Page 69 of Highland Queen

“We were girls. Boite was here.”

“Oh, now, Boite I remember. The castle was nothing compared to him.”

Setting down my cup, I unhooked my belt and slid off the raven-capped dagger. I crossed the room and handed it to Uald.

She rose. “Corbie, where did you get this?” she asked, her voice full of awe.

Madelaine squinted. “Is that…is that the raven dagger?”

I nodded. Uald turned the dagger over in her hand, studying her smith mark. She touched it gently.

“Boite,” she whispered.

“Wherever did you find it?” Madelaine asked.

“On Duncan. I took it from him then used it to carve out his heart. He told me it was a gift from Malcolm.”

Madelaine stared at me, her eyes wide.

“You took it from him in battle?” Uald asked.

“Yes. And now it has come home to you once more. Keep it.”

“No. It should be yours. Lulach’s.”

“No. You keep it.”

Uald wrapped her hand around the sheath and pressed the blade against her chest. “I think we may need another bottle to get through this night. But, Corbie, aren’t you drinking,” she said, eyeing my still-full cup.

“No,” I said with a sigh then sat back down. “I’m pregnant with the Thane of Lochaber’s child.”

At that, Uald laughed out loud. In spite of herself, Madelaine chuckled.

Uald poured herself another glass then refilled Madelaine’s cup.

“Well then,” Uald said. “Let us toast once more. To Boite and his grandchild.”

Madelaine and I lifted our cups then drank.

I stayed with Madelaine and Uald until Madelaine couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore, Druanne’s concoction working on her. Uald, on the other hand, drank herself blind and fell asleep—or unconsciousness from drink—on the floor.

“No sleeping on the stones,” I told Uald, lifting her off the floor. With a heave, I moved her toward Madelaine’s bed.

“Corbie,” she whispered, her voice coming out a slur.

“Yes, Uald?”

“I loved your daddy.”

“So I figured.”

“Never found another man I liked after Boite.”

“Just think, you could have been my mother,” I said, giving her another shove as I rolled her onto the bed beside Madelaine.

Uald laughed loudly then fell back into a drunken sleep once more.

I covered them then went out to the hall where I found Camden, one of my guards, waiting for me.

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