Awaiting the Wolf Killer Highlander by Alisa Adams
19
Sorcha, Dand, and Maisie had heard the approach of Nathan’s horde and that of the Brodies shortly after; however, with no view from the dungeons, they were unable to determine who was riding or what their purpose was. All they could do was wait and try to quiet the wailing of Maisie’s infant.
The rest of the prisoners barely seemed to notice the commotion. After all, what difference did it make to them? In recent years, the leadership of the clan had changed hands from Ronald to Aodh to Dand, then back to Aodh again, then to Sorcha, and, most recently, to Ryan McKenna. Yet through it all, very few of them had been released or even remembered. No matter who ruled the Campbells, these scrawny, filthy, dishonored men and women were all certain they would die without ever seeing the sun again.
Within the hour, heated words were exchanged at the door to the dungeons, and then they were unlocked; Laird Fergus strode in. “Lady Sorcha? Where are you, lass?”
“Here!” Sorcha called out. “And Dand and his family are here with me!”
Naturally, there were a few jokers among the other prisoners who also called out, claiming to be Sorcha (most of them men).
But Fergus found his way and embraced Sorcha, Dand, and Maisie by turns. “Thank God you are all alive,” he said. “And apparently, not affected by this plague which has raged through your lands.”
“It is a curious miracle, is it not?” Dand agreed. “Most of the prisoners here have fallen before the sickness, yet we have remained unaffected. So, has McKenna relented, then?”
“He has, aye,” Fergus told him. “Aodh and Freya are with Moire at my fortress across the water. I will send for them shortly, now that the battle is won, and Aodh will reclaim his lairdship. Control of the clan will belong to the rightful Campbell heirs once more, thank heavens.”
“Then their visit to those healers was successful?” Sorcha asked hopefully. “Their illness has been cured?”
Fergus nodded. “Indeed it has. They could not tell me how, only that they were tended to with the utmost care, and that the fever and fatigue no longer had hold of them.”
Sorcha’s heart took flight with sheer relief. Her prayers had been answered. All of her siblings remained alive and safe. She would see them in due time and, God willing, for many years to come.
If only I could send all of the afflicted clansmen to receive the same treatment, she thought. Ah well. One problem at a time, I suppose.
“Where is Malcolm?” she asked.
Her brother-in-law raised an eyebrow. “He is out in the courtyard with his brother. Why do you wish to know?”
“I wished to be certain he had survived the conflict,” Sorcha said. “And I wish to thank him for the part he has played in all of this. Without him, there would have been no way to secure your assistance and win the day.”
Fergus nodded. “Very well. Come, let us get you out of this foul place.”
Sorcha and the others ascended the stone steps, shielding their eyes against the glare of the sunlight. When her vision cleared, she saw Malcolm standing next to Nathan and ran to him, embracing him tightly.
“You have my eternal gratitude!” she said, burying her face in his chest. “You shall remain here, Malcolm, and you shall be granted the highest honors as a mighty warrior in service to this clan! A home, a title, servants of your own…anything you wish, sir, you have only to name it, and it will be yours!”
Especially if what you say you wish is to be with me, she added mentally, inhaling his comforting musk. Because by God, I do not care about your station or my own. If you would only agree to be with me, I would find a way to make it happen, I swear it. After what you have done for me this day, I would give my life for you. Parting with the trappings of my nobility would be nothing to me.
And now that Aodh is recovered, might I not do as Dand did and choose my own love…my own destiny? Who could blame me for such a thing?
In truth, Sorcha had suffered a horrid reminder of what it was to be a prisoner. Now that she had regained her freedom, she did not wish to waste another moment of it on a life that lacked his presence and his love.
But as he looked upon her, his eyes were filled with sadness.
“What is the matter?” she asked, touching his face. She could feel the eyes of Fergus and the others upon her and knew that such behavior was considered inappropriate, but she did not care about such things anymore.
“Your offer is most kind, my lady, as it ever was.” His voice was hoarse, his tone oddly stiff. “However, unfortunately, I cannot remain here. The aid of my brother was contingent upon a price, you see: That I would return with him to the home I once ran from and face my trial and punishment, which has been deferred for so very long.”
“What?” She could not believe her ears. “Whatever you did back then, Malcolm, surely it cannot have been as bad as that! Can time not have forgiven your sin? Whatever is on your conscience—”
“The death of a boy is on his conscience, trampled by a rider who’d had too much wine,” Nathan spoke up, his tone neutral. “And that crime has been on my conscience as well all these years, for having allowed the offender to escape his comeuppance all these years. Now, at last, the matter shall be put to rest for good and all. Come, Marcus. Let us go away.”
