come here and had the Laird send men after me. I’m very proud of yer courage and tenacity, Eileen.”
Eileen beamed at him.
“If only ye could stop the ugly cryin’,” he added.
She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. “How did ye escape?”
“I pretended to be more wounded than I was,” Reid replied.
“When the guard came one evenin’ to bring me food—if ye could call the slop that—I attacked him and took his dirk.
Gettin’ out of the dungeons was the hard part.
I had to kill two guards. Sneakin’ out of the castle was easy.
I thought I was free after that, but they came after me.
“I dinnae remember much of the fight after that, but I was told I took down five of them. The only thing I could think about the entire time was gettin’ out of there so ye would never have to marry him.
I needed to get back to ye. The next thing I kenned, I woke up here with a fire ragin’ around me. The Laird saved me life.”
“Aye, then he came and saved mine,” Eileen revealed. “They were takin’ me back to O’Gunn Castle.”
“Then we both have a debt to pay,” Reid said.
“Nay,” Archer uttered, entering the room. “There’s nay debt to pay. Ye have both done more for me than ye could ever imagine. It’s only thanks to the two of ye that I discovered the traitors in me castle and was able to flush them out.”
“Ye have?” Eileen asked.
“I believe so,” Archer replied. “One of the men from the forge went to Calum last night and asked for mercy in exchange for information.”
“He’s rattin’ people out?”
“Aye.” Archer nodded. “He’ll be left in the dungeons to rot, but he willnae lose his head like the rest. Calum and the guards are roundin’ them up as we speak.”
“They kenned it was the end,” Reid commented. “Ye got to the leaders, and they became headless snakes. They kenned ye would catch them all, eventually.”
“Aye,” Archer grunted.
“So, yer castle is finally safe?” Eileen asked.
“As safe as it can be,” Archer sighed. “For a long time, I had nay clue that there was any danger, and again, I wouldnae have kenned were it nae for the two of ye. Ye’re welcome here for as long as ye need.”
“Thank ye,” Reid said.
“Aye, thanks,” Eileen murmured, lowering her head and looking down at a small black beetle making its way across the wooden floor.
Eileen walked with Reid through the castle grounds, the dirk not at her waist anymore—it was freeing, as if a great weight had been taken from her, when the weight was not much at all.
Still, it didn’t bump against her thigh as she walked.
She was safe with her brother, and after the traitors were rounded up, there was no more danger in the castle.
Besides, Laird O’Gunn would not attack when he was at his weakest.
The clans were still deciding what to do with him.
“How are ye feelin’?” Eileen asked as they walked.
“Och, ye dinnae have to ask me that all the time,” Reid complained. “I’m doin’ well.”
“Aye, I ken,” Eileen said with a smile. “I just… wanted to…”
Her gaze strayed to Archer as he spoke to one of the stablehands by the brick building.
The Laird stood with his shoulders pushed back and his head tilted slightly upwards.
His hands flowed like water in gesture as he spoke.
The young stablehand had a permanent smile plastered to his face as he looked up at the taller Laird, animated in his responses.
He looked like a small child who’d just received a book of carved wooden soldiers on Christmas morning.
“… wanted to what?” Reid asked.
His voice snapped her out of her daydream, and she turned to him. “Make sure ye were all right,” she said irritably.
“Ye should go and speak with him,” he suggested.
“The Laird?”
“Nay, the stablehand.”
“I’m keepin’ ye company,” Eileen pointed out. “I cannae leave ye to walk alone.”
“I dinnae want yer company,” Reid huffed. “And I need some alone time to… think about things. Go away; ye’re makin’ a nuisance of yerself.”
“Are ye sure?” Eileen asked.
“Aye, I’m sure,” Reid assured her. “Go be with him.”
“Thank ye,” Eileen said.
She kissed him on the cheek and then skipped off to Archer. He saw her coming and finished quickly with the stablehand before stepping up to her.
“Ye look mighty jovial today,” he noted.
“Well, when yer life is saved and yer braither comes back from the dead, ye’ve got plenty of reasons to be pleased with life.”
“Aye, ye’re right,” Archer agreed. “I feel much the same as of late. We’ve rounded up fourteen men who were in league with Henry Millar. He was the one behind it all. Mack Douglas was followin’ Millar’s orders just like the rest of them. There willnae be any more trouble in the keep.”
“And O’Gunn?” Eileen asked.
“He’s a trickier one,” Archer sighed. “He’s been spoilin’ for war for years, and if we go in accusin’ him of his crimes—rightfully so—he’ll have nay option but to respond with force, which will wipe out his clan but cause casualties on our side all the same.”
“So, ye leave him be? He gets away with it?” Eileen pursed her lips.
“He does and he doesnae,” Archer said. “He’s never been in a weaker position.
Nay clan wants to deal with him. And seein’ as me clan exposed his schemes, we’ve never been in a stronger position without our allies.
When his clansfolk realize the tight spot they’re in, Lachlan willnae be Laird for much longer. ”
“I dinnae like how all of this works,” Eileen admitted. “It was much easier when ye… well, when ye dealt with Mack and Millar.”
“Aye, but ye cannae do that with everyone. We dinnae need to worry about that right now. Ye’re safe, and so is yer baiter and me clan. This is a time for celebration. But afore that, how about we take a walk?”
“Aye, I would like that very much.” Eileen smiled. “Just the two of us?”
“Aye, just the two of us. Right here, right now.”
Eileen smiled wider. It was all she’d been waiting for since he’d saved her from Millar.
Archer held out his hand, and she took it. A bolt of pleasure shot through her hand and up her arm, before settling into the pit of her stomach. She gripped him tightly. She just could not let him go.
“Where shall we go?” she asked.
“It doesnae matter,” Archer said. “As long as we can be together and away from all of this, that’s all I care about.”
“Aye.”
Eileen let him lead her through the courtyard, and as they passed people, smiling and nodding as they went, she completely forgot about their fake betrothal.