Holding on to the rail of Rowen’s new ship, the Rover, Maggie tried to contain her fear that something horrible had already happened to her brother. The only thing that was keeping her from crying right now was that she had Reed, his brothers, and their father working together to help bring down Muck and bring back Duff. Storm MacKeefe had offered to come along, but they’d decided he should stay back at the camp for protection in case Muck showed up back there.
Rowen’s new crew, as well as the Scots who raided with Reed, were aboard, all eager to help.
“Dinna worry, Maggie.” Reed came to her side and laid his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find Duff and bring him home.”
“How can ye be sure?” she asked.
“Dinna ye trust me?”
She remembered her promise of never doubting one of Reed’s decisions again. She forced a smile and nodded. “Or course I trust ye. I ken we’ll find him. After all, the Demon Thief is together, once again, so the legend has been reborn.”
“I suppose ye’re right,” said Reed looking over to his brothers. Rowen was steering the ship. His blond hair blew in the breeze and he had that pirate look on his face again. No matter if Rowen was now a lord, Reed knew he would always have a bit of pirate in him.
Rook, dressed all in black, matching his hair, was insisting it was his turn to steer and that he could sail the bloody thing faster. Rook’s raven hopped around the rail of the ship while the two hawks perched together atop the lookout basket.
Reed smiled and chuckled. “I suppose ye’re right. Love, I dinna want ye so close to the edge of the ship. Why dinna ye go to Rowen’s cabin and lie down for a while. I’ll tell ye if anythin’ transpires.”
“I could go for a nap. I feel so drained and tired.” She kissed him and headed to the cabin while Reed took the stairs two at a time up to the sterncastle to talk to his brothers.
Thor landed atop a barrel and Maggie stopped and reached out to run her hand over its head. “Well, hello, Thor. I’ll bet ye’re happy to be back with yer friends again.” Mya, Rowen’s osprey, watched from the edge of the lookout basket and Rook’s raven, Hades, flew down from the sterncastle and pecked around behind the barrel on the ground. “What are ye doin’?” she asked the raven. She poked her head around the backside of the barrel and wished she hadn’t. The bird was pecking at a dead rat.
She put her hand to her stomach. Holding on to things so she wouldn’t lose her balance, she continued toward the cabin of the ship. This ship was a lot like the Sea Mirage, only bigger. Entering the cabin, she couldn’t help thinking of making love to Reed aboard the Sea Mirage. Then she thought of her brother and the way he’d climbed the rigging, seeming so happy just to be a boy. If they found him alive, she swore she would never keep Duff from doing the things he wanted to do again.
* * *
“Any sign of the Sea Mirage?” asked Reed, joining his brothers on the sterncastle of the ship. It was a clinker built ship with overlapping planks on the sides. It had one main mast and one lateen sail on the back.
“Nay, not yet,” grumbled Rook. “But I thought I saw a reflection up ahead. If our pig-headed brother would let me steer the ship, we’d be there by now. I swear, Rowen, for being a captain you steer the thing like a girl.”
“One more comment like that and we’re going to have ourselves a little keelhaul with you as the guest of honor,” snapped Rowen, looking out over the water, not bothering to look at Rook.
“What’s a keelhaul?” asked Reed.
“You don’t want to find out.” Rowen looked up and squinted at the sun. “We’re going to slow down as soon as the sun sets.”
“We have to find the Sea Mirage,” said Reed. “I promised Maggie we’d bring Duff back alive and I am no’ goin’ to break my promise.”
“What about my promise to the baron?” asked Rowen. “You had no qualms breaking that for me.”
“Ye had no right betrothin’ Maggie to the wretch to begin with.” Reed clenched his jaw as well as his fists.
“I can’t believe you actually had the nerve to come back and raid your own brothers,” growled Rook, taking Rowen’s side.
“Me?” Reed held a hand to his chest. “Ye two abandoned me. I canna believe ye pledged yer fealty to Edward.”
“He’s our birth father,” Rook reminded him.
“He also bought ye both off by givin’ ye a title, a castle and a bride. No’ to mention makin’ ye a knight,” said Reed, leaning back against the wooden rail. “After all, ye’ve wanted to be a knight all yer life, Rook, just admit it.”
“And you wanted to be a Scot. It’s ridiculous the way you talk and dress,” said Rook. “You’re just as much English as the rest of us, so start acting like it.”
“Getting back to the baron,” said Rowen. “You are going to have to come up with something to tell him, Reed, because I’m not going to take the fall for you like always.”
“Like always? Ye’ve never taken the fall for me,” shouted Reed.
“Hasn’t he?” sneered Rook. “I remember both of us making a distraction so you could escape the chapel on Burnt Candlemas after you foolishly pulled one of your stunts and was almost killed by a soldier.”
“That’s right,” said Rowen. “You abandoned us that night. Rook and I lived through years of hell while you pretended to be a Scot and lived a good life in the Highlands.”
