Lily (The Highland Clan Book 3) (13 page)

Kyle was inwardly grateful that Lily had chosen not to go to the Buchans. The thought of protecting her in those surroundings made his insides boil. He recalled every moment he had spent there with Torrian during his friend’s short and ill-fated betrothal to Davina of Buchan. The keep had been overrun with men, full of unsavory characters who would toss any lass down for their own satisfaction. It was the type of castle where the men controlled everything, with nary a female touch anywhere.

The Buchans and the MacNivens had planned to take over the Highlands, and they’d started with the Ramsays by arranging a betrothal between Davina and Torrian. But their plan had been uncovered, and they’d lost the Buchan heir in an ill-fated attack on the Ramsays. The MacNiven chieftain, Ranulf, had been tried and found guilty of treason for going against the king’s direct order. The king had sentenced him to death by hanging. There were only three Buchans left: Chief Glenn, his daughter Davina, and his youngest son Cormag.

The Buchan castle would not be a friendly environment, and Kyle was grateful everyone had agreed Lily needed to stay at the royal burgh. It surprised him a little that Logan would take his daughters into such an environment. He could only guess that he was doing so at the king’s request.

Nay, if Kyle had his way, Lily Ramsay would never again step foot near the Buchans.

Logan pulled him away from the chamber to speak to him before he left. “Lad, I do not worry about you protecting my niece. I’ve seen you in action twice now, but I feel the need to remind you that you refused a betrothal to my niece. Please keep that in the back of your mind. You’ll treat her respectfully, as you have always done. Do you understand my meaning?”

Kyle nodded, unable to speak. Aye, he knew exactly what Logan Ramsay meant—and what consequences he would face should he lose control of himself.

“My lord, are you sure you wish to take Sorcha and Molly to the Buchans?” Perhaps he shouldn’t ask, but he was concerned.

“Gwynie guards Molly, who is quite capable on her own, and I guard Sorcha. You guard Lily. ‘Tis the only safe way to do it. I’ll take many guards and leave several with you. I’m trusting you. Is there aught you need before we take our leave?”

“Aye, there is one boon I would ask of you, if you do not mind.”

“Whatever you need, I’ll see to it, then we’ll be on our way. I expect to return to the castle in two or three days. I’ll have one of the king’s stewards check on you each day, and as I said, I’ll leave several guards here with you. Trust me, we shall not tarry. This is an unexpected part of our journey and I do not look forward to it.”

Kyle gave Logan the list of things he needed, then thanked him and moved back inside the chamber. He prayed for strength before he stepped inside.

He was about to be left alone with the lass he loved…at a time when she was extremely vulnerable.

How in hell was he to survive such a challenge?

Chapter Twelve

Lily had been pacing her chamber for hours. How could she possibly be expected to sleep alone after what happened at the fair? She twisted her hands in the folds of her night rail, moving over to the small window in her chamber before she pulled the fur back to stare outside. She’d heard a noise, of that she was certain, but what was it? The moon shone brightly at her, casting a shadow in the room, something she usually enjoyed.

Suddenly lost in the sight of the night moon, she held back the fur so the moonlight would fall upon her bed, smiling at the faerie dust fluttering around her. It may only have been in her imagination, but it made her feel better nonetheless. After Lily had been kidnapped and nearly killed years and years ago, her mama had spent many nights in her bed with her. And every time there was a full moon, Mama had told her the faeries danced across her chamber in the moonlight, spreading their magic dust to protect her. According to Mama, the dust could only be seen by those who were quiet and observant.

Mama had even taught her to sing with the faeries, and Lily had done so nearly every full moon since then. Sighing, she tipped her head back to allow the light of the moon to fall across her face, as if the light could cast magic across her features. How she’d often wished it would warm her face like the beams of the sun, but her stepmother had taught her that moonbeams were special and unique and worthy of being cherished as such.

Another sound startled her, this time from the passageway. Hell, but she hadn’t thought about the fact that she’d be sleeping alone until her family returned. This big bed had held Lily, Sorcha, and Molly with no problem. Even at home, once Bethia had come along years and years ago, she’d always had someone to share her bed. This giant bed was empty, and she was lost in the middle of it.

Another bang echoed through the chamber, and she bolted over to the door and flung it open so fast that Kyle fell backward into her room.

Kyle leaped to his feet, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. “Lily? What’s wrong?”

She sighed as the sight of her true love washed over her, comforting her in ways she’d never admit. “My apologies, Kyle. I heard a noise, and I thought something might have happened to you.”

He brushed the dirt from the floor off his plaid. “Lily, I told you I’d be here guarding your door all night, but I must lean against it to sleep. Could you not open it a bit more gingerly next time?” He rubbed the back of his head. “The guard at the end of the passageway dropped his goblet.”

