“No one…it’s just, she was…I haven’t thought about her in a long time. She made me look over my shoulder for many moons. And you’re not forgetting. We never said anything because we thought we were losing our minds.”
“We?”
“Roddy and me the first time. Daniel saw her another time. Then Sela.”
“All of you and you never told me?” Alex was shocked something so unusual had transpired in his clan and he knew nothing about it.
“Because it didn’t happen on Grant land. Papa, you were a busy man.” His father narrowed his gaze at him, waiting for his explanation. Connor continued, “The first time was at Sona Abbey in the middle of a thunderstorm. We were the only ones in their guest house. At the time, I had trouble believing it was happening.”
“Go on.”
“A female ghost appeared in front of Roddy and me. She had blonde hair and a white gown with a blue band around the waist. We could see through her. I know it sounds odd, but her looks changed. One time she had red hair.”
“Who saw her then?”
Connor thought for a moment. “Daniel and I. We were in Inverness, I believe.”
“So the red hair was because of Constance.”
“Aye. How’d you know? Each time we had to save someone. First Rose, then Constance, then Sela.”
“Did she speak?”
“Verra little. All I remember her saying is, ‘You must save her.’ ’Tis what sticks in my mind. ’Twas a verra long time ago.” Connor watched his father, waiting for his response, but he never got one.
“What’s bothering you, Papa? What brought this up?”
Alex shrugged his shoulder. “Curiosity. I’ve been thinking about otherworldly events. Things that cannot be explained. I asked Steenie about Paddy, and he mentioned your ghost and Rose’s owl.”
Connor crossed his arms. “You’ll have to ask Rose about the owl. All I know is that it watched over her.” He waved to her from across the chamber, calling her name. She and Roddy walked over together and offered their greetings.
“Papa was asking me about anything otherworldly we’d ever experienced or heard about,” Connor said. With a slight smirk, he turned to Roddy. “I told him what I recalled about our abbey ghost. I figured you wouldn’t mind anymore after all these years. Besides, Steenie knew about it, andIcertainly didn’t tell him.”
“I’ve heard all I need to about that,” Alex said. “I’d love to hear more about this owl, Rose.”
She sighed. “I believed Papa’s spirit lived inside the owl to watch over me. He knew Mama was evil, and he couldn’t rest until I escaped from her. Once my mother’s deeds were uncovered, I rarely saw him again.”
“Did he communicate with you in any way?”
“Not directly. I wish he had.”
“He sure made me uncomfortable,” Roddy offered. “I was trying to sneak a kiss once in the courtyard, and the owl persisted in staring at me. Even squawked once. I didn’t dare do it again.”
Roddy and Rose left to join the others, and Connor said, “I can’t believe you’re asking all these questions after what you’ve observed with the spectral swords. If that isn’t evidence of otherworldly elements, I don’t know what is. The lightning, the thunder. The lads swear they can swing their swords much easier when they’re all together, and we both know my Dyna knows things she cannot. What exactly is driving your curiosity, Papa?”
Their conversation was cut short when the door leading outside burst open. Alasdair, Emmalin, Els, and Joya had arrived, he observed with satisfaction, along with their bairns. He’d been waiting for this moment.
Connor jumped out of his chair. “I’ll welcome them.”
“Send Alasdair and John here, please.”
His son acknowledged his request with a nod before heading toward the door. As he approached the newcomers, however, a couple burst in after Alasdair’s group.
Derric and Dyna, and Dyna was inconsolable. She looked straight at her father and shouted, “They’ve taken Chrissa and Drostan.”
Alex muttered to himself, “Here we go again.”
Chapter Thirteen
