Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

" W ake up, buttercup," Mae whispered in Niall's ear, "it's time to go set things in motion."

Niall groaned. "Didnae we jest fall asleep?" he murmured. "An' did you call me buttercup?"

Giggling, Mae leaned in and kissed his lips. "I did and we did, but the sun's about to rise and we've got things to do."

She hopped from the bed and went to the wash station, pouring water into the bowl. She spent a few minutes washing up and then got dressed as Niall laid lazily in the bed watching her with one muscled arm behind his head, his eyes in half-slits and an appreciative grin on his lips.

"I donnae understand where you have all this energy from this morn, love. Did I nae wear you out in the wee hours making you squeal and squirm beneath me?"

Mae's laughter was joyous. "You did, but we are this close—" she held up her thumb and forefinger to show a half inch, "to being rid of Brian and I want to get started."

Chuckling, he climbed from the bed and Mae couldn't help but stop and watch him, her mouthwatering at the sight of him. She paused in her task of brushing her hair mid-stroke as he dressed. Once he was fully clothed, she returned to running the bristles through her hair and then quickly braided it.

"You're going to speak to the others, right?"

"Of course, love, I will tell them what we're planning and make sure they are all aware to go along with it. I will go and see the Chief first to inform him of our plan. I'm sure he'll have a few suggestions as he knows the history of this castle far better than I."

"Excellent. And I will talk with those in the kitchens, see if I can get a few tales from them as well."

"Might we partake in the morning meal before we go about this? I find I'm not quite ready to let you go away from me quite yet," Niall said, pulling her into his arms.

Mae felt her cheeks heat at the look in his eyes. "Yes, we can have breakfast first. I don't want to part ways yet either." She smiled and then pressed a kiss to his lips. Taking his hand, she opened the door and damn near dragged him down the stairs as she hurried them to the dining hall.

Niall chuckled. "Love, you are going to trip and drag me down these stone steps with you."

She tossed him a smile over her shoulder. "Never gonna happen. I'm as graceful as a swan." She winked and landed the last step with a hop. "See?"

They reached the dining hall just as the staff began delivering the food. There were only a few people there before them, and Brian, thankfully, wasn't one of them. They managed to enjoy the entire meal without him. Once they finished, Mae gave him a kiss and went to speak to Mira, Sally and the others, while Niall headed for Cam's office.

The dining hall was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food, platters brimming with steaming delicacies and succulent fish. Mira had changed the menu to a more festive one, once she heard what Mae and Niall were planning. As Mae entered, she saw that the long wooden tables were adorned with an array of dishes, enticing the inhabitants with their appetizing presentation. The hearth in the center of the hall crackled with life, casting a warm and inviting glow that illuminated the room.

The dinner was accompanied by the merry music of several talented guardsmen who had taken up their instruments after eating earlier than the rest of them. The atmosphere in the castle was festive and almost magical to Mae's eyes. There was an anticipation in the air, as though everyone knew something amazing was about to happen.

Cam tapped upon his glass, calling for everyone's attention and the music faded. "Niall," he called from the high-table, "now that we've eaten, perhaps you will regale us with a spirited story? It is nearly Samhain, after all."

Niall looked about the room and then gave a slight nod. "Very well." He rose and moved to stand before the hearth where all could see and hear him. "As many of you know, Fort Donald is nae the first structure to stand upon this land and overlook the loch. Nae. The first to build here were a crew of Vikings, in the year 759 AD. From their base here on the loch, they would raid the various towns and countrysides, but it twas also here that they died. Twas said that they encountered a witch who laid a curse upon them when the robbed her of her worldly goods."

Mae looked around the room to see everyone enthralled with the tale. Her gaze landed upon Brian who sat, his mouth slightly agape as he listened. Niall really was a very good story-teller, his voice was strong and had a way of weaving his words in such a way that it drew you in.

"Now the leader of this band of Vikings didnae believe in curses, however, as he drew his last breath, he warned others to beware, though the remainder of his words were lost as he died. Soon, others of the band fell victim to the curse, one died from eating a poisonous plant that was disguised as an herb, another from an attack from a rival group of raiders. One by one, the Vikings died, leaving only one, who set their fort aflame in the hopes of breaking the curse the witch had laid upon them and the land."

Mae could see Brian looking around, beads of sweat upon his brow.

