Annie And The Cowboy (Western Night Series 3) (33 page)

              “Didn’t you hear those boys?” she said with humor. “I’m a witch.”

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Chapter 3

Fiona truly felt no different on a spiritual level, as she had always thought, instead she carried the fun, delicious feeling of having a secret all to her own. Part of her felt mature, like a woman full of secrets. Other than that, she didn't understand all of the fuss the other girls made about such a thing. Was it so important to wait until marriage? Fiona wasn't so sure, but she did know that it was fun, no she was incredibly thankful to the kind man who has treated her so gently.

The next day, her father held a feast in the great hall to welcome the guest clan. Randall Sheehy and his beautiful wife arrived with smiles on their faces, trailing behind him was a girl a few years younger than Fiona herself, with long, thin blonde hair and watery eyes that peered sullenly out at the people around her. Fiona could not understand why she looked so upset, but maybe it wasn’t for her to know.

Her father greeted Randall with a firm handshake and a kindly word, and they all seated themselves at dinner. Randall was a kind man, with a great hearty laugh, and his wife loved to tease him, Fiona quickly learned that the girl was named Annella, and she was not a fan of travelling outside of the clan’s lands.

“Other people don’t understand us,” she had whispered to Fiona, who did not know how to respond.

“So tell me, Angus, what moves you to invite me and mine to your lands after so many years?’ Randall reached for a thick leg of turkey and placed it on his plate with a hearty desire.

“I wish that this long overdue meeting between our families had been just on a whim,” Angus said gravely. “However there have been a series of mysterious killings happening to the animals of our village, and I thought that you would know what to do about it.”

Randall grew quiet as Fiona listened to her father explain the circumstances of the deaths, of the strange missing organs, the fact that it did not look like an animal had killed it. Randall nodded gravely, his eyes flicking over to study Fiona’s face before hiding behind his jolly mask again. For a moment, Fiona’s heart grew cold.

“Aye, I may know a thing or two about people such as these, when did this start?”

“About a month ago, my shepherds said, and the latest being only yesterday.”

Randall nodded in all seriously, casting a glance about the room. “I will, of course, help you, but you know I won’t be able to do it without something in return.”

Relief flooded Fiona’s heart, of course they would help! She had been so worried that others would continue to think that she was a witch, but now that these mysterious clansmen were here, she knew that they would prove her innocence.

“I completely understand, Randall. And I remember the deal we made so long ago.”

Once again Randall turned and looked at Fiona, she raised her head in confusion at his attention, and grew even more confused when he leaned forward, as though he were about to tell her some whispered secret.

“Hey lass, what do you believe in?”

It was a strange thing to ask, and Fiona wasn’t sure how to respond, but her father nodded his assent to have her answer, so she merely smile as best she could and gave her best reply.

“I try to believe in everything, my lord.”

She must have answered correctly, for Randall let out a loud whoop of laughter and clapped Angus hard on the back.

“She’ll do, Angus! She’ll do quite well!”

Her father must have caught on to how lost she felt, for he touched her kindly on the shoulder and whispered that everything was going to be alright.

“Its a deal then, Angus! Your daughter for my son, just as we always planned!”

Fiona’s eyes grew wide at his words, and she turned to her father with a look akin to fear.

“Marriage?!” she asked. To his credit, Angus looked terrified at the notion that his daughter had found out this way, but the only thing Fiona could think about was the mysterious warrior who she would now have to see on a regular basis, if she became the wife of the clan chieftain’s son. How long would it take for him to tell everyone about their moment in the meadow?

“Yes, old girl! Your father and I once made a pact in the heat of battle, that my son would one day wed to his daughter, but only if the circumstances became right. And let me tell you, my girl, they are right!”

Fiona was entirely at a loss, she had never thought of herself to be the kind of girl to marry, and now to the future leader of another clan?  She remembered her manners and willed a smile to come to her face.

“Oh, well that’s grand news for me! When can I meet my intended?”

If he had half the kindness of Randall, or any of the beauty of his wife, Fiona knew that the match would be well made. However, she couldn’t shake the anger over the fact that this decision had been made for her.

“Oh, he’s most likely here somewhere, always likes to go out for a run before a meal...Callum?”

Fiona had not known that Callum was in the hall, perhaps she had not noticed him guarding a table? Yet there he was, as handsome as ever, striding through the rows of tables to the seat of honor where the chieftains sat with their families. Annella glowered at him, and for a moment Fiona wondered if she was secretly in love with the warrior, until he laughed and ruffled her hair.

“Sorry I’m late to the meal, little sister,” he said to her. That took a little moment to set in.

“You’re always late, running around like a fool, of course.”

“Of course.”

He caught Fiona’s eye as he sat across from her, his mouth sounding out the word “Moira” until he fell silent at the quick, curt shaking of her head. Randall beamed at his son and raised a cup to toast Fiona.

“Callum Sheehy, heir to Clan Sheehy, meet your new bride!”

His astonishment showed that he had not planned this all along, and for that Fiona appreciated him, but she was already planning in her head exactly what she could do once dinner was over. She’d leave her bed under cover of darkness, creep out into the highlands, and solve the mystery herself .That way she could still maintain control of her destiny. It was the only thing that mattered now.

