Chapter Fourteen
Ailith
The next morning, the memory of the brief kiss lingered in quiet, unexpected ways.
Edan’s move to bring her closer had startled her, but then she’d been more than willing.
The truth was she’d enjoyed every moment of their kiss, something that surprised her.
Had he spoken of it, she’d have blushed the shade of the sweetest apple picked in autumn.
There’d been no discussion, just their first true kiss, something that told her he thought of her as much as she was thinking of him.
The memory surfaced as she dressed, as her thoughts wandered, as she caught herself pressing her lips together in reflection. Instead of unease, it left her grounded. Something between them had shifted, not dramatically, but irrevocably.
When she saw him again, she did not avert her gaze.
There was softness in her eyes now, paired with certainty.
She offered no explanation and made no effort to diminish what had passed between them.
It showed in the way she held herself, in the warmth beneath her composure, in the calm strength of her voice when she spoke to him.
The kiss was no longer a fragile moment.
It was part of her, and she did not shy from it.
With so much travel and constant activity, she had little chance to speak with him, save for a rare moment when their gazes met and she knew he remembered it too.
They’d been blessed with a cloudy spring day for their voyage. The group rode their horses to MacClane Castle, where the Mull Cog awaited them. Horses and cargo were loaded, then they took their leave. With its single large sail, several men proclaimed it a perfect wind for sailing.
A small, roofed area in the center offered shelter from poor weather.
Ailith’s mother had already claimed a spot inside.
Often colder than everyone else, her mother arrived with two plaids wrapped around her shoulders for warmth.
Though summer was nearly upon them and the air warmed daily, the wind could still chill one to the bone, especially in an exposed environment like the Cog.
The Duart group included Dyna and Derric with their three bairns; Alasdair and Emmalin with John, Ailith, and Daran; Connor; Maitland, Maeve, and Grant.
Ailith found a spot overlooking the water while the men busied themselves settling the horses and tying down crates.
Having rarely traveled out to sea beyond Mull, she knew this would be an excursion to remember.
Daran was the most excited about this grand voyage, his face hanging over the side of the vessel, watching for fish and dolphins. Cormac had set restrictions on where the youngest could stand.
“Aw…” Daran declared. “But it’s fun to watch the waves.”
“You may run the entire upper deck while we’re readying the ship.
Once we leave port, you’ll stay in your assigned spot.
” Cormac did not relent to their begging.
“Someday I hope to have something to keep the wee ones afloat at all times, but we don’t have such a thing yet, and I cannot risk a bairn overboard. ”
Always inquisitive, Daran persisted. “But why?”
Cormac knelt before the boy. “Because I fell overboard myself once. That’s exactly why you must listen. It’s a long way down in the middle of the sea, and it’s scary in those big waves.”
Daran pouted but quickly forgot the rules. “Watch how fast I am, Da.”
The boy took off running while Alasdair whispered, “I appreciate your rule. I’d never keep the lad in one spot otherwise.”
Once they set off, Ailith sat next to her sire on the upper deck, enjoying the view. Her father tied his hair back with a leather thong while she plaited her own long locks. He took her hand and said, “I hope you’ll not allow any of your past experiences to affect this voyage, lass.”
“I promise not to allow them into my mind if you promise the same, Da.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Ailith briefly recalled the situation at MacLintock Castle seven years ago.
It had affected her so deeply that she had stayed close to her parents for many years.
Recent problems on Mull, the stealing of children, had brought those fears back to the surface, but she had remained at Duart Castle while her sire and brother fought the evil ones.
And good had triumphed over evil again. What would Islay bring?
“Each day I grow stronger, Da. I need to forget my memories so I can focus on these bairns. I know you have your own memories too: of your mother, father, Grandda and Grandmama, and of the incident at MacLintock Castle. I have healed, so please do not worry about me. I know that’s why you came along with me, and I do appreciate it. ”
“I would have come along anyway, but John also wished to come. It’s early summer, a lovely time to travel.
As you know, we never traveled over the seas until Duart Castle came into our lives.
Every one of us enjoyed the beaches, the waves, the dolphins, and otters.
I love Mull, and Iona too. Mayhap we are about to discover a new land to love.
As long as we’re traveling with family, what could go wrong?
It sounded like a wonderful trip, and if we can help someone along the way, then it makes it even more special. ”
The sun neared its highest point when Emmalin stepped out and shivered. “Alasdair, I’m going to unwrap our midday meal. Come along and bring Ailith with you.”
“We’ll be right there. Go back in where it’s warm.” Turning to Ailith, he said, “Did you see how she shivered? That’s the only part she doesn’t enjoy. Your mother packed carefully. I think we have a fresh loaf of bread with cheese and berries. Come along and eat.”
“I’ll be along in a wee bit.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Save me a piece of bread, if you please.”
Her father nodded and disappeared, Uncle Connor following close behind. The moment their footsteps faded, Edan approached her sheltered spot against the inner cabin where the wind couldn’t bite as sharply. Roger’s laughter drifted from across the deck as he traded stories with Cormac.
“May I join you, Ailith?” Edan’s voice carried a warmth that made her pulse quicken. Memories of their kiss last eve surfaced quickly.
She shifted slightly, making room on the narrow bench. “Please do. I’d like to hear more about your daughter and your family.”
Freshly shaven, his brown eyes locked on her lips long enough to heat her core in ways that were new. But they were being watched carefully, of that much she was certain, so she averted her eyes so he would continue.
He tucked her close, something that pleased her.
