The Dark Heart of the Sea: A Steamy Fated Lovers Pirate Romance (Pirate of the Isles Book 2)

by Celeste Barclay

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Senga stepped onto the deck the following morning, appreciating the cool breeze and bright sunshine. She’d slept much later than usual, and Ruairí had been silent when he slipped from the cabin. She was surprised to discover they remained moored in the harbor; she had thought they were on their way. The surf was rough enough that she’d assumed the rocking motion was from them sailing. As she scanned the sky, the sunshine came to an abrupt end, and a wall of black clouds moved toward them. She wanted to groan, knowing there was little likelihood of them sailing into a storm if they could avoid it.

  “I’ve been keeping an eye on them for an hour, and the storm is moving quickly,” Tomas spoke from behind her shoulder. She turned to find the weathered sailor rubbing his elbow as he often did before it rained. “My arm aches something fierce, so it will be a gale.”

  Senga nodded as she gazed at the cloud cover. The first drops of rain began even though the sun still shone. Ruairí came to join her, offering her half of his bannock. She hadn’t realized she was hungry until she ate. She’d been too anxious and tired the night before to eat much at the evening meal.

  “We won’t be leaving, will we?” Senga didn’t attempt to hide her disappointment.

  “Nay, little one. It looks to be a bad one. I will order the men to batten down the hatches, then we’re going ashore.”

  Senga shook her head and stepped back. “Do we have to? After last night, I don’t want to show my face again. What if I’m not wanted?”

  “My lady, maybe you couldn’t hear the whispers while you were—ah—talking to Lizzie, but her clan isn’t fond of her. More than one woman was happy to see you take her to task for trying to steal away your husband. I’d say the tides have shifted for her. I suspect people won’t accept her conniving and manipulative ways,” Tomas explained. “Beside no one will say boo to a goose after they saw you stand up for yourself. I’d wager a few women will ask you to teach them how to wield a dirk.”

  Ruairí nodded, though Senga didn’t appear convinced. “Senga, last night might have embarrassed you, but I prefer people have a healthy dose of fear when it comes to you. It’ll keep them away from you and keep you safe. No one’s likely to challenge you now that they’ve seen you won’t back down.” Ruairí’s smile set Senga at ease, and she returned his nod. “Pack a satchel with what you need for a few days. I’m guessing this squall will be worse than the one we encountered on the way here.”

  Once Senga packed a bag for each of them, the crew went ashore. Only a few men would rotate watch while the rest of the men took shelter within the bailey wall. Senga kept her chin up and refused to cower as she returned to the Great Hall. She caught women smiling at her and nodding as she walked past. Men who had starred a little too long the day before averted their eyes. Ruairí squeezed her hand as they approached Dónal, Fionn, and Aidan.

  “Looks like fuath have woken,” Fionn grinned. When he noticed Senga’s bewildered expression, he explained, “They are sea monsters who prey on sailors. The word itself means ‘hate.’”

  Senga nodded as she caught sight of several older clan members shrink away at the mention of the mythological creature. She was not a superstitious person by nature, but she knew plenty of the Irish were, much like the Scottish. She flinched when Sean ran to Aidan’s side. The little boy took the pirate’s hand and grinned, looking like the mirror image of Aidan when Senga met him. The man became uncomfortable with the child clinging to him, but he didn’t send the boy away.

  “Mayhap it’s a dobhar-chu,” Sean suggested as he continued to beam at Aidan. Senga was certain she failed to hide her shock when Aidan scooped the boy up and tickled him before placing him on his hip.

  “And what do you know about a creature that’s half dog and half otter?” Aidan chuckled. Senga’s gaze shifted between the two, hoping that if she was with child, that it would be a little boy who was Ruairí’s likeness. When her husband squeezed her hand once again, she peeked up to find longing in his eyes as he regarded Aidan and Sean. It wasn’t a longing for Sean, but a longing for a family. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she leaned against him. Fionn cast them a knowing expression as he noticed but said nothing.

  “It’s a horrible, horrible beast that feasts on people’s skin,” Sean explained, his face crinkling in disgust before he giggled.

  “Aye, that’s right. And what do you plan to do if you meet one?” Aidan adopted a curious expression.

