by Donna Grant
"Don't give up on her. She needs you more than she realizes," Aimery cautioned.
When Moira raised her eyes he was gone. She was finally alone to shed the tears she didn't wish anyone to see. As she let loose the dam, she didn't realize she was being watched. By the one person she didn't want to see her weakness.
Dartayous.
* * * *
Fiona knew Glenna wanted to ask what had happened in the bailey, but to give her credit, she hadn't spoken a word about it. In fact, Glenna had gone out of her way to talk of anything but Moira as she busied getting everyone a drink.
When Conall led Gregor into the hall, it didn't surprise her. Fiona had had a suspicion that Conall wouldn't allow Gregor to leave so quickly.
"How was the journey?" Conall asked once they had taken a seat at the long table in the main hall.
"Fine," she and Gregor replied in unison.
She watched as Glenna and Conall exchanged a glance. "What was that for?"
"Because we can tell that something did happen," Glenna said. "But if you have no wish to explain, we understand. How would you like a nice, hot bath?"
Fiona nearly leapt out of the chair. "Aye, that would be wonderful."
"I will see to it immediately," Glenna said and walked away.
"So," Conall said as he leaned his elbows on the table. "We have been told that you already know about the prophecy and your powers."
She nodded and took a drink of the cool water Glenna had placed in front of her. Her survey of the hall left her impressed. Rich tapestries and many weapons adorned the walls. It was a hall where everyone was welcome, and one that was filled with love.
It reminded her of her foster parents. Even though she had tried to keep her distance from them, it had been impossible. They had too much love between the two of them to be shut out. She knew that now, but it was too late.
She looked up to see Gregor, Conall and Glenna staring at her. "What?" she asked.
"I have been calling you," Glenna said. "You seemed very far away."
"I was," Fiona answered and looked down at the table.
"Your bath is ready."
Fiona jumped at the chance to get away from Gregor. Being this close to him and knowing she would never see him again was harder than she had imagined. She smiled at Conall as she followed Glenna and sent a fleeting look toward Gregor.
He didn't even glance at her.
The rebuff stung, but it shouldn't have. They hadn't said two words to each other since they had left the MacLachlan's.
" 'Tis better that he leaves now."
"Did you say something?" Glenna asked as she turned around.
Fiona shook her head. "I'm just weary from the journey."
"Then this hot bath should do you good. I'm sure everything will look different once you are rested."
The fact that Glenna had such a positive outlook on everything surprised her. From what she had learned, Glenna had been raised in the most horrible of circumstances. How could she be so happy? It couldn't be because of Conall. Could it?
Her thoughts were in turmoil as Glenna led her up the stairs and down a long hallway. The chamber was richly decorated. The bed was draped in dark blue velvet with a rather large chest at the foot of the bed. A table and two chairs faced the hearth and a tapestry showing a battle of some kind hung above it. A large wooden tub was placed at an angle beside the hearth where steam rose from the water.
Fiona loved the feel of the chamber instantly, and she couldn't wait to climb into the water. As soon as Glenna had mentioned a bath, Fiona had felt every particle of dirt on her body and clothes.
"I will have your gown washed for you," Glenna said and held out her hand.
Fiona swallowed. She had never cared to have anyone with her while she dressed or undressed. At a very early age she had seen to herself in all things. Moira's abandonment had made her dependant on one person. Herself.
She turned her back toward Glenna and hastily undressed and slid into the water. She let her gown fall at her feet and hoped she hadn't offended Glenna.
"I apologize," Glenna said. "I should have come back for the gown."
Fiona tried to tell her all was all right, but Glenna held up a hand to stop her.
"I know we don't know each other, but I want that to change. Moira and I had a rough time of it at first, but we are very close now."
Fiona began to rub her neck until she realized what she was doing and jerked her hand away.
Saint Michael! I've already picked up Gregor's habits.
"We are sisters and, through fate, were parted," Glenna continued unaware of the chaos within Fiona. "Even after the prophecy I would like us to stay close."
"I cannot make any promises," Fiona said and sank low into the water. "Especially where Moira is concerned. I came because I had to and because I needed to see with my own eyes that 'twas you."
Glenna smiled and wiped at her eyes. "I'm glad you are here."
"Me too," Fiona admitted. "And I can promise that we will get to know each other."
Glenna smiled brightly. "I'll leave you to your bath then. There are some gowns in the chest for you to wear until I can get this one and your others cleaned."
Before Fiona could say another word Glenna had departed. With a long sigh Fiona let the hot water envelope her. Maybe it would help ease the ache in her chest as well as sooth her tired body.
* * * *
Gregor clenched his hands and tried to appear as though Conall's words hadn't affected him.
"Are you even listening?" Conall asked.
"You are near to shouting. I cannot help but hear you."
"Then why aren't you saying anything?"
Gregor turned his neck until he heard it pop. "There isn't anything to say. My duty was to bring Fiona here. I have."
"But there's more to the story."
Damn the man.
Conall sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair. "I thought we were friends."
"We are," Gregor assured him.
"But you still don't trust me."
"That's the problem. I trusted you more than I have any man since--"
"Since?" Conall prompted.
