Page 10 of Stealing a Kilted Heart

“Aye,” said the guard. “The healer’s cottage is right over there, so this is the best place fer ye tae be.”

Fia followed the guard’s pointing finger through the window to see another building, this one much larger if a little older. So, that was where she would be spending most of her time from then on, it seemed. It wasn’t such a bad place to be, Fia thought, especially if the woman who served as the clan’s healer was nice.

But what if she isnae? What if she hates me?

Fia took a deep breath, grounding herself. The more she worried about things that could very well never come to pass, the worse it would be. She had gone there with excitement in her heart and a plan in her mind. She couldn’t let doubt, mostly the result of Callum’s cruel words, get to her after all, and the last thing she wanted was to let him have any sort of influence on her, even now that they were apart.

Everythin’ will work out. We are here. The first step has been taken.

“I’ll leave ye tae settle in,” said the guard, as he headed to the door. “If there is anythin’ ye need, ask anyone in the castle. They’ll ken how tae help ye.”

With that, the man was gone, leaving Fia and Bane alone. For several moments, they only stared at each other in disbelief, before they both burst out in laughter, Fia rushing into Bane’s arms so they could hold each other tightly.

“Can ye believe this?” Bane asked as they parted, taking some time to walk around the room. It had everything they needed, from a stove to chairs and even some modest decorations. A rug was laid on the stone floor and a fire already burned in the fireplace, which could only mean that someone had lit it to welcome them.

It was more than Fia could have ever imagined.

“I almost cannae,” she admitted, as she ran her fingers over the table that stood under the window. It was clean, with no trace of dust on its surface. In the village, it always seemed to her that, no matter how much she swept, there was always dust everywhere only moments later. “But it’s true, isnae it? We’re truly here.”

“We are,” Bane said. “An’ it is all because o’ ye. Ye ken that, right Fia? We’re only here because o’ ye an’ yer skills. So never listen tae anyone who tells ye that ye have nae worth. Never.”

As he spoke, Bane grabbed her by the shoulders and stared right into her eyes, his gaze boring a hole through her. She knew what he was trying to tell her—he didn’t want her to fall for another man who would be as cruel and beastly as Callum, someone who wanted to demean her and destroy her confidence simply because it amused him.

Bane had always been right in his assessment of Callum. He could always seen what Fia couldn’t, blinded by love as she had been. She knew better than that now. She knew that love mattered little when a man was so quick and eager to tear it right from her hands.

She didn’t seek love anymore—she sought revenge, and whatever path would benefit her the most.

“I promise ye,” Fia said with a firm nod. “An’ if I ever lose me head like that again, ye have me permission tae throw me in the dungeons until I come back tae me senses.”

Bane laughed, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “Well, there’s certainly a dungeon here. Shall I look fer it?”

“Let us hope it willnae get tae that,” said Fia. “I told ye me plan.”

At that, Bane sighed, taking a step back as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aye, ye did. So ye’re determined tae go through with it?”

“I told ye I am,” Fia said. “An’ I need ye tae help me.”

Bane was quick to shake his head, raising his hands up as he took a few steps backwards from her, as though the physical distance could save him from this. “Help ye? Nay! Ye willnae trick me intae this.”

“I’m nae tryin’ tae trick ye,” Fia pointed out, taking a step towards him for every step he took back. “I’m askin’ ye.”

Just as Bane’s back hit the wall next to the fireplace, Fia gave him that look she knew he could never resist—a frown, her eyes damp, her chin trembling. It was a cheap trick, but it worked every time, ever since she had been a child, and it didn’t fail her now. She saw the precise moment Bane broke, his defenses falling down.

“Help ye how?” he asked. “I willnae dae anythin’ foolish.”

“Foolish?” said Fia with a short laugh. “Nay, naethin’ foolish. Ye only have tae make some… inquiries.”

It truly was that simple.