He’d seen his father and mother. He pushed that from his mind until he had someone like Sela or Aunt Brenna to talk with. It had been so real.
But then he’d opened his eyes to see Hagen and Brynja’s hands on his belly, Lia behind Brynja talking, and a strange force shot through him at the same time a bolt of lightning came right at him.
He thought he’d been hit, but yet he’d lived.
How? How had he healed so quickly?
There were things on this isle that never made sense, but he was too tired to think on it.
They’d arrived to cheers from the parapets, Dyna squealing, Sela sobbing.
Tora had shouted, “Gwandda comeen. See, Gwanmama.”
Even though it was late, the bairns were still awake. They couldn’t sleep, something inside them knowing they needed to see their grandfather.
Hagen, his first-born son, whom he was so proud of, shoved everyone aside and shouted, “He needs Aunt Brenna. Alaric will explain. Brynja and I will take him inside.”
And the crowd had spread apart, giving them the room they needed. Connor had managed to dismount with only one knee buckling, Hagen catching him easily. The lad was stronger than he would have guessed. But hellfire if the boy wasn’t a wee bit taller than he was now.
His father would be proud.
Sela sobbed and leaned over, Hagen allowing his mother to kiss his cheek. Then he said, “Follow us inside, Mama. We cannot stop.”
Connor whispered to Hagen as they approached the keep, “I can’t make the steps.” But his son had scooped him up and carried him up the stairs without even a grunt.
He’d immediately remembered the day he’d had to do the same with his father when he came back from the battle with Buchan. When his mother had fashioned a bed for his father in the stables at Clan Cameron, as if she’d known he’d come home weakened.
“I remember, Da.” He could picture his mother and father as if it happened two days ago.
“What?” Hagen asked.
“Naught.” Hellfire, he was talking to ghosts now. His mind was playing trickery on him.
Maitland opened the door and walked next to him. “If he’s too heavy, Hagen, I can help, and Alaric is right behind you. Don’t try to set him down alone. We’ll help.
“Welcome home, Grant. Glad to see you here,” Logan shouted.
Maitland opened the door to the healing chamber, and Aunt Brenna pointed to the bed. “I’ve been waiting for you, Connor. I was going to return home, but something told me to stay a wee bit longer. I’m glad I did.”
Hagen moved to set his father down on the bed. “Maitland, catch his other side. I can’t maneuver him.”
“He’s too tall, I’ve got this side,” Maitland said, the two men lowering him to the bed.
Maeve squeezed in and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Connor.”
Connor grabbed her hand. “Stay, Maeve. I need to speak with you and Sela and Brenna.”
Aunt Brenna said, “Not until I hear about the wound. Everyone out except Maeve, Sela, and Hagen. If you were there, Hagen.”
“I was.”
People shuffled out, but at the last minute, Connor yelled, “Stay, Brynja.”
Aunt Brenna arched a brow in question at him, Sela staring at him wide-eyed. He held a hand up to tell them to wait.
Maeve and Sela stood back, Aunt Brenna on a stool next to him, already doing the things he’d seen her and Aunt Jennie do so many times. Looking and touching and feeling and looking again.
When the door closed, he said, “I’ll tell you what happened.”
