Mariette And The Cowboy (Western Night Series 2)

by Rosie Harper

  That was how Marnie and Bridget began to meet almost every day at their favorite grassy knoll. For two clans who hated each other so much, the Campbells and the Mackenzies lived very close, which made it easy for the two friends to meet each other. This went on from the age of twelve until the age of sixteen, when Marnie accidentally discovered the secret of the Campbell clan.

  It had been Bridget’s birthday, and Marnie had baked a small cake for her to share with her friend. That day Bridget was nowhere to be found, and Marnie grew bolder and bolder in an attempt to find her friend. Turned out that the main reason why Bridget had been nowhere to be seen was because she had been spending the entire day turning into a wolf.

  For some reason Marnie had not been afraid, in fact she had been jealous, and that feeling had been compounded the next day when Bridget came to visit her and explained everything.

  “Didn’t you know?” she had said. “It’s the reasons why our clans hate each other, your clan cursed ours centuries ago to turn into wolves.”

  To be honest, Marnie had never really known why the Mackenzies disliked the Campbells so much, she had originally thought that it had been a dispute over land, since the clans lived so close together, or perhaps a quarrel over some marriage that never came to be, or one that did. It had never occurred to her that it had something to do with a curse, and she could almost guarantee that it hadn’t occurred to many members of Clan Mackenzie that this might be the case. Part of her was a little shocked, but a bigger part of her felt envy.

  “But how is that a curse?” Marnie asked, and she meant it. How could it be terrible to run free in the forests, over the hills of the highlands? How free must Bridget feel every day? She was walking in magic, magic that the Mackenzies no longer possessed, how incredible must that be?

  Instead her friend made a face and shook her head. “You think it’s fun, but it’s not. It hurts for one thing.”

  “The entire time?”Marnie asked. Bridget shook her head.

  “Only for about the first five minutes.”

  The first five minutes could work for Marnie .

  “It doesn’t seem fair,” she told her friend one day as they lay about the heather meadow in between their two villages. “Centuries ago my clan was full of witches and magic, look at us now!”

  It was true, the Mackenzie clan was now a far cry from the magical druids they had been in the past, and while they weren’t necessarily the most close minded of the clans, they certainly weren’t the most magical. That went to the Campbells, and Marnie ’s clan had made them that way.

  That had been two years ago, and now at eighteen Marnie was beginning to wonder how long her friendship with Bridget could be sustained. Soon she would have to look into marriage, and would a husband allow her to sneak off to spend time with her best friend? Would they care about how much she cared about this person? What if she had children? The thought was dizzying to Marnie , although she knew that one day it would very much be a possibility.

  Then, of course, there was Neil.

  Neil was a Campbell, but the kind of Campbell she simply couldn’t stand. Every time she saw them at the market, or while out riding, there he was with his wild red curls and blue eyes, there he was with that stupid smile that told her that he knew a secret that she was keeping, although she had a feeling if he really knew, she would have gotten into trouble by now. Instead he was always there, greeting her with that terrible smile of his and making fun of her knobby knees. She couldn’t stand him, and what made matters worse was the fact that he was Bridget’s brother.

  It didn’t make sense to Marnie , since Bridget was kind and sweet and Neil was a complete waste. That’s how it seemed to go with the Campbells, good ones and bad ones abound. His ability to turn into a wolf could not even make him more interesting, and how terrible is that? All in all, he was a complete wash.

  Or at least he was… until the day they all went to see the witch.

  Chapter 1

  Neil actually loved becoming a wolf, who wouldn’t? There was something incredibly powerful about shedding your human skin and growing fur, in running around all all fours and howling at the moon. Sure, the beginning of the transformation was painful with the crunching of bones and stretching of limbs, but wasn’t it worth it to see through the eyes of a wolf? Wasn’t it worth it to experience magic?

