by Katy Baker
“More than rumors if that sight is anything to go by. They were heading north. Towards MacKinnon lands. I dinna ken what the laird is playing at. Is he trying to destroy the clan? Hasnae he got enough trouble on his plate already?”
"He’s not popular?" Thea asked.
Mary waved a hand. "Does his best I suppose but he never had the training needed for leadership. He should never have inherited the lairdship, not with his cousins ahead of him. But after what happened to those three lads...well, ye never know what fate has in store."
Thea looked at Mary sharply. The old woman’s words sounded unsettlingly like those Irene MacAskill had spoken right before she'd sent Thea hurtling back in time.
"What happened to the old laird?" she asked.
Mary smiled sadly. “Nobody knows for sure. A fleet of Irish raiders were on their way and the MacAuley army was gathering to meet them—although there couldnae be any hope of success against such a force. Then the laird and his brothers disappeared. Nobody really knows what happened but the story is that they rode out of camp that night, telling nobody where they were going. Next morning scouts rode in to report that they enemy had been attacked in the night. Decimated. The survivors had boarded their boats and were fleeing back to Ireland. Nothing was ever found of those three boys, save their swords driven into the mud in the center of the enemy camp and their MacAuley plaids laid out on the ground.”
A feeling of unease uncurled in Thea’s stomach. Something about the story made the back of her neck prickle. “What were their names?” she asked.
“Their names?”
“Yes. Laird MacAuley and his two brothers. What were they called?”
“I...um...” Mary stammered. She looked puzzled. “Do ye know I canna remember! Ailsa, what were those boys called?”
Ailsa shook her head. “I’m nay sure. Oh! How odd! I’m sure it will come back to us eventually.”
What’s going on? Thea thought. Why does nobody remember the old laird? And why does that story make me so uneasy? I’ve heard it somewhere before, I’m sure of it.
She stared into the distance, watching the riders disappear over the horizon. Another secret. Another mystery. This land was full of them. Thea got the uneasy feeling she wouldn’t be going anywhere until she solved them.
Chapter 10
Thea stirred the stew, leaning over to look into the large pot. Was it ready? Was it edible? Tentatively, she fished out a piece of vegetable. Blowing to cool it, she popped it into her mouth and chewed. Hmm. Not bad. Trying to cook a stew with nothing but a hearth fire was definitely not on her list of skills. Hell, cooking with a modern gas cooker with lots of temperature settings and a timer wasn't even on her list of skills. Microwave meals in front of the TV was about the best she could muster.
So why did you offer to cook supper? she grumbled at herself. Did you want to poison your host?
In truth, she'd wanted to do something for Logan. He and Rhodry had returned empty-handed once again and with dire news of the muster of forces on MacKinnon lands. Logan had seemed distant and distracted all the way home so cooking dinner seemed the least she could do. Now though, she wondered if she'd bitten off more than she could chew. She’d surreptitiously asked Ailsa's advice and had followed her instructions to the letter but still wasn't at all confident that the meal would be edible.
It didn't help that she could feel Logan's eyes on her as she knelt by the hearth. He said not a word but she could feel his presence filling the room like a storm.
"Ready!" she announced. "At least, I hope so.”
She grabbed the handle of the pot with both hands and struggled to lift it from its tripod. Logan moved to her side, lifting the pot easily one-handed, and placed it on the table.
Thea frowned at him. "You didn't have to do that. I could manage."
Was that a smile trying to curl the side of his mouth? "I know that," he said lightly. "But it's only fair I do my part after ye've worked so hard."
"Oh really?" Thea said, raising an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're volunteering to do the dishes?"
Logan rolled his eyes. "Why did nobody warn me I'd taken in such a harridan?"
Thea snorted then sat opposite Logan and ladled out the stew. She took a mouthful and chewed. Oh. The pieces of turnip and carrot were a little hard. And the flavor was a little ...burned.
She watched Logan. His face was carefully expressionless as he chewed and then swallowed. He slowly put down his spoon.
"That is...." he trailed off.
"Horrible?" Thea supplied.
