Highland Blood (The Celtic Blood Series Book 2)

by Melanie Karsak

  He shook his head. “Crearwy would have loved it. Grow your herbs here so her spirit can enjoy them.” Gillacoemgain set his hands on my stomach. “So big already?”

  “In Nairn, a woman told me I carried twins.”

  Gillacoemgain laughed. “So you shall carry my sun and my moon,” he said then turned serious. “Why did you go out? You know I had asked you not to.”

  “The children of Moray…there was an illness. I went out to ensure that the next generation of people in this land were healthy and strong. I went out to save lives,” I said, realizing then the complex nature of the Mother Goddess: she was both a life-bringer and a destroyer. Despite the fact that it was the dark goddesses who seemed to rule over my fate, it was the Great Mother who’d coached my hands all these months. As I grew ripe with life, I practiced her earthy magic.

  Gillacoemgain nodded then sighed heavily, as if he had no good retort for my answer. “I’m weary, wife. And you’re as dirty as I am. Come, let’s have your maid draw us a bath.”

  I laughed. I had, in fact, missed Gillacoemgain’s touch. More often than I cared to admit, his taste and the feel of his body came to my mind. And while Banquo lingered forever around the edges of my heart, Gillacoemgain had been foremost in my thoughts the past few months.

  “After you,” I said, smiling up at him.

  “You smell like mint,” he told me, planting a kiss on my cheek.

  “You smell like horses.”

  He laughed. “Come then, my wife, and let me see that belly,” he said, leading me away.

  I cast one look back at the garden as we left, and this time, I saw the ethereal figure of a girl with long black hair standing amongst the herbs, smiling at me.

  Chapter 15

  Gillacoemgain spent most of the next two days in bed, barely waking to eat something. I didn’t know what he had seen or what difficulties he’d faced, but the weight of it on him was obvious. I crept quietly in and out of our chamber where he dozed, bringing him meals and snuggling in beside him. On the morning of the third day, however, when I arrived with his morning meal, I found him awake and getting dressed.

  “I was just about to come looking for you. I wanted to check on my birds. Come with me?”

  I set the tray on a table. “Are you hungry? I brought all your favorite—” I began, but Gillacoemgain crossed the room and silenced me with a kiss.

  The depth of his passion took my breath away. For the first time, I sensed joy in him. Since we’d first met, Gillacoemgain had been worried by the state of affairs in Moray. Now, with that burden lifted from him, I saw a spark of his true self.

  When he finally let me go, I laughed. “Of course. Let’s go,” I said.

  Gillacoemgain and I headed outside, crossing the yard to the stables where his falcons were kept.

  “My Lord?” Standish said, falling in step with us.

  “How are my birds?” Gillacoemgain asked.

  “We’ve been keeping them exercised. I put one of the lads in charge of them. He has a way with animals and has taken good care of them. I think he’s back there now.”

  Gillacoemgain nodded.

  “My Lady,” Standish added, smiling at me. “The little one has your cheeks looking rosy as apples today.”

  Gillacoemgain smiled and set his hand on my stomach. “What do you think, Standish? Boy or girl?”

  “Or both, from the looks of her,” Standish said.

  “Wouldn’t that be a blessing?” Gillacoemgain said, putting his arm around me and pulling me close.

  “That dog of yours is out here somewhere, Lady. I just saw her run past, nose to the ground, hot on the trail of something.”

  I nodded. Gillacoemgain patted the man on the shoulder, and we headed toward the mews where the falcons were housed. A few moments later, I heard Thora bark happily. We turned the corner to find Thora waiting patiently while a young boy held a small bit of bread for her.

  “Down,” the boy told her.

  Thora lay on the ground and looked up at the boy expectantly.

  I laughed out loud.

  At the sound of my voice, Thora turned and offered me a muffled bark.

  The boy also looked at me. It was the same lad I’d seen with Thora from time to time. This was, however, the first time I’d seen him up close. He was a lovely child with smooth skin, curly brown hair, and sparkling green eyes. I had seen eyes like that once before…on Sid. I also noticed the shimmering glow of the otherworld around him. A half fey thing, perhaps?

