Page 22 of Her Scot of Bygones (MacLeod Dragons #2)
–Lucas–
“YE DINNAE THINK ye can do this but ye can, cousin,”
Broderick said softly, resting a supportive hand on my shoulder as we watched Dugal and his men leave MacLeod Castle with Hazel.
“’Tis only a matter of time before she comes back home to us.”
“Ye dinnae know that,”
I ground out, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me and race after her, bedamned the bloody pact and a potential clan war.
“Dugal and his mother cannae be trusted to begin with, never mind Hazel going into this after what happened betwixt me, Evan, and her. Worse yet, once she’s on Sutherland territory, there’s no way to communicate with her.”
I shook my head.
“No way to be there for her when she shifts for the first time.”
Hopeful, I perked my eyebrows at Broderick.
“Mayhap we should fly in that direction sooner rather than later, as we did for Aspen, lest the bastards go about things as they did last time.”
I didn’t need to catch them up on everything that transpired because they already sensed it within my mind and knew about our past with Evan.
“They willnae go about things the same way they did with Aspen,”
Broderick assured, enlightening me on his forward thinking.
“I’ve since sent a missive to the king about what transpired and requested he send one of his men to ensure things dinnae happen that way again.”
“And let’s not forget Kenneth MacLomain is keeping an eye on Sutherland Castle and Lilias,”
Aspen reminded, her eyes as glued to Hazel as mine before my lass vanished into the woodland with the enemy.
I was about to speak when something clanked to the ground beside me, and Flame snatched it up.
“Something tells me ye’ll be able to keep in touch with yer lass just fine with or without Kenneth's help.”
A small, knowing smile curled Chara’s mouth when the little wolf made his way out of the courtyard and over the drawbridge with a small dagger in his mouth.
“’Tis the blade Evan made for Hazel, only smaller,”
I exclaimed, reaching for the Viking sword at my back, only to find it gone, having transformed once again.
“So good to hear.”
Aspen smiled and nodded at me with reassurance.
“That means you should be able to communicate with Hazel because I’d bet anything Flame makes sure she gets that blade.”
“Or keeps it close to her somehow,”
Chara murmured, eyeing the wolf pup as he vanished into the woodland.
“I have a feeling, given his own unique powers combined with the blade, that might be all it takes.”
I could only hope, given Dugal’s distrust of the wolf.
“Has Hazel heard anything from Storm?”
Aspen wondered, referring to the lass who had been writing letters to Hazel and her sisters since they were children, and was responsible for sending them Flame.
“Perhaps a hint at what might come next?”
“Nay.”
I shook my head, still struggling to stop myself from fleeing after Hazel when Broderick requested I join him and our kin in the War Chamber, where we might discuss things in private. Once the door closed behind us, I went on, saying what I knew Hazel would want me to say.
“It should be of note that Willow has been part of our journey back to each other, and I cannae say if ‘tis good or not.”
When Aspen frowned at me, I told her about seeing a willow tree when I went to the future despite hazelnuts leading me to Hazel, and then about Hazel’s concern that her sister was in danger when we approached the castle.
“Are we sure Willow is alright?”
I asked.
“Has anyone spoken to Adlin? Is he even at the colonial?”
“All is well,”
Broderick assured.
“Willow claims she never left the night you took Hazel. She simply woke up to find Hazel gone, but not her car.”
“And Willow believed Hazel traveled back in time?”
I looked at Aspen.
“I was under the impression she doesnae even believe she’s a witch, let alone you and your sisters are time traveling.”
“She might say that—”
Aspen shook her head.
“but something tells me deep down she’s buying into all of it.”
She looked at Broderick.
“While I’m not so worried about Lucas seeing a willow tree instead of a hazel tree because I get the feeling it was Hazel’s magic at work trying to keep herself safe, but now she’s coming into her true self and inner beast, we should pay attention to her concern over Willow’s safety, for sure.”
“I agree,”
Chara said softly, sensing something in it, her gaze a little off as she tapped into her magic.
“She’s too focused on the morrow when she should be focused on today.”
