Page 18 of Taken By the Devilish Highlander
“But at what cost?” Feya muttered, thinking of Archer’s nightmares and the flashes of horror that visited him during the day.
Holly regarded her carefully, but she didn’t respond. Feya hadn’t meant for the woman to hear her, but it appeared that though other parts of Holly’s body were failing with age, her ears weren’t one of them.
“When did the nightmares start?” she asked.
“They were gradual. Hard to say when somethin’ like that moves from the natural to the unnatural. Everyone has nightmares. But when they become constant, when they start seeping into the waking world…that’s when the trouble starts.”
The sound of the door opening startled Feya, and she spun around to see Ayla striding through the door. Once again, Feya was struck by her easy confidence.
“It looks good on ye,” she nodded, looking Feya up and down. “I kenned it would.”
“Good morning, Ayla,” Holly smiled, and Ayla walked right up to embrace the woman with a warm kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning, Feya,” Ayla said, turning to her. Feya uttered a good morning, pleased to see Ayla showing some warmth towards her.
“Are ye here for a lesson?” Holly asked. “I’m making tonics for cough. Some of the children in the village have caught a summer cold, and I want to catch it before it reaches their lungs.”
“Actually, I came for Feya.”
Feya blinked at her, surprised to hear her name.
“Perhaps I could show ye the healing garden? Where we grow all the herbs and plants Holly needs to care for the village.”
“I would love that,” Feya said honestly. It was always a joy to see what other healers used and what they kept stocked in their gardens. Ayla gave a nod, not giving away her feelings, and then turned toward the back of the room where a pair of French doors led out to the garden. Feya hesitated, but Holly tipped her head in the direction of the doors.
“Well, get going.”
Feya jumped into action and ran toward Ayla. The sun on her face and arms felt wonderful as she jogged to her spot behind Archer’s sister.
“Holly’s done a wonderful job out here,” Ayla said, not looking back. “Can you believe she won’t allow the castle gardeners to touch it?”
Feya cast her eyes around the ample space, twisted with pathways and surrounded by large hedges. The space was massive, far too large for a woman in her seventies to be managing by herself.
“How is that possible?” Feya asked. “It must take her hours.”
“Why do you think she’s up so early? Especially this time of year, when it’s getting hotter, she gets up with the sun so she can take care of it before it’s too hot.”
“And someday you’ll care for it,” Feya said, remembering Ayla’s wish to be a healer. She asked it tentatively, almost like a question, opening the door on the argument Feya had found herself in the middle of yesterday. Ayla sighed.
“I’d like to,” she admitted. “But my brother seems to have his own plans.” Ayla spun around, finally looking at Feya for the first time since they walked to the garden. “Did he say anything about me? After I left yesterday?”
“Nay,” Feya said truthfully. Archer hadn’t spoken one way or the other about the fight, except to apologize to Feya for the bickering. She saw relief flash across Ayla’s face, and then she stepped forward, suddenly close to Feya, talking like they were friends.
“I only want to help him,” she insisted. “He thinks he can heal himself of these haunted thoughts, but anyone can see they’re getting worse. If I can learn more about healing…if I can understand more about his mind…”
She trailed off, but Feya didn’t need the rest of the sentence to understand what Ayla was desperate for. She wanted her brother well again. She didn’t want to see him suffer.
“Archer wants me to marry,” she continued. “He wants me to focus on me own life. But if I get married, who will be here to look after him? I’m the only family he has left.”
“Then we must heal him,” Feya said, giving Ayla an encouraging smile. “It’s what I aim to do. Why he has brought me back here. I plan to do everythin’ in me power to help him. And then I’m going home.”
She saw this was new information for Ayla. She looked at Feya with surprise before continuing her stroll down the path, letting her fingers brush lightly against flower petals and leaves.
“Ye arenae staying them?”
“Nay. I have a family of me own I must get back to. I have agreed to help your brother with these visions. But as soon as that is done, I will go home.”
A flash of her sister’s face brought a lump to Feya’s throat, but she swallowed it down. She told herself she needed to be brave.Besides, there was no point in going home without Archer’s protection. She had seen what lengths Cohen would go to to keep her silent, and she knew he would send more the second he realized Feya was still alive.
