Highlands Forever (Books 1–3)

by Rand, Violetta

  One never knew when a nighttime attack would occur, and instead of being caught with no braes on, he’d chosen to be ready at all times.

  The heat from the braziers, one at his feet, and one near his head, only quickened his sleep. He gazed at the opening of his tent, seeing two of everything. A definite sign he needed to let his body and mind recover. The last thing he thought about before he closed his eyes, was Miran. Her desire to help Tiva had only deepened his love and admiration for her.

  “Good night, sweet one,” he whispered, then was lost to sleep.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Miran waited for the guards to walk by before she slipped out of the opening of her shelter and ran behind the next tent, where the soldiers slept. Judging by the height of the moon, it was verra late, and she hoped to get to Kai without being caught. Aye, she had much to say, though she still loved him.

  Another soldier trudged by, looking left and right, before he moved on, beyond the edge of the encampment, probably told to patrol farther in case Igor and his band of marauders tried to attack. Miran blew a stray hair from her face, wondering if Colin and Tiva had been reunited yet. She had prayed in earnest for them, having already decided she would do everything she could to make sure no one interfered with their future. She liked Colin.

  Peeking around the side of the tent, she dinna hear or see anything. Good. She ran the distance to Kai’s tent, inching along the back of it, once again pausing to make sure she was alone.

  “A mhic Ifrinn! A mhic an uilc! ’S e plaigh a th’ annad!” O son of Hell. O son of evil! Ye are a plague!

  What woman would be inside Kai’s tent, and why would she curse him? Surely she wasna imagining it, for she had drunk an extra serving of potent wine earlier, making it easier to abide by Kai’s refusal to let her go with Colin. She shook her head as if to clear her mind and listened harder.

  “Do ye know how long I have waited to exact my revenge? To see ye laid low?”

  Her jaw dropped. Jesu. Should she find the guards? Or leave Kai to fight his own battle, for the woman inside his tent could be a scorned lover. The thought broke her heart. Were one of her maids secretly bedding him? Jealously hardened her heart momentarily. Let him suffer the consequences of…

  “Yer father was a lying bastard.”

  Nay. Kai had said nothing in his own defense yet, and whoever the woman was, her voice was strained and filled with hatred and rage. Had she already hurt Kai?

  Quickly, Miran braced herself for the worst outcome and forced her way inside. She wanted to see this woman for herself.

  What she found frightened her!

  “Cadha! What are ye doing here? And why are ye holding a knife to the captain’s throat?” Though Kai’s eyes were open, he dinna move, dinna even blink.

  Cadha hissed and turned. “Miran. I could ask ye the same question. Why are ye in the captain’s tent in the middle of the night? Has he finally succeeded in making ye his whore?”

  Miran growled. “How dare ye! Get away from him. Now!”

  As soon as Miran took a step toward Cadha, she shoved the knife under Kai’s throat again. “Take another step and I’ll slit his throat ear-to-ear.”

  The woman was obviously irrational, mad even. “Why?”

  “Why?” The older woman laughed. “Do ye know how long I have bided my time? How long my family has planned for this moment?” She looked over her shoulder at Miran. “Aye, I see the confusion on yer pretty face, lass. I tried to protect ye, to give ye fair warning, even a whipping to make ye remember why cavorting with this heathen would hurt ye. But I see I am too late. So ye may as well watch while I kill him.”

  “Nay!”

  “There is nothing ye can do to save him. The bread he brought back to the camp was poisoned.”

  How had she known about the bread? And Miran had eaten a piece. How was she unharmed? “I ate the bread.”

  “Not enough,” Cadha said.

  “How did ye know to poison the bread?”

  “Twas my cottage Igor sent him to.”

  Miran’s mind reeled with a hundred questions.

  “Igor is my nephew. Cacalay my home. A decade ago, the Sutherlands sought experienced men for two ships they wanted to send to Constantinople, eager to trade for silk. My grandfather and brother, both seduced by the coin they were promised from the earl, left their wives and children behind to set sail for that heathen land.”

