Page 68 of Highland Storm

“What’s goin’ on?” asked Phoebe, pushing to the front to see the girl. Her eyes settled on the woman and her mouth fell open. “Osla,” she said. “Ye are alive!”

“Osla?” asked Orrick in question.

“Aye,” answered Phoebe. “Osla is my cousin.”

“And Hawke’s wife,” added Ethan.

Chapter 21

Hawke felt numb as he helped Osla to her feet. How could this be? He saw her lying on the ground, dead, with one of his arrows sticking out of her back. None of this made any sense.

“Osla,” he said, her name sounding foreign on his tongue. “I dinna understand. How are ye still alive? And what are ye doin’ here?”

There was another scream from the castle, taking all their attentions.

“Canna we discuss this back at the boat?” asked Ethan.

“Of course we can,” said Phoebe, wrapping her arm around Osla’s shoulders. “Come on, Cousin. Ye are comin’ back with us.”

“Who are ye and where are we goin’?” asked Osla, sounding frightened.

“Osla, it’s me, Phoebe. What is the matter that ye dinna remember me? And this is Hawke – yer husband.”

“Nay,” said the girl, shaking her head. Her gaze seemed distant, as if she were in a dream world. “My husband is Euan.”

“God’s eyes, what is goin’ on here?” growled Hawke.

“I suggest we get back to the MacKeefe camp where we’ll be safe,” said Orrick. “We can figure this out there.”

“I agree.” Phoebe started to lead her cousin away.

“Nay! I willna leave without my children,” cried the woman.

“What?” asked Phoebe. “Osla, are ye sayin’ ye have children?”

“Aye. Oliver, Sophie, come here,” called Osla. Two children shot out from the dark, running to their mother. “Oliver is nine and Sophie is six,” she told them.

“Osla, I think we have a lot of things to talk about,” said Phoebe. “But first, Cousin, let’s get ye and yer children to safety.”

The old sorcerer, the girls, and the children headed back to the boat, led by Trapper.

“Hawke? What’s happen’ here?” asked Ethan in confusion.

“I dinna ken, but I intend to find out soon.” Hawke looked back over his shoulder at the foreboding castle behind them, starting to wonder exactly what kind of place this was. “I’m startin’ to get a bad feelin’ about all this,” said Hawke.

“Startin’ to?” Ethan’s brows dipped. “I told ye we shouldna have come here. This isle is cursed I tell ye. This should prove it. Yer dead wife has come back from the grave.”

“I’m no’ so sure about that,” said Hawke, walking back to the boat. “But findin’ out that Osla is still alive is goin’ to prove to be a curse on me for sure.”

“What do ye mean?” asked Ethan, walking with him at a brisk pace. “I thought ye’d be happy that yer wife didna die after all.”

“Egads, Ethan, what do ye think I mean? Dinna ye realize the predicament I’m in? I’ve fallen in love with Phoebe. But now – now I canna even think of possibly marryin’ her someday because I’m already married to a woman I dinna love and who I thought was dead. I’m no’ sure why Osla thinks Euan is her husband, and I have no idea who sired her children. However, I’m pretty sure Euan is behind everythin’, probably havin’ done somethin’ to fake her death so the feud would continue.”

“Aye, that’s a problem,” agreed Ethan. He looked over his shoulder once again at the castle and shook his head. “This place is haunted and cursed, Hawke. I swear I just saw the ghost of the dead woman watchin’ me from the tower window.”

“Ye’re imaginin’ it, Ethan.”

“Even so, I never want to come back here as long as I live.”