As Malcolm went with Nathan, Sorcha reached out, her voice cracking with desperation. “Malcolm!”
His eyes met hers, and the melancholy in them nearly destroyed her. “I suppose you may call me by my true name now, my lady, if you like,” he said. “It is the name that the mob will be shouting angrily, no doubt, as they call for my head.”
And with that, he mounted his horse and rode off with Nathan and their remaining warriors, not even permitting himself a glance back.
That night, there was no celebration at the castle.
They had achieved victory well enough, and under normal circumstances, a visit from so many of the Brodie clansmen would have been met with revels so that old allies could drink together and exchange stories. Not only that, but the news of Aodh and Freya’s recovery might have merited some music and dancing.
Instead, Dand, Fergus, Edmund, and Sorcha sat at the long table in the dining hall, each of them barely touching the food in front of them.
“So there was affection, then, between you and this Malcolm fellow?” Fergus finally spoke up.
“Nothing untoward occurred, I assure you.” But as she said this, she blushed slightly, thinking of the kiss they had shared.
“And surely you cannot condemn her for that,” Dand said. “I am a noble who fell in love with one who wasn’t, and I chose to follow my heart in that matter. Such things do happen, after all. There is no shame in them.”
“Your situation was quite different,” Fergus pointed out. “You lived most of your life as a wanderer and a brigand. Of course you were not inclined to follow tradition in such matters.”
Edmund raised his eyebrows. “And what of your love for Dand’s sister, then? Tell me, old friend, when you revived her on that beach, and her eyes met yours, were you utterly indifferent to her charms until you later learned she was of noble blood? I seem to recall this was not the case at all.”
Fergus chuckled humorlessly. “Fair point. Even so, none of it is of any consequence now, is it? From the sound of it, Malcolm—or Marcus, or whomever he truly is—will either be jailed for life or put to death.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Sorcha said quietly.
The others turned to look at her.
“What on earth are you talking about?” Edmund asked. “The matter is settled, you have been freed, and Malcolm has gone on to fulfill his obligation to his brother. You have no say in it, my lady, I’m sorry to say.”
“When I was in dire straits, my future bleak and uncertain, all my hope lost…when I prayed to God for deliverance… That man was my salvation.” Sorcha’s words were as firm as iron. “I will not abandon him in his hour of need. I mean to do all I can to save him, and I will let no one stand in my way.”
“Then will you, perhaps, allow people to aid you by confiding your plan to them?” Edmund asked with a small smile.
“First, I must go to the Fraser lands,” she said. “Without causing any fuss about it, if possible; no drums or banners, no grand processions. If I am to accomplish anything, I must approach this with the utmost discretion so as not to tip my hand.”
“And then?” Dand leaned forward in his seat, intrigued.
“Inquiries must be made with regard to the crime in question, and perhaps even beyond that to the mystery of Malcolm’s birth. He was found in a basket. But from where? Who left him?”
Fergus shrugged. “Some peasant girl who could not afford to feed her unwanted infant, no doubt. Such things occur frequently.”
Sorcha nodded. “Perhaps. But I must grasp at any possibility to prove Malcolm’s innocence, no matter how slight.”
“And if he is not innocent, my lady?” Edmund asked.
“I have looked into that man’s eyes and seen what is behind them,” she retorted. “He is a killer of men, yes, and of wolves, but not of boys. Not even by accident. There is some darker plot at work here, and I intend to expose it.”
Dand stood with a grin. “Then it seems we must be off at once, my dear sister, does it not?”
Sorcha smiled, then turned to Fergus. “And you, brother-in-law? Will you aid me?”
Fergus shook his head. “I admire your courage and will, to be sure, and I hope they serve you well in this endeavor. But my duty is to my clan, your sister Moire, and our child. I cannot embark on such a quest. However…”
“No, please, do not say it, I beg you,” Edmund muttered softly, rolling his eyes.
“...it would be my pleasure to send Edmund in my stead,” Fergus finished.
Sorcha’s eyes lit up. “Excellent! I can think of no one I would rather have at my side in such an urgent matter. Edmund, you may begin by going to the stable and having our horses saddled!”
“Imagine my honor at being appointed to such a vital task,” Edmund grumbled.
