Claire hesitated, looking guilty. “I hadnae had a chance to explain, love,” she said softly, meeting Annabeth’s wide eyes. “But the Laird—Marcus—he made sure we wouldnae have to worry about debts any longer. He said it was the least he could do, given what ye’ve done for him and the others.” Claire handed her a letter that Marcus had sent.
Annabeth shook her head, her thoughts racing as she tried to process the unexpected news. It felt as though the ground beneath her had shifted, and she wasn’t sure how to stand steady on it anymore. She read the note that Marcus had sent.
The shock was still settling in, the weight of Marcus’ actions heavy on her chest. “But why?” she whispered, her voice small. “Why would he do that for me? I—I left. I didnae even say goodbye.”
Claire reached out, placing a gentle hand on Annabeth’s shoulder. “I daenae ken, dear, but it seems the Laird cares for ye more than ye realize,” she said softly.
Does he care this much?
Annabeth sat in stunned silence. He had never mentioned this to her. It was more than what was in the deal they made. How had he kept this from her?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“We cannae let this go unanswered,” Marcus said, his voice low and serious.
Noah nodded, his lips pressed in a firm line, before suggesting, “We can go to MacCormack’s lands and speak to him directly. Get answers straight from his mouth.”
Marcus sat in the dimly lit chamber, his brow furrowed as he listened to Noah and Anthony’s words.
The suggestion made sense, and after a brief pause, Marcus and Anthony exchanged glances. “Aye, ye’re right,” Marcus agreed. “We need to ken why he’d turn against us and what his game truly is.” They all agreed on the course of action.
Anthony, ever the strategist, leaned forward, his eyes calculating. “I’ll send him a letter,” he said, his voice steady. “Pretend we want more information, a chance to discuss mattersin person. We’ll meet at the clearin’ just outside the woods in three days.”
With that, Anthony quickly got to work, drafting the letter and giving it to a trusted messenger to send on its way. Marcus stood and walked toward the door, his mind swirling with thoughts of the upcoming confrontation. But before he could leave the hall, he realized there was something he needed to do first—something he had put off for far too long. He had to find Annabeth.
As he strode through the corridors of the castle, his mind wandered back to the moments they had shared. He thought of her smile, the way her eyes had softened when they spoke, and the way her presence had settled his otherwise turbulent heart. He had meant to speak to her before he left, to tell her what he felt, but now, he was not sure when he would return—if he would return. His heart clenched at the thought of never seeing her again.
He made his way to the apothecary, hoping to find her there. But as he entered, it was not Annabeth who greeted him but Elena, standing by one of the shelves, her back to the door. At the sight of him, Elena turned around, her face lighting up with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “Laird,” she greeted him though there was something in her tone that made Marcus pause.
“Elena,” he replied, his voice tight with unspoken questions, “Where is Annabeth?"
Elena hesitated for a moment before answering, her eyes shifting away. “She left,” she said softly. “She returned home to her village.”
The words hit Marcus like a blow to the chest. He stood frozen for a moment, the room spinning around him.
She had left? Without a word? Without even sayin’ goodbye?
His mind raced, trying to process the information, but it felt like the ground had shifted beneath him.
“Why didnae she tell me?” he asked, his voice strained.
Elena met his gaze with an apologetic look. “She didnae say much,” she replied quietly. “But I think she felt it was time for her to go back home, to be with her maither.”
Marcus’ thoughts swirled as he fought to make sense of the situation. He had not expected this, not after everything that had happened between them. His heart sank as he wondered if she had truly meant to leave him behind or if something more had driven her away. Had she felt his uncertainty?
He let out a heavy sigh, his mind racing. Perhaps it was for the best, he thought bitterly. He didn’t even know if he would survive the coming conflict with MacCormack. He couldn’t burden her with the uncertainty of his future, not when he couldn’t promise anything.
He forced himself to breathe, to push the emotions aside. He had to focus on the task at hand—he had no time to dwell on matters of the heart.
“Good day,” Marcus said curtly.
Elena gave him a respectful nod before turning her attention back to the shelves, sensing his need for solitude.
Marcus stepped out of the apothecary, the weight of Annabeth’s departure pressing down on him. He had hoped to speak to her, to see if there was a chance to make amends, but now, it seemed that hope had vanished as quickly as she had. With a final, bitter thought, he pushed forward, knowing he had more important matters to focus on. The conflict was far from over, and there was no time to waste.
The morning air was brisk as Marcus rode along the narrow path leading to the clearing, flanked by Noah, Anthony, Eli, and a small group of guards. The rhythmic clopping of hooves against the earth seemed to echo in his mind, but his thoughts remained far from the task at hand. Annabeth’s departure weighed heavily on him, pulling at his chest with each passing moment. He tried to ignore it, telling himself that this mission was too important to let his emotions get the better of him, but it was a struggle—her absence gnawed at him like a constant ache.
He had to confront Laird Struan MacCormack, find the truth, and put an end to the lies that threatened to tear their allianceapart. Only then would he be able to go find Annabeth and bring her back to the castle, no matter how much she protested the matter. Every few moments, his eyes would flicker over to Noah, who rode beside him, his expression unreadable, but Marcus knew that the anger was building within him as well. There was too much at stake, and Marcus couldn’t afford to let anything—especially his feelings—get in the way.
