Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

W hile everyone around him yelled congratulations, Iseabail could only stand there fuming. With her arms by her sides, she curled her fists into a ball and, shaking with frustration, squeezed her fingers together in anger.

O’ all the stupid, idiotic, mindless things tae dae!

She had been handling it. The man was getting a bit pushy, but she had had it under control. No one in the tavern had paid her any mind, and if Owen hadn’t come along, she would have slipped away as easily as she had approached the man.

But no. Owen had to make a great spectacle of himself for the entire tavern to see. Which was the exact opposite of what Iseabail either wanted or needed.

When he finally caught sight of her, after relishing in his ridiculous victory, praised by men and women he did not even know, people who had consumed far too much ale, he was still beaming with delight and pride at his accomplishment. That didn’t last long though, and a second later, the smile fell from his face. Approaching her, he looked more than confused at her obvious lack of delight.

Is he really so stupid nae tae realize why I am so angry? Well, he’s about to find out.

When he was only a few feet away, she launched forward, grabbed his arm, and yanked him swiftly away to the side of the tavern.

“What the devil?” he gasped.

“Och, ye’re in big trouble now, lad,” someone chuckled behind him.

A few in the crowd, who were now making their way back into the tavern, made whooping noises, adding jibes as they went.

“She’s going tae have yer guts fer garters. Look at her face.”

“Aye, she’s nae a happy one,” another chuckled.

“Ye’re sleeping in the barn tonight, lad,” someone else heckled.

Owen winced at their words, and clearly, would have preferred they kept their opinions to themselves. No doubt he realized that their comments were not making the situation any better, and he was right, for Iseabail could feel her rage still building.

She dragged him around the corner, trying to get as far away from anyone as she could, and then with all the might she could muster, she slammed him up against the wall. And it did take all her might, for Owen was huge.

“What the hell is wrong with ye?” she hissed, glaring up at him.

“I dinnae ken what ye’re on about?” Owen shrugged with wide eyes, evidently still completely clueless as to why she was so angry. “I thought ye’d be happy with someone protecting yer honor.”

“I was handling it,” she spat.

“The man had a hold o’ yer wrist, Iseabail,” he argued.

“And a second ‘afore ye arrived, I compelled him tae let me go.”

“I dinnae care. It still didnae give him any right tae put his hands all over ye.”

“And o’ course, the only solution is tae make a big scene, isnae it? Ye needed tae teach the man a lesson with nae a care fer the consequences. Clearly, ye were loving every minute o’ it. Anything tae be in the limelight, right, Owen?”

His confusion turned to frustration as he furrowed his brow and snarled at her. “I did it fer ye, ye ungrateful woman. It had naething tae dae with wanting any limelight.”

“O’ course nae,” she snapped back sarcastically. “I just happened to have met ye as ye were parading around a tavern, lapping up the attention from all the men after winning yet another victory and putting another man on his back. But this isnae the same at all, right?”

“It was naething like the same,” Owen barked back. “Defending a woman’s honor is nae the same as fighting fer money. Dae ye think I wanted tae dae that?” He threw a gesture out toward the street.

“Aye, I dae. And if ye were honest with yersel, ye ken that ye did. ‘Tis a shame that ye’re all brawn and nay brains. Ye’re that dense, ye dinnae even realize what ye’ve done.”

“Nae, ye’re right,” he shook his head vehemently, “I dinnae. Why dinnae ye enlighten me, o’ great and wonderful one?” he snapped.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked at him like he was something she would kick to the side of the road.

“We’re supposed tae be stealthily looking fer this crystal. ‘Tis the reason I’m nae travelling with a hoard o’ guards around me. So naeone kens who I am. Remember? I’ve put me life at risk on this quest, but at least I havenae left a trail o’ me presence. But ye,” she flung out a hand, “ye decide that everyone in the damned village needs tae ken that we’re here. So well done. Mission accomplished.”

He looked at her with wide eyes, only now seeming to understand why she was so angry. And then, he opened his mouth.

Crossing her hands over her chest, she jutted out her chin and readied herself for his next excuse, for he was bound to give one. He had put them in grave danger, and knowing the man he was, he wasn’t going to handle that too well. He would find anyone else to blame rather than taking responsibility for his actions.

But then, he curled his upper lip and side stepped away from her.

“I’m going tae the room tae clean mesel’ up,” he snarled, and immediately turning on his heels, he left her standing there, seething with so much rage, she now felt like punching something.

Everyone else had returned to the tavern, leaving Iseabail outside. She was alone apart from a couple of drunks, who stumbled across the cobbled streets together. They were singing out of tune, and, she assumed, looked to be heading home.

Taking several deep breaths, she placed her hands on her hips. Her heart thumped, and she was breathless with anger. She needed to calm down a little before she went back inside. Still, she could not get her head around Owen’s stupidity. After all the care she had taken over the last weeks to keep herself hidden and unnoticed, it took one action from an idiot to ruin it all.

