Every Highland Sin: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance

by Kenna Kendrick

  “Are ye really wantin’ me tae believe ye’re ruttin’ around with this woman, and she’s nae sharin’ her plans with ye?” Pringle pressed.

  “Aye. She’s a very private lass, and I’m nothin’ tae her except somebody tae lay with when she’s feelin’ thae urge.”

  Pringle looked at him, the disbelief etched upon his features. “Tis nae what me man’s reported tae me. He tells me thae pair of ye are very close, and there’s much more than just ruttin’ between ye.”

  “Well, unless yer man is in me and Aileas’s heads, I daenae ken how he could ken that, eh.”

  “I’ve found him to be a very insightful man.”

  “Does he have magic powers?” Luke asked. “Can he read our thoughts?”

  Pringle looked at him, an expression of irritation on his face. Luke hocked back and spat a bloody glob at Pringle’s feet, then looked at him.

  “Because if he cannae, then what he’s tellin’ ye and what ye believe are nothin’ but gossip and shite.”

  “Oh, I daenae think so. I daenae believe that’s thae case at all, in fact.”

  Luke turned and saw a man oozing into the room. The same man that was with the attackers that night. He was shorter than Luke and slender. He had dark hair that fell to his shoulders, sallow skin, dark circles beneath his eyes, and a slight hook to his long nose. To Luke, he looked like a rat. Which, he was guessing, was pretty well spot on. He knew, even without knowing anything else, that this man was Pringle’s creature. The spymaster he had heard men whispering about in a tone of almost fear.

  “Ye daenae think so, eh?” Luke asked.

  The man shook his head. “Nay. Ye cannae fake thae kind of passion I saw up on thae bluff that overlooks town thae other night. Ye care a great deal for thae lass.”

  Luke felt like he’d had a bucket of cold water dumped over his head. There was a lump of ice in his belly and the chill spread through his limbs quickly. That the man standing in front of him had been watching them on the bluff the night they were together felt like the worst of violations. It filled him with a rage so hot it suddenly blotted out everything else. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Luke wasn’t aware of the pain that had been racking his body.

  “Ye spied on us?” Luke asked, his voice low and gruff.

  “Tis what I dae. I am Master Pringle’s spymaster, after all. Seems implied in thae name, doesnae it.”

  If looks could kill, this creature in front of Luke would have been dead ten times over already.

  “Ye’re a foul creature. I cannae even call ye a man,” Luke hissed.

  “His methods are distasteful, to be sure. But his results are exceptional,” Pringle said. “And judging by yer reaction, I’d say he’s correct. Yet again. There’s more between ye and Aileas than ye’ve been tellin’ me.”

  Luke turned and looked at Pringle with a hatred he’d never known before coursing through his veins. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to have a blade in his hand. He would have carved through all of Pringle’s men first, saving him for last. And he would take his time with Pringle. He would savor the man’s screams and cries for mercy. Luke would relish every last minute of it.

  And when he was done with Pringle, he would turn his attention to the man’s creature. He would cut the spymaster apart, piece by piece. He would make the man beg for mercy but would not grant it. No, Luke would force the man to suffer mightily for piling this indignity on top of him. Frankly, who watched another man lying with a woman? What sort of perverse, godforsaken mind would even think to do something so vulgar and profane?

  Luke narrowed his eyes and stared hard at him. “When I get out of here－and I will get out of here－I am goin’ tae kill ye, spymaster. And I’m goin’ tae enjoy it.”

  “Perhaps. Perhaps not. Though I tend tae doubt ye’ll be walkin’ out of this cell at all,” he replied. “But ye ken more about thae sea lass’ plans than yer lettin’ on. That much I ken for sure.”

  “If he willnae tell us though, he’s nae much use tae us,” Pringle says.

  The spymaster shrugged. “I think he’s got more value than just what’s in his head.”

  “Nae tae me. I only want tae ken what he’s got in his bleedin’ head,” Pringle said and turned to Luke. “Tell me about yer master, if nae thae woman. Tell me about his soldiers. How many－”

  “Let me save ye all any more trouble so we can bring this tae an end one way or thae other. I’ll nae be tellin’ ye anythin’. Nothin’ at all. Ye can break every bone in me body. Ye can set me on fire. Ye can do yer worst. I daenae care. Ye’ll nae get a word out of me,” Luke spat.

  “Defiant lad,” Pringle says. “I’d admire it if it wasnae vexin’ me so much right now.”

  “Every man has a breakin’ point, master. Tis just a matter of findin’ thae right pressure point, and then pushin’ on it for all ye’re worth,” the spymaster said.

  There was something about the way the man said that, something in the tone of his voice combined with a reptilian gleam in his eye, that sent a quiver of apprehension through Luke’s belly. The man wasn’t talking about beating it out of him, as Pringle had seemed satisfied doing. This man was talking about something else entirely, and it worried him.

  “Give me a little time with him, master. I can break him,” the spymaster said.

  Pringle looked at him for a long moment. “Be quick about it. When thae lass realizes we have him, I wouldnae put it past her tae come fetch him herself.”

