"Are ye sure ye put someone in there to begin with?" Alan questioned as he turned to Killian with a sympathetic grin plastered on his face.
"Daenae talk to me as if I am the one mad," Killian said as he surged for Alan. "He was in there, someone let him out. I want the grounds searched."
"Ye’re nae goin' to find anyone," Alan said as he placed a hand on Killian's shoulder. "Because ye have to realize there may nae have been anyone there to begin with."
"A man tried to kill me at the ceilidh. Mason tried to kidnap Leah," Killian explained as Alan's laughter filled the room.
"Are ye listenin' to yerself?" Alan asked. "Do ye hear what ye’re sayin'? Mason is practically a cripple. He has nay strength to hoist anyone over his shoulder, let alone Leah. Maybe ye need to come to terms with the fact that ye’re nae fit to rule the clan."
"I ken what I ken," Killian said. "And I wasnae the only one to have seen him. Fraser was there, tell them."
"Aye, let's get the man of arms involved when we all ken that Fraser would do anythin' for ye, even lie," Alan said.
"This is mutiny," Killian said as he rubbed his temples.
"We're nae on the high seas," Alan said to the council. "Perhaps ye should go have Elsie fix ye a tonic and let us handle the Mason matter alone."
"Mason is nae to be released. He tried to kill me. I will stand guard in front of his cell if that is the only thin' that stops ye fromlettin' him out," Killian said as he arched an eyebrow. The room grew fuzzy around the edges, and Killian's head started to swim. It was as if he'd been on a whiskey binge.
Stumbling to the door, Killian had but one thought: Get out. He pushed onward, unable to hear or understand what was being said. All he knew was that he desperately needed fresh air.
As he pushed through the side door, the clean air swirled around him. Killian tried to grasp what had just happened, but there was only one thing absolutely certain: Leah had to go. It no longer mattered how he felt about her. She would constantly be in danger if she remained, either as a pawn for his enemies to use or as a tool to get him to do what they wanted.
"Ye're lookin' a bit under the weather there," Elsie said, her voice light and airy. Killian turned to find her strolling through the garden with her basket swinging over her arm. "Ye all right?"
"Nay," Killian answered, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Me head hurts and I feel weak."
Elsie scrambled through her basket of herbs and pulled a long straw-looking plant out. "Here, chew on this a moment. It's duckweed; it'll help with the throbbin' behind the eyes."
Killian took the herb and chewed it. The tangy bitterness was overwhelming, but it cleared the fog from his head.
"Yer eyes are lookin' a bit yellowish. Did ye eat somethin' or maybe drink somethin' ye shouldnae have?" Elsie asked as she studied Killian's face.
"Nay," Killian said as he tilted his head. A thought formed at the edge of his mind that danced and skipped around an idea he couldn't quite place. "Leah mentioned she was a bit woozy after Mason had offered her a flask… Elsie, is there an herb or some concoction that could make a person dizzy just by smell?"
"Aye, poppy will do that to ye. And with a strong enough whiff, ye could knock out a person. I remember workin' with it last year and it knocked me out for several days."
Killian glanced at the castle. "I remember that."
His breath hitched as he spotted Leah standing in the window of her room, gazing out to the horizon. Killian wondered if she was thinking of her journey home or if she was longing to stay. As much as he wanted to go to her, he couldn't. There was a nagging in the pit of his being that wouldn't cease.
How Mason got his hands on enough poppy to knock out Leah disturbed him, but more so the fact that the effects of such a plant almost knocked him out. But who had been messing with the plant? All the council members were in that room, but none of them seemed to have the same issues.
"Ye look troubled, is there any thin' I can do for ye, me laird?" Elsie said as her voice pulled Killian from his thoughts.
"Nay," Killian answered as he started to question not only himself but the world around him.
"Ye ken, if ye daenae want to be effected by the Poppy, ye can counter it with lavender and citrus. An orange peel and a sprig of lavender in oil should do the trick. Just rub a bit on under yer nose and ye'll nae have to worry about the pollen of the poppy."
Killian's eyes widened. "Citrus and lavender ye say? Make me a batch, will ye?"
Next time, I will be prepared.
30
Leah stood at the foot of her bed, staring at the dresses laid out. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as memories rushed through her. Gliding her fingers over the fabric, Leah locked away each memory. And as she folded up the dress and placed them in a trunk, she vowed never to open it again. She didn't want Killian's memory to haunt her every thought or visit her like a specter in her dreams. His rejection shot throughout her limbs, crippling her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to the last dress, refusing to toss it into the abyss. With tears soaking the fabric, Leah couldn't help but wonder where fate would have her end up. She had mistakenly given her heart to Killian and was paying the price.
