Page 31 of Farlan (Immortal Highlander Clan McKeran #3)

G race blindly helped Doon and the maids with clearing the tables after everyone had eaten, and accompanied the cook, Ava and Olivia back to the kitchens.

Unloading the carts of leftover food and dishes that needed washing kept her busy.

A group of guards went with them, and took positions near every door, so they seemed relatively safe.

The kitchen maids must have heard the argument she’d had with Farlan, because they kept staring at her when they thought she wasn’t looking, and whispered to each other, sometimes snickering.

Of course they’d be happy. She wasn’t a threat to them anymore.

She dried the goblets, platters and utensils that the laird’s wife washed.

They worked amiably together in silence, but she sensed the other woman wanted to ask her about her blow-up with Farlan.

His disbelief and the suggestion that she needed help had hurt her so much she wasn’t sure she could talk about it without breaking down, so she kept quiet.

“When I first came here Alec tried to corner me alone,” Ava said just when they were about to finish, startling her.

“He said he’d come to question me, and in his day that usually included a fair amount of torture—even for women.

Did you know back then that horses and cattle were generally considered more valuable than us? ”

“In some parts of the world that hasn’t changed.” She looked over at Olivia, who was feeding some leftover meat to a row of the stronghold’s patiently waiting dogs. The petite brunette showed no fear of her husband. “So, the war master really tortured you?”

“Nope. He never got a chance, thanks to a little prep work on my part. I pinned him and promised to cut off his pretty nose if he didn’t settle down and just talk to me.

” The other woman smiled with obvious satisfaction.

“Anyway, the reason I mentioned that is because when this bunch gets mad, they’re all about strike first and parlay later.

Once Farlan calms down I expect he’ll come to apologize right quick. ”

She gave the laird’s wife a rueful look. “Am I that obvious?”

“You’re in love with him. Anything he does to you in a temper does twice as much hurt as anyone else.” She handed her the last clean dish. “Just like how you stuck it to him by running out of the hall right before the ceremony. He was looking for you until you came back. ”

Grace closed her eyes for a moment. “I didn’t think of that when I talked to him. I really don’t remember leaving the hall. This very weird thing happened, and I forgot all about the ceremony and what we planned to do.”

“Nothing wrong with that, either. You’re likely to be here a long time. Last thing you need to do is make a hasty decision.” Ava wiped her hands dry and untied her apron. “Now tell me about that very weird thing.”

Olivia came over and listened with the laird’s wife as Grace recounted everything that had happened in the hayloft.

She expected them to react the same way Farlan had, but neither did.

Several times during her retelling the two women gave each other glances, as if they weren’t surprised to hear she had encountered the ghost of the druid girl.

“Farlan thought I made up the story, but all that really happened to me,” Grace finally said. “Torra’s final warning about that thing that cursed the clan seems like the most unbelievable part, but this whole place is the same.”

“What did the lady say?” Tasgall asked from behind her.

She turned to face the laird, who stood with Alec. Both men looked as if they had been hanging on every word she’d said. Their reactions were so different from Farlan’s she wondered if they were pulling a fast one on her.

“We believe you, Gracie,” Ava told her, nodding when she met her gaze. “Please, tell us everything.”

“Torra said that a dark Fae goblin called Bodach was exiled to our world in your time,” she told them.

“He’s some sort of immortal parasite that steals life and magic energy from others.

He can disguise himself to look like anyone he wants to pretend to be, and can even shrink down to resemble an insect. ”

Alec’s pretty eyes narrowed. “So that, ’tis how he eludes the watchers. Canny bastart.”

“Least we know now how he’s getting in,” Ava muttered. “Did Torra mention why he’s cursed the clan?”

“It goes back to the twelfth century, when Bodach learned of her existence,” Grace told her.

“To get close to Torra, he ingratiated himself with her father. He used his dark Fae powers to help the MacBren Clan become wealthy and influential enough for her dad to be named the king’s mormaer. That sounded like a big deal.”

“Aye,” Tasgall said. “’Twas.”

“Bodach wanted to take Torra away from her family so he could learn more about her power. He meant to torture her, and then kill her once he stole her ability to possess other beings.” She looked over at the laird.

“Only when he asked for Torra’s hand in marriage, her father refused, saying that she was already betrothed. ”

“To Tas, I’ll bet,” Ava said, her expression shifting from surprised to obvious understanding.