  Luke watched Pringle, and his pair of conscripted men leave the cell, slamming the door shut behind them, leaving him alone with the spymaster. The man stared at him for a long moment, a wide smile stretching across his face.

  “Shall we begin?” he said.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Aileas pushed her plate away and let out a quiet, satisfied breath. Though her worry for Luke was through the roof, and she didn’t think they had time to waste sitting around a table sharing a meal, the truth was, she needed to get something into her belly. More than that though, she needed the time to get the baron to trust her and get him on her side. Unless that happened, unless the baron committed to battling Pringle alongside her, Luke was as good as dead already, and she would likely not get another shot at killing the man she hated with an unrivaled passion.

  She looked over at Dand, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the meal, and saw his eyes riveted to the beauty across the table from him. Her name was Mira, the handmaiden to the dark-haired woman, Ivy－Fin’s wife. Aileas subtly nudged him in the ribs, and he gave a start, then looked at her questioningly. Mira looked away demurely, stifling a giggle, though Aileas could see the color rising in her cheeks.

  The servants had cleared away the last of the dishes, leaving them sitting around an empty table with an awkward silence descending over them. Fin looked over at her and stood up, motioning her to join him. As she stood, she saw Headen watching her closely. To allay his obvious concerns, she took off every weapon she had secreted about her body, which amounted to half a dozen short daggers, several smaller knives, and of course, the sword she carried on her hip, it’s blade long and curved.

  Never taking her eyes from the captain’s, she piled them all on the table before her seat and patted the pile of steel, a feral smile on her face.

  “Better then?” she asked.

  “Aye. I suppose it is.”

  “Relax, Headen,” Fin said with a small smile upon his lips. “If she’d wanted tae kill me, I’d be dead already. From what I understand, nae many men leave a meetin’ with thae Sea Fox alive.”

  Headen looked at her, his skepticism clear in his eyes. But there was respect in Fin’s tone that gave her pause. It was clear to her, at that moment, that he saw her not as just a girl－as so many had,and underestimated her for it. Instead, he saw her as a worthy opponent. As a potential foe whose skill had earned her some measure of respect. She gave him a small bow, a nervous smile flickering across her face.

  S
he let Fin lead her over to the side of the roo, where a small table stood against the wall. He poured them both a goblet of mulled wine, then handed her one. She raised her glass to him and took a small drink. She savored the rich, bold flavor that washed over her tongue.

  “Tis good wine. Thank ye. And me thanks for a fine meal,” she said.

  “Aye. Yer welcome.”

  They lapsed into silence for a moment as Aileas tried to figure out how to steer the conversation where she wanted it to go. As she thought it over, she watched Dand speaking quietly with Mira as Ivy looked on, an amused expression on her face. Aileas could see how smitten her cousin was with Ivy’s handmaiden and how hard he was trying to be charming. For her part, Mira seemed just as interested, engaging him in an animated conversation.

  Headen, though, continued to drink his cup of ale, his eyes never leaving hers. He obviously didn’t trust her and seemed as if he was concerned that she would produce a dagger and murder his master there in the dining chamber. Where he thought she could have possibly stashed another blade, given that he’d watched her disarm herself, was beyond her. But his eyes bore into hers all the same.

  “I think yer captain is concerned I’m goin’ tae murder ye,” she repeated her thoughts for Fin’s benefit.

  “Headen’s a good man. A wee bit protective and paranoid from time tae time, but a man ye’d want tae have at yer back in a fight.”

  “I can believe that,” she said sincerely.

  Headen seemed like a man who knew how to handle himself in a fight. He carried himself with that that cocksure, nearly arrogant swagger most of the best blademasters she’d ever met had. He was big, looked to be strong, and had an air about him that said he’d seen many fights and had come through them all. Aileas knew she was a demon with a blade in her hand, but even she would think twice before engaging Captain Headen.

  “Luke’s a good man,” Fin finally said, surprising her. “He’s loyal. Smart. He’s got a good heart.”

  “Aye. He’s all that and more.”

  “You’re fond of him.”

  “Aye. I kent we’d established that.”

  A wry smile touched his lips, and he nodded. “I’m fond of him tae,” he said. “But I know what ye want from me, and I daenae ken if I can help.”

  “Why nae?”

  “Tis complicated.”

  He took a drink and looked over at Ivy, a soft smile crossing his face. She smiled back at him, and the love they shared for one another was more than obvious. There was a time when Aileas thought she’d never know that sort of love. That she’d never feel so close to somebody that she would feel comfortable sharing her secrets. She never thought she’d feel comfortable sharing herself or her life with anybody.

  But Luke had changed everything for her. He’d come into her life and completely turned it on its head. Things she never thought about before, she was suddenly thinking about. She’d never pictured a future for herself that included a home on land and perhaps even kids running about. Before Luke, she had assumed she would spend her days on the Selkie, pillaging and pirating until, like Logan, she was ready to retire and pass on the mantle of Captain to somebody else.

  As she had gotten to know Luke though, and had felt her heart opening to him, she began to see things differently. She began to think about things differently. She began to think about that future she’d thought she’d be living at sea, and it was suddenly not as appealing. As she’d started to feel deeply for Luke, Aileas felt her priorities shifting. Felt her desires changing.

