CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
Elsy
Elsy tossed and turned in her bed. Sweat glistened her brow, her eyes clamped closed as she clutched at the blankets. “No,” she groaned, her face looking pained. She jerked, her feet kicking out. Her breath strained. She gasped, her back arching. “Please, no!"
Her eyes snapped open, tears streaming down her face as she stared up at the ceiling. She blinked, taking in her surroundings. Her gaze shifted to the table at her side, to the window across from her.
“It was just a dream,” she whispered.
Inhaling deeply, she slowly rose from the bed, rubbing her temples. Her head ached just as her heart had ached before. She could still hear Connell’s words repeating themselves within her:
“I am too far gone, Elsy.”
But is he really?she wondered.Will he never be ever to let go of his need for vengeance?The remnants of her dreams were still fastened to her, making her body shiver as she recalled the blood dripping from Alan’s blade.
She had dreamt Alan was alive. Connell had found him hiding in the forests bordering the MacArthur lands. In her dream, Alan had looked like a wolf with his cruel snarl and his yellow demonic eyes. Connell had searched for her former husband on his own deep in the night, not able to see the dark creature lurking behind him. She remembered calling out to him, begging him to turn around, to run away, but Connell refused to listen. The moment Alan sliced his blade through Connell, she had awoken, but she still couldn’t shake off the images of the blood dripping down onto the undergrowth, of Connell lying in the soil, his blue eye gazing lifelessly at the treetops.
Elsy placed her face in her hands, allowing them to warm the chill she felt prickling within her. With everyone believing Connell dead, who would mourn his loss? Who would search for him if anything foul happened to him? She couldn’t let him continue with his plans of vengeance. Someone needed to help him see the light.
Her hands slid away, and she stepped out of her bed, shivering when her feet met the cold stone. She padded toward her slippers, shoving them onto her feet before grabbing the candle lying near her bedside. After such a terrible dream, she knew she wouldn’t be able to return to sleep. She stepped lightly toward the door, once again finding it unlocked. She peeked her head outside, looking down the hall, wondering where she could go on a night like tonight.
Her dreams had always been haunted by dark images while she lived in McCormick Castle and oftentimes, she would go to the battlements, accompanied, of course, by a guard, but it didn’t matter. Staring up at the stars had always calmed her, the breeze in her hair had always soothed her. However, she did not know this fortress well, given she spent most her times between her own rooms and Scott’s.
Thinking of Scott, she stepped slowly down the staircase, careful not to trip on any upturned stones. Her hand hovered around the little light the candle provided, protecting it from any winds whistling through the castle. The silence was deafening, making the hair on the back of her neck rise. Unlike McCormick Castle, there weren’t guards stationed on every corner and no servants to go to if she needed anything. There was only the four of them, which made the fortress seem even bigger.
As soon as the staircase came to an end she stepped toward Scott’s rooms, pushing the door open slightly and finding Scott sleeping soundly. The girl’s blanket was nearly on the ground and Elsy, with a faint smile, stepped inside, placing her candle on the ground so she could right it. She placed the blanket over Scott’s shoulders. Scott shifted, rolling onto her side, facing the wall. Elsy smiled as she stroked the girl’s hair softly, feeling her cheek and neck for any unusual warmth. Elsy gave a curt nod, finding nothing wrong, before grabbing her candle and slipping out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Elsy frowned as she looked down the corridor, wondering if she would find Connell in the great hall. After her dream, she felt a desperate need to speak with him. He needed to know he was making a mistake. Choosing hate over love was always a mistake. He seemed to think he had run out of options, but Elsy refused to think that way.
She pushed the hall’s doors open, peeking her head inside and frowning when all she found was darkness.He’s probably in his chambers,she thought,or perhaps his study.Her feet took her down the hall, toward the dark door that she knew belonged to Connell’s study. She knocked gently, waiting for an answer, but none came. She grabbed the handle, pushing it open, but it would not budge. She wiggled the handle, her frown deepening when the door refused to move. With a heavy sigh, she turned away, not knowing where she should begin. She needed to see his face; know he was fine. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. She wanted to tell him so many things before it was too late.
“I love ye, Connell,” she whispered to the darkness around her. Hearing the words made her lips tremble and tears slip from her eyes, but they were the truth. They had always been the truth. She wanted to see his reaction when she told him. He had to feel the same. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her gave him away. If she could only see him, tell him, perhaps they could run away together.
Elsy continued down the hall, holding her candle out as she looked at the portraits decorating the walls. Most of them were destroyed, the tapestries crooked and torn, the faces cut out by blades and knives.Such a shame,she thought as she walked by, her fingers touching the destroyed canvas hanging off one. The corridor led to a staircase, the fire on the candelabras extinguished. She frowned while looking up the spiraling steps, wondering where this path would lead her.
