The Highlander’s Witch

by Jennifer France

  It wasn’t the wet and torn clothing or the blood smeared on the side of his face that made her stand but the way he kept his eyes on her as he approached.

  Grabbing her upper arm, Finley yanked her roughly to him causing her to stumble and loose her balance as she crashed into his chest and clutched his shirt to keep from falling.

  “Ye will be my vengeance.”

  She so didn’t like the sound of that.

  “Concentrate!”

  Finley swirled around, keeping a firm hold on Skye as he glared at James.

  “I am concentrating! I have been focused on nothing else since I escaped the battle those bumbling fools got us into.”

  James looked confused but held his tongue. Skye looked into the flames, saw her sister, and knew she was the one who spoke out.

  “Ye lost?” Riona squealed. “God’s blood, ye should have kept to the original plan!”

  “Shut up! Ye lost any chance of that the moment ye started yer caterwauling in his study.”

  “I did not! I was trying to make him feel like he needed to protect me, protect my virtue. Since you couldn’t get him into my bed, I had to do something!” Riona spouted as she poked him in the chest.

  Softly, so as not to be heard over the angry exchange, Skye began her chant.

  “Through time and distance, let us arrive without hindrance.

  To right the wrong so I may return to whom I belong.”

  She was on the third repeat when she felt the queasiness begin. It was also when Finley hollered for James to take his sister out of his presence and focused back on her.

  “What are ye rambling on about?” He demanded, gripping her tighter in his anger.

  Skye looked up, a smirk on her face. “This is why you don’t fuck with a witch.”

  Then she seized Riona, and because James was grabbing her, they all vanished together.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As soon as they appeared inside Aiden’s study, Finley dragged Skye to the floor as his legs gave out.

  Her ears were ringing with the piercing screams of Riona until they were suddenly cut off.

  Someone pried Finley away from her and then she found herself held in a tight embrace. Taking a deep breath, she was surrounded with the smell of everything that was Aiden and gratefully gave herself over to his strength as the commotion surrounding them told her the other three were being taken prisoner, Riona protesting her innocence.

  “Be ye alright, mo leanabh?”

  “With you holding me, how could I not?”

  Feeling his chest rumble with laughter, she smiled for the first time, free from her troubled thoughts.

  Aiden’s hands smoothed over and down her hair before cupping her chin in his hands and raising her face so he could look at her.

  “How did ye do that?”

  “I did the same chant as the one in the forest, with a small twist and, since the others were linked to me, they came too.”

  “Ye took a great risk, lass.”

  “Please, Aiden, please don’t be mad. I couldn’t handle that right now.”

  “Nay, lass. Neither could I.” He smiled down at her.

  Suddenly, there was a cry from far away and Aiden lost his smile.

  “Who is that?”

  “Tis Anna, the bairn be comin.”

  Skye twisted in Aiden’s arms to look at Collin. “It’s still early.”

  Collin nodded his face ashen.

  Pushing away from Aiden, she grabbed Collin by the hand.

  “Come on, we need to go.”

  “What? Nay, I can do nothin but wait here.”

  She frowned in confusion at the man. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Ye must go though, ye can help them.”

  She lowered her brows and pursed her lips. “Yes, I can, but you are coming with me.”

  “Tis no me place up there.”

  “Bullshit. You started this. You will be there to finish it. Now come with me or I don’t go at all.”

  Skye stood firm in her resolve of ensuring some medieval mentalities would change.

  “Ye would deny Anna’s safety?” Collin asked in amazement, looking from Aiden and back to Skye.

  “No, Collin. But will you deny her the comfort only the man she loves can give her in one of the most stressful things she will ever go through?”

  “I doona ken.”

  Throwing her hands up in frustration, she grabbed his hand again. “You will. Now, come with me.”

  They raced up the stairs, Skye saw Finley, Riona, and James being hauled around the corner to the same dungeon she’d been forced to suffer in and could not squelch the moment of satisfaction that brought her, even as she shivered with memories.

  They entered Anna’s bedroom right after Anna cried out again.

  Skye brought Collin over to the girl and picked up her hand causing her to open her eyes and turn her head.

  “Skye!” She said through a hoarse throat. Then she saw Collin and Anna began to cry harder.

  Collin took his bride’s hand and placed it over his heart as he scooted closer to her side.

  “Twill be aright, mo ghaol I be here an I won’t leave ye.”

  “Tha ghaol agam orti.”

  Elizabeth smiled when Anna professed her love for her husband, gave her daughter a quick hug, and slipped to the other side of the bed.

  They went through another labor pain and Skye looked at Collin, worried he wasn’t going to be staying on his feet for long if she didn’t get started.

  “Ready?”

  Barely taking his eyes off his wife, Collin nodded, a drop of sweat already falling from his pale brow.

  “Okay, we do the same thing we did before: You keep telling her how you feel, how proud you are and I’ll do the easy part.”

  She winked to ease the tension as she placed her hand under the sheet and onto Anna’s stomach, then held onto her friend’s other hand and closed her eyes.

  Centering herself, Skye felt her powers flow along her body and through her hands and followed the colors.