  “It doesnae feel complicated tae me,” she said.

  “I ken it doesnae. But tis different when ye’re thae one in charge. Thae one everybody looks to. And thae one whose decisions everybody scrutinizes… and criticizes.”

  “And so ye’re afraid yer people will think badly of ye if ye go after yer man?” she asked, incredulously.

  “Tis nae fear of what they think. Me concern is that they’ll see this as me takin’ yer side in a blood feud. I’ve worked hard tae make sure we dae away with blood feuds. They’re silly and wasteful.”

  Aileas couldn’t keep her eyes from growing wide and her mouth falling open at his remark. The anger that flashed through her was white-hot, and she had to restrain herself from punching him in the mouth physically.

  “Thae man murdered me family. In cold blood. Ye want tae talk about silly and wasteful? Me da was a good man. Loyal tae his clan－”

  “And from what I understand, Pringle was carryin’ out a blood feud when he attacked yer family.”

  “Me family did nothin’ tae him. He attacked us for nothin’.”

  “Nay. Tis nae what thae histories say. I’ve a book ye can read if ye daenae believe me. Several actually. Written by thae clan historians and they say twas nae yer family, but yer kin who wronged his kin a generation before any of ye were born. Pringle’s clan nursed that grudge for years and years until Bruce got it in his mind tae dae somethin’ about it,” he said.

  Aileas opened her mouth to dispute his point but found she could not. She did not know the history between the clans as well as she should have, but she recalled hearing as a child that her clan and Pringle’s had been at war for some time. It was a blood feud that stretched back generations, from the little she understood. But she had always assumed it was the Pringle’s who’d been in the wrong.

  Despite her anger and frustration with him, Aileas couldn’t deny that Fin seemed like a good man. A fair man. He seemed like everything Luke had told her he was. And he obviously knew the history of the land better than she did, much to her own shame. Fin wasn’t native to these lands or the clans, but he apparently knew the politics and history of the people better than she did.

  It provided her with some perspective, but it did little to quell the anger still coursing through her veins, filling her with a fire that consumed her.

  “Doesnae change thae fact that he killed me family. Murdered ‘em while we were all asleep,” she seethed.

  “Nay. Nor dae I claim it does. All I’m sayin’ is that, let’s suppose ye succeed in killin’ him. What then? Ye live yer life on yer family’s land, but no doubt, one of his kin is gonna take exception tae that. They’ll strike at ye. Then at some point, later on, ye or yer kin’ll strike back at them. And on and on and on for generations down thae line When does it end, Aileas? Are ye and thae Pringles goin’ tae make war on each other until thae end of thae world?”

  Aileas bit back the harsh words that sat on the tip of her tongue. Her blood was filled with venom and bile, and she wanted nothing more, at that moment, than to lash out. But his words struck a chord within her. The idea of this feud, which has spanned generations already, carrying on into future generations, possibly engulfing people she loved, perhaps even her own children, if she decided to have them, tore at her heart. She didn’t want that. But she also didn’t want to let the murder of her family go unanswered either. She couldn’t. She’d sworn an oath to herself.

  “Unless ye intend tae lock me up, I’m goin’ after Luke meself, and I’m goin’ tae kill Pringle or die tryin’.”

  “Aileas－”

  “Ye ken what he’s gearin’ up for, Fin. Ye ken if I’m nae successful and when he’s done with me, he’ll be comin’ for ye. Tis why he’s bringin’ in conscripts to bulk up his own men. He’s got his eye on a bigger prize than me. He wants your barony, Fin,” she argued.

  “Aye. We’ve talked about thae possibility.”

  “Tis nay a possibility,” she pressed. “Tis a certainty. He was bringin’ in conscripts before he ever kent I was back in Sowkirk. Now, why dae ye think he was doin’ that?”

  Fin frowned, then took a drink of his wine. She could see that her words were having an impact on him and knew she just needed to keep pushing.

  “Ye’re certain he was bringin’ in conscripts before he knew ye were here? Luke had mentioned he was bringing conscripts in, but I assumed twas because of ye,” he said.

  “Aye. I’m certain. Me and Dand wer
e scoutin’ his keep and saw them trainin’. Twas long before he kent I was here.”

  “Thae lass has thae right of it,” Headen said as he stepped over to where they stood. “I’ve been askin’ around, and Pringle sent for conscripts weeks ago.”

  Fin’s face clouded over, and he looked troubled. She could see he was torn between what he’d told her about not wanting to appear that he had taken a side to continue a blood feud. After a little bit of thought, she had to concede that she knew next to nothing about being in his position. But as the captain of a ship, she realized she had been in a similar, if not exact, spot.

  As captain of the Selkie, she’d had to remain impartial when skirmishes between the crew broke out. When men were trapped on a ship for weeks, perhaps months, at a time, fights breaking out among them were inevitable. It was her duty to find a resolution that favored neither side and, in some cases, to punish all offenders. And she’d had to do so equally and without bias. Much in the way Fin had to balance his own desires against the good of his people.