“I willna. ’Twill be his choice.” She paused, then added, “Though he does have the deepest blue eyes. Like a loch, they are.” She sighed and shrugged. “I canna stop thinking about him.”
“Ye just met him. And he’s to be a… some sort of priest!”
Neve’s lips lifted in a sweet smile. “Mayhap.”
Against her better judgement, Aftyn followed Neve to Hamish’s bedside. His eye opened and Aftyn had to admit Neve was right. She’d never seen such a clear, deep blue. But his gaze never left Neve and his smile was all for her.
“Angel mine,” he whispered. Someone, probably Neve, had tried to clean his face. Flecks of soot remaining around his nose and mouth explained the rasp in his voice.
The soot told Aftyn he must have helped clear the kirk of sacred objects before the roof came down.
“I am neither an angel, nor yers,” Neve told him.
“But ye could be,” he whispered and coughed, then, once he caught his breath, continued, “when I am better and free of this pallet.”
“We’ll talk about that when ye are better, then. For now, what do ye need? Water? Are ye hungry?”
“I only need to see ye, Angel mine.”
Aftyn fought not to roll her eyes. “I’m Aftyn,” she said, hoping to interrupt the longing gazes Hamish and Neve were sharing. “The Keith healer. With Neve. And ye do need water,” she added, placing a hand on Neve’s shoulder and squeezing. “’Tis good to meet ye, but now, we must check on the others.
Neve grimaced at Aftyn until she released her shoulder, then turned back to smile at Hamish. “Aye, we must.” She indicated the cup beside his pallet. “Drink. I’ll check on ye again soon.”
“Ye dinna have to drag me,” Neve told her softly as they moved away.
“After the way ye two were looking at each other, aye, I did.”
“’Twas no worse than the way ye look at Jamie Lathan.”
“What? I dinnae do any such thing.”
Neve snorted. “Ye canna fool me, Aftyn. Ye wouldna be so angry if ye didna also fear for him. Ye care about him.”
“That is the daftest thing ye have ever said.”
“Perhaps, but mark my words. I ken that look.”
Mark her words, indeed. Neve knew that look only because she and Hamish wore it. Aftyn huffed and bent over the next patient, determined to put Neve’s words out of her mind. Still, Neve was not entirely wrong, not that Aftyn would admit such to her. Fearing for Jamie Lathan was appropriate, after seeing him carried into the abbey. Caring in the way Neve meant, for a man due to leave in a few days, would gain her nothing.
* * *
Two days later,Aftyn finally left the abbey. She worried that Jamie, remaining behind, would not be able to keep up with caring for the burned man and dealing with all the other, less serious injuries, but she’d left Neve behind, and Bhaltair and Fearchar remained with him. Rabbie joined the Keith warriors escorting her, charged with checking on Niall, then returning to the abbey to give Jamie a full report.
When she entered the Keith great hall, Niall sitting at one of the tables, a cane propped against the bench next to him, surprised her. She went to him first.
“How do ye fare? I’m pleased to see ye able to walk about without assistance.”
“No’ entirely.” Niall indicated the cane. “I have been walking every day since ye saw me last. With a little help.” He indicated the cane. “Jamie insists I will regain my strength faster this way.”
“Aye, ye will. Ye must be eager to return home.”
Niall nodded. “Will ye join me? I wish to hear about what happened at the abbey. Did the others return with ye?”
“Only Rabbie. He must be helping tend the horses.” She took a seat across from him. “One priest was badly burned saving the abbey’s gold crucifix just before the roof collapsed. Jamie has spent most of time since the fire with him. I heard the priest was able to sit up, drink, and take a little food, but I did not see him before I left. There were more injuries that Neve and I tended to, but the rest were minor.”
“When does Jamie expect to return?”
Aftyn’s heart sank. When he got back and saw how well Niall was, surely he and the rest of the Lathans would leave within another day or two. “He didna say.”