“Kyle, forgive me. I’m unsettled. I miss Sorcha and Molly.”

Kyle wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Lily, I know you’re unsettled, but can you not trust that I’ll protect you? You’ll hear other sounds I will not be able to identify.”

She breathed in his scent, closing her eyes in the hopes she could bring his comforting aroma back to bed with her.

Kyle edged her back toward the bed, tucked her under the covers, and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead.

“Kyle?” She rolled onto her side so she was facing him.

“Lily,” he said, breathing out the loudest sigh she’d ever heard. “If I am inside the room, I’ll not be able to protect you. You would distract me from my purpose, and I know you do not want that.”

She frowned at him. “Aye, you’ve told me that a few times already tonight.”

“Lass, close your eyes and go to sleep. ‘Twill be morning before you know it.”

He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before returning to the passageway.

She rolled onto her back and wiggled her toes in the thick furs, trying to keep Kyle’s scent fresh in her mind as she focused on the warmth of his lips on her skin. Something niggled at the back of her mind, something bad, but she tried her best to ignore it. She glanced up at the wooden beams over her head, and in the dark of the night, all she could envision were tree branches, hordes and hordes of thick tree branches in the night, the dense green leaves blocking both the sun and the moon. It looked just like the tree she’d been tied to all those years ago.

And she fell fast asleep, tree branches foremost in her mind…

***

Lily was back in the forest running. She ran until her legs hurt, but then a face jumped out at her.

Iona. The mean woman who had hurt her when she was a wee one cackled at her. The foolish woman thought she could hurt Lily again, but she wouldn’t allow any such thing.

Lily spun around and ran in the opposite direction. “Go away, Iona. You are dead.” She tore into the forest where the trees were dense, where the sun didn’t shine and the moonbeams were rarely seen, but she did not stop. Iona would never touch her again.

A voice called out to her, laughing. Iona continued to follow her, crashing through the bushes fast on her tail. “You think you can get away, but you cannot. Do you know why, Miss Lily?”

Tears welled in Lily’s eyes, pouring down her cheeks as Iona continued to taunt her.

“Lily, they’re all going to leave you just as I left you in that tree. Can you not see what is to come? Your mother left you first, then Growley. Now Torrian has left you for his wife. They do not care about you any longer.”

“Go away, Iona. I hate you!” she screamed, but Iona continued to taunt her.

“You know I’m right, ‘tis why you run. They shall all leave you. They do not need wee Lily. What do you do for them? You are not a healer, not a laird’s wife. You are naught to them.”

“Be quiet, Iona. They love me, and ‘tis all that matters.” Tears spilled onto her cheeks as she ran past tree branches that tore into her tender skin, but she knew not where to go. Iona was right. She’d been deserted by everyone.

She tripped over a branch and fell face first onto the ground. Placing her hands underneath her, she tried to push herself up from the ground but found she could not. Both of her hands were tied to a tree. But how could that be?

“Gwyneth will not find you this time, Lily.” Iona’s face appeared below her, her eyes lit with evil, chortling with delight over her fate. “The visit to the Buchans was a ruse to get away from you. You’ve become a burden to your loved ones.”

Long ago Iona had bound her to a tree and left her there. It couldn’t be…could it? But aye, the ground crumbled beneath her and she lay atop an old piece of wood, teetering on a tree branch. It was exactly what had happened to her when she was a wee bairn.

Shivering, she looked down at the vast tree trunk.

A treetop pushed up through the ground as if with evil intent, ripping and shredding everything in its path, catching Lily’s board and heaving it higher into the air, higher and higher.

“No one will ever find you.” Iona’s laughing face shrunk as Lily was catapulted to the top of the thick green forest. “They’ve all left you.”

The tree moved up and up as if it were a giant stalk of beans, and vines snaked around her legs, threatening to attach her to the tree.

“Torrian’s left you, and your papa sent you away.”

Lily kicked and kicked at the vines to get them off of her. A loud scream echoed behind her.

“Uncle Logan and Aunt Gwyneth and your cousins could not wait to leave you here alone. They’re praying for that strange man to steal you away.”

Another vine wrapped around Lily’s leg, threatening to yank her off the board. She would die for sure. The cold greenery coiled around her ankle, then up toward her knee. She kicked to loosen it, but soon as it stopped moving up her leg, another vine wrapped around her other leg, writhing and coiling up the skin of her calf like a cold snake. The end of the vine felt like the viper’s tongue against her skin.

The screaming stopped for just a moment as she looked at the ground and the branches and the vines, all swirling beneath her, all headed directly toward her.

“And now Kyle’s left you, too. He abandoned his post as soon as you fell asleep. You’re all alone. Forever.”

