Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

“ W e’re here,” Ava whispered, peering around Kai’s shoulder to look at Dunvegan Castle. The turrets, made of grey stone, reached tall into the sky atop the mound of stone and earth it had been built on centuries before. Some of the walls were crawling with ivy and creepers, the green and red leaves stark against the grey stones and the snowy white clouds in the sky.

The castle, it was alive with activity. A market had been set up on the lawn where the villagers had come to sell their wares, as soldiers marched up and down in tartan uniform and clan brooches, some practicing their maneuvers as others shopped. There was a general air of Yuletide about the place, with women selling mistletoe and holly boughs on their stalls, and others offering up pouches of cinnamon and other spices that they claimed to have traded with businessmen from Edinburgh.

“Yer family are getting ready fer Yuletide,” Ava observed as the horse trudged through the thin smattering of snow on the ground.

“Aye.” Kai’s one-word answer made Ava peer to look at his face. He’d not been the same since their lesson first thing that morning.

Why? It was a very good lesson…

The problem for Ava was that it had felt too real. When Kai had nearly kissed her on the neck, talking about things he wanted to do to her, for a minute she had felt like one of the many ladies he had taken to his bed. Far from hating it, she had actually loved it.

Nothing good comes from wanting Kai tae take me tae his bed. He would never really look at me like that.

Kai turned the horse through the market and up toward the portcullis which had been lowered. In the courtyard, maids were running back and forth with pine-laden boughs, ready for hanging in the great hall. There was a strong scent of cooked meat wafting from the kitchens and spices too. The staff’s children were running around, playing games with sticks, pretending they were swords. The whole atmosphere was happy, except for the man that rode in front of Ava.

“Ye’ve barely said a word today,” she whispered.

“I’m just deep in thought,” he explained as he pulled the horse to a stop. A young stable boy ran forward to take the reins as Kai jumped down. Ava turned to step down herself, but Kai was already offering up his hands again. Remembering what he had taught her in one of their lessons, she reached out to take his shoulders as he took hold of her waist. He lifted her from the saddle and very slowly, placed her on the ground. It was a testament to his strength that he made it last so long. Even when she was down, he didn’t release her but continued to look at her with that same serious expression he had been wearing all morning.

“Ye dinnae seem like yerself, Kai. What’s wrong?”

“Dinnae be worried about me.” He forced a smile.

“I dinnae need yer talent tae ken something is upsetting ye.”

“It will pass. Ye ken me.” He winked. “I always find a reason tae smile, dinnae I?”

She parted her lips to argue with him, well aware that they still hadn’t let go of one another when another voice shot across the pair of them.

“Ava!”

Ava turned, her hands falling away from Kai’s shoulders as he released her waist and stepped back rather quickly.

Standing in the open doorway of the keep was Thora, Kai’s sister. With raven black hair, darker than any of the MacLeod siblings, she was striking in her beauty. Her blue eyes were an even richer shade than Kai’s, noticeable even at this distance.

“Thora?” Ava walked toward her, doing her best not to dwell on what it had felt like to have Kai’s hands upon her again. She rather longed for it again as she walked away to meet Thora outside the keep.

Thora ran toward her and embraced her tightly.

“It is so good tae see ye. I didnae ken we were expecting yer company?”

“Tell her why ye’re here,” Kai’s voice was suddenly behind Ava. She jumped, startled at the proximity. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Thora’s bright blue eyes narrowing just a slither. “Tell Thora,” Kai urged as he carried their bags into the house. “She’ll sense the truth soon enough anyway.”

“Aye, aye, I ken ye’re right.” Ava sighed heavily as she turned to face Thora, trying to ignore how her eyes wanted to follow Kai as he walked into the keep.

It was the case with the whole MacLeod family. They all had gifts. Just as Kai could sense people’s emotions and was an excellent persuader, Thora sensed things that were yet to come. Only last year she had saved Ava and her clan thanks to her Sight .

“Something is wrong,” Thora murmured at once. “Come, let’s find ye a drink and a fire tae warm yerself besides. Then ye can tell me everything.”

Ava was quickly settled in the castle. She saw the Laird MacLeod, Kai’s elder brother, in passing as he had business to attend to. Laird Domhnall MacLeod laid a hand protectively on Ava’s shoulder when he saw her, asking if all was well. Their other brother, Magnus, was no longer living in the castle, having moved to his new wife’s clan, Ciara. Repeatedly as she talked with Laird Domhnall, Ava strained to catch another glimpse of Kai, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She was soon left alone with Thora in a large sitting room. Ava sat beside the fire with a warm cup of mead in her hands as Thora knelt on a wolf-skin rug before the fire, poking the logs every now and then with a hot iron to draw the flames to life.

“Are ye going tae tell me then?” Thora said after a minute or so of silence, once they had been left alone. “There is clearly something going on, otherwise Kai wouldnae have brought ye back here without writing ahead so we could at least prepare for yer arrival.”

“Something may be happening,” Ava whispered, choosing to stare down into her cup of mead. Thora was one of her dearest friends. She was not worried in the slightest to tell Thora about her decision to seduce Blair Grant, but what she did worry about was what Thora would glimpse into the future because of her decision. “It’s about me sister.”

