Chapter Twenty-Two
“Ye’ll be coming with me,” the stranger growled, thrusting his dagger so close to Lillianna that it snagged her gown at her chest.
She swallowed past her fear, gripping the dagger that Allisdair had given her in her right hand. She hid the blade under her left arm, which was crossed over her right. “Who are you?”
The man bared his teeth in an almost feral smile. “I’m Hector Fraser. The man who ought to be laird of the Fraser clan.”
She could not think what use he would have with her for a rivalry with his family. “Where is it you intend to take me, and why?” she demanded, trying to steal a glance behind her to see how close she was to the edge. Her breath froze in her lungs. She was not even one step away from falling, and this time it would certainly be to her death as rocks jutted out from the cliffs at the bottom of the drop.
“Yer uncle,” Hector said. “I bring ye to him, and he will help make me laird.”
“My uncle,” she echoed, fear strangling her. Devil take her uncle! “You would kill your family simply to be laird?” Would men do anything at all for power? Desolation made her want to cry out, but she’d not give this man the satisfaction.
“I’d kill my own mother, were she nae already dead, to rule the clan as I’m meant to. My father should have been laird, but he was weak and a cripple. He lost me my birthright, and now I will simply take it back,” the man sneered.
The wind gusted hard, making Lillianna feel as if she would be blown off the cliff by the gale, or perhaps by betrayal. Her thoughts raced as she tried to figure out what to do. If she could slash the man’s arm, knock his weapon away, and get around him, she thought she could escape. She sucked in a breath and her pulse increased as she brought the dagger up and flashed it at Hector’s arm. The weapon cut through the material of his sleeve and met flesh. Hector bellowed his pain and dropped his dagger, and Lillianna lunged to the right and attempted to dash around him. He grabbed her by the arm, and she tried to yank free, her feet sliding over the hard ground. Her heart exploded with fright as she was tugged toward the ledge, while struggling desperately against Hector.
Time slowed with a violent jerk before Angus’s eyes. Yet he was still running. His boots pounded the ground, and each step seemed to jar his stopped heart. Lillianna swiveled toward Hector near the edge of the cliff. Was she trying to break free of the man? What in God’s name—
Hector tumbled backward, and Angus roared as Hector and Lillianna flew over the ledge and out of view. Consuming fear flooded him, but he pushed harder to close the last few steps that had remained between him and Lillianna. Panic and loss rioted within him. He fell to his knees and looked over the side of the cliff for Lillianna’s still body. He cried out and began to shake. Lillianna clung to the ledge directly below him, which jutted out just enough that she had somehow managed to grasp it.
“Hold on!” he cried out, coming to his belly and hanging his arms over to grasp her. When his fingers grazed hers, hope flickered deep within. He scooted a bit closer to the edge and encircled one of her wrists while bracing himself on the ground with his other hand. There was just enough light left that the stark terror in her eyes was visible. “I’ll nae let go, lass, I vow it. Release the ledge with one hand and push up.”
She nodded and let go of the ledge. Her body swung heavy for one breath, but he shoved his palm into the ground, gritted his teeth, and began to pull her up with his right arm. After a moment, she grew lighter, seeming to have shoved against the ledge with her foot, and then he pulled her the rest of the way up and onto the ground he lay upon.
Sucking in ragged breaths, he pulled her on top of him, needing to assure himself she was alive, but she rolled immediately off him and scrambled to her feet. Her cheek was bleeding and her eyes were wide with pain.
“Did you save me for this?” she demanded, sobbing as she lifted the brooch away from her chest by its leather strap. “My uncle sent Hector to retrieve me for this. All of you want this, want my powers!”
The realization that he had nearly lost her took all of his control. He stepped toward her, and seeing her flinch, he snatched the bauble from her neck, the strap breaking. He twisted around and flung it over the ledge into the raging ocean below. Then he swiveled to the left where she now stood, yanked her to him, and cupped her cheeks. “I should have done that the minute ye told me what the brooch was.” Her lips parted, but she said nothing, so he continued. “I love ye,” he said, emotion nearly choking him. “I love ye, and I dunnae care about the powers that brooch brought ye. All I care about is ye. Mayhap one day, ye will love me, too.”
Hope and fear crashed together and made her thoughts spin almost dizzyingly, and then she froze in shock as her body began to tingle with power. She still had her abilities! Light flashed in her mind, and the image of her mother and then her other female ancestors rolled through her mind.
Yer heart is open, her mother said in a soft, happy whisper.
The world around her faded, and she let it so she could see the vision. She was no longer afraid of the visions or of love. She had worth beyond her power. Angus saw it, but more importantly, she saw it, too. Her powers were a gift that she could use to aid those she loved. She inhaled a long, deep breath and opened her eyes to the future.
