Highlander's Charm

by Joanne Wadsworth

  “Absolutely.” She’d absorbed what she could at the museum, but Zayn had lived here all his life. He’d be a treasure trove of information.

  “John MacIan was the last MacIan to hold Mingary before the Campbell of Argyll took possession.”

  “I read about that in the archives. MacIan lost his first wife in childbirth, and when he could have wed a woman young enough to bear him children in his later years, he instead married Janet Campbell, his enemy’s mother from Mull.”

  “Yes. Supposedly to bring some calm to the feud that raged through these isles at the time, and usually those kinds of alliances saw success, but in this case it didn’t. At the time Lachlan MacLean was the chief across the way, and he was a warrior well known for using any unlawful means to achieve what he wanted. Dad’s always talking about that time in history. It’s one of his favorite eras.”

  “I should have brought the book I picked up about the MacIan clan with me. It covered that period. Your father recommended it, but I left it in my hotel room.” The wind whipped her hair across her face.

  “Watch the dip. It’s a bit rough here, Lila.”

  “Thanks.” She lifted off her seat and missed the jarring impact of the bump. “They need to fix this trail.”

  “The constant rain messes with it, but from here on to Mingary it evens out.”

  They rode along the final lowland stretch to the bluff.

  “We have nothing like this back home. I mean castles and all.”

  “I’ve always wanted to visit Australia. Does it feel like you’re walking around on your head down there?”

  “No.” She laughed, something she hadn’t done since the day Nanna had gone missing. “I wish Nanna was here. She’d like you.”

  “Have you got any other family?”

  “It’s just me and her.” The castle loomed. She pulled to a stop alongside the entrance and propped her bike against the stone wall. The castle’s land-gate appeared no more than a darkened doorway leading into its gloomy recesses. “I was expecting a gatehouse and all the trappings. Where is it all?”

  “It used to have gate and a drawbridge, but they were lost over time.” Zayn butted his bike against hers. “This entrance leads straight into the inner courtyard. Let me show you around.”

  “Do you come here a lot? It’s so close to the village.” She crept inside then swept away the cobwebs stretching the width of stone passageway.

  “I lived here most of last summer. Dad’s on the finance team for Mingary’s restoration, and we began the cleanup back then.”

  “What cleanup?” Moss grew in clumps along sections of the walls. Keeping clear of the muddy rubble littering the path, she jumped from stone to stone. “Sorry, that was rude. You’ve clearly done a bang-up job. The place looks nice and cozy.” She barely hid her grin.

  “Funny, but I meant outside. No one’s allowed to touch the inside until the experienced crew arrives.”

  “I see.” She rounded the corner, and the sun shone down into Mingary’s inner courtyard. The surrounding curtain walls, several feet thick, gave evidence of the castle’s initial strength and how it had managed to stand strong for so long. A shame it had been left to go to ruin. “This place must have looked incredible in its heyday. In one museum display, it showed this place had pinkish-white stones.”

  “They lost their color over time. Plain old gray now.”

  “Though so much is still intact.” She wandered around the open base of a well flooded with water and spilling its excess over the stone floor.

  “Careful. Fairly intact, but slippery.”

  “I’ll be—” Her vision hazed, and she grasped the wall. An image materialized in her mind, showing the well’s sides rising to waist height with ivy trailing over them. Someone stood next to it in a beautiful olive gown, but as she tried to focus, the image shimmered away.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, my imagination is playing tricks with me.” She was seeing things she shouldn’t and it was likely stress. She hadn’t exactly been sleeping well since Nanna’s disappearance. “Is there anything else I need to watch out for?”

  Zayn motioned toward the seaside wall. “There’s a small patch there in danger of collapse, but since that tremor we had earlier didn’t knock it over, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  “It’ll be great when this place is returned to its former glory. When will the restoration crew arrive?”

  “After the winter.” He swung his backpack off. “We should take that swim while the sun is high and leave exploring the castle until later. There’s an area outside near the sea-gate entrance where we can change.”

