Chapter 21
Wilona drew back from the furious earl. Aye, she enjoyed riling him, but she did not want to be struck simply because his betrothed had left him for Brodie.
"'Tis nay true! Who told you this?" Talnarock yelled.
"No one. When I was traveling, I saw them together. Go to Farspag and see for yourself."
The earl paced, his boots thudding on the wooden floor. "Her damnable brother, Chief William MacAuley, has reneged on the betrothal contract. He will owe me a fortune in recompense."
"Aye, you deserve it. Revenge against Brodie MacCain will surely bring you much satisfaction as well," she suggested.
"Indeed." The earl narrowed his eyes. "MacAuley will need his help in paying the substantial fee."
"Do you not wish to kill both your unfaithful betrothed and her lover?"
"Mayhap, if they do not pay what I demand."
"You would be well within your rights to demand a significant amount after such a betrayal."
He nodded with a smug smile. "That will increase my earnings, added to more plunder."
"You impress me, m'laird," she gushed.
He straightened, drawing his shoulders back.
Aye, she would butter him up to stay on his amiable side until she had her payment, whether or not he willingly gave it to her.
Or mayhap she would use the youth-ing spell, change her looks, and seduce him. 'Twould be easy to take anything she wished from him. He had far too many castles. He should give her one. A fine one, not this hovel.
Hmm. She must think on it.
Mayhap first she could convince him to kill Brodie, Gavin, and Torr.
Aye, that might work nicely.
"Are you skilled with a bow?" she asked.
He frowned. "Of course. Why do you ask?"
"You look like you would be skilled with many weapons."
"Indeed. If you will excuse me, I'll be sending a missive to Chief MacAuley. I'll have him retrieve Lady Elsea if she truly is with MacCain, as you say. That way, I can save all my men for... other tasks."
***
IN brODIE'S CHAMBER the next day, Finnian looked out the landward window. "Mo chreach! There's an army heading this way."
Brodie bolted upright, grimacing at the stabbing pain in his chest from the abrupt movement. "Who is it?" he said through clenched teeth. Would Talnaroch attack in retribution?
"Stay where you are. I'll look." Torr hurried to the window and stared out.
Brodie gritted his teeth against the pain and sat on the edge of the mattress. He wore a long linen shirt, the chest of it stained with blood from his draining wound.
Needing to see for himself, he pushed up on weak legs and held on to the tall bedpost. He closed his eyes and waited for the lightheadedness to dissipate. "Well?" Brodie asked in the long stretch of silence.
Torr came to him. "Hold on to my shoulder. You can look out."
Hell, if he didn't hate the weakness that made his body feel drained.
Swallowing his pride, he held on to Torr's shoulder and walked to the window.
He squinted into the far distance at the large tartan-clad force of men moving slowly in their direction on horseback across the moor.
They were still at least two-hundred yards away, but the tartan looked familiar.
"Is that Gavin?" Brodie asked.
"Looks like him... with Dani and their clansmen."
Thank the saints it wasn't Talnaroch, for Brodie was unable to fight anyone at the moment.
"Has he brought his whole clan?" Was Brodie hallucinating?
"Looks like close to three score," Torr said.
"Aye," Finnian agreed. "At least."
"Why the devil would he bring so many?" Brodie asked. "What did you and Ma put in that missive?"
"That the witch was going to make a move," Finnian said. "And that you had a powerful force against you. 'Twas what I foresaw in the keek stane."
"Ah," Brodie said, annoyance prickling him like a thistle. He hated that he needed so much help, but at the same time, he was grateful his two brothers were willing to provide it.
"'Tis better to have too many men than not enough. Gavin wants to defeat the witch," Torr said.
"We all do." But Brodie was unsure if his curse would ever be eliminated.
"They're almost to the portcullis," Torr said a few minutes later. "You rest. I'll meet him in the bailey."
Brodie nodded, going to the table, infuriated that he couldn't do something so simple as go downstairs to greet Gavin. "Finnian, can you send in Ruskin to help me with my plaid? And have a maid bring some ale for all of us."
"Aye."
A few minutes later, with Ruskin's help, Brodie sat fully dressed at the table again. Mayhap this eve or tomorrow, he could make it downstairs to the great hall without passing out.
