by Mary Morgan
“There’s bread, cheese, and apples,” suggested Jamie.
“’Tis a fine meal.”
“I’ll fetch the apples and cheese. Do ye want a beer? Mama says ye like the stuff.”
“Water will be fine, Jamie.”
Adam moved past Lena, noticing her frown as he reached for some bread. “Are ye planning a trip?”
“Yes. Scott, Lucas, and I have some business in Inverness. We shall return after Samhain,” she replied averting his gaze.
Seeing her shoulders tense, Adam asked, “What troubles ye?”
Lena bit her lip and then turned toward Adam. “Oh, nothing. I have a lot on my mind—many thoughts.” Lifting the basket, she walked out of the kitchen, but paused at the door. “I wish you well, Adam MacFhearguis. Watch over Meggie and Jamie. May the Fae guide your steps.”
Stunned by her words, Adam gaped at her retreating form. He could not fathom her meaning. Why would she mention the Fae?
Fingers tugged at his trews. “Are ye going to stand there all morning?”
“Nae,” Adam replied hoarsely. Grabbing a basket off the counter, he placed the loaf of bread inside and lowered it for Jamie. “Put the apples and cheese in here. I will break my fast in the stables. It would seem your cousins are leaving for a few days.”
Jamie’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Nae fortress today?”
Scooping up Jamie in one hand, he answered, “Ye can help me feed and tend to the animals. Four hands will make the work go quickly, aye?”
“And then we can play?”
“Aye.”
Jamie squealed in delight and wrapped his arms around him. Adam’s heart swelled at the gesture, and he reveled in his son’s embrace. Strolling out of the kitchen, he made his way out of the castle and toward the stables. He watched as Meggie’s cousins departed though the gate, still troubled by what Lena had told him.
“Look at all the snow. Do ye believe there will be enough?”
Jamie’s words brought Adam’s focus to their plans. He sniffed the air. “If not, more will soon follow.”
Lowering his son to the ground, Adam moved to a bench. Tearing a piece of bread from the loaf, he handed it to Jamie, along with a chunk of cheese. Removing his sgian dubh, he sliced the apples and spread them out on a cloth.
“This is the way warriors ate, right, Adam?” Jamie shoved a mouthful of bread and cheese into his mouth.
Adam chuckled. Holding up the bread and cheese, he said, “This is far better.”
Wiping his face with the back of his hand, Jamie frowned. “How would ye know?”
“My travels have led me to many places. None have tasted as fine as this.”
Reaching for an apple, Jamie replied, “But I was speaking of warriors in the past. Are ye one?”
“And what would ye say if I was?” Adam bent to retrieve more bread and cheese.
“Then ye could tell me real warriors’ tales at bedtime.”
Adam almost choked on his food. Grabbing a bottle of water, he downed the liquid. Meggie was correct. Their son had wisdom beyond his age. Naught seemed unfathomable to the lad. Ye are the true warrior, Jamie.
Standing, Adam brushed the crumbs from his trews. “I will tend to the horses. Ye check on the sheep and the goats. Check their food bins. The quicker we finish our tasks, the sooner we can make our way to the trees.”
Jamie shouted playfully and ran off.
As Adam moved toward the horses, he patted Ciar in passing. “Ye are settling well here, my friend. Of course, I can see ye are smitten with the lovely lady in the next stall. And how are ye this fine morn, Fion?”
The horse whinnied softly, and Adam stroked her mane. Quickly tending to the rest of the horses, he cleaned his hands in the water basin and left the stables, pulling a cart along.
He saw his son speaking to the hawk Meggie called Marcus near the gates. The bird sat on a lower tree branch, and Adam tried to make out his son’s words. The hawk listened with rapt attention, tilting its head every so often. Leaning against a pillar, he waited for his son to finish his conversation. Fascination soon turned to shock as Jamie waved his fist in the air, speaking his last words in the old language of Adam’s people.
He pushed away from the wall and made his way to his son. When Jamie glanced over his shoulder, Adam’s steps faltered. The look on Jamie’s face was one of an old soul, and his eyes blazed with the power that burned within his body.
