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Marion sucked in her lower lip as an uneasy expression crossed her face. “Well,” she started, her words slow, reluctant, “Eolande foretold that Iain’s first wife, Catriona, would die young, and she did.” Marion gave a little shudder. “She also foretold that the love between Lachlan and Bridgette would drive a dangerous wedge between Graham and Lachlan, and it did.”
Sorcha shifted uneasily in her seat at the growing direness of what she was hearing.
Marion gulped in a breath and huffed it out before continuing. “However, she said one of the brothers would die, and both are still alive.”
“Well, thank God above for that!” Sorcha exclaimed, relieved for the small sliver of good news.
Marion nodded as if she understood what Sorcha was thinking. “I have not told you all she said about you yet.”
“What else?” Sorcha asked, fearful.
“Eolande said that you are the mate of Cameron’s heart—and the enemy of his clan.”
A wave of powerful queasiness roiled through Sorcha. It was so strong that she covered her mouth quickly for fear she may be sick. After it passed, she slowly lowered her shaky hand. “Oh blessed St. John! I must be guilty of helping to murder Katherine!”
“No, I think not,” Marion quickly rebutted, confidence ringing in her tone. “I think either yourclanis an enemy of ours or what Eolande saw in his future was that some MacLeods saw you as an enemy.”
“Perchance,” Sorcha mumbled weakly. “Please tell me there is nae any more to reveal.”
Undeniable regret settled on Marion’s face, which made Sorcha cringe. Marion puffed her cheeks out, then blew out the breath. “One more last thing… Eolande also said that with you comes life or death born of his choices.”
“Well,” Sorcha said, half in desperation and half-sarcastically, only because if she did not make light of the circumstances she would scream, “I can see now why he became angry with himself when he kissed me.”
“Yes,” Marion agreed in all seriousness. “I can understand, as well.”
“I’m a deadly temptation to him,” Sorcha mumbled, moroseness weighing her mind and her words. “I bring destruction and death.”
“No,” Marion said firmly. “Eolande clearly said you bring life. It’s the choices he makes that will be the difference. Perchance they are the choicesbothof you make.”
“Then I chose not to lure him to his doom,” Sorcha said. Thinking about how that might sound, she added, “not that I think I am so appealing.” But the seer had said she was the mate of Cameron’s heart. That had to mean he was the same to her. “It’s odd, but I feel sad, as if I have lost a great love, yet I don’t love him. I barely know him.”
“So ye must learn him and let him learn you. Only then can you even know if you are willing to risk the seer’s prophecy.”
“I dunnae even ken myself! How am I supposed to learn another?” Sorcha demanded, her frustration bursting through her words.
“Word by word. Day by day. Touch by touch,” Marion replied firmly. “That is how you learn another, and as you are doing this, I am certain your memories will return.”
She wanted to peel back Cameron’s layers. Despite the seer’s foretelling, she did not want to turn away, but this was folly. “There kinnae ever be hope for us. The king will make certain of that,” she said bitterly.
“Yes,” Marion agreed. “But what one plots does not always occur as one expects, even for a king. He had plans for Bridgette, as well, and Graham discovered a way around them. Cameron is every bit as cunning as his brother.” Marion shrugged. “It is your choice in the end. I only know that if it were me, I’d rather tempt fate. I’d discover the secrets of the man the seer says I’m destined for, and that I know well I am attracted to”—she gave Sorcha a stern look—“than settle for being used by the king and married to a man I may despise.”
Sorcha rubbed her aching temples. “How did ye come to be married to Iain?”
Marion smiled, and the fondness of her memories was apparent in the satisfied look on her face. “My father thought to marry me to an evil Englishman so he could attempt to take the throne from King Edward. My king and Iain’s king thought to marry me to Iain and stop my father from achieving his goal of becoming King of England. When presented with the choice of an evil knight or a scary Scot, there was no question in my mind. Well, maybe a few.” She chuckled. “But I was immediately drawn to Iain, and I knew for certain he was a good man and would never harm me.”
“I’m attracted to Cameron,” Sorcha said slowly, thinking out loud.
“It is plain to see,” Marion said with a sly smile.
Heat crept up Sorcha’s neck. “I believe Cameron is a good man, too.”
Marion nodded. “He is. I vow it.”
“And I dunnae believe he’d ever hurt me physically.”
“He’d sooner cut off his own hand than harm you or any other woman.”
The fervor in Marion’s voice made Sorcha smile. The woman obviously loved Cameron, as a sister-in-law should. Sorcha’s mind raced. “I could do my utmost to keep a wall between us, as he is clearly trying to do.”