  “Hold a dirk to him like Lady Senga did to Mama last night,” Sean crowed. Senga gasped and wished to flee, but Ruairí anchored her against him. “Mama wasn’t being nice to Lady Senga last night. I think her words hurt Lady Senga’s feelings, and then she was mean when she tried to hit Lady Senga.” Sean gazed earnestly at Senga before continuing. “Lady Senga, I’m sorry my mama was being nasty to you. I think she wishes she could play with Capt’n Ruairí, too.”

  Several chuckles carried from those eavesdropping nearby, and Dónal had the temerity to laugh loudly. Senga wished she could melt into the floor, but Sean wasn’t finished yet. “I like Capt’n Ruairí. Mama said he’s my da, but I don’t believe her. I know I look like Capt’n Aidan. And he slips me sweets and lets me curse. And I like him,” the young boy chirped. “Capt’n Aidan is here more often too. I’d like him to be my da.”

  The adults stared at Sean as he spoke the truth like only a child could. While Senga was still uneasy, the others relaxed. Aidan carried Sean into the kitchen to find some of those sweets, and the child’s voice carried as father and son sang a song entirely inappropriate for a five-year-old.

  “About time that mess got sorted,” Fionn said as though it ended any more discussion. “I suspect this storm will keep us ashore for a few days. I’m not interested in losing another ship.”

  “Aye. The weather can’t be changed. I’ll send messengers over land to Kinbane and Dunaneeny, telling them that we sail when the storm ends and that I expect them to be ready to join us. The Rathlin MacDonnells will learn of it as soon as the MacAlisters get their summons, too.”

  It shocked Senga to hear that Dónal intended to order the other MacDonnells in their sept to join them. It relieved her to know they ventured to Lewis with a better fighting force, one large enough to pose a threat to her uncle rather than a mere annoyance. Ruairí shifted, and Senga sensed the news relieved him, too. He’d tried to reassure her the night before, but learning of the additional sailors and warriors made both Ruairí and Fionn visibly relax.

  The weather remained ominous until the next day, when the heavens opened. It was a fortnight before the weather calmed enough for Dónal to send out a messenger. He’d suggested sending men into the storm, but Aidan, Fionn, and Ruairí convinced him to wait. It was another sennight before the MacDonnells from Rathlin, Kinbane, Dunaneeny, and the MacAlisters from Ballycastle arrived. The harbor had a fleet anchored off its shore. The first sennight spent with their days and nights in the keep was uncomfortable for Senga, but by the second week, she accepted that no one intended any animosity toward her. Lizzie’s admission finally set in motion an opportunity for Aidan to be a father. No one was more shocked than he to discover that he enjoyed having Sean as a near-constant companion. Lizzie shifted her attempts for attention to Aidan and barely cast Ruairí a glance. She was an opportunist at heart.

  By the time the fleet was ready to embark, Senga didn’t fear arriving in the Great Hall each morning. She was also fairly certain that she was expecting. She needed naps at least once a day and barely kept her eyes open through the evening meal. Her breasts were sensitive and certain smells turned her nose up. Ruairí doted on her, often rubbing her back until she fell asleep. When she’d discovered she was expecting James, Alex had been too busy working in the fields to tend to her. Senga was grateful for Ruairí’s support, knowing there was a possibility that she might not be expecting, but rather contracted some withering disease. They agreed not to say anything or decide anything until they knew whether Senga missed
her courses again. The sun beat down on the deck as Ruairí guided the Lady Charity into the open water of the North Channel and set course for Scotland.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The crossing to the Hebrides was uneventful after the tempest that battered the northeastern Irish coast. As they drew closer to the islands, Senga wavered between the calm that came with familiarity and fear of returning to people who cast her out. She knew it was her uncle, not her clan, who had expelled her, but she doubted a warm welcome awaited her when she arrived on a pirate ship with a crew intent upon attacking.