“By the saints,” he muttered. Stepping closer, Adam bent down. “How did ye ken the old language, son?”
Jamie blinked, and then he patted his chest. “It has always been inside me.”
Adam nodded to the hawk. “What were ye saying to Marcus?”
Smiling, Jamie replied, “I gave him a message for the Great Dragon.”
“Dragon?” he asked mystified.
“Aye. The one that lives in the loch. Ye should speak with her, Adam. She could help ye.”
Standing, Adam fisted his hands on his hips. “Pray tell what I need help with and why I would seek said help from a beast who dwells in the loch?”
“Stuff in your head,” he stated casually and walked away from Adam.
“And what would ye ken about my head?” he demanded.
As his son kept walking away, Adam had a sense that in that moment, he was the child learning, and Jamie was the teacher. Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, he dashed forward and lifted the lad under one arm. Hoisting him into the cart, he strolled out of the gates. “Let’s go find a place to make our snow fortress. We shall bring this extra wood to help make it sturdy.
Jamie immediately shouted for joy!
Finding an area away from the loch, Adam pulled Jamie from the cart. “Gather as many loose pine branches and twigs, the bigger the better. Dump them on the ground near the larger tree. We shall use the tree for the back of our dwelling.”
Watching as Jamie rushed away, Adam then proceeded to build a circular base with the snow. This would help brace the end branches. He secured the wood pillars he snatched from Scott’s workroom. He smiled, passing a hand over the smoothness of the wood. He deemed it fitting to take, since Scott owed him thus for teaching his son poor manners.
Time passed in silence as they worked together—father and son. Snow fell softly around them as they continued to build their small enclosure. Every so often, Adam would press snow together into a ball and toss it outward for Jamie to catch, only to watch as the boy slipped and fell. However, this did not stop his son. Nae. Jamie continued to jump back up, shouting for another chance.
The day turned into early afternoon, as they continued to play and work. Skye had wandered away, mostly likely back to the castle to be near Meggie. When they deemed it worthy of a test, Adam waved his son inside for the final inspection.
“This is the best camping ever!” exclaimed Jamie.
Adam knelt down. “I dinnae ken the word.”
The boy shook his head. “Ye need lessons with Archie.” He scrunched his face in thought and then smiled. “To sleep outdoors. Did ye not do so on your travels?”
Crawling inside, he placed an arm around his son. “Aye, but none as fine as this one.”
Jamie’s eyes went wide. “Truth?”
Adam nodded, holding his son close. “Look out yonder. What do ye see?”
Leaning forward, Jamie shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Hmm…I see the head of a rabbit, peeking around from its burrow.”
“Oh, I see him now,” whispered Jamie.
“Can ye say for certain ’tis a he?”
Jamie wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Yep.”
Adam chuckled softly. “Let me guess. Ye have your mother’s gift of speaking with the animals.”
Jamie’s head snapped up. “Ye know about Mama’s gift?”
“Aye. ’Tis a wonder, and I am happy to hear she passed it down to ye.”
“How long have ye known Mama?”
“Years, Jamie.”
The lad rest
ed his head on his knees. “A couple? A few? More than five?”
“More than five,” Adam whispered, his thoughts drifting back to their first encounter. Raven hair that rivaled his own. However, it was her eyes. Never had he beheld such a sight. They reminded him of the heather that blanketed the hills in spring. And other times, he caught a glimpse of another. As if the stars dusted the color with their own brilliance.
“Do ye love my mama?”
Jamie’s question startled Adam, bringing him back to the present, and he replied without hesitation, “With all of my heart, Jamie.”
“Hmm…”
“Does that bother ye?” Adam had never considered how the lad might feel stepping into their lives, and his heart stilled for a moment.
“Could ye love me, too?”
In that quiet moment, surrounded by nature and his son, his heart soared. “Aye, Jamie. I already do love ye.”
Jamie glanced up at Adam. “Are ye my father?”