  He often forgot that his opinion wasn’t shared by everyone. Often it wouldn’t do to mention the curse in a positive way at all. It was only really talked about when another person in the village was turning sixteen, and even then it was spoken of in hushed, scandalized tones. He wished things weren’t that way, but what could he do? It was a centuries old curse!

  Of course, there were aspects about the way things were that Neil loved to embrace. This mostly consisted of the cool hatred towards the Mackenzies. Most of them were decent sorts of people, in spite of the curse, but the Mackenzie he loved to hate above all of them was Marnie .

  There was simply something about her that he couldn’t put a finger on. Was it her thick dark hair, or her mournful green eyes? Was it the freckles that sprinkled on the bridge of her nose what he couldn’t stand? He didn’t know, but he had loved to hate her for years.

  It was a complete disappointment that Bridget had decided to break the rules by befriending her. Sometimes Neil flirted with the idea of telling their parents about the secret friendship, but something always kept him from doing it.

  Which was why he was so shocked when his parents found out anyway.

  “What have we always told you?” Neil and Bridget’s father boomed, his face turning red to match his hair. “You can’t trust a Mackenzie, and yet here you are, having picnics with one!”

  Bridget stood her ground, and Neil was impressed by that. She stood in the doorway clenching her hands into fists and stubbornly standing her ground.

  “Marnie isn’t like what you said! She’s trustworthy and nice and has been my best friend for a long time!”

  Their father’s facial expression darkened. “We try to keep our affairs to ourselves, so you know that friendships with other clans are strictly regulated, but you chose a Mackenzie!? What’s next, are you going to marry one!?”

  Bridget frowned but shook her head. “I should be able to marry whomever I choose, father!”

  She might as well have told him that she had committed murder, and Neil watched as a little bit of resolve slipped from her face. He gave a great, deep sigh and looked over to their mother who up until that point had been too speechless to say anything. Their mother did not have the curse due to being born outside the clan, but she had given birth to two children cursed enough, so she had been considered just as much of a part of the situation than any of them. Neil knew that Bridget was jealous of their mother, wishing that she could have somehow in some way not received the Campbell curse. Neil thought that was ridiculous, and often told her so. Why give up such an amazing ability? People just didn’t understand him.

  “Addie, I think you know what we should do.”

  Neil and Bridget’s mother bowed her head and Neil’s heart sank. He didn’t actually think that his parents were going to do anything but warn her, but as he watched his mother think.

  “Bridget, my darling daughter, I just don’t know what else to do…” Their mother stood up and moved to her daughter’s side. “My original clan know all about the secret curse of the Campbells...and I think that it would be best if we sent you there to live with my sister until this all blows over.”

  It didn’t hit Bridget immediately, but once it did Neil could see her entire face crumpling under the weight of the decision. Part of her looked like she wanted to run, but instead she merely closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Darkness covered Neil’s heart, and he thought for the first time in the conversation that he should say something.

  “Do you think that’s wise?” he asked. His voice sounded so small under the weight of what was happening. Bridget looked to him as though she were drowning and he wa
s reaching out a hand to save her. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know how well he could.

  His father glanced at him as though suddenly realizing that he was there. Neil’s father was not fond of the fact that he had embraced the wolf within, and was terrible at ignoring that fact. His lip curled in annoyance, and once again Neil felt shame. There was nothing that he could do for Bridget now, Neil realized. At least not like this.

  “Don’t interfere,” his father said. That was that.

  “My entire life is here!” Bridget cried, and Neil could tell that she was milliseconds away from bolting out the door, bolting out of the life she was trying so hard to protect. Their mother looked mournful at the girl’s dismay, but knew that she couldn’t do anything either.

  “Your life is putting all of us in danger!” her father cried. “Don’t you see that? If other found out about us we would be hunted!”

  “So?” Neil mumbled under his breath. “We become hunters.”

  “Not now, Neil,” his father warned. Neil knew that it was best not to speak again at that moment.

