Page 48 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds
Meg saw her sister, so she took Eva’s hand and said, “Come, I wish for you to chat with Tamsin and me.”
Eva went with her, a smile on her face. Lennox moved closer to Sloan and pointed over to a table. “Look, I see a lass with my favorite amber liquid. Alycia, I’ll have two of those.”
Alycia joined them, curtsying to Lennox. “Here you go, my lord. Many thanks for allowing me to work here this eve.”
“That’s up to my mother, lass, but there are so many here that I’m sure the Grants appreciate your help. Make sure you speak with Eva. She’s over by the fire with Meg.”
Alycia headed in that direction.
Connor and Maitland both joined them. “Good eve to you both and many thanks for joining us,” Maitland said. “You’ll be eating fine this eve. Dyna and Eli took a huge deer down together. Alaric and Derric had a time getting it back here with just the two of them.”
“Meat pies?” Sloan asked.
“In three flavors. Lamb, venison, and a few beef. And Derric went fishing with my father, so we have a delicious fish stew. It’s terrific.”
Sloan lowered his voice, but he had to ask, “Have you seen anything or anyone questionable?”
Maitland said, “Nay, have you?”
Sloan shook his head but then said, “Nay, just an inkling.”
Connor said, “You and my daughter and my wife. I don’t like all these inklings one bit.”
“And Maeve,” Maitland said. “I wish I could make the fear leave her.”
As if on cue, Maeve headed straight for them, wee Grant on her hip with a grin as he watched all the activity in the hall. Lia and Magni were on either side of her while Tora and Sylvi ran over to visit with Alana and Tamsin.
Sloan said, “With a protector like Lia, I think you should worry less.”
“Why do you say that?” Lennox asked. “I thought you didn’t believe in seers and all that, Rankin?”
He took a swig of his drink and said, “The only one who has ever been able to sway me is that lass coming toward us. Her devotion to the lad, the words that come from her tell me she is different.”
Maitland said, “Say more. I like to hear the opinion of someone on the isle. Do you have faeries here?”
“After hearing everything about her finding Magni, and with Thane’s parents and Kilchoan, Lennox, I’ve begun to think differently. I don’t know exactly what she is, but I’ll tell you one thing.”
“What?” Connor asked.
“Whoever dares to touch that laddie of yours, Menzie, better run as fast and as far as they can. And she’ll still get them.”
Maitland wiped the sweat from his brow. “I can only pray you are correct.”
Connor clasped Maitland’s shoulder. “I agree wholeheartedly with Sloan. Have you truly watched the lass? Look at her now. She’s not much larger than a toddler, yet she’s standing next to Grant and studying every person in the hall as if they were an imminent threat. My sire would tell you she’s like the most well-trained guard he’s ever seen.”
Sloan took a swallow of his drink and nodded. “Interesting point of view, Connor. And I’ll make you feel even better about it, Maitland. When that lass decides to hurt someone, it’s not going to be with a fist, an arrow, or a sword. It’ll be a force unlike any we’ve ever seen.”
And if she ever did, Sloan hoped he’d bear witness to that power.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Kelvan
“K, everything is ready.” His second-in-charge, known simply as O, answered. Kelvan didn’t allow anyone to call him by his real name, so Kelvan became K.
K sat in the boat on the far side of Duart Castle, a spot well hidden from anyone watching from the curtain wall, though he doubted they’d be seen because of the dark night. Better to play it safe. “You have the ones inside all ready to pass out the poisoned brew?”
“Aye, it’s being circulated through the hall as we speak.”