  Miran gasped as understanding dawned. But ten years ago, Kai was but a lad. “Surely the captain had nothing to do with yer misfortune?”

  “No’ directly. But his wicked sire, the regional governor and a powerful prince, ordered all of the men on my father’s ship to be executed after they were caught with stacks of the highest quality silk. A crime punishable by death, even now.”

  “B-but…”

  “Doona try to defend Prince Kuresh! He can hide behind his Highland name, dress as a MacKay, even speak like one, but he is still the son of Lord Kalil. He owes my family a blood-debt, and I will collect my reward!”

  “Nay.” Miran shot forward, unable to contain her desperation much longer. Cadha refused to listen to reason. What should she do? She wouldna be able to breathe if anything happened to Kai. She loved him, wanted to marry him. Please, God. Spare him. Let our love take root. Let us have children. Forgive my stubborn pride! Tears filled her eyes but she swiped them away. There was no room for weakness. “Doona hold Kai responsible. Is a son guilty of his father’s sins?”

  “Aye,” Cadha dinna hesitate to answer, “if reparations havena been made.”

  Miran swallowed the bile in her throat, feeling hopeless and helpless. If she attempted to overwhelm the maid by throwing herself at her, Cadha would surely follow-through with her threat and slit the captain’s throat. And if she yelled for the guards, they’d never make it in time to save him. Nay, better to keep her talking.

  “Is it wealth ye seek? I will pay whatever ye ask if ye but spare him.”

  “Ye are the devil’s mistress, then. Get out or I will kill ye, too!”

  “Cadha,” she said firmly. “I am still a maiden.”

  The maid held her gaze and nodded. “Then I willna harm ye.”

  “Ye are a Christian, and murder is forbidden.”

  “I gave up on the Almighty long ago, lass. There is but life and death. Blood for blood.”

  “Surely ye blame the Sutherlands, the earl. He must have known the risks of buying that silk. What other reason would he have for financing two ships with men that weren’t his own? Why risk his own neck when he could send innocent men to die in his place? If they had succeeded, all the better. But since they died, no one is the wiser about his selfish and heartless deed.”

  “We know.” Cadha pressed her hand to her chest. “This whole village knows. Tis why we conquered this place—so we could rob and kill any Sutherlands travelling this way. Like a slow-bleeding wound, we find ways to make the earl suffer.”

  “Petition the king. Surely he will demand restitution for yer suffering, for yer loss.”

  Cadha wiped her brow and let out a long breath. “The king doesna care.”

  “Let me try for ye.”

  “Go, Lady Miran, unless ye wish to see him die. Let me put the captain out of his misery, for the poison has already robbed him of his voice and movement.”

  Miran stared at Kai’s motionless body. His eyes were still wide open. Could he hear what they were saying? Did he know how close to death he was? Please, God. “What kind of poison is it? And why dinna more of us end up like the captain?”

  “Tis a slow-acting tincture. Boils the blood and burns a man from the inside out. Even if I were to let him live, he would likely die. As for the other, perhaps the captain and ye were the only ones to eat the bread he bought. I couldna believe my good fortune when he appeared at my doorway. I knew right away why Igor had agreed to sell our bread to him—it was time to kill him.” She faced Kai again. “Tis yer time to die.”

  As the maid raised her
hand, Miran ripped the dirk from the sheath she kept hidden under her skirts. In one fluid motion, she threw it, the blade landing between Cadha’s shoulder blades. She uttered a gut-wrenching shriek and collapsed to the ground, dropping her own knife.

  “Why?” Cadha cried out.

  Miran dinna waste any time, she kicked the maid’s weapon out of reach before she knelt beside her. “I told ye I wasna a lady.”

  As Cadha breathed her last, Miran closed her lifeless eyes. Somewhere deep inside, Miran felt a measure of pity for Cadha. Her life had been full of bitterness and suffering and had ended tragically. She stood then, staring at Kai.

  Guards swarmed inside the tent, followed by Dedra and the other maids.

  “What happened here?” Kenneth asked her.

