The Highlander’s Witch (22 page)

“Wow.”

Anna held it out proudly. “See? I can do other kinds too, but flowers be me favorite.”

The tears fell then, streaming down Skye’s cheeks unchecked.

Elizabeth gripped her hand as Skye hiccupped.

“I thought you would be relieved, dear.”

“I-I am. I th-thought . . .” She sniffed needing to wipe her nose and grateful for the hand that reached out and gave her a cloth to do so. “I th-thought I was going t-to be, to be . . .” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Anna hugged her, smoothing her hair. “Tis fine now, Skye. Ye ken better.”

“That’s right, luv.” Elizabeth grinned. “Why, I do not believe any of us knew Aiden had a gift. We all knew his constitution was amazingly strong but we did not realize just how much until yester eve.”

Taking deep breaths and wiping at the tears, Skye nodded. She began to worry her upper lip, everyone waited as her mind raced with what she was about to say next.

Aiden watched as emotions flashed across Skye’s face, from relief to uncertainty and finally to determination before she spoke.

“There’s more.”

He straightened, waiting for his world to crash around him at her next words.

She gripped Elizabeth’s hand and then turned to look into Aiden’s eyes for the first time as a tear fell unchecked.

“I was afraid of so many things. I thought it didn’t matter what I said or even how I said it, one way or another it wouldn’t be understood any more in this time as it is in mine.” Taking a deep breath, she continued. “I am from the twenty-first century.”

Everyone stiffened in shock but she rushed on.

“My aunt is a witch as well and she made this ridiculous spell trying to find my soul mate but I ended up in the forest here instead.”

She searched his eyes, her own pleading with him to believe her.

Taking a deep breath, she drew her next words out. “I am not a spy.”

Aiden did not bother to look at his mother for confirmation, instead he nodded, his head spinning with the words
soul
mate.

“I tried to get back home, but I couldn’t.” Skye laughed at herself. “I suck at spells you see? The spell my sister and aunt gave me didn’t work. And then they said it was probably because I had appeared in a fairy circle and needed that place to channel so that I can get back.”

Aiden held up a hand as he stepped forward. “Wait.”

She stuttered to a stop, her breath catching at his frown.

“Ye said yer sister an aunt ‘
said
’. When did they say?”

Her mouth formed an O. “Ohhh . . . well, um . . . you see . . .”

Skye told them about her sister’s elemental power of fire, explaining how Sarah could do anything with or through it, even with the smallest flame from a wick. She told them of the conversation about Sarah’s baby and Doug just before going to Aiden, asking to go home so she could save them.

“When I came to you in your study and you told me that I couldn’t go, I was thinking of potions or spells to put the guards you placed at my door to sleep or something.”

She winced when Aiden raised his eyebrow.

“I was so scared of failing my sister, I was desperate. Enough so, that I almost risked everything on the one thing I know I can’t do; cast spells. I won’t tell you of the times I screwed up. I just can’t center myself unless I am healing.” She shook her head at her failures before turning to look at Anna. “So I wandered around until I found myself in your room.”

Anna clenched her hands in anger when she remarked, “Aye, Riona had been visitin when the cramps and bleedin began. She rushed out to get that hateful midwife.”

“Ahhh, well that explains a few things to me.” Skye smiled. “All I know is that when I saw what was happening, nothing seemed to matter. I just had to save someone and I knew I could save your baby.”

She explained how she was in the process of healing Anna when someone grabbed her and pulled her away. How it had made her ill and unable to comprehend what was happening and, by the time she was feeling better, she noticed she was alone.

“I knew that there was going to be a lot of questions, none of them good. I was in the mist of too many accusations and feared I wouldn’t be believed. Or worse yet; that I would, and . . . and . . .” She shrugged, unable to say it.

“So ye ran.” Aiden commented.

“When the storm hit, I knew I had failed. I didn’t know what direction to go in and I was growing weak. Then you found me.” She hesitated, a blush rising up to cover her cheeks.

Elizabeth patted her hand before releasing it and motioned for everyone to leave the two alone.

When it was just Skye and Aiden, she looked into his face, encouraged by the openness of his eyes even as his words gave her hope.

“I set out to find ye an when the gale hit after yer disappearance there was only one thought, that ye wouldna live sech a storm. Ye were so close to the Sheppard’s cabin that if it had been daylight ye woulda seen it. I brought ye inside, undressed ye, covered ye with skins but ye wouldna stop shakin an a fever was growin, so I got under the covers an took ye into me arms to warm ye.”

She watched as he took the vacated chair, his body appearing relaxed and calm, accepting of her story. She twisted around to face him and tucked her legs under her in Indian fashion, unaware that the gown twisted around her body and accented her breasts.

“You held me?”

“Aye. All night.”

“I thought I had been there for days because when I woke, I felt perfectly fine and here it had only been one night.” Her blush grew. “You were near the fire, your skin glowing from the flames, and I forgot everything; my commitment to my family, the implications from what had happened before I ran.” She searched his eyes. “I just wanted to lose myself in you.”

She swallowed when his gaze darkened.

Wanting to finish her story while she had the courage, she ignored the fluttering in her belly and stood up to pace not realizing the flames highlighted her body through the thin material.

“When we made . . . had sex . . . I knew I was lost.” She looked at him then quickly away as he watched her with intent. “And the second time made everything so much worse.”

She didn’t see him stiffen as she paced, her hands moving in the need to get the words out before she thought about what she was saying and lost her courage.