"Since I left my clan."
Conall ran his hand down his face. "By the saints. I hope that one day you will feel like you can tell me what happened. Nothing you can say will make me think of you as anything other than a trusted friend."
If only that were the truth.
"What do you think of Fiona?"
Gregor wanted to roll his eyes. "You are as bad as she is with the questions. I think she's … nice."
"Did anything happen between the two of you?"
Lots. "We came to know one another. She's a very strong woman who can take care of herself. She doesn't need me or anyone by her side to live."
"A true Highlander's woman."
Conall's words were like salt in a wound. "Aye. She will make some man very happy."
"Why can't that man be you?"
Gregor looked into Conall's gray eyes. "If you think that, then you are a bigger fool than I thought. You know what I am. I'm not fit to be any woman's husband."
"Why don't you let Fiona decide that?" Conall asked with a satisfied look on his face.
"If you haven't noticed we haven't spoken since we arrived. To be honest, we haven't spoken in four days. Ask her what she thinks of me, and she will tell you."
"What happened to make her stop speaking?"
Gregor took a long drink of ale before he said, "She found out a wee bit of my past."
* * * *
"What now?" MacNeil asked as he sat atop his horse. They stood on the mountain that overlooked Conall's castle and the Druids.
"We wait. Our time is near," The Shadow said. "Stay near, but out of sight. I don't want anyone to see you."
"I can take care of anyone that stumbles upon us."
The Shadow whirled around and glared at him. "Fool. If the Druids know you are here, they will make sure they
keep you until the time of the prophecy."
MacNeil couldn't hold the eye contact. He lowered his gaze. "Fine. I will make sure we aren't seen or found."
"Good. When I need you I will come for you."
MacNeil watched the man walk away. In all this time he still hadn't seen his face. The Shadow. That's all they had ever called him, 'twas all he wanted to be called.
"Stupid name," he grumbled and signaled to his men to follow.
He would find them a hiding spot so that even The Shadow couldn't find them. But he knew that wasn't true. The Shadow had been able to discover things normal men couldn't.
And that's when MacNeil realized he wasn't dealing with just any man.
He refused to think of it anymore, because if he did The Shadow would find out. Nay, he would keep it hidden away. Never think of it, or talk of it. Maybe then he would have an upper hand on the elusive Shadow.
His eyes followed The Shadow as he walked to the top of the hill. The Shadow raised his arms above his head and began to chant something.
MacNeil snorted. More magic. Probably concealing them so that no one would stumble upon over a hundred soldiers.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Fiona ventured into the main hall after her bath. The water had done wonders to refresh her body and soul. She had dug in the trunk in her chamber and found a gown of deep red.
She had instantly fallen in love with the color, and once she had it on she doubted she would ever take it off again. It fit near to perfection with the sleeves being only a little long. Still, the scooped neck and hem was accented with lovely cream and gold braid. All in all, it was a gown fit for royalty.
As she stood at the bottom of the stairs and stared out at the people filling the hall, she almost regretted venturing from her chamber. She was about to turn and make her way back to her chamber when she spotted Gregor.
His blonde hair was still damp from a recent washing, and his beard was gone. She was startled by his handsome, clean-shaven face. Oh, she knew he was handsome, but seeing him dressed in trews and a saffron shirt without any weapons as he sat beside Conall with a goblet in his hand stunned her.
In her mind, he was a warrior. Nothing more, nothing less. Even when she heard his father asking him to take over as laird, she never imagined him thus.
Now, before her, sat a man as he should have been. Welcomed and loved, for it was plain Conall's clan felt both for Gregor.
Her mouth fell open as a small, black-haired girl climb into Gregor's lap. He stroked the child's hair and gave her a bright smile. The kind of smile one couldn't hold back from a child.
His reaction to the child brought tears to her eyes. She had a hard time keeping them from spilling over as the girl wrapped her arms around Gregor's neck and gave him a hug.
"That's Ailsa, Conall's daughter," Glenna said as she came to stand next to Fiona.
"She's beautiful. Even from here I can see she has his eyes."
Glenna laughed. "That's how I discovered her."
"Discovered her?" she asked not sure she'd heard correctly.
"Aye. She had been kept from Conall after her mother died in childbirth. Once I showed Conall though, he's kept her by his side."
Fiona licked her lips and faced her sister. "Do you like having children?"
"Oh, aye," Glenna said as her eyes shone brightly. "And I hope one day to have one of my own."
"I'm sure you will. People as in love as you and Conall deserve much happiness."
Glenna smiled and nodded her head. "I'm glad to see you are joining us for supper. I'm also happy to see you chose that gown. I so hoped you would like it." She grabbed Fiona's hand and pulled her toward the dais.
"How could I not love it? 'Tis exquisite."
Glenna slowed her steps and leaned close to Fiona. "One day soon you are going to have to tell me what's between you and Gregor."
Fiona stiffened. "There's nothing between us. Nothing at all."
"Whatever you say," Glenna said with a shrug as they reached the dais. "But you can't lie to a Druid."
Fiona found herself seated beside Glenna and thankfully away from Gregor since he sat beside Conall. What she hadn't planned on was the arrival of Moira.
