Chapter 19
In Farspag Tower's herb garden, Wilona MacRae transformed herself into a midge. Struggling through the shifting wind, she flew up to Finnian's window, and crawled through the crack. She desperately needed the scrying stone to spy on several people from a distance.
She'd discovered Finnian's chamber earlier, when she'd borrowed the clothing. His room here was far less cluttered than the one at Blacktower, but he had a few herbal supplies and three books. Currently, he was napping on the bed.
She had been in midge form too long, and a shifting was imminent. Needing a place to hide, she flew beneath Finnian's bed just as her body shifted to human. Her elbows and knees hit the wooden floor hard, sending pain through her.
"Humm? What was that?" Finnian asked. The mattress over her creaked as he sat up. "Who's there?"
She was too disoriented and pain-filled to remember the vanishing spell now. If he looked beneath the bed, she would have to kill him. Not with magical powers, but with a candlestick, fire poker, or whatever she could find in the room.
She remained silent, for she did not want to fight him naked.
He lay down again. Soon, his snores reached her.
Relaxing as the pain and worry drifted away, she ran the invisibility spell through her head and whispered the words. Once she could no longer see her own body, she crawled from beneath the bed.
Now, where would the old man hide a keek stane if he had it? Mayhap in a drawer. During one of his loud snores, she grasped the knob and pulled out the top drawer. Nothing of interest in there. Of course, he wouldn't place it on top.
A trunk sat in the corner. With slow movements, she opened it and dug beneath the clothes. Something in a cloth pouch lay on the bottom. She picked it up, excitement flooding her. The object inside had the shape of the keek stane. Grinning, she opened the drawstring and peered in.
"Aye," she said aloud, unable to hide her excitement.
"Out, demon!"
She turned. Finnian stared at the open trunk. She was still invisible, but he knew where she was.
His eyes wide, he grabbed his long staff from against the wall and swung at her head.
She ducked. Carrying the pouch, she hurried to the window and threw it open.
His gaze followed, and he charged her with the staff, jabbing it against her lower back. Pain exploding, she screamed and dropped the keek stane.
Finnian snatched it from the floor. Damn him! She couldn't leave without her treasured object.
Someone pounded on the door. "What's happening, Finnian? Are you well?" 'Twas Torr's voice. She didn't know he was here.
Instead of answering, Finnian struck out again.
Before he could hit her, Wilona dodged away from him and murmured the words of the spell to transform into a goshawk. In her new, powerful form, she flapped her wings against his face, disorienting him. Her large talons scratched his hand just before she clamped them on to the velvet pouch.
Finnian cried out, his bloodied fingers loosening on the sack. She yanked it away from him and flew out the window.
"Blasted witch!" Finnian yelled after her.
Flying north over the curtain wall, she emitted a series of screeches. Triumph filled her as she winged her way toward Dunrhyne Castle.
***
WHEN TORR AND FINNIAN entered his bedchamber, Brodie sat on the edge of his bed, his chest a mass of hot torment. Still, he was ready to rise and see what the devil was going on.
"What happened?" He stared at Finnian's bleeding hand.
"The witch slipped into my chamber like a specter, invisible. She found the keek stane in the bottom of my trunk. I knocked it from her hand and grabbed it, but she opened the window. Then she shifted into a goshawk, scratched my hand, and snatched the keek stane pouch from my grip."
"Damnable hag," Brodie muttered. "That will give her the upper hand."
"I ken it, lad, and I'm sorry. I should've had it locked in the chest."
"Do nay fash over it. 'Twas nay your fault."
"Come, Finnian. I'll help you bandage your hand," Torr said, guiding him out the door.
In the corridor, they met Cat and Elsea.
Brodie recognized their voices, his heartbeat quickening at the sound of Elsea's words of sympathy.
They agreed to help Finnian with his hand injuries and take him to the village healer.
Torr returned to the room and reclaimed the chair.
"Will he be alright?" Brodie asked. Nausea and dizziness still plagued him, but he had to force himself to get well.
"I think so. Where is Wilona MacRae living now?" Torr asked. "Still in the cave?"
"Nay. Since she was at Dunrhyne last night, she must be living there. Plus, she's helping the bastard who owns it."
"I could ride to Dunrhyne and steal the keek stane back," Torr said.
"'Twould be near impossible to ride from here, north, through the rough mountains. You would have to ride all the way back east to the glen to have a clear path. We'll have to go by sea."
"Kenneth and several of the men could take me in the galley."