  “I-I…” Before she could answer, the world went dark.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Colin knew better than to let anger rule his actions, but as he arrived back at the encampment, one arm protectively around Tiva, and the other holding his sword, his instincts told him something was wrong. It appeared everyone was awake, hours before sunrise, and he could hear several women weeping from inside Captain Kai’s tent. He gazed down at Tiva, fearing the worst.

  “Stay here, lass.”

  “Shouldna I come with ye?”

  “Let me make sure it’s safe first.”

  As he drew closer to the tent, Kenneth intercepted him. “Thank God ye’re here!”

  “Where is Captain Kai? Lady Miran?”

  “Inside.” Kenneth pointed.

  Colin needed to get in there and see what was going on for himself, but Kenneth grabbed his arm.

  “Cadha is dead,” he said. “We doona know where she came from or how she slipped by the guards, but it appears she poisoned the captain. Lady Miran saved his life.”

  “This is grave news.” He pushed his way inside the crowded tent and stopped beside the captain’s bed.

  Dedra was attending Kai, dabbing his brow with linen. He took one look at Kai, pale and fevered, then looked away with a whispered curse. On the other side of the captain’s bed, another cot had been set up for Lady Miran. Though she, too, was unconscious, she dinna appear as ill as Kai.

  “What is wrong with her?” he asked one of the maids.

  “Sheer exhaustion and shock, I think,” the maid offered. “Her gown and hands were covered in blood, the old woman’s blood.”

  Kenneth stuck his head inside. “We need ye, sir.”

  In Kai’s absence, Colin was expected to take command. “Dedra,” he said before leaving, “there is a lass waiting outside named Tiva. She is from Cacalay, and has been treated worse than a criminal. I trust ye will see her bathed and dressed in a suitable gown, fed and given whatever she needs to feel comfortable. Of course I will pay for whatever she uses.”

  “Ye may depend on me, Colin.”

  He nodded in appreciation, then went outside.

  “I thought ye might want to examine Cadha’s body.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Lying in the snow on the perimeter of the camp, Colin used his foot to roll Cadha over. A dirk was still deeply embedded in her back. He knelt and touched the jeweled handle, knowing it must indeed belong to Lady Miran.

  “The ground is frozen, we canna bury her,” Kenneth said.

  Colin scoffed at the idea of giving the witch a Christian burial. She had attempted to kill his commander, and possibly Lady Miran, too. Nay, she deserved to be a burnt offering to whatever devil she served. “Build a pyre.”

  Kenneth’s mouth opened but he dinna say anything.

  “I hold ye personally responsible for seeing it done. And doona forget to remove Lady Miran’s dagger from her back first. Clean the blade before ye bring it to me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The next thing Colin needed to do was send two men over the Sutherland border to request safe escort from Cacalay to Lagrith. Though he hated asking for help from Clan MacKay’s greatest enemy, since the earl was Lady Helen’s father, he was sure he’d not be denied. His request wouldna reach the earl’s attention for days, for his castle was far away, but there was an outpost nearby, where a full regiment of Sutherland soldiers lived.

  Colin found two of the fastest riders and gave them orders. Once they left, he returned to Kai’s tent and sat on a stool between the beds.

  Hours later, Miran finally stirred and opened her eyes. “Kai!”

  Colin leaned forward and captured her flailing hands. “Lady Miran, ye are safe.”

  She quieted, closed her eyes, then opened them again. “W-where am I?”

  “In the captain’s tent. Ye fainted.”

  She shot up, looking wildly about, finding Kai on the bed next to her. “Tell me he isna dead! Tell me I got to Cadha before she stabbed him. My memory is failing.”

  “I promise ye, mistress, no blade touched our captain.”

  “Thank the Almighty. She poisoned the bread. Ye must make sure no one eats it.”

  “As far as I know, no one else ate the bread. We had our own. Buying bread in the village was an excuse for our presence once we encountered the hostile men living there. Ye never should have eaten it.”

  “I doona blame anyone. How could we have expected Cadha to be there?” She dangled her legs over the side of the cot and slowly rose to her feet, staying close to Kai. “Where is Cadha?”

