“I love dragons,” she exclaimed. “I only acted that way because I’ve had to for so long. Anything MacLomain related must be shunned.” Confusion lit her eyes. “Though you’re right to ask because for a moment there I did feel something toward dragons...an unexplainable negativity.” She shook her head. “Whatever it was it’s gone now.”
She said as much, but he sensed her emotions were overwhelming her. Fear of the unknown and at the forefront, discomfort that she had no control over the warlocks or even her own emotions.
Determined to help her in any way he could, he stopped, cupped her shoulders and made sure her eyes stayed with his. “’Tis normal to fear things in life that we cannae control. Yet remember this. You wouldnae be here if it wasnae meant to be and you couldnae handle it.” He shook his head and reminded. “And you wouldnae be here with Sven, Christina, Graham and me if we werenae the people best suited to help you.”
“And Aðísla,” she whispered, her dark eyes never straying from his as she gathered strength.
“Aye.” He grinned, hoping to make her smile. “If nothing else, she will keep Sven fiercer than he already is.”
A small smile hovered on her lips. “True.”
“You’re far braver and stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.” Caught in how good it felt to see her eyes lighten a little, he cupped her soft cheek. “And now you’re not alone. You’ve got your friends and me along with you.”
“Yes,” she whispered as she bit her lower lip when it began trembling. She seemed to be gathering herself before she continued. “I’m sorry. Now that the warlocks are no longer part of me, I seem to have a great deal of trouble fighting emotions.”
“Aye, ‘tis just fine, lass.” He couldn’t help but pull her into his arms and offer her comfort. “’Tis understandable.”
He enjoyed the feel of her in his arms. How she stiffened at first then softened against him as she realized she was safe. That though he wasn’t as powerful as her in magic, he would always do his best to protect her.
Where some might tell her to rally her strength in front of Angus and his men to prove she could help navigate this mission, he would not. He would never tell her to stop feeling now that she finally could again. Instead, he would help her through all her emotions. He would support her any way he could but never in such a fashion that she reverted back to the emotionless creature she had to become with the warlocks.
After she had drifted off to sleep last night, he poured himself another ale, sat back against the wall next to his cot and simply watched her. He might have been overwhelmed by all she had shared, but it hadn’t stopped him from staring at her for hours, his desire only growing. Though he knew it was likely the ring at work, a part of him rebelled at it being that simple.
While yes, he was initially frustrated with her for keeping more secrets, the fact remained that she was truly the most admirable person he had ever met. To have lived her life like she did even after she watched her mother fade away like that. To have pre-planned so much and kept these warlocks tricked for so long went far beyond what most would be capable of. Not just magically but mentally.
She had given up life as most knew it to protect Scotland. And she had done it alongside a warlock that offered her a glimpse of normalcy...of love. Though he still couldn’t entirely wrap his mind around what that meant, he knew one thing for sure. The beast had exploited what should have only been between Bryce and Jessie.
And Bryce would exact his revenge.
He refused to be grateful to the creature.
Rather, he kept firmly in mind that though the warlock had given her some light within darkness, it was all a trick. It had used Bryce to give her a false sense of appreciation and love.
He fully intended to show her what real love was. How someone of her caliber should be loved. He wasn’t precisely sure when he had come to that decision. All he knew was that he had. That he would. More so, he was surprised to realize as they sat together and chatted this morning, he wanted to. He wanted to show her the world in a whole new way. To help her see that there was so much more to life than the tragedy she had lived up until now.
“It’s good to see you two getting along so well,” Christina said, interrupting his thoughts.
Bryce released Jessie when she pulled away and offered her friend a wobbly smile in greeting. Only then did he note the dampness in her eyes or felt the slight moisture on his chest where her cheek had rested.
She had followed his every thought.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Christina said softly, her eyes alarmed as she noted Jessie’s distress.
“I am.” Jessie nodded, blinked away the moisture and gave Bryce a thankful look. “More so by the moment, actually.”
