Page 47 of Kilted Sins

Taking a deep breath, she rushed towards the flames and leaped above them, the hem of her dress barely brushing them. As she landed on the other side, the crowd that had gathered around them turned raucous, celebrating her success, and Enya couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear, warmth spilling out of her at the thought that these people who had only known her for a few short weeks were so happy to see her take part in their tradition.

Cillian seemed happy, too. He tipped his head in recognition of her skill and then offered her his hand, which she took with some reluctance.

Dinnae get too close.

But it was already too late for that.

Her traitorous legs followed Cillian as he dragged her away from the crowd. They didn’t get too far, just by the shadow of a towering evergreen, but the voices of the people were dampened there and the light of the fire didn’t quite reach them. In the dark, it was easier to pretend nothing was wrong. As long as Cillian couldn’t clearly see her face, Enya could pretend.

But for how long? She had already hidden the truth from him for too long. What would happen if she told him now? Could Cillian ever forgive her?

“Ye truly are a feisty lass,” he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist, twirling her once. Enya rested her hands on his shoulders, smiling despite herself.

“Ye dared me,” she reminded him. “I couldnae refuse a dare.”

“Ach, o’ course nae,” he said. “How could ye possibly live with yerself if ye didnae have the last word?”

Chuckling at Cillian’s teasing, Enya let him lean close, his lips hovering just over her own. She was desperate for a kiss. She desired it so terribly that not even her guilt could stop her from getting it.

Just as she was about to kiss him, though, the castle gates opened with a loud, jarring screech and a soldier’s voice called over the silence that followed.

“Clan MacLeod has arrived!”

There, at the gates, Enya saw her sister, her brother Kai, and Ava, and her heart stood still.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“What is happenin’?”

No sooner were Enya and Thora behind closed doors Thora spoke, her tone filled with concern. Enya had barely made it to her chambers, dragging Thora along under the excuse that she wanted to speak privately to her sister, so the two of them could swap their clothes and return to the feast.

Then again, it wasn’t entirely a lie. Enya did need to talk to Thora. She simply didn’t know where to start, but it seemed like her sister had sensed something was wrong, as she always did.

The guilt that had been simmering just under Enya’s skin all those days had now turned into a roiling panic. No matter how much she tried to control her breathing, nothing she did worked. A relentless nausea had gripped her, her stomach churning at the thought that her secret could be revealed at any moment. Then, there was also the thought that now that Thora was here, she would be the one next to Cillian. She would be the one he would hold and kiss, the one who would stand by his side, perhaps even the one he would marry. She and Thora hadn’t discussed what would happen in case her task failed. They had never expected it to.

Collapsing onto the bed, Enya let her head fall in her hands, all the conflicting emotions finally catching up to her. She couldn’t stop the tears once they started spilling from her eyes, and the moment she began to cry, Thora was right there next to her, pulling her in a tight embrace. Enya held onto her, her fingers curling into the soft fabric of her dress, and she wished she never had to let go.

They spent several moments like this, Thora comforting her until Enya could breathe again, until she could wipe the tears away and know no more would follow. Even then, though, she didn’t pull back from her sister.

She had to tell Thora everything and so she did, recounting all the events from the moment she had come to Jura all the way to that night. By the time she was done, Thora had been stunned into silence, taking everything in.

“I kent somethin’ was wrong but I couldnae have imagined this,” she said in a quiet voice. “Everythin’… everythin’ will be fine, Enya. I promise.”

Even though Enya couldn’t bring herself to believe it, not quite, it was still comforting to hear that from her sister. She desperately wanted to believe it. She desperately wanted it to be true, but the more she considered their predicament, the more impossible it seemed.

“Ye dinnae ken that,” Enya said. “What about Malcolm MacNeil? What dae ye think he wants?”

Thora shook her head. “I dinnae ken. But I think ye should tell Laird MacDonald about it.”

It would be the right thing to do, Enya thought. Laird MacNeil was clearly trying to destabilize the MacDonald Clan and by keeping his presence in that attack a secret, and Enya was putting everyone in the castle in danger. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if anything happened to those people when she could have prevented it and the only reason why she hadn’t, was because of her selfishness and guilt.

“Ye’re right,” Enya said as she finally pulled back from Thora, furiously wiping what was left of her tears with the back of her hand. “Ye’re right. Cillian needs tae ken the truth.”

For a few long moments, the two sisters sat there in silence, neither knowing what to say. It had crossed Enya’s mind that perhaps they could keep up the charade, but for how long? It wasn’t as if she and Thora could permanently trade places with each other; that would be madness, so Enya didn’t even suggest it. Instead, she turned the conversation to a more bearable subject.

“What happened with Ava?” she asked. “An’ why is Kai here?”

As she spoke, Enya realized the terrible truth, her eyes widening in horror.