Seven Moons Back to the Highlands

by Deborah R Stigall

  “Hmmmmm.” Caelan pressed his lips into a flat line, rubbing his thumb along them to keep from laughing.

  “M’laird?” Yvonna whispered again into his ear, having never moved from his side.

  “Yes?” Caelan kept his eyes focused straight ahead on the flags of his clan strung regally from the rafters. He dare not meet Yvonna’s eye or he might not be able to keep a straight face.

  “What exactly is a piñata?” Yvonna couldn’t help but ask trustworthy and loyal, good-hearted and kind she was also curious almost to the point of being a danger to herself.

  Rubbing his face with both his hands, Caelan rose wearily from his chair. “I’ll have Mistress Rachel explain it to ye this evenin’ after our wedding banquet is o’er. I’ll go upstairs now and get her. Perhaps it wouldha been more proper for me to escort her to the hall anyway do ye think so?”

  “Aye I think that will be fine.” Yvonna smiled knowingly and silently wished her poor laird all the luck the Goddess would bestow upon him. Goodness knows; he was going to need it with that one!

  )O(

  Opening the door to Rachel’s private chambers, Caelan’s breath caught in his throat at the sight before his eyes. His ebony haired wife stood before him swathed in a gown of the deepest purple velvet a purest amethyst rivaled only by that of her eyes. The high waist gathered up beneath her full breasts by a gold braided rope allowed the gathered material to flow softly over her rounding belly. Her bosoms strained against the low-cut neckline, proof that his sons would be amply fed at their birth. The velvet sleeves fitted her long slender arms closely and a golden mantle attached at the shoulders flowed into a graceful train behind her. Yvonna had caught up her hair at the back into a mass of glossy black curls and had placed a hammered collar of polished silver about her neck.

  “I can’t do this, Caelan. I can’t go down there.”

  Rachel paced the length of the room, nervously rubbing her stomach as though it were a wishing stone.

  Crossing the room to enclose her in his arms, Caelan pulled her back against his chest. “’Tis our wedding feast, Rachel. The clan wishes ta meet ye and welcome ye into their hearts. I’m their laird and they will love and respect ye.”

  Nuzzling her neck as he breathed in her scent, he ached as he pulled her even closer. “Come to the hall with me. Let me show them what a beautiful wife I’ve been blessed with Ye took m’breath away when I walked thru the door and I saw ye in your fine gown.”

  “I’m huge and getting even more huge by the day I look awful and you’re going to end up finding somebody else and then I’ll be stuck here and …”

  Starting to hiccup as she did every time she worked herself into one of these tirades, Rachel grabbed a cup of water from the bedside table and downed it as she held her breath.

  Taking the cup from her hands and setting it on the table, Caelan covered her mouth with his and pulled her into his arms. Thrusting his tongue possessively into her mouth, he kissed her full and deep until he felt her responding fully in kind.

  Pulling back just enough to look down into her eyes, he whispered huskily, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. “I didna travel across time and space to bed ye down and then toss ye aside. I couldha done that easily enough with women right here in Alba. I traveled to ye because ye’re mine and I intend to keep ye for all eternity. Now wipe yer eyes we’re going to our wedding banquet and then we’ll be returning back upstairs we’re we’ll be breaking in our marriage bed.”

  Licking her lips nervously, Rachel smoothed her gown as she brushed a stray tendril of hair out of her face. Pulling way from Caelan, she turned away as she stared vacantly out the window.

  “Yvonna is nice enough but the rest of them they stare and whisper it’s as though they’re afraid of me like I’m some tainted relic that’s going to curse them.”

  Scrubbing his hands over his face, Caelan inhaled deeply as he searched for patience. Emrys had told him that it was going to be difficult for Rachel to adapt especially with her pregnancy making her even more emotional.

  “All that’s needed is for them to get to know ye. Once they see what a wonderful woman ye are they’ll warm to ye and be the family ye’ve never had.”

  Walking closer to the window, Rachel stared out over the sea and the waves crashing against the shore.