That note hit Reed hard. So his brothers did blame him for their horrible situation the night of Burnt Candlemas. It probably bothered him more because he knew it was true. Still, he didn’t need this right now and he wasn’t going to take it from his brothers.
Without thinking things over, he reacted like he usually did. His fist shot out and he clipped Rowen on the jaw, just as Rowen tried to move out of the way. He knocked into Rook, who had to catch himself from falling over the side of the ship.
“Damn you!” Rook, always looking for a fight, jumped at Rowen. Rowen fell backward at the wheel, causing the ship to list. They all lost their balance, falling into each other.
Before Reed knew what was happening, he and his brothers were fighting, not unlike the way the three of them did when they were children.
Once again, punches were thrown and the ship listed back the other way. They all knocked into each other again.
“What the hell is goin’ on up here?” Ross showed up at the top of the stairs and Rook took a shot at him. Reed was impressed the way Ross fought back. He half-expected the man to fall down the stairs and limp away. But no, Ross the warrior was back. Here was the man he’d considered a father and had looked up to his entire life. Now the fight was even and Reed liked having the scrappy Ross on his side.
Who knows what would have happened if Maggie hadn’t shown up at the top of the stairs next. She put her fingers into her mouth and let loose with a shrill whistle to gain their attention.
“I canna believe what I’m seein’,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. The scowl on her face told Reed that she was just as much a fighter as they were.
“Maggie, I thought I told ye to go lie down in the cabin,” said Reed, straightening out his plaid.
“How can a lassie get any shut eye with all the clishmaclaver that is goin’ on up here?” she spat.
“Clishmaclaver?” Rowen chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
None of them spoke.
“I put my trust in all of ye to find my brathair, but instead ye are up here fightin’ like children.”
“They never could pass up a fight,” said Ross.
“Ye’re a part of this, too,” said Maggie. “Now, I dinna ken what is goin’ on, but I suggest ye all make up and forget about this pettiness because if we dinna work together, my brathair is as good as dead. Now, are ye all goin’ to forgive each other or no’?”
“Sure, sure,” said Rook.
“Whatever you say.” Rowen grabbed the wheel and took control of the ship.
“That’s no’ good enough. I dinna believe a word any of ye say. What good is a family if they dinna have yer back?”
“We have each other’s backs,” Reed told her. “Now go on back to the cabin.”
“Ye are the worst, Reed. Ye raided yer own brathairs.” She had that serious look in her eye. If she wasn’t a woman, Reed might fear her.
“But they betrayed me,” he told her.
“They only did what they had to do because of their love for their women.”
“That’s right,” said Rowen.
“We did what we had to do,” agreed Rook. “It was nothing against you, Reed. We’re sorry if you took it that way.”
“Well?” Maggie gave Reed the evil eye.
“It’s all right,” said Reed. “I abandoned ye two the night of Burnt Candlemas, so I guess we’re even.”
“Is that an apology?” asked Maggie.
“I guess no’,” said Reed, knowing she was right. “Maggie’s got a point. If we dinna forgive each other, we’ll be fightin’ for the rest of our lives. I’m sorry for abandonin’ ye two, and I’m sorry for raidin’ ye, and I’m also sorry I put Rowen in a bad spot with the baron.”
“I’m sorry, too,” said Rook.
“We’re all good,” added Rowen.
The brothers clasped hands, making Reed feel good about this little reunion.
“Well, let’s get back to work,” said Rook.
“Are no’ ye forgettin’ someone?” Maggie raised a brow and nodded toward Ross.
“That’s right,” said Reed. “Ye two have never forgiven Ross for keepin’ the secret all those years about our real parents.”
“I only did it because of a promise to yer dyin’ mathair, boys,” said Ross. “I admit, at times my hatred for Edward made me act against ye three in spite. But honestly, I grew to love each and every one of ye over time. I ken I’m no’ yer faither, but I’ll always feel as if ye are my sons.”
“How can we stay angry with you after that speech?” asked Rook.
“I agree,” said Rowen. Once again, amends were made and then Rowen brought up a question that Reed wished he wouldn’t ask. “So, does this mean you’re going to forgive Edward like the rest of us, Reed?”
“Are you going to make an alliance with him and pay him fealty like we did?” asked Rook.
Reed didn’t know how to answer. He wanted nothing to do with Edward. Why should he make amends? After all, his wife was Scottish, not English. Neither did he care about owning land, titles, or castles. He had always been perfectly happy living in Scotland and he didn’t need any ties to anything English.
“Well, Reed?” asked Ross. “What’s yer answer?”
Reed caught the glimmer of something in the distance. When he looked harder at the object, he realized it was a ship.
“Maggie, I think this is yer lucky day. Because if I’m no’ mistaken, we’ve just found the Sea Mirage and yer brathair.”