His whole life, he’d put honor above all else. He knew that with complete certainly. Where then, did that leave him now? Did his desire for revenge negate his honor?
Alistair staggered to one of the chairs beside the dying fire.
’Twas too much!
“What is it Mac—I mean, Alistair?” Brie limped to his side. “Is it your head? Are you hurt somewhere else? What’s wrong?”
“Nae, lass.” He jumped from the chair and paced the space in front of the opening, his tormented soul bursting with frustration, anger, and the need for answers. “ ’Tis these bits and pieces of me that come like splinters, poking and festering inside me ’til I feel I’ll explode!”
He turned to her, too weary to hide the agony inside him. “ ’Twas better when I dinna ken any of me. Nae matter how much I try, I canna seem tae reconcile the pieces.” He looked at her, loving her so much it was a huge ache inside him. “What if… What if neither of us can live wi’ who I really am?”
Tears spilled from Brie’s lashes as she came to him and slipped her arms around him, like a balm. She held him for several long moments, then reached up and cupped his face with both hands. “Iknowwho you are. I don’t care if you call yourself Mac, or Alistair, or something else, entirely. I know the man you are, in here.” She laid her palm over his heart. “This, is the man I love. I don’t care what happened in your past, or what you must do to reconcile that. I loveyou. The man standing here now. And nothing you did or must do will change that.”
“Brie,” he whispered. Her love filled all the ragged empty places in his soul. “I want to be that man for ye. Whether ’tis for just this moment, or eternity, I wish for nothing more than tae spend whatever time I’m given, proving I’m worthy of yer love, and loving ye in return. Fully. Completely. Irrationally.”
He slid his hand along her cheek, savoring the feel of her skin, knowing he’d never tire of looking at her pretty face, or into her enchanting eyes. His gaze fell to her mouth, anticipating the feel—
“Huh-em.” The sound of someone delicately clearing their throat, startled them both. Alistair caught Brie as she stumbled back, sure her heart had jumped into her throat, as his had.
Alistair expected to find Brie’s captor awake and making noises. He dinna expect to see the pretty wee lass, with a green mist swirling above her hem, standing at the back of the cave. Gus eagerly wagged his tail and looked at her as if he’d discovered a long-lost friend.
“Soncerae.” He whispered. He dinna ken how he recognized her, but he was certain ’twas she.
Brie’s whimper of fear cut to his heart. Even though his own still raced out of control, he sought to calm her. “Dinna fash, lass. This, I ken, is Soncerae. I’ve no idea how she came to be here, but she’ll do ye no harm.” He’d think her to be another of his visions if Brie dinna seen her, as well.
Soncerae smiled prettily, sliding the hood of her soft cape from her hair, as calmly as if a young girl dropping into a cave, was an everyday occurrence. “Greetings, Alistair.” She switched her warm gaze to Brie. “This is your lady?”
“Brie,” Alistair choked through a flood of emotions as memory after memory bombarded him. His knees buckled, and he slid to the ground, Brie with him, her hands firmly rooted to his arm.
’Twas like drowning in a river. He couldna breathe, as wave after wave of memories washed over him. His wretched childhood. Yearning for a family. Brotherhood among the warriors. His bond with Angus and Gregor. Culloden. The battle.Dying.The 79.Two days of mortality.
It all surged and churned inside him until his stomach lurched. He pulled away from Brie and rushed to the cave opening, searching for enough air to chase away his nausea, as the final certainty settled in his chest. He was naught but a ghost. A temporary farce of blood and bones whose time had ended. Though he was free to love Brie, he couldna stay wi’ her.
“Nooooooo!” He screamed his pain into the vast emptiness and listened as it echoed back to him, knowing he’d feel the agony of losing her, through eternity.
Drained, he turned and helped Brie from the ground. She quaked in his arms as he guided her to the chair and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Mac?”
“There’re answers tae all yer questions, love. I just need a wee bit of time tae sort through them, myself, first.”
He faced Soncerae. “I dinna ken what comes next, but will ye grant me the time tae see Brie safely home and try tae answer some of her questions?”
Soncerae took a step forward and smiled. “I’m pleased tae see that ye were able tae find the answer tae yours.”
“What…? Ahh, aye!”If he was gifted with but two days of mortality, what exactly, would be valuable enough to spend them on?He glanced at Brie, his whole being, bursting with love for her. “That, I did.”
“Well, then, Alistair MacDonell. I ken ye’ve earned yer promised boon.”
“If I’ve truly one coming,” Alistair pleaded, “would ye grant it tae Brie? I ken she’ll need some support in the days tae come. Will ye help, her?”
Soni raised a delicate eyebrow. “I’ve more lads to help from the moor, Alistair. Can ye no’ help the lass yerself? Isna that what ye swore tae do? Spend every day proving yer worth tae her?”
“Do ye mean…?”
“Och! I’ve things tae see tae, Alistair. And ye’ve yer lady tae care for.” She pulled the hood of her cape back over her hair and gave a smile to the adoring dog at her feet.
“One more thing,” she added, already beginning to fade as she pointed to his bare legs. “Ye may wish tae put on some pants.”