Brodie shook his head. "The whoreson may have returned there by now, and 'twould be dangerous. You'll need to wait until I'm better. Besides, Gavin's likely on his way." Being in such horrid physical shape when he needed to be at his best irked Brodie to no end.
"Aye, he may bring additional men. Fifteen of my clansmen came with me," Torr said.
"I appreciate it. The bastard is likely aware I'm the one who led the selkies in the rescue, and he may attack Farspag."
***
STANDING BESIDE CAT and Agatha, Elsea looked on as Finnian washed his hands with soap and clean water in a basin in his workroom. Agatha drenched the talon scratches with whisky, while he hissed and grimaced in pain.
"'Tis punishment for the pain I inflicted on his lairdship with the whisky to his wound," Finnian grumbled.
"Nonsense. I sent a messenger to the village, asking the healer to come," Agatha said.
"I have an effective salve, m'lady. I do nay need the healer."
"Still, I would feel much better if she looked at the scratches."
A half hour later, the female healer had applied the salve and bandaged Finnian's hand. He drank a tisane, then retired to his chamber to rest.
"Come, Elsea," Cat said. "It has been a long time since I saw you. I wish to catch up." Cat practically dragged her up the turnpike stairwell. The afternoon sun beaming through the tiny slitted window turned Cat's ginger hair to flames for a moment.
Elsea grinned, knowing full well Cat was going to question her relentlessly, but she could not reveal everything. No one must find out about the cave.
"Are you trying to escape your mother?" Elsea whispered when they emerged in the upstairs corridor.
"Not escape exactly. I simply wish to talk in private, without her listening."
"Ah."
"She will nay keep a secret."
After they were inside Cat's bedchamber, she closed the door. "You must tell me how you came to be here."
Elsea was glad for Cat's friendly face and welcoming manner. She had considered Brodie's sister a friend when she'd first met her two years ago. Since Cat had married Elsea's second cousin, they were now family.
Elsea started at the beginning, when she'd overheard the earl's men talking in the stables about the selkie abductions. She gave a brief, quick version of most of the events that had happened over the past several days.
"The poor selkie women." Cat clasped her hand. "Have you recovered from the head injury?"
"Aye, mostly." Elsea touched the top back of her head. "There's still a sore lump."
"I must apologize for something." Cat drew back, appearing sheepish for a moment.
"What?"
"When Torr and I visited you at Kincreag Castle, I slipped a love potion into your drink."
Elsea's face heated. "You mean a lust potion." It wasn't a question, for she well remembered the carnal feelings it stimulated within her.
"Aye." Cat blushed. "I'm so sorry. I asked Finnian to concoct it, and I thought it would make you fall in love with Brodie again. But that was nay how it worked."
"You have the right of it." Elsea placed her hands on her flaming hot cheeks.
"I regret it, and I pray you can forgive me," Cat said.
Elsea nodded. "Of course. 'Tis in the past. I had thought the guard handsome. He caught my fancy for a brief time because I was lonely and he showed me undue attention. After the incident, my brother sent him away, and I was glad."
"I know not to meddle now." Cat appeared contrite. "At least not to that extreme."
"Did Brodie tell you the witch has been giving me nightmares?"
Cat's eyes widened. "Nay! What sort of nightmares."
"She's threatened to kill Brodie and me if I do not leave here."
"Saints! She will never give up. We're here to help. I wager Gavin and Dani are on their way, too. All banded together, how can we fail?"
"The men will nay allow us to help." Elsea wrung her hands. "Still, I pray none of you will be hurt."
"We'll be fine. We've tangled with the witch before plenty of times. Besides, Finnian's here, and he's skilled with magic. Hopefully, the scratches on his hand will heal soon."
Elsea nodded. "While I was in the cave on the island, I believe she placed two curses on me."
Cat gasped.
"Thankfully, both have released me."
"What were they?"
"My memories after my eighteenth birthday vanished, along with my voice. At first, we thought it resulted from the head injury, but then in the nightmare, Wilona told me I could speak. And so I did. She only removed it because she wanted me to tell Brodie to take me home."
"And your memories?"
Elsea could not tell Cat they'd returned after Brodie kissed her.
No one must know of that, and especially not what happened in the cave.
It had meant naught. Had it? He still hated her.
But she did not hate him. Nay, she had never stopped loving him.
Mayhap that was why the kiss had broken the memory curse.
"Elsea?" Cat eyed her curiously, drawing her from the woolgathering.
"My memories returned... suddenly, after I awoke from one of those nightmares."