  “Her body is being prepared for the funeral pyre.”

  “So it wasna a dream. My aim was true.”

  “Aye, yer dirk ended her life.”

  “Not too long ago, Captain Kai told me he hoped I never had to kill a man.”

  “I am sorry ye had to drink that bitter draught, milady. Death is never something to take lightly. I remember the face of every man I’ve killed. Ye did it in the defense of our commander, so ye are not guilty of any sin. Believe me.”

  Color slowly returned to Lady Miran’s cheeks, but Colin knew she was suffering inside. Only time would help her heal.

  Miran held Kai’s hand to her heart. “Ye may go now. All of ye.” She looked around the tent. Two of her maids and several guards were still there. “I will watch over the captain.”

  “As ye wish.” Colin stood.

  “Colin?”

  “Yes, mistress?”

  “Did ye get Tiva?”

  “Aye.” He smiled. “She is with Dedra.”

  “I am happy for ye.”

  “Thank ye.”

  “As soon as Captain Kai awakens, I will send for ye.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Five days later, escorted by fifteen Sutherland soldiers, Kai resting on a makeshift sled pulled by Colin’s horse, they arrived in Lagrith. Miran was overjoyed to be back in Fraser and Mary’s comfortable cottage, where with special care, Kai’s strength would surely return. Twas a miracle he was alive at all.

  She sat beside his bed spoon-feeding him a clear broth. “Doona fight me, Kai. Sip this broth.”

  “I am not a babe, I am capable of feeding myself.”

  “Ye are acting as a child would.”

  “I am safeguarding my pride, woman.”

  She chuckled.

  “Give me the spoon.”

  She held it out of reach. “Doona deprive me of the pleasure of taking care of ye.”

  Sighing, he tasted the broth. “I am sorry for being in a foul mood.”

  “I understand, Kai, ye almost died.” If he had, she dinna know what she would have done.

  “Why are you crying?” He thumbed a tear from her cheek and the corners of his mouth tightened. “I have hurt you.”

  “Nay, tis nothing ye have done. Tis only…” They hadn’t spoken about what had occurred yet. She dinna want to upset him unnecessarily. “It will keep.”

  “Don’t hide your feelings from me. I want our lives together to be built on truth. You can confide in me, Miran.”

  She blinked at him, assessing his appearance. Aye, he was nearly himself. The light had returned to his beautiful eyes and his color
had improved immensely. “Cadha’s death fills my sleep. I see her face, hear her scream.”

  Kai took her hand and squeezed it. His intense gaze raked across her face. “I have waited for you to speak of it.”

  “Aye?”

  He nodded. “Miran, there is something I must tell you. The poison rendered me motionless and muddled my mind, but I could see and hear everything that happened.”

  She froze. Jesu. He’d watched her kill Cadha. She covered her face with her hands. “I-I doona know what to say.”

  “Listen to me.”

  Still she dinna look at him; she was too ashamed.

  “Please.” He gently pulled her hands from her face. “You saved my life, Miran. And for that, I am forever indebted to you.”

  “I would do it again if anyone threatened ye…” She sniffled. “But surely it changes things between us.”

  “Nay.” He scooted closer, tugging her into his arms. “Ye are brave. A worthy woman any man would be proud to call his own. Ye must pray and ask your God for peace. Everyone loses a bit of their soul when they are forced to kill. I experienced the same feelings you have now after my first battle, and I killed four men.”

  “Four?” Her eyes widened.

  “Aye. I was sixteen and proud to fight beside my father.”

  “So young.”

  “But fighting on the side of righteous justice, as were you. God always punishes the wicked. Cadha deserved to die, and her family must be destroyed.”

  She nodded. “Colin shared more details about the conditions in Cacalay. How Igor withholds food from the children if they doona follow his orders. Three have died this year alone. How the young women are beaten and shared with his men. Women who are not favored by Igor are starved slowly, whipped, and eventually drowned or banished. Tiva is fortunate she hasna been raped yet. My heart broke for her. But she is recovering now, warm clothes and wholesome food is a start.”