Chapter 39

CHAPTER 39

I t had been a couple of days since Magnus and Ciara had been together in the bath chamber and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since. They hadn’t been together since that night, but they seemed to be growing closer. They took meals together, took walks around the castle grounds together, and spent a lot of time sharing their lives with each other.

The emotions she stirred in Magnus were unlike anything he’d ever felt before. They were powerful. Raw. Primal. And when he thought of them—of her—he was overwhelmed by them all over again. In one sense, his emotions for her were becoming so strong, Magnus feared everything she made him feel. On the other hand, though, it felt good. It was unlike anything he’d ever been made to feel before.

Magnus was walking through the castle, overseeing the installation of some decorations for the coming Yule feast. Given the attack on Dunvegan, he didn’t think they should be going forward with the feast, but Domhnall was insistent they do. He believed canceling the feast would be a sign of weakness, or a sign that Fairfax had scared them. Magnus thought it was prudent. But Domhnall was the laird, so it was ultimately his brother’s call to make.

The sound of steel ringing on steel caught Magnus’ attention. He thought sparring with Calum might be just what he needed to blow off some steam and alleviate some of his tension. When he stepped into the practice yard though, he found Calum putting Ciara through her forms and sparring with her. As he walked in, they turned to him.

“Sorry,” he said. “I dinnae want tae interrupt.”

“Wantin’ tae spar, lad?” Calum asked.

“I did. But I can wait?—”

“Nonsense,” Calum said. “Grab a weapon.”

As he crossed the yard to grab one of the practice blades from the rack, Ciara watched him with a smirk stretching her lips.

“I want tae spar with ye,” she said.

Calum laughed. “I think ‘tis a great idea. Give her somebody else tae fight. Might dae her some good. Might dae ye some good too, lad.”

Magnus looked at the blunted blade in his hand and shrugged. “All right. Let’s spar then.”

“Excellent,” Calum said as he stepped to the side of yard and leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his chest.

Ciara raised her blade, a smile on her face and a mischievous glint in her eye. “Are ye ready?”

“Are ye?”

“I wouldnae have challenged ye if I wasnae ready.”

“Cocky lass,” Magnus said.

“Dinnae get comfortable,” Calum chimed in. “She’s good with a blade in her hand.”

Magnus chuckled but recalled the way she’d humiliated Kai in the hall. He knew she was good with a blade. She was quick. Fearless. And judging by the look on her face, eager to take him down a few pegs by beating him. He flashed her a smile.

“Let’s have a go then,” he said.

They circled each other, their movements mirroring each other’s. When Magnus moved to the right, Ciara moved with him. When she moved to the left, he moved with her. She caught him off guard when she darted in, her blade spinning so quickly, it was a blur. Magnus got his blade up in time to deflect the blow and danced backward, getting out of her reach.

“’Twas a nice move,” he said.

“Almost had ye.”

“Aye, ye did. But only almost.”

She grinned. “Are ye sure ye’re ready? Dae ye need a break?”

“I dinnae need a break. Are ye sure ye want tae keep goin’?”

“Oh, fer sure.”

Magnus laughed and waded in, spinning his blade in a dizzying array of moves he knew she would have a hard time keeping up with. As good as she was—and she was very good with a blade—she didn’t have his experience. There were things one learned only through having been in the field, fighting an actual battle. Perhaps it was cheating or taking advantage of her inexperience, but the look of shock on her face amused him.

She danced back a few steps, taking a moment to catch her breath. A shaky smile crossed her lips, and she shook her head, but she seemed to admire his skill with a blade.

“Did ye want tae take a break?” he teased.

“Nae on yer life.”

A laugh bursting from her mouth, Ciara rushed in again, feinting and thrusting, spinning and whirling. Magnus laughed with her as they crossed swords. They moved and flowed around one in a slow, sensual rhythm and they seemed to be feeding off one another, their minds and bodies in perfect unison. He didn’t know if it was the rhythm of their movements, the physical exertion, or maybe both, but Magnus felt himself more drawn to her than he’d ever been. They seemed to be so in sync with each other, they moved as one and their movements looked like they’d been coordinated. He parried her last thrust and stepped back to catch his breath.

“Looks like we’ve got a stalemate, lass,” he said.

She put her hands on her hips, her face flushed and beaded with sweat. “Aye.”

From the corner of his eye, Magnus noticed his siblings gathered just inside the wall of the practice yard watching. They looked both interested and amused that she’d fought him to a stalemate. He flashed them all a lopsided grin. But Thora and Enya looked at him and he could tell they wanted to speak to him.

“What is it?” Magnus asked.

“We need yer help in the hall,” Thora said.

He rolled his eyes then turned to Ciara. “Shall we call it a draw fer now? Pick this up later?”

“Aye. We can dae that,” she puffed, still out of breath. “But I warn ye, I willnae be holdin’ back next time.”

Magnus laughed. “I look forward tae it then.”