“I wouldn’t dare to do otherwise,” Colin said. “Or she’ll stick me with her dagger, I reckon.”
“You better believe it,” Tara grinned, flashing him a smile. She looked at Bhreac. “I’ve talked to the Seelie queen, Bhreac…”
“You WHAT?” Bhreac interrupted. He flew up to Tara so that he was but a few inches from her face. Colin resisted the urge to draw his sword. He trusted Tara knew what she was doing. “What did she say?” Bhreac demanded. “Was she annoyed? Was she angry? Did she even speak of me at all? Oh, dear. Oh, dear.” He wrung his hands worriedly.
“Peace, Bhreac,” Tara soothed. “She remembers you fondly, an’ she said that you may leave the forest at your choosin’.”
“I may… I may leave?” he asked, as though not believing her words. “Do you mean I could fly out of this forest and go wherever I want? I don’t have to stay here? I’m not imprisoned? I no longer have to trick people for my own amusement?”
“That is exactly what I mean,” Tara said, nodding patiently.
“Ach, this is great news! This is the best news I’ve ever heard! I’m free. I’m free!” He flitted about like an erratic butterfly before flying back to Tara and wrapping his small arms her wrist. “Thank you, Miss Tara,” he said gratefully.
“You’re very welcome, Bhreac.”
He suddenly looked bashful. “Say, is there any way… now that I am a free man… Can I … can I live at Murdag Castle?”
Tara seemed surprised at his words. “Really? You wouldn’t want to live closer to Nellie’s children? They love you verra much.”
“Oh, I love her children just fine. It’s just…” He leaned forward to whisper. “Sometimes they tire me out with all of their endless energy.”
Now it was Colin’s turn to raise an eyebrow as Tara bit back laughter. “Oh, I can see verra much where you’re comin’ from,” she said, nodding sagely. “Bhreac, you’re welcome to come live with us. There’s plenty of room at Murdag Castle.”
“Oh, joy. Oh, joy,” the pixie sang. “If you’ll excuse me, I just need to pack my belongings. I’ll be at Murdag by sundown.”
“Verra well, Bhreac. We’ll be seein’ you soon.”
He blew her a kiss and then flew off, singing “I’m free, I’m free,” through the tree branches until his voice faded away into the distance.
“The Fairy queen imprisoned him?” Colin asked as they continued on through the forest.
“That’s what Bhreac thought. It turns out that it was just a word of warnin’ from her that he took to heart. I believe he’s been in this forest for nigh twenty years now? Poor thing. I didn’t have the heart to tell him what really happened. I hope you don’t mind him comin’ to live with us.”
“With us?” Colin asked.
“What? We are getting’ married after all.”
“I know,” Colin said. “I just like the way it sounds, is all.”
“Aye, I do, too.”
They stopped first at Dunaid Castle before heading to Murdag. Tara figured Dunaid and Murdag were safe from harm, but, still, she felt relief to see the castle still standing. The guards greeted Tara warmly, taking the horses to the stables and letting the three of them inside.
Nellie was the first to greet them, her daughter, Deidre, in her arms. How Deidre had grown since Tara had left! She also spotted the roundness of Nellie’s belly. Ach, she was pregnant! She reckoned there was much she needed to catch up on.
Nellie’s eyes widened. “Tara, this is a surprise. I didn’t expect you to be home. We were so worried…” She trailed off as she finally noticed Colin. “And who are you?” she asked.
“Nellie, this is Colin Morrison. Colin, my sister-in-law, Nellie.”
“Did you two elope?” Nellie asked, looking between the both of them.
Tara blushed. “No,” she replied. “However, we are engaged to be married.”
Nellie’s face brightened with a wide smile. “Ach! Congratulations, you two. I need to get Adam down here. He has been locked away in his study all week. I’ll be right back.” She then stopped at the stairway leading upstairs and turned around. Her face had sobered. “We’ve heard word about Lothian,” she said. “And Adam sent letters to the inn in Haddington, but you never replied. We were worried sick. Why didn’t you write to us to tell say you were safe?”
