"Laird MacMillan!" the soldier gasped, urgency lacing his every word. "There's a fire in the village! It's spreadin' fast, and they need assistance!"
Killian felt his heart drop, the weight of his earlier frustrations evaporating as adrenaline surged through his veins.
"A fire?" he repeated, the gravity of the situation settling heavily upon him. "How did it start?"
"I daenae ken, me laird! But it's consumin' the east side near the smithy. The villagers are tryin' to douse it, but we need more hands—more buckets!" The soldier's eyes darted to Fraser, who was already moving toward the door.
"Gather the men!" Fraser commanded, his authoritative tone leaving no room for hesitation. "We'll need all the strength we can muster. Killian, go!"
Without a second thought, Killian grabbed his cloak from the back of his chair, the fabric swishing against his legs as he rushed toward the door. His earlier worries about Leah and the gossip swirling around her faded into the background, replaced by the urgent need to protect his people.
"Ready a horse," Killian barked, charging for the front door. The castle was in an uproar, and the chaos was beating at him from every side. Killian stood like a mountain against the roaring havoc.
"I want every man to the village. We've got to stop the fire," Killian ordered as he spotted Leah and Elsie rushing into the foyer. "And we'll need the two of ye as well. I daenae ken if ye'll be needed, but it cannae hurt."
"What's goin' on?" Elsie asked as she stepped away from Leah. "Did ye say there's a fire?"
"Aye, the village on the eastern side is goin' up. We've got to get goin'. I need ye," Killian said, his words directed at Leah. His chest tightened as he noticed the panic shifting through her gaze. The terror was more than he could bear to witness, but he needed her to rise to his side and be the woman he knew she could be.
"I'll go get the basket ready. Ye go on ahead, we'll meet ye there," Elsie said over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.
"Be careful," Leah called to him as he rushed for the doors.
"Aye, I'll see ye soon."
15
Leah stood amid the charred remnants of the village, her heart heavy with the weight of sorrow and loss. The air was thick with the pungent smell of smoke and ash, a harsh reminder of the night's devastation. She glanced around, taking in the faces of her neighbors, their expressions a mixture of shock and grief. Some were tending to wounds, others salvaging what little they could from the wreckage, and Leah felt a profound sense of helplessness wash over her.
She knelt beside an older woman, gently binding a gash on her arm with a torn piece of fabric. The sight of blood made her stomach twist, and she fought against the nausea rising within her.
"How does that feel? Any better?" Leah asked, trying hard not to let her voice bend with sickness.
"Aye," the woman answered as she double-checked the binding around her forearm. The woman offered a weak smile. Her gratitude shone through her pain, and as the woman rose, Leahtook a deep breath, willing herself to focus on the task at hand. With so many people still injured from the fire, Leah wondered when the line would end. It seemed with each person she helped, the line grew by five more people.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Leah turned her attention to the next person and waved him in. The husky man waddled up like a duck. Leah's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to keep the contents of her stomach down. Holding up a finger, Leah darted around the wagon. She gulped the air as she looked around at the chaos. It didn't matter which way she looked; someone was hurt.
"Are ye sure ye dinnae see anythin'?"
In the background, Leah could hear Killian's strong, steady, commanding voice in the background as he questioned the villagers about the fire's origins. She watched him with a keen eye. The way he demanded attention and commanded the villagers stunned her.
"Who would do such a thin'?" a man demanded, his brow furrowed with concern. The murmurs of the crowd reached Leah's ears, snippets of conversation that made her heart skip a beat.
"Someone clearly nae wantin' the Harvest Fair to take place, that's who. And I wouldnae be surprised one bit to find it was Eddie who had done it," a woman said, wagging her bony finger in Killian's face.
"Where'd the healer go?"
Leah heard the crowd behind her raising a fit. She pulled in one more deep breath and prayed for the strength to get through the day.
"Ye have to help me," the man said. The moment Leah's eyes drew to his ankle, she lost her resolve. Everything she'd tried to keep down came up.
"I'm so sorry," Leah gasped as she darted from the scene and wove through the crowd. Her heart raced as her stomach twisted into knots.
"Leah?" Killian's voice was softer than Leah had expected. She glanced at his fingers, which found the dip in her elbow and held her still. "Where are ye goin'?"
"Just gettin' some fresh air," she mumbled.
"Ye're outside, it doesnae get much fresher than that. Nae unless ye're at the loch. But we're nae."
