A single tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek. “My sister is a prisoner of the cursed lord.”
Chapter 32
Elysia lay panting from a bout of lovemaking that left her completely spent and breathless. She waited to let her breathing calm so that she could speak, a worry on her mind.
“I leave you well pleasured, yet your brow wrinkles with concern,” Odran said, turning on his side to tap his finger at the scrunched lines between her eyes.
“I worry I will wear you out.”
A hardy laugh shook his chest. “A senseless worry. Never will you wear me out.”
She turned on her side to face him. “You are sure?”
“My word on it,” he said with a light tap to her nose. He didn’t want to spoil this moment bringing up her sister, since it had taken several days for her concern for Bliss to ease. But she would grow more upset if he didn’t remind her. “Cadell leaves today, since I can finally send him off with the good news that my da survived the attack and does well. Do you have a message for him to take to Bliss?”
“Aye, I will tell her of the bairn and how I will let no other but her deliver her niece or nephew, which means if she cannot come to me, then I will go to her. I will also tell her that my husband has given me his word he will see it done one way or another. It will give her reason to stay strong, knowing we will not be kept apart.”
“A good and truthful message, wife,” he said, running his thumb over her soft, flushed cheek. It was difficult not to touch her when close to her. It seemed his hand forever itched to touch to her, the simple gesture always bringing a sense of peace to his heart.
“Do you think news of the bairn will bring more unrest?” she asked.
“I think that whoever caused the unrest will use it to cause more unrest, while I will not rest easy until the person behind it all is caught and punished.”
“You worry about what may happen to me, but I worry the same over you. If the attack on your da was meant for you, then that means whoever did it will try again.”
“Unless his chance slipped through his hands,” Odran said and pulled the blanket up from her waist over her shoulder, seeing her shiver lightly.
“What do you mean?”
“The two murders gave the perfect excuse for the culprit to attempt to kill me. All would assume the person caught committed all the murders. The people already say the same. No one believes or wants to believe otherwise. With Crissa gone, it’s believed all is well. Now the culprit has no excuse if he should murder again. Does he take the chance or wait for a convenient time when it would be more unlikely that he’d be caught?”
“It won’t be battle the responsible person turns to this time to achieve his goal, will it?” she asked.
“It doesn’t seem likely. Much was lost, lives and land, while the Clan MacBridan grew stronger, more powerful. And with Cowan gone there is no one left to stir trouble as he did. I decided against appointing Finch chieftain of the Clan MacFarden. It is not a wise move after what happened with Crissa.”
“Who then will you appoint?”
“I will seek a marriage for one of my warriors to one of the MacFarden daughters and make him chieftain. As it would have been with Finch, making one of my warrior’s chieftain will assure loyalty from the Clan MacFarden.”
“Without the help of the other clans, this person intent on seeing you dead will need a new plan.”
“The attempt on my life proves he has already decided on one. He either sends men willing to die for what they believe is the righteous thing to do, like Tavish believed, or he sends men who kill for coin.”
“I wonder how Tavish got involved with this person,” Elysia said, shaking her head. “I always kept my distance from the warriors, but I know Tavish was part of the Clan Loudon for many years. Why betray his clan?”
“He wasn’t betraying his clan. He was saving his clan or so he believed. It’s the curse that frightens them, and for good reason. You will be careful and vigilant in all that you do and trust few, for friends may turn to foes if coin is offered to see me dead.”
Odran watched Cadell take his leave excited he would deliver news of the impending MacBridan bairn, while Finch returned, a solemn man.
“It is done,” Finch said, joining Odran at the top of the keep steps. “Mother Abbess assured me that Crissa would be well taken care of and no harm will come to her.” Finch shook his head. “I did nothing but talk with Glenis and Deara as I’ve always done. I had no interest in either woman. Though, I think I know who Deara might have favored and why she spoke no word of it. It struck me on my ride back here.”