Just after a maid brought three tankards of ale and a pitcher, Gavin entered, his sharp blue gaze concerned. The white slash scar that bisected one dark brow and extended down his face gave him the look of a berserk warrior... or a marauding pirate.
"Saints! You're pale," Gavin said. "Are you well enough to sit up, brother?"
"I'm fine," Brodie said, annoyed that his skin betrayed his weakness. He offered his hand, and Gavin shook it gingerly. Not like his usual powerful handshake.
Brodie ground his teeth.
"Are you in pain?" Gavin asked.
"A little. It has improved since yesterday."
"What the devil happened?"
Torr came in behind him and closed the door.
"Have a seat," Brodie offered. "And some ale. You must be parched after that long ride. Thank you for coming, both of you."
His two best friends sat at the table with him. Brodie and Torr caught Gavin up on everything that had happened thus far.
"We offered to help stop the selkie abductions more than a month ago, when you first told us of it." Gavin sipped the ale.
"Aye, well. I did nay wish to put either of you in danger. You were both newly married to your ladies. 'Twas your honeymoon."
"You are too selfless by far." Torr grinned.
"Cat would murder me if I caused you to be killed in battle," Brodie grumbled.
Torr snorted. "You have little confidence in my fighting skills."
"The witch is involved in this, and she must be dispatched for all our safety," Gavin said. "As long as she lives, she'll never stop trying to kill us in revenge."
"After Brodie's curse is destroyed," Torr reminded him.
"Of course." Gavin lifted a brow, giving Brodie a stern look.
The implication was not lost on him.
"You cannot force me to love and trust Elsea, or anyone else for that matter."
Gavin lifted his hands in surrender. "I would never attempt it. I'm nay that daft."
"'Tis up to you, Brodie," Torr said.
"I'm glad you see it that way," Brodie said.
"How about a dram of whisky?" He motioned toward the bottle on the shelf near the door, which contained little, in truth.
Finnian was stingy and trying to keep it out of his reach.
Brodie had never overindulged in drink, so he didn't know why Finnian was so worried.
Torr poured three small glasses and handed them out. After a toast to Brodie's good health and speedy recovery, they sipped.
"So, what is the next move after you recover?" Gavin asked.
"No doubt, the bastard earl will again try to abduct the female selkies. The witch is helping him, which gives him an edge. I'm thinking he may be holding the female selkies he still has at Glenhaish Castle. 'Tis one of five he owns."
"I ken where that is," Torr said.
"Indeed?" Brodie was surprised at that.
"Aye, 'tis on Loch Long which connects to the sea."
"He could easily take them there on the galleys," Brodie said.
Torr nodded.
"The damnable witch stole the keek stane back, so now she can spy on us and see our plans," Brodie told Gavin.
"Hell," he muttered. "And she can inform the earl."
"Exactly. She could be listening right now."
***
LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Gavin returned to Brodie's room, bringing the half bottle of whisky he'd had in his desk drawer.
"Bless you, brother. Finnian is stingy with the whisky."
Gavin poured two drams into the glasses. "Is he still giving you the strong tisanes with poppy?"
"Nay. He says I must tough it out from here on."
"Mayhap this will help." Gavin raised his glass. "Slàinte mhath!"
Brodie followed suit, then sipped the potent, peaty liquid, enjoying the burn down his throat. "Where's Torr?"
"Talking to Finnian. Getting his opinion on everything. I wished to talk to you about... certain matters."
"Oh, hell. Here we go," Brodie grumbled.
Gavin laughed.
"Go on then. Get it over with."
"You'll probably ignore me, or argue like you did last time."
Brodie nodded. "Most likely."
"I just...." Gavin paused, looking troubled.
"What?" Brodie asked after an extended moment, wishing he could escape this discussion but knowing he couldn't.
"I ken your pride was wounded, but I wish you could release the grudge and the rage."
A hollow ache echoed in Brodie's chest, making it hard to breathe.
"You imprison yourself," Gavin said. "You're causing your own downfall by not forgiving. Even if you never get back together with her. 'Tis not about that. Forgiveness need not include reconciliation."
Brodie thought about simple forgiveness. "Will we ever forgive Wilona MacRae for cursing us?"
Gavin frowned and considered. "If she were to stop her evil deeds. But I doubt she will. Clearly, she has nay forgiven us for what she perceives as murder."