  “Then why did Emrys tell me to keep my past and granny’s journal a secret? If they can accept his magic why can’t they accept mine?”

  His eyes narrowing, he remembered receiving the same warning from Emrys. Caelan shook his head as he joined Rachel at the window.

  “My clan our clan is superstitious. Sometimes ‘tis even difficult for them to accept Emrys and his ways. If not for the fact that the auld man has been kept under the laird’s protection he could’ve been run out of these hills many times over the years.”

  “And yet you brought me here knowing that I could be in the same danger. What if something happens to you and I fall to the mercy of the clan? What about our sons?”

  Wringing her hands, Rachel’s eyes filled with tears as she protectively cradled her stomach.

  Grabbing her shoulders and spinning her into his arms, Caelan raised her chin to force her to look into his eyes.

  “Ye’re allowing your mind to feed upon your fears. Ye will never find peace as long as ye look for the ill in every situation. We’re together because of our love and we will be safe I will see that it’s so. Ye must trust in me, Rachel ye had started to once before we came back thru the portal.”

  Staring deeply into his caring green eyes, Rachel sighed as she shook her head.

  “I wish I could believe as you believe. I guess I’ve just seen too much.”

  “Trust me.” Caelan kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Now let me show my clan what a wondrous wife I have.”

  Smiling sadly, Rachel linked her arms in his as she risked one last glance out the window to the sea. She should’ve run screaming that first day when Caelan showed up on her porch.

  )O(

  Doing his best to ignore the smell of the smoke rising from the brazier in the corner; Caelan paced back and forth in front of Emrys.

  “She won’t even let me touch her! She turns her face to the wall each night and cries herself to sleep.”

  “I told ye it would take a while for the lass to adapt. We’ve only been back in this time for a few days ye must be patient.” Emrys didn’t bother to look up from his book as he idly stroked his beard.

  “Ye must also remember that she’s growing heavy with your children as she nears her time her emotions will be even worse. Ye must make her feel safe she knows too much about the not too distant future. Ye must try to keep her thoughts away from these things.”

  Slamming his fist impatiently on the table, Caelan reached over and shut Emrys’ book. “I need your help! I don’t need your idle advice. I am being patient with the lass but I need to know how to make her feel that this is her home.”

  Glaring up into Caelan’s face, Emrys huffed with exasperation. “What do ye wish for me to do, Caelan? Cast a spell that will turn her into a meek accepting wife?”

  Rising from his seat, he shook a bent finger in Caelan’s face as his own face reddened in anger. “Did ye think it was going to be a mere feat of going to the future and whisking her back and then all would fall into a nice tidy routine? Are ye that big of a fool to think that any woman who would be worthy of the MacKay line would be easy to transplant over six hundred years into the past?”

  Mumbling and cursing under his breath, Emrys threw more herbs upon the burning coals. As the smoke grew bitter and thickened anew, he turned once more to face Caelan.

  “There is trouble brewing and ye have more work to do when it comes to completely winning the heart of your wife. Go carefully, Caelan for you can still lose it all even though she has joined ye in this time.”

  Grabbing the wizard’s robes just below his neck, Caelan pulled Emrys close to his face with a shake.

  “What have ye se
en? Tell me so that I can prepare I will let NOTHING risk all that I’ve gained.”

  “I’ve told ye all that the Fates will allow. If I dabble too much with what they allow me to see they will take away my visions completely. But know this that which we should fear not only comes from outside forces sometimes our greatest threats lie within.”

  Pulling his robes from Caelan’s grasp, Emrys returned to his seat by the fire.

  His jaw tightening as he ground his teeth in frustration, Caelan shook his head as he walked to the door.

  “If anything happens to her and ye have seen it and not warned me the Fates willna be able to take your visions because I will have taken your life.”

  Emrys sighed deeply as Caelan slammed the door, then turned to peer into the smoke. “Guide us, Brid thru the weeks ahead. Give the lad the strength he needs to see this thru.”

