Charming the Highlander Laird_Highland Warrior_Scottish Medieval Romance

by Verlin Underwood

  She once again felt a pang of guilt for taking Baldric away from the selkies, but it was quickly overshadowed by the adrenaline coursing through her veins as their pursuers neared them. They scurried through the portal and back into the murky depths of the deep ocean.

  Tara risked a glance back and was relieved to find that the selkies had stopped their pursuit. The fish-woman and boy slowed down their pace as they headed toward the surface.

  Exhausted, Tara turned back into her human form as soon as she reached air. Baldric still had his fin and helped guide her back to shore. By the time they were out of the water, his fin had transformed back into his human legs. The two of them rested for a moment on the beach to catch their breaths.

  “Baldric, you wanted to return, didn’t you?” Tara finally asked.

  The boy thought about it for a moment. “Yes, I did. But I have a lot of fun with the selkies. Did you see my tail?”

  “Aye, I did. It was quite impressive.”

  “I want Da to see it, too.”

  “Perhaps you can show him after we get back. He is mighty worried about you.”

  Baldric lowered his head. “Is he going to be angry with me?”

  “I think he’ll be more relieved than angry,” Tara said truthfully. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “Yes, Tara,” Baldric said, looking wistfully back at the ocean before following her from the sandy shores and into the grassy moors.

  They headed back through the forest, south toward Aengus Castle. Baldric was noticeably dragging. Tara could only imagine how tired he must be after so much excitement.

  Perhaps it would be easier if I changed into somethin’ like a pony for Baldric to ride on, Tara mused, although her shoulder still hurt and her body ached from when she had fallen through the trees as a raven. She decided to stick with walking for now. She held onto Baldric’s hand tightly as they made their way through the forest. The sun was high in the sky, and the forest wasn’t as eerie as it had been in the early morning.

  “There you are, my daughter.”

  It was a voice she would never be able to forget. Deep and velvety, it was a voice that could seduce a man without him even seeing her. Sometimes, to her alarm, Tara would find her own voice sounding much the same.

  She crouched down and whispered into Baldric’s ear. “Run, Baldric. Head for the trees and don’t move.” When he was out of sight, Tara slowly turned around to face her mother.

  Chapter 19

  Her blood turned ice cold, and her breath stopped in her throat. “Mother,” Tara said calmly, belying how she actually felt. She was terrified.

  She’d expected her mother to be in her leannan sith form, but instead she looked as human Tara herself, and not a day older than when she last saw her seven years ago.

  “My, you’ve grown to be a fine young woman,” Una remarked. She walked over to her daughter and ran her fingers through her dark hair. “You look so much like your father an’ your brother. How is Adam, by the way?”

  “You mean the man whose life you tried to destroy?” Tara asked bitterly. “Why would you care how he is?”

  “Well, I see where you got your temper from,” Una said. “It’s definitely from your father. I was always the coolheaded one.”

  Tara laughed mirthlessly. Her mother was anything but coolheaded. She was insane. “What is it that you want, mother?” Tara asked. “Is it my life? I would give it to you freely if it meant that you wouldn’t harm anyone else.”

  “Do you know what it was like being imprisoned in the Seelie Court?” Una asked her, ignoring her words.

  Tara only stared at her. What is it that she wanted her to say? Of course she didn’t know what it was like.

  Una continued. “My prison wasn’t even at the Unseelie castle. Perhaps it would have been more bearable there, but I was at random thrown in the Dead Forest, trapped in the roots of a life-leechin’ tree.”

  “Aye, I saw in the vision,” Tara said. “It seemed like less than what you deserved.”

  “But here I am,” Una said gleefully. “Your plan failed, whereas mine has never been more successful. Did you know it was me who persuaded King Edward to set fire to Lothian? Oh, how gullible a king he is…”

  “I already figured as much,” Tara said. “What a horrible person you are to destroy so many innocent lives. Does that make you feel better about yourself? Does it make you sleep better at night knowin’ that?”