“There is not much to tell. We all lived on Jura until my sire died. Then my brother, sister, and I decided to move to Islay. We had lived there years ago, but after I was born, our father moved us to Jura, saying he hated Islay. Roger had heard about the fertile soil, and I’d thought of it myself, so we moved back.
We brought two friends with us, built our clachan over the next year not far from Finlaggan, and we all married and started our families.
My brother has two bairns. My sister has the one, poor Milo who is missing. ”
“And you?”
“We were only married a year. Florie died birthing Heilyn. The midwife said it was bad blood. Heilyn is our only bairn.”
“I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with all that.” She peered up at Edan’s strong jawline, his brown eyes looking out over the water, watching two eagles high in the sky.
An odd ringing in her ears caught her and a vision struck immediately after.
A man on his knees before a hill, head bowed, pleading with someone Ailith couldn’t quite make out.
Then he rose and let out a cry that seemed to tear from deep within him.
It vanished as quickly as it came. She blinked, steadying herself.
The man shared Edan’s brown hair and eyes, but the resemblance ended there. He was shorter, slight where Edan’s shoulders were broad, and he lacked Edan’s ease. She glanced at Edan, who hadn’t noticed her stillness.
He carried on as if naught had happened, so she kept the vision to herself, trying to lock all the details in her mind. Edan said, “Now that I have you alone, I must be serious. Do you think you’ll be able to find my daughter, Ailith?”
She nodded, just as another vision flashed in her mind. This one showed an odd creature, angry and yelling at the same man, who then turned and fled. As soon as it disappeared, an ache started in her head, surprising her with its strength. “Oh!”
“What’s wrong?”
Ailith’s hand went to her forehead, kneading the painful spot. “I’m not sure. My head… Oh.” The sharp pain crested and broke, leaving a slow pulse in its wake.
“Ailith?”
The pain was subsiding, so she looked at Edan, surprised by the look of concern on his face.
“Can I do something? I’ll do whatever you need. Would you like to lie down? You can use my mantle as a pillow, and I’ll sit beside you to ensure you don’t roll.”
“Nay, I’m fine.” The ache in her head disappeared as quickly as it arrived, but she tucked the visions away for later.
Mayhap Dyna could help her make sense of them. “You were saying?”
“I was wondering what you believe about my daughter. Do you think you’ll be able to find her? How will you locate her? Do you have a plan yet?”
“Many questions.” She answered what she could.
“I believe the plan is to go to Dunyvaig to speak with whomever lost a bairn there. The more information we have, the easier it will be to find your daughter. Tell me, do you know the location of any faery hill on Islay? Is there more than one?” She had a feeling her first vision was of a faery hill.
There was a stream not far away, and a forest behind the stream, but that was all she recalled.
“Nay, I’ve never seen a faery hill on Islay, but I also don’t believe in them, as I’ve told you. What exactly is a faery hill?”
“I’m not sure. I just had a vision of a hill.” His hand covered hers and a pulsating thrum passed between them. She nearly pulled away, but she kept her hand near his to see if he reacted at all, but he did not.
He looked at her, studying her face. “Is that how it happens? An image in your mind and you believe it to be true?”
“Aye. So Dyna has told me. Sylvi and Tora say the same.”
He leaned closer to whisper, “Do you believe all they say, or are you just going along with them?”
The ship took a large wave on, nearly catapulting her to the deck. Edan caught her before she hit, setting her back up on the bench.
Suddenly, her father appeared out of nowhere. “What is it? Ailith, are you hale? Let her go, MacRuari.”
Edan dropped his hands and stood, her father taking his place.
“Da! He wasn’t hurting me. I nearly fell when the ship tipped, and he caught me.”
“There’s more to it. I can see it in your eyes. What happened?”
“Aye, I had two pains in my head. A vision comes and goes, but now it’s fine.” She noticed Edan had taken several steps back from her father.
“Forgive me, my lord. I only tried to assist her. A wave hit and she nearly slid off the bench. I caught her before she hit her head on the deck.”
“And you did, Edan. My thanks. We can talk later. Perhaps I need something to eat. I’ll sit with Mama for a bit.” Ailith smiled at Edan and walked away, but not before her father’s warning reached her ears.
“Remember this, MacRuari. I am deliberate about who earns my trust where my daughter is concerned.”
Ailith responded to the warmth inside the small cabin on the ship, pleased to see Dyna was here too. “Mama, are you warm enough?”
“Aye, but tell me what happened.”
“I had visions. I’ll explain them later, but first I heard a ringing in my ear, then I had a sharp pain in my head. Has it ever happened to you, Dyna?”
“I get headaches when the visions are more important. When I have little visions, naught happens, but if I see someone dying or if their life is in danger, I get sharp pains. The same happens to Avelina. Did you see someone die?”
“Nay, it was of a faery hill, I think. I’ll tell you later.”
“Mayhap as your sight grows stronger, it becomes more sensitive to things that are wrong in the world. You’re in the middle of the sea and visions can come from many directions.”
Her mother patted her hand. “That makes sense, Ailith. Perhaps it is because we are on the ship.”
“Or because we are getting closer to Islay,” Dyna whispered. “Was there anything else?”
She hesitated to confess, but decided if Dyna could explain it, she’d feel better. “Just something odd.”
“What?” Dyna asked.
She dropped her voice to a low whisper, one she hoped would keep her father and Edan from hearing her words. “When Edan took my hand, this thrumming happened. He didn’t notice it, but I surely did.”
Dyna’s eyes widened and her tone changed.
“There’s something in his blood.”