“I’m sorry, Nellie. There was hardly any time to,” Tara told her.
“Wait until I get Adam, then tell us the story,” she said to them before disappearing up the stairs.
Adam was quick to come down the stairs. He took Tara into a big embrace. “Welcome home, sister,” he said. He shook Colin’s hand after Tara had introduced him, and when it was announced that they were to be married, he then embraced Colin as well.
Colin took Baldric to a room upstairs to rest while Tara, Adam, and Nellie finally sat down to talk. Tara told them the entire story, starting from when she left for Haddington.
“So is Una gone for good, then?” Adam asked hopefully.
“The Seelie queen has her in her prison, and she doesn’t seem interested in ever releasing her,” Tara replied.
“Good. Finally, I can stop worrying about her.”
Tara nodded. “Adam, during my trip I learned a bit more about my magic. The witch that I went to visit told me that I am also a shifter… and that it comes from my father’s side.”
Adam frowned. “Our father was a shifter?”
Tara shrugged. “Or he had the blood of one. I think… I think that sometimes magic can skip generations. Have you had any magical experiences of any kind?”
Adam shook his head. “I never had.”
“I wonder if any of our children have the ability,” Nellie mused.
“Perhaps,” Adam said. “But I am curious. Are you going to show me any of this magic?”
Tara laughed softly. She reached out and clasped the amulet around her neck. “The magic my mother extracted from me is still being held in this amulet. I don’t think I want to have it back. I thought my magic would be what would stop my mother, but I figured out that I didn’t need it after all. I have no use for it. So, for now, it will remain around my neck.”
Adam nodded. “I’m proud of you, sister,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “And happy for you, too. Colin seems like a good man.”
“Aye, he is. I’m happy to have him and Baldric in my life.”
“Baldric is his son, correct?”
“Well, that’s an entirely different story…”
Chapter 26
Tara and Colin decided on having a small wedding a few days after their arrival, with only their family attending. They had the priest from the church where Tara’s father and grandfather were buried come to deliver the vows, which they sealed in the same courtyard where Adam and Nellie had married years before.
The next day, Tara, Colin, and Baldric headed toward Murdag Castle, their new home. Tara’s maid, Bridget, ran down the steps to greet them and almost toppled Tara over by jumping into her arms.
“Tara, I’ve missed you so much!” she exclaimed. She then noticed Colin and blushed. “Oh, hullo,” she said demurely. “I’m Bridget, Tara’s maid.”
“And she is also my very best friend,” Tara added, giving Bridget another hug. “I’ve missed you, too. This is my husband, Colin Morrison, and his son, Baldric.”
Bridget’s eyes widened, and she gave Tara a look that said she had a lot of explaining to do. She gave Colin a polite curtsy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you m’laird,” she said. “Let me help you with your things.” She grabbed as much of their belongings as she could in her small arms and proceeded up the stairs to their bedchamber.
“What eccentric decorations,” Colin remarked, looking from side to side. He paused to stare at the mast of what was once a ship and was now a centerpiece decoration in the great hall. It was carved into the shape of a buxom woman. “Very interesting, indeed.”
Tara laughed. “I think you mean garish, Colin. I have a pirate
uncle who comes by time and time again, which would explain why there are so many random decorations. This was originally the castle that my grandfather gifted to him, but he has since passed it down to me.”
“He sounds like an interesting character.”
“Aye, he is.”
Tara then noticed how Baldric dragged behind them, staring at the ground.
“What’s wrong, Baldric?” Tara asked.
“Nothin’,” he muttered.
“I don’t think it’s nothin’,” Tara said, pulling him into her lap. She brushed a golden curl from his face. “It’s all right, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you out.”
“I wanna go to the ocean,” Baldric finally said.
Tara looked at Colin, but he was busy staring at her uncle’s strange taste in art. “Do you mean you want to go back to the selkies?” she asked.
Baldric shrugged. “Nay, I just want to be by the ocean. I want to play in the sand.” He pointed to the window. “There’s a beach over there, correct? Can I play?”