Without hesitation, he replied, “Aye, my son.” He took his small hand into his. “I am sorry I have not been here for ye. But from this day forward, we journey together.”
Jamie’s eyes shifted from hazel to amber. “As Dragon Knights?”
“Aye, as Dragon Knights.”
His son glanced away. “The battle is coming.”
Fear froze Adam’s heart. “Ye ken?”
Tapping his chest, Jamie replied, “I feel it. Something dark.”
“I dinnae want ye far from your mother or me. Have Skye with ye at all times. Do ye understand, Jamie?”
“Aye, Da,” whispered Jamie.
They sat in comfortable silence until Meggie’s frantic voice could be heard shouting their names in the distance.
“Did ye not leave a note for Mama?”
Adam shrugged. “Nae.”
Jamie shook his head, smiling. “She is going to be verra mad at us.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“The pages of your life mirror those in a book. Fill them with laughter, love, and joy, before your final chapter.”
Rubbing her hands to ward off the chill, Meggie started to grow frantic. Gone were her cousins, Adam, and her son. Even Archie was nowhere to be found. Did not Adam mention something about an evil being present the night of her death—on Samhain? She could sense the veil thinning, but that was due to the approaching feast day. Shrugging off the disquiet within her mind, she yelled one more time.
Tapping her foot in frustration, she hoped Skye’s efforts were more gainful. The dog appeared by her bedroom door when she woke but dashed off as soon as Meggie came close. Giving a sharp whistle, Meggie waited for the dog to appear. Moments ticked by and the snow started to fall more heavily. Pulling her hood over her head, she started to make her way back down to the loch when she heard barking and laughter.
Turning around, she opened her mouth in shock and then snapped it shut. Her son was sitting on Adam’s shoulders, both faces red from being out in the cold, brisk air. Skye pranced alongside them as Adam sang a tune—one she remembered well. He’d often draw her near when her temper was fierce and would sing the melody.
Meggie pointed a finger at him. “Dinnae think ye can charm me with that old song, Adam MacFhearguis. It didn’t work years ago, and it won’t now.”
Adam ignored her rant and continued singing. “And when I take my bonny lass into my arms, she has eyes for only me.”
She narrowed her eyes as he approached. “By the hounds! Where have ye been?” She poked a finger at her son’s clothes. “Why are his clothes wet?”
“We’ve been playing and making a fortress.” Jamie flung his arms out wide. “First we took Scott’s wood―”
“Scott will be verra upset,” Meggie interrupted.
“Aye.” Adam smirked.
Meggie glared at him. “You’re incorrigible. And don’t tell me ye dinnae ken the word.”
“Mama, don’t be upset. Da wanted to have fun with me. Sometimes Dragon Knights need time alone.”
“James William—” Meggie paused realizing what her son had just said. “How…why did ye mention anything without me being there?” She directed her question to Adam.
“He told me he loves ye, Mama, and I asked him if he was my da.” Jamie wrapped his arms around Adam’s neck and peered down at her. “A Dragon Knight must always tell the truth.”
Meggie saw Adam wince at Jamie’s last remark. Her heart melted at her son’s words as she brushed away a wet lock from his forehead. “Ye are a wise knight, my son. But I believe we need to get ye indoors before ye catch a cold.”
“I’m never cold,” her son boasted.
She rolled her eyes. “So ye have told me often. Although, there is always a first time.” She knew the fire beast dwelled within his body and kept him warm, but Meggie was not about to let her son have the last word.
As they all strolled back to the castle, Skye leading the way, Meggie smiled inwardly. For as long as she lived, she would never forget the scene of father and son ambling forth from the trees. It was a blissful, treasured memory.
Walking inside the castle, she saw Archie leaning against the library door. He pushed away from the entrance. “Welcome home, Lady Margaret MacKay.”
Meggie reached for his outstretched hands. “How did you ken my memories had returned?”
Archie inclined his head toward Adam.
“I spoke with him before leaving with Jamie,” answered Adam.
“I have the Book of Awakening,and the Staff of Knowledge,” she stated. “Would ye like to see the book, Archie?”