“When you were taking me back to the forest, my heart felt like it was being torn in two. I couldn’t speak because my throat had closed up.” She ran her hands through her curls. “God, Aiden, I didn’t want to leave.” She stopped in front of him. “How could I think that? How could I, even for a moment, consider not going home to save my sister and her family?”

Aiden gathered her up and placed her on his lap, holding her close and soothing his hand over her hair, unable to speak himself through the tightening in his chest.

She wrapped her hands around his neck feeling warm and safe. “When I was saying the spell, I wanted to leave you something.”

“So ye left yer ring.” He removed the ring from his pinky and held it out to her.

“You did hear me.” She held the ring and smiled. “My sister has Mom’s wedding band. This was Dad’s. I had to wrap string around it to keep it from falling off.”

Feeling his heart expand that she had left him such a precious piece of jewelry, he tucked her back under his chin.

“Explain to me how ye ended up here, lass?”

“It’s my awful luck with spells.” She shrugged as she replaced the ring on her thumb. “Instead of returning home, I ended up in your bedroom. Probably because I wasn’t fully concentrating on leaving.”

Aiden stiffened as his heart felt torn. She hadn’t gone back, taken care of her family, and returned.

She would be leaving for real this time.

“So ye will be leavin.”

“Leaving?” She pushed away from him to search his face. “Do ye—you want me to leave?”

A sharp knock sounded as she was asking her question. Knowing only something vital would be the cause, he eased her from his lap and covered her before he went to the door.

Seeing Collin and Keir standing there, he turned back to Skye.

“I will return shortly. Will ye be here?”

She watched him close the door behind him after she nodded.

Aiden stopped Collin from speaking, motioning for him to hold his information until they were away from the chambers.

They entered his study and closed the doors before Collin informed him that the man who had accused Skye of treason was dead.

“How?”

“I dunno ken, m’Laird.” Keir spoke. “Angus had been askin him for details. He began to waiver in his beliefs that Skye was the one he heard speakin. But his injuries were bad an he was in an out of consciousness.”

“When Angus went back to question him, he was dead.” Collin interjected. “We think twas the injuries he sustained, they werena good, perhaps internally . . .”

Aiden nodded. “Skye is no to find out. If she kenned that she coulda helped the man an didna . . .”

The men nodded.

“Ye say he was doubtin Skye’s guilt?”

Keir nodded sharply. “Aye, m’Laird.”

“An then he dies.” Aiden pondered aloud.

“Ye be thinkin there be more to it than his injuries.”

Aiden nodded to Collin. “I canno be sure but I have me doubt on the cause of his death. A man doesna stand on his own two feet to accuse another, then die in his bed.”

Collin frowned. “If that be true, then we have a murderer amongst us.”

“The council needs to be told.” Keir warned.

“Skye’s safety be in jeopardy.” Collin acknowledged.

Aiden gritted his teeth not liking the sudden thought of her being safer in her own time.

“Get a guard back on her an let all ken that she be under the Laird’s protection. I will inform the counsel.”

After Keir left, Collin approached Aiden and laid his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“It may no be enough. All ken ye have a strong interest in the lass.”

*     *     *

Aiden left the counsel discontented by the outcome.

Many still questioned Skye’s innocence even after Lady Elizabeth was brought forth to confirm her beliefs. He knew there was a lot he’d left out that may have helped the counsel to better support him but Collin and his mother had agreed that keeping the fact that Skye was from a different time was for the best. Although his people accepted the magic in his family, a time traveler was too much to ask his kinfolk to understand.

Only three were dissatisfied with his assurances that Skye was not involved with the conspiracy to attack the keep, but all agreed they needed to keep a watch for others when he spoke of his concern on the death of Skye’s accuser.

Only the fact that he and his family had been with Skye when Ross died had helped to sway many to his side.

Aiden headed up the stairs, the need to be with Skye having clawed at his gut from the moment he left her. The absence of a guard at his chamber door caused his heart to rise into his throat. He ran the rest of the way and opened the door, finding his room empty.

He should never have let someone else keep an eye on her he thought as anger swept through him causing his vision to narrow.

“M’Laird?”

He swung around and forced his ire down so he would not scare the timid maid.

“I doona have time, wench.” He made to stormed past the girl when her next words stopped him cold.

“Tis about the English lass.”

He returned to her. “Skye?”

The maid turned a dark shade of red as her body shook in time with her head.

Aiden cleared his face and forced his body to relax knowing the girls fear could take up precious time.

“What about her?” He forced his words to be gentle even as he wanted to throttle her.

The girl still stuttered in fear before him. “T-the guard, T-tomas, told me t-t-to wait fer ye an t-to tell ye that the lass went b-back in her own ch-chambers.”

“Get the fire started.” He ordered as he turned and stormed off down the hall, once again angry.

When he got to the room Skye had occupied, he dismissed the guard and threw the door open causing Skye to jump and swirl around.

Before she could say anything, he had her thrown over his shoulders and headed back to his chambers.

“Put me down! How dare you. I am not some piece of baggage you can just toss around, you—you—you jerk you!” She pounded at his back and flailed her legs until he swatted her backside hard. “Hey!”

In moments, Skye found herself on her feet, the swift motion causing her to stumble until Aiden caught her in his arms and held her tight against his chest.

“Ye doona ever go somewhere without me permission, ye ken?”

She struggled fiercely in his arms, hitting and kicking. “Let me go!”

“Do ye ken?”

Skye struggled more, but Aiden would not budge. Finally, she gave up, breathing hard as she nodded, still pissed.