Page 43 of Highlander’s Burning Touch

With a sigh, she sat down and slowly began to undress. As she did, a heavy feeling of helplessness crushed her.

Stiffly, she unlaced her stays through chilly fingers. The storm outside had turned wintery, and it would be some time before the fire spread its warmth. If she didn’t hurry, the bath would go cold. Wistfully, she looked about.

Everything in the room was perfect, from the flowers welcoming her to the hot bath waiting. All were clear signs of Rory’s care. And yet, somehow, she felt more alone than ever.

This place was vast. And lonely. And maybe it was just her mind, but she had the creeping feeling she was not alone.

But she was. Allyth had gone in search of fresh linen, and no-one else was there. Niven’s footsteps were withdrawing down the long corridor, and he wasn’t coming back any time soon. She was quite alone.

Despairingly, Deva sank onto the bed. “I’m nae sure that ye’ll see that much o’ me,” he had said. And he sounded like he meant it. Which made her heart sink like a stone.

If he wasn’t going to be there, she didn’t know how she would cope. Hugging her bare knees, Deva curled up tight. Everything was so wrong.

Before she knew it, tears were falling down her cold cheeks.

Chapter Fourteen

Deva opened her eyes groggily. Outside, somewhere, she heard banging. But in her tired state, she couldn’t work out where from.

Strong rays of sunshine cut in, making her blink. It was daylight, and she was in bed. But the rest of it was not so certain.

To begin with, she did not recognize the room she was in. The lavish, four-poster bed surrounded with tapestries was nothing like her bed at the MacLean keep. It took Deva some time to work out where she was.

The whole room was bathed in vivid sunlight, making her squint. She was about to sink back into the pillows and doze when the sound of hooves stopped her.

Suddenly, there was a lot of noise from outside. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet and threw open the shutters.

The cold morning air rushed at her like a slap in the face. It was glacial. It was then Deva realized that she was only in her petticoats. Quickly, she reached for a shawl, then glanced down; it was Niven.

He seemed in an awful rush. Saddled on his impatient stallion, he cantered about the front of the keep. Deva’s heart prickled. It looked very much like he was riding away. Inside, Deva felt her stomach sink. He had said he was going. That she did remember.

Deva watched as Niven got halfway to the gate when the sight of Rory running out, accompanied by nervous clutches of guards, stopped him in his tracks.

“Niven, where are ye going? I need ye back there,” Rory called, his graying brown hair flashing in the wind.

The capricious Highlands weather had intervened, sending a gust of snow his way. Deva watched, agog, to see the scene between the two men. But instead of dismounting immediately, Niven fixed Rory with a cool gaze.

“Nae, Uncle, I told ye, there is clan business in the south,” said Niven, without budging.

His eyes flared briefly, leaving Deva in no doubt. He wanted to go. He had made that much clear. And, with a sinking heart, she knew all too well that she was the cause of it.

“What clan business?” asked Rory. He spoke genially but looked confused. “There is nae…”

“Aye, there is,” snapped Niven right back at him. Deva was taken aback by the coldness in his voice. “I told ye before, but ye didnae listen…!”

Surprised, Rory flashed back at him. “Nae ye didnae, an’ anyway, I need ye here…!”

For a moment, there was a tense stand-off between the two men, and Deva could do nothing but gawp from her window. For a moment, she wondered if she should intervene. Go down there and try and calm things down.

She didn’t know why, but it looked like the whole situation could flare. But then she realized there was little she could do to help. And probably she would inflame the situation anyway.

The two of them were face to face, like statues on the entranceway – with neither of them flinching.

Just as Deva was waiting, with bated breath for the next move, there was a loud crashing on the door. It shook her up so hard that she almost leaped from her skin.

“Who’s there?” she whispered, unsurely. Already, her heart was thump thumping in her ribcage. She had been so consumed with their stand-off that she hadn’t heard the knocking sound in the background.

Tensed, Deva reached for her stays.