  “Even though he is early, the baby is perfect. Anything that needs to be taken care of I can do easily enough so I am going to concentrate on the pain.”

  The colors vibrated as another contraction coursed through Anna’s abdomen.

  “Please hurry.”

  Skye felt the squeezing of her hand as if it was an afterthought and she sent calming waves to course through Anna’s belly and out, building it like a wall or a layer, hoping it would diminish the pain from her contractions.

  Either her labor had been going on for some time or her labor was going fast, because the spasms seemed to be coming one after another.

  Noise became muffled as she went deep into her healing and she didn’t hear when Aiden came up behind her, assuring his sister that he wasn’t watching anything he shouldn’t, but that he was going to make sure Skye wasn’t exhausting herself.

  She didn’t need to hear anything to know when Aiden wrapped his hands around her waist in a gentle embrace and an easing of strain left her back and shoulders as she began to feel rejuvenated.

  It was his voice in her ear gently telling her to let go that finally reached her and she eased her hands away, allowing herself to lean back into his strength and refocus on her surroundings.

  The sound of a baby crying had her turning her head as Elizabeth finished cleaning the infant and placed him in the new mother’s arms.

  A feeling of joy filled everyone’s hearts and Aiden tugged at her.

  When she stepped away, Anna looked at her with concern.

  “Ye said the bairn might need—”

  “Don’t worry, hon.” Skye patted her arm then took Aiden’s hand. “Nothing needs to be done now. Tomorrow is soon enough, and I won’t be far away if you need me.”

  Hearing that made Anna relax and she nodded before turning back to the baby, smiling. “Is he no beautiful, Collin?”

  “Aye, lass, as beautiful as his mother.”

/>   Elizabeth placed her hand gently on Aiden’s forearm to stop them for a moment.

  “I will contact yer sister for ye Skye and tell her all be well, ye get some sleep.”

  Blushing as Aiden nodded to his mother, they slipped out of the room, Skye willingly following in Aiden’s footsteps.

  They stopped only long enough to tell Keir the baby and the new mother were fine and that he would deal with the prisoners in the morning.

  They entered a different chamber and before Skye could ask any questions, Aiden had her back in his arms and his mouth covering hers.

  She melted instantly, moaning with need as his hand cupped her throat and his tongue thrust between her lips.

  Her nipples tightened and her hands fisted into his shirt as she rose up onto the balls of her feet, demanding more.

  She whimpered when he broke the kiss and sighed when his lips brushed over her cheek and forehead.

  “This be me new chambers til me other one be cleaned. Tis a mess ye dunno wish to see right now, but there be no hearth for a fire, if ye rather speak with yer sister—”

  “All I want is you.”

  “Ye—”

  She placed the palm of her hands on his chest to stop him so she could continue. “But I want you forever. I can’t wake up some morning to have you tell me I cannot stay.”

  She searched his face, her heart beating wildly with trepidation in her chest.

  His large callused hands cupped her face and he kissed her nose.

  “Tomorrow will be me last day without ye as me wife.”

  Eyes widening in wonder, she felt her mouth drop open.

  “That bein, if ye will have me, mo leanabh.”

  Tears welled up and fell as her lips trembled. “You mean t-that?”

  “Aye, lass, twas a decision I came to this morn but I couldna tell ye since I had to get to me duties as Laird. I didna think ye would be gone when I had the time to speak of this with ye.”

  Blushing, she shook her head, still confused.

  “I felt lost. My head was filled with so much doubt that I believed Riona when she said you had used her and then left her when you were bored of her. I was such a fool—”

  “Nay, lass, tis somethin I should have been prepared for. Ye were experiencin a normal reaction to sech a strong scene last night an I dinna take proper precautions. Next time I will make sure I take care of ye right an no play with ye when I must attend other duties.”

  A slow smile spread over Skye’s features. “I like that ‘next time’ part.”

  “Ye do, aye?” Aiden grinned down on her beautiful face as he brushed her hair back.

  “It is amazing that something like that could do so many wonderful things to me. It was like an amazing drug, the things that you did to my body and the way I felt like I was somewhere else. It was amazing.” She repeated in awe.

  He chuckled at the wonder in her voice.

  Skye took his roughed cheek into her hands. “Tha ghaol agam orti.”

  A gentle smile softened his rugged features and he pulled her face to his. “I will see that ye will never regret that, leanabh.”

  Then he swung her into his arms and carried her to bed.

  Epilogue

  Skye was excited and it bubbled over to everyone else.

  “Christmas in July! Isn’t that exciting?”

  Anna gently patted baby Dougal over her shoulder and grinned.

  “Tis indeed as it must be for Aiden since tis his birthday as well, so he gets two presents.”

  Blushing, Skye stopped her hurried packing. “You didn’t say anything to him, right?”

  “Nay, but tis gettin difficult, so I be glad the day be here!”

  Four months had passed since Finley and the Reivers had attempted to invade the castle.

  There had been a short trial.

  Skye was shocked to find out that the midwife had been a relative as well, but because she had given the information about Riona and Finely, she had been spared a hanging and was banished instead.