Belfaine stood in his courtyard, his warriors facing him. “The most important thing is to get the seer,” he said to his men. “As long as we capture the seer, I dunnae care if we take MacLorh’s castle this day. For the seer will be able to tell me who to fight and when. I need her!”
Lillianna’s vision blurred, and a new one immediately appeared.
Angus faced Belfaine, and they slashed at each other as men stood around them, Belfaine’s warriors on one side and Angus’s on the other.
Lillianna hissed in a breath. She had seen this future before.
Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, and she turned to her right. Greer stood beside her, and Isla Belfaine stood beside Greer. Isla yanked out a dagger and glared at Lillianna.
“They fight for ye only because of yer powers!” she hissed. “And I lose either way! If my brother wins and he takes ye, ye will be a ghost that Angus dunnae ever forget. If Angus wins and he keeps he, I will nae ever have his love again. Ye must die!”
Before Lillianna could respond, Greer gasped and pointed, and Lillianna turned to see Angus’s sword arcing down toward Belfaine’s head. He struck a hard blow, and Belfaine fell to his knees. A loud cheer went up among Angus’s men.
The world parted again, and Lillianna gulped for breath, realizing she was enfolded in the protective embrace of Angus’s arms. Then war horns began to blast, splitting the descending night with the sound of impending terror. Angus stiffened and pulled away, but she grasped his arm, their gazes locking. “I love you, too,” she vowed, the wonderment and acceptance of it filling her. “I love you, I do.”
The relief that swept his face made her laugh with joy. He had thrown her brooch away to prove himself. His mouth claimed hers for a brief second before he broke the kiss. “I must go see what enemy approaches. Get to the castle and—”
“Belfaine,” she interrupted. “Belfaine approaches, but he is here for me. He wants me and my powers, Angus. Offer to fight him in one-on-one combat with the winner taking me. That is how ye will stop bloodshed this day.”
“Nay!” he said, the response nearly violent in its intensity.
She placed her hand on his heart. “Yes,” she assured him as her blood slowed with the realization and acceptance that because of her love for him, and because of her power, she could save countless lives that would otherwise be lost in battle. “I had a vision of your future. Because I love you, I do not need the brooch any longer.”
She heard his sharp intake of surprise, to which she nodded. “You must trust me. Meet Belfaine at the bridge and offer to fight him. You will win.”
“Nay,” Angus stubbornly said again. “I will nae chance ye that way.”
“You are not risking me, I vow it! I have seen it, Angus. Please listen to me.” She could see he was about to deny her once more, and she searched her mind for the words to convince him. “Do not throw good sense to the wind as you did the brooch. I have the power to see the future, and I have seen yours. I would rather die than risk your life. You will prevail and save hundreds of lives by doing what I say!”
His eyes narrowed on her. “Ye’re certain?”
“Yes,” she said, feeling the truth of her words in her bones.
“Very well,” he finally relented, and then grabbed her hand. “Ye did nae happen to see how I could convince Belfaine to agree to one-on-one combat with me, did ye?”
“No, but perhaps I can try to see it now,” she said. She grabbed his hands, and then her body went rigid.
When the vision was over, she opened her eyes to find Angus looking at her with concern. She smiled at her husband, feeling empowered by her abilities. “Listen carefully, my love, for I will tell you exactly what to say.”
Not long later, after leaving Lillianna in the safety of the courtyard with his sisters and some of his warriors, the hooves of Angus’s horse clopped against the bridge as he rode away from the rest of his warriors to meet Belfaine in the middle of the bridge that led to the entrance of Angus’s castle. At the far end of the bridge, Belfaine’s warriors were gathered, while Angus’s men were gathered on the end closest to his home. Lillianna was in the courtyard with his sisters where he had left her, despite her protests that she should ride with him. Until he knew Belfaine would agree to one-on-one combat, Angus would not risk her.
He pulled his horse to a stop as Belfaine did the same, keeping his right hand on his sword, ready to engage in battle if needed. “I’m surprised nae to see Drumlan with ye,” Angus remarked.
“Ye shoud nae be,” Belfaine replied. “I killed him.”
“Because of the brooch?” Angus asked, moving the conversation in the direction Lillianna had told him to.
“Aye. He hid that he had the brooch from me all along. He was going to try to defeat me.” Belfaine shrugged. “So I killed him, and now I am here to kill ye, take yer castle, and yer wife.”
Angus let a slow, hopefully mocking smile curl his lips. “The brooch is gone,” Angus said flatly. “Lillianna threw it into the sea so none of us would ever be able to use her again.”
Belfaine stared at Angus in obvious disbelief. “Ye lie!”
“Nay,” Angus said easily, “I dunnae. She kenned I wished to use her, so she bested me. I dunnae want her for she will nae ever love me, but I’m nae going to just give her to ye. If ye want her, ye must fight me one-on-one. If I win, ye will leave here without a battle this day. I’d rather nae lose good men. And ye will leave here without Lillianna. But if ye win, ye can take Lillianna and return to fight me another day.”
