Chapter 11 #2
Over the week-plus that Tee had been there, he had gotten the battle story from everyone wanting to tell another Minory of the might of his own lineage. They loved watching his jaw go slack in disbelief, then buying him another round to ease him into the rest of the story.
We were quiet, looking out over the darkened field lit only by the peek-a-boo of the stars and moon.
“This time, though,” I said, stretching my fingers out, “there’s something Lady MacLaoch wants me to know; she’s making my hands glow in my dreams.” I pretended to shoot electricity out of my fingers.
Instead of mocking me, Tee watched with rapt attention, like a guy who had heard all about his sister’s spiritual encounter and was about to see it with his own two eyes.
Then I watched as his hope crashed once he realized nothing supernatural was going to happen.
“Right.”
“Yeah.”
“Kinda disappointing.”
I gave him a tired smile. “You’re telling me.”
My skin lit up then, and a shiver rolled over me. Rowan was coming up from the base of the field on the cottage trail, adjusting the elastic waistband of his soft flannel pants as if he’d yanked them on while striding out the door.
Tee and I were quiet for a while, and then TJ said, “He does know it’s cold out, right?”
“He’s born and raised here.” As if that explained why he was barefoot and shirtless. His voice whispered over my skin, There ye are.
“Where’s your shirt?” Tee said as Rowan arrived.
“It’s a warm night.” He stopped before me, put his palms gently to my cheeks, and searched my face. He offered, “It’s a nice night for a loch swim.”
The thought sent a shiver down into my bones.
“And hypothermia,” Tee added.
“When you return to shore, you’ll have nothing left in your mind—you’ll be just a quiet body ready for sleep.” When I didn’t jump on that suggestion, he said, “Or a hike to see the sunrise over the Cuillins?”
I felt relief under his dark gaze; he understood, as did my brother, about the hellscape I’d walked through, and both were willing to stand there with me in the dark of night and do whatever needed to be done.
“You’ll hike barefoot and shirtless too?”
Without taking his eyes off me, Rowan replied to Tee, “If she wants me to, I will. Her words are my command.”
“Geez,” I whispered, feeling suddenly tired as if the spirit that had caught hold of me had let go. “It’s all right—I’m ready for bed again.”
Tee opened his arms to me. “All right, Pipsqueak, bring it in.” He gave me a tight squeeze and kissed the top of my head. “Sleep tight, and find your man a fucking shirt.”
I gave a soft laugh and let him go. Just before I did, I caught the smell of clean linens—herbal lavender on a sea breeze.
Instead of asking him where he’d been doing laundry, I said, “See you in the morning. Thanks for hanging out.”
“Anytime, Pip. I’ll always be here for you.”
Rowan watched him go, then followed me back to our cottage, the tone of TJ’s remark on his mind. “Does he think I’m not here for you?”
“He’s pretty transparent, huh.”
“I love ye, Cole, and it boggles my mind that you two are brother and sister.”
I felt my eyebrows rise. “Oh yeah?”
“It’s just tha’ I love you so much, I assumed your brother and I would get on like a house on fire.”
“You will. Tee has to get to know you; once he’s sure of you, you’ll level up in his friend ranking, and he’ll be the most annoying human you’ve ever met.”
His fingertips traced the curve of my spine as we got to the path to our cottage. “I’m just disappointed that it took me a while tae notice ye weren’t in bed. Then I came to find ye with your brother—he beat me to meet your needs. Again I’m subpar in his eyes.”
“He’s just jealous of your abs.”
Rowan laughed out. “Aye, right.” Then, at the door, he said with mock fatigue, “Now I have to spend the rest of the night exhausting you so ye can sleep.”
My hand paused over the door handle. “Oh. Exhaust me?” I put the door to my back and turned the knob behind me. “Kind sir, please tell me exactly what that entails,” I said, as I fell into the foyer.
He was still at the door. The evening light shifted, and soft moonlight threw his half-naked body in relief. The curves and edges of his body were highlighted as the shadows deepened the grooves, making him that Scottish warrior I’d met a year ago.
He rested his palms on either side of the door. “You. Me on my knees.”
A pleasant night breeze ambled into the cottage off the cliffs far behind him, carrying his words to me. “I’m a visual person. For me to really understand, you’re going to have to show me.”