  “That sounds perfect.” She followed him out, collected her gear from the back of her bike then climbed down the steep trail toward the rocky beach. On the loch side, Mingary perched imposingly high on the forty foot rock wall above. Back in the day, the guardsmen patrolling the battlements would have had a bird’s eye view across the sound. A prime position.

  “Over here, Lila.” Zayn waved her toward the rocks.

  She sat on a squat stone, lugged her wetsuit, flippers and mask out, then palmed her charm. Soldier on, my dear. Never give up the fight. Nanna’s voice, words she’d impressed upon her since she was a child, kept her strong. She’d never give up. She’d find Nanna no matter where she was.

  “You’re holding onto that talisman like a lifeline.” Zayn eased onto the rock next to hers.

  “It’s the last thing Nanna gave me.”

  “I’m sorry. I lost one of my grandparents last year. It’s not easy.”

  “She’s not dead, just missing.” She shoved more of those unwanted tears away and found her inner strength. “I’m sorry you’ve lost someone close to you.”

  “Death is so fast. I miss my grandpa. Dad’s always got his nose stuck in a museum book, but Grandpa loved the outdoors as I do. At least once a month we fished and tramped together. Those times are long gone now.” He stared out over the loch and slowly sighed.

  Memories haunted her as well.

  “Nanna’s always spoken so fondly of this place. She lived here at Ardnamurchan when she was younger and she longed to return one day.”

  “When did she go missing?”

  “A month ago. During her first week in Scotland, she toured Edinburgh Castle, rode the scenic city bus and visited the markets.”

  “What have the police said?”

  “The last person to see her alive was the owner of the bed-and-breakfast where she stayed. The lady told the police Nanna didn’t come down in the morning for breakfast, and when she went up to wake her, she was gone. Nanna’s belongings still lay around her room, but there was no sign of her. She just disappeared.”

  “I’m glad you’re looking for her.”

  “I don’t know what else to do. I stayed in Edinburgh for a couple of weeks then made my way here. This seemed the next logical place to—” The ground shook again and she clutched the rock underneath her. “That’s two earthquakes in such a short time. Do you think it’ll be safe to swim?”

  “The loch’s only a mile or so wide. I doubt a tsunami is possible. I’m game if you are.”

  “A swim would be good. Let’s find some treasure so I have a ton of money to finance a massive search for my grandmother. The police are doing their thing, but so must I.”

  “Great. You can change over by the sea-gate wall. It curves around, giving plenty of privacy on the other side.” He pulled his white t-shirt over his head and nodded toward the area. “And no peeking at me while you do.”

  “I promise.” She ducked around the corner with her wetsuit, tugged it on and slipped her charm inside her zippered pocket. Her heart ached. She needed her grandmother back. “I miss you Nanna. From the depths of my soul, I wish I could find you, alive and well. I hate that we’re apart.”

  The wind lifted her hair and made it tickle her face. Wishes. What she wouldn’t give to have that one answered.

  “Are you ready, Lila?”

  �
��Coming.” Mask and flippers in hand, she strode toward the shore where Zayn waited on the wet sand. “We’re after sparkly and pretty, Zayn.”

  “Yeah, and plenty of it.” He shuffled backward through the surf in his flippers.

  She joined him, and at waist depth, popped her tube into her mouth, eased onto her belly and kicked out. Colorful fish darted all around as she swam toward a boulder with its slick rounded top breaking the water’s surface. These rocks were everywhere. Hands planted on top, she hauled herself up and sat on the peak. The incoming tide lapped her back.

  Zayn tugged his mask down around his neck as he bobbed in the water. “Look behind you. We’ve got company.”

  A slick-skinned dolphin grazed the rough stone as the creature rounded it. “Maybe she wants to play.”

  “There’s more than one.” Zayn shoved his mask back on and swam toward a second dolphin. “The waters teem with seals too, so keep an eye out. They’re not as friendly as the dolphins.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” The dolphin nearest her let out a chorus of squeals then circled the rock she sat on.

  “I’m going to try to catch a ride.” Zayn grasped his dolphin’s fin, and it pulled him out of the water and took off. He let out a loud whoop.

