Page 9 of Kilted Seduction
She paused, then slowly lowered the dirk from his throat. “Well, if ‘twill ease yer concerns, I ken how tae perform a ceremonial binding oath that willnae allow either o’ us tae betray the other. A geas”
Aedan blinked. “A geas, really? A binding oath?”
“Aye, me maither taught me an oath tae summon the spirits as witness and bind two parties tae specific actions, which means that neither party can deliberately cause harm tae the other fer the duration o’ the oath.”
Aedan grimaced uneasily. He had no faith in prophesy or vision, and very little in higher powers, or even luck, but even he wasn’t fool enough to invoke the spirits lightly. To make light of what powers might exist in the universe was to invite misfortune. “Ye want tae invoke the spirits?”
“’Tis only a problem if one o’ us breaks the oath, and I’ve nae reason tae.” Thora arched an eyebrow at him in turn. “Ye profess yerself an honorable man, so it shouldnae pose any danger fer ye either.”
It was a valid argument. Aedan sighed and gave in. “Very well. Untie me, and I’ll tak’ the oath with ye, provided I agree with the terms.”
“And ye willnae try tae escape or harm me if I free ye?” Thora tipped her head.
Aedan inclined his head in agreement. “Me word as the Laird Cameron.”
To his surprise, she set aside the dirk without further comment, and began to undo the ropes wound around him. Within a minute, he was free to stand.
Aedan rubbed his wrists as he watched Thora move about the small cottage. It would be easy to slip past her, or overpower her and leave. However, he had given his word not to do so. Besides, he was far from certain where they were, and there was no way to tell what the weather was like outside, not with the windows tightly shuttered. He wasn’t even sure what time of day it was. It might still be late at night, or it might be well past dawn.
Thora laid out a small, flat stone, a twist each of fir and fennel, and lit some heather in the fire, filling the air with a sweet scent. She also poured out a single cup of wine. “Come here.”
Aedan moved to stand across from her. Thora made a small cut in her hand, and Aedan reached across to grab her hand before he could think better of it. “What are ye doing?”
“A blood oath. ‘Tis a variation on a marriage ceremony, meant tae bind two people taegether without the ties of matrimony.”
“A marriage ceremony?” That was when Aedan recognized the shape of an Oathing Stone. He stepped back. “I’ll nae be marrying ye!”
“I told ye, ‘tis a different ceremony with some o’ the same components.” Thora huffed at him, and offered him the knife. “Will ye tak’ the oath or nae?”
“Nae without kenning the terms ye plan tae set fer me and ye.” He was wary enough of this ‘ceremony’ to begin with - he certainly wasn’t going to cut his hand open and bleed for an oath he hadn’t understood more about beforehand.
Thora considered. “I wish ye tae aid me in stopping the disaster that will befall the clans without our intervention - and tae that end, ye will go with me tae Laird Ross’s Yule celebration and help me thwart whatever plans he has. At nae time will ye attempt tae attack me or harm me in any fashion, through word or deed.”
That was about what he’d expected, given her earlier insistence on attending Laird Ross’s Yule gathering. And the precaution about doing her no harm was a sensible one. “What promises dae ye give tae me?”
“At nay time will I intentionally dae ye any harm, in word or deed, fer the entirety o’ our partnership. And when the threat has passed and the prosperity o’ the clans has been assured, I will leave and ye will never see me again, if that is what ye wish.”
At the moment, he could think of little he would wish for more. “Nay more kidnapping and drugging me?”
“Nay more.” She nodded. “If ye agree tae tak’ this oath, then there will be nae need fer such actions going forward.”
Aedan nodded and reached out toward the stone. He froze when Thora thrust the knife in his direction. “What?”
“As we’re nae doing a wedding ceremony, ‘tis a blood oath we’re taking, and if either o’ us breaks the oath, the curse o’ it will settle in our blood.”
Aedan winced. “What sort o’ curse?”
“Whatever the spirits who preside over the oath deem fit. Me maither said it could dae many things, often mak’ someone ill, or even leave them permanently disabled. Fer a deliberate and severe offense, it might kill, but I dinnae think either o’ us has tae worry about that.”
He wasn’t planning to do anything to invoke such a curse, even if he wasn’t sure about the existence of spirits. He’d rather not risk being struck blind or permanently lamed. But he also had no wish to be stuck in this little cottage for any longer than he had to be.
With a sigh, he gave in. “What dae we have tae dae?”
“Cut yer hand, as I cut mine, and place the blood on the fir. I’ll do the same tae the fennel.” Aedan nodded. Fir for honor and fennel for honesty. A fitting combination.
“Then we’ll lay the bloodied plants on the stone and hold them in place while we recite our oaths. Once the oaths are spoken, we’ll each drink some o’ the wine. Then herbs and wine will be tossed in the fire, and we’ll bury the stone when we leave.”
Blood and wine to bind the oath and seal its truth. Fire and smoke to carry the oath to the spirits, and earth to ground it and seal them to it. He recognized the elements, though it still seemed like nonsense to him. “And ye’re sure the oath is binding?”