Logan met her gaze. "Aye, lass. Horrible."
Thea held a look of indignation for a moment but when Logan suddenly burst into laughter, she found herself joining in. The sound of Logan's laughter, so rare a thing, sent a wave of joy right through her. His eyes sparkled with mirth and his shoulders shook.
"Ah, my Thea," he breathed. "I think we've finally found a skill ye lack."
My Thea, she thought. He'd said it so casually but it sent a delicious shiver right up her spine.
"Okay, I admit it. I'm a terrible cook. Is it really that bad?"
Instead of answering, Logan rose from the table and fetched a loaf of bread, a crock of butter and a slab of cheese which he placed on the table.
"Ah! Sandwiches!” Thea said. “Now even I can make those."
She and Logan ate in companionable silence, the only sound the crackle of the flames in the fireplace. When they were finished Logan pushed away his plate.
"I have bad news, lass," he announced. "I must postpone the search for Irene for a while. The rumors place her to the north—in MacKinnon lands. Now, with all this talk of war brewing, it would be foolish to travel that way."
"I know," Thea replied quietly. "I guessed as much after what you found today." She fell silent, not sure how she felt about what he'd just said. She wasn't as bothered by his news as she ought to be. In fact, she felt a little sliver of relief. Calling off the search for Irene meant she had a little more time here. A little more time to figure out what it was she was meant to do.
A little more time with Logan.
He seemed to take her silence as something else. He reached across the table and clasped her hand, fixing her with an earnest gaze. "I will find her, lass. I made a vow. Dinna worry. Ye will get the chance to go home."
Thea didn't answer. Instead, she curled her fingers around Logan's. Her hand felt tiny in his. His skin was warm and calloused from his work in the forge. Logan glanced down at their clasped hands then his eyes rose to meet hers and the look in them set her heart racing.
He blinked, pulled his hand away, then stood. "It's getting late," he muttered. "Ye must be tired. I'll leave ye to get some sleep." He strode to the door.
Thea rose. "You don't have to sleep in the smithy. There's no need."
Logan met her gaze. "There is every need, lass," he breathed, his voice low and husky. "For both our sakes." He pulled the door open and strode out into the night.
After he’d left, Thea ran a hand through her hair and let out a long sigh as she tried to gather her thoughts. It wasn't easy with the way her pulse was racing. Logan was right. She knew it was a bad idea for him to stay and he'd done the sensible thing by sleeping in the smithy but the room suddenly seemed smaller and colder without him in it.
Remembering Mary’s words from earlier, Thea knelt on the floor and pulled her pack from underneath the bed before seating herself cross-legged by the hearth, arranging herself so the light from the candles lit Irene's book which she propped open on her knee.
Flicking through the pages, she scanned each title. The fate of the previous MacAuley laird had sparked something in Thea’s memory. It had sounded uncannily like one of the stories in the book she’d read.
There! She reached a page that she’d marked for further investigation. It was the poem called Laird’s Curse that she’d read previously. Quickly she read it again then sat back, thinking. The poem and Mary’s tale were uncannily similar. It told th
e story of how three brothers had saved their clan from an invading army and that they’d disappeared without a trace afterwards. Some of the details were the same, such as the three swords stuck in the middle of the battlefield but others were different, such as the bargain with the Fae that the story mentioned. Her eyes alighted on the last verse once more.
The mark of the Fae burned into his skin, a brand for all to see, tis the sign of his fateful bargain, and the way to set him free.
What did it mean? Did it mean anything?
With a yawn, she snapped the book shut. All this thinking was giving her a headache. She lifted the curtain and gazed out across the yard. Logan was out there, alone. Was he asleep? She moved to the bed, lay down and closed her eyes, but sleep was a long time coming.
***
Logan lay awake most of the night. Thoughts of Thea Thomas kept going round and round in his head. Even now, as he lay staring up at the rafters of the smithy, he could feel how her hand had felt in his, so small and soft. Her absence was a like an ache deep inside him.
