Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

M agnus had collected some snow in a pot and melted it over the fire he’d built, stepping outside and letting her clean some of the mud off herself. There was no helping her clothes, but it felt nice to clean off her face and body. It was an unexpectedly thoughtful gesture that reinforced her belief that he wasn’t a monster. Of course, the fact that her wrists and ankles were bound tightly challenged that belief.

“Here,” he said. “Drink this.”

“I dinnae want wine.”

“’Tis nae wine.”

He thrust a cup into her hands and Ciara raised it to her nose, immediately wincing when the odor hit her nose. She recoiled.

“What is this then?” she asked.

“’Tis a bit of whisky,” he said. “It’ll warm ye from the inside.”

“I’m fine,” she said and handed the cup back to him.

“Ye should drink it.”

“I dinnae want it.”

“’Tis goin’ tae be cold tonight.”

“I’ll be fine.”

With a heavy sigh, he took the cup back from her, then swallowed the contents in one hearty swallow setting the cup down on the table.

“Nay sense lettin’ it go to waste then,” he said.

Thunder rumbled outside and the wind was picking up with gusts strong enough to shake the walls of the lodge. She looked around warily.

“Is this lodge goin’ tae fall down on top of us?” she asked.

“It’ll be fine,” he said. “It has stood through much worse.”

A cold gust of wind rattled the wooden shutters over the windows, filling the room. Ciara shivered and tried to pull the furs on her shoulders around her tighter. She turned to see Magnus watching her, his icy blue eyes looking even colder in the flickering light from the fire in the hearth.

Shadows danced across his face, and she was once again struck by how handsome he was. Ciara turned away, not wanting him to see her physical attraction in her eyes. Elspeth always said she had a very readable face. It was something she had tried to work on, but she feared she hadn’t yet mastered the art of the blank face. It was a skill Magnus seemed to have in spades, because he was one of the most difficult people to read she had ever encountered. She had seen more expression in the statues around her father’s keep.

“Ye really should have a sip of this whisky,” he said. “It’ll warm ye right up.”

Ciara sighed. She wasn’t much of a drinker. She didn’t even tend to drink wine with her dinner very often. She didn’t like the feeling of being out of control she’d gotten on those few occasions when she’d imbibed a little too much. Ever since the last time, she’d pretty much stayed away from liquor altogether. But she had never been in a situation like they were currently in. Their circumstances were pretty dire. As cold as things were right now, Ciara knew they were only going to get colder as the night wore on.

“Fine,” she finally relented.

Magnus nodded and poured another bit of whisky from his skin then handed the cup over to her. She took the cup between her hands and looked up at him.

“I dinnae suppose ye’d loosen me bonds?—”

His booming laughter cut her off mid-sentence and she glowered at him. It was worth a try. Ciara raised the cup to her lips and took a small sip. Her mouth immediately burst with heat and she swallowed it down, grimacing as the liquid burned its way down her throat. It hit her belly and exploded with a heat that started to spread outward through her body, making her tingle from head to toe. She had to admit it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

As Ciara took another sip and sat back relishing the warmth flowing through her veins, Magnus walked over and settled the furs down on her shoulders again, pulling them tight around her.

“How is that?” he asked.

“Better,” she replied.

“Good.”

He threw some more wood into the hearth and watched as the flames leaped higher. The wood cracked and popped as the fire consumed it. Ciara studied Magnus’ profile, feeling a flutter in her belly that had nothing to do with the whisky. As if he sensed her gaze on him, he turned and their eyes met, sending a bolt of lightning through her heart, making it pound in her breast. She quickly turned away, staring down into the amber liquid in her cup as she tried to calm herself.

Magnus returned to the chair at the small table and sat down. He filled his own cup then took a sip. The wind whistled sharply outside, cutting into the silence they were wrapped in. He held his cup between his large hands and stared into it and Ciara found herself wishing she could hear his thoughts.

“May I ask ye something?” she finally asked.

“What?”

“Why are ye so convinced I’m a traitor?”

Magnus swirled the whisky around in his cup and seemed to be thinking about his answer. Or perhaps whether he should answer her at all. He finally raised his gaze to her, his expression sober.

“I suppose it daesnae matter. Ye’re goin’ tae find out soon enough anyway,” he said, almost as if to himself. “We were told by somebody we trust that the English had a spy among us. That somebody was workin’ fer them and against the clans. We were told it was a young woman with golden hair and emerald eyes. And that she had skill with a blade and a bow.”

“But that… I mean, it sounds like me,” Ciara said. “But it ain’t me. I’m nae workin’ fer the English. I’m nae spy.”

Magnus eyed her closely for a long moment, not saying anything. She could tell though, he was trying to do whatever it was he’d tried to do before. And judging by the frustration that flashed across his face, was having no more success. She wanted to ask about it but knew if she did, he would shut down on her like he had before. She had him talking and wanted to keep more. If she knew more about the situation, perhaps she could convince him she wasn’t what he believed her to be.

“Where are ye takin’ me?” she asked.