Her breath lodged in her lungs as Moira walked through the doors and toward the dais. Fiona knew no matter how hard she prayed that Moira wouldn't come to dine with them that she would be wrong. To make matters worse, the seat next to her wasn't occupied.
"I thought it would be nice to have all of us here," Glenna said.
Fiona couldn't stand to look at Moira, so turned her head away. Only to find Gregor's eyes on her. She knew he disapproved of what she had done in the bailey, but he didn't know what Moira had done to her.
Let him disapprove. Why should she care anyway?
He wasn't anything to her.
Liar. He's your mate.
Mate or not, she couldn't trust in a man like him. He was a wanderer who didn't stay in one place too long. He even admitted that he wasn't going to be laird of the MacLachlan's. She could only assume the reason was because he didn't wish to be tied down.
Regardless of the fact he had never given her a reason, he was what he was. A warrior.
The only thing they had in common was that they didn't need anyone besides themselves to survive.
When Moira took the seat beside her, every fiber in Fiona's body told her to get up and run, but she didn't wish to offend Glenna and Conall for a second time. Fiona sat rigid as a post and kept her gaze straight ahead for fear of clashing looks with Gregor once more.
"I cannot believe after all this time we are all together," Glenna said happily. "We're a family again."
If Glenna noticed that neither she nor Moira agreed with her statement, she made no mention of it.
"Tell me about your foster parents, Fiona," Glenna said. "I was so happy to learn they were good people."
"The MacDougals were excellent people and very close friends with our parents."
"Were?" Conall asked.
"No sooner had Fiona and I departed the MacDougal's than MacNeil attacked," Gregor answered for her.
"You should have told me," Glenna chastised Fiona. "I'm so sorry."
Fiona nodded and blinked rapidly at the onslaught of tears that Glenna's words brought. She turned her ear to Conall then.
"What happened?" he asked Gregor.
"They nearly reached Fiona before I did. MacNeil and his army pillaged and killed like all their other raids."
"Did Cormag or Helen survive?"
"Nay," Fiona choked out.
Gregor slid his glance to her before he turned to Conall again. "Fiona went back when she saw the smoke. We managed to enter the castle without being seen and found Cormag."
"You weren't able to save him?"
Fiona stared hard at Gregor as she waited for his response.
"Nay," Gregor finally answered. "They had tortured him to gain information about Fiona. How he managed to stay alive that long I'm not sure."
"And Helen?" Glenna asked.
Fiona had never found her foster mother but by Gregor's look and the shake of his head, she was better off not knowing what they had done to her.
"He wasn't alone," Gregor said after a moment of silence.
"The same cloaked figure that tried to kill Glenna and Ailsa?" Conall asked through clenched teeth.
"Aye."
Glenna leaned forward and eagerly asked Fiona, "Did you see him? His face? What did he look like?"
"Even at the MacLa--"
"He kept the hood up," Gregor talked over her.
Fiona narrowed her gaze at him. Why wasn't Gregor going to tell them about the attack on the MacLachlan's? Surely that would be useful information.
Unless he didn't want them to know of his clan and the banishment.
The truth hit her like a battering ram. The only reason she knew was because she had been there. She would wager her best gown that no one knew anything of Gregor's past. She still didn't kn
ow exactly what had happened to Gregor's sister and doubted she ever would.
Gregor wanted his secrets kept safe. And she would guard them as long as he stayed out of her business with Moira. He seemed to understand her silence as he gave a quick nod of his head.
When Fiona sat back, she found Glenna, Conall and Moira staring between her and Gregor.
At this rate, her and Gregor's secrets wouldn't be kept for long, she thought as she picked up her fork and bit into the roasted quail and carrots.
With such delicious food she forgot about Moira sitting beside her until she turned to comment on the great food. The smile died on her lips when she looked into Moira's green eyes.
"Fiona," Moira began.
But she lowered her gaze before Moira could continue. How could she have forgotten who sat next to her?
"Eventually you will have to talk to me."
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her exactly what she thought of that comment, but she kept silent. It was the only way she could deal with Moira, because if she began her tirade there was no telling when it would stop.
After holding such anger inside for ten and eight years there was too much of it inside.
"Please. We're sisters," Glenna said as she leaned close. "I have dreamed of this moment where we all sat down together. This isn't how I envisioned it."
Fiona had had enough. "We don't always get what we want, Glenna. That's life."
"It doesn't have to be," Moira said. "I heard you might be angry at me. I'm not sure for what, but I'm willing to find out why."
Fiona felt trapped. Who would have known that coming to this place to meet up with her sisters would do this to her? She wanted to scream and cry all at once. Her emotions inside were twisted into such a knot that she was too confused to think straight.
'Tis because of Gregor.
"Nay," she whispered. It couldn't be because of him, it had to be because of Moira.
Her gaze was drawn to him, and despite her trying not to she looked at him. Ailsa was again in his lap. The beautiful child looked comfortable and he appeared content to have her there.
She didn't look away when Gregor's eyes found her. His gaze held her intently, as if he tried to tell her something, but she couldn't see anything other than the desire in her own body.