“There is no need for that, Colin,” Morgana said silkily, stepping around him to peer into her face again. “Aileana is telling the truth, I think. If Duncan had had any inkling about us, he’d have led a search long before now, to finish what our exile was supposed to have accomplished. His damned MacRae pride would have demanded it—no insult intended toward you, of course, darling,” she continued quickly, flicking her gaze toward Duncan’s half brother as she spoke the last bit.
Until then he’d been glowering like a thundercloud, but now he swiftly laughed, and Aileana nursed a fleeting thought that perhaps Colin MacRae was daft, his moods shifting like the wind.
He fixed his gaze on her when his mirth had passed, his expression making her feel both dirtied and exposed. “I’d not be surprised, her trying to protect Duncan. She’s probably soft on him, what with him tuppin’ her all this time.”
Aileana remained silent, enfolding herself in icy calm as a defense, but Morgana hissed in her breath. Colin only chuckled again. He walked away a few steps, leaning over to retrieve a leather pack from behind a pile of stones nearby as he added, “But be that as it may, you’d best decide what to do with the chit and soon, Morgana. We’ve a goodly distance to cover before nightfall and little time to spare.”
“It will be quite simple,” Morgana answered flatly, clearly not amused with Colin’s observations about Duncan. “My sister will be making the decision herself,” she said, swiveling her head to look at Aileana again. “You see, Colin and I must keep the secret of our continued good health safe from the MacRae or anyone else, at least untilSamhain. After that day, Duncan can lead all the clans of the Highlands in chase of me, and I’ll care naught. But until then, I cannot have you running back to him, telling tales that will interrupt my plans.”
Morgana nodded to Colin, and he grinned as he came back toward them, pulling from his pack a thin strap of leather twice the length of his forearm. Aileana felt like some kind of prey, cornered in the den of two hungry wolves; her gaze darted between the two of them, uncertain which was more imminently dangerous.
“Your choice is this then, sister,” Morgana intoned. “You can come with me peacefully, to remain at my holding in the north until my plans reach fruition—or Colin will have to ensure your silence by other means…a decision which I am afraid will be far less enjoyable and infinitely more permanent.”
Colin had wrapped the ends of the leather strap around his meaty fists, and now he snapped its length tight, pausing to stand in readiness of Morgana’s command.
“You would order me strangled?” Aileana rasped, even though the horrible truth was staring her in the face.
“I will order whatever is necessary,” Morgana answered sharply, her expression dark and powerful. “I have waited many long years, Aileana. Years of endless privation and suffering while I watched and planned for this chance, and nothing—not even a sister—is going to stand in my way now. The choice is yours.”
“Do not think to run,” Colin said quietly, as if sensing the instinct that rose in her for impending flight. His voice was all the more menacing for its seeming gentleness, as he added, “Iwillcatch you if you do, sweet…and then I will surely demand additional recompense from you for my efforts, before you breathe your last.”
Even for all her pretended calm, Aileana couldn’t suppress the shudder that rippled through her. Colin gave her a knowing grin, driving his point home with unmistakable meaning as he blew her a mocking kiss.
Revulsion swept through her, and it was all she could do not to slap the smirk from his handsome, scarred face. Instead, she concentrated on pulling herself together, letting anger override the panic that was burgeoning with each passing moment. The two of them had won this battle, it seemed, but all was not lost. Not yet.
Looking back to her sister, Aileana thought quickly. Going to Morgana’s holding was preferable to death; that much was certain. And if she feigned cooperation cleverly enough, she might still have a chance of stealing theEalachaway from their grasp and finding her way with it back to Duncan. It was worth a try, at the least. She refused to dwell on what Duncan would likely feel once he realized that she wasn’t returning to Eilean Donan—that she had vanished without a trace during her foray to the woods. He’d either worry that she’d been taken off by beasts…or worse yet he’d decide that she’d betrayed him at long last, sneaking away to retrieve theEalachwhen she’d claimed to be innocently gathering herbs.