"It is said that those men still haunt this land on the days shortly before Samhain, warning others not to befall the witch's curse. I have seen them a time or to myself. Roaming the halls here at Fort Donald in the wee hours of the night."

Brian's eyes widened at Niall's words and a look of fright crossed his face.

"I have been told that anyone who crosses their path, will be marked by the same witch's curse that took them from this world and banished them into the underworld where they will forever stay, except upon the weeks leading up to Samhain so that they might be a warning to others. So beware my friends of the Viking ghosts or you may find yourself marked by a witch's curse as well."

Brian's gaze darted around the hall, as if searching for an escape from the haunting tales that seemed to penetrate his very being. Mae knew that the seed of doubt had been planted, and its roots would only deepen with time. If he weren't such and asshole, she wouldn't take such pleasure in conning him in such a way, but he had brought it upon himself, and it wasn't as though they were going to hurt him really. Just scare him into leaving.

In the midst of the hushed whispers and gasps of the audience, Mae's gaze locked with Brian's for a fleeting moment. It was a silent exchange, but in that instant, Mae could see a glimmer of vulnerability in his eyes, and she did her best to keep a serious face.

Her smile remained hidden, a secret delight to share with Niall later over how his tale had affected Brian. Mae was pleased with the turn of events, as she saw Brian squirming under the weight of his own fears. She couldn't wait for Dub Sith to do his part of their plan. Though that could take a few days for it all to come to fruition.

In the flickering light of the hearth, Mae allowed herself a moment of quiet triumph. She understood the importance of patience and subtlety, knowing that their plan would unfold in due course, but damn was she impatient to get on with it. As the evening wore on, Mae remained vigilant, her resolve unwavering as she continued to watch Brian squirm, a silent reminder of their cunning plot.

Over the next few days, she and Niall, and nearly everyone else too, watched Brian move about the castle grounds with an air of unease. Whispers carried through the corridors and lingered in the air, reaching his ears wherever he went. The guardsmen and staff who were all in on the plan, made sure to speak in hushed tones about Niall's chilling ghost story, purposely ensuring that Brian overheard their conversations. False rumors spread like wildfire, each more outlandish than the next, tales of apparitions wandering the halls at night and objects mysteriously shifting on their own. Fires lighting themselves and chains rattling in empty rooms.

Mae kept track of Brian as he passed various members of the staff engaged in animated discussions, their voices would dip lower into hushed tones as he approached, their gazes lingering on him with a mixture of curiosity and mischief. They exchanged knowing glances, sharing secrets, and fueling the atmosphere of fear that encircled him.

Mae was thrilled to see the once confident and arrogant Brian constantly glancing over his shoulder, his nerves clearly on edge. Every creak of a floorboard, every flicker of candlelight seemed to spook him further. Mae almost felt sorry for him since what they were doing was kind of mean, but then she'd recall everything he'd put them all through, especially the women and she strengthen her resolve to keep things going.

The stories of apparitions and inexplicable occurrences seemed to haunt Brian's thoughts. He had confided to Niall that these Viking ghosts were now invading his dreams and woke him in the middle of the night, leaving him drenched in cold sweat. Mae had been excited to hear that their plan was really working.

A few nights later, as she followed Brian and Niall to Brian's rooms after another festive evening in the dining hall, Brian jumped and began question every shadow, every shifting shape in the dimly lit corridors. It was all Mae could do to contain her laughter. It seemed that paranoia had taken hold of him, casting a dark cloud over his every waking moment.

A few more days passed, and Mae walked the grounds to take a respite from the constant trickery as she waited for Niall. It felt like she had gone back to her old ways, but to fair, it felt necessary. Samhain was quickly approaching and if Brian hadn't left by then, well, they had something big planned. She half hoped he wouldn't leave just to see it pulled off.

The nice thing about Brian being so afraid, he tended to keep to himself a lot, still drinking quite a bit, but for the most part, kept himself out of trouble. That made Niall's life a little easier, and it meant more time with Mae, since others were more than happy to take on babysitting duty when they could offer up their own little tidbits of seeing ghosts in the castle.

"There you are, love. I thought we might go for a ride, see a bit of the countryside before it gets too cold to do so anymore this year."

Mae brightened. "I'd like that, though I'm going to warn you, I've never actually ridden a horse before."

Niall's jaw dropped. "Never?"

