Highland Blessings (38 page)

A chill surrounded Akira as she looked into the dark hole. Kian was insane. It could be hours before anyone found them. She wouldn’t allow herself to think beyond hours. She glanced down at Odara’s corpse and decided she didn’t want to end up like her cousin.

Bryce went to their chamber to think. He didn’t know if any of his other men were privy to Kian’s scheme, but with Birk’s men teamed up with his, no one would be out of anyone’s sight for long.

He thought long and hard, racking his brain for clues as to where Kian might have taken Akira. He went back to the tower where she was last seen and searched for missing clues that didn’t seem to exist. He searched Kian’s chamber, to no avail.

Bryce knelt by their box bed in a position of prayer. He prayed for guidance, but now he held one of Akira’s nightgowns as if cherishing her memory. Sensing he wasn’t alone, he looked up through sleepless eyes that felt tired and swollen.

Sim stood in the threshold, watching him. “F-find … her,” Sim said, walking into the chamber. Bryce said nothing, only wadded Akira’s gown in his hands and brought it against his cheek. The scent of lavender assailed him, burning a hole in his heart that he feared would never be mended.

“I was mean to her.” Bryce closed his eyes, remembering her pained expression on the tower. “I accused her of betraying me.”

Bryce squeezed her nightgown into a ball. “I was wrong, and I knew I was wrong, but I didn’t take the time to tell her.” He dropped his head and buried his face in her garment. His shoulders shook with the force of his pent-up frustration and grief. Bryce made no sound, holding it all in.

Sim hurried to his side and touched his shoulder. “Akira … knows.”

Bryce stood with her gown still in his hands and turned from Sim to hide his face. He walked to the window. Where else could he look? He had searched every room that he knew existed in the castle. Suddenly, his mind snapped to the past. Yes, he’d searched all the rooms, but there was one place he’d forgotten about.

“The tunnels in the dungeon!” Bryce whirled from the window with renewed hope. He repeated what he’d said for Sim’s sake. “There are dungeons in the west wing where Kian and I played as lads. Da condemned them and wouldn’t allow us back down there. At the time he didn’t have the funds to repair the west wing, so he simply forbade us from going down. He boarded up several areas. That must be where Kian’s taken Akira.” Bryce moved to the door and motioned for Sim to follow.

He shouted to anyone within hearing distance as he descended the stairs. One by one his men returned with Birk’s men. Bryce ordered Balloch and Sim to light torches while he explained how they would conduct the search in the west wing dungeons.

Akira wanted to scream, but it was no use. No one would hear her down here. Kian had chained her in one of the cells, and now he held a whip. He slapped it against the floor. She jerked, hating the thought and fear of it slicing through her flesh.

“How do ye think this will feel against yer skin?” he taunted her.

She winced from the pain in her ribs. Her arms ached in the chains. Her stomach growled with hunger. How sad that her life would end here and now like this.

Kian slapped the whip against the floor, and she jumped. The sound echoed through the dungeon.

“Hear that, Akira?” He had no reason to intimidate her further, but he seemed to enjoy a sickening pleasure from it. “I imagine that’s going to hurt that pretty soft flesh of yers.” He moved closer.

In her mind she screamed,
Jesus! Jesus! Help me! Please don’t let him torture me like this.

“Well, let’s see then.” He moved his arm back, poised, ready to strike.

Akira closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and braced for the pain, but it never came.

“Let’s do,” another voice said, echoing around them. She thought she must be dreaming.

Kian had already swung his arm, but Bryce intercepted, moving just in time to prevent the whip from slashing into Akira’s body as it wrapped around his arm. Realizing what had happened, Kian pulled on the whip and caused it to rip into Bryce’s flesh even deeper.

Bryce growled and pulled his sword out with his other hand and threw it into Kian’s belly.

Kian staggered forward as he let go of the whip and fell to his knees, clutching the sword in his middle.

“I was getting rid of her for ye, because ye’re too weak to do it yerself.” Kian fell forward.

“I don’t want to be rid of her.” Bryce pulled the whip off his arm as blood poured from his open wound. The whip had wrapped around his forearm thrice, and it looked as if his flesh had been flayed. He could only imagine what it would have done to Akira’s soft skin. He closed his eyes. “Thank ye, God, for leading me here in time.”

Balloch went to Kian. “Why, Kian? Why?” He pulled out Bryce’s sword, and Kian fell forward, never to speak again.

Birk rushed to Akira and released her wrists from the chains. He pulled out a knife and cut loose the rope that bound her ankles.

Tears of relief flooded her face as she rubbed her aching shoulders. “Oh, thank God, ye found me.” Her physical strength was depleted, but her heart beat strong with hope. “Da, did ye really come for me this time? I didn’t think ye would come.”

Her father gently pushed her hair back, and moisture gathered in his dark eyes. His chin trembled, and his voice sounded gruff with emotion. “Akira, don’t ye know I love ye, lass? I’d give my last breath for ye. Ye’re my child.”

A sob broke from Akira. “But ye never came for me when Bryce took me.”

He pulled her into his embrace. “Oh, lass, I never really thought ye were in any real danger from Bryce or Evan. If they are anything like their father Cedric, they are God-fearing men who would do right by ye. I can think of several MacKenzie men I’d rather not see ye wed over Bryce or Evan.”

Akira sobbed into her father’s shirt, allowing the tears and pain to dissolve into forgiveness and peace.

Blood dripped on the floor as Bryce moved to Akira’s side.

Akira pulled away from her father. “No matter what ye think of me, Bryce, please know I didn’t betray ye.” A mixture of exhaustion and relief engulfed her, and her legs gave way beneath her.

