Page 12

Merryn

With Shealee freshly awakened from her nap, Merryn came down the stairs carrying her on her hip, uncertain of what exactly was happening. A large group had gathered in the hall, much larger than usual, and before she reached the bottom of the staircase, Merryn could feel the mounting tension.

Sylvi raced over and said, “Shealee, would you like to play with us?”

Of course, Shealee pushed against Merryn with one word. “Down.” She followed Sylvi over to the area where they played not far from the hearth, her fabric bunny still in her grasp.

Dyna and Broc joined her, along with a new young lass who began speaking immediately. “Greetings to you. My name is Lia, and I plan to stay here at Duart Castle. I’d love to play with your niece.”

Dyna said, “Lia, give us a chance to speak with Merryn. You go introduce yourself to Shealee by the hearth.”

More confused than ever that a strange lass would know she was Shealee’s aunt instead of her daughter, Merryn didn’t know what to do. “She talks as though she is much older, does she not?”

“Aye, she does. Would you like to go for a stroll outside? I’ll explain more about Lia. We consider her a blessing, but she is unusual,” Broc said.

“Great idea,” Dyna said. “I’ll watch over Shealee.”

Broc led Merryn out the door, ignoring the few who asked her to join them for a chat. The two elder gentlemen called her over, but Broc just said, “Later.”

He guided her out the front door and through the gates to an area not far from where the guards practiced, somewhere that seemed safe, yet away from anyone who wished to interrupt them.

He found an apple tree and grabbed two ripe pieces, handing one to her before he pointed to a nice spot to sit under the tree.

“Broc, I don’t understand what that lass was trying to tell me.” She took a bite of the apple and glanced over at him to see if he would tell her more about the girl who spoke like an adult. There were so many people at Duart Castle that she was more confused than ever.

He said, “You know that we explained how we have had some bairns kidnapped by K, but we’ve brought them back. Well, Lia is one of them. And …” He paused for a moment and stared up at the fluffy clouds overhead.

“What is it, Broc? I can handle anything, but I need to know what is happening. No surprises, no secrets. Please.”

“Do you believe in faeries or seers or witches? Any of that? Many do, many don’t.”

“Witches? Nay. I don’t believe in witches. What do you mean by seers?”

“Someone who can see things that the rest of us can’t. Dyna is a seer and so are her bairns.”

“I don’t understand. What can she see that I can’t?”

“Things a distance away. Things that will be happening before they do. Sandor can see his deceased great-grandparents and his dead uncle. And so can Tora. They say they come and chase them. You heard of the trouble in the water, right?”

“You mean the battle with the three ships? Aye. We heard about it.”

“Tora said her great-grandfather swam with Eva and helped her support Sandor and Tora in the water. And Dyna was able to see what was about to happen. From a distance too far to be visible to our eyes, she knew which boats the bairns were in, and … Let me change everything. Let’s try this.”

“Good, because I’m verra confused.”

“Lia is a faery. She will tell you that she is a type of angel, a guardian angel, sent here to protect certain people. She protected all the bairns and helped to get them home again. I know I sound a wee bit daft when I tell you these things, but Lia says she has the power to protect whomever she is assigned to. On the last jaunt, she was assigned to protect Grant.”

“The wee bairn?”

“Aye. And so once she learned Grant was her target, she never left his side. And when the men came and gave us all the sleeping potion, K’s men stole Grant, but Lia went along with them to control what happened. She got him home safely.”

“But I thought she had a brother named Magni.”

“She says so. Magni explains it better than anyone, but he met her in the forest when he’d been kidnapped. He managed to run away and ran into Lia. He came with her today.” Then he stared at Merryn.

“What are you trying to tell me, Broc?”

Broc cleared his throat and said, “Lia is here for Shealee.”

“What? She’s going to kidnap her?” Merryn pushed away from Broc after tossing her apple core over his head.

“Nay. Nay, wait, please.”

