A pang of sadness made Lilia’s heart ache as she watched the men help entertain the children. What an odd sight. Two clan chieftains, a war chief, Graham, and stable master Liam—entertaining the children rather than calling for the servants to usher the busy bunch up to the nursery.
But that was because it was nearly time. As soon as the sun sank a bit closer to the rippling waves of the sea, it would be time to walk up the hillside to the burial cairn overlooking the water. When the long, trying day finally came to a close, it would be time for the final goodbye.
“Can you hold Janet for me?” Mairi gently nudged Lilia with one-year-old Janet while balancing Janet’s twin sister, Jessa, on her other hip.
Lilia blinked away the sting of unshed tears and took the child. “Come here, sweetie. Give Auntie Lil a snuggle.” Dark-haired Janet beamed with a rosy-cheeked smile, wrapped her little arms around Lilia’s neck, and squeezed.
“She always said she would see us happy and settled before she moved on,” Trulie said, watching Chloe hold Oren just out of Catriona’s grabbing reach so the owl could properly inspect the newest cousin. Trulie’s mouth trembled a bit to one side as she hitched in a shaking breath.
“She did at that,” Lilia agreed with a swipe of her fingers against the corners of her eyes. She did her best to hold back the tears as she gazed around the garden. Granny wouldn’t want tears. Granny would want a celebration of a life well lived. “We’re blessed with men who adore us and a garden full of healthy happy babies,” she said, pressing a hand to a heart so full it was about to overflow. “And we’ve got Granny to thank for it all.”
Kenna nodded, her voice quivering as she spoke. “Granny did well.” Tears overflowed and slid down her face.
Angus appeared at the gate with the clan piper beside him. Hair slicked back and fully fitted out in his best MacKenna colors, Angus solemnly held up his hand and waited until he had the attention of at least most of the adults in the garden. “’Tis time,” he announced quietly.
Yes. It was time. Time to say goodbye. Lilia swallowed and hugged Mairi’s daughter closer. Common sense told her this was the natural order of things. You’re born. You live. You die. But when it came to Granny—a tear finally escaped and raced down her cheek. How in the world would they all get along without Granny?
“I’m not ready to let her go either,” Trulie remarked quietly, walking beside Lilia as they slowly made their way across the garden to follow Angus and the piper. “But it was so peaceful—the way we found them. They all three looked contented. So very happy. It’s like they decided it was just time to go.”
Lilia could just picture them in her mind’s eye. Trulie had said that Granny and Tamhas had insisted on spending Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, in Tamhas’s old croft carved into the side of the mountain. When they failed to return to the keep the next day, Trulie and Gray had gone to check on them and found them.
The old couple had gone to sleep never to awaken in this life again. Tamhas lay on his back with a protective arm curled around Granny, who was snuggled close into the crook of his shoulder, her silvery hair fanned out across the pillow. Ever the guardian tethered to Granny’s soul, Kismet was curled in the bend of the old woman’s knees, appearing to be fast asleep, but the feline had passed away too, joining her mistress on the other side of the veil.
“I still can’t believe she’s really gone,” Lilia said.
Mairi held out her hands to take back her daughter.
Lilia hugged the little girl tighter. “I’ll carry her. Catriona’s with Graham and your hands are full with Jessa.”
Ronan appeared at Mairi’s side, leading Sawny by the hand. He solemnly nodded to Lilia as he took Mairi’s hand. “We’ll get through this. She would want us to carry on with courage.”
A warm welcome weight settled against the small of Lilia’s back. Graham leaned in close and brushed a kiss to her temple. “Time to bid Mother Sinclair and Tamhas safe journey. We’ll have them give Mistress Eliza a good strong hug from wee Catriona, aye?”
Lilia nodded without a word, walking along beside Graham with tiny Janet on her hip. She looked up ahead. The number of individuals walking to the top of the cliff overlooking the sea triggered a bittersweet knot of love and sadness in her chest. To think this many loved ones had sprouted from one indestructible seed of determination nurtured and tended by a tiny woman with the heart and courage of an invincible warrior.
A husband for each granddaughter and, so far, ten lively great-grandchildren. And probably more on the way.Kenna looked suspiciously pale again and Colum was even more attentive than usual. And Coira might not be blood but she was family and the child she and Liam would bring forth would be called cousin just like the rest of them.
All gathered around a great mound formed of huge squares of white stone. Crystals embedded in the grain of the roughly chiseled blocks reflected the fiery colors of the setting sun. Tamhas, Granny, and Kismet—or the shells that had once housed their dynamic souls—had all been placed in the single cairn to travel through eternity together.
Karma sat in front of the sealed door of the drystone structure, ears drooping and head bowed. Chloe’s owl, Oren, soared back and forth overhead as the sun disappeared into the sea.
Chloe, firstborn time runner of the next generation, gently pulled free of her parents and walked over to the cairn. She flattened her right hand on the side of the intricately carved keystone and splayed her small left hand in the center of her chest. Head barely tilted to one side; her ebony curls fluttered in the wind as her expression shifted to one of rapt attention. A slow smile lifted one corner of her mouth, dimpling her little round cheek. She slightly bobbed her head up and down in a quick nod. “Aye, Granny. I’ll tell them each what ye said and then ye can be on yer way.”
Chloe turned and faced them, primly clasping her hands in front of her. She lifted her chin and stood as tall as she could, calmly surveying all the adults standing before her. “Granny gave me a message for the each of ye—the Sinclair daughters of Granny Nia’s heart. She told me to ask ye to step forward and stand together as one a last time afore she goes.”
Trulie handed sleeping Ian and wide-eyed Rabbie to Gray, then stepped forward. She turned and motioned for her sisters to join her.
Uneasy about what Granny’s message just might be, Lilia lagged behind Kenna and Mairi. She’dfeltGranny was still close but had hesitated to mention it for fear of upsetting the others. Mairi took her hand and squeezed it tight as she lined up beside her.
“Go ahead, Chloe,” Trulie prompted. “Tell us what Granny said.”
“Granny says ye are the wise one now, Mama—ye being the eldest of yer generation and all. Said it would be no small task keeping this clan in line but she kens ye can do it and do it well.” Chloe smiled at her mother and lifted her chin proudly. “She says that I’m to be a good lass and help ye since one day it will be my turn to watch over my kin.”
Trulie acknowledged Chloe’s words with a sad smile and an accepting nod.
Chloe shifted her attention to Kenna, her face growing serious. “Granny said a time will come when ye’ll have the chance to save many, Auntie Kenna. Ye must be brave and follow yer heart, she said. Never forget that yer instincts will never fail ye.”
“Thank you, Chloe,” Kenna whispered, her chin quivering as tears slipped down her cheeks.
