Page 54 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
“An’ what is it that ye want for us?” Nathair asked in near a whisper.
Catrina stood. The light that shone from her skin was stronger now, and it began to expand over the whole clearing. “To have peace,” she said.
Nathair squinted against the light, holding up a hand to shield his eyes. He could only make out shadows now, the sudden brightness making it hard to see.
“To have life,” Catrina continued.
The light covered everything, and Nathair could see no better with his eyes open than closed. He had no idea if he was even still in the forest, no sense of his surroundings, no idea if he was alone.
Catrina’s voice was in his ear one last time, a quiet, gentle whisper, as she said, “To have love.”
At that word, she was everywhere, and she was nowhere. Nathair could taste how her lips had felt, the first and last time they’d pressed against his own. He felt the softness of her skin under his fingers, smelled the fresh mint she seemed to carry with her wherever she went. Saw those eyes, staring into his.
The sound of her voice as it echoed the word. “Love,” she breathed one more time.
And it sounded likegoodbye.
15
The Confession
Magnolia sat in only her nightshift, her hair almost dry after her bath, enjoying the unexpected warmth of the night breeze through her window. She supposed it was now mid-summer, the right time for pleasant weather.
And just four days until it was time to be home again.
She sighed. She had been trying to sleep for hours. Magnolia had no idea what time it was. All she knew was that every time she closed her eyes, indecision, foreboding, and the promise of a deep regret no matter how she acted awaited her.
So eventually, she’d gotten out of bed and come to look out over the ground. It was inky black outside, but she could almost make out the rippling waters of the loch, and further than that, the outline of the trees in the Faerie Forest.
It really is beautiful here. Like nothing I have ever seen.
What once felt like an alien world now felt like…like…
There was a hard, urgent rapping at the door, and Magnolia jumped, surprised, and not a little afraid. Had something happened? Who could that be at this hour?
She hurried over, opening it, and her confusion only grew as she saw Nathair standing there in nothing but his nightshirt and underthings. His eyes were wild and urgent. “Nathair—what—?”
“Did I wake ye?” he asked, his eyes trailing over her clothes. This was the second time he’d seen her in bedclothes, now, though at least last time she’d been wearing a thin robe over the shift!
“Er…no, I was already awake,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you all right? What happened? You look—”
“Can I come in?” he asked urgently.
Magnolia raised her eyebrows, but stepped back from the door, allowing him to step inside.
“Sit down,” he said abruptly. Magnolia sat on the edge of her bed, warily watching as he closed her bedroom door behind him. He started pacing back and forth across her floor space, his hand running through his wild hair in distress.
“Nathair, what’s the matter?” she asked, alarmed.
He stopped pacing and faced her, and her heart picked up speed. His underthings only covered to just below the knee, displaying his well-muscled shins and the red hair that curled on them. When she looked closer, she saw that his feet were entirely bare.
She glanced upwards and swallowed. Nathair’s nightshirt was slightly open, revealing part of his muscular, hairy chest. Every time he moved his arms, the view flashed a little more, making her stare.
Then, quite suddenly, he was close to her, kneeling at her feet, looking up into her face and holding one of her hands between his. “Magnolia,” he said. “Magnolia, I need to tell ye.”
“Tell me what?” she asked. His movements astonished her, but she did not pull away. “Nathair…”
“I cannae play this game anymore,” he told her. His green eyes were bright as the summer grass, and his hand was almost painfully tight around her own for just a moment, then he relaxed. “I ken it’s only been near four weeks. I ken ye’ve got yer secrets, and God kens I’ve got mine. But I dinnae want to pretend anymore.”