  “Magic always makes me feel better about myself,” she said. “Honestly, it’s such a satisfying feeling knowin’ that I can get whatever I want. Do you know how many people would kill for such ability?” She laughed. “And, Tara, you’re just like me. You and I are the same.”

  “Nay, we are not,” Tara said firmly.

  And finally, after all of these years, she was beginning to believe it. She didn’t want to kill people. She didn’t want to enchant people. She just wanted to be normal. She was nothing like her mother, with the exception of having the same blood.

  “Tara. My dear child.” Una walked over to Tara and reached out to touch her cheek with the back of her hand. Tara recoiled as though she had been stung. Her mother shook her head sadly. “I don’t want to kill you if I don’t have to. Have you ever thought how strong we would if both of us were workin’ together toward the same goal? Together we can be queens of the entire world and have all of the riches and men we want!”

  “No, mother. I will not follow you. I must be more like my father than you, because I have no desire whatsoever to ruin people’s lives.”

  Una’s face darkened. “You leave me with no choice then, Tara,” she said. For the briefest moment, she looked as though she were actually sad. “I could kill you so easily, you know. I’ve been followin’ you ever since you emerged from the ocean with that selkie boy. I had every opportunity to stab both of you in the back, but I chose not to because I like to give people a chance.”

  “Well, how gracious of you,” Tara said sarcastically. Damn, Una had seen Baldric. She prayed that Baldric stayed where he was, out of sight. She would throw herself in front of the boy if it saved his life.

  “I was willing to forgive your past betrayal if you joined my efforts, but since you refuse, I cannot play nicely.” She shook her head, looking at Tara condescendingly. “It could have been so easy for you, but you have chosen the hard way. King Edward and I will continue to burn down Scotia—and that includes your precious Dunaid Castle. Adam, his wench, Nellie, and their children will all die. The man you love and that little boy of his will die.”

  Tara stiffened, and Una was quick to notice. “Oh? Now you are frightened? There is a man you love, isn’t there? How amusin’. How very amusin’! This will be ever so much fun!”

  For a moment, she forgot that she was standing in front of her mother. All she could see was Colin’s face, his smile, and the hurt look in his eyes when he talked about his past. She thought of how all she wanted to do was to comfort him, to make him feel better, how much she had hurt him by pushing him away. Her heart ached for him terribly.

  If this isn’t love, it’s getting very close to it, she thought worriedly. She didn’t believe her mother was jesting when she said she would kill all of her family. Una didn’t have a compassionate bone in her body. “What do you plan to do now?” she asked her. “Will you leave for Dunaid? Or lay ruin to Aengus?”

  “It’s not fun if I ruin the surprise,” her mother replied. “Tell me, what’s the man’s name?”

  “It pleases me to say that I do not fancy anyone,” Tara said tightly. “So don’t waste your time.”

  “Do not lie to me.” Tara stumbled back as Una turned into her true form: a large woman reaching the tops of the trees, with long limbs, luminescent eyes, and blue skin. “You have this power too, daughter. Have you ever tried to turn into your leannan sith form?”

  No, Tara had not. She would rather die than transform into such a terrible creature. She shivered at the sight of her mother’s monstrous form. No, there was no
way she could make herself turn into such a thing.

  She bit down a scream as Una reached her long arms out and pressed cold hands against the side of Tara’s head. Tara’s temples hurt like someone was burying a dagger deep into her brain. She cried out in pain but held her ground as her body began to tingle like it had been struck by lightning. She would not let Una see her weak and powerless, even if it did kill her in the end.

  The pain suddenly ceased enough for Tara to look down at her body. Now she too was in the horrible leannan sith form. Looking down at the trees, which seemed so small now, she saw Baldric staring up at her, his eyes wide and fearful.

  No, Baldric, I would never hurt you, she wanted to say to him, but her words choked in her throat.

  She was a monster.