Belfaine grinned. “I’ll take that offer,” he quickly agreed.
“She’ll nae ever love ye, ye ken,” Angus said, prodding the man’s pride as Lillianna had instructed him to do. “She’ll nae ever love ye so she will nae ever have her powers.”
“Ye underestimate me, Angus,” Belfaine said. “I will gain the wench’s heart, and then I will ken exactly when to take yer home, and then I will be Lord of the Isles.”
“Ye can try,” Angus answered, “but we both ken I’m the better swordsman.”
“Ha!” Belfaine sneered. “Ye will rue those words this day.”
“I’ll see ye on the battlefield shortly,” Angus responded, and as Belfaine turned his horse away, Angus did the same.
Angus quickly rode to his men, dismounted, and started toward the courtyard where Lillianna was waiting. She came running toward him as he made his way through the gate, and when he nodded and smiled, she let out a cry of joy and threw herself into his arms. He enfolded his wife in his embrace and kissed her. When they pulled apart, he said, “It worked exactly as ye said it would.”
She grinned. “Of course it did, Husband. I’m a seer.”
Not long later, in the very spot Angus normally trained his men to meet their enemies, Angus was fighting his longtime foe. Despite the fact that Lillianna had seen this future and knew Angus would prevail, she was very tense.
Lillianna glanced around the large assembly of Angus’s and Belfaine’s warriors, who stood in a circle around Angus and Belfaine. To Lillianna’s left were Greer, Allisdair, Mari, and then Grant. It did not exactly mirror her vision, as Isla was not beside Greer. Not yet.
Lillianna had no doubt Angus would prevail, but still, her stomach was in knots, so when the first clash of steel resounded, she jumped at the noise. Greer tugged on her sleeve. “Lillianna, does this match what ye saw?”
Lillianna tore her gaze away from Angus, who had just started to circle Belfaine, and glanced at Greer, whose face was lined with fright. On Lillianna’s right side stood Ross and then Belfaine’s men.
Lillianna thought for one brief moment of her vision of Greer trying to decide whether to betray her or not. That vision had not yet come to pass. Had the future been changed somehow? Her mother had told her once that it was possible but great alterations in how a person felt were required for a path to change. Did Greer no longer hate Lillianna? Her thoughts were pulled from the question by the sound of steel hitting steel once more.
Angus and Belfaine circled each other, their bodies only visible by the light of the moon and the torches the men in the circle were holding. Lillianna knew Angus had given orders to his men that if Belfaine tried to break the agreement they’d made, they were to pour out and fight. Many of them were even hidden on the cliffs around them. She felt certain it would not come to that, but she had to admit knowing that he’d made a contingency plan did bring her comfort.
When Belfaine’s sword left a bloody mark across Angus’s chest, she cried out, and at that moment, a hand grabbed her arm. Lillianna turned her head to find Isla to her right. Ross was no longer there. Fear snaked through her. The vision did not match, but mayhap they never matched precisely.
Isla showed the flash of a dagger from underneath her cloak. “I’ll kill ye,” she said. “I’ll kill ye, and then Angus will love me once more. I did nae ever want to betray him. My brother threatened to kill our sister if I did nae betray Angus those years ago! I had to do it, and I tried to tell Angus, but he would nae listen. He would nae believe me!”
“No,” Lillianna said calmly, “he would not have cared or listened. Loyalty is everything to him, and you betrayed him. You should have trusted him.”
“I’m setting things right,” Isla growled. “My brother will fall! I have waited what seems like a lifetime for this chance to get close to Angus again. He will protect me. My brother will nae beat Angus, ye will be dead, and Angus will wed me. I will nae have to pretend to love my brother a day longer. I hate him!” Isla reached for Lillianna.
Lillianna scuttled to her left and smacked into Greer, who looked from Lillianna to Isla. Greer scrambled in front of Lillianna as if to shield her. Blood roared in Lillianna’s ears as her vision from the past collided with the present.
“Move out of the way, Greer,” Isla panted. “I dunnae wish to kill ye.”
Greer nodded. “I see that,” she responded as Ross suddenly appeared behind Isla without her noticing it. Ross’s arm encircled the woman’s waist, and as she went to slash at him, Lillianna lunged forward and took Isla’s dagger.
“You,” she said, pointing the dagger at the cursing woman, “have caused enough trouble.”
“Lillianna!” Greer gasped, and Lillianna spun toward Angus, certain Greer’s summons had to do with him. When she saw Angus on his knees and Belfaine’s sword arcing down toward Angus’s neck, stark terror surged through her. She’d been wrong! Her vision was wrong! Without hesitation, she lifted the dagger in her hand and flung it toward Belfaine. It struck him in the arm and gave Angus the chance he needed. He rolled onto his back, jumped to his feet, and sent his left foot into Belfaine’s knee. The the man fell to the ground as Angus brought his sword swiftly up and then down upon Belfaine’s neck in a killing blow.