  “M’Lord, M’Lady!” he said happily, tossing the bread to Thora.

  “So you’re the one who has kept Thora busy,” I said.

  The boy nodded. “Yes, M’Lady. She’s a clever one.”

  Gillacoemgain tousled his hair. “How are my falcons? I hear you’ve been keeping care of them.”

  “Yes, M’Lord. They are doing well. I’ve been taking them out every day, letting them get their exercise.”

  “What’s your name?” I asked, still eyeing the boy who seemed to avoid eye contact with me.

  “Eochaid, M’Lady.”

  “Well, let’s have a go then,” Gillacoemgain said. He slipped on a long, heavy leather glove then opened the door to the mew, coaxing one of the falcons to him.

  Thora, I noticed, perked up.

  “I hope you don’t mind, Lady Gruoch, but I’ve been running your bonnie lass here with the birds. She’d good at flushing pheasants,” Eochaid told me.

  “Is she now?” I said, smiling down at Thora who looked like she’d been caught red-handed. “And, no doubt, in exchange for some of the winnings.”

  Eochaid laughed. “Rabbits, when she can find them.”

  I shook my head. “Naughty thing,” I said to her, but Thora just wagged her tail.

  Gillacoemgain, Eochaid, and I then headed out into the field nearby, Thora following along beside me. The summer grass had grown tall. Purple asters, oxeye daisies, and buttercups painted the field with color.

  As we walked, Gillacoemgain spoke in soft tones to the bird resting on his arm. The bird eyed him closely, clearly familiar with the sound of his master’s voice. Without fear of getting bit, Gillacoemgain petted the bird’s head, stroking his soft feathers.

  “Well now, Thora. Seems all my girls have been busy running outside the castle walls in my absence. Let’s see if you’ve been as successful as your lady,” Gillacoemgain told my dog when we came to a thick patch of grass.

  Eochaid whistled and directed Thora toward the field.

  She zipped into the grass. The only thing you could see was the tip of her tail as she moved quickly through the field. We waited awhile then heard Thora’s muffled bark.

  “She’s got them. Be ready,” Eochaid told Gillacoemgain.

  A moment later, we heard the sound of wings as startled pheasants rose out of the grass.

  Thora barked loudly.

  Gillacoemgain directed the bird and sent her on her way. The falcon sped away quickly, diving with her sharp talons toward the birds. The intense sound of her wings caught me off guard, and the raven within me seemed to spark to life. It was all I could do to keep my spirit inside me. A moment later, the falcon returned, a pheasant in her claws.

  She flew back to Gillacoemgain.

  “Well done,” he told her. “That one is yours,” he added, sending her off to a nearby tree so she could enjoy the spoils of her work.

  Thora came trotting back, looking at Eochaid expectantly. From his pocket, the boy pulled out a bit of dried beef that he tossed to her.

  We hunted most of the morning, roaming through the fields, soaking in the summer sun. I kept my eyes on the ground while Gillacoemgain and the boy worked. I’d stuffed many herbs and roots into my pockets. My hands were covered in soil and the summer sun had me sweating, but I felt truly at ease.

  I had just helped myself to a handful of wild-growing raspberries when I heard Gillacoemgain and the boy laughing. I gazed back at them. Gillacoemgain was clapping the boy gently on the back i
n congratulations when the falcon returned with a rabbit. It was such a sweet scene. I set my hand on my stomach. Inside, two babes were growing. Perhaps they were not Gillacoemgain’s blood, but they were mine, and it was clear to me that Gillacoemgain was going to be a loving father.

  I smiled happily and closed my eyes, feeling the warm summer sun shining down on my dark hair. The sweet taste of raspberries filled my mouth, the sound of a child’s laughter on the wind. Could there ever have been a more perfect moment? I sighed contentedly, feeling the little ones within me stir. They were moving more and more each day, especially when I ate something they loved. Taking out a handkerchief, I picked a few more berries then rejoined Gillacoemgain and Eochaid.

  As I did so, I heard the roll of thunder in the far distance.

