“Aye.” Ronan suppressed a shudder. “Strange, stinking creatures risen from the pits of hell.”
“Agreed.” Gray motioned toward the much larger blue dun horse waiting patiently beside the mare. “Mother Sinclair thought ye would preferAirgead.”
Ronan smoothed an appraising hand down the horse’s silver-gray flank. “Aye. He is a fine one.” He turned back to Mairi. “Are ye ready to give the wee lass a try or will ye be riding with me?”
Mairi glanced first at the mare then down the length of the rolling hillside. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and took a step back. “It’s awfully far for my first time on horseback.” She twisted her gloves between her hands as she turned and looked up at Gray. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought, but I would rather ride with Ronan if you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much for the horse to carry.”
Gray grinned and shook his head. “I feel sureAirgeadwillna mind carrying the both of ye.”
Colum turned his mount back toward the keep and nodded for Diarmuid to fetch the mare. “Come. We dare not tarry. I dinna care to leave our women untended this long.”
“Why?” Mairi sidestepped her way around Diarmuid and the mare, shielding herself from the horse’s swishing tail as she made her way over to Ronan.
“Never walk behind a horse.” Colum frowned down at Mairi then shifted his gaze to Ronan. “Guard yer woman and treat her well. She is my kin and I willna allow my wife to stay my blade this time.”
“What is he talking about?” Mairi tugged on Ronan’s sleeve as Colum and Diarmuid urged their horses into a gallop and thundered down the hillside.
“Ye risk a painful kick when ye walk behind a horse.” All merriment had left Gray’s voice as he watched his men ride away. “I agree with Colum. Let us make haste to the keep.” He didn’t look back as his great black horse stretched into a hard run.
“Ronan?” Mairi eased her hand to the center of his chest and patted. “What did Colum mean about the blade? Why are they both afraid to leave my sisters and Granny alone? Is it the evil Eliza spoke of?”
He clenched his teeth against the telling of the past. How could he explain the staged duel with Colum to restore the stubborn man’s pride while at the same time freeing him from the unconsummated marriage to the Lady Kenna? Aye. He sorely dreaded that telling. How would Mairi react when she discovered her sister had once been his wife? He avoided looking her full in the face. Instead, he wrapped both hands around her narrow waist and lifted her up onto the saddle. “Aye—It is most likely the evil that makes them uneasy.”
“Ronan—and the part about the blade?” Her tone shifted to the pitch he now recognized as a clear warning that his dark-haired lass was nearing the end of her very short patience.
He remained silent. Best let her rant and keep herself occupied with the scolding of him. Better to listen to a nettling stream of threats than face her silence or her tears when he tried to make her understand all that had come to pass. He knew he had to tell her everything sooner or later, and right now, later was a great deal more appealing. His heart grew heavy. How the devil could he even begin to explain all she had yet to discover?
He pulled himself up into the saddle and settled her in front of him. With his arm wrapped around her waist, he pulled her firm round arse nice and tight back against his cock. As he rocked forward with the horse’s gate, he sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she had never learned to ride.
CHAPTER19
Ronan’s deep laughter vibrated against her back as he leaned in and gaveAirgeadhis head. Mairi clutched Ronan’s arm to her chest, bit her lip, and closed her eyes. The icy wind ripped at her hair as she turned her face aside. Racing down the hillside on the biggest horse she had ever seen was too much like a high-speed roller coaster at the fair.
She dug her nails into Ronan’s arm. “Slow down!” She hated heights and hated speed. If he didn’t slow the horse down, he was going to find himself sitting in a wet saddle.
“As ye wish.”
Airgeadimmediately settled back into a smooth, ground-eating canter.
She risked opening her eyes and turning away from his protective shoulder. Much better. Well . . . a little better. This was still so high she risked a nosebleed but at least she no longer felt as though she needed to be belted in and wearing a crash helmet. She thought only Clydesdale horses were this huge. “What kind of horse isAirgead?”
“A fine warhorse.” Ronan shifted in the saddle and the horse slowed even more. He directed Mairi’s attention straight ahead. “There. If ye look beyond that rise, ye will see the top of the stone arch. We have arrived at MacKenna Keep.”
His announcement set a billion nervous butterflies into a tailspin in her stomach. She stretched to see more of the keep in hopes of settling her churning innards. The grand fortress, weathered stone bleached a weary gray, sat perched atop a crag jutting out into the center of a narrow firth. Cold dark waves white-capped against the jagged stones, protecting the perimeter of the keep better than any army ever could.
A stone bridge spanned the deep ravine separating the keep from the mainland. Mairi huddled tighter against Ronan. The icy wind from the sea cut through her—or was it something else chilling her to the bone? Why was she so nervous? It was Granny, Trulie, and Kenna. To be excited? Yes. Perfectly normal. It had been a long while since she had seen her family face-to-face rather than through the fire portal. But why this nervous dread?
Mairi swallowed hard against the knot in her throat and then it all became quite clear. She and Granny hadn’t exactly left things on good terms during their last conversation through the fire portal. And hell had no fury nor nearly as good a memory as Granny when she got angry.
Mairi relaxed a bit asAirgeadclip-clopped beneath the wide stone arch and they rode into the shelter of the bailey. The wide top step of the stone entryway to the towering keep overflowed with Sinclair women. Stone pedestals topped with carved statues of proud fierce dragons flanked her smiling sisters and a hopping child that had to be the niece that Mairi had enjoyed watching through the fire portal. Trulie sharing Chloe’s milestones: crawling, walking, learning to read. It was the best reality show by far. The unusual site of a majestic owl perched close to the animated toddler didn’t surprise Mairi a bit. Little Chloe was the eldest time runner daughter of the next generation. The owl was her birthright guardian.
Mairi stretched and searched the wide doorway closer. Nervous tension twisted the knots in her stomach tighter. Where was Granny?
She wiggled in the saddle, willingAirgeadto stop. “Hurry. Get me down.” She didn’t care that she sounded like a child determined to hurry and ride every ride at the fair. A flood of emotions washed through her as she waved at her family. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d really missed them.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she flew across the courtyard and vaulted into the arms of her waiting sisters. “I’ve missed you both so much.” Happy tears warmed her face as they hugged and patted, kissed and laughed, then hugged and patted some more.
“Look at you.” Trulie nudged Kenna out of the way and held Mairi at arm’s length. “Where did that awkward teenager go? You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.”
