Page 39 of Kilted Sins

The words that woman had spoken to her echoed in her ears still, reminding her that she couldn’t let down Cillian’s people even if she was actively trying to anger him. Then again, her plans to infuriate him had been derailed for a while now, ever since she had started becoming fond of him. Belatedly, she realized that in the past few days, she had done nothing to advance her plan as she should have.

This isnae the day fer this. If I must work on this plan, I shall dae so on the morrow.

“Thora! Come!” a familiar voice called and Enya turned to see Duncan gesturing at her to come closer. She approached where he stood along with Cillian and Archibald, but before she could greet any of them, Duncan whipped his hand up and held something over her and Cillian’s head. Upon closer inspection, Enya saw it was a bough of mistletoe and she frowned as everyone else around her froze.

“Put that away,” Cillian demanded through clenched teeth. Next to him, Archibald had that same pinched expression he always did when he sensed he would have to step between the other two men.

“Ye ken the rules, me laird,” said Duncan in a mockingly sweet voice.

“What rules?” Enya asked.

“Dae ye nae have this tradition in yer clan?” Duncan asked and he looked so pleased with himself that Enya could only guess whatever the tradition was, it couldn’t possibly be good. “This is called a kissin’ bough. If ye find yerself underneath one, ye must kiss the person next tae ye.”

Enya glanced at Cillian in horror before she could stop herself. The thought of kissing him had been plaguing her for days, but now that Duncan had orchestrated this, she couldn’t even consider the possibility of going along with it. They were all standing in the middle of the courtyard along with everyone else. So many eyes were glued on them, watching their every move, and Enya didn’t know how Duncan expected her to kiss Cillian in front of all those people for the first time.

Besides, Cillian seemed just as unwilling to kiss her as she was.

“It doesnae count when ye dae it on purpose,” he told Duncan. “I said put it away.”

Instead of answering Cillian, Duncan turned to Archibald. “What dae ye think? Does it count?”

“Dinnae involve me in this,” Archibald said, ever the diplomat. “Figure it out amongst yerselves, but dae it fast. We must begin the hunt.”

Cillian and Duncan stared each other down, neither man willing to compromise. The clansmen and women were also staring expectantly at them, waiting to see what would happen, and for Enya, stalling was much more excruciating than anything else. She felt as though all eyes were on her, everyone’s attention hanging heavy on her shoulders.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she stood on her tiptoes and gave Cillian a quick, innocent peck on the corner of his lips. The contact was brief, barely felt, but Cillian gasped against her and when Enya pulled back, her lips still tingled with the ghost of that kiss.

Her cheeks heated under the coos of the crowd, but Cillian, Duncan, and Archibald were all still frozen as none of them had expected her to do such a thing. None of them knew what to say and if she were honest, Enya didn’t know either, so instead of lingering, she fled the scene and busied herself with the last preparations for the hunt. It was the only way she could keep herself sane. If she stayed around Cillian, she didn’t know what terrible confession might come out of her mouth.

Why did I dae that? I should have simply left!

Now, she felt flushed despite the cold and yet she still trembled, dreading the moment she would have to face Cillian again. She could still hear that gasp in her mind, that soft sound he had made when her lips touched his, and she was certain it would haunt her forever.

Was Cillian thrown into the same panic, she wondered? Surely not. A small kiss like that could not possibly cause him the same turmoil it had caused Enya and that knowledge frustrated her even more.

Damn Duncan!

“Me lady,” one of the men involved in the hunt called and Enya jumped, fingers slipping from where she was securing the saddle on her horse. She turned to face the man with a questioning smile, though she was certain her expression was more of a grimace of pain. “Are ye ready? It is time tae depart.”

“Aye,” Enya said. “I’ll be ready in a few moments.”

Once she had her saddle secured, their large party left the castle to head into the woods where the hunt would take place. After a short ride, they reached a large clearing where the servants had already set up tables and benches, along with food and drink, and even a large tent in case they needed shelter. Enya dismounted her horse, handing it to the stable boy until it would be time for the hunt, but when she turned around to join the other hunters, she fell into a wall of muscle.

Though she was not proud of it, she screamed. In her defense, though, Cillian had snuck up to her, remaining silent and unseen until the very last moment, when she couldn’t escape him.

“Good luck,” he told her with a sharp nod of his head.

“I dinnae need luck.”

She spoke those words before she could even think better of it, her first reflex to go against whatever Cillian was saying. Afterwards, the air around them shifted immediately, Cillian’s mood souring as it always did when Enya was being combative.

“Is that so?” he asked, straightening up to his full height as he placed his hands on his hips and stared down at her. “Ye’re very confident ye will bring somethin’ back.”

Now it was Enya’s turn to feel that first spark of irritation, her lips pursing into a thin line. She was no hunter, but she knew how to use a bow and an arrow, and her aim had always been good, if not quite perfect. Cillian was only doubting her abilities because he saw her as nothing but a spoiled noble girl and knew nothing about who she truly was.

I suppose that is me fault.

She had been the one to construct this idea of her as a spoiled girl, someone quick to demands and anger, someone naive and even simple-minded, but he had seen through her from the start. He should know better than to think she couldn’t bring even a single rabbit back.