Christina looked from him back to Jessie, clearly seeing what that meant, before she offered Jessie a warm smile. “Are you all right to come look at the ships?”
“Well, I better be because we’re setting sail soon.” Jessie nodded, indeed surer by the moment as she glanced at him one more time before she took Christina’s offered hand and continued down the dock with her.
Bryce could tell by her confident stride as he followed behind them that she would be able to handle this. She was starting to see that there was life beyond the repressed place she had been for so long. That with the support of not only him but her friends, she could face anything.
Angus greeted them from the biggest galley of them all, waving for them to come aboard. “Ye’ll travel on my ship until we’ve made it around the north of Scotland then ye can travel with John if ye like.”
He wasn’t surprised to find Sven and Aðísla already aboard eying the boat. As far as he could tell, they were impressed, and that was no small thing. Graham was there as well, not letting Christina too far out of his sight with so many men around. Or it could very well be that he meant to be readily available if she was in need.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, aware of the overly amorous effects Christina suffered after she used her magic. Side effects only Graham could assuage. Following his thoughts, Graham met his grin. He imagined his cousin urged her to use her magic at every opportunity in light of such a thing.
“If it’s all the same to you, Laird Angus,” Jessie said. “I think it would be wiser if my friends and I split up and travel on three separate ships.”
“Aye then?” He cocked his head. “Are ye sure?”
She nodded. “I am.” Her eyes swept over his fleet. “Bryce and I will travel with you. Graham and Christina with John.” Her eyes went to the Vikings. “Aðísla and Sven on whatever vessel seems the least threatening.”
Angus frowned but didn’t wear the condescending expression most chieftains let alone a captain might wear when a lass gave him orders. “Why?”
“Because when push comes to shove, they will be your best kept secret,” she replied. “A back-up plan so to speak.”
“I do like a good back-up plan.” Angus looked from the Vikings to Jessie, pondering with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Care to share more, lassie?”
She stood up a little straighter, notched her chin and never looked away. “Not right now.”
He eyed her for a moment, stroking his beard before a sly grin turned into a wide smile. “Aye, then my wee lassie, ‘twill be as ye wish.”
Bryce didn’t miss her slight slump of relief before she straightened again. He stepped close and rested his hand on the middle of her back in support. Some might say he should stay away and let her appear strong, but he was done letting her stand on her own all the time. If Angus or any of his crew saw that as a weakness, so be it.
They could bloody well deal with his dragon.
A soft smile came to her lips as her eyes met his. Again, she was following his every thought, and he was glad.
“Let’s get the cargo loaded then all hands on deck!” Angus roared. “We depart within the hour!”
Soon enough, his words were repeated from ship to ship, and men sprang into action. The extra
cargo’s sole purpose was to weigh the ships down in preparation for stormy seas. A fully-loaded ship was safer than an empty one so long as the cargo was stowed correctly. That way the weight in the hull counteracted the force of the winds on the sails and rigging during heavy winds. This reduced the risk of the ship rolling on its side. If that happened, they were all done for.
Before he lumbered off, Angus looked at the sky, chuckled and winked at Jessie. “Ready yer sea legs, my wee lassie.” Relish lit his eyes. “’Tis going to be the devil’s own ride by the morrow’s eve for sure.”
She offered a surprisingly roguish grin. “Aye, aye, captain.”
Christina’s brows shot up with amusement as she looked at Jessie. “Just listen to you, darlin’. Already quite the seafarer.”
Jessie grinned as Christina urged her to join her.
“C’mon sweetie,” she said. “I met a nice seamstress that’s going to provide us with clothing for the journey.”
Jessie nodded, glanced at Bryce one more time with a warm smile, then followed. He was thrown off balance by how much that smile affected him. How much more of it he wanted to see. Particularly if it was aimed his way.
“Jessie’s doing better by the moment, aye?” Graham said.
