Page 26 of Her Highland Destiny

A parent might do anything to save their child, aye, but what might they be able to do with the help of another?

10

There was a dulling of the light surrounding Fergus’ mother the morning of their departure. He tried to harden his heart against it, but found the task entirely impossible. Never once did she blame him for leaving, nor did she begrudge the shortness of his stay. Worse still, he sensed a fear in her that it might be the last time she would see him. It was that final thought which caused her brilliance to wane.

He pulled her into his arms and willed the understanding of all the love in his heart for her to melt into her awareness the way hers had to him. However, he was only able to receive emotion and thoughts, not send them. When he finally released her, the glow about her had not renewed any of its vigor.

“Thank you for bringing Cassandra with ye,” his mother said. “I enjoyed her company greatly. I see her as being verra good for ye.”

He groaned slightly and cast a glance to where Cassandra knelt near a barn cat, stroking its smooth black and orange fur.

“It’s been a decade since Allisandre,” his mother said gently. “I think this lass is the one to balm the soul, my son. She’s a good woman.”

Guilt sliced white hot through him. He hated leaving his mother, and how much it pained her for him to do so. He hated that Cassandra was exactly as his mother had said - a good woman, and he hated even more that he would betray her.

He simply nodded. “I shall take yer advice under consideration.”

“Ach, consideration. Ye always were a stubborn lad,” she said affectionately. “I’ll miss ye.”

He pulled his mother in for a final embrace and helped Cassandra to her horse after she’d said her goodbyes. His mother had insisted he take her finer horses and leave the nags behind, as she claimed she had little use for good steeds.

Wind and ice pelted at them, making any attempt at conversation arduous. He was grateful for the opportunity to remain silent. The last week had been difficult with her. He had tried to put some distance between them, a necessary amount of space for what he would have to do. He’d touched her only to help her heal and had felt her pain at his detachment.

His gaze wandered to her, simply a face inside a thick band of fur from her cloak. A beautiful face with red lips and cheeks and the tip of her nose he wanted to kiss. Damn it, he wanted to kiss all of her, to pull her into his arms.

And he would betray her. Sacrifice her.

A knot formed in his throat, a stubborn obstruction he’d found recurring in the last week. He knew the king well enough to know his intentions for Cassandra were not ones of hospitality. No doubt he would kill her.

An icy gust shoved at him and left his eyes watering with the cold. The weather was as miserable as it’d been when they started.

Fergus would do anything to protect Cassandra, sacrifice almost anything to keep her safe – except his son. He had to keep his son forefront in his mind. The lad he’d never met, the one who had waited on him all this time.

Together, he and Cassandra trudged on, their pace slowed over the frozen terrain and mounds of snow, until the sky began to darken. They stopped at a small inn within a village they were lucky enough to stumble upon. Indeed, a frozen night such as this would have been miserable in a cave. Fergus’ stomach twisted at the idea of spending the night together in the same room, at the opportunity of being close without the excuse of his mother nearby and Cassandra’s reputation to offer distance.

But when the innkeeper led them to their small single room with a warming fire lit in the hearth, and the sweet apple scent of her filled the room, a hunger consumed him. Unfair and insistent. It made him want to draw her slender body against him, both in lust and protection.

For there had to be something he could do. He could not give up so easily on Cassandra. Mayhap once he had his son, he could go back…

“You look so serious as you stare at me,” Cassandra said.

Indeed, she looked serious too. The light was gone from her clear blue eyes. The energy arcing from her body was cast in a strange flickering, suggesting she was nervous. He made her nervous.

“Ye needn’t be nervous with me,” he said. “I’ll no’ hurt ye.”

He regretted the words as soon as they fled his lips. For he would hurt her. He would betray her, perhaps too late to stop her from being killed.

His hands balled into fists. Nay, he would not let that happen.

The nervousness about her shone with more intensity.

“Then you already know,” she said softly and looked away. “I thought I’d been so good at hiding it.”

He frowned. “I already know what?”

“That I know.”

His heartbeat faltered in his chest for a quick second before scrambling to catch the missed beat. “That ye know what?” he asked slowly.