  “A storm is coming,” Gillacoemgain said, pointing to dark clouds on the horizon. In the distance, the sweet blue of the summer’s sky faded into a thick bank of clouds. “Let’s head back.”

  “Thora,” I called, but the dog was still off looking for trouble.

  “Fey thing, your bonnie lass,” Eochaid said. “Half the time I think she slips between the worlds. One minute she’s nowhere in sight, the next she’s right beside you,” he told me.

  I looked down at the child. He had a mischievous look on his face. “You know, I’ve heard the same thing said about little boys…wild, fey things, such as they are.”

  Eochaid winked at me. “I’m sure M’Lady knows of such things much better than me.”

  “Indeed?”

  Eochaid smiled.

  I handed my handkerchief full of raspberries to the boy. “Sweets for the sweet,” I told him.

  “Thank you, M’Lady,” he said, grinning happily at my harvest.

  “And for you,” I told Gillacoemgain, handing him the only two wild strawberries I’d found that morning.

  He shook his head. “You,” he told me, “one for each of my little ones.”

  I laughed then ate. It had taken all my willpower to save them in the first place.

  Thunder rolled again as we returned to the castle. I could smell the rain in the breeze now, and the air was charged with the power of the storm. We were just putting the falcon back in her cage when Thora appeared.

  “Have fun?” I asked her.

  She wagged her tail in reply.

  “Thank you, Eochaid,” Gillacoemgain told the boy. “How long have you been at Cawdor?”

  “Since spring. I came around the same time Lady Gruoch arrived.”

  Gillacoemgain nodded. “I see you’ve taken good care of my birds. I’ll see to it Standish knows.”

  “Thank you, M’Lord,” Eochaid said, and when he smiled, I swore I saw Sid in his face once more. It was the fey glow.

  I nodded to the boy and waved at Thora to follow.

  As we passed through the yard, I saw that everyone was readying for the storm. The geese were herded into their pens, horses being stabled.

  “Why don’t you go in? I can check on Kelpie,” Gillacoemgain told me, then kissed me on the forehead.

  Thora and I headed inside as the first crack of lightning struck not too far away.

  “So, where have you been going?” I asked Thora who tilted her head at me. “Back at Ynes Verleath or off playing with Sid?”

  Thora barked.

  “Off with Sid and Nadia then?”

  Thora wagged her tail.

  “Fey thing indeed,” I said. I headed back up to the chamber I shared with Gillacoemgain. I opened the casement to get a good look at the storm headed our way. As I did, I spotted Eochaid crossing the yard, a gaggle of kittens following along behind him as he lured them into shelter with a saucer of milk. How many times had the child been nearby when I needed help? Who was that wee lad? This time, I shifted my focus and looked with my raven’s eyes. When I did, I couldn’t help but notice the glimmer of shimmering golden light, a tiny glimmering ball, zipping around him everywhere he went.

  “Nadia?”

  Lightning clapped once more, capturing my attention. I looked off in the distance. On the horizon, threads of light shot across the sky.

  When my eyes drifted back, however, I saw the golden light that had been shimmering all around Eochaid flying toward me. I looked hard, trying to part the veil between us, to really see. When I did, I discovered it was not Nadia who kept the boy company but a male fairy.

  He was there and gone in just a blink of an eye, and in that single second, I realized that the little fairy man had bowed to me. In a flash, the fairy man returned to the boy who was now picking up all the kittens in an effort to get them inside just as the first drops of rain fell. He looked to be holding ten puffy balls. I laughed out loud.

  At that, Eochaid looked up, smiled at me, and then headed within. Fey, indeed.

  Chapter 16

  That night, the thunder boomed loudly, lightning streaking across the sky. I lay watching flashes of light through the cracks in the closed window casement.

  “Can’t sleep?” Gillacoemgain asked, his hand sliding up my side, resting on my stomach.

  I shook my head then sighed. “No. It’s too hot and too loud. The air is alive with too much magic.”

