The Condemned Highlander by Donna Fletcher
25
Annis did her best to hide her annoyance the next morning. She had wanted to visit with the witch again and speak with her about Gunna, but Brogan’s father arrived with the extra warriors, delaying, and possibly, preventing her from talking with the witch today.
“You and your wife must return home with me,” Lord Balloch said, after dismounting his horse and striding over to his son, a stern look sharpening his features. Brogan went to speak, and his father raised not only his voice but his hand to ward off any protest. “I command it!”
“You can command all you want, Father, I will do as I please,” Brogan said with a chuckle that was more sinister than funny. This time Brogan’s hand shot up when his father went to argue. “If you have not noticed, my wife and I are building a fine home here.”
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Lord Balloch brushed aside his son’s remark. “Your home is at the keep where you will one day rule. Clan MacRae is your legacy and those who come after you. You have a responsibility and with the news I just received, you have no choice but to do as I command.”
“What news?” Brogan asked.
“Lord Odran and his wife were nearly killed, and Lord Fergus recovers from wounds meant for his son,” Lord Balloch announced.
Annis stepped forward, fear racing through her. “Was my sister harmed?”
“Nay, she and the bairn do well,” Brogan’s father said.
“Bairn?” Annis asked, her eyes turning wide.
Lord Balloch was about to shake his head, then stopped. “You were not to be made aware of it yet, but since I had a slip of the tongue you might as well know. Lady Elysia is with child.”
Annis took another step toward Lord Balloch. “How did Lord Odran take that news?”
“With joy and worry from what I have been told.” He turned his attention to his son. “Lord Odran now rules Clan MacBridan, Lord Fergus having handed the reins over to his son.”
Annis could care less about that. All she was concerned about was her sister. “Was the culprit caught?”
“He is dead. A brave, young lad named Dugan helped save your sister.” Lord Balloch shook his head. “I still cannot believe Cadell betrayed us as he did and all for the sake of some coins.”
Annis sent a silent prayer to the heavens that Dugan had not only gotten her message to Elysia but that he had been there to help save her life. She was about to ask about Cadell, but her husband spoke first.
“Are you saying Cadell tried to kill Odran and Elysia?”
“Aye, it was Cadell which is why you and your wife need to return home immediately where I can make sure you are both kept safe from the mystery group that seeks to see you, Odran, and Rannick dead and your wives as well.”
“Then why didn’t the man who attempted to abduct my wife simply kill her. He made it known that his purpose was to capture her unharmed.”
“I do not know, and I do not want to find out. I want you both safe. I will send warriors to comb the land to see what they can find out,” Brogan’s father said.
Annis stepped away from Lord Balloch. “I am not going with you. I have a quest to finish, and I intend to finish it.”
Lord Balloch turned to his son. “She is your wife, see that she obeys.”
“I go with her,” Brogan said, taking his wife’s hand in a firm grip.
“It is a senseless quest,” his father argued.
Brogan itched to confront his father with the truth that the MacWilliam lass had lived, but if it was discovered, word spread, she could be hunted down—death once again her fate.
“Think what you will, Father, it is a quest I intend to continue.”
“It is foolhardy of you to put your wife in such peril.” Lord Balloch shook his head. “What if she is with child?”
Annis was about to let him know he did not have to worry about that, but a tug from her husband’s hand had her holding her tongue.
“I will keep my wife safe,” Brogan said.
“From what I heard it was wolves that kept your wife safe,” his father argued. “What if next time the wolves turn on you? And what are you doing walking the witch’s land? It is an evil place, and you should avoid it.”
“I see someone has shared the news with you,” Brogan said, wondering if the person had done so willingly or had his father coerced the information from him, a thought he would need to keep in mind.
“My warriors know what will happen to them if they are not loyal to me,” his father confirmed.
“So that is why you allowed so many to reside here—to report all news to you,” Brogan said, wondering how many of his father’s warriors were truly loyal to him since he was such a hard taskmaster.
“You are my only son, my only child, I would be remiss in my duties as a father and leader of the clan not to see the heir to Clan MacRae kept safe.”
“The curse has seen to that for you. I have survived all manner of wounds and illnesses. You need not fear losing me.”
“You certainly have made sure to test that theory through the years,” his father accused. “And you continue to test it.” He shook his head. “There is no talking to you. No matter how many times I remind you of your duty, you ignore it. One day you will have no choice. I will be gone, and you will rule.”
“Aye, I will rule—my way,” Brogan said.
“Go then and do what you will since you refuse to see reason, but I would hurry if I were you if you believe your quest will end this curse, since word has reached me that Rannick’s new wife does not do well.”
“What to do you mean Bliss does not do well?” Annis demanded, a chill of fear turning her cold.
“I do not know the particulars, but it would not surprise me if Rannick had something to do with it since he swore that he would never wed again,” Lord Balloch said and cast a scowl on Annis. “Go and play your game. I just hope you are willing to pay the price it costs you.”
“Is that a threat, Da?” Brogan snapped.
“It is a warning. What happened when you, Odran, and Rannick began questioning the curse, looking for answers? Life worsened for all of you. The curse has been cast. The bairn is dead. Nothing can change that. I only want what Odran and Rannick’s fathers want, my son safe and for my clan to live on through him in spite of the bloody curse.”