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Lord, but the Fae were cruel creatures. Why, by all that's holy, had Irene MacAskill sent Thea to him? Was this yet another cruel trick they were playing on him? To have her so close and yet be so out of reach? Did they take delight in such things?
Giving up on sleep, he rose, stretched his arms over head and made his way out into the yard. The sun had not yet risen over the horizon and everything smelt fresh and clean. Logan loved this time of day. It was as though the world had taken a breath and was pausing for a moment before springing into action.
Skirting the house, he leapt over the low stone wall and made his way across the lumpy ground towards the cliffs. At the edge he stood looking out, eyes scanning the water. The sea was quiet, seeming like a sheet of glass gleaming in the pre-dawn. He grinned. Aye, today was a grand day for what he had planned.
He returned to the croft and gathered the morning's eggs from the chicken house—much to the annoyance of the hens—and then made his way into the larder and collected items for breakfast.
He placed it all in a basket and covered it with a piece of cloth. Only when he'd gathered everything he needed did he make his way to the cottage door and knock lightly.
"Thea? Lass? Are ye awake?"
"Yes, I'm awake,” her muffled voice answered. “That rooster of yours made damn sure of that."
He pushed the door open and froze. Thea was standing with her back to him, shrugging into a shift. For a second he got a glimpse of the creamy skin of her bare back and shoulders. He cleared his throat awkwardly but Thea merely pulled the shift on then tugged a dress over it, deftly reached round the back to do up the buttons and then turned to face him. Her hair was still tousled from sleep, falling around her face in messy tangles but even so, the sight of her was enough to steal Logan's breath.
"Good morning," she said.
Logan realized he was staring. He coughed and then stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Good morning. I trust ye slept well?"
Thea nodded. "Very well. You?"
Me? Nay, lass. I tossed and turned all night, plagued by thoughts of ye. He shrugged. "Well enough. If ye are ready to start the day, there’s something I'd like to show ye."
She frowned, the skin wrinkling on the bridge of her nose in a way that Logan found mesmerizing. "Oh? And what's that?"
"It's a surprise. Ye will have to trust me." He held out a hand. "Do ye trust me?"
She grinned in turn and reached out to clasp his hand. "Aye, lad," she said in mock-imitation of his accent. "I trust ye."
He curled his fingers around hers. "Come on then."
He yanked her towards the door. She looked intrigued and didn't argue as he led her outside, picked up the basket he'd left by the door and quickly guided her across the fields to the cliff edge where they took a twisting path to the beach below. The sun had risen now and the waves sparkled silver in the morning light. Thea paused, her expression full of pleasure as she took in the scene.
"Well, this was worth getting up early for.”
"Aye, but this isnae what I wanted to show ye.”
Taking her hand, he led her along the beach to a large spur of rock that stuck out into the waves, forming a natural jetty. There was a rowing boat tied to an iron ring he’d hammered into the rock. Logan crossed to it and tossed in the basket.
"After ye."
Thea eyed the boat dubiously. "You want me to get in that thing?"
"Aye. It's perfectly seaworthy. I've spent many hours fishing in Martha."
"Martha?"
"Aye. Every boat needs a name."
Thea smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. As Logan held the boat steady she climbed aboard and took a seat on one of the benches, clinging onto the sides as the boat rocked. Logan stepped aboard, settled himself on the other bench, and took up the oars. He began to row. The water was so smooth that the little boat glided over the surface. As they moved, Logan scanned the water, searching for the telltale signs he was looking for. After her initial hesitation, Thea relaxed, letting go of the sides, and watching the waves skimming past.
"Where are we going?"
"Ye’ll see."
They rounded a promontory and entered a wide, horse-shoe bay. Two bluffs stuck out from the mainland, sheltering the bay from both sides. Here, he hoped to find what he was looking for. He shipped the oars and sat back, scanning the water. Sure enough, after only a few moments, he saw a sleek shape break the surface. He turned to show Thea but she was already pointing.
"Look! Dolphins!" she cried in delight.
She swiveled in her seat as more of the creatures broke the surface around them.
"There's a whole pod here!" she said. "I reckon there's at least twenty. And look! A baby! I wonder if they’re the same family we saw from the cliff?”
