The Witch of Black Isle by Keira Montclair

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jennet was more confused than she’d ever been in her life, but she knew her most important task right now was to try and save her father’s life.

They made one stop on the way home, and Uncle Logan sat her down on a log to speak with her. “Jennet, now that you’re rested, I’d still like an explanation for your actions. You’ve never been so careless or foolish before. Why did you leave Ramsay land on your own?”

He’d made sure they were alone. Kyle, her brother’s second, had the men cooking their meal in a different area, a nice pheasant one of the men had shot down.

“Uncle Logan, I tried to fix my sire. Everyone was there to help me, but I couldn’t, and when I attempted, he swung his hand up in a wide arc to hit me. It would not have been a light hit. My sire is a big man. He would have knocked me to the ground and bruised me for a fortnight.”

“’Twas his pain speaking. You need to forget it. He sent me because he’s so upset he did that. He barely recalls it, but he knows that forced you to leave on your own. He and I both know ’tis no small miracle that you weren’t set upon by reivers. Ethan must have come back for you. They said he arrived with you.”

“He did, but I was set upon by reivers. It was an experience I never care to have again, and Ethan saved me. I was able to scare three off with my witchery tricks, but the fourth wouldn’t be waylaid. Ethan saved me from him. Unfortunately, my witchery tricks also played a hand in the accusations I faced near the firth. I am grateful you came along, Uncle.”

“Now it makes sense. And the part that you were charged with in that mockery of a witch trial contained your tricks?”

“Aye, one of the men who tried to attack me was Alva’s brother. The one in the boat. He wished to fix me because he feared my spells. And one of his friends was the other man who was killed with him. His name was Harry, but I called him Slim.”

“And the other two? Where are they?” Uncle Logan asked, his gaze not leaving hers.

“One is dead. I don’t know where the other one is.”

“Good. Ethan killed the one who dared to touch you, I’d guess. He should be dead.”

“He is.”

“So you ran away, yet you were more than willing to return with me. I thought I’d have to drag you back.”

“Ethan took an arrow and broke out into a fever much like my sire. It wasn’t until a few days after he was struck that I was able to stop his fever. I plan to do the exact same with my father. Just know that he is going to scream again at me, threaten to hit me, but this time I’ll not stop. I will proceed until I can find what I’m looking for.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Something was left inside his wound. I’m sure of it. A splinter of wood, a minute piece of rock, a piece of a stick. It could be anything, but he has something foreign in him, and he continues to fight against it. I have to get it out.”

“Jennet,” he said, lifting her chin so she would gaze into his eyes. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. I will go in with you and stop your father from striking you. I believe in you, in what your abilities are, so I will support you. I know your sire will thank you later. You will come for me when you do this?”

“Aye, Uncle Logan. I’ll come for you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Her uncle continued, “And this time, I’ll give him some of our best amber liquid, uisge beatha.”

Her spirits were lifted at this, because the water of life was a powerful tonic that would certainly ease her sire’s pain. She knew it was only brought out for special purposes, and Uncle Logan had decided that this was one of those times. “I’d be pleased if you did, and I’m sure Da would too.”

They ate quietly, the men speaking about some other feud in the Highlands they’d heard about and the battle that took place. Why was fighting such a favored topic among them? She didn’t know, but her mind wandered to other things. She was bothered by Ethan’s final decision to marry Cori.

Perhaps it was a blessing. While he’d done well touching her, she knew it would continue to be difficult for him because keeping people at a distance was just natural to him. She would have had to deal with this on a constant basis as his wife. She might have failed completely, and that would hurt worse than anything. True, perhaps a woman more experienced in the ways of men would be a good thing for him. She found that Ethan’s happiness meant more to her than her own.

Honoring his promises was important to him, she understood that. He didn’t bend rules to fit his needs. He followed them exactly.

“Are you upset about Ethan?”

She couldn’t lie to her uncle. “A wee bit. I was surprised he chose Cori over me, and I have to admit that it hurts.”

She was just about to settle for the night when her uncle whispered to her, “Don’t worry. He’ll never marry her. His brothers won’t allow it. But he’ll see her for what she really is first.”

“How does that help me now?” she asked quietly.

“When he comes for you—and he will—he’ll have no doubts, and neither will you. Now go to sleep. You must fix my brother on the morrow. You and Ethan have plenty of time.”

***

One day after Jennet had gone, Ethan was in the hall eating his morning porridge when Shaw burst in, a look of rage on his face. “Tell me you didn’t do such a foolish thing, Ethan.”

Ethan peered into his brother’s contorted face, noticing how the degree of redness there often indicated how upset he was. Shaw was indeed furious at the moment.