His hands came off the frame. “With pleasure.”
Rowan came to me and, with a soft kiss on my cheek, picked me up.
With me tightly hugged in his arms, he carried me to the living room and sat me on the plush couch.
It faced the picture window that looked out over the cliff to the moonlit loch.
He tucked me in with the cashmere throws before lighting the wood stove.
The crackle and snap of the burning wood filled the air.
Then, back at my knees, he lifted my right foot, tugged off its sock, and rested it on his thigh.
He turned and from the little basket under the coffee table brought out the lotion I used to keep my hands soft after digging in the dirt all day.
After rubbing his hands with the creamy lotion to warm it, he pressed both thumbs into my heel.
Slowly, undoing each hard-worked muscle from my heel up through my instep, he relieved the pressure I hadn’t noticed was there.
With my foot warm and in Rowan’s care, I sank into the safe, cozy couch, heavy with blankets on me.
I felt my eyes close. He worked the pads of my feet, first my left then my right, digging his knuckles in until I felt the loosening up my legs and into my back. My mind went light with relaxation.
With the dedicated warmth of his touch mixed with the crackle and pop of the wood stove, Rowan lulled me back to sleep.
The sun broke through the foggy, damp morning air.
A pristine crisp morning breath kissed my cheek.
I lay quietly. I’d had nightmares of being back on the cairn knoll again, obeying its command to return.
There, as I stood on the charcoal earth, the first choking cry grabbed my chest and rent my heart asunder.
I gave in to the darkness and fell to my knees.
A voice I was trying desperately to keep quiet lest her very real fear take over did then take control.
I dug my fingers into the earth and wept as she broke over me.
Releasing myself to her and that feeling shook me until I succumbed to a gentle, dreamless sleep.
I blinked. Rapidly.
I was outside.
A low mist hung in the air, and a shiver rolled over my exposed skin when I realized I was back where I had been in the middle of the night. Over the fog, I could see the eastern flank of the castle.
I blinked away sleep and sat up as voices rose from below. Rowan’s voice chimed over my skin, Mo ghràdh. Where are you?
“Chief, I’ll check up by the tree.” Holly’s voice carried, undulating through the mist.
I opened my mouth to say something, but my voice croaked. I cleared my throat and said, “Up here.”
In a few moments, I looked up at Holly and Rowan as they emerged out of the fog.
“There ye are!” Holly exclaimed as Rowan followed, now fully clothed in jeans and a flannel rolled up to his elbows.
He reached a hand down and pulled me to my feet, and Holly quickly took me in from head to toe. Then her eyes went to the ground beneath me.
“Oh.”
Rowan asked, “Were you sleeping out here?”
I was about to answer when the ground where Holly was staring caught my eye.
Rowan looked around my shoulder as he tucked me in against his chest. “Ohhh…”
The ground where my body had been was a lush and vibrant green. Multiple species of plants were growing within the grasses, giving the green carpet a dynamic texture. The dominant species was the tri-leaf pattern of trifolium.
“Clover…” Holly whispered. “My god.” She turned and looked at me. “Fall asleep with seeds in your pockets, mate?”
“I…I did not.”
“My mum and I don’t get on much, but she tracked me down yesterday to tell me that you need to go see your great-granny. I now think I see why… Mum said the rebirth might happen when ye least expect it—if ye don’t understand it.” Holly pointed to the ground. “Like this?”
“Right. This too.”
Holly asked, “Too?”
Rowan answered, “These dreams yer having might not all be trauma.”
Holly looked between us. “Dreams? Aye, ye would after everything ye’ve been through. I’ve been told by more than one who was there tha’ ye took a Viking tae his knees and dealt him blow after blow, making him beg for death.”
“Well…” I started, not knowing how to explain that I’d lost my damn mind when I’d had Ormr on his knees and I was trying to punch his lights out, but Holly continued.
“Yer a warrior, love. We’ll take a quick trip to Granny’s place and finish whatever this is there,” she said, swirling her finger around the place, indicating everything.
“Now?”
Holly and Rowan spoke at once.
“Aye.”
“No.”
Rowan amended, “First, ye need pants.”