“Daughter, could you fire a bow like Chrissa? Could you use a dagger as well as Dyna?”
She shook her head, a small smile on her lips. “Thank you, Papa. You and Finlay are right. She’ll be just fine. But we still must hurry.”
“’Struth is, she’s probably been hoping something like this would happen. Was she not thrilled when those men held her at knifepoint so they could kidnap you? If I recall, she was quite proud of her involvement in that episode. And Drostan is with her. Just like you had Finlay with you.”
Her scowl indicated she’d only then realized there might be something between Chrissa and Drostan. She hated it when someone picked up on something faster than she did.
“Is it truly a surprise to you? I was fully aware of the attraction between you and Finlay,” Alex said, looking from Kyla to her husband.
“Good for you, Papa, because I didn’t know of the attraction between us then.”
Alex smirked, glad to see evidence of his daughter’s fire.
“I think we’ve all seen something between Chrissa and Drostan, Kyla,” Connor said. “She is stronger than you think and she has a solid helper with her, someone she trusts. Let’s make our plan, using our minds instead of our emotions.”
Kyla leaned over and kissed her father. “Thank you, Papa. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you.”
Alex hated to tell her the truth. She’d have to learn how to do without him soon.
He’d also have to thank Maddie for telling him he had to stay.
Hewasstill needed.
Chapter Fifteen
A meeting of the old, but still great, minds. I’ve always loved Alex and Logan together…
Once food was brought out and everyone got settled, Alex made his way into the solar and motioned for Logan to follow him.
“You’re an old man, Grant,” Logan said, taking a seat across from the one Alex took behind the desk.
“’Tis true, but only a couple of years older than you, old man.”
The two chuckled, Alex giving Logan the chance to get comfortable. Then he posed his question. “Why are you really here, Ramsay? I’ve a feeling you brought something with you. A cherished piece of Scottish history.” The smiles were gone from both of their faces. The two men had been in charge of running two of the most important clans in all of Scotland. Though Logan had never served as chieftain, everyone knew he’d had a major impact on the decisions made in the clan, especially since he and his wife had been spies for the Scottish Crown.
Logan leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his long wavy hair, half light brown, half white. “Your intuition is still good, Grant. I brought Avelina here. She was instructed by the Queen of the Fae to bring the sapphire sword to you.”
“You’ve seen this fae?”
“Aye, she appeared in front of me this time. Surrounded by butterflies, but she only stayed for a few moments. She disappeared after giving Lina her instructions.” He planted his elbows on his knees, leaning forward this time. “I know how it sounds, Grant, but I saw it with my own eyes.”
“If they’re anything like my old eyes, you’re lucky you can see anything at all.”
Logan snorted and said, “True. I couldn’t make her face out clearly, but I’d have to be totally blind to miss the mass of butterflies that surrounded her one moment and disappeared the next. And her voice was as clear as a hooting owl in the quiet of dawn.”
“Mayhap you blinked?” Alex suggested, a smirk on his face.
“You always were a wise arse.” Humor creased his face but faded quickly. “It actually gave me a little faith in the hereafter. There’s more to this existence than we know.”
“Say I believe you. What were her exact instructions?”
“Lina was told to bring the sapphire sword to you. You’re the one who must decide who is to receive it next.”
“And how am I to know?” Alex flashed to what Maddie had told him in the vision. She’d told him the choice was his alone. This was the kind of decision he hadn’t made since he was laird of the clan—it had the ability to save or ruin lives.
Logan shrugged his shoulders. “She said you just would.”
Alex looked across the desk at his old friend, still fine looking and fitter than he had any right to be at his age. Nothing had slowed him down other than a few fists in his younger years.His mind was as keen as ever, and he pitied the man foolish enough to underestimate Logan Ramsay, at any age.
