Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Nor shall this peace sleep with her; but as when The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix, Her ashes new-create another heir As great in admiration as herself."

William Shakespeare

Sara could tell Jok wanted to race ahead, but he kept pace with her. Sara was torn between surging forward and turning back to escape to the beach or Morag's cottage. But that would be cowardly, and Sara had learned from jumping off a four-story castle tied to Kenan's machine that she was no coward. No matter what happened in the future, she knew that for certain.

Lily's ears twitched, picking up on the smell and Sara's unease. Jok and she increased the horses' gaits, riding to the top of the crest. Sara pulled back on the reins, stopping Lily, and stared down along the path that led into the center of Dunvegan Village all the way to the castle. People lined the road. They held torches, and a flame was passing from person to person, lighting them on both sides of the road.

"What is this?" Sara asked.

"They don't have pitchforks and hatchets," Jok said, and he started forward. Was he mad? Sara kept Lily reined in.

He stopped, turning his gaze back to her. "Lady Seraphina, 'tis safe."

I'm no coward . Sara pressed Lily to follow Jok down the middle of the road. When she glanced to the sides, the faces looking up at her were friendly. Some faces were curious, some wide-eyed, but there were no snarls or curses. No one spat. Even the elderly midwife, Henrietta, nodded to her without her normal sneer.

Sara looked forward, her gaze landing on Rory. He stood upon the table before the castle, holding a torch. He wore a crisp white tunic and clean plaid and looked handsome and full of authority. Sara's stomach tightened, catching her breath as she studied his serious face.

Eleri and Eliza stood with Margaret to one side, and they waved, Eliza rising onto her toes in excitement. As Sara rode closer, Gus tried to run to her, but the girls held his lead.

Simon and John stood together, each holding a lit torch. Simon waved. "Wave for me," John said.

"I can't," Simon said. "I only have one hand free for my own wave."

"Welcome, Lady Sara," John called.

Sara's heart thumped hard, but she managed a small smile and nod for the two elderly men. It was the first time she'd seen them outside Dunvegan's protective wall.

Jok dismounted when they reached the table and led his horse off to the side while Sara continued to sit on Lily waiting for some indication as to what further she should do. The people who had lined the road gathered behind her, the torches giving the square a flickering glow in the twilight. More and more people came, villagers and the warriors who'd fought at Dunscaith. She could see the mass of bodies on the hillsides surrounding the town, their torches bright.

Did they expect an apology from her? For what? Being a Macdonald? The thought made her hands grip the reins tightly.

"Lady Seraphina Macdonald," Rory said, his words ringing in the stillness like a deep call, as if his words were for everyone. "I, Rory MacLeod, chief of Clan MacLeod of Dunvegan, welcome ye." He looked directly at her. "And…I was wrong."

Sara's breath caught as the moment stretched out before her. Rory was not only admitting his mistake to her but to his entire clan, many of whom had seen him swear to never trust a woman after Madeline was killed.

Rory continued. "My brother, Jamie MacLeod, was poisoned and smothered by Winnie Mar, who then stole the Fairy Flag and escaped to Dunscaith."

The truth was Reid had taken it, but then he'd given it back to Sara. It was complicated, and the damn flag was currently wrapped around her hips, so she didn't correct him.

"Father Lockerby destroyed Dunscaith Castle with fire, burning the Fairy Flag."

Sara couldn't let this go on, even if Rory had composed a speech. She wouldn't start what she hoped would be a new peace between their clans with a lie. Would they think she was keeping the flag for herself? That whoever she decided to support would get the legendary weapon?

"To escape Dunscaith, Lady Seraphina rose from the flames to fly on wings out over the field, making the fighting pause," Rory continued.

Had she done that? Had she stopped the battle? She'd merely been trying to escape burning to death.

"The Flame of Dunscaith is a phoenix," someone called from the crowd and a cheer grew, making her face heat.

"She saved our men and brought peace!" another called out. The cheer rose higher.

Oh Mother Mary. Sara looked at the faces behind and around her. She turned back to Rory and held up a hand, shaking her head. His brows pinched. Without waiting for the crowd to quiet, Sara threw her leg over Lily and jumped to the ground. She strode to the table, lifted her skirts, and climbed up next to Rory.

The nearness of him and the drama unfolding with her at the center made her tremble, but she didn't reach out for his support.

"Sara?" he said.

She looked up into his eyes. They were dark in the shadows, intense. "Rory, do you have faith in me?"

"Aye," he said without hesitation, and her heart leaped in time with it. "I…" he continued, "I forgot how to have faith in people." His hand came up to her cheek, sliding a thumb across it. "But that was wrong in so many ways. Ye helped me find my faith again." Rory's thumb slid gently across her cheek.

"I have faith in you, too," she said and realized she did. As he'd broken from the tree line and saw her on Dunscaith's roof, she'd known he would try to save her.

Sara turned toward the crowd. "I am humbled by you all." Her voice rose, and the villagers and warriors stood still as if desperate to catch each of her words. "But I'm just a woman, a woman who wants peace between our clans, between all the clans of Scotland. Peace and cooperation make our country strong."

Another wave of cheering crested. "Seraphina the phoenix!" was shouted and repeated.

Sara's fingers went to the back of her waist, and she tugged the strings holding her petticoat in place.

Rory's mouth brushed her ear. "What are ye doing?"

"I found this at Dunscaith." And before she could worry more about what everyone would think, she dropped her outer petticoat, revealing the short yellow silk skirt tucked into the waist of her red under petticoat.

The people before her grew quiet, and the muteness spread quickly all the way to the back.

Sara's hands shook as she carefully pulled the silk edge from her waistband, smoothing it with reverence before folding it against herself. She turned, handing it to Rory. "It belongs with the MacLeods."

His expression was blank. "Ye had it with ye when ye flew over all of us?"

She nodded. "Lockerby was going to burn it with the castle." She lowered her voice. "Perhaps I should have left it."

"The Fairy Flag was tied around her as she flew over the battle at Dunscaith," a voice in the crowd called out. It was Brodrick. "Seraphina Macdonald unfurled the flag. 'Tis why neither clan suffered any deaths."

"And peace was struck," Henrietta said.

People were silent for the space of a heartbeat, and then they erupted in even louder cheers, the roar growing as the news spread back across the multitude.

"She saved both clans!"

"And the Fairy Flag!"

The roar of approval raised gooseflesh along Sara's arms. People hugged each other and raised their fists up in the air in celebration.

"I knew she'd save us!" John called.

Rory looked down to meet her gaze, a grin growing on his lips. His mouth moved near her ear so she could hear him above the celebration. "Ye honor us."

She gazed into his amber eyes. "I only wanted to give it back." Her brow pinched. "Is the flag used up? Because I unfurled it the third time?"

He brushed some curls back from her upturned face. "I never had confidence in its magic." He leaned back to her ear, and heat bloomed in her at the feel of his warm breath. "I have confidence in ye, Sara. I knew it when yer father said ye'd brought the flag to him."

She frowned into his smile. "I don't understand."

"He said ye'd brought the Fairy Flag to him and I didn't believe him because ye'd said ye hadn't taken it. My faith in ye was too strong. I realized then that I love ye."

Her breath caught, and she stared into his eyes. "You love me?" Her heart thumped wildly.

He nodded, and a smile broke along her lips. She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you, too."

Rory's arms hugged around her, pulling her closer as their lips met in a kiss that enveloped them both. The cheers continued, but the love and faith they'd found in each other wrapped around them, blocking out everything except their love.