Her fingers slid on the stone as she continued forward, wondering if it led into another tower, or if she would be able to find the battlements to better watch the stars. She hoped wherever this path took her, it would lead her to Connell. With each step, she felt her confidence leaving her. She was climbing higher and higher with no end in sight until finally, rather than the battlements or a long hall, she stood before a large dark door.
Elsy frowned, worry making her fingers twitch and her belly ache. Her hand grasped the handle, slowly pushing it open. She grimaced as it creaked, the sound making her shiver with fear.I should probably turn back,she thought while glancing over her shoulder. She had never been on this side of the fortress. Nevertheless, her curiosity caught hold of her, and she found herself stepping inside.
Darkness surrounded her. It was all she could see. The candle offered little light. The door behind her banged closed, making her jump and gasp. She whirled around, wondering if she had made a grave mistake. Who knew what lurked around the castle late at night? There could be more brigands. They could find her while Connell slept, do terrible things to her unbeknownst to him. She stepped back toward the door, deciding it was foolish of her to venture away from her rooms. Her steps paused when she heard something shift in the dark. Her heart plummeted, her free hand clutched at her chest, waiting for whatever it may be to take form before her.
Nothing moved.
Elsy craned her head, listening, hearing the soft sighs of breathing. She held the candle out, her eyes wincing against the darkness. There was a soft sound of flapping to her right and she turned, stepping toward it. Her hand touched something dark and soft. Realizing it was fabric, she grasped it and yanked it to the side, her eyes landing on a window peering into the courtyard. The moon hung high in the sky, shining down upon her.
The moon’s light offered more than the candle and as she turned, her mouth gaped open at the chamber she found herself in. There was a large looking glass standing across from her, old and cracked, with missing pieces near the bottom. A wash basin sat near it and a large table. There were clothes resting on a chair. The table was filled with books, papers, and an eyepatch.
Elsy turned to the bed, her heart melting as she found Connell’s face, illuminated by the moon’s light. He was in his sleeping tunic, a long white cloth fraying at the sleeves. The blankets were tangled around his legs. His brows were pinched together, as if in pain. One hand clutched the pillow, the other a small piece of cloth. He groaned in his sleep.
She padded toward him, wishing to join him, wishing to speak with him. Her candle hovered above him when she reached the edge of his bed. She peered down on his face, her fingers reaching for him, brushing his hair away from his brow. Her gaze travelled down the length of him, her gaze catching on the small cloth in his grasp. The initialsE.T.stared back at her. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes welling with tears.
Ye do care,she thought while she watched the subtle rise and fall of his chest.Ye do love me. I know ye do.
She wanted to wake him, tell him how much she loved him, but the dark shadows marring his face halted her from doing so.Let him sleep,she told herself while leaning toward him, pressing her lips against his forehead. She smiled as she felt him lean into her touch, his brow smoothing as if he was dreaming of pleasant things.
“We can talk in the morn,” she whispered while straightening herself.
She quietly padded toward the door, carefully opening it. While she walked down the steps, through the corridors, and back to her chamber, Elsy felt both joy and worry. She was confused as to why he refused to remain with her, why he wouldn’t run away and live out a simple life with her. He wouldn’t have to inform his father of his livelihood, although Elsy didn't approve of Connell hiding himself away from his father. He wasn’t a monster.
But can I live a life with him here?Elsy wondered while opening her chamber door. She padded toward her bed, resting the candle on her desk. She dumped her body onto her bed, feeling exhausted, yet her mind was alive, refusing to be silenced as she thought of all the different ways she and Connell could be together.
If she remained in this fortress with him, she could stay with Scott. They would have a small family between the three of them. A smile tugged at Elsy’s lips yet fell the moment she thought of Connell’s men. They would disapprove of Connell’s actions. They would probably make it difficult for them to be together. Would they cast Connell out? Would Connell be forced to fight for her honor?
Elsy shook her head as she grabbed the blankets and pulled them over her body. She was thinking too far ahead. Even if she did offer to remain with Connell, he would most likely refuse. It wasn’t safe for her here, but it also wasn’t safe for Scott.
Elsy grimaced. She didn’t know which was the right choice, only that she wanted to be with Connell. Even if it was dangerous, she didn’t think she could leave him now that she finally had him, now that she knew he cared for her as much as she cared for him. But what if Connell wished to keep her locked within this fortress, just as her previous husband had once done to her? Could she really return to a life of being caged, even if it was for her own safety?
She sighed, clamping her eyes closed, refusing to think on the matter any longer.I will talk with him in the morn,she told herself.And maybe he will see it my way. Perhaps I can get him to join me at the McKades with Scott. Then we can all be together. Then we can be happy and free.
With that last thought, sleep finally found Elsy and she dreamt of a future with Connell, of them laughing together, of them kissing and proclaiming their love for each other.