“What do you think I did?”

“Did you tell Jennet you were marrying Cori?”

Marcas entered the hall and yelled, “Everyone else out. I need to speak with my brother alone.”

Brigid and Tara opened the door from the healing chamber. Brigid asked, “What’s wrong, Marcas?”

“What’s wrong is my brother is a fool. A huge fool. What were you thinking, Ethan?”

Both brothers stood in front of him, each with their hands on their hips. Tara stood close to Shaw, Brigid next to her husband, while the rest in the hall scampered out one door or another.

Ethan waited for everyone to leave, then he would explain exactly what happened. His brother was clearly letting his emotions get the best of him. Ethan wasn’t excited about the prospect of marrying Cori, either, but there was no way out of it now. He always kept his word. What else was there to this story?

Shaw said, “Did you agree to marry Cori and tell Jennet that before she left?” His tone had calmed a wee bit, but the fury was still visible in the veins popping out on his face. Ethan had to wonder if his veins had ever popped out like that.

“In order to free Jennet from the clutches of the Miltons, particularly Ludan and Harry, I told them I would marry Cori. I told them that when we first arrived. You were behind me and saw the situation. There were too many men for us to battle, so I had to think of something else.”

Marcas said, “But just because you offered doesn’t mean you have to marry her. They didn’t set her free when you said that.”

“Aye, it does. I gave my word that I would marry Cori if they freed Jennet. While they didn’t free her immediately, Jennet is now free. Therefore, I must marry Cori.”

Brigid gave a small whimper. “Ethan, did you tell this to Jennet before she left?”

He nodded. “She understood.”

“Did you tell her anything else,” Tara asked.

“Aye, I told her I loved her but that I had to marry Cori. I explained why and she understood.”

Four voices shouted, “Nay, she didn’t.”

He was so taken aback by being yelled at by all four of them that he stood and took two steps back. “But she said she understood.”

Brigid squeezed Marcas’s arm and said, “If she said that, it was only because she accepted your decree. She was also in a hurry to go back to her father to see if she could heal him. So she wouldn’t argue with you until her sire was on the mend.”

“I thought she’d already tried to fix him and failed. I don’t understand why she was returning.”

Tara spoke in a calm voice, something the others were struggling with, so Ethan gave her his complete attention. “She believes her father’s situation is the same as yours. Do you not recall how she pulled that piece of the arrow out and how it relieved your pain? And it then healed with her poultice. She believes her father has the same issue, though she’ll need someone stronger to hold him down. Since his wound has been left alone for so long, the pain and inflamed area is far worse than yours.”

“That makes perfect sense. I hope she is successful.” He pulled his chair out and sat down again, taking another bite of his porridge. This conversation had ended. He noticed Brigid giving Marcas some kind of sign, so Marcas sat down next to him. “You cannot marry Cori.”

“But I gave my word.”

“Do you love her?”

“Nay, not at all.”

“Do you think you will have a happy life with her?” Marcas asked.

“I hadn’t thought about it, but probably not if I must live on Milton land.”

Marcas rubbed his chin, his beard a bit scruffy, so the sound was quite odd. “I know you gave your word, but you don’t have to keep it in this instance.”

“Papa taught us that we must always keep our word.”

“But you don’t,” Marcas said, his voice calm. The tendons in his neck took on an odd look, a bit like Shaw’s a moment ago.

“Why not?”

“Because you made that commitment under duress,” Shaw bellowed, his arms swinging over his head.

Ethan pushed away from the table. “I don’t understand what that means.”

Tara stepped in front of Shaw and interlocked her fingers with his. “He doesn’t mean to yell. You only made that promise because you were being pressured by the Miltons. You thought if you didn’t marry Cori that Jennet would die. Am I not right?”

“Aye, that is correct.”

“So if you didn’t think Jennet was in any danger, would you have made the same promise to Cori?”

Ethan thought for a moment, trying to follow her reasoning. “Nay, I would not have. I think you’re saying I shouldn’t have promised to marry Cori.”

Shaw slapped his hand hard against his forehead, then let go of Tara’s hand to pace. “It really doesn’t matter what you said,” Tara explained, “because they were holding Jennet captive. That was wrong and against Scottish law, so anything said or promised related to that would be void. They cannot hold you to that promise. They were breaking the law.”

“So I’m not betrothed to Cori?”

“Nay. I’ll not allow it,” Marcas announced, his face much like a stone. “You belong with Jennet, and I’m pleased that you recognize that you love her.”

“But Jennet is gone.”

“Then you’re going after her,” Marcas whispered. “That’s an order from your chieftain.”