Page 8 of Once Upon a Haunted Horn and Hoof

Chapter Three

Keithen hadn’t slept well at all, tossing and turning all night long, worrying about his future with the MacNeil lass. He thought he heard a noise, and woke to find the ghost of Lennox MacNeil standing over him at the foot of his pallet.

“Aaaah!” Keithen bolted upright, grabbing for anything he could to ward off the spirit who seemed to want him dead. Unfortunately, the closest thing to grab was his shoe from next to his pallet that sat directly on the floor. “Get back, or I’ll do somethin’ ye’ll regret,” he spat, realizing as soon as the words left his mouth how stupid the threat sounded. After all, MacNeil had a sword strapped to his side, and Keithen only had . . . a shoe.

The ghost laughed deeply, his body bobbing up and down in the air like a boat on the water.

“Ye are the one marryin’ my granddaughter are ye no?” His eyes were no longer big, gaping holes, but still looked dark and void of life.

“I—I am,” said Keithen, scooting to the end of the pallet, terrified to know the ghost could speak. Slowly, he stood. His eyes flashed over to the table where he’d left his dagger, and he carefully side-stepped his way toward it.

“I dinna want a MacKeefe marryin’ her. The MacKeefes canna be trusted.”

“I heard about how ye died,” said Keithen, trying to keep the ghost talking so he wouldn’t realize he was going for his dagger.

“The Madman MacKeefe killed me!” This thought only seemed to rile the ghost, and now Keithen regretted mentioning it.

“Now, calm down,” said Keithen, holding up his hands. “I ken old Callum is crazy, everyone kens that. But I assure ye, he didna mean to kill ye. I mean—ye were his friend.”

“A friend would give me his secret for makin’ the best and strongest whisky in Scotland.”

“And sell it to the enemy as well?” he mumbled.

“What did ye say?”

Keithen suddenly regretted voicing his thoughts aloud. “I assure ye, Callum will no’ even tell his own son how he makes it. Dinna take it personally.”

“I want to ken how it’s made, and ye’ll find out for me or ye’ll no’ marry my granddaughter—and ye’ll be the one to suffer. Do ye understand?” His head hung at an odd angle as he spoke, only reminding Keithen of broken necks. His hand went to his own neck in a form of protection.

“I would if I could, but he willna tell me!” Keithen could see his situation getting worse and worse, and he was helpless to change a thing. “I am only marryin’ Lorna to make an alliance with our clans.” He made it to the table. With his hand behind his back he reached out for the dagger. The ghost was getting so angry that Keithen was sure he’d try to take off his head again, and he needed a way to defend himself.

“Do it!” screamed Lennox, just as Keithen was about to close his fingers around the dagger. But before he could, the ghost waved his hand through the air and an invisible force pushed him down. His dagger went flying.

Keithen’s eyes widened as he saw the door to his room open, and the dagger embed itself into the wood right next to Cam’s head.

“What in the bloody hell are ye doin’?” Cam jumped to the side. Gavin was right behind him.

“I didna do that,” protested Keithen, getting to his feet. “It was him.” He pointed to the ghost, but Lennox MacNeil was gone.

“Who?” asked Gavin. “I dinna see anyone here but ye, Keithen.”

“It was the ghost,” said Keithen, walking over and yanking his dagger out of the wood. “He was here, and he threatened me.”

Gavin looked out to the corridor and then quickly closed the door. “Dinna talk so loud. We dinna want Lorna to hear ye.”

“Or her faither,” said Keithen with a nod.

“Thankfully, her faither left with most of his men to get supplies for the weddin’,” Cam told him. “He said Callum didna have enough food for all the guests he invited. He’ll be back on the day of the weddin’.”

“He left only a few guards, who are still sleepin’ down in the tavern,” Gavin told him.

“What about Lorna?” asked Keithen.

“Yvaine and Avianca went to Lorna’s room to help her prepare for the day,” said Cam.

“I hope she didna hear the ghost.” Keithen hurriedly dressed as he talked to his friends.

“What did Lennox say?” asked Cam.