Page 82 of Highlander’s Burning Touch

“Rory’s arranging it. He didn’t tell me much either, only that yer to pack an’ be ready for tonight…Allyth too… but that’s it. Yer nae to tell anyone else…” said Niven, being maddeningly vague.

Deva fixed him with her best pout. She narrowed her eyes as she watched him from across her bedchamber. “Ye ken something more about what’s happening,” she said, staring at him straight.

Niven just smiled. “Nae, I just ken I’ve got to get ye ready for tonight… to go…” he said. Although he grinned at her, he did not look relaxed. Deva could sense it from the way he kept turning around – jumping at the slightest sound.

“What is it?” she asked, as his eyes went to the window once again. Deva hurried to look but could only see a pair of servants on the edge of the castle, deep in conversation.

Deva eyed them darkly. “Gossiping about us, no doubt…” she said, as she stared at Niven’s face watchfully.

“Let them,” he said, his eyes turning back to hers.

“We’ll be the talk of the castle now,” she continued, unsure of what he was thinking, “Allyth tried to pretend it wasnae so, but I could tell she was lying…”

At the mention of her name, Niven’s face changed. “What’ve ye told her? She might be spreading it all over the town…”

His voice was insistent, and when she looked at him, his eyes burned with a sudden panic that Deva didn’t understand.

“I didnae tell her anything, other than be here and ready to go,” she said, “Because I dinnae ken anything else, an’ ye won’t tell me…”

Niven looked at her seriously. “I dinnae ken anything either, I just ken that we’re going away, an’ Rory’s keeping it a secret – so that no-one can find out where we’ve gone…”

There was something in Niven’s face which seemed a little evasive. Deva frowned.

“Well, she can hardly tell anyone, nae even we ken where we’re going, do we…?” she brought her face close up to his, scrutinizing it intently, “I mean, do ye, Niven? Ye dinnae ken something I don’t do ye? Why don’t ye tell me where he’s sending us?”

Deva was trying to keep her voice down, but she could not stop it from scaling upwards as she asked him.

Rory had forgiven them but then insisted that they leave. So far, this was all she knew, as he had refused to discuss more with her.

Instead, he had pulled ahead, riding with Niven a while, before disappearing, alone, in the distance.

No-one, it seemed, trusted her with any of this, and it was starting to grate a little.

“I dinnae ken where he’s got in mind for ye,” said Niven, but his shifty eyes betrayed him. Deva felt her heart sink.

“Us,” she corrected. Then, she looked at him urgently. There was a hesitation in her eyes. Just then, the door to the room opened. There stood Allyth.

“The laird has said it’s ready, an’ yer to come now,” said Allyth, struggling with a haversack.

Quickly, Niven was on his feet to assist her. “Come on,” he said, beginning to usher her away from the room.

But Deva hesitated. She was not quite ready yet. For a moment, she lingered, watching the wintery scene unfurl from her window. Then she shivered.

“Best get down there now,” he said, watching her closely, “We’ve got a long ride ahead of us!”

Deva noticed a melancholy look in his brown eye, which she didn’t understand.

Something prickled inside her. Excitement mingled in with a stab of fear for the future she could not predict.

But one thing was spurring her on. The thought of finally being together at last. Deva watched as Allyth disappeared out of sight – going on ahead with some of the lighter bags.

“We shouldnae keep him waiting,” said Niven. His eyes reached hers with a mixture of longing and sadness.

She brought her hand to his face, rubbing it softly. “Finally, we can be together,” she said, a slow smile spreading through her face.

Deva looked at him, expecting him to unwind. When he didn’t, she became worried.

“We are going to be together, aren’t we, Niven? What is it that yer nae telling me…?”