And of course, he had loved every minute. He might deny it, he might even excuse his behavior with the reasoning that he was protecting her honor. But the truth of the matter was, Owen Sinclair loved to fight. She had seen it with her own eyes on the first night they had met. What had happened earlier had had less to do with her honor, and more to do with his own enjoyment.

After a little more time passed, and her breathing was back to normal, Iseabail pulled her cloak back around her, took a deep breath, and slipped back into the tavern, her eyes flicking from side to side, watching those she passed.

Surprisingly, no one batted an eyelid in her direction. A fact for which she was grateful. The kerfuffle was over, and everyone had already moved on to whatever else caught their attention.

Small enough to slip about unnoticed, Iseabail found a table in the corner and settled herself down in a chair beside it. She wasn’t sure if Owen would come downstairs again, but at that moment in time, she could not look at him without wanting to put her hands around his throat and squeeze really hard. It would be better for her to stay where she was until she had calmed herself fully.

“That necklace he wears is precious, isnae it?” a small, croaky voice said from beside her.

Spinning to look, Iseabail saw a frail old woman sat at a table just a few feet away. Before the woman had spoken, Iseabail hadn’t even noticed her, but she was more astonished at her words.

“I beg yer pardon?” Iseabail replied.

“The crystal,” the old woman repeated. “It has powers. Just like ye.”

Iseabail’s mouth fell open, and she stared at the woman. “I’m afraid yer mistaken, madam. I dinnae ken what ye’re talking about. “

The wizened woman smiled, showing off gaps between her blackened teeth. Her face was lined with deep crevices, each one likely able to tell a different story. White frizzy hair sprung in every direction from her head, and though she appeared to be looking at Iseabail, her eyes were hardly open.

“Life is hard, isnae it, when ye have tae hide who ye are?” the old woman said. “I ken that feeling. I’ve had tae dae it all me life too.”

Iseabail regarded the woman, and then wondered if perhaps, she too, might have a gift.

“The answer is, aye. I dae,” the woman said.

Iseabail gasped. “What?”

“Ye were wondering if I have a gift.”

“How did ye dae that?” Iseabail cried.

The woman beamed another smile and inclined her head, “Because I have a gift,” she laughed lightly.

“Ye can read me thoughts?”

The woman nodded.

“Me braither can dae the same, but he has tae put his hand upon the person.”

“And yer gift?” the woman asked.

Iseabail hesitated, and then realized her hesitation was ridiculous. If the woman could read her mind, there was not much she could keep from her anyway.

“I can compel people to dae as I ask.”

“Och, that is a good one.” The old woman nodded, sounding impressed. “Ye are on a mission, but ye must be careful. Dinnae lay yer hand upon the crystal ye are looking fer when ye find it. It will kill ye, child. It’s very important that ye remember that.”

Iseabail nodded, acknowledging her earlier suspicions. But now, excited that after all her searching, she had met someone who knew something about the crystal, she continued on.

“How dae ye ken about the crystal? Where can I find it?”

The woman shook her head. “That, I cannae tell ye, fer I dinnae ken. There have been many ‘afore ye who have looked fer it, but tae nay avail. It holds a magic o’ its own, and some say, it never remains in one place.” The old woman shrugged. “Old wives’ tales, maybe, I dinnae ken.”

“So ye cannae give me any clue as tae the direction I need tae go?” Iseabail asked, now feeling a sense of disappointment wash over her.

The old woman shook her head again. “I’m afraid nae. But it will kill ye if ye touch it. If ye dae find it, get that strapping man o’ yers tae carry it.” A wide beam lined her papery skinned face once more, but Iseabail did not smile with her.

If I dinnae kill him first.

“Dinnae be too angry with him. He wasnae thinking o’ himself when he challenged that man. He was angered by the way he was treating ye, and only fought him tae try and protect ye.”

Iseabail gazed at the woman in wonder. That was exactly what Owen had said, but she hadn’t believed him. Could this old woman be telling the truth?

“I am telling the truth. What reason have I got tae lie tae ye?”

Again, Iseabail gasped. “Surely, it is rude tae be inside someone else’s head like that.”

The old woman nodded. “Ye are right. I apologize. Sometimes I forget meself.”

Iseabail was working through what she had said only a moment ago, when suddenly, she remembered the crystal around Owen’s neck.

“How can ye ken his motivations fer the fight? He wears that crystal, and thus, yer powers dinnae work on him.”

“Nae, but I dae have eyes in me head, me dear. I dinnae always have tae use me gift tae see things. I watched the whole thing play out, and he was angry. The man was only trying tae protect ye.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw movement, and turning, Iseabail watched Owen approach. His shirt was now clean, a fresh one, she imagined, and he had a look that told her that he was still as angry with her as she with him.

Perhaps she had jumped to conclusions, but he still should have stayed out of it. Whatever his reasons, he had made an unnecessary scene, and perhaps, made them unnecessary targets.