  “So what if they found out? Marnie knows about it and she doesn’t care. She thinks it’s fascinating! She thinks just like Neil does!”

  Silence swept over the room like ice water, and even Neil’s eyes grew wide at the revelation. Marnie Mackenzieknew about the wolf curse? Of course it had been many generations since the Mackenzies put the curse on them to begin with, but the Campbells had tried for a very long time to dismiss the truth of it as merely a legend behind the cool animosity. Neil himself had always assumed that the Mackenzies had their own story behind it, but what if that wasn’t the case? Suddenly the idea that he would not have to hide anymore had given him a sliver of hope. Maybe this wouldn’t be for nothing after all.

  That sort of hope was lost on his father, and instead a great tide of rage rose within him. Neil wanted to run himself, not knowing what was going to happen.

  “You told someone outside of this clan the truth!?”

  Bridget kept her head raised, her eyes clear, although Neil knew that she wanted desperately to cry.

  “She found out on her own, and yet we are still friends. The feud should have stopped ages ago.”

  Their father seemed to collapse in on himself, muttering about what to tell the elders about this. Their mother seemed equally horrified, and turned to their father to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  “I will go with her for the first few weeks...introduce herself to that side of the family…”

  “No!” Bridget burst out, before turning on her heel and finally running out the door. Neil jumped to his feet and put a hand out to his father who seemed ready to bolt right after her.

  “Wait, I’ll go get her.”

  “Will you?” his father asked, untrusting. Neil knew better than to take umbrage with his father’s lack of trust and simply nodded.

  “Yes. I will bring her back here, I will…” he searched his mind for something that he could say, anything that would make his father leave in a timely manner so he could catch up to his frantic sister. “I will tell her what needs to be done.”

  “Be swift,” his father replied, and Neil didn’t respond because he was already moving, already outside and searching for the flash of red hair that could only belong to his sister.

  #

  He found her in the meadow where she usually spent time with Marnie , crying angry tears and trying to hide them as though she was ashamed. Neil sat down next to her and gave her a few moments to collect herself. He knew that his sister hated to be seen crying.

  “He let you come after me?” she asked. He nodded.

  “I told them I would talk sense into you.”

  She laughed bitterly. The meadow was particularly beautiful today, with a gentle spring breeze drifting through the endless purple heather. Neil could see why his sister loved to spend time here, and would bet anything that he had that she would miss this place as much as she would miss her friend.

  “I’m going to figure out a way for you to come back,” he said suddenly. It had not been his intention to decide on this, but once he had said it he knew that it was true. He would find a way for her to come back, but how?

  She laughed again, and he knew it was to keep herself from crying. “The only way I could come back is if the feud was over,” she said. “If everyone knew.”

  “Telling people is a death sentence,” Neil said.

  “Not always,” she replied. “Sometimes it just means you get sent away.”

  Bridget rubbed at her raw eyes and looked up at her brother. They were close in age, he was only a year older than her, and yet he had always felt a great feeling of protectiveness for her. She had never really embraced her wolf side, not as though many people in the clan did, but her wolf seemed gentler than the others, he had never allowed her to go too far away from him during the time of the change. What would she do then, far away from him? Would she have anyone to keep her company during the full moon? The thought made him sad.

  “Will you tell Marnie ?” she asked. “She knows you.”

  Against his will, he made a face of distaste. Bridget swatted him on the shoulder playfully.

  “Don’t be cruel,” she said. “Marnie ’s wonderful, I bet you dislike her so much because you’re afraid of liking her too much.”

  Impossible, but Neil didn’t reply. Instead he looked out over the heather.

  “Fine,” he said after a minute or two of silence. “I’ll tell her.”

  “I would tell her myself but I don’t think there’s time.”

  “It’s better if you don’t, I think. Plus, I’ll have you back in no time.”