Bryce caught her with his good arm. “I know, lass. Please forgive me.”

Akira’s body felt sore all over, but determined to leave the bedchamber, she could hardly wait to walk outdoors. She smiled as Finella pulled open the window to allow the breeze to float in and the glorious sunlight to filter into the shadows.

“Ah, that’s much better, Finella,” Akira sighed.

Nara pulled a pale yellow gown from her wardrobe and held it up. “How’s this?” Her eyebrows rose inquiringly.

Akira glanced at the gown and walked toward her mother. “’Twill do. Hurry and help me dress. I’ve been in this chamber for far too long.”

Finella scoffed and turned from the window. She picked up her skirts in wrinkled hands and strode to them, taking the gown from Nara, fully in charge. “Turn around, lass. Ye act like ye’ve been in bed for more than a week, an’ ’tis only three days.”

Akira did as she was bid, exchanging a smile with her mother. “Well, it feels like longer.”

The idea that she had only been recovering three days reminded her of how much distance her mother had to travel in such a short time.

“Mither?” Akira held her long hair up while Finella buttoned her dress in the back. “How did ye ever arrive here so quickly?”

Amusement touched Akira as she watched her mother flush.

“Once I found out yer father led his warriors to MacPhearson Castle, Leith and I quickly packed and came after him.” Her shoulders straightened proudly, and she met Akira’s gaze. “I refused to allow him to lead an attack against our only daughter. Only he didn’t plan to attack the MacPhearsons; he only wanted to get down to the bottom of Elliot’s murder.

“And ye can imagine his surprise when I arrived and ye were missing. I told him he’d better find ye, or I would never go back home, and he’d have to run the house and tend to his own needs.”

Akira giggled, imagining the shocked surprise on Birk MacKenzie’s face. She leaned forward and hugged her mother. “’Twas something ye should have done a long time ago. Men like it when women aren’t so weak. They want to know that we’ll stand by their side and be there when times get rough.”

Her mother nodded in agreement, and Finella patted Akira’s back to let her know she had finished.

“Ye’d better remember yer own wee bit of advice, lass. Bryce MacPhearson can be as stubborn as they come,” Finella warned.

“Ye’ve known Bryce all his life. I intend to rely more on yer advice, Finella—” She patted her abdomen. “—especially now that there could soon be a wee one among us.”

Finella bent and kissed her cheek with an affectionate smile. “’Tis good to have ye home, m’lady.”

“’Tis good to be home.”

Nara led Akira from her bedchamber, down the stairs, and out to the corridor. The sight that awaited her all but melted Akira’s heart. The good news that she and Bryce were expecting had spread quickly. Smiling faces greeted her with shouts of congratulations for the wee bairn, while others clapped and cheered for her safe return. The casual comfort between the MacKenzies and the MacPhearsons touched her the most. One could hardly tell the clans apart. It was an answer to prayer—a miracle.

Sim and Leith played games. Gavin and Rae had been in a deep discussion about something. And Fergus and Balloch carried hunting weapons, planning an afternoon excursion.

Bryce appeared at her side. She struggled to blink back tears of happiness. Things had turned out far better than she had ever dared hope. His arm slipped around her, and he bent to speak in her ear.

“I think our idea of pairing a MacKenzie with a MacPhearson for yer search might have helped speed progress along.”

She turned a watery gaze in his direction. “Ye did what?”

He held up a hand. “I didn’t trust my men, and I knew no one could do anything with a MacKenzie trailing them everywhere. I feared someone was in league with Kian.” He gestured around them. “It appears that our clans are truly at peace, and we are happy and in love.”

“My darling,” she whispered in his ear, “God has blessed us beyond measure. He answered all our prayers and kept all His promised blessings. We are indeed fortunate.”

“We are indeed, m’love.” Bryce lowered his head, his warm lips melting upon hers.

1. In 1473 very few people owned a Bible. Only a few monks had handwritten copies of texts that had been passed down from generation to generation. As a result, the first Bibles were written in Latin, even though the original texts were in Greek and Arabic. In
   Highland Blessings,
   the MacKenzies’ vicar has a copy, but the MacPhearsons’ vicar does not. Therefore, Akira is more familiar with what the Bible said than is Bryce. How does this affect their spiritual lives and their relationship with God?
   
2. Throughout history arranged marriages were quite common. How is Akira’s betrothal different than most? Bryce is able to wed her by proxy. What does this say about how marriage was viewed back then? How is it different from today?
   
3. Bryce is determined to keep his promise at any cost. To what length should a person go to keep a promise?
   
4. How does Akira’s prayer life affect Bryce? How is she different from anyone else he has ever known?
   
5. Akira has prophetic dreams. Why does this scare Bryce? How could these prophetic dreams have been a disadvantage to her in the time period in which she lived?
   
6. Akira uses the dreams that Joseph (Jesus’ father) had as examples to Bryce of how God can use dreams. What other biblical characters could she have used to help convince Bryce that her prophetic dreams were not demonic?
   
7. When Akira first meets Bryce, she thinks he’s a barbarian. The lies and exaggerations she had heard of him are deceptive. Have you ever met someone who was different than you imagined or heard they would be? How can we protect ourselves from such deceptions?
   
8. Even after Mirana tries to poison Akira and almost succeeds in killing her, Akira leads a group of women to defend Mirana’s life and convinces the men to banish her. What personal character traits does Akira have that cause her to do this? How would you have reacted?
   
9. At what point does Akira begin to see herself as a sacrifice for peace between their clans rather than as a pawn used in men’s games? How is this similar to Queen Esther’s sacrifice?
   
10. What significant events at the end inspire you? How is God glorified?