Brodie shook his head. "Exactly."
"Her lack of forgiveness will cause her downfall."
Brodie frowned at that, glaring.
"You need freedom, Brodie. Freedom from the witch and the curse. Freedom from the rage you hold on to."
"Forgiveness and anger aside, according to you, I must love and trust a woman in order to break the curse. Elsea is the only available woman here at the moment, and I cannot trust her."
Gavin eyed him carefully, his perceptive pale blue gaze narrowed and looking too deeply into his mind. He sat forward. "You still love her, brother," Gavin said in a compassionate tone. "Do you not?"
Brodie looked away, trying to mask his true emotions.
"The love you and Elsea shared two years ago... I envied it at the time," Gavin admitted. "When Dani showed up at Caithmore, I was granted my wish, my deepest dream. She gave me what I'd craved. I love Dani more than life itself."
What could Brodie say to that? He had not put a name to what he felt for Elsea. It was such a raw emotion, both brutal and blissful, like their encounter in the cave.
He cleared his throat and took another sip of the whisky. "Lust, mayhap."
Gavin snorted, then tilted his head, giving him a doubtful look. "I think 'tis more than that. Has she apologized?"
"Aye."
"Can you not forgive?"
Brodie shrugged. "Some of my fury has weakened."
"'Tis a step in the right direction."
"She risked her own life to help the selkie women," Brodie admitted. "She is caring toward them, and I appreciate that."
"Is she caring toward you?"
"She's helped me since I was wounded."
Gavin nodded, looking hopeful, waiting for him to continue.
"I could never trust her again, though. She's still betrothed to the bastard.
She says her brother signed the contract, and that she lied to the knave, saying she wanted to marry him to gain his trust, because of the selkies.
But I have nay inkling when she's lying and when she's telling the truth. "
"Let's consider her actions instead of her words," Gavin said. "Risking her life to help rescue the selkies. Helping you after your injury. What else?"
"The selkies like and trust her. They cannot read humans' minds, but they're perceptive. She showed me where Dunrhyne is, where the hostages were being held. She warned me the witch would likely be there."
"Have you caught Elsea in any lies since she's been here?"
Brodie thought for an extended moment. "Nay. But she tried to evade telling me why the earl came to see her brother. She tried to hide her current betrothal."
"She knew you would be enraged all over again."
Brodie nodded.
"To break the curse, can you not just trust her for a few moments? Briefly. Nay forever."
Brodie snorted. "I doubt that would work. What were the specifics of how your curse was broken?"
"In his fevered imaginings, Da kept yelling about a lass and how I needed to marry her to destroy the curse. I'd been having vivid dreams of a beautiful lass for weeks or months. But I had never met her before. I had nay idea who she was until she appeared in my bedchamber one night."
Brodie nodded. He'd heard part of this story before.
"I married Dani, thinking that would eliminate the curse, but 'twas nay that simple," Gavin said.
"Dani had many misgivings about staying in this time period with me as a shifter.
'Twas only after the witch and her minions captured us that Dani realized she trusted me, loved me, and wished to stay with me forever.
We thought it might be our last night on earth together.
We both confessed our love and trust for each other out loud, in words.
The next morn, I awoke after dawn as a man for the first time in well over a year.
So, apparently, you must feel the love and trust deep in your soul and also say the words to each other. "
Intense emotion and profound love for his bride gleamed in Gavin's sincere gaze. Brodie closed his eyes. He could not abide the impact of it, for 'twas the same love Brodie had held for Elsea in the past.
"We are brothers in every way but by blood," Brodie said. "Imagine if I were to stab you in the chest right now with my dirk. You are badly injured, but you survive. Would you ever trust me again? Even if I were to apologize?"
Gavin studied him, multiple expressions crossing his face—a lifted brow, disbelief, and amusement. Then a scowl, a frown, and a deep thoughtful look. "You pose an interesting question. I suppose it would depend on your reason for stabbing me and whether you're truly sorry."
"How would you determine if I regretted it or if my reasons were the truth? How would you know if I was lying or not?"
"I would go on our past association," Gavin said. "I've known you since we were lads. Because we are brothers, I would go on faith, so to speak. I would have to assume you're telling the truth until I see the proof of it."
"And that would be enough? Guessing?"
"Believing."