Woken By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance-Highlander Forever Book 7

by Preston, Rebecca

  "Galen!" She laughed, but minor irritation was flaring in her still. "I've said I'm not going out there again, haven't I? Do you trust me or not?"

  "I trust you," he said simply, giving her a smile. "Just teasing."

  "I think I preferred being bullied to being teased," she said with a roll of her eyes… but she couldn't help but smile. It was nice having a more playful relationship with Galen now, not the furious tension they'd had before. "At any rate… I wouldn't really have anywhere to go even if I did leave the castle. It doesn't sound like the village is a great place to be at the moment."

  "Aye, that's true enough," Galen said heavily, shaking his head. "The townsfolk are worried as anything about the victims of elf-shot. And the crops, too. We've had bad harvests before and survived, but if this continues or gets worse…" He sighed, shaking his head. "And the cattle growing sick is a worry. Still, we're on the hunt."

  She blinked. "On the hunt?"

  "For the elf," Galen clarified, looking at her sharply.

  She hesitated, aware that this was a rather sore subject. She hadn't exactly agreed that she believed him, that Glimmerbright was responsible for everything that was going on… but she was hardly going to insist on his innocence, either, not knowing as little as she did. All she knew was that the situation was likely a lot more complicated than Galen seemed to think it was.

  "Guards and villagers alike, in fact."

  "Isn't that dangerous?" She frowned, thinking of the villagers hunting for Glimmerbright in the woods… with his powers, he could certainly defend himself.

  "They're armed with iron. They'll be alright," he said with a shrug. "And if they're not… well, it's not our place to tell them how to look after their territory."

  "Isn't it?" she asked, tilting her head. "You certainly boss me around enough."

  "You're different." He grinned, his gray eyes dancing. "You're not a villager."

  "Maybe I'll move."

  They continued to spend more time together as the days wore on. As much as Galen seemed to have heavier and heavier news about the village every time he saw her, she realized that he enjoyed her company, that he seemed lighter when he spoke to her. Was it simply having someone to talk to? she wondered. It seemed he hadn't had a close friend since he'd lost his brother. That meant he was keeping all his burdens to himself, carrying them in isolation… that wasn't good for a person's mental health, she knew that much. And she was glad to be of use to him… not to mention that she enjoyed his company for other, much more selfish, reasons.

  But as they grew closer, she couldn't fight the prickling of guilt deep in her belly. She was having a grand old time, safe and sound in the castle, learning how to ride and getting to know a handsome soldier… while in the village, the people were fearing for their lives. What if the problems kept getting worse? What if they ran out of food? And here she was, sitting in the castle and twiddling her thumbs, not doing anything useful…

  And she was worried about Glimmerbright, too. Not that she could tell anyone about that… she knew better than to share her feelings with anyone, even the other time-stranded women, and even though Nancy joked about Glimmerbright being her boyfriend, she knew the girl didn't take it seriously. She might have been being silly or naïve, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the two of them had a connection. She dreamed of him most nights – nothing concrete, no actual conversations, just strange, pleasant dreams of drifting through the trees, of his green eyes glowing at her around every corner, the touch of his cool, delicate hand on her face, the flash of his smile in the darkness…

  And at the same time, she was growing closer to Galen. It was making her feel conflicted… like she was somehow being unfaithful to both of them, betraying both of them, even though she was committed to neither of them. But what was she supposed to do? Glimmerbright couldn't exactly come to the castle to visit her, could he? Not with all the iron around … and she'd sworn to Galen that she wouldn't go back to the forest without his express permission, which she was very unlikely to get. Hey Galen, mind if I just run out to the woods to talk to that elf you think is causing all the problems around here? No big deal, just wanting to go on a second date with him and figure out what all the sexual tension between us means…

  Still, things were a lot better now than they had been, and her friends seemed to be aware of the difference in her outlook. She got a few comments about how she looked less tired, more energized – and even a few coy comments about how much time she was spending with Galen.