Shaking, Lillianna ran through the circle of men and into Angus’s embrace. As his arms encircled her, she pressed her cheek against his thundering heart, listening to each beat and allowing her fear to calm.
“Ye saved me,” he said in awe. “Ye throwing that dagger saved me.”
“No,” she said, pressing her lips to his. “We saved each other.”
“You have been dreaming of this?” she asked later that night as the moon shone into her bedchamber with Angus.
After he and his men had ensured Belfaine’s warriors and Isla had left, Angus had come to her and explained the entirety of his conversation with his sister. And somehow, during the time they had been talking, Angus had undressed Lillianna. The heat of his body enveloped her from behind as his warm hand slid around her waist and up between her breasts. His other hand came between her thighs, and he lowered them both to the ground, directing her. “Get on yer knees, aye?”
A thrill of anticipation shot through her as she did what he asked and he eased down behind her on his knees. He tugged her back until her spine pressed against the solid wall of his chest. Then he kissed her neck as his fingers found her center and then began their magic.
As he stoked the passion within her with each gentle circle of his fingers over her sensitive nerves, she writhed against him. His mouth sucked at her neck, and his fingers moved faster and faster, the pressure inside her becoming nearly unbearable. “Angus!”
Behind her, he chuckled, and his hand left her only for the other to come to the center of her back and gently push her forward until her hands were braced against the bed. Then he clutched her by the hips and slid into her with one long, consuming stroke that made her groan. He filled her completely, and when he started to move, she instinctually moved with him, arching into him as he drove into her faster and harder until they both screamed their release.
Panting and with limbs that felt too shaky to hold her up anymore, she climbed up onto the bed and flopped onto it. Angus came up behind her, the bed creaking, as he took her waist and pulled her into the protective circle of his embrace to spoon her. “Did ye like that?”
“Very much,” she assured him. “In fact, I would not mind doing that again in bit,” she added shyly.
He pushed up suddenly so that he was sitting and looking down at her. “I have to ride out at dusk for Edinburgh.” His face and tone were so serious that she knew instantly he was riding to battle.
“For Bruce?” Lillianna asked.
“Aye,” Angus said as he looked down into her suddenly worried eyes. The love he felt for her nearly choked him with its power. He traced a finger down her cheek and gently tugged her to her back so he could memorize the way she looked in the moonlight and think upon it all the night they would be parted.
He slid his hand over each breast, down her flat stomach, and over her round hips as he told her of the message he’d received. When he fell silent, a determined look swept across her face, and she placed a hand on his heart and on his cheek. The moment a vision overcame her, he knew. Her body stiffened, her lips parted, she sucked in a sharp breath, and her green eyes glowed golden.
When it was over, her gaze turned bright like summer grass, and she focused on him. “Edinburgh will fall,” she said, her voice sad and sure. “But you will live, as will Bruce.”
The news hit him with a force that stole his ability to speak for a moment. Edinburgh would fall. God’s teeth. She leaned up and kissed his shoulder, the simple gesture of love soothing him.
“Lillianna, I dunnae intend to tell Robbie we are wed until I can ken for certain if yer cousin betrayed him.”
Lillianna surprised him when she nodded. “I know,” she said. “I saw you talking to him in my vision, and I was not mentioned.”
He expected her to argue with him to tell Robbie, and when she didn’t, he said, “Ye’re nae going to fight me on this?”
She eyed him askance. “Would I win?”
“Nay,” he said, leaning down to brush his lips against his wife’s.
She twined her arms around his neck. “I suspected not, given my vision, so I’ll not waste my last few hours with you fighting a losing battle. I have something I want to tell you instead,” she said, smiling secretively at him.
“What is it?” he asked, enchanted by the beguiling look on her face.
“I not only had a vision of you in Edinburgh but I had a vision of me. I was enormous in the vision, and I was standing in the kitchen cooking with Mari and Greer,” she announced with a happy smile.
He frowned, confused by her comment and her apparent happiness about getting enormous. And then his heart clenched as his hand came to her belly. “Do ye mean—”
“Yes,” she interrupted, placing her hand over his. “We’ve made a babe!”
Joy engulfed him as he kissed Lillianna and then pulled back to stare into her eyes. “Did ye see if I would be here? Will it be a boy or a girl?”
She laughed then, and he lay down beside her, drawing her to him. “I don’t know,” she said. “All I saw was me growing with child, but I need you here for the birth.”
“I will be here,” he vowed, kissing her forehead. “I will always be here for ye. And I will always love ye.”
“And I, you, Angus. With all my heart and all my soul.”