  She laughed then stopped as the boulder shook. A wave tumbled her into the water. The current dragged her down and everything blackened.

  Fighting to hold onto her breath, she clawed for the surface.

  Stars blazed all around, a multitude so bright she slammed her eyes shut. The water sucked her deeper. She had to get out.

  An arm clamped around her waist.

  She jerked around. A man with piercing golden eyes tightened his hold on her and pointed upward. Yes, upward. That’s where she had to go, now.

  He pushed them through the murky depths and in a fizz of bubbles, they broke the surface.

  She pulled her mask off and gulped in air. “I love you. Where did you come from?”

  “Love already, lass? The lights blazed and I dove in.” Dark hair was plastered to his face and neck as he treaded water. “Can you swim? The shore is close.”

  “Yes, but where’s Zayn?”

  “There’s another out here with you?” He searched the water.

  “Zayn took a dolphin ride. Hopefully he didn’t get caught by the rogue wave like I did. It pulled me under so fast. Goodness, its dark.” Afternoon had turned to evening. “How is it so late?” Dizziness overwhelmed her and she grabbed her head.

  “I cannae see another. ’Tis only us.” His Scots brogue was thicker than Zayn’s, his words far harder to understand. Although that could be the head spinning too. She needed rest, or to catch a decent breath.

  “He must be okay.” He hadn’t been near her when the wave hit. “Please, who do I have to thank for saving my life?”

  “Calum MacLean.” The waves bumped them together.

  “There was an earthquake. I should’ve taken more care.”

  “Aye, there’ve been unusual happenings this day. Thrice the earth moved.”

  Thrice? Who said thrice anymore?

  Behind her, a small island jutted off shore and around it, the waters branched off in three different directions. This wasn’t Mingary’s beach. “Ah, where am I?”

  “Duart Castle on Mull.”

  Miles from where she should have been. No wonder Zayn wasn’t here. “Really?”

  “Aye, let’s get you to land.”

  Yes. She’d figure things out once her feet were back on solid ground. She tried to kick, but her limbs shook.

  “I’ve got you, lass.” His hold was tight as he cut a fast path through the churning waters, his strength alone propelling them forward. At hip depth, he stood and with his arm around her waist, helped her onto the beach. Frowning, he eyed her. “What is this you’re wearing? It looks like sealskin and ’tis equally as dark. I’ve no’ seen such cloth afore.”

  “It’s a wetsuit.”

  “Has this come from the continents?”

  More of his strange speech, and the Western Isles weren’t exactly in the backwaters.

  “You can buy a wetsuit almost anywhere.” She heaved her flippers off then flopped onto her back on the sand. The moon hovered on the horizon, casting a golden wash over the castle’s massive stone walls. Duart stood high on the rise of a craggy hill a few hundred feet inland, its fortified walls topped with battlements and tower house windows lit with candlelight. “Zayn will be terribly worried.”

  “Is he your next of kin?” Calum knelt over her, pressed callused palms against her cheeks. “I’ll ensure he’s informed you’ve been found safe and well.”

  “My grandmother’s my next of kin, but Zayn needs to know.”

  “What village do you hail from?”

  “Sydney, though it’s hardly a village.”

  “Are you no’ from Mull?” He flattened his palm against her forehead. “Your skin is cold.”

  “This is my first trip to Scotland, and it appears I took an unexpected detour to your isle at that. And the wetsuit is keeping me warm where it counts.” She edged up on her elbows. Along the barbican, guardsmen patrolled the two-story gatehouse. In great plaids no less. She’d read Duart was a fully functioning castle and open to tourists, but this sight was truly amazing. He must be one of the staff. “Do you work here?”

  “This is my home.”

  “You sure keep things realistic for the visitors.”

  “Lass, your words are odd. I dinnae understand why you speak so.” He stared into her eyes. “Aye, and you have the same silver eyes as Mistress Jean who arrived a month past. She too had a strange accent, more like the Lowlanders. What is your name?”