  Bridget didn’t seem convinced, but he stood and offered her his hand to help her up. She hesitated, knowing that if she stood she would have to go, would have to leave this place behind and perhaps never return, but off the look in her brother’s eyes she decided to retain some sort of hope, so she reached up and took his hand. He hoisted her to his feet and steadied her, walking with her back to the village; back to uncertainty.

  Chapter 2

  One of Marnie ’sfavorite things to do with Bridget was just sit and watch the clouds go by. Sometimes Bridget would playfully attempt to make shapes out of the clouds as they passed, but Marnie had no head for such things and would often simply lie to say that she saw them too. The cloud never looked like a rabbit, not really, but Bridget took such pleasure in the activity that Marnie never liked to shoot her down.

  It was a perfect day to do that, so Marnie lay down in the heather almost immediately after she arrived at the meadow, knowing that Bridget would be able to find her no matter what. The sun was high in the sky that day, but as Marnie waited, she felt a strange feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

  Bridget was late.

  Bridget was never late.

  She stared at the fluffy clouds and puzzled out meanings in them, knowing she would never really see anything anyway, and was almost about to give up and go home when a shadow cast itself across her. It was too broad to belong to Bridget, and as she squinted up into the sunlight she was both disappointed and thrilled to see that the shadow belonged to Bridget’s brother, Neil.

  Marnie remembered him from when he was younger, skinnier, but still retaining that broad look. He had grown into a strapping man, something she noticed but hated herself for noticing at the same time. Now he looked down at her with that same sort of smug disdain, and Bridget was nowhere in sight.

  “Staring at the sun, are we?” Neil asked with a grin.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as she sat up, brushing her thick, dark hair out of her eyes. She watched as he tried to move to sit beside her, and then thought better of it. There was a look on his face that Marnie couldn’t place, but it didn’t seem like a good look. Had she done something wrong? Was she going to be the first victim of a new round of Campbell aggression? She hoped not, but if she had to be she wished that it wouldn’t be at the hands of stupid, han
dsome Neil.

  “I came here to tell you something, it’s important,” he said. Marnie ’s stomach turned. He looked so gave, so upset himself, so she voiced one of her greatest fears.

  “Is Bridget okay?” she asked. She didn’t hide the tremor in her voice, the sheer worry. Neil’s head tilted as he took notice of it, but said nothing. Instead he shook his head as though unsure of how to answer.

  “She is, she really is, but something happened.”

  It was worse than Marnie had imagined. Had Bridget decided not to be her friend again? Had she gone back to embrace Campbell tradition? It couldn’t be. Bridget had always sworn that she was never going to end up like that, that she would like people based on their merits and not on their clan. There was no way that Bridget had suddenly decided to throw all of that away.

  “What? Don’t just stand there, you idiot, tell me!”

  Neil flinched and bit his tongue trying not to answer back. He had to know that Marnie was upset.

  “It’s our parents. They found out about your friendship, and they also found out that you know… erm…” Neil tripped over the words, so accustomed to not speaking them in front of anyone outside of the clan.

  “I know about the curse. How it’s real,” Marnie finished for him, impatience dripping in her voice. He nodded, looking queasy at the notion that she knew. Too bad, Marnie thought. That gift is probably wasted on you.

  “Yes. So they sent her away. To my mother’s family. She’s banished there until further notice, I expect.”

  “What!?”Marnie didn’t believe it. He had to have been taking the piss out of her because there was no possible conceivable way that this had been what was happening. Neil didn’t seem to be the type to use his sister to hurt anyone, but then again like her family always told her...you couldn’t trust a Campbell.

  “I don’t like it either, you know!” Neil cried. “Bridget was my best friend too, and now she’s gone because she decided to be friends with the likes of a Mackenzie.”

  Rage swarmed in Marnie ’s gut, but she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from spitting cruel words at him. He was obviously also distraught at what had happened, and a feeling of strange tenderness rushed unbidden to Marnie ’s heart as she looked at his pain. They were two people missing the same person, probably for the same reasons, so she had better be kind.