The Scottish Mainland—1651

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“What do ye imagine they’re up to?” Harry chuckled before continuing, “I know what I’d do if I had the castle to myself with a lass as bonny as Laurel as my only company. I wouldna leave my bedchamber. Not until the lot of ye returned and forced me out of it.”

Three days on the mainland and there was still no sign of Calder. Maddock knew Harry only spoke in such a way to distract himself from all that was on his mind—no one worried over Calder’s departure more than Harry.

“If Raudrich heard ye speak of Laurel like that, he’d bloody yer nose.”

Nicol, their Master and the castle’s resident nocturne, snorted quietly but, as usual, said nothing.

Harry’s face flushed red as he sheepishly looked downward to apologize. “Ach, ye know I meant no disrespect to the lass.”

“Aye, I know, and I know what I’d be doing, as well, but Raudrich is daft. I willna be surprised if we return home to see that they are no closer to one another in body or mind. He still hasna told Laurel that he loves her when ’tis plain to everyone that he does.”

Harry looked over at him with surprise. “Raudrich may know how he feels but ’tis no surprise that he’s not told her yet. They hardly know one another. The lass hasna been at the castle all that long.”

Maddock shook his head in dismissal. Laurel was an easy lass to love. He suspected that every man in the castle, save Calder, was halfway in love with her, but none of them held her heart as Raudrich did.

“Do ye think time matters with a lass like that? For so long, the lot of us have been isolated from the world outside of our castle. If given the chance to give my love to another as bonny as Laurel, I’d not hesitate a moment.”

They rode in silence for a moment with Nicol trailing a short distance behind them. Eventually, Harry spoke again.

“Would ye really, Maddock? Even with our destinies already fated? Would ye start a family there at the castle, knowing that ye may never truly leave the Isle? Would ye do so with Machara there?”

“Machara willna be there forever. With time, we will defeat her. She will die, and someday, we will all be free.”

Maddock had no real reason to believe as he did, but it was a belief he never questioned. If he did, he knew his hope would crumble like wet parchment, and he had too many people to protect to allow that to happen.

Harry let out a grumble and shook his head. “I wish I believed as ye do, Maddock. ’Twould be a nice dream to allow myself now and again.” His friend paused, then sheepishly continued, “But mayhap dreams do come true. One has for Raudrich in Laurel. The lass couldna suit him anymore perfectly.”

Maddock agreed, but God how he envied him. “Aye. I doona envy Raudrich her. Laurel is a friend, and we couldna ever be more, but I do envy him the bond he’s found with her. Mayhap we should ask Laurel if she’s any sisters or friends she could invite to the Isle.”

He laughed at the thought. How different things would be for all of them if more women suddenly entered their life.

“Aye, I doona know of friends, but she does have a sister.”

“What?” Maddock couldn’t believe that he didn’t know that. Raudrich was the only person at the castle who’d spent more time with Laurel than he. The two of them had formed a fast friendship, though clearly, they’d not yet gotten to know one another as well as he believed they had.

“Does she really? Did she tell ye that?”

“No, she dinna. Marcus mentioned her. He said that he and Laurel were forced to end their last trip to Scotland early after Laurel’s sister was caught in a fire.”

“Was she…” Maddock hesitated. “Did the lass live?”

“Aye, though she was gravely injured. I believe he mentioned something about the lass losing her arm.”

Maddock shuddered as old, dreaded memories flashed through his mind. “When I was five, I saw a man burned alive. The sight of him, the sound of his screams, and that god-awful smell…” He shuddered. “I wouldna wish such a fate on anyone.”

“Not even Machara?”

Even the evil fae that kept them all bound to the Isle didn’t deserve such a fate.

“Not even Machara. Where is her sister now?”

Harry shrugged and nudged his horse to move more quickly. “I doona know, but I expect ’twillna be long before we see her. I doona believe Laurel and Marcus are going anywhere, and Laurel doesna seem like the sort of lass who would be content to be separated from her family.”

The idea of meeting Laurel’s sister excited Maddock more than he was willing to admit—especially right now with Calder still missing and Machara’s threat looming larger than ever before.

“Aye, and if she’s half as bonny as Laurel...” he trailed off as Harry laughed and spoke just a short distance ahead of him.

“Aye, I believe she is. Marcus said she’s verra striking.”

“O’course, she is.”

He’d not yet met her and he could already sense he was in trouble.