  "He just needs a friend, that's all," she protested over dinner when another sidelong glance was offered to her.

  She'd spent the afternoon with him, talking through a recent troubling development in the village – Galen had noticed that there didn't seem to be as many young calves in the pastures, and when he'd checked in with the dairy farmers, he'd received heavy news. It seemed the younger cows were wasting away, struggling to put on any weight – several of them had died outright, and more were very unwell indeed. What could be causing it? she wondered. What would motivate a Sidhe to drain the life from the land like this?

  "Oh, it's just friendship, is it?" Nancy giggled. "Yeah, me and Malcolm are very good friends. That was why it was so easy to plan our wedding…"

  The women laughed, and Julia couldn't help but blush. She had to admit, the energy between her and Galen was definitely not platonic. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss in the stables, but there was definitely something about the way he looked at her, the way he'd walk a little close to her when they wandered around the courtyard together, the thoughtful look in his dark eyes when she caught him looking at her when he didn't think she could see her… yeah, something was there, alright. But it was more complicated than her friends could know, so she just played shy to avoid the worst of their questioning.

  It was nice, she had to admit, to have a … well, a friend, was that what they were? They certainly weren't dating… she wasn't even sure if that was a concept these days. But they were spending time together, and his interest in her was clear. She brought the subject up with Maeve one afternoon in the kitchens, trying to speak generally to avoid suspicion… but she caught the thoughtful look Maeve shot her as she turned to dust her hands with flour again.

  "It's been a long time since I was courted." Maeve chuckled, shaking her head. "But my late husband made his intentions clear with gifts."

  "What did he give you?"

  "Oh, little things. A scarf the same color as my eyes, flowers that I'd mentioned were my favorites… meaningful things. Why do you ask?"

  "Oh, just interested in how things are done around here," she lied, feeling oddly disappointed. Galen hadn't brought her any gifts… unless you counted fetching a plate for her at supper. Had she managed to misread their relationship, somehow?

  Chapter 33

  Galen joined her for breakfast the next morning. That was strange in and of itself – he was usually fast asleep around this time, being the kind of man who always volunteered for the latest and most dangerous patrols, so she'd gotten used to seeing him at lunch or dinner at the earliest. But here he was, looking surprisingly well-rested… or at least, a little less utterly exhausted than he had been the last few weeks.

  "Good morning, Galen," she said, pleasantly surprised. "You look like you've actually had some sleep."

  "I have, in fact." He smiled, tipping her an uncharacteristic wink that made her giggle. "Good eye."

  "Best in the business," she said archly, shifting down on the pew to allow him to sit beside her. He had a bundle of cloth in his hands, and she gave it a curious look. He smiled at her, an odd, mischievous look on his face… then lifted the bundle and set it formally down on the table beside her. The cloth was wrapped around something long and vaguely cylindrical, and she blinked down at it then up at him, confused.

  "What's this?"

  "A gift," he said, still smiling.

  She thought back to what Maeve had said in the kitchen and felt her heart d
o a strange little backflip in her chest. But what was it? It certainly didn't look like flowers, and if it was a scarf, it was made of rather rough material…

  "Well? Open it."

  "I'm taken aback, that's all," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You don't seem the gift-giving type."

  "Well, that's where you're wrong," he said, clicking his tongue.

  She pulled back the fabric that was wrapped around whatever the object was, and her eyes widened at what fell from the folds of the cloth. Two gifts, not just one – one was a blade maybe the length of her forearm, highly polished and sleekly beautiful. Beside it was a shorter knife about the size of her hand, less shiny – and she realized with a chill that it was made of iron.

  "It's a dirk," he explained, tapping on the longer blade with one finger. "Every man of the Watch has one of these – they're excellent in close quarters."

  "It's very shiny," she observed, taking the weapon by the handle and lifting it experimentally. It was surprisingly light, and it seemed to balance in her hand pleasantly.

