“Aye, she’s always looking over her shoulder ever since those dark days. That’s what she calls them. The dark times of Mull. Do you remember much about them?”
Magni shrugged, not willing to admit that he remembered every rotten moment about the dark days. “I was eight, so I don’t recall much. But I do recall the night at Iona.”
His voice lowered, and the air seemed to cool as memory crept close.
“That night I’ll never forget. It was dark, the moon was bright, and Artan sent me looking for a fishing pole on the far side of the isle behind the cottages. That’s when I saw them. Eight men climbing from boats, blades in hand. One said, ‘Grab the bairns.’”
Morgan stilled, watching him.
“I ran,” Magni continued. “And I was lucky. When I reached Simone, all the others had arrived from the opposite side of the isle and went after them.” He did not speak of how long the screams echoed in his dreams after.
Morgan let out a low whistle. “I love hearing about those old battles. I’ll have to ask my brother about it.”
“Hagen will remember.”
Cormac shifted the sails. “I heard there were visitors at Duart.”
“Aye, my parents are there,” Morgan said, watching Jura’s shoreline.
“Why?” Magni asked because he knew there had to be a reason. “What’s wrong with Dyna?”
Morgan leapt onto the dock, guiding the boat into its slip. “Dyna said the bairns are acting odd. No reason why, but she always feels better when Da is around.”
Magni’s gut twisted. Something was afoot. He could feel it.
Morgan grinned as he tied off the rope. “You know how she gets. You spend enough time there eyeing up my nieces.”
Magni lunged, shoving him into the water. “And you need a bath.”
Morgan managed to grab onto Magni’s tunic, dragging him into the water with him. “You stink too!”
They hit the water with a huge splash, laughter breaking through. It was a common occurrence once the warmer weather settled in. Magni came up for air, ready to retaliate, but Morgan was already climbing out, and Cormac moved a safe distance away.
But that’s when Magni saw her. His heartbeat raced, and he spun in the water, his arms windmilling as fast as he could move. He had to reach her in time.
Before she disappeared again.
He’d been looking for years for his sister. Lia had found him alone in a forest where evil souls had abandoned him. The wee faery, who looked like a five-year-old lass in a green gown, told him to tell everyone that she was his sister, and it had worked for a while. But most figured the truth out as Lia revealed her true talents.
Morgan yelled, “Magni!”
He ignored him, swimming hard for shore, the water dragging at him as though it resisted his reach. By the time he hauled himself onto the bank, she was gone.
Cormac frowned. “What is wrong with him? Still chasing that wee lass?”
“Aye,” Morgan said, climbing the ladder. “But this time is different.”
“Why?”
Magni spun toward them. “I saw her. Did you see her? Either of you? Over there by that apple tree.”
Morgan’s face darkened. “Shite.”
“What?” Magni asked, praying one of them had seen her. He’d waited a long time for this moment. Last year, Dyna had slipped and mentioned Lia coming back. He hadn’t known about her promise years ago, that someday they would all be called upon to help save bairns again.
It was Lia. He was certain of it. Stunned by her true presence, he sat down on the bank, his arms resting on his bent knees. He did his best to slow his breathing. Lia’s appearance had to mean something. The man last night who was sick with grief over his missing daughter, the woman with the haunted look on her face. Both brought him back to times of pain and fear. Of hiding from everyone and everything. He’d vowed never to leave Iona for fear of being kidnapped again. But the evil bastards had found him there anyway.
Rubbing his chin, he thought of how much to reveal to his friends, but he couldn’t explain how that small fear of Lia returning disturbed him, made him keep everyone he knew a distance away.