“Aye,” Bryce responded as Angus insisted they make themselves at home and tour the ships. “As I told ye this morn, she’s lived a verra lonely existence. So ‘twill only do her good to finally have so much support and caring around her.”
“Aye, then,” Graham agreed. “Christina and I will help any way we can. Jessie isnae alone in this anymore.”
Bryce nodded, grateful that his kin stood so readily by her side. While he knew it was in part because of their lasses, he also felt it was because they were simply a good, sympathetic lot. Especially Graham with his inherent need to save everyone since Fraser’s death. They had talked at length while hunting so Graham knew they would know nothing more about their deceased cousin until her warlock was defeated.
No, not her warlock.
Not anymore.
A little under an hour later, having toured the ships and been given their own provisions for the journey, Graham and Bryce stood at the end of the dock with Sven. As it turned out, Angus had not only built a captain’s cabin on his ship but even constructed a few small walled off areas for sleeping. One of which he had insisted Bryce and Jessie use.
“It was wise of Jessie to put us on three ships,” Sven murmured, eying the sky with as much relish as Angus. An eagerness inherent to a man born to sea and adventure. “Jessie will do well on the open waters.” He nodded. “She is a natural.”
Bryce perked his brows at Sven. “Aye? How do ye know?”
“Because I watched her on Angus’ ship.” His steadfast eyes never left the horizon. “The sea has a good roll today, and the ships are rocking more than usual.” He shook his head. “Yet not once did she falter or lose her step.” His eyes finally met Bryce’s. “Her stomach will not grow uneasy even in the roughest of waters. She will be okay out there and keep a level mind.”
He nodded. “’Tis verra good to hear.”
Aware of her more by the moment, Bryce knew she was heading his way before she even made it to the dock. Not just him but his dragon seemed incredibly in tune with her. Yet she wasn’t dragon, was she? Though he expected to feel sadness at that, he didn’t.
“She is something just as good and just as powerful,” Sven whispered, his eyes going to her as well. At first, he thought the Viking might be attracted to her but soon realized the way Sven looked at Jessie was similar to how he looked at Christina.
With respect.
Yet there was something else in Sven’s eyes. Something beyond respect.
“What do ye know about her that we dinnae?” Bryce asked.
Sven’s eyes lingered on her for another moment before returning to Bryce. “You must find that out for yourself, my friend.”
When Bryce scowled, Graham clasped his shoulder, grinned and shook his head. “’Tis always an adventure with our lasses, Cousin. Enjoy it rather than fight it, aye?”
“Aye, then,” he muttered but could fully admit as he watched her that there was plenty to enjoy. Though the dress she wore was simple in design, she had never looked more bonny with her hair blowing wild in the wind. It seemed by the very minute, she was becoming more and more alive as she laughed and smiled at something Christina said.
“Och, look at ye then,” Graham said softly.
When Bryce managed to tear his eyes away from her and frown at his cousin in question, Graham grinned. “Ye just wore a smile to match hers, Cousin. And ‘twas as wide as our country itself.”
Completely unaware but not surprised, Bryce nodded then headed their way. “Aye then, let’s go see to our lasses.”
Less than a half hour later, sails with the black ship emblem of the MacDonald’s unfurled and they were heading up the western shores of Scotland. The water was choppy and the wind gusty, but it was by no means a bad day for sailing. If anything, the wind worked in their favor as the day turned into evening.
“’Twill soon be a bonny sight if I’m reading my skies right.” Angus, who had invited Bryce and Jessie to dine in his captain’s quarters, rose his mug in salute and smiled broadly. “I foresee blackened skies and dangerous seas ahead indeed!” He narrowed one eager eye at Jessie. “So what are we facing then, lassie? What sort of evil wants to take down my bloody ships?”
In all truth, Bryce was starting to suspect Angus and his son were a wee bit touched. How else could it be when a chieftain remained this boisterously happy with such danger on the horizon? Had Bryce and Jessie been lured by the enemy in a way they never saw coming by sailing into a storm with a madman?