Grace nodded. “That’s why Laird MacBren did everything he could to try to force you to marry Torra, Laird.

He must have found out what Bodach was behind his disguises, and what he intended to do to his daughter.

All of this was to save her life. After Bodach murdered the MacBren and his lady, he cursed you and your clan to keep you from interfering with his plans for Torra.

He didn’t know she came here to warn you about him.

When he cast the curse, he destroyed her body. ”

“Now I ken why the MacBren would kill to force the match,” the war master said. “No doubt the poor bastart would do anything to save his lass.”

“If this Bodach is immortal, then why does he need Torra’s power to possess other bodies?” Olivia asked. “It’s not as if he’s going to die, and he can change how he looks to fool others, right?”

“Torra said that once Bodach drained her of her life and her magic, he could use it to return to Elphyne in a different body. Evidently the Fae can see through his disguises, but they wouldn’t be able to tell he had possessed another Fae through her druid power.

” She tucked her arms around her waist. “She believes he’s planning to overthrow both courts, and bring all of the Fae under his rule.

He’s going to start by murdering his own parents and seizing control of their army of goblins, and then use them to take over Elphyne.

Then he’ll destroy the mortal realm, which he hates. I don’t know if he can do that–”

“Oh, aye, with a goblin army he can,” Alec put in.

“–but Torra believes that in order to save the world, we have to find a way to kill Bodach.” Grace grimaced. “She doesn’t know how to do that.”

“Kill an immortal once he sneaks into a spell trap where nothing dies.” Ava rubbed her temple. “I’m going to need a bigger planning board.”

“You shall get whatever you need, Wife. We dinnae fight now only for our freedom, but the lives of all mortals and our true realm.” The laird put his arm around his wife. “I should like to speak with Torra directly through you, Mistress Johansen, if ’tis possible.”

“She’s right here.” Grace looked up as a white mist descended from the ceiling where it had been hovering. “Please don’t be unkind to her, Laird. None of this was her fault.”

“That much, ’tis plain,” the laird said.

The spirit enveloped her, and Grace retreated into the back of her mind as the MacBren’s daughter took control of her body.

“My lord, I beg your forgiveness,” Torra said through Grace, and dropped her body into a deep curtsey. “I could never reach out to you as I am, before Mistress Johansen came into the trap, for I share no blood with any of you. Had we the bond of kin, I might have warned you all of Bodach.”

They shared blood? Grace wondered.

“You’re as much his victim as we’ve been,” Tasgall assured her. “We’re grateful you made such efforts. Do you ken how may we draw in the goblin? Has he any weakness?”

“I cannae tell you much more than I did Grace,” Torra admitted.

“He regularly comes inside the trap to hunt me still. The caterpillars and beetles that plagued you and yours, he enchanted and sent them into the trap. He attempted to do the same with two bats, but they escaped him before he could finish his spell. Now they attack as they wish.”

“Are enchanted bats responsible for our missing people?” Ava asked.

“Aye, my lady. I tried to thwart them in the threshing barn when they attacked your stable lads, but they eluded me. They’ve the ability to turn invisible.” Grace held up her hands. “My powers, they’re no’ great nor lasting. I may shift a hay bale here and there, but ’tis tiring.”

“Can you warn us the next time Bodach enters the trap?” the laird asked.

“If you’ll set a watcher with a horn in the highest tower, my lord, then I may possess him briefly so I may sound the alarm,” she told him. “’Twill likely be at night when he comes again, as the goblin uses the darkness to conceal himself.”

An unexpected wave of dizziness came over Grace, making her lose her balance. Alec caught her arm to keep her from colliding with one of the cook’s worktables.

“I cannae possess someone for long, my lord, without causing them harm,” Torra said. “I shall come to speak with you again after Mistress Johansen’s rested.”

The white mist rose from Grace’s body, floating up through the ceiling until it disappeared from sight. Now that she had control of herself again she shivered, and smiled gratefully at the war master when he draped her with his tartan.

“I’m sorry, but I’m really tired now,” she told the laird. “Would it be all right if I go and get some sleep?”

“If you dinnae mind two guards to watch over you,” Tasgall said. “We cannae risk losing you now that we ken Mistress MacBren may speak through you.”