  Her plea for Riona to go with her was heard. After the girl’s locks were shorn and her shoulder had been branded with a “C” for conspirator, the two women were sent away with the threat of death if they were ever seen on Scottish lands again.

  The captured Reivers and James were hung and their bodies displayed outside the keeps gates as warning, causing Skye and Anna to stay within the gates until the bodies had been removed.

  Because of his position, Aiden had to petition the English crown for approval of his judgment over Finley, so he had taken the man to England with Kier and a few other men, leaving Collin and his guards behind to watch over his family.

  Henry VII had been the one to grant Aiden’s father the castle and surrounding lands, so his support was given and Finley had been hung—the rest Skye didn’t want to think about.

  Aiden had been gone just over two months and had only returned ten days ago.

  The week before they left, Aiden had taken every opportunity to prove his love, showing her how he could bring her to the same pinnacle of pleasures after an intense dungeon scene and then to lightly play with her the next day to ease her from the confusing obsessive feelings such heights brought on.

  Because her family kept in constant contact, Skye had been able to remain sane while separated from her new husband. Now she was overjoyed with the news she would soon be sharing with him.

  When Sarah informed Skye that they would be traveling to Scotland to visit the very castle she resided in come summer, she and Skye spoke about exchanging gifts. Their aunt had said it would be a wonderful idea and believed it could be possible with the right chant if they found the exact location in both times. To keep Skye from making a mistake, they would have her place a box in the designated area and they would dig it up and replace with their own, if the spell worked, it would be transported back to their time.

  Sarah, Doug, baby Collin, and Aunt Gladys had arrived in Scotland three days prior and they had finally found a location each could get to from their prospective times.

  Gladys had purchased a steel box and had it lined with cowhide that she had cured in her own special concoction of juices from herbs and roots to help transport it back in time. The plan was that her sister would unearth it the next day and place their gifts inside and the chant would send it back in time for Skye to receive.

  It had been difficult explaining to everyone to be careful of what they were going to give since the gifts inside might seriously erode any type of material away. Even though Sarah would receive it the next day, it was still hundreds of years in between and they weren’t sure how well it would work this first time.

  Try to explain that to the common person!

  Feeling arms wrap around her from behind, Skye’s heart soared and she whirled around to return Aiden’s hug.

  “Do you have it?”

  Aiden smiled down on his wife’s glowing face and tried hard to frown. Instead, he kissed her on the nose and handed over the small bags.

  “I canna believe ye be givin pennies as a gift to yer family. They will think ye have married a pauper.”

  “Oh, poo. I explained it to you before so, for the third time; a penny now is serious business then.”

  “Aye, lass, an it disna make any more sense as it did the last two times.”

  “I know what my family would love, and when we all open our gifts tomorrow you shall see.”

  She grinned up at him, his eyes cleared, and he was lost.

  “Yep, ye have me brother wrapped around yer little finger.” Anna laughed.

  Skye laughed and squeezed her husband before turning to the younger girl.

  “You are only repeating what I told you about Collin.”

  “Aye, tis somethin I completely ken now that I see it with ye two.”

  “What does she mean?”

  “She means that you love me. Lots.” Skye grinned back at him.

  Aiden looked at her flushed cheeks and his heart filled with emo
tion.

  Skye had been his wife for four months and each day he wondered how it could be.

  “Aye, leanabh, I do.”

  “I found it!” Elizabeth said as she entered then stopped as she caught the exchange between her son and his wife.

  Smiling she slipped around them, grinning from ear to ear and placed an item in the box.

  “What is it?”

  “Tis a knife I had made for Gladys, so she can use it to cut her meat with.”

  Skye chuckled softly. There was so much to tell them.

  “I think my aunt will be thrilled. I can’t wait for tomorrow!”

  * * *

  Everything worked out perfectly and now they stood in front of the roaring fire in Aiden’s den chatting excitedly as they opened their gifts, unconcerned over the warmth the fire brought on such a warm day.

  Skye had to keep herself from going crazy as they spent so much time over the wrapping paper before she forced them to open the gifts.

  They placed the wrapping paper aside, stating they wouldn’t burn it until they could look more closely at in the light of day.

  Aiden was shocked at the response her family had over the pennies and frowned.

  “Now, now, Doug.” Skye admonished. “You let them cash those pennies. I know how difficult times are with the baby and Sarah having to work part time. And I want this to be a yearly thing, so let it be.”

  “But—”

  Before Doug could complain further, she held up a hand. “And, if you look into that little bag to your right you will see that I thought of you too.”

  Beaming, she watched as Doug’s face lit up as coins came tumbling out onto his palm.

  “There are different kinds of groats, and riders, and farthings and whatever else they are called. I don’t have them all straight yet.”

  Gladys cleared her throat. “There’s a cottage about six miles from the castle up for sale. I will be buying that with my penny.”

  “Buyin a cottage for a penny?”

  Grinning, Skye nodded to Collin, who finally took his eyes off the Bowie knife he was given.

  “I told you all, but do you ever listen? Noooooo.” She smirked.