“It’s an evil unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” Jessie said gravely as she sipped her ale then shook her head, a little twinkle in her eyes. If he wasn’t mistaken, the drink was going straight to her head as she leaned forward and narrowed one eye right back at Angus. “You’ll have to trust me every step of the way.” Her eyes narrowed even further as she challenged him. “Can you do that then?”
Their gazes held before Angus fell back in his chair, belly-laughing before he took a hearty swig of ale and nodded. “Och, aye, I see my son and me sailing straight into the pits of Hell for ye, my wee lassie.”
“Good, glad that’s settled.” She nodded with approval as she twisted her hair into a rope then tied it in a sloppy but surprisingly becoming knot. “There.” She smiled at them. “Much better.”
Angus tilted his head and considered the stray pieces sticking up here and there on her head. “Aye, then, ‘tis a good look for ye lassie!” Then they tapped mugs as he nodded. “Verra good look indeed!”
Meanwhile, Bryce fed Jessie random bits of meat and bannock without her overly realizing what he was doing. Not only was she small but new to alcohol. And while he reveled in the idea of her letting loose because she deserved it, he would not let this go on much longer. Though she might be a natural on a ship, he could guarantee that she would not appreciate a hangover on the morrow. Not on rough seas.
“So when will ye tell me what will be happening,” Angus murmured, his chuckles dying down and his eyes sharper than expected as he looked between them.
When Jessie leaned forward, offered a lopsided grin and whispered with a slight slur, “That’s on a need to know basis, m’dear,” Bryce knew it was time to call it a night.
“’Tis time to rest, aye, lass?” he said into her mind, hoping she would agree and join him because he refused to control or force her. She had had enough of that for one lifetime.
Her eyes met his, and though he thought for a moment the ale might have gotten the better of her, and she would say no, she offered a soft, knowing smile and nodded. “I see you’re ready to seduce me then.”
“Och, nay, ‘tis not like that,” he muttered into her mind, well aware what she thought he wanted from her.
He stood, thanked Angus for his hospitality, and b
id him goodnight.
“Aye, then.” Angus chuckled, his merry eyes going to Jessie. “She’s feelin’ randy then, is she?”
“I am,” she agreed, smiling widely as she took Bryce’s hand and stood. “Not such a bad thing right?”
“’Tis never a bad thing, my wee lassie.” Angus kept chuckling as he raised his mug in salute. “Sometimes ‘tis best for a lass to walk bow-legged on a rocking ship, aye?” He winked. “Helps keep yer balance.”
When Jessie looked at him with confusion, Bryce promptly ushered her out.
“Bow-legged?” she asked as he kept his hands on her waist and steered her down the narrow hallway to their tight quarters. “For all my vast wisdom, I can’t seem to figure that one out.” She stopped abruptly and met his eyes over her shoulder. “What did he mean by that, anyway?”
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with tonight, lass,” he assured as he shut the door behind them. The space was cramped but welcome enough considering most of the crew slept where they could find a spare spot.
“I am concerned though,” she argued as she frowned at him. “Obviously it’s sexual.”
“’Tis time to rest, lass.” He prompted her to sit on the small bunk they would be sharing then knelt and took off her boots.
“You know, I always knew you’d be handsome based on what I saw on the inside,” she murmured, her eyes suddenly half-mast as she watched him. “But I had no idea how very handsome.” She fanned herself with her hand and offered a sloppy grin. “As Christina would say, hot damn!”
“Och, lass,” he muttered and shook his head, knowing full well that ‘on the inside’ meant his warlock double. “I never should have let you drink more than one mug of ale.” He kept shaking his head. “Mayhap not even half a mug.”
“Right!” she agreed, still grinning. “Because I’ve got no tolerance.”
Avenged by a Highland Laird Page 11