Aspen frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Chara seemed to snap out of wherever she'd been because her golden eyes cleared, and she shook her head.
“I couldnae say other than ‘tis relevant.”
“As are other things,”
Kenneth MacLomain said into our minds, reminding me I wanted to know what he’d observed at Sutherland Castle while keeping an eye on Lilias.
Chara poured us whiskies.
“What is it, Kenneth?”
“The king’s man has arrived to keep an eye on things,”
he revealed.
“And he isnae alone.”
“Sloan’s with him,”
Broderick exclaimed, sensing it before the rest of us.
“Yet we didnae request that of the king.”
While it was a relief to have a MacLeod there, it was surprising. Sloan and Tavish were supposed to be at the border fighting on behalf of the king.
“Whether ye did or didnae request Sloan be sent, he’s here and I thought ye would want to know,”
Kenneth said.
“As far as I can see, all is well with Lilias and her daughter, Marjorie.”
He directed his conversation my way.
“Lucas, I will keep an eye on yer lass to the best of my ability and let ye know anything of relevance.”
“’Tis much appreciated, cousin,”
I replied, grateful to have two sources of information now, may Flame make his way along without strife, and I said as much to Kenneth.
“Keep an eye out for him because I suspect he willnae be obvious at first.”
“Aye,”
Kenneth acknowledged before he vanished from our minds, and we were left to wait and hope for the best.
“Why would Sloan, of all people, travel to Sutherland Castle?”
I wondered.
“’Tis odd,”
Marek agreed, having been quiet up to this point as he gazed out at the countryside with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Especially Sloan, given he’s always the first to volunteer to fight for king and country. ‘There's no doubt he loves his kin, but ‘twould be unlike him to volunteer for anything that took him away from the king’s side.”
“Aye,”
Chara agreed.
“Yet if it were a way to curry favor with King Robert so Sloan and his intended may always be looked upon favorably, then ‘tis possible.”
She gave Marek a look.
“Ye know how important that is to his intended.”
She was that kind of woman, indeed.
“Yet why send him to Sutherland Castle when the king’s man could just as easily ensure Hazel doesnae get thrown off a battlement?”
I wondered.
“I think mayhap ye underappreciate just how important peace betwixt our clans is,”
Broderick reminded.
“It would be sound thinking on the king’s part to have Sloan there.”
“Aye,”
Marek agreed.
“I love him like he’s my own, but ‘tis safe to say Sloan is as diplomatic as he is beholden to what he’s cultivated with King Robert. He has made himself invaluable and, in turn, the king’s puppet when need be.”
“’Tis true,”
Chara agreed softly, getting that strange look in her eyes again.
“But ‘tis also true Sloan’s a MacLeod dragon who has not yet found his fated mate.”
Her gaze cleared and leveled on us.
“Might there not be something to that, given Hazel sensed Willow was in danger upon arriving here?”
She shrugged.
“And now Sloan is heading for Sutherland Castle.”
“That does seem telling, doesn’t it?”
Aspen murmured, seemingly less worried by the moment despite how concerned we all should be right now.
“Yet none of it will matter if Hazel has the gem over her dragon heart,”
I reminded, scowling at them and downing my whisky in one long swig. I didn’t go on, but I didn’t need to. They all sensed my inner turmoil, not only at the prospect of losing Hazel, but also the idea of her and Evan being together in ways I knew neither wanted. If all that weren’t bad enough, I still feared for my friend’s life if they weren’t mates because Dugal was nothing if not ruthless.
“And we will deal with all those moments when they come,”
Chara said gently, refilling my whisky.
“Until then, we wait just as Broderick did when Aspen went to them.”
“Yet ye didnae wait in the end, and I was right there by yer side supporting ye,”
I reminded Broderick.
“I did wait,”
he corrected.
“until I knew things were going wrong, and ye will do the same.”
Understanding what he was saying without saying it, I met my cousin’s eyes.
“So ye will support me if they mean harm to Hazel before the king’s man or Sloan can stop them.”
“Of course he will,”
Aspen answered for him.
“We both will.”
Broderick was about to say more, but we were interrupted, and I could not have been more grateful.