  )O(

  “I have seen the woman and I tell ye she’s an evil that has been brought into our midst!” Roderic glanced around the inn as he whispered around his mug of ale.

  Cormac leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he peered into Roderic’s plotting eyes. “I was at the wedding banquet. The lass looked harmless enough to me.”

  “What about how she got here? How could a normal woman accept the fact that a Druid was going to have to bring her into the past in order for her to find a husband! Would your fine daughter have accepted such news so easily?”

  Roderic’s eyes glinted with vicious malice as he purposely reminded Cormac of his daughter’s rejection. He knew the man was still sorely disappointed that his daughter had not been the laird’s choice. The match would’ve been advantageous for both clans since Cormac’s lands joined the MacKay lands at their northernmost border.

  Staring down into the dark recesses of his mug, Cormac frowned as he slowly shook his head. “Nay. Calynda would nay have accepted such a tale. She would’ve run screaming to the Church for protection.”

  Fidgeting uneasily in his seat, Cormac swallowed hard as he continued. “But Emrys has advised all of the clans for years. He has ne’er brought ill to a soul.”

  “What ye mean is as far as we know?” Roderic waived to the barkeep to bring two more mugs as he continued to sow seeds of ill content.

  “What of the maid who disappeared from the cliff by the sea? Her body was never found. If she merely lost her footing as some have said her body would’ve been entangled in the jagged rocks below.”

  Leaning even closer, Roderic’s voice dropped lower as he watched the fear growing in Cormac’s eyes. “But the moon was full and ‘twas just before planting time and Emrys had just told the clans of the need for a sacrifice to ensure a good harvest. What better sacrifice than that of a pure maid?”

  “Aye the poor wee lass’s body was never found and the crops did fair well that year.” Cormac’s knuckles whitened as his hand clenched the handle of his mug, his brow furrowing with concern.

  “But what can we do? Laird Caelan is powerful and if his wife be a witch what will keep her from laying curses upon us?”

  “Trust me we will bide our time until the proper moment. Then we will scourge the land of this evil and put things right as they were meant to be. Tell me you are with me. Tell me that I can count on your clan in this cleansing of the land.”

  Slamming down his mug, Roderic held out his hand as he waited for Cormac’s pledge of loyalty.

  Gripping Roderic’s hand tightly, Cormac nodded once. “Aye we have an accord ye have my oath.”

  )O(

  Rising from the bench in the garden, Rachel rubbed her back and stretched. She’d never get the hang of all of this sewing. Thank goodness, since she was the wife of the laird, she was only expected to do fancy needlework to decorate the Keep rather than the necessary heavy seamstress work required to keep clothes upon her back.

  “If I had to sew to keep clothes on my back I’d be walking around in a grass sack.” Rachel reached down to rub Sam’s ears just as the little dog stared growling like a miniature buzz saw.

  Glancing up, Rachel frowned as she tried to remember the name of the huge clansmen headed her way. She’d met so many of them the other night and some of them had such a pronounced burr to their “rrrrr’s” that she’d been barely able to understand them.

  “Sam shhhh just keep me calm okay? ” Rachel picked up her loyal friend and hugged him to her chest.

  “Good day to ye Mistress Rachel.”

  The nearly seven foot man dressed in his everyday kilt closed the distance between them like a panther stalking its prey. His hair was black shot with silver and his eyes an unnerving icy grey, but it was his predatory gait that caused her to take a step back.

  “Good Day”

  Rachel backed against the roughly hewn bench where she’d been sitting; silently cursing herself for not being able to remember the name of the man standing before her.

  “Roderic” A sly smirk playing across his mouth, Roderic’s cold grey eyes narrowed as he watched Rachel squirm uncomfortably.

  Clenching her teeth in aggravation, Rachel nodded pertly. “Roderic of course. Please forgive me. I feel like I met half of Scotland the other night and I’m afraid I’m still placing faces with the names.”

  “Aye well m’lady. Ye should definitely remember mine. Ye see I’m Caelan’s half brother and I will be next in line should anythin’ ill ever befall our fine laird.”

