Page 78 of Taken By the Devilish Highlander
“Me?” Feya cried, turning red at the very thought of Holly finding out what she and Archer had been up to.
“Well, I certainly dinnae do it to meself,” he teased.
“Be careful or I’ll do it to ye again,” Feya threatened, and she saw the flash of hunger in Archer’s eyes.
“Aye, lass,” he said, dropping his gaze to her lips. “I’m counting on it.”
“There is the matter of the prisoners, my Laird.”
Archer sat in his council chambers, alert and focused. Ever since Elijah and Lennox attempted to pull his clan away from him, he had a new focus, a determination to be the best leader his clan had seen.
“Aye,” he nodded. “The men who fought with the rebellion.” He glanced around the room, taking in the two new council members he had added to his table. He had chosen carefully, wanting to round out his advisors in the best way possible, and, so far, he was pleased with his choices.
“They’ve been in the dungeon for a week, my Laird. We were waiting for ye to return to health so ye could make a determination.”
He nodded, running through the options in his mind. These men had betrayed him, and the old Archer would have sentenced them to death without a thought. Hell, he may have even executed them himself. But those instincts represented the old Archer, the one who thought all problems could be solved with a sword.
“If it pleases the council, we should pardon them.” He ran his eyes around the table, taking in the responses. “These men made a mistake, but they arenae soldiers or dangerous criminals. They were simply villagers who fell prey to some powerful men who made them promises.”
“Here here,” O’Brien said, and others nodded.
“It will go over well with the villagers,” Stewart told him. “They will appreciate your leniency. And they will keep an eye on these men for you. I’m certain we will hear about any new stunts they try to pull.”
“It’s settled then,” he said, confident in his decision. “Tell the guards to release them.”
A man in the corner nodded and left the room as Archer returned to his council.
“I believe that’s all for the day,” he said, and the men gave polite bows and nods of respect. They filed out of the room one by one, orderly and calm. It was a stark contrast to the contentious council meetings of the past, and Archer was pleased by how quickly had had garnered the respect of this group of men.
One of his new council members, Lane Hamilton, hung back for a moment, hovering by Archer’s chair. Some believe the man was too old to accept a new council position, that it should be given to a younger man, but Archer had disagreed. The man had lived through three generations of their clan’s history. It could only benefit them to listen to the man’s wisdom.
“What is it, Hamilton?” he asked, sensing the man wanted to speak. “Do ye nae agree with the pardoning?”
“I do agree,” Hamilton said, stroking his long beard. “But more importantly, your father would have.”
He caught Archer’s eye and held it for a moment, then nodded before turning away. Archer’s chest swelled with unexpected pride. There was no higher compliment a man could give him than to compare him to his father.
“I thought that meeting would never end.”
Ayla strode through the room, beaming in Archer’s direction. He hadn’t missed how Feya’s return had affected his sister. Her best friend had been returned to her, and she was nearly as happy as Archer was.
“They said ye wanted to talk to me?” she asked.
“Aye,” Archer said. He gestured toward the open French doors, leading her out to the castle grounds. Summer was turning to Fall, and the leaves around their home were beginning to change. Archer breathed in the fresh air and settled into a comfortable stroll, his sister beside him.
“I need to ask for your help.”
“My help?” Ayla asked, and he didn’t miss the amusement in her voice. “It’s been a long time since ye asked anything ofme.”
“If ye tease me, I’ll think twice about asking ye,” he laughed, and Ayla brought her hand to cover her mouth, playfully showing him she would be silent. It made Archer think of their childhood, when life felt simpler, when the two of them had been a team.
“Ye ken I’ll help ye,” she said sweetly. “What is it?”
Archer swallowed, suddenly nervous, though he already had an idea of how Ayla would respond.
“Well, it’s about a wedding…”
She was instantly angry, scowling as if he had tricked her. She threw her hands to her hips and turned to him, her cheeks flushed with outrage.
