Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

8 YEARS AGO…

The smoke swirled around Agatha, the old wise woman as she sat next to the fire, her eyelids closed, but her eyes rapidly moving beneath them. Her fingers twitched in her lap as she walked through the worlds between, calling on the spirits to show her the prophecy, to make it clear. The moon shone brightly in the clearing in the woods. No one knew she had lived there her entire life, tucked away from the bustle of the Highlands, only emerging when needed.

Inside her premonition, the powers that pulled back the veil, revealing the prophecy to her. It was a prophecy she didn't foresee, one that took her completely by surprise. She was but a viewer, standing within the darkness of the woods, watching wolves walking about in front of her. As the prophecy continued, Agatha cupped her hands over her mouth, watching as long as she could, before closing her eyes.

When they opened, they showed a different color. She had been born a brown eyed child, but now she was changed. The ice blue of her irises reflected the flickering flames of the fire in front of her. Her body was stiff, the vision she had just seen was playing over and over again in her mind. Everything that the young laird feared for his family showed within her eyes. She knew from that moment forward, her path had been set, and only the will of the men of the Highlands could change it.

Blair stared at the old woman as she sat with her eyes shut, her hands shaking around her tea cup. James glanced at Blair who lifted her hand to reach for the old woman's. Before she could, though, the woman's eyes opened, and for just a split second, Blair could have sworn she saw the reflection of wild flames in her icy blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" Blair asked.

"Agatha," the woman said, sitting up as straight as her old bones could go. "My name is Agatha. Yes, I'm alright. I now know, though, there are many things I did not predict back then."

Blair shook her head. "What do you mean?"

Agatha put her cup down, her voice grim, her face serious. "When you and your sisters were very young, your father came to me. I was a last resort, and he made many trips to my home here in the clearing. He was looking for answers, a glimpse into the future, and had exhausted all avenues. Someone had spoken about me to him, told him of the…gifts I had received from my mother, grandmother, and the many women who came before me."

Blair stared at the woman confused. "Why would my father be so curious of the future?"

Agatha sighed. "Why do Highland men ever worry over the things they do? He had his reasons I 'spose. He cared very much fer you and yer sisters, and never regretted a bit about not havin' a boy. He had planned the future of yer clan on yer leadership. But he wanted an omen, somethin' that told him he was walkin' the right path. Something that would help him see any troubles before they had arisen."

"And you had an omen to speak of?" Blair asked.

"Not at first," Agatha replied, shaking her head. "But after yer father came to me the fifth time, I sat with the ancestors, amongst the fires, lookin' fer a door into the future. And I found one."

Blair sat forward. "What was it?"

Agatha sighed. "I stood in the darkened woods, watching as two wolves battled for dominance. They were ruthless, scratching, clawing, and biting until one fell dead, and the other victorious. But it didn't stop there." Agatha took a deep breath, her eyes shifting off. "The victor then found the den of pups…and ate them."

Blair frowned. "That sounds horrible. I still don't see what that has to do with my father. Or us. What does that even mean?"

"I want you to remember that when your father came to me, I had always been solitary in my practices. My mother died when I was young, long before she planned to teach me of our gifts. When I saw it, I made a foolish assumption. I interpreted the two wolves as your father and uncle."

"And you told my father this?"

Agatha nodded. "Your father was terrified that his brother would covet the lairdship for himself and his sons. His brother's wife had just given birth to two more sons. After that, his fear began to fester inside of him. He became paranoid, even desperate. He wanted nothing more than to protect your family and the clan."

"I didn't know my uncle had any more children… What happened to his sons?" Blair whispered.

"A fever took them, not long after your father's death." Agatha looked off into the distance. "I still remember standing in the gardens, watching the dark clouds creep closer and closer to us. The vision hit me out of nowhere. It was so strong. I saw you, bent over your father. I saw what happened. I immediately took off toward the keep, but it was a long way, and I arrived after he had got home."

"That's where you came from," Blair replied. "You were trying to save my father."

Agatha nodded. "I was trying to stop him from doing what he attempted to do. I knew if he succeeded, you and your sisters would never be safe."

Blair shook her head exhaustively. "What? What did my father do?"

Agatha's eyes shifted up to Blair's. She reached across the table and laid her hand on Blair's hand. "Dear girl. He tried to kill his nephews and his brother. He thought it was the only way to protect his family and the future of the clan. But…when he arrived, when came the moment to kill his nephews, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Your uncle came in and there was a battle. Your uncle gave the final blow that sent your father stumbling back to the keep, only to die on the very ground your uncle took over."

Blair knew that James had scooted closer, but she couldn't hear or feel him. All she could do was stare into Agatha's eyes.

"Your uncle ultimately took over the lairdship, as you girls were too young. He moved into the keep with your cousin, and that was the end of your father's lineage as leader."

"Why didn't you tell my uncle of the mistake?" Blair whispered.

Agatha's face saddened. "Because he wouldn't hear anything from me. He gave me the option of death or banishment. I felt my fate deserved more than a quick getaway from the mistake I had made."

Blair felt lightheaded. "Mistake?"

Agatha nodded. "Aye. It wasn't your uncle fighting your father, winning and eating his young, it was the other way around. I saw what your father would do and instead of stopping it, I helped the prophecy come true."