  Ruairí and Senga agreed that Senga would remain on the ship with Braedon, Tomas, and Snake Eye. They grumbled about being left behind until they learned Ruairí tasked them with guarding Senga. All three understood the trust Ruairí placed in them, and they appeared to gloat before the rest of the crew. Senga agreed without complaint to remain secured in their cabin during the attack. She wasn’t eager to cross paths with her uncle and cousin, and she refused to endanger her life or that of any bairn. She did, however, hold a dirk to Kyle’s throat, threatening to geld and disembowel him before chopping off each of his fingers and toes and feeding all it to him as haggis if he allowed Ruairí’s back to go unprotected. Kyle pledged to fight alongside Ruairí and pledged lifelong fealty to Senga if she agreed not to chop him to bits before the fight began.

  They dropped anchor off the coast of Stornoway during the dead of night. Ruairí and the other captains ordered the dinghies to take the crews ashore, where they hid along the cliffside until the sky lightened before dawn. Senga watched the men move like ants along the hillside until the warning bells rang to signal the attack. There was no way for Senga to view what happened along the bailey wall and beyond, so she and Braedon barricaded themselves in the cabin while Tomas and Snake Eye stood guard, one outside the cabin door, the other at the top of the ladderwell.

  “How long do you think it’ll take?” Braedon wondered. The youth was accustomed to sea attacks that were short compared to land battles.

  “Most of the morning, if the keep doesn’t fall immediately. The bells will warn the villagers to come within the curtain wall if there’s time. If there’s not, they’ll flee out past the fields. Some men from the villages will come to join the fight. My father insisted that even the farmers learn to fight in case of this very type of attack. When I left, my uncle was still carrying on the practice. We must wait and see.”

  The morning dragged on as Senga and Braedon played dice games, and Senga told him stories of her childhood on Lewis. Braedon told her tales of the voyages he was on before Senga joined Ruairí aboard the Lady Charity. The sun was well overhead before she caught the sound of a shout and Snake’s Eye’s voice called down to Tomas. The latter knocked on the door and told them a dinghy approached but to wait while he and Snake Eye learned of the battle’s outcome. Senga peered out the porthole, but there wasn’t much that she could see, so she went to stand beside the door. When she recognized Kyle’s voice but not Ruairí’s, she flung open the door and flew up the steps to the deck.

  “Why the hell are you here without Ruairí? Where is my husband?” Senga demanded, a dirk in each hand. Kyle threw his up in the air before pointing toward the beach. She spotted Ruairí waving to her, but when she returned his wave, he turned back toward the keep.

  “Senga, he couldn’t leave. He’s dealing with your uncle and cousin, but he wanted me to reassure you that he’s fine. Barely a nick on him. Your clan was unprepared for the attack, so we breached the gate and wall with ease. The fight was long, but we gained the upper hand early. Your uncle nearly lost his head, but Ruairí lowered his sword at the last moment. Once we captured the MacLeod, it wasn’t long before your cousin conceded. The capt’n wants you to join him before he decides what to do with your uncle and cousin. He found your aunt, and she’s demanding to see you for herself. She’s safe,” Kyle reassured as Senga’s face blanched. She hadn’t cared what happened to her uncle or Alfred, but her aunt had protected her and shielded her until she could leave with Alex. The woman had done her best to step in as a mother when Senga lost hers.

  “Take me ashore,” Senga murmured, but she was already moving toward the rail. She discovered she had more energy than she’d had in weeks as she dashed along the path that took her from the beach to the keep. Kyle and Snake Eye accompanied her, and she pushed them to keep up. As she passed through the gate, she spotted Ruairí with ease, her eyes always finding her husband even in a crowd. Next, she caught sight of her family. Neil MacLeod had a nasty gash along one cheek, and he held his ribs as though someone broke at least one. Alfred’s sword arm was bandaged, and he had several scratches visible even from a distance. But she wasn’t interested in any of that once she recognized her aunt.

  “Senga!” The woman called as she tried to push past members of Ruairí’s crew. When Ruairí turned to her, she nodded. Her aunt lifted her skirts as she ran to Senga, who met her halfway. The women collided in a tight embrace while Neil spewed curses at Senga for daring to return. Senga opened her eyes in time to witness the hilt of Ruairí’s sword make contact with Neil’s temple. The man crumpled. Alfred lunged toward Ruairí, but halted when Ruairí lifted his sword, prepared to cleave him in two. He wobbled and lost his balance, landing in the dirt beside his father.

  “Aunt Christina? You’re all right? You weren’t hurt?” Senga stepped back and surveyed her aunt, but the woman appeared unscathed.

