“Aye. I always did love you in that night rail.” He smirked. “Go on. I know that look. Who’s at risk this time? I’m certain someone is in grave danger, so I’ll wait for you to tell me who the troublemaker is this time.”
Maddie sighed and leaned toward him, taking his hand. “I’m not sure. You must keep an eye on Chrissa. Something is going on, and I know not what. She looks so much like you and her mother. Do you not think so? And she’s headstrong like Kyla. They have your blood in them, for certes.”
“And yours,” he reminded her. “The English are after her, or is it the other force? The one that wants to take over our castle.”
She lifted a hand to her lips, thinking. “Would that I knew. There is evil lurking, that much I can see clearly. I’ve heard it will rival the evil we faced many, many years ago. It pleases me that Logan is coming. Perhaps he’ll help you figure out who seeks to cause trouble between our clans.”
“Do Logan and Lina have the sword in their possession yet?”
“Aye, Lina will bring it to you, and you must help her decide on the proper protector. I cannot say anything else about it, nor do I know who should take ownership. But I do know this.Chrissa is in trouble, and the battle on Midsummer’s Day will be pivotal. The lads must send as many guards as they can to Stirling.”
“But?” he whispered in her ear, taking advantage of their closeness.
“The other force, the one that seeks to sow discord between the Grants and the Ramsays, will come as a surprise. You must assist them in rooting it out.”
“Will you take me home with you when this is over?” he asked, his heart racing as he awaited his answer. He was so ready to be with her again.
“Alex,” she said, leaning into him so their bodies melded together. “Much as I would love to, you know I cannot tell you. Oh, drat.” She looked at her hand, the vision disappearing. “I love you, Alexander Grant. Thank you for taking such good care of our bairns, grandbairns, and great-grandbairns. We have some feisty new lassies.”
He opened his mouth to tell her how right she was, but he didn’t get the chance.
She was gone.
Chapter Twelve
Alex meets Steenie again. He has many questions about ghosts and pets…
Alex made his way through the great hall, stopping at the trestle table halfway across. His old bones had aged enough that he struggled to make it across without stopping. He’d never expected to live this long—almost eight decades—but he had a purpose.
At least, that was what his wife had told him in his dreams. There were things he had to do before he could leave and join her in heaven. Each day he grew more weary, more ready. Therewere many people he’d love to see again besides Maddie—his parents, his brother, his son and his wife, and the bairn he and Maddie had never gotten to know. And so many more. Too many.
He sat in the large chair at the hearth, setting his wooden support down, and gave himself the chance to look over the group in the hall. How proud he was of his family, his clan.
Jamie and Connor were situated around the hearth, their wives and bairns not far. He suspected they were still debating the numbers to send to King Robert. Midsummer’s Day was less than a fortnight away. They were all dedicated to contribute whatever they could to the battle. It was time to end the tyranny of King Edward II.
A noise caught his attention by the door. Visitors. Something he loved more than anything simply because his kin were spread far and wide. To his surprise, it was his brother Brodie and the clan from Muir Castle. Brodie’s son Braden was there, along with his wife, Cairstine. Robbie’s son Roddy and his wife, Rose, had also come, and both families had their bairns.
Cairstine’s son Steenie rushed over to his side first. “Greetings to you, Uncle Alex.”
“Steenie, will you ever stop growing? I think you may be taller than Connor.”
Steenie threw his shoulders back a bit to enhance his height. “Aye, I’m tall, but my goal is to develop sword skills as strong as yours were.”
Alex peered around him at the rest of the group. “Is your wife carrying again?”
“Aye, she is. Still wants a laddie, although I’m loving my lassies.”
“Steenie, sit with me for a wee bit. I have a question for you.” He waved his brother and nephews away, wishing to speak with Steenie alone.
“Aye?” Steenie pulled a chair up.
“It’s about your pony. The one who everyone thought had an old spirit inside him. I remember the stories about him verra well, about how he came to you, protected you, and then he showed up at Muir Castle on his own. I heard he even helped you find a lass who’d been buried in the snow. He led Braden to a cave where she’d been living with her younger brother. Is this all true?”
“Paddy? Aye. He was an amazing pet and a true friend to me. How he knew some things, I’ll never know. We lost him several years ago. Oddly enough, sometimes I feel he’s still around watching over our daughters. What do you wish to know about him?”
“Humor this old man who’s trying to learn about this world I’ve lived in for so long. How did you find Paddy?”
Steenie rubbed his chin, staring up at the beams on the ceiling. “Give me a moment to think on it, Uncle Alex. The memory is slow to come, and I was only around five summers.”