  Una still had her hands on Tara’s head, and she was rocking back and forth with her eyes closed, lost in some sort of vision. “Oh, what a handsome man,” she crooned. The woman opened her eyes and smiled at her. “No wonder you’ve taken to him. I probably would’ve done the same for myself. A very handsome man, indeed.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Tara whispered.

  “Colin Morrison, is it?” Tara hated to hear his name on her mother’s lips. How dare something so foul say a name so innocent. “Did you have any trouble enchantin’ him? I wouldn’t think so. You and I are a lot alike in that regard. Once we see somethin’—or someone—we want, we go for it. And we always succeed.”

  “We are not alike,” Tara snapped. And although she did not know if it was the truth, she added, “And I did not enchant him.”

  “Come now, child. It’s no use denyin’ your powers. Look down. Look at yourself. See what you’ve become just by talkin’ to me. I can keep you trapped that way, you know. Do you really think Colin will want to be with somethin’ as hideous as yourself? Would your enchantment work then, I wonder?” She leaned forward to embrace her daughter. “I will ruin Colin’s life,” she whispered in her ear.

  What did she mean by that? She doubted she would be merciful enough to just kill him. She would most likely make him suffer, as it would, in turn, make Tara suffer the most.

  “You deserve this, daughter. You deserve to feel the pain that I felt, if not more.”

  You deserve this.

  Una stepped away from her and laughed. Again, Tara felt the dreadful pain in her skull. This time, she fell to her knees, her hands cradling her head, which felt as though it were to split in two. Her body felt like it was being drained of its lifeblood. With each breath she took, she felt weaker and weaker. Soon she could barely keep her eyes open.

  Tara blinked furiously to clear her eyes as she began to lose focus. With each blink she took, Una faded more and more into the shadows of the trees, until it was only she and Baldric alone in the forest.

  Her mother was gone.

  Chapter 20

  Tara’s vision finally cleared. Relieved that she was not, in fact, going blind, she looked down at herself. She was back in her human form, with no more unnaturally blue skin or long limbs. She was grateful to see the scrapes and bruises she’d acquired during her attempt to save Baldric, as well as the dull pain in her shoulder.

  She was human. Hopefully, she would remain that way. She never wanted Colin to see her in her leannan sith form.

  Tara was repulsed by how natural it felt to be that monster.

  Of course it feels natural, she thought. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ve always been. I’m a leannan sith.

  Tara heard a whimper behind the trees and ran over to the boy. Baldric was curled into a tight ball and was rocking back and forth.

  “It’s all right now, Baldric,” Tara told him. “That lady is gone.”

  It took a while to coax Baldric into relaxation. “Who was she?” Baldric sniffled as he wiped his tears away from his face. He shivered violently. “She was so scary.”

  “She, unfortunately, is my mother,” Tara told him. “But worry not. I will let no harm fall upon you.”

  Even if it cost her life, she would never let her mother harm Baldric.

  “What about Da?” he asked despairingly.

  Ach, so he had overheard Una speaking about Colin. A cold fear pressed into her heart. What was she going to do to him? Would she kill him? Or enchant him? She wondered which was worse.

  They needed to head back to Sorcha’s castle and find out. “Colin will be fine,” she said. She then realized that Baldric was still calling Colin his da, and she couldn’t help but smile. By all means, he should be Baldric’s father, not that crazy man living in Northumbria.

  “C’mon, Baldric. Up you go. Let’s go home.”

  …If there was a home for him to go back to.

  Baldric stood up slowly, brushing off the leaves and sticks that stuck to his tunic. He then reached out to grab hold of Tara’s hand. “You… you changed into something like her, too?” Baldric asked warily.

  “Aye, I did. I’m the same type of fairy as her,” she explained. Nay. Not the same. Not the same at all.

  Baldric swallowed forcibly and released her hand. As though to protect himself, he crossed his arms tightly around his body and said quietly, “Are you going to hurt me?”

  Tara crouched down and rested her hands on both of his shoulders, forcing him to look at her directly in her eyes. “No, Baldric. I would never hurt you,” she told him firmly. “Let’s go back to your da, shall we?”