She settled back down next to Broc, trusting him more than anyone, but what was he talking about? Faeries and seers and invisible dead people? “Go ahead. I’ll listen.”

“Lia is here to protect Shealee. It means she believes trouble is coming, and she was given instructions by someone in the universe, the heavens, whatever you wish to think of it, to protect Shealee.”

“I don’t doubt that. Kelvan is coming for her. He said he would, and he won’t stop until he gets her. Tristan and I have to stop that from happening.”

“We will all help to prevent that from taking place, but basically, you have a helper who will never leave Shealee’s side.

Lia says that someone in the heavens sends her to protect certain people, mostly bairns.

I know it requires you to suspend your beliefs, but after watching all that has happened over the past few moons, I unequivocally believe that Lia is an angel sent to protect bairns. ”

“Nara.” She stopped to stare at him, her eyes misting. “Nara sent her.” Merryn stood, brushing her hands down her gown, her thoughts bouncing from one place to another. “Or Mama or Papa. That I would believe. I know Nara is watching her.”

“I don’t know. She may not tell you, but we have to accept the fact that Kelvan is coming for Shealee. As soon as he discovers she is here, he will come for her. It’s what we all believe. We already discussed everything.”

“And so do you want us to leave?” She panicked, wondering where they could go. “But where? I don’t know anyone else …”

“Nay, no one wishes for you to leave. You belong here for now.” Broc took her hand. “Nay. We will protect you. I will protect you, Merryn. We won’t let him hurt either of you. Just know that Lia is here to protect you as well.”

“So, do we just sit and wait? What do we do? Should we go somewhere else? Back to the mainland? I don’t know what to do.”

Broc cupped her cheeks, brushing his thumb across her tears of fright.

“Nay. You are inside one of the thickest curtain walls on the isle. I will be going with Logan and Alaric to Mingary Castle to confront K and the woman named Glenna. Alaric and I go because we’ve seen Kelvan, so this is how we will know for sure if Kelvan and K are the same man.

What I would like you to do is tell me everything you can about Kelvan.

Does he have any weaknesses? Any other bairns? Anything at all?”

Merryn fell against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She gave in to all her worries and doubts. “I don’t know anything. Do you wish for me to go?”

“Nay, you stay here with Shealee. You are all she has now. I would not split you two apart, and I know what I’ve told you is confusing, but please allow Shealee to get to know Lia. Ask Lia anything you like. She’ll answer all your questions, though evasively at times. But she will answer.”

“Broc, I’m so scared for you now. You have to be careful. You saw how he can be. He could kill all three of you. Please take more men.”

“Logan and Uncle Connor decide on the important tasks. They are the strategists because they have more experience at it than any of us. I trust their judgment. I’ll return to you, I promise.”

Merryn glanced up at him. “I will hold you to that promise.”

“I have to come back. What I want more than anything is to get to know you better, Merryn MacClane. We just don’t get enough time to talk.

” He reached up to tuck a lock of hair that had escaped her plait behind her ear.

“I see a lovely lass who I’m drawn to, yet so much is happening, I feel I’m ignoring you. Please don’t think it is intentional.”

“I don’t. And everything you said pleases me. I feel the same.”

“Tell me one special thing you’d like me to know about you. Just one.” He grinned and held her hand, brushing his thumb across the inside of her wrist.

She thought for a moment, then said, “I love the sea. I love to swim, and I hope someday that when Kelvan is gone, I can spend more time with Shealee on the beach. It’s so wondrous. I learned to swim in the loch near my uncle’s castle, but my first experience with the sea was when we came to Mull.”

Broc smiled. “I have to agree. I am surprised at how much more scenic Mull is than our land in the middle of the Highlands. And the sea is lovely, but not near as lovely as you.”

Broc surprised her by leaning down and brushing his lips against hers, a brief kiss, but a kiss nonetheless.

A gaggle of hoots and whistles sounded from behind them from the lists, causing Broc to roll his eyes. “Ignore them.”

She grinned. “Then next time, please find a more private spot.”