Brogan wondered why his father continued to lie about the bairn being dead. Or didn’t he know the truth?
“Lord Lochlann and Lord Fergus and I have tried to find out about this unknown group of people who wishes to see the curse end with the death of our sons and our clans wiped from history. Lord Cowan was one of them.”
“Was?” Brogan asked.
Lord Balloch nodded. “He made the mistake of trying to harm Odran’s wife and he killed him.”
Annis’s stomach roiled, though she was grateful Lord Odran protected Elysia. At least she knew Elysia was safe with him, but then the way Saber, Lord Odran—would she ever get used to calling him by that name—looked at her sister anyone could tell he more than favored her.
“Try as we might, neither Lord Lochlann or Lord Fergus or I can seem to discover who leads this group who seeks to end this curse by seeing our sons dead.” He shook his head. “I cannot understand why Annis would be abducted unharmed. This group that threatens would want her dead so she would bear no heir. It makes no sense she was not harmed. Whoever leads this group hides his identity well and will stop at nothing to see victory.”
“After what has gone on the last few months, I reached the same conclusion,” Brogan said.
“And yet you still put your wife in harm’s way?” his father asked, annoyed.
Annis’s chin shot up. “No one—absolutely no one—will stop me from seeing my sisters kept safe.”
Lord Balloch’s eyes narrowed in annoyance as he looked to his son. “A stubborn woman does not make a good wife.”
Annis could not hold her tongue. “You speak from experience?”
“Watch your tongue with me!” Lord Balloch warned.
“And watch how you speak to my wife, Father!” Brogan threatened.
“You deserve better than a peasant,” his father snapped.
Brogan released his wife’s hand and went to stand inches from his father, the man having to crane his neck back to meet his son’s eyes. “What I truly do not deserve is a woman as remarkable, intelligent, and beautiful as Annis. If anything, the curse has gifted me a courageous wife, one who will work tirelessly to free me and others from the curse you and the other two lords caused to fall upon your families.”
“We followed the king’s orders,” his father argued, defending his actions.
“And killed a long-time friend and would have killed his barely two-day-old bairn if her mother had not unselfishly given her life so her daughter had time to slip away.”
His father raised his voice in anger. “You know nothing of that time and the horrors that were forced on so many to survive, and I will not argue over it now. What is done is done.”
“And I will undo it,” Annis said, causing both men to turn and look at her. “I will free my husband from the hell he has lived since that day and give him something you and your wife never did—love—and lots of it every day for the rest of our lives together and beyond.”
Lord Balloch did not hide his snarl as he spoke. “Love interferes with everything. It turned Lord Brochan into a fool and over what—a remarkably beautiful peasant who he refused to keep as a mistress? He should have wed the king’s niece when the offer was proposed. No, not Brochan, he refused, and he also opposed the expansion of the king in the Highlands.” He shook his head. “Brochan sealed his and his clan’s fate. The king could not ignore the insult or the refusal to accept his rule in the Highlands. The king made an example of the powerful Clan MacWilliam so no others would oppose him. After that, I was glad I had given no thought to love when I wed. Love causes nothing but pain and often betrayal.”
“Who is the woman who loved and betrayed you?” Annis asked.
Lord Balloch’s startled expression surprised his son. Brogan was even more surprised that his father responded.
“I was young and foolish as was she. My father warned me, but I refused to listen and then one day, when we were to meet, I received a message from her. Good-bye. That was all she said. I searched for her, fearing my father might have harmed her, though he gave his word he had not. She was gone.”
“And she took your heart with her,” Annis said, seeing the hurt in the man’s eyes even after all these years.
“I am grateful she did,” Lord Balloch said with a cold emptiness. “Love is for fools.”
“Then I am a fool, Father, and just so you know, if Annis was ever to disappear, I would search for her until my dying day,” Brogan said.
“I thought the same once, but my father helped me to see the foolishness of such a senseless quest.”
Something poked at Annis, the bitterness in Lord Balloch toward the woman he had loved and his decision to side with the king and to betray a long-time friend. She wondered if there was a connection. Naturally, she had to satisfy her curiosity.
She asked in such a way, placing blame on the woman, that Lord Balloch would easily respond. “Who was this woman who betrayed you?”
“Verbena,” he snapped. “And she was the reason I warned Brochan no good would come of his love for Aila.”
“Because the women were both peasants?” Brogan asked.
“Nay, because Verbena and Aila were sisters.”
* * *
Annis waitedat the foot of the three hills while her husband issued orders to the warriors that accompanied them there. Fear was on every one of the ten warriors’ faces. She was glad Brogan had not been foolish enough to have the warriors travel the witch’s path with them. It would not end well if he had done that, but her husband was no fool. Having the warriors stationed here was enough to deter anyone from attempting to abduct Annis.
A raven suddenly squawked overhead and flew along the path as if letting her know the witch grew impatient.
The warriors, however, turned frightened eyes on what to them was an evil omen.
Annis had no fear, and she was as impatient as it seemed the witch was. She began to walk slowly along the path, knowing her husband would follow shortly.