  “Your man found me before the fighting even began. He burst into my chamber and told me to hide. He told me you would come for me when the battle was over and that I was to protect myself until he returned to get me. He said not to come out unless it was him, personally, who fetched me. I don’t even know his name. Someone called him the Dark Heart.”

  Senga listened as her aunt explained, but her eyes were glued to Ruairí. She guided her aunt to Ruairí but stopped listening as soon as he was within reach. She flung herself into his arms, and he lifted her off her feet. She gazed at him, searching his eyes for reassurance that he was as well and unscathed as he appeared. When she found what she searched for, she cupped his jaw and kissed him, relief washing over her.

  “She’s still a whore,” Alfred cried out.

  Senga waited until Ruairí lowered her to the ground, but her aunt didn’t. The slap she laid across her son’s cheek echoed. “Don’t you dare call your cousin something so vile. Just because she didn’t choose you doesn’t make her that horrid word. She never would’ve been yours, and you know it. Your father never would’ve broken the agreement with the MacLeod of Skye. She married Alexander Sorley and lived an honest life until his death. Your father refused her return. Blame him not her, but from the ring on her finger,” Christina pointed to Senga, then Ruairí, “and the one on his, I’d say she’s remarried. The only one running around coupling out of wedlock is you.”

  Senga stood in shock as she listened to her aunt castigate her son. She’d never heard such a tone from Christina, and it stunned her to witness her aunt dressing her cousin down for all to witness. Senga suspected it only happened because Neil was still unconscious, and she felt protected with Ruairí nearby. Alfred grumbled before sneering at her. Senga stepped away from Ruairí and stood in front of Alfred. She bent over him and tsked.

  “Time hasn’t been kind to you, Alfred. You’re as bitter as your father. I suspect you’ve grown as cruel and immoral as him. You played me for a fool, building my trust, training me as though you respected me, all so you could spill my secrets to your father.” Senga glanced back at Ruairí, who fought to restrain his temper while Christina and Senga took control of the situation. “I’d take care, Alfred. My husband is overprotective and possessive. If you wish to live, mind your words and your tone. Your mother won’t be able to save you again. I’ll be the one handing my husband a sword to cut out your tongue.”

  “You couldn’t sink lower if you tried, cousin,” Alfred jeered. “First a farmer, and now a pirate. You lay with men beneath you
.” Alfred spat at her feet, but when Ruairí lunged forward, she put out a restraining arm.

  “The only man laying beneath me is my husband. Every chance I get. A position you may have wished for, but you’ll never get. Your mother makes it sound as though you’re the whore, but that can’t be, can it? Or did things improve over the years, and now you can raise your sail?” Alfred stuttered as he struggled to his feet. “Women talk, Alfred. And I listened. You may have spilled my secrets to your father, but I kept yours for a rainy day. I think it’s going to pour.”

  Ruairí lunged again, but this time it was toward a man he’d observed creeping toward them. The warrior inched forward to not draw attention, but he lifted his sword to charge Senga. Ruairí thrust his through the man’s middle, but it was Alfred who bellowed.

  “So, Harrold is still your lover? Even after all these years. I suppose that means you can be faithful.” It appeared as though time stopped as everyone froze at Senga’s revelation. “Och aye, I told you I knew your secrets. Perhaps I should have been clearer about what I asked. Are women now able to raise your sail? Because I know which men already have. Some of them are still breathing from what I can see. Many of them even let you bugger them by choice.”

  “You’ve changed, Senga,” Christina whispered. A moment of guilt made Senga hesitate. She regretted hurting her aunt, not humiliating and endangering her cousin.

  “I have. They,” Senga pointed at Neil and Alfred, “were willing to send me to the bed of a man who intended to beat me and probably kill me, as he did his previous wives. My own uncle conspired with that man, and if you hadn’t protected me, he would have to wed me to the monster when I was but three-and-ten. Uncle Neil tried to rape me, but it was Alexander who saved me. Alfred told Uncle Neil about Alex, told him about how I loved him, told him that we wanted to get married. Alfred is the reason Uncle Neil beat me right before Alex took me away. Alfred tried to make me—but thank God he couldn’t,” Senga shuddered.