Chapter 30
Heather let out a happy screech when her two sisters entered her bedchamber and she tried to scramble out of bed.
“No, No,” Emma scolded, hurrying over to her. “You must stay abed at least for today.” She settled Heather back in bed, and then gave her a huge hug.
Patience pushed her aside. “Let me get to her, and she looks fine to me. She should get up so we can take her home.” She gave Heather a tight hug.
“Easy, she is still sore,” Emma admonished.
Patience shook her finger at Emma, though looked at Heather. “Listen to her, telling me what to do. It has been like this since she has been with child.”
Heather smiled, shaking her head at her sisters who were the same as ever. “I have missed you both so much. You are feeling well, Emma?”
The two sisters sat on either side of her on the bed.
“I am fine, we both have missed you and have worried terribly about you,” Emma said.
“Has the Dragon treated you good,” Patience asked.
Without hesitation or qualm and with a smile spreading across her face, she said, “I have fallen in love with him.”
Patience scowled. “You barely know him.”
“You do look happy,” Emma said.
“Stop encouraging her,” Patience scolded.
“Stop encouraging her to be happy?” Emma asked incredulously.
“He is the Dark Dragon,” Patience said as if it was insane to even consider the thought of loving him.
“He is Quinn,” Heather said, and her sisters’ heads turned in unison to stare at her in shock. “The Dark Dragon is Quinn.”
“It is the fever,” Patience said to Emma.
Heather laughed. “It is a long story and one I do not know if he wishes to share, but I give you my word...he is Quinn.”
A tear fell down Emma’s cheek. “He came back to you just like he promised he would.”
“You are sure of this?” Patience asked. “He could be telling you a tale to get you to trust and love him.”
“I discovered it myself and he refused to admit it until he had no choice, and the truth came out. I have no doubt that he is Quinn.”
The door opened then, and Rhys walked in, Hunter and Rogan entering behind him.
Patience flew off the bed and punched Rhys in the shoulder. “So, you are Quinn, are you?”
Rhys leaned his face close to Patience’s. “Your punch has improved since you were little and so has mine and I will knock you on your arse just as I did when you were young, though a bit harder than I used to, if you hit me again.”
“Damn, it is you,” Patience said and punched his shoulder again. “What took you so long to come home?”
Rhys shook his head and turned to Hunter. “God bless you for marrying her.”
“What do you mean God bless him?” Patience snapped. “He is blessed I let him marry me.”
Emma was laughing and wiping tears from her eyes as she walked over to Rhys and gave him a hug. “It is so very good to see you again.”
“You as well, Emma.” He turned to Rogan. “You are a lucky man.”
“That I am,” Rogan said and reached out and drew Emma into his arms.
“The three of you are lucky to have each one of us,” Patience said, and her husband threw his arms around her in a tight hug.
“Do not think that will stop me from punching him again now that I know who he is,” Patience warned.
“He is still the Dark Dragon,” Hunter reminded.
Patience thought a moment. “Then he can teach me the skills of his ghost warriors.”
Hunter rolled his eyes while everyone else laughed.
Heather tried to stop the yawn that surfaced, but all she could do was raise her hand to cover it.
Rhys walked over to his wife, sitting down on the bed beside her and slipping his arm around her. “You need to rest more.”
“He is right. You should nap,” Emma said, “we will see you later.”
Patience grumbled as Emma forced her out the door.
Rhys turned and pressed his chest to hers, to gently ease her down on the bed while he stole a tender kiss.
“I miss your breath-robbing kisses,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck so he could not move away.
“Get better and I promise you more than breath-robbing kisses.” His hand roamed down along her side and slipped under her backside to give it a squeeze.
A knock sounded at the door and Rhys was glad for the intrusion. He had gone without making love to her for two days and it was two days too many. He wanted nothing more than to make love to her, but she was not well enough yet. So, he needed to stay a safe distance from her.
He bid the person to enter as he got off the bed.
“Excuse, my lord,” Nessa said, “but Lady Emma said I should bring this to Lady Heather and make sure she drank it.”
“Then I will leave you to the task,” Rhys said and hurried past her to the door. He stopped and turned. “Drink it all, wife. I am eager for you to get well.”
Heather smiled as the door closed behind him.