  "Aye, I gave it a good polish once the smith was done with it."

  "And this –"

  "A sock knife." She set down the dirk and lifted the smaller blade, which was cool to the touch and surprisingly heavy for its size.

  "Is it called that because I'm meant to hide it in my socks?"

  He chuckled. "No, but I suppose you could. It's cold iron," he added, giving her a meaningful look. "It'll keep you safe."

  "From the Fae?" she asked, tilting her head. "Are you preparing for me to go charging off into the woods again?"

  "I trust that you won't," he said firmly, reaching out unexpectedly to put his hand on hers.

  She shivered a little at the electricity of the contact, and from the look on his face that he quickly hid, he'd felt a little something, too. There was tension between them, alright.

  "But if you do somehow wind up out there… well, I want you to be protected."

  She couldn't help but smile at that, weighing the knife thoughtfully in her hand. "You know, I think I can stash this in the bodice of my gown."

  "Aye, that was my thought. Not that I was – I mean, I don't know much about – bodices," he said hurriedly.

  She grinned a little at the flush that had crept into his cheeks.

  "But – well, I spoke to some of the other ladies, and they said this was the best kind of knife to carry when it comes to – gowns, and all that."

  "Anna?"

  "Aye, and Elena," he said with a grin. "They didn't let on, did they?"

  She narrowed her eyes, remembering the meaningful glances that Elena and Anna had been exchanging the night before when the conversation had turned to the relationship between Julia and Galen. "Not even slightly," she said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

  She was torn between annoyance and amusement… they really were determined for things to go well between Galen and Julia, weren't they? Well, she didn't mind… but guilt continued to prickle at her, deep down, when she remembered the way Glimmerbright had looked at her…

  "They're lovely, Galen," she said firmly, putting those thoughts aside. "Thank you. Truly."

  "I want you to be safe," he said firmly. "And I know better than to ensure that by – following you around like an overzealous guard dog."

  She laughed, lifting the dirk again and giving it an experimental swing. "The thing is, I've got no idea how to use this," she admitted, biting her lip. "So as much as I hate to admit it, the overzealous guard dog act might be safer than me trying to stab anyone with this…"

  "I thought of that," Galen said, and a little bit of hesitation crept into his voice. "I mean, if you're interested – I'd be more than willing to train you."

  "Train me?" She blinked, looking down at the knife. "In – sword fighting?"

  "We'd start with the dirk," he said drily, shaking his head. "Basic defensive tactics – how to handle yourself in a fight, especially against a taller or stronger opponent. The same things that the guards work on, actually," he added with a shrug.

  She nodded thoughtfully, intrigued and pleasantly surprised by the offer.

  "I don't want to be your jailer, Julia. I want you to be able to protect yourself."

  She smiled at that. She hadn't realized how much what she'd said in the clearing that night had stuck with him – he always went silent when he was thinking, and it was hard to tell whether he'd taken in any of what she'd said, or whether he was just giving her the silent treatment. But now she was beginning to suspect that he was a lot more attentive than she'd given him credit for. "I'd love to learn," she said, reaching out to squeeze his forearm gratefully. "Thank you, Galen. This is a wonderful gift. And it's not even my birthday."

  "Oh, for your birthday you'll be getting a great sword," he said matter-of-factly – and for a moment she almost believed him. Then the two of them dissolved into laughter. Stern and standoffish as he was, he certainly had a surprisingly good sense of humor.

  "When do we start?" she asked, thoroughly distracted from her meal by the prospect of learning to fight with the sleek blade in front of her.

  "After breakfast, if you're ready."

  "Don't you have patrols?"

  "I've taken the day off," he said with a smile. "Or, more specifically, Brendan has forced me to take the day off. Thinks I'm overworking myself."