Tara relaxed. “Of course, you can play. Let’s gather your toys, an’ we can make a picnic out of it. I’ll go an’ tell the cooks to pack us somethin’ special.”
The sun was warm for February, and it heated the sand, making it pleasant to sit on. Tara brought food from the kitchen—fresh slices of bread, cheese, and meat—and she gave Baldric his portion of food before serving her own.
After he ate, he quietly played with his toys. Indeed, Baldric had seemed quieter than usual since his escapade from the selkie kingdom, but he seemed to be happy. Perhaps he didn’t want to be with the selkies after all.
Tara closed her eyes and sighed, relishing the warm sun against her cheeks. The waves rhythmically lapped against the shore. Up above, a few seagulls cried out to each other.
She then heard a muffled cry. Her eyes flashed opened, and she looked on in horror as a man with a very similar appearance to Colin held Baldric in his arms, his hand clamped around his mouth. A knife was pressed against the boy’s throat. His toys lay discarded at his feet, and Baldric’s eyes were wide open in terror.
Tara glanced at the castle. The window was open, and she knew Colin was still inside with Bridget, who was giving him a tour of the castle. However, she didn’t dare cry out in case the man who held Baldric panicked.
Her amulet felt heavy against her chest. If she had a chance to break it, she could have her leannan sith magic back. She could perhaps enchant the man into letting Baldric go. But she was too frightened to make any sudden movements. The man was clearly mad. She could see it in the wild look in his dark eyes and the way his body shook.
She stood up slowly, her arms raised. “Please,” she said slowly, softly. “I beg you to take me instead. The lad has done no harm. You can do whatever you want with me. Just let the lad go.”
The man laughed. “Oh, are you Colin’s whore?” he asked and spat in her direction. Tara tried not to flinch. “In that case, I’ll have to kill you as well.”
If he was going to kill, he would’ve done so already, Tara realized. Still, she had to be careful. There was a sudden flurry of movement behind the man. Tara forced her gaze to stay on him, but she knew there was some sort of activity in the ocean.
The selkies were coming.
The selkies would not let any harm come to their brethren, that was for certain. Tara took a deep breath. Her job was to keep the man distracted so he wouldn’t turn around and see what was coming for him.
“Oh, you’re Colin’s brother,” she said flippantly. “I can see the resemblance. Same hair, same eyes. There’s no mistake about it. You two are related. How was your journey up north? Did you enjoy the Highlands?”
“I… what?” Eldron asked, confused by her blabbering.
Tara continued. “I mean, it’s cold to go travelin’ this time of the year. Did you hit any snow along the way? Rain? I heard there was a heavy rainstorm down in Lothian. Did you hear about that? Great gusts of wind and floodin’, too.”
He shook his head. “Shut up. Shut up, wench,” He took a step backward, away from her. Tara smiled. Two hands gripped around his ankles, and another pair of hands grabbed his wrists. He stood in shocked stillness as the selkies tore the knife easily from the man’s hands. Baldric jumped out of his arms and ran over to Tara, hugging her legs.
“Don’t look, Baldric,” Tara said. Baldric burrowed his head into her legs as she watched on. The hands that were around the man’s ankles pulled backward, and he fell face down into the sand. The selkies were dragging him back toward the ocean. His hand gripped the sand for purchase, but to no avail.
“Eldron.”
Colin was standing next to her, looking horrified. Eldron lifted his head, his face covered in sand. “Brother,” he said. “Help me, I beg you.”
“Nay, Eldron,” Colin said, shaking his head. His voice broke. “I’m not going to help you any longer.”
“Colin, please!” But the selkies were dragging him in like he was naught but a string of kelp. Tara covered Baldric’s ears as Eldron’s screams turned into gurgles and he was dragged down into the watery depths of the ocean.
The bubbles on the surface of the water disappeared, and they were graced with silence. Tara let go of Baldric. The boy ran over to Colin and jumped into his arms.
“Baldric, are you hurt?” Colin asked, kissing the boy’s head.
Baldric shook his head. “I’m fine, Da,” he said.