Nessa placed the tankard on the chest and went to help Heather sit up. “You look much better, my lady.”
“I am feeling much better,” Heather frowned. “But you do not look well, Nessa, is something wrong?”
Nessa retrieved the tankard and handed it to Heather.
“Sit and talk with me, Nessa, till I fall asleep.”
Nessa sat, a tear stinging the corner of her eye until it finally fell down her cheek.
“Talk to me, Nessa,” Heather encouraged.
“Everything changes, my lady,” she said, sadness filling her face.
“Two of the original McComb clan disappeared last night. Seamus, me, and his family are the last of the Clan McComb and Seamus is sure the Dragon plans to get rid of us.” She wiped away her tears.
“I spoke with Pitt. He talks with me often and I must say he is more thoughtful than I thought. He tells me not to worry that all will be fine, but how can I not worry when all who I know are disappearing?”
“As soon as I am well, we will be leaving for the Macinnes keep and I shall take you with me,” Heather said. “I will not let anything happen to you.”
“Truly, my lady?”
Heather reached out and Nessa quickly took her hand. “Truly, Nessa. When I arrived here, if it were not for your kindness and help, I do not know what I would have done.”
“I would be only too pleased to serve you, my lady.”
“Then after I rest you may return and start packing my chests and be sure to start gathering your belongings.”
Heather fell asleep wondering what her husband had planned. Usually, she would sneak around and try to find out, but now, she would simply ask him.
* * *
Rhys watched his wife sleep. It was growing late, not only the day but the time they had to leave here. Haidar would regroup and return with all his men and from what Rhys’ men were reporting to him, Haidar was doing just that.
The last of the McCombs would be taken tonight, except for Nessa. Pitt, to his own surprise, had grown more than fond of her and with how much his wife seemed to favor Nessa, he planned for her to come along with them to the Macinnes keep.
He could not wait any longer. The day after tomorrow they would leave. He would have a cart made ready to accommodate Heather and they would go, never to return here again.
He leaned over and kissed her brow. “Sleep well, we leave for home soon.”
* * *
Heather woke and to her dismay saw that it was night and that she was alone. She could not tolerate sleeping so much or lying abed for so long. If they were to leave soon then things needed to be done.
She swung her legs off the bed, the pain brief and tolerable.
It was when she stood that she had the problem.
Her feet were still a bit sore and her legs weak from spending far too much time in bed.
She slowly made her way across the room, leaning on whatever she could along the way.
She pulled a skirt and blouse from the chest and slower than she would have liked got dressed.
By the time she was done, she was feeling better from moving around, but when she went to put her boots on, the pain had her hesitating.
Her feet were not ready for them. She sat feeling defeated, but only for a moment.
She recalled seeing sandals in the chest Rhys had sent to the room for her.
She smiled with glee when she found them and slipped them on, tying them around her ankles and up along her legs.
Now she needed to find her sisters and have them help her.
Heather realized how late the hour was when she entered the Great Hall and found it deserted.
Not even the servants lingered about. She thought of going outside, but it would be foolish of her to do that.
With it being so late and the night so quiet, there was always a chance of her being abducted again and she would not chance that.
A noise in the shadows had her stilling and looking around.
“Lady Heather.”
Heather turned with a start, her hand going to her chest, her heart pounding so hard she thought it would burst, to see Seamus emerge from the shadows. “You frightened me, Seamus.”
“They are coming, Lady Heather. I heard the cart rolling through the village. They have come to take me away, never to be seen again.”
Tears started rolling down the old man’s cheeks and Heather went to him, slipping her arm around him. “I will not let them take you, Seamus.”
“You cannot stop them, my lady. Everyone in the village is preparing to leave. The word is that the Dragon intends to burn the whole village and the keep to the ground.” He wiped at his tears. “It has been my home since birth, and he is going to destroy it.”
“It is your home no more and what are you doing out of bed, wife?” Rhys asked, stepping out of the shadows.
Heather stepped in front of Seamus. “He is frightened, Rhys, having seen those he knows carted off in the middle of the night to God knows where, never to be seen again. I know you would not hurt the old people or anyone you had taken away. So please, for me, tell Seamus where he is being taken so he does not worry himself sick.”