Page 44 of Love Beyond Time (Morna’s Legacy #1)
Eoin took his time dressing for battle in the solitude of his bedchamber.
All his men were as prepared for battle as they could be.
It mattered not anyway; his men would fight valiantly by his side.
He had failed them all, and he knew the ground would run red with the blood of all his clansmen in a few short hours.
He was no longer afraid to die, he’d sent his heart to live hundreds of years away from him.
Eoin would gladly meet his death on the battlefield.
He glanced out the window, watching his men prepare for the eminent battle.
A reflection in the glass caught his attention, but he quickly closed his eyes against the vision.
It was good he was not long for this world; he’d lost his mind, and was seeing his strange, lovely lass in places where she was not.
A hand on the middle of his back caused his eyes to spring open as he spun to see the realest vision he had ever seen standing before him.
His feet grew suddenly unsteady and his throat was dry as he worked to choke back tears.
“Lass, if ye be no real, leave me be and doona torture me so. My heart canna bear it.”
Her slender arms wrapped around him, and his tears ran freely as he scooped her up tight.
“I couldn’t do it, Eoin. I know you told me to, and you’re going to be angry. But I just don’t care. My place is here.”
“Nay, love. I’m no angry with ye. Why, I doona believe I’ve ever been so pleased in all my life.” He pressed his lips against hers, seeking entry with his tongue, desperate to lay claim to as much of her body as possible.
A squeaky noise at the doorway caused him to break his kiss as they both turned to see Ramsay Kinnaird’s daughter standing uncomfortably in the doorway.
* * *
Thank God he wasn’t angry. I knew eventually he would be glad I’d decided to stay, but I was worried that his fear for my safety would be enough to make him react negatively to my unexpected reappearance.
When we broke our kiss, I started at the site of Edana Kinnaird watching us from the doorway. I pulled away from Eoin and went to greet her.
“What’s the matter, Edana? Is everything alright? Did your father hurt you?”
Eoin interrupted and walked over to join us. “Hurt her? Why would he do such a thing?”
“I accidently walked up on them in the stairwell. He hit her hard across the face, Eoin. Look at the mark.”
Edana obligingly turned her head to the side to show Eoin, and the angry grumble from Eoin’s throat was a sure sign he was angry. “Do ye have something to tell us, lass? I willna stand for it if yer father is hurting ye.”
Edana looked down at her hands, fidgeting nervously. “Aye. I know he will kill me if he learns, but I could no live with myself if I let him do what he plans.”
“What is it lass?”
“There’s no . . .”
She was interrupted by Arran’s presence in the doorway, who was hollering for Eoin even before he entered the room. “Eoin! I must speak with ye!” He stopped when he caught sight of Edana and me standing together with Eoin.
Eoin held his palm up in Arran’s direction as if to stop him. “Wait just a moment, Arran. The lass has something to tell us.”
Arran shook his head, making his way to stand among us in the circle. “It canna wait, Eoin. Laird MacLyrron is no the one attacking us. It’s Ramsay.”
I immediately looked in Edana’s direction seeking either a confirmation or denial of Arran’s words.
Hesitantly, she spoke up. “Aye, he tells the truth. That’s what I came to tell ye. Laird MacLyrron sits comfortably at his home, and the MacChristys are no dead. My father plans to attack ye this evening.”
I reached out to gather Edana in my arms, who now cried freely, terrified of her father’s wrath.
Eoin touched Edana briefly on the shoulder. “Doona worry, lass. We willna let him hurt ye again. I’ll no say I’m not relieved, despite the betrayal. Now that we know he’s planning to turn on us, we should have a much better chance in battle.”
Arran nodded. “Aye. Would ye like me to go and kill the bastard now? I doona think his men will fight us, unless under his command. They all know the wretched arse he really is.”
Eoin shot Arran a look of disapproval before glancing in Edana’s direction. “Nay, we need to discuss a plan of attack first.”
Before anyone else could respond, yet another visitor entered the room hurriedly, and I was nearly knocked to the ground as Mary threw her arms around me.
“Oh me God, lass. I thought for certain I’d missed ye.
I’m so pleased ye were smart enough not to listen to the foolish lad.
” She reached out from my side and wacked Eoin in the side of his arm.
“What is the matter with ye? Ye are a foolish boy!” She returned her attention back to me.
“I went down to the spell room to stop ye from doing the spell, but ye were gone. I found someone else in yer place.”
It was only then that yet another figure in the doorway caught my focus.
“Mom?” I broke free from Mary’s grasp as I charged in her direction. I could feel everyone’s eyes on us as we clung to each other tightly, both of us weeping into the other’s hair.
After what seemed like ages, she pushed me away and smiled. “If you weren’t going to come back to me, I decided I was just going to have to come to you.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. Is Blaire with you, too?” I didn’t miss Arran, as his eyes grew wide at the mention of my look-alike. “I placed the ring on the spell book, hoping it would possibly transfer to her.”
Mom shook her head, and Arran quickly masked his expression, doing his best to hide the pain that only I could see. “She didn’t want to come. She allowed me to go in her place.”
“Oh.” I was unsure of what to say and was glad when my mother interrupted, easing the tension in the room.
“Bri, honey. I can certainly see what made you decide to stay. Which one’s yours, and is it okay if I touch them both?”