Colin looked up and met Tara’s gaze. She knew what the look meant. Relief and fear. It had been too close. They took Baldric inside the castle without needing to say a word.
Chapter 27
A few days had passed since their encounter with Eldron and the selkies. Colin had written to his mother about her son’s fate. Despite knowing how terrible her son had been, he knew it would grieve his mother to learn of his death, so he worded the letter as carefully as he could.
When he finished the letter and sent it to a servant to take to his Aegus Castle, he leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh. A heavy weight lay on his heart. Looking at Baldric’s forlorn face as he went about the day, he began to suspect why.
He found Tara in the nursery with her maid, Bridget. They were playing on the floor with Baldric. Tara’s skirts fanned around her like a saffron pool, and her hair had come undone from her earlier coif and spilled over her shoulders, reminding him of the wild girl he traveled with for weeks coming up north to escape Haddington. She finally noticed that he had been watching in the doorway and gave him a smile. She stood up and shook out her dress, then walked over to him.
He leaned forward and kissed her rakishly on the lips. Tara giggled and stepped back, blushing hotly. Bridget pretended like she didn’t see, but her face was also a bright red.
“Colin, it’s indecent to act in such a manner in front of others,” Tara said to him.
“Oh?” Colin asked, raising an eyebrow. “You think that’s indecent?”
He didn’t know that she could turn such a shade of red.
“Don’t worry, m’lady, I didn’t see anything,” Bridget said innocently from where she sat with Baldric. Colin could hear the laughter in her voice.
Tara rolled her eyes at her friend and turned back to Colin. “Is somethin’ wrong?” she asked seriously. He supposed he couldn’t keep the haunted look from his eyes. Or, perhaps, his wife was beginning to learn how to read him well.
“Can we talk privately?” he asked softly.
“Of course.” She turned to Bridget. “I will be just a moment,” she said to her, then led Colin out of the door and into the hall, away from listening ears.
“This is about Baldric, isn’t it?” Tara asked him immediately.
“Yes, it is. I know that you’ve noticed how he has been acting as of late. What do you think is the matter with him?” Colin asked. “I’ve never seen him so depressed. He is usually such a happy boy. But now, he hardly smiles. He hardly laughs. I… I don’t know what to do,” he said, his voice rising i
n panic desperation.
“Colin,” Tara said gently, resting a hand on his arm to calm him. “Have you considered that Baldric wants to be with the selkies?”
His heart twisted painfully at the thought. Yes, he had thought about it before and knew it was a possibility… But he always pushed that thought away, like an annoying insect. Had he been denying Baldric his happiness? That thought hurt him even more.
Colin lifted his head up and stared at the ceiling. “Perhaps I’ve just been selfish,” he said.
“You are just protectin’ him, as any good father would do.”
“Yes. Father,” he said softly.
“You are his father,” Tara said, poking him lightly on his chest. “Not Eldron. And you have done a fine job raisin’ him. However, the selkies are also his family. If you keep him from them, he might always be sad. He might end up resentin’ you for it.”
Colin sighed. “I need to speak with him,” he said sadly.
Tara nodded. “Aye, I think you do.”
Baldric was still in the nursery with Bridget. Tara led her maid out of the room so that he and Baldric were alone. The boy had his knights scattered on the ground, as well as a few new toys that Tara must’ve found somewhere in the castle.
“How are you doing, Baldric?” Colin asked him. He lifted him up on the window seat and sat down next to him.
“I’m tired,” Baldric said with boyish honesty.
“It’s no wonder; it’s been a very busy month for us.”
“Yes.” He was gazing out to the sea, where his family lived. But Colin was Baldric’s family, too. The thought of losing Baldric gave him the same feeling as losing his son, William, all those years ago. He struggled to hold back tears as he gathered the boy into his arms and embraced him.
“Are you crying?” Baldric asked worriedly.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you so very much,” Colin told him.
“I love you too, Da,” Baldric said, resting his head against him. For a moment, they both stared out the window silently. Colin felt like he needed to savor the moment. Was this the last time he would see his boy?
Charming the Highlander Laird Page 18