Her heart plummeted, and a sick sensation filled her. Would he think she’d been pretending what she felt for him all along in order to fool him—or would he harbor doubt about her disappearance and forestall an attack on Dulhmeny until he’d investigated it further?
There was no way to know what he would think. She only knew that Duncan had been betrayed once before because of theEalach; and though they’d recently come to an understanding, the tenderness they’d confessed to each other was so new and fragile that it was likely to waver in the face of this apparent—
She closed her eyes, forcing herself away from such tormenting thoughts. After taking a deep breath, she tightened her jaw, resigned to commence what needed to be done. “I will come with you, Morgana, without struggle. Lead on.”
“A wise choice, sister.”
“Aye, but not nearly as entertaining as the other,” Colin murmured, earning himself another glare from Morgana.
In an apparent attempt to distract her from her ire, he added, “You do realize that when Aileana fails to return to the castle, a search will be sent—and when no body is recovered, my arrogant brother may decide to broaden those efforts…which in turn might lead him to stumble upon something that brings him to us. He is betrothed to the wench, after all; he is sure to consider her his and will be unlikely to relinquish her easily.” He grunted, his expression a mixture of derision and reluctant admiration, “There will be hell to pay if he’s anything like he was with Mairi. Christ—he had to be knocked senseless in order to get him away from her, even after she was dead.”
“Aye, I remember,” Morgana murmured, her eyes icy enough to send another shiver up Aileana’s spine. “We will need to have a care, both in the path we choose to return home and in how we travel so that if Duncan does pursue a broader search out of stubbornness, he will find naught but a cold trail.”
Colin nodded. “I’ll fetch her mount, then, so we can be on our way.”
With an answering nod, Morgana turned away from Aileana and bent to gather a small bundle of provisions from the ground, wrapping the tools in a length of plaid she used as a pouch. Then she straightened to offer a shrill whistle. At the signal, a silver-streaked palfrey cantered up from the opposite direction of the mistenshrouded woodland, followed by a larger bay stallion. Colin rejoined them with Aileana’s pony in tow, securing it to his steed and jerking his head in a silent order for her to mount up.
She did as she was bid, and when they were all astride, Morgana twisted to look at her once more, a strange and almost unholy light filling her gaze. “It is time, Aileana,” she called out softly, “time to right the wrongs of the past and fulfill my destiny. From this moment onward, there will be no looking back.” Then her lips parted in a smile, her teeth flashing white in the shadowy forest, as she dug in her heels to urge her steed into motion.
Colin broke into a canter behind her, pulling Aileana’s pony to follow; she held on tightly with one hand, tugging with the other once more on the frayed edge of the plaid she’d been fiddling with all morning. After a final yank, a tiny piece tore off. A thrill of victory shot through her, but she knew she had little time to rejoice; they were almost out of the clearing. Staring straight ahead and keeping as still as she might, Aileana carefully opened her fingers, releasing the hard-won scrap of wool. It fluttered on the waft of air caused by the horses’ movement…
Floating down to rest upon the dead leaves that stirred and rasped over the barren ground below.
Chapter 21
The council had been summoned hastily, and now Duncan sat in his accustomed place as chieftain at the middle of the long table near the northern end of the great hall. Kinnon had taken a position to his right, Callum, as clan elder, to his left, with another half dozen men serving to even out the group.
The hall itself was nearly full to the bursting with people from the castle and village, and yet a dead silence had descended over all. There had been no other reaction possible after Nora had stood up moments ago and called out her accusation. She’d insisted that Aileana MacDonell had committed blatant treachery against Duncan and the entire MacRae clan that very morning, using her newfound freedom as his betrothed to sneak away and meet with two accomplices before running off with theEalachamulet.
Nora’s words had fallen like hammer blows on Duncan’s soul. At first there had been an outburst of voices, with those who were more than ready to believe in a MacDonell’s treachery—even if the MacDonell in question was the chieftain’s chosen bride—arguing with those who felt they knew Aileana better. But eventually all had fallen silent out of respect for Duncan. Onlyhecould decide what should be done next, not only as leader of the MacRaes, but as the betrothed of the accused.