  “Lila.” She had Nanna’s uniquely colored eyes, and he’d said Jean, her grandmother’s name. Fingers numb, she clutched his soggy shirtfront. “Tell me what Mistress Jean looks like.”

  “You’re Lila?” Eyebrows soaring, he slid his hands over hers.

  “Yes. What does Mistress Jean look like?”

  “Elderly. Black hair with a touch of gray. She wore unusual clothing the eve she arrived. What she called pa-ja-mas.” He twisted his tongue around the word, as if finding it foreign. “I was in the chief’s solar when Lachlan questioned her. She was found wandering this beach, lost and confused.”

  The hair color was right, and the pajamas were a good sign. Nanna had disappeared during the night after she’d gone to bed, but that had been in Edinburgh, not this far across the country. “What was her last name?”

  “Cunningham. After discovering she’d arrived on Mull, she spent some time with the chief’s wife. Margaret too was a Cunningham afore she wed and they enjoyed each other’s company. She was no’ here long, mayhap a sennight afore she continued on.”

  “To where?” Even though their last name was MacIan, Nanna’s maiden name had been Cunningham. It could well be her.

  “No’ a soul saw her leave. She vanished into the night just as she’d come.”

  Yes, the timing was perfect, never mind the location. She couldn’t let this information slip by without being fully checked over.

  “I need to make a call. The person you’ve described sounds like my grandmother, and she’s been missing for the same length of time.” Excited, she tugged her flippers off, grabbed his wide shoulders and hauled herself up. Oh, he was hot, hard, and heavily muscled. At his wrist a sheathed dagger glinted, and lower still, his leather pants clung to his powerful thighs. Definitely authentic. She wobbled on shaky legs. “Nice warrior attire.”

  Frowning, he offered her a hand. “Does your head feel clear? You were under the water for some time.”

  “My head is—” Her thoughts swirled, and an image flickered through her mind. She grasped hold of the vision.

  This man walked beside her across the moors. The late afternoon sunshine bathed his tanned forearms as he opened his hand and stroked a brass coin. “This is mine, so I may keep you close,” he said.

  “Can I hold it?” she asked him
. “Only for a bit.”

  “Nay, you have your own, and this one I need to keep you close.” He glanced ahead at a fallen log barring the trail, scooped her into his arms and carried her over it.

  “Calum, you’re very good at keeping me close, whether you hold that charm or not.” She breathed in the fresh air, picking up an alluring scent. “Where are you taking me?”

  “To a place of great beauty.” He set her back on her feet at the top of the rise. Spread out in the meadow below, a wash of yellow and red wildflowers swayed in the gentle breeze.

  “This is beautiful.”

  “Aye, though this was a place of great sadness so few years ago.”

  “What happened to cause that?”

  “A great battle. Many of our warriors perished in this field, but now the wildflowers remind all who walk here that our lost kin still live, even though no’ among us.”

  She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “You have a soft heart.”

  “Nay, I am a warrior.”

  “That too, but your heart’s a gooey mess and it’s all mine.”

  “Lila.” He growled her name. “You must take care with your strange words. We spoke about this.”

  “Yes, you spoke and I decided not to listen. Nothing unusual there, and by now, you should be used to it.” She grinned, and the sweet fragrance in the air teased more memories to stir. “Nanna used to take me to the markets every Monday morning to buy hoards of fresh stock for the shop she managed. I love flowers, particularly roses.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “As I—”

  “Lila?” Calum gripped her arms. “You appear in a daze.”

  “Sorry, my imagination keeps getting away on me today.” Never in her twenty-one years had she experienced a doozy of a vision like that one. She didn’t even know this man, yet had recalled a conversation with him as if it were real.

  “We must speak.” His golden gaze flickered with determination. “I was drawn outside to the loch this eve, as I have the past three nights since I returned from Skye. A fortuneteller told me a woman would come. That I should aid you, and keep you safe from the sea.”

  “What?” If he truly wished to aid her, all she needed was the use of a phone. She shook the sand from her flippers. “I need to call the authorities. You don’t mind telling them about seeing my grandmother, do you?”