She leaned over, trailing her hand in the water, and laughed with pleasure as a dolphin broke the surface a few feet away and regarded her for a moment before diving under again.
Logan leaned back and watched her. Live in the moment, his brother Camdan would have told him. It was good advice.
"Is this the surprise you mentioned?" Thea asked.
He nodded. "Aye, lass. I wanted to do something for ye. Something ye would like. When I saw how delighted ye were with the dolphins we spotted yesterday, well, I thought ye might like to see them closer."
Her smile faltered and was replaced by an uncertain expression. "You did this especially for me?"
"Aye, lass," he replied. "Do ye like it?"
***
Do I like it? Thea thought. Is he kidding? It was quite possibly the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.
"I love it," she whispered.
Dolphins surrounded them now. Ever curious, they kept breaking the surface, regarding the humans with their large, intelligent eyes, before rolling on their backs or slapping the water with their tails as they herded fish.
Logan smiled. When he smiled the corners of his eyes crinkled. Jesus, he was gorgeous.
"Well, let's see them closer shall we?"
He stripped off the sash of his plaid and then his undershirt and boots, leaving him in only the kilt then stood up in the boat. His smooth, muscled skin was lightly tanned, a shade lighter than his copper hair. Her eyes came to rest on the black, swirling design of interlocked coils that was tattooed on his pectoral. Where had she seen that design before?
"Coming?" he said. Then he dived into the water.
Thea leaned over the side of the boat. Logan broke the surface a few feet away, his laugh echoing off the walls of the lagoon.
"Come on in, the water's lovely. Well, it's freezing actually but ye get used to it."
Thea bit her lip. It looked very deep and very cold. Oh, what the hell! she thought.
Standing up carefully in the rocking boat, she undid her dress and let it fall to the floor before kicking off her shoes and standing in just her under-shift. She had none of
Logan's easy grace as she clambered over to the side of the boat and instead of spearing into the water in an elegant dive, she ended up catching her foot and falling head-first into the water.
She let out a squawk of surprise as she went under. It was so cold it snatched her breath. She sank. She felt a moment of panic as memories assailed her of another night in a storm and dark waves pulling her under.
Then a silver shape materialized out of the gloom, flashing past her in a quicksilver dash. As the dolphin disappeared another swam near and then darted away, intrigued by this newcomer to its domain. Thea’s terror was forgotten in pure delight. She kicked hard and broke the surface of the water, gasping.
"They're everywhere!" she called to Logan who was treading water several feet away. "Did you see?"
"Aye, lass," he replied. "They're very inquisitive. Look, the baby is coming to see ye."
Thea turned to see the fin of the tiny dolphin they'd spotted from the boat approaching through the water. She took a big breath and ducked her head under. Sure enough, the baby hung in the water a few feet away, regarding her curiously. For a moment they watched each other before the dolphin's mother came and herded it away. Something grabbed Thea around the waist and lifted her.
Thea surfaced to find Logan right in front of her. His hair was plastered to his face and water droplets had gathered in his eyelashes.
"I think ye've made a friend," he said. "Take a deep breath. I've something to show ye. Ready?"
She pulled in a breath and held it. He grabbed her wrist and together they dived. He pointed out the dolphins as they flashed through the water below and around them and then guided her closer to the shore where a knot of darkness blocked her view. The knot of darkness soon revealed itself to be a kelp forest, tall fronds of seaweed that moved with the current and were home to all kinds of creatures. Thea saw huge shoals of fish that flitted in and out of the shafts of sunlight reaching down from above. She spotted gray seals hanging motionless in the water, watching Thea and Logan with as much curiosity as the dolphins had.
Thea broke the surface only long enough to take another breath before she dived again, eager to explore more of this underwater world. She knew of photographers who specialized in marine habitats but Thea had never even got her diving certificate. Now she realized what she'd been missing. There was so much to see, from the crabs in the shallows that scuttled away from them, to the seals who hauled themselves out onto rocks, only to disappear back into the water without even a splash if Thea and Logan got too close.