“Lyla?” Thora abandoned her work with the fire and turned to face her, those blue eyes quite penetrating as she gazed at Ava. “Her future…” she said, in a somewhat misty tone. “Ye fear fer it.”

“I dae.” It all came pouring out of Ava in a rush. She told her friend about Lyla’s suitor, about his cruelty and how she feared who Lyla would end up being married to.

“So, ye wish tae seduce a man like Blair Grant.” Thora nodded purposefully as she turned back to the fire.

“Aye, I dae.” Ava nodded. “Now, I ken ye’ll say it’s mad. That I’m a fool fer even thinking about it –”

“Strange, that was nae what I was going tae say at all.”

“It wasnae?” Ava sat bolt straight in surprise.

“I can understand it.” Thora looked resilient as she pushed her dark hair back over her shoulder. “I would dae anything tae keep Enya safe, just the way ye are willing tae give up yer freedom tae keep Lyla safe. I ken yer heart, Ava. It is so alike tae me own.” She smiled rather sadly. “I wish I could say this choice would make ye happy, but of that, I’m nae so certain.”

Ava thought about asking what Thora could glimpse of the future as she drummed her fingers on the tankard of mead nervously, but then the moment was gone as Thora stood up.

“Yet it is a decision I would have also made. I just have one more question fer ye. So, why has Kai brought ye back here now?” Thora asked.

“Because…” Ava chewed her lip nervously, but she knew there was little point in keeping anything secret from Thora. “Because he’s promised tae teach me the art of seduction.”

Thora’s eyebrows shot up so far that they nearly disappeared into her dark hair.

“Well…” Thora shifted nervously, her hands writhing together before she smiled. “If the rumors are true, me braither has seduced many a woman intae his bed. Perhaps he is the best teacher ye could have.”

Ava was now the one to shift nervously. For some reason, she hated being reminded in that moment just how many women Kai had bedded in his life.

“Dinnae look at me like that.” Kai couldn’t stand still. He marched up and down the room that was dominated by Domhnall’s clan papers as his brother stared at him. Continuously, Kai fidgeted, adjusting the tartan strip across his shoulder, running a hand through his hair, then turning back to face his brother.

Domhnall, as broad and as domineering as ever in physicality, sat somewhat ungainly in the chair behind a desk, stacked high with scrolls and loose parchments. His dark brown hair was tied back in its customary leather strap, glowering at Kai.

“I said, stop looking at me like that,” he pleaded with Domhnall, marching back the other way.

“Can ye blame me?” Domhnall asked, his voice gravelly. “I dinnae even need Magnus here tae read yer mind tae tell me that.” Domhnall waved his hand impatiently. “Dinnae talk like that.” Kai turned sharply to face his brother. If Magnus had been there, he would have probably read the thoughts that Kai was doing his best to mas. His gift was to read one’s mind. “This is a good plan. Besides, Ava is determined. What am I supposed tae dae? Just let her try tae seduce a man and make a fool of herself without offering up any help?”

“Ye could just nae get involved,” Domhnall said simply.

“I cannae dae that.” Kai returned to his pacing. “She came tae me fer help that night. What kind of friend would I be if I turned me back on her now?”

“Friend?” Domhnall spoke the word very slowly indeed.

“Aye, friend.” Kai emphasized, refusing to look at his brother.

“All right, I’ve had enough of this.” Domhnall stood up abruptly. It was such a shock that Kai actually had to jump back. “Ye think ye can ignore what ye have felt fer her fer so long? Enough tae make her charm another man intae her bed and make yer peace with it?”

“Domhnall!”

“Dinnae bother trying tae deny it.” He shook his head. “Ye ken what I can see.”

Kai wished to argue with him, yet as he could read the waves of irritation wafting off of Domhnall even without touching him, he knew that Domhnall could see much more than he was letting on.

“Helping the woman ye love –”

“I didnae say that’s what I felt,” Kai snapped.

“Ye dinnae need tae,” Domhnall reminded him simply. “Helping her tae marry another man will only cause ye pain. Ye’ll come out of this hurting.”

“And?” Kai shrugged. “I’ve accepted that. Yet ye cannae expect me tae ignore Ava now, when she has asked fer me help. I will help her and I will suffer the consequences of it, aye.”

Domhnall curled his nose in distaste.

“Aye, nothing I can say will change yer mind now, will it?”

“Nay. Naething.” Kai agreed with a firm nod.

“Then let me give ye this bit of advice alone.” Domhnall stepped toward him, lowering his voice. “Keep yer distance when ye give her these lessons. Dinnae seduce her intae yer bed before she has tae go tae his. Ye may nae want tae let her go when the time comes.”

“That will never happen.” Kai wished to shout that he knew he wasn’t ever good enough for Ava, that he had accepted that long ago.

“Aye, then as long as ye have accepted it, that’s the end of this discussion,” Domhnall said and walked away, heading for the door. Then he hesitated in the doorway, looking back at Kai. He stared so long that Kai feared Domhnall could read something of his thoughts, the way that Magnus could.

He can see how unworthy I feel.

“Dinnae put yerself down–” Domhnall hissed in a whisper.

“We’re done with this discussion,” Kai commanded, waving Domhnall out of the room.