was dead to act upon his desire for her, to introduce her to yearnings never to be fulfilled and pleasures always to be denied. Then he’d shown her the love he’d borne his evil brother and ended their interlude with ridiculous accusations.
Rory obviously didn’t understand Fae curses.
“Katriona?” Kamdyn’s worried prompting brought her back to the grey-tinged present. “You look so bleak. Did he do something to harm you?”
“Nay,” Katriona answered gently. “What can he do to harm me now? It was I who hurt him.” And he’d liked it.
“But he still resisted you?” Kylah asked. Her soft green light pulsed brighter, but the emotion never reached her lovely almond eyes.
Rory absolutely hadn’t resisted her. “I was again unable to kill him,” Katriona evaded.
“What happened?” Kylah persisted.
“Someone’s coming.” Kamdyn’s worried proclamation saved Katriona from having to decide whether to lie to her family or worse, tell them the truth.
“Who is it?” she demanded.
“I don’t know, but I see a lantern there, through the mist.” Kamdyn pointed to where the road, more like a well-worn path a few spans from their ruins, led around the Loch toward the wide and shallow waters of the Kyle of Durness. “There have been rumblings in the village of witchcraft,” Kamdyn worried. “I overheard someone talking about coming for mother the night before last.”
“They won’t harm her,” Katriona vowed.
“But we’re powerless against anyone until we carry out our vengeance, and there’s no chance of that now,” Kylah despaired.
“We’re still Banshees, are we not?” Katriona hissed.
“Aye,” Kamdyn nodded and Kylah lifted a dainty shoulder.
“We might not be able to kill them, but we can frighten years from their lives.”
Kylah’s gaze sharpened with interest.
“I don’t know…” Kamdyn’s reluctant voice irritated Katriona. Normally, her sister’s sweet nature was endearing, but tonight she needed to be strong.
“Do you want something to happen to Mother?” she snapped.
“Nay.” Kamdyn’s eyes brightened with tears. “I just… I don’t have any practice frightening others. What if I bungle it?”
“Just don’t.” Katriona drifted through the burnt-out window and let her Banshee rage brighten the blue aura around her. As when they were alive, it fell to her to handle the situation.
Some things never changed.
Katriona opened her mouth to prepare for the loudest, most terrifying keen she could muster. However, instead of the torch-carrying mob they’d feared, the mist-concealed road revealed one lone lantern now perched on the ground next to the hollowed-out alder. Bending to stuff a familiar bundle inside was Bridget MacKay, lead housemaid for the Laird’s keep.
Her presence stunned each of the sisters into absolute silence.
“If I didn’t need the extra wages, I’d set this bundle ablaze,” she murmured to herself in a grumpy brogue. When she finished stowing the package, she straightened her cloak, held a hand to her lower back as though it ached, and turned.
The frightened scream she produced could have put every one of the Banshees to shame.
“ Haud yer Wheesht, ” Katriona ordered. “You’ll wake my mother.”
Bridget’s scream cut off immediately, but her mouth dropped open and clamped shut a few times, reminding Katriona of a daft lake trout. “D-don’t kill me,” she begged. “Katriona… I had nothing to do with—anything. I’m just taking care of Elspeth.” She gestured to the bundle.
“Why do you leave this here?” Katriona demanded. “I’ve heard you murmur against my mother in the village.”
“I meant no harm by it!” Unflattering wrinkles appeared as her face crumpled, proving her older than the eight and twenty years she claimed to her dwindling number of male admirers. “I just do as I’m bade to do. Please
Rory obviously didn’t understand Fae curses.
“Katriona?” Kamdyn’s worried prompting brought her back to the grey-tinged present. “You look so bleak. Did he do something to harm you?”
“Nay,” Katriona answered gently. “What can he do to harm me now? It was I who hurt him.” And he’d liked it.
“But he still resisted you?” Kylah asked. Her soft green light pulsed brighter, but the emotion never reached her lovely almond eyes.
Rory absolutely hadn’t resisted her. “I was again unable to kill him,” Katriona evaded.
“What happened?” Kylah persisted.
“Someone’s coming.” Kamdyn’s worried proclamation saved Katriona from having to decide whether to lie to her family or worse, tell them the truth.
“Who is it?” she demanded.
“I don’t know, but I see a lantern there, through the mist.” Kamdyn pointed to where the road, more like a well-worn path a few spans from their ruins, led around the Loch toward the wide and shallow waters of the Kyle of Durness. “There have been rumblings in the village of witchcraft,” Kamdyn worried. “I overheard someone talking about coming for mother the night before last.”
“They won’t harm her,” Katriona vowed.
“But we’re powerless against anyone until we carry out our vengeance, and there’s no chance of that now,” Kylah despaired.
“We’re still Banshees, are we not?” Katriona hissed.
“Aye,” Kamdyn nodded and Kylah lifted a dainty shoulder.
“We might not be able to kill them, but we can frighten years from their lives.”
Kylah’s gaze sharpened with interest.
“I don’t know…” Kamdyn’s reluctant voice irritated Katriona. Normally, her sister’s sweet nature was endearing, but tonight she needed to be strong.
“Do you want something to happen to Mother?” she snapped.
“Nay.” Kamdyn’s eyes brightened with tears. “I just… I don’t have any practice frightening others. What if I bungle it?”
“Just don’t.” Katriona drifted through the burnt-out window and let her Banshee rage brighten the blue aura around her. As when they were alive, it fell to her to handle the situation.
Some things never changed.
Katriona opened her mouth to prepare for the loudest, most terrifying keen she could muster. However, instead of the torch-carrying mob they’d feared, the mist-concealed road revealed one lone lantern now perched on the ground next to the hollowed-out alder. Bending to stuff a familiar bundle inside was Bridget MacKay, lead housemaid for the Laird’s keep.
Her presence stunned each of the sisters into absolute silence.
“If I didn’t need the extra wages, I’d set this bundle ablaze,” she murmured to herself in a grumpy brogue. When she finished stowing the package, she straightened her cloak, held a hand to her lower back as though it ached, and turned.
The frightened scream she produced could have put every one of the Banshees to shame.
“ Haud yer Wheesht, ” Katriona ordered. “You’ll wake my mother.”
Bridget’s scream cut off immediately, but her mouth dropped open and clamped shut a few times, reminding Katriona of a daft lake trout. “D-don’t kill me,” she begged. “Katriona… I had nothing to do with—anything. I’m just taking care of Elspeth.” She gestured to the bundle.
“Why do you leave this here?” Katriona demanded. “I’ve heard you murmur against my mother in the village.”
“I meant no harm by it!” Unflattering wrinkles appeared as her face crumpled, proving her older than the eight and twenty years she claimed to her dwindling number of male admirers. “I just do as I’m bade to do. Please
Similar Books