Chapter 4

Pale fingers of dawn began to creep over the hills that sprawled out before her like a promise. She had been terrified to leave the village in the dead of night, but it had been necessary. Either way, the moon had been so bright she had not needed a lantern. Perhaps it was panic that caused her to flee, she wasn’t fully sure, but she knew now that she needed to find the beautiful woman who had caused all of these problem so she could take back her choice for herself.

At first she had no idea how she was going to lure the beautiful woman out, but she had easily come to the rather unsettling conclusion that if the woman had attacked animals that got bigger and bigger, then it was only natural for a human to be next. Luckily for Fiona, she had her wits about her, and would be able to fight.

It was a foolhardy plan, she knew in her heart, but the horrible feeling in her stomach at being presented to Callum Sheehy like a prize to be won had yet to go away.

She paused by a cave, unwrapping one of her oat cakes to break her fast. If she solved this herself, then her life would feel like hers again. She knew this, and yet the oat cake made her mouth feel dry, and she could not stop thinking about look in Callum’s beautiful golden eyes. She had lied to him, and what would be think about a girl like her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rustling, and Fiona was pulled out of her nerve-soaked reverie as she looked over and saw an angry bear standing in the mouth of the cave. Two small cubs played joyfully behind her, and Fiona knew immediately that if she didn’t move, she would be dead. She set off running, trying to keep her mind clear of the panic, and she heard the bear roar in anger behind her before setting off.

I am going to die
, Fiona thought desperately.
I am going to die and what will happen to me then?

She tripped and fell over a branch, landing hard. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the worst, only to see that it had not yet come.

              With her eyes closed, all she could hear was the soft growling of a warning. She opened her eyes to see the angry gaze of the biggest wolf she had ever seen, his large golden eyes fixed steadily on the bear as though daring her to charge forward. Wild thoughts danced through Fiona’s head, but the loudest was
this wolf is trying to protect me
.

              After a moment of grandstanding, the bear slowly backed away, leaving Fiona alone with the wolf.

              Her palms were scraped, but she was otherwise fine, and she brought herself up to a sitting position, she stared at the big, beautiful beast with something close to awe. She held out her hand, and the creature moved towards her, its eyes surprisingly gentle.

              “Are you the
Cù-Sìth?”she asked, invoking the name of the faerie wolf who brought death. What else could it be but that? This was no ordinary beast. She had always dreamt of meeting one of the faeries, but never thought that it would be this one. However, she did not feel afraid in the presence of this giant beast. The creature moved its head as though answering “no”, before something moved beneath its fur, as though it were shrugging something off. Fiona’s vision blurred, and there he stood.

              Callum, holding the pelt of a giant wolf.

              “Almost,” he said. “But not quite.”

              Fiona had expected to swoon, to feel the earth moving beneath her feet as she looked upon the man that had been her first lover, and was now, she supposed, her betrothed. Instead she let out a little laugh and climbed to her feet. A quick look through her belongings had shown that the little skein of milk she had brought with her was still intact, and she let out a sigh in relief. Her offerings to the faeries would not be missed.

              “And they think I’m the strange one,” she said as lightheartedly as she could.

              “Isn’t it a comfort you know that you’re not alone?”

#

              Back in the village, Artair had worked himself up into a rage.

              “I told you that they were trouble!” He cried to his father in front of the large group of warriors he had gathered to locate his sister. “As soon as they arrive, Fiona has disappeared!”

              Angus did not hide his concern over his missing daughter, but he kept his emotions calm for fear of whipping the already heightened emotions of his people into a frenzy. They had never seemed to truly care about Fiona, none of these people did, and yet now they stood whispering about the strange clan who had come into their midst, who had stolen away the daughter of the chieftain. Artair held tightly to the hilt of his sword, looking for someone, anyone, who would challenge him to slake the bloodlust rising in his heart.

              “Be calm, my son,” Angus said. “Fiona is a willful girl, and things have not been easy for her here in the village.”

              Other villagers had gathered to watch the spectacle unfold, and one of the shepherds stepped forward, his face bristling with fear and hatred.

              “She runs because she feels guilt!” He cried. A few of the other villagers agree. “She knows that Clan Sheehy closes in, and soon she will not be able to hide her dark deeds from anyone.”

              Randall Sheehy moved smoothly through the crowd, calm as still water, and made his way to Angus’ side.

              “This is no work of a mere girl,” Randall explained to him. “I have reason to believe that this is the work of the baobhansith, and if this is the truth than she is in grave danger out on the highlands alone.”

              Angus could not exactly feel comfort at the fact that his daughter was blameless, specially not if some strange demonic creature was out there hunting for its next kill. He knew of the baobhansith, a creature that took the form of a beautiful woman in order to lure men to their deaths in their cold embrace.

              “Why would the creature kill our animals?” he asked. “I heard that they liked to take travellers on the road.”

              Randall nodded. “And they do, but this close to a village they start with whatever they could get. If given enough time, the baobhansith may have moved closer into the village. You called me just in time.”

              “Do you know how to kill the thing?”

              “Yes, but it will not be easy.”

              “And what makes you believe that you can kill such a thing and we cannot?” Artairasked, his voice still full of his own hot temper. Randall turned his eyes, a strange gold, to look upon Angus’ son.

              “You need magic to kill magic, boy, and not a soul carries a bit of magic in this village, save for your own sister.”

              Artair looked stricken at the words, but he did not argue with them. Satisfied, Randall turned back to Angus.