  He gave her one last sniffle and nodded.

  They continued to walk toward the castle, but their pace was slow. It had been a long morning for the both of them, and more so for the four-year-old. His legs were short, and he had already spent a large portion of the morning walking, as well as swimming.

  Tara remembered her earlier idea of changing into a pony for Baldric to ride.

  “Baldric,” she said. “Remember how tightly you gripped onto the horse’s mane when we were ridin’ away from Haddington?”

  “Y-yes…”

  “Well, I’m going to change into a pony, an’ I want you to hold tightly onto my mane while you ride. Can you promise me that you can do that?”

  “A pony,” he repeated. The glint of excitement on his face was enough to ease Tara’s worried mood for just a bit. The boy nodded. “I promise,” he said. “I’ll hold on very tightly.”

  “That’s a good lad,” she said. “Now, let’s see…”

  Tara closed her eyes to concentrate. She had seen a pony before, of course, so she expected it to be a quick transformation like when she changed into a squirrel. However, nothing happened. She opened her eyes and was disappointed to find herself in her very human form, with Baldric looking on expectedly.

  She sighed and closed her eyes again. She’d test out her magic by changing into something she’d already shifted to before. A cat… No… Then perhaps a raven… Nay, nothing. What was happening? Was she perhaps exhausted from shifting earlier that morning? Had she depleted her magical reserves?

  Then, she remembered Una’s hands on her head and feeling as though her lifeblood was being drained away from her body…

  She stole my magic.

  Tara felt thankful at first, like a weight had been lifted off of her. After all, she never actually enjoyed having magic… There was much too much responsibility, and with responsibility comes consequences. She almost laughed out loud from the relief of just being a normal human.

  Colin, I’m just like you! she thought. But then she felt angry and frightened. Without her magic she had no way of stopping her mother from destroying Scotia.

  And what about Colin? If Una enchanted Colin, then Tara had no way of reversing the curse. And she would not be able to save him, nor her family.

  But would she have been able to save them anyway, even if she did have magic?

  There was nothing she could do but head back to Aengus Castle. She would find out for herself what happened. If it was unsafe, she would take Baldric and find refuge. Perhaps it would be best for him to go back to the ocean, wit
h the Selkies, if something did happen to Aengus. The Unseelies were not able to enter the Seelie Court, so Una would not be able to harm him there.

  Baldric collapsed onto the ground, his legs finally giving up on him. Tara cursed under her breath and lifted the boy into her arms. Her injured shoulder cried out in protest, but she ignored it as she quickened her pace out of the forest and to Sorcha’s castle.

  After the trees had cleared, the castle stood in the distance, and Tara let out a sigh of relief. Aengus still stood, without a suspicious plume of smoke in sight. It didn’t mean that it wasn’t chaos on the inside, but at least the castle hadn’t been burnt down.

  Tara trudged down the cobblestone pathway and up the stairway to the entrance. One of the two guards held up his hand to stop her.

  “State your purpose,” the man said gruffly.

  Tara looked at them in confusion. “It’s Tara Maxwell, with Baldric Morrison. We’ve met just a few days prior.”

  The guards look at each other skeptically. “I don’t remember such an encounter,” the first guard said suspiciously.

  “You think that’s the laird’s get?” the other asked.

  “Sure looks like it. Best if we get Laird Morrison down here to see. Wait here.”

  One guard left, leaving Tara to stand in awkward silence in front of the other guard, who continued to eye her suspiciously. Moments later, Colin burst through the doors.

  “Baldric!” he said breathlessly.

  “Hi, Da,” Baldric said, reaching his arms out for Colin to pick him up.

  Colin grabbed him out of Tara’s arms and spun the boy in a circle. “Thank God you’re all right,” he said. “I was so worried.”

  “Tara took care of me,” Baldric reassured him, nuzzling into his chest.

  “Tara?” Colin asked. He looked at Tara as though seeing her for the first time. “Is that your name?”