  "He's right," Julia said, smiling to herself. She'd mentioned Galen's clear signs of overwork to Elena, who'd nodded thoughtfully and said she'd see what she could do. She didn't doubt for a minute that her quiet friend's word carried a lot of sway with her husband. Well, good. If it meant Galen got a little more rest, then she was all for it. "Are you sure you want to spend your time off trying to teach me? It might be more exhausting than patrols."

  "Only one way to find out," Galen said firmly, standing up from the table. "I'll meet you in the courtyard in twenty minutes, recruit."

  She saluted, and he imitated the gesture with a raised eyebrow before heading off. Grinning to herself, she wolfed down the rest of her breakfast, feeling oddly dizzy and elated. Not only had he proven that he'd been listening to her complaints… he'd come up with a rather brilliant excuse to spend more time with her. This was courtship, wasn't it? This had to be courtship. Part of her wanted to run into the kitchen and interrogate Maeve about what all of this meant… but instead, she pushed away her plate, tucked her new iron sock-knife into her bodice — Anna had been right, it was very easy to conceal there — and carried her dirk out in to the courtyard.

  The iron was a bit of a worry if she was honest. Part of her very much wanted to see Glimmerbright again… and knowing that she had an iron blade on her meant that he would be driven away from her was a worry. But she put that concern out of her mind for now. First, she'd learn how to fight with a dirk. Then she'd worry about Glimmerbright and his iron allergy. Smiling, she stepped out into the courtyard, finding Galen waiting for her over by the eastern wall. He had two wooden blades about the length of her dirk in his hands, and she realized they wouldn't be using her new toy just yet. Well, fair enough. It was wickedly sharp, and she didn't want to risk doing any harm to Galen.

  Not when she'd finally figured out for sure that he was courting her.

  Chapter 34

  In the end, they spent the majority of the morning together in the dusty courtyard, and by lunch time her body was sore, and her muscles were glowing. A lot of what he'd taught her had to do with her feet, oddly enough. She'd been keen to learn how to slash and stab and lunge, but before they'd even picked up the wooden blades, he'd insisted on teaching her how to stand, where to put her feet, how to keep track of where her center of gravity was. It was important, when fighting in close quarters, to be in full control of where your body went – that was the only way to be able to reliably dodge blows. And dodging was important, when you fought close – it could be the difference between life and death.

  Fighting close, too, was rather a pleasant touch. Galen wasn't her enemy any mor
e, not the way he had been when she'd first arrived at the castle, but as her adversary in the mock-battles he used to train her… well, it wasn't her fault if she had to step right up close to his broad, powerful chest to deliver her mock-killing blow, was it? And if she enjoyed each victory a little more than a student strictly should, well, that was nobody's business but her own, now was it? But most of all, she was enjoying it because she was learning something useful. She was learning to protect herself – to fight for herself, not to have to rely on someone like Galen to keep her safe.

  At this rate, she'd be a powerful knight in a few months, she thought with a grin. Her horse-riding lessons with Nancy were continuing, and now she was adding dirk training with Galen to her schedule… she was going to be a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure. Maybe Glimmerbright would be impressed with her new skills… she couldn't help but imagine the slender man once or twice as she dueled with Galen in the dust of the courtyard. With all the focus on footwork, it felt more like dancing than fighting, especially when he wouldn't even let her have a blade in her hand… but to her surprise, Galen had a surprising amount of grace to his movements. She wondered, as they moved back and forth, whether he ever did dance. He hadn't seemed interested at the feast that had welcomed her to the castle – God, that felt like forever ago now. But maybe that had more to do with his bad mood at the time than his ability.

  One way or another, she decided when they called it for the afternoon and headed back inside to wash up before lunch, she was going to dance with Galen Grant. One day – she didn't know when – but she was going to make it happen, come hell or high water.

  But in the meantime, she'd content herself with fighting. They began training for a few hours on alternating days, at Galen's insistence. She was confused at first – that first lunch, she'd brightly asked what time they'd be training the next day, only for Galen to chuckle and shake his head.

  "Day after tomorrow, lass. Though I admire your dedication."