Chapter ThirteenBrenna hadn’t expected to be warmly welcomed into the clan, and she had been mostly right. Upon Cameron’s announcement the morning after he had claimed her, insisting she wear her léine and arasaid arranged to reveal her right shoulder as he had done, there had been various responses. Most had been tepid or reluctant, with a few sincere congratulations among them.Glynis had looked like she was choking on her food, and Brenna had wished that perhaps it would finish her off, but she’d soon regained her breath and stormed from the Great Hall. To her surprise, that seemed to have been the end of the matter though. Glynis hadn’t approached her again, and she hadn’t issued any threats or tried to come after her. Maybe being claimed by the laird gave an extra layer of protection against Glynis, and she was relieved for that.It could also be because she was no longer working in the kitchens. She’d offered to continue to do so, but both Dolag and Cameron had vetoed that idea
Chapter FourteenHe burst into the tent in a frenzy, ripping the whip from the Englishman’s hand. “I shall destroy you.” Without waiting for any defense from Walstone, for what could what defense could the man offer for the way he had treated Cameron’s mate, Cameron shifted to the dragon and soon dealt with Walstone.The knight would pose no further risk to his mate or his people. When he was finished savaging the man, blood was splattered everywhere, covering his naked form, for he had charged into battle in the traditional way. He spared no time to wipe it away. Instead, he rushed to Brenna and scooped her into his arms. As he ran from the tent, he was aware of the fighting continuing around him, but he caught Ian’s gaze, and his brother nodded at him.Cameron was certain Ian understood he was taking Brenna back to Agnes in hopes she could do something to fix his mate, and his brother was taking over command for the moment. As much as he hated to abandon his warriors, Brenna needed
Chapter FifteenIt was nearly two weeks later before Brenna was allowed to return to some semblance of a normal life. She walked holding Cameron’s arm as he set a snail’s pace down the stairs that evening, prepared to have dinner in the Great Hall with everyone for the first time since her injuries and rescue.She barely stifled the urge to roll her eyes at how careful he was with her. She tried to be understanding though, knowing he was still recovering from how close he’d come to losing her. It was easier for her, because one of Agnes’s potions had taken most of her memories of the event itself.She had small flashes, but they were mainly positive—all involving or revolving around Cameron, like his dramatic entrance into the tent, or later, when he had kissed her so sweetly on the temple and told her he loved her. She had a vague memory of telling him she loved him, but it wasn’t sharp enough for her, so she’d made sure since then to tell him a few times a day to remind him and hers
Brenna did her best to keep running, trying to ignore the stitch in her side. It had been with her for at least several miles, and she was aware of her pace slowing, so she focused for a moment and tried to infuse some of her magic into stamina. It didn’t seem to work, and she wasn’t really surprised. She had one main gift, and that was the gift of Sight. Some witches had a multitude of talents, but many were like her, with just one area of expertise.How she had cursed her Sight over these many years. It had led to permanent separation from her family when she was just nine years old, after Sir Frederick Walstone had heard rumors of her talents. He’d taken her from her family, and he’d held her captive eleven years now.At first, he hadn’t trusted her at all, and she’d made several escape attempts. Only as the years passed, and she learned to temper her impulse to flee, had he started to take fewer precautions. By this point, he believed her to be a well-heeled pet.She grinned in sa
Cameron wasn’t even aware of moving. One moment, he was standing at the top of the steps staring down at the Maclaren lass, and the next, he was surging forward to catch her before she could fall. He didn’t reach her in time, but he quickly scooped her into his arms. “Send for Agnes.”“Right away,” said his brother. Ian directed the comment to Ross and Stewart, and though they were councilmembers, neither hesitated to obey.He paid little mind to them as he rushed the Maclaren girl into the keep, through the Great Hall, and up several flights of stairs. He wasn’t even aware of really doing so until he put her on the bed and realized he’d brought her to the lady’s chamber, which hadn’t been occupied since his mother’s death years before. Despite that, the bedding smelled fresh, and there were new reeds on the floor.As he laid her down and stepped back, a gasp escaped him. The plaid she had worn wrapped around her more like a blanket than an arasaid fell open, revealing an English dres
“Will ye stand up, lass?” asked the older woman with a kindly smile.Trembling, Brenna got to her feet, leaving the Maclaren plaid on the bed as she walked over to stand in front of the apothecary. She’d been treated a few times by Walstone’s apothecary, and she dreaded some of the techniques the man employed, including bloodletting.She braced herself for whatever the woman might do, but she was surprised when all Agnes did was run a hand from the top of her head down to her feet before standing up again. “Ye appear relatively uninjured, save for a strain in yer side. A little rest will resolve that, though I recommend a hot bath to help as well. I shall order one for ye.”Brenna frowned. “Why are you being so considerate to me?”The woman tilted her head slightly. “I’m sorry, lass, but I cannae understand yer English so well. I have a sense of what ye are trying to tell me, but it is not one of my better gifts. Can ye speak more slowly?”Brenna nodded and repeated the question in a
Chapter Four“Did you really spend the night in the witch’s bed?” asked Ian as they rode in the chill morning air, the fog wrapping around them a completely natural occurrence rather than one his brother generated.“Aye,” he said shortly, hoping his brother would accept his reluctance to discuss the topic.Ian snorted. “That is not like you at all, brother. She is English and the Bloodiest Eye. She has plotted against us.” His disapproval was obvious in his tone.“If you saw her back, you would realize just how reluctantly she has been used against us, Ian,” said Cameron shortly. “She was his victim, not his accomplice.”“Now you are to sleep with all the English victims?” mocked his brother.Cameron pulled up on the reins of his stallion, forcing his brother to stop to look at him. “It was not like that.”His brother’s eyes widened then. “Do not tell me you care for the witch? You were in her bed for one night. You did not do something foolish like take her for your mate, did you?” A
Chapter FiveBrenna shifted on the chair as she stared at the laird, savoring the warmth that was filling her. “I know not, Laird Balfour.”He seemed to be considering her for a long moment. “What skills have you besides Sight? There must be something you know how to do now that talent is closed to you.”She swallowed a lump in her throat and then cleared it with a small cough. “I used to work with my mother in the kitchen.” She didn’t bother to share she’d only been nine the last time she had done so, and though she had learned a great deal about how to care for a small family, that didn’t mean she could competently work in the kitchen of the keep.“In that case, I shall see if Dolag can use you. She heads the kitchens. I will ensure you are assigned quarters, and you will not be swept from them again, I assure you.”She nodded her head in thanks. “I do appreciate everything you have done for me, Laird Balfour.”His expression softened for a moment, and he seemed on the verge of sayi