Suddenly one of the vines peered at her with a snake’s eyes, and a forked tongue shot out toward her lips.

The screaming started again, getting louder and louder until she realized something.

The screaming was coming from her.

***

Kyle had never heard anyone scream the way Lily was screaming, and the sound shot fear straight to his heart. “Lily,” he said, shaking her gently. “Lily, wake up. Shhhhh. You’ll wake the entire castle. Hush, sweets.”

Lily bolted up in bed, staring at Kyle as if she had no idea where she was. The next moment, she launched herself at him, knocking him over on the bed until she lay on top of him.

“Kyle, thank you for saving me.” Her cheeks were still wet with tears.

“Saving you? Lily, naught happened to you. You were having a bad dream.”

She sat up and crossed her legs in front of her, her breathing so rapid that Kyle was sure she’d had the fright of her life. Her eyes blinked repeatedly until she finally focused on his face.

He pushed himself to a sitting position before cocooning her cold hands inside his warm ones. “Lily. ‘Tis all right. Naught has happened.”

She stared at him. “Kyle, my dream was awful. Please do not leave me.”

“I will not leave you until you are settled again.”

She brought herself up to her knees, her hands grasping his shoulders, “Nay, you must promise me. Promise me you will not leave me tonight.” She shook his shoulders. “Promise me you’ll
never
leave me. You do not understand. Everyone left me, everyone. Mama, Torrian and my papa, and Aunt Gwyneth and Uncle Logan, Sorcha, Molly, my sisters. Everyone.”

“I’ll not leave you.” He placed his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

Fresh tears splashed down her cheeks. “But you did. In my dream, you left too, Kyle. I was all alone, and the vines on the trees turned into snakes, and they came for me…”

Kyle pulled her toward him, settling her onto his lap. “Lily, ‘twas a dream, naught more. Your aunt and uncle and cousins will return. I’ll not leave you. I’ll be right outside your door.”

“Nay,” she shouted as she gripped his plaid. “Not outside my door. You must stay here, with me, in this chamber.
Please
, Kyle.” She brushed the tears away. “Please stay with me.”

Hellfire, but how could he turn her down? She looked completely broken. He didn’t have the heart to push her away from him.

“All right. But I must let you go for a moment.” He climbed out of bed to move toward the door, and the fear on her face wrenched his soul. He stepped outside to speak with his guards. When he returned, he said, “Lily, I’m right here. I’m just putting some extra protection in place.”

Her loud screaming had changed to quiet sobs, and he couldn’t decide which reaction was worse. He shoved a chest in front of the door after he bolted it, just in case anyone tried to bother them.

Removing his boots, his breeches, and his sword—though he was careful to make sure it was within an arm’s reach—Kyle climbed onto the bed, resting his head on the pillow and holding his arms out to Lily.

She smiled and fell in next to him, whispering, “My thanks, Kyle. I could not bear it if I lost you.” She nuzzled her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

“Do you wish to tell me more about your dream?” he whispered, caressing her back with rhythmic feathering strokes, hoping to calm her. Her heart still raced, and her breathing needed to slow a bit more. What else could he do for her?

“Iona, ‘twas about Iona and the tree branches and the dark and snakes, and all the while she laughed at me, telling me no one cared about me, that I’d be alone forever.” She snuggled against his chest.

Kyle recalled the time when Lily had gone missing. Logan had just returned to introduce his betrothed Gwyneth to the clan. Torrian had felt so guilty for failing to stop that daft woman from stealing his sister, but he’d still been weak from his childhood illness. It was Gwyneth who’d found Lily up in the trees, too sickly to move. According to the tales, Lily and Gwyneth had both been near death when they were found. He’d heard Logan Ramsay tell the story once, and merely listening to it had made him seethe with rage.

“And you know ‘tis all false, aye?”

“Aye, but ‘twas so real.”

Lily tucked herself even closer to him, and he swore if she moved any closer, his erection would scare her right out of the bed. He stared at the ceiling, trying to come up with any thoughts other than the soft warmth of his sweet lass next to him, the pressure of her breasts causing a sweat to break out across his forehead.

Logan Ramsay. That’s what he needed to think about, Logan Ramsay standing in the doorway with his sword drawn.

Lily pushed up on her elbows, her hand grasping his chin to turn his gaze to hers. “Kyle, kiss me again. ‘Tis the only thing that will help me forget.”

“There’s naught I’d rather do, lass, but…” He cut himself off with a growl, lifting up on his elbows and turning her beneath him. He kissed her tenderly at first, his hands cupping her face, not wishing to startle her because she was so vulnerable at this moment. Promising himself he would not take advantage of her, he pulled back to suckle her lower lip, only to be surprised by the tentative touch of her tongue to his.