Page 50 of The Cursed Highland Bride

Esmerelda smiled knowingly. “I have a gift tae see things before they have come tae pass. My grandmaither had it, and she passed it on tae me. I used my knowledge o’ what would befall ye tae shape the curse I laid upon ye.”

Dunn shook his head. “I cannae believe this.”

“Then ye will remain cursed until ye find it within yerself tae accept it.”

“And how do I break the curse if I accept that what ye are saying is true?” By this point, he was prepared to do almost anything.

“With a kiss o’ my lips, ye sealed yer fate, and with a kiss o’ redemption, ye may reclaim yer destiny. But, ye must be genuine in yer remorse and in yer love, or it will nae work.”

Dunn snorted in consternation. “I must kiss ye?” He did not believe that it could be so simple and suspected her of playing games with him.

She leveled a look at him that told him she was not jesting. “Aye, for it was yer sin against me that caused ye tae be cursed. The wronged party must be paid recompense.”

“And if I dinnae?”

“Ye will lose her forever, and ye will never love again. She is yer truth, yer future. Without her, yer life will be desolate.”

Dunn shook his head. “She is already lost tae me. She was forced tae wed me at the end o’ a blade. She does nae love me.”

Esmerelda’s eyes glistened with tears of resignation. “She loves ye. All can see it.”

Dun gentled his voice in sympathy for her. “How can ye be certain?”

“Kiss me, and the truth will be revealed tae ye.” A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away.

Dunn had been furious with her to the point of being willing to threaten physical violence to get her to lift the curse, but seeing her pain, his anger gave way to remorse for his part in it all. Sighing, he resigned himself to do as she asked. He owed her that much. “Ye will have tae come tae me,” he replied, gesturing toward his wound.

Smiling, Esmerelda moved closer, climbing up onto the bed next to him. She knelt over him and lowered her face to his. “This is familiar,” she teased, causing Dunn to smile. They had parted badly, but things had shifted between them. In that moment, it felt as it had when they were friends as children and not the jealous lovers that they had become.

“I am sorry that I hurt ye,” he whispered.

“I now ken that it was always meant tae be this way. She is yer destiny.” Her voice caught at the admittance, and he reached up to brush another tear from her cheek.

“Ye are a good woman, curse or nae curse.”

“And ye are a good man, whoremonger or nae.”

They laughed softly together. Dunn brushed her hair back from her face. “Kiss me, and let this be done.”

“As ye wish,” Esmerelda acquiesced and leaned forward to kiss him. When their lips touched, it was nothing as it had been before. All lust was gone from the deed. All that remained was friendship and the blessed relief of a curse lifted.

A gasp sounded at the door, and they broke apart to find Katarina standing in the doorway. “No,” she whispered, and with tears in her eyes, she turned and fled.

Dunn moved Esmerelda off of him and attempted to rise from the bed. “Katarina!” he called after her, but she did not stop. It took him several attempts and Esmerelda’s help to get out of bed. By the time he made his way out into the corridor, she was gone. “Katarina!”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Katarina made the trip north with Ewan and Andrew against her better judgment. Every step taking her further from her sisters made her agony all the more difficult to bear. She prayed that Bran was successful in finding them. As she entered the castle, she searched the hall for Dunn but did not see him among those gathered. His grandmother sat beside the large fireplace with Adamina sewing. Tor was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking displeased. When he saw Katarina enter, his eyes widened in surprise, and he crossed the hall to greet her.

“Did ye find yer sisters?”

Katarina shook her head. “I did nae. Bran has remained tae look for them and tae assuage Morgan’s suspicions.” She slipped back into her Scottish accent, as she did not know how much Dunn or Tor had shared with their people. She did not wish to cause any more difficulty for them than she already had. “Ewan convinced me that there was nae way tae save them without more men.”

Tor nodded. “He was right. I planned tae rejoin ye once I kenned that Dunn would live. I am glad that ye were able tae see reason.”

Katarina shook her head. “I was nae given a choice. He threatened tae carry me bodily by force if I did nae come willingly.”

Tor chuckled. “Had I nae had Dunn dying before my very eyes, I would have done the same.”