"Not even ever." She laughed. "Not really a big call for horse riding back home, at least, not in Los Angeles. Maybe in Texas or Nebraska, maybe Montana and a few other places, but in general, no. People don't really travel by horse."

"Well, today you can ride with me, but once winter's gone, I'll teach you to ride."

"I guess that would be a good idea considering it's the most viable mode of transportation here."

They spent the afternoon riding over the moors and around the loch, enjoying a picnic of cheese and sliced meat as well as some shortbread Mira had put in the satchel she'd made for Niall. Mae found herself falling in love with the scenery and wanting never to leave. It was strange, considering where she'd come from, but everything here—aside from the trouble with Brian—was so calm and relaxing. She could see, once he was gone, what life would be like on a daily basis, and she found she enjoyed it.

"You may want to have Sally send up a bath for you, love. You'll be sore tomorrow from riding for so long."

"I'm sore now," Mae said with a laugh. "I'll ask her, though, I'm sure it will help."

"I'll even come and scrub your back for you," he said huskily, kissing her neck.

Mae smiled. "You just wanna see me naked," she teased.

"And what a sight that is," he growled in her ear, before planting a kiss upon her cheek. "I'll see you inside."

After speaking to Sally about a bath, Mae ventured through the dimly lit corridors toward her room. Within the hour she was soaking in the warm water in front of the fire and Niall was seated next to her. It was cozy and relaxing and just the perfect way to wind down the evening. He'd asked Sally to deliver dinner to the room and they'd dined alone, just enjoying the night together.

The following day, Niall was back on babysitting duty. Brian was getting bolder though, the stories weren't doing quite enough to keep him cowed, and Samhain was still a couple of days away. She needed to do something to up the ante, but she wasn't sure what. This is until after dinner that evening when she noticed Brian watching her from his drunken stupor next to the fire.

Catching Niall's eye, she gestured for him to join her for a moment so she could share her newly created plan to scare the pants off of Brian. Niall met her by the dining hall doors, and she told him what she was thinking. Niall chuckled softly, keeping his back to Brian so he wouldn't hear or see what they were discussing.

Mae put a hand to her head and said a little louder, "I just need to go lie down for a while. Stay here and enjoy the evening with your friends. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure, love. Cam did request my attention, so I'll see what he needs, and be up later."

Mae nodded, her gaze drifting to Brian who was attentively listening to their conversation. She turned to the door then looked over her shoulder at Niall with a small smile before heading into the hall. She kept her walk fairly slowly to see if Brian took the bait. By the time she reached the stairs, he was several paces behind her. She climbed the stairs to her room knowing that Niall wasn't too far behind Brian. Neither of them wanted him to actually accost her, so they were prepared for that, should he try something.

Upon reaching her room, Mae stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. She waited a beat or two and then swiftly retreated from the room with a piercing scream that reverberated through the halls.

Brian, who had been lingering a few doors down, rushed toward her, his voice laden with concern, asked, "What tis it?"

Mae made her eyes wide and feigned terror. She pointed back toward her room, gasping for breath, she said, in a trembling voice, "Something… something's in there… it was shadowy and dark, and I swear… Brian… I'm so scared! I swear it said… beware the witch…" she stared at him with fake fright, keeping her voice breathy and added a terrified trill to it.

Brian's face paled, his expression a mixture of fear and disbelief as he backed away from her. Niall came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder making Brian jump and scream a little.

"What's wrong?" Niall asked glancing from Mae to Brian with concern.

Brian pointed toward Mae's room, his hand shaking. He hastily said, "I… I cannae… I have to go." He rushed backwards a few more steps, then spun around and hightailed it back down the stairs.

Mae watched him disappear, her smile growing wider. She began to giggle as Niall wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest, muffling the sound.

In the aftermath of Mae's trick upon Brian, the castle buzzed with whispers of the supernatural event that Brian had claimed unfolded. The staff continued to share hushed conversations about the various ghosties they'd seen, their voices filled with both awe and trepidation. However, the tale of the shadowy figure seen in Mae's room spread like wildfire, fueling the already rampant rumors of ghostly activity that haunted the castle.

Mae reveled in the success of her con as the castle became a stage for their carefully crafted performance. Each new encounter, each new sighting of the ghosts, further cemented Brian's belief in the otherworldly presence that surrounded him. The web of deception had clearly tightened its grip, ensnaring him in a realm of fear and uncertainty and Mae had a feeling it wouldn't take much more to push him over the edge.