  “I feel it as well,” Gillacoemgain said. “My mother taught me to be mindful of the old things, the old ways. My father adopted the appearance of worship of the White Christ, but my mother’s lessons stayed with me. I…I do feel the otherworld around us. When I am alone in the woods, I would swear I can feel Cernunnos’ presence.”

  In the darkness, I smiled. “He is the lord of the forest and the hunt. It is only natural that you, who love such things, feel kinship toward him.”

  Gillacoemgain sighed. “I’ve never had time to spend thinking on such things,” he said, then stroked the back of my arm. The sensation shot chills up and down my body.

  “Perhaps, now that all is quiet…”

  “Yes,” Gillacoemgain said, pushing my hair away so he could kiss my neck. “I will have time now, for that, for my wife, for my little ones.”

  I rolled over and looked at him in the darkness. One candle lit in our chamber, but the lightning outside flashed endlessly, illuminating his face. How handsome he was, his rugged chin and alluring eyes.

  Gillacoemgain smiled at me, his left cheek taking on a dimple, then leaned in and kissed me. His mouth was warm and tasted of the honeyed herb tonic he’d drunk after dinner. I caught his sweet scent, that woodsy smell mixed with the lavender.

  “I know you are heavy with child. If I am careful…would you?”

  I nodded. “Yes,” I breathed. In that moment, more than anything, I wanted to feel him. Gillacoemgain of Moray. Beyond all chance, my heart had turned to him.

  Moving carefully, he pulled off my nightdress then discarded his own clothes onto the floor. He lay his cheek on my bare stomach, kissing my swollen belly.

  “I’m so proud of you,” he whispered then, his hands dancing toward my breasts. “I’m so proud you are my wife,” he said, kissing my neck, his mouth drifting down to my breasts, his hand moving between my legs.

  I gasped when he touched me, my hands feeling for him in the darkness.

  “As I am of you,” I whispered in reply before a moan escaped my lips.

  Gillacoemgain said no more then, as his mouth trailed down my body to my secret parts where he gave me pleasure like I’d never known before in all my life. And I, in turn, sought to please the man whom I had grown to love.

  Once the storm arrived, it didn’t leave for days. The yard became a muddy mess as rain poured down relentlessly. The stream running near Cawdor, which poured into the River Nairn, started to break its banks. Gillacoemgain rode out with Fergus, Standish, and a few others to investigate the farms that sat close to the water.

  Since I dared not brave the weather, I went instead to check on my garden which had also turned into a watery mess. The water in the small castle courtyard pooled amongst the stones. It rained too fast for it to run off properly. My herbs were drowning. I
spent the morning digging drains so the water would wash away. By midday, I was, despite the shelter from castle awnings, wet and tired.

  But I was also unreasonably curious. Since the day I had seen her shade, I wondered about Crearwy, Gillacoemgain’s sister. Knowing he was away, I left my work and crept up the back hallways to the unused section of the castle.

  It was clear that this section of Cawdor had once been part of the regular household. Candles still sat in the tapers, tapestries adorned the walls. I lit a candle and went exploring.

  The space was full of cobwebs and covered in dust. The chambers still had chairs and tables, dishes and goblets, beds, but no one had been there in years. I pushed open a chamber to see the bed was still made, but covered in inches of dust. I moved down the hall to the room Gillacoemgain had mentioned. All the while, my raven eyes peered around for the shade. I didn’t know why I wanted to see her, but something drove me.

  I entered a shuttered hallway. No light save the small candle I held illuminated the space. I was struck at once by the feeling of magic. My skin rose in goosebumps as I moved down the hall. I couldn’t see the chamber at the other end, but I knew I was somewhere thin. I walked past a window when a sharp breeze blew in, snuffing out my candle.

  I steeled the fear that wanted to rise up inside me and moved ahead, reaching in the darkness for the door handle.

  My fingers brushed against the cold metal handle. Pulling the chamber door open, I stepped into a dark space.

  It took my eyes a moment to adjust.

  I had expected to find a simple bedchamber, but as my eyes settled in, what I found was something quite different. I was standing just outside my bedchamber in Ynes Verleath. At once, the smell of wisteria assailed my nose. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent. Quite by accident, I had walked between the worlds.