“Do not dare take another step without me!” Brogan called out in warning.
She stopped and turned. He had not moved from where he stood or had he taken his eyes off his men. Yet, he still managed to catch her movement, which proved he kept a steady eye on her. She could not be upset with that. He protected her, which made the quest safer for her.
“Hurry,” she called out, letting him know she had waited long enough.
A few minutes more and he was by her side and took her hand. “I told them to camp that we would not return until morning.” He winked at her. “I want time alone with you since I do not know where our quest will take us from here.”
“I would like that since I feel the same, though after speaking with your father, I believe there is more to what happened all those years ago than we have been told.”
“As usual we think the same,” he said, and they both looked overhead when the raven squawked again as if hurrying them along.
“Lady Aila had two sisters, Gunna and Verbena. Gunna took on the role of a servant to help her sister, what then did Verbena do?” she asked, searching for an answer.
“She was gone by then if my father spoke truthfully. Maybe Verbena did nothing,” Brogan suggested, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings especially since his wife was too caught up in her thoughts to pay mind to anything else.
“That is not possible. Her sister would have been there for her,” Annis insisted.
“Not all sisters are close like you and your sisters.”
“You could be right, but I do not believe so. The three women were peasants and would need to rely on one another and with Aila marrying a noble, she would be able to help her sisters.”
Brogan shook his head. “So, Lady Aila made her sister a servant?”
“Or did anyone know Gunna was Lady Aila’s sister? Your father made no mention of it. He referred to Gunna as a servant,” she reminded and turned wide eyes on him. “Maybe Gunna resided elsewhere and returned when trouble rose to help Aila and she gave the bairn to Verbena, who had already left the area, to raise. That the bairn was given to a childless couple could be nothing more than a ruse to distract.” Her eyes lost their excitement. “Nay, that would be foolish to give the bairn to a woman your father would recognize when they chased after the bairn.”
“Do you think I have all day to wait for you?”
Brogan and Annis looked to see the witch standing in the distance, her tall walking stick gripped tightly in her hand.
Annis left her husband’s side and walked right up to the witch. “Thank you for helping us last night. We are grateful.”
The witch’s annoyance tempered some. “Why do you return so soon to see me? You have a quest to finish.”
“I wondered about something. You did not send me to find Gunna and now I know why.”
“Do you now?” the witch said with a hint of haughtiness.
“I do,” Annis said with a smile that hinted at satisfaction. “She hides with the mercenaries.”
“They can be an evil lot,” the witch warned.
Annis’s thought rolled off her tongue. “Yet she has lasted all these years with them. And what of Lady Aila’s other sister—Verbena—what happened to her? Surely, she helped Lady Aila in some way.”
“She is long gone,” the witch said.
“Oh, I am sorry to hear that.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “That leaves Gunna all alone except for her niece the MacWilliam lass. No wonder she protects the woman. It must be so difficult for her losing her sisters. I would be heartbroken to lose mine.”
“You shed tears too easily, a foolish weakness,” the witch scolded.
Brogan suddenly appeared at his wife’s side. “Tears prove that she has a kind heart and even kinder soul, which this quest proves as well. She does it for the love of others without thought to herself.”
“I did not ask for your thought,” the witch cautioned.
“It matters not to me. I will defend my wife, witch or no witch,” Brogan warned.
The witch’s eyes narrowed. “I have never met people more obstinate than you two.”
“That is good,” Annis said. “It means we will see victory in our quest.”
The witch raised her walking stick and a raven suddenly flew around her head to perch on the top of it. “He will travel with you and do his best to warn you and keep you safe, since you intend to meet with the mercenaries.”
“Do you know why the mercenaries want Annis?” Brogan asked.
“Someone fears Annis will ruin plans long in the making,” the witch said.
“It has nothing to do with the group who wants me, Odran, and Rannick dead?” Brogan asked.
“You need to look closer to find that answer,” the witch advised. “Though, end the curse and the plan will fail.”
Annoyance marked Annis’s words. “You can’t be more specific?”
“Patience, Annis. Until you understand the why of it all, you will not find what you seek,” the witch warned.
Annis was ready to argue when she felt her husband’s hand rest on her shoulder and she calmed, with some effort.
“There is something I wish to ask of you,” Brogan said.
“What is it?” the witch asked, annoyed as if she could not be bothered with his request.
“Annis has a problem when it comes to the sight of blood—she faints. It worries me what could happen to her in a given situation. Is there any way you can help her with that?”
“A memory has taken hold and will not let go. Face that memory and the sight of blood will bother you no more. But beware, Annis, it will unlock a secret you may not be ready for,” the witch warned. “Now go and enjoy the night in the dwelling here on my land. The wolves will keep the area safe. You have the courage to do what others failed to do, Annis. See this quest done and bring peace to all.”
Annis had not noticed the mist that had rolled in and thickened around them, but her husband must have for his arm coiled tight around her as it swallowed the witch.
Brogan was grateful the mist dissolved as rapidly as it had come upon them and naturally, the witch had gone with it.
Annis turned her head to look at her husband. “Time to make plans for my abduction.”