“Our ancestral home is Dunvegan Castle,” he replied.

“I’ve never heard of Dunvegan castle before.”

He shrugged. “Well, heard of it or nae, ‘tis where we’re goin’ once this weather lets up.”

“And what are ye goin’ tae dae tae me?”

“Domhnall just wants tae talk tae ye.”

“Talk.”

“Aye. Contrary tae what ye believe, me family doesnae torture or murder,” he said. “That may be what the bleedin’ English dae, but ‘tis nae our way.”

He sounded sincere but a cloud of fear passed through her heart all the same. If they really believed she was a traitor and had sold out their people to the English, Ciara was smart enough to know they wouldn’t let her go on her way with a smile and a pat on the back. He said his family didn’t murder, but she doubted they would consider it murder if they executed a spy. She knew she was going to have to find a way to convince them she wasn’t what they believed her to be. Ciara just didn’t know how to go about that.

“Ye’re really nae takin’ me back to me faither, are ye?” she said.

“Like I keep tellin’ ye, I dinnae ken who yer faither is, nor where he lives,” he replied gruffly.

She stared at him in silence for a long moment, searching for the lie in his words. But she only heard the ring of sincerity. It surprised her and she didn’t quite know what to make of it.

“Why did ye join the archery contest back at the Games?” Magnus asked. “Why would ye draw attention to yerself like that?”

“I wasnae tryin’ tae draw attention to meself. I needed money and thought it was a quick way tae earn a few coins.”

Magnus frowned as he took a sip of his whisky. It seemed as if he was trying to fit her story into the narrative he already had in his mind and was having a difficult time doing it. It didn’t seem to match what he believed. Ciara thought maybe she could sway him to her side and convince him it had all been a misunderstanding, and he could let her go if she told him a bit more.

“I ran away from me faither’s keep. Ran away from him,” she said. “His name is Laird Robert MacDougal—of Clan MacDougal. I wasnae able tae take much with me when I went, which is why I needed tae earn some coin in the archery contest.”

“And where were ye goin’?”

She shrugged. “I dinnae ken. I hadnae thought that far ahead,” she replied.

“Why were ye runnin’?”

Ciara let out a long breath and took another sip of her whisky.

Some small part of her mind told her that she shouldn’t be sharing anything with him. The larger part of her mind, though, reminded her that if she was going to sway Magnus to her side and convince him to let her go, that she needed to tell him the truth of things. It was a risk, but she thought it was a calculated one.

“Me faither wanted tae strengthen his position as laird and tae dae that, he needed an alliance with somebody who had an army. So, he was goin’ tae marry me off tae an English Lord—Edmund Fairfax,” she told him. “I would rather be dead than marry him, so… I ran. And I plan tae keep runnin’ until I’m a world away from him.”

“Fairfax,” Magnus said. “I’ve heard of him. Cruel, vicious man.”

“Aye. That’s him.”

“He’s responsible fer the deaths of more Scots than I can count.”

“I’m nae surprised,” she said. “So ye see why I willnae marry him. He’s a monster. And I willnae be a pawn in me faither’s political games.”

“If that’s true, I cannae blame ye fer that.”

“’Tis true, Magnus. ‘Tis why I need ye tae let me go.”

“I cannae dae that.”

“Me faither and Fairfax have men out there searching fer me,” she pleaded. “They want tae drag me back to marry that monster and solidify me faither’s alliance.”

“All the more reason fer ye tae want to come tae Dunvegan with me,” he countered. “Ye’ll be safe there.”

“I’m nae safe anywhere. And I’d be puttin’ ye and yer family in danger.”

“That’s fer us tae worry about.”

“Magnus—”

“It’s late and we need some rest,” he cut her off. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us once this storm breaks.”

Ciara opened her mouth to speak but the words would not come. There didn’t seem to be any swaying the man. Not yet anyway. She had planted the seed and now, and she just needed to give it a little time to grow. Ciara drained the last of her whisky, grimacing at the burn, then set her cup aside. A peal of thunder shook the lodge and a cold blast of wind chilled Ciara to the bone. Magnus finished his cup of whisky then set his cup down and stood up.

He threw more wood into the hearth then laid down on the ground and pulled her down beside him and pulled the furs over them. Her entire body stiffened, and her heart raced. She was appalled by the familiarity but had to admit, if only to herself, that like the whisky, the sensation wasn’t entirely unpleasant. She swallowed hard.

“What dae ye think ye’re doin’?” she asked.

“We need tae help keep each other warm,” he replied. “Get some sleep.”

Though they were lying next to each other and their bodies weren’t intertwined, it still felt wrong to be so close to a man she not only didn’t know, but a man who had abducted her. She had to admit though, being so close to him under the furs did generate more warmth than when she’d been under them by herself. Magnus rolled over, putting his broad back against hers.

Ciara closed her eyes and shifted around, trying to get herself into a comfortable position. It wasn’t easy given that her hands and feet were still bound. She knew though, that wasn’t the only thing that would be keeping her from sleeping.

It was going to be a long night.