  Moving closer, so that he could extend his hand to her cheek and smooth away an errant curl to carefully tuck it behind her ear, Roderic smiled as he continued. “And rest assured, that if anything so distasteful were to ever happen to your great warrior laird I’d be more than happy to take o’er not only his lairdly duties but his husbandly duties as well.”

  Leaning closer as though he might even be so bold as to attempt to steal a kiss; Roderic came up short as Sam bared his teeth and snapped his displeasure at the closeness of Roderic’s face. Backing away, Roderic laughed as he eyed Rachel’s protector with malice gleaming in his icy grey eyes.

  “Ye’ll not always have your fine wee protector about we’ll meet again another time.”

  As Roderic turned to leave the garden, Rachel concentrated very hard on the back of his head, just as he walked from beneath the arbor; a trio of ravens appeared from beyond the wall of the Keep and pelted him with droppings.

  Cursing the birds as he ran for cover, Roderic’s less than elegant exit from the garden left Rachel smiling as she sat Sam down beside her on the bench.

  “Be careful, lass ” Emrys cleared his throat as he and Maizy joined Rachel at the bench. “That one there’s an evil one and would just as soon see ye burned for being a witch as he’d bed ye for being a beautiful woman. T’would make no difference to him either way.”

  “He means Caelan harm and me as well.” Rachel felt a chill run up her spine as she remembered Roderic’s words.

  “Dinna worry, lass Caelan has been watchin’ Roderic for years.” Emrys patted Rachel lightly on the shoulder, his brows rising as he noticed how much larger her stomach seemed to be growing with each passing day. It was a good thing they’d passed thru the portal early if they’d waited until Samhain he didn’t know how safe it would’ve been for as far along in her pregnancy as she was going to be.

  Nodding to her stomach, Emrys cleared his throat as he slowly rubbed Maizy’s ears. “Have ye figured when the lads might decide to make their appearance?”

  “Probably not until sometime after the first of the year it’s hard to tell with triplets.” Rising from the bench, Rachel turned toward the keep, gathering her pitiful needlepoint up in her hands. “Are you going to tell Caelan about Roderic or not? I think he needs to be warned.”

  “He already knows, lass now stop yer worrying! Ye need to concentrate on taking care of yourself and those three bairns ye carry within your womb.” Emrys held out his hand as he rose from the bench, a silent entreaty for Rachel to join him on a stroll.

  “I’m fine and the boys are more than fine. They just ne
ed more room with each passing day.” Rubbing her back as she waddled along, Rachel sighed as she leaned on Emrys’ arm.

  “I’ve decided I’m never going to fit in but I’ve never fit in anywhere my entire life so, I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Staring at the ground as they walked along, Rachel frowned at Emrys with troubled eyes.

  “My only goal is to keep my sons safe and Caelan for as long as I can considering the history of this land. I don’t expect to be happy it’s my own fault I ended up here so, I don’t blame anyone but myself.”

  “Are ye truly that unhappy? Is it really that bad here?” Emrys’ voice dropped low as he watched the misery playing across her face.

  Staring off into the distance, Rachel stopped walking as she turned to face Emrys. “I don’t deserve a man like Caelan and I was a fool to ever believe that I could keep him in my life. Although if I could’ve kept him in my time I might’ve had a little better of a chance. So let’s just say that I’ve resigned myself to his loss now whether it be by the sword, disease or something as simple as him finally opening his eyes to what a failure I really am.”

  Releasing Emrys’ arm, she turned to head back to the garden, Sam following closely on her heels.

  )O(

  Rachel lay on her side, her eyes staring sightlessly at the stone wall in front of her.

  “I know ye canna be asleep not with those wee demons dancin’ in yer belly.” Caelan’s deep voice rumbled in her ear as he lay spooned up against her back. His comforting arm cuddled her close to his body, as his hand idly stroked her stomach.

  “I’ve got to find a way for us to get back.”