“Bring them both into the library. I deem it wise we should all be together until after the feast of Samhain.”
Meggie frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Adam placed his son down and wrapped an arm around her. “I will tend to our son. Ye go fetch the items.” He then placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
When Adam released her, he gave her a smile that warmed her insides. “All right. But first, I’ll bring us something to eat and drink.” Meggie tussled her son’s hair before he dashed off.
“Do ye still have some of that fine uisge beatha, Archie?” inquired Adam.
“Most definitely.”
Going to the kitchen, Meggie quickly prepared a cart, laden with a tureen of soup, bread, fruit, and a selection of dried meats. The latter becoming one of Adam’s favorites.
Pushing the cart into the library, she placed the bowls, utensils, and linen on the side table. She noticed Archie had lifted the lid on the tureen. “Left-over chicken soup,” she said, while holding out a bowl for him.
“A perfect meal for this cold night,” he replied.
“I’ll go grab the book and staff.” Meggie moved past him and ran up the stairs. When she entered her room, she gathered the items, all the while making new plans to find a safe place for her treasured items. The book and staff were far too important. Perhaps tomorrow, the Fae could show her a sacred place to hide both.
Dashing back downstairs, she placed the book on Archie’s desk. Propping the staff next to the blazing hearth, she went to stand by the bard’s side. Watching as he swept his hand over the cover, the book opened to the first page. Written in gold and silver lettering were the words that only Meggie and the Fae could read.
In the beginning…
“So long ago,” he whispered.
Meggie placed a reverent hand over the glided edges. “I used to sit and read the stories for hours. My mother used to pry my hands from the pages to bring me back to this world. I was so absorbed in the Fae realm that she often feared I would disappear within the stories.” She smiled sadly at the recollection.
With a wave of his hand, Archie closed the ancient tome. “The Fae would not have allowed any harm to come to you. The Book of Awakening is for your wisdom only, and the Staff of Knowledge is to illuminate the words for you. You are the keeper of the Fae’s knowledge. The chosen one. Although, one might be tempted to enter within the pages, such as a young lass like yourse
lf.”
“Trust me, Archie, there were times when I wanted to fling myself inside, especially after the death of my parents. Angus became so controlling.” Meggie walked over to the hearth, gazing deeply at the glowing embers. “He ruled with an iron fist over my brothers, though at times, it was needed. They were hellions and caused him much grief. As for myself…” Her thoughts drifted back to the last argument she had with Angus. His fury so great at finding out she’d been seeing Adam, he locked her in her chambers. “I had never seen Angus come so close to losing his temper. His eyes flashed with those of the fire dragon, and for the first time ever, I feared my own brother.”
“He would never harm you, Meggie,” he stated, moving to her side.
She bent her head. “If only he had listened to me. So much anger.”
Archie wrapped a comforting arm around her. “No longer. Your brothers are much changed.”
Raising her head, she stared back into the flames. “Adam has told me everything. They suffered greatly from my…death.” Though the fire was warm, Meggie shuddered visibly.
“Yes. Each walked a long and rough road to seek their redemption. A quest was given to each from the Fae.”
“They were cursed. How horrific.” Concern filled her voice.
Archie wandered back to his desk and sat down. Removing his glasses, he sighed. “The Fae may have banished them, yet, the words from the Guardian were filled with wisdom at a time when anger, remorse, and vengeance no longer clouded their minds. They all had to find their way back to home and…love.”
Meggie walked away from the hearth. “Since ye are a Bard for the Fae, how much do ye ken of my brothers?”
“Everything,” he replied.
Looking into Archie’s eyes, she saw the wisdom of the Fae reflected within. So many questions burned in her mind to ask him. How were they? What were their wives like? Did any have children? Were they finally at peace? She rubbed a hand over the ache in her heart.
He stood and clasped her hands in his, the warmth spreading throughout her body. “They are well and very happy, Meggie.”
Before she could acknowledge his act of kindness, Jamie came bounding in with Adam and Skye following closely. She squeezed Archie’s hands and then reached for her son.
