Page 31 of Reviving Her Highland Spirit

The spell was broken, the moment was over. Callum didn’t know if he were relieved or disappointed.

Relieved, surely. He cleared his throat, glancing away.

“We’ve been here too long. I have duties, Lady Maggie.”

“Of course, of course. I shouldn’t have kept you here.”

Callum said nothing, turning his back and making his way to the shore. He could hear Maggie splashing along behind him. Now that the euphoria of swimming - or in Callum’s case, floating - was over, he felt cold and shivery. His clothes were uncomfortably wet and heavy, and he was aware of the water drying cold on his skin, leeching away his body heat.

“We had better get back, if ye don’t mind,” Callum said, not turning around.

He picked up his jacket, scrubbing at face, head, and arms in an attempt to dry himself off. Maggie had her cloak, which would dry her more efficiently, but Callum had nothing.

He was suddenly struck by the feeling that this was his biggest mistake yet.

“Thank ye,” Callum heard himself saying. “For helping me float.”

“Ye are welcome,” Maggie replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

* * *

Their ride back was a little quieter than usual. Maggie tensed up often on the ride home, and kept shivering uncontrollably. Callum wasn’t sure whether it was from the cold or from fear of being on horseback. In his opinion, if she could dive so fearlessly in the dark, still depths of that pool, she had nothing to fear from Stardust.

A woman was standing by the stable, long blonde hair flying out behind her, a yellowish dress flapping around her ankles. The sun had suddenly been covered over by clouds, and a sharp, cold wind had sprung up. That waterfall pool really had sheltered them - Callum had only noticed how cold it had gotten when they made their way out of the forest.

Maggie sucked in a breath. “My mother,” she muttered. “This isn’t good.”

Callum’s heart plummeted. Was he in trouble?

The woman - Lady Sola McAlister, another enemy, another murderess - saw them coming and hurried towards her. She was an attractive woman still, and her eyes glittered with sharp intelligence.

“Where have ye been, Maggie?” she said, her voice low and hard. “I’ve been combing the keep for ye.”

“Sorry, Ma,” Maggie muttered, sliding down from the saddle without Callum’s help - for the second time that day. “We lost track of time.”

Lady Sola glanced shrewdly up at Callum. He hastily dismounted, and made a quick bow.

“I’m sorry, Lady Sola,” he said humbly.

She shook her head. “I know it’s not your fault. I know exactly how headstrong my daughter can be when she wishes it. These are her responsibilities, not yours. Good lord, Maggie, why are ye wet?” her voice suddenly pitched higher, and she reached forward to tuck a strand of wet, lank hair behind Maggie’s ear.

Maggie shied away, blushing and glancing over at Callum. He turned his back, busying himself with unbuckling Stardust’s saddle.

“Why are ye out here, Ma? Ye don’t normally mind when I come home,” Maggie said. Glancing over his shoulder, Callum saw Lady Sola bite her lip and look around, as if afraid of being overheard. His ears immediately pricked up. He turned back to the saddle, and did his best to appear to be working without any interest in the conversation going on behind him.

“Something has happened,” Lady Sola murmured. She dropped her voice, but didn’t speak quietly enough to keep her words from Callum’s ears. It was as if the wind whipped her words from her lips and into his ears.

Another sign that Rufus is right, and he is the right Laird McAlister, Callum told himself. He didn’t often look for signs and portents, but it was always helpful to see one every now and then.

“Happened? What do ye mean? Is it Tobias? Angus? Bonnie? Oh, it’s not Da, is it?”

“Calm down, Maggie. Nobody’s dead, nobody’s hurt. Still, ye shouldn’t have stayed away so long. If ye had seen how worried your Da and Uncle James were…”

“Why? Why would they be so worried? They knew where I was. There’s something ye are not telling me, Ma.”

There was a long silence, and for a horrible moment, Callum thought that Lady Sola had realised he was listening in. Then she sighed heavily.

“Your uncle will explain it all when ye get back. Now hurry, let’s get ye dried off. I don’t even want tae know why ye are wet.”