Page 55 of A Healer for the Ruthless Highlander
Kenneth’s hands clenched into fists. It was probably a good thing that the room was so dark, because she could not see the way his face contorted in anger, nor the way his eye flashed with pure hatred.
“Give me a name, and I’ll end this wretch’s life immediately,” Kenneth demanded, his voice cold with authority.
Leana shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s nae that simple, me Laird. Ye see, I’m nae sure yet…” She walked around the room, illuminating a few lamps with a candle, before going back to him. “It’s just a hunch, but Hunter said somethin’ about a flower today. Sea holly. Do ye ken it?”
“I do, but what has a flower got to do with it?” Kenneth asked, trying to keep his temper in check.
“The sea holly is a flower highly prized for its medicinal properties, including its ability to cure and relieve certain respiratory ailments. When it’s administered properly, it can be a powerful cure. But when it’s given in high doses, it can make things worse,” Leana explained.
Kenneth clicked his tongue. “And ye think that Hunter has somehow consumed it?”
Leana nodded. “I think so. I daenae ken where he got it from, but someone could be supplyin’ him with sweets or remedies made from it. That’s why sometimes his discomfort gets worse, and sometimes it gets better. Because whoever is administerin’ the doses doesnae ken what they’re doin’…”
“I’ll interrogate the entire castle,” Kenneth barked. “I’ll torture them all if necessary until I find the culprit!”
But before he could reach the door, Leana stopped him.
It was almost as if a silent force rested on his heart and senses, cooling his temper for a moment. That temper that threatened to destroy every foundation of the castle until he found the cure to his brother’s illness.
“Kenneth, please listen to me,” Leana pleaded as she stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “I daenae think what’s happenin’ to Hunter has anythin’ to do with the castle. On the contrary, I think he’s meetin’ someone outside these walls… In the harbor, or on the beach, perhaps. Hunter mentioned a ‘he.’”
“A‘he.’And ye daenae ken who he was talkin’ about?”
Leana shook her head. “He got very nervous as soon as we broached the subject, and I preferred nae to press him about it. I doubt that’s the way to get the truth out of him. But I think… I think he’s been sneakin’ out of the castle to meet someone.” She bit her lower lip.
As she crossed her arms, her face fell, and for a moment, she seemed distracted. But it only lasted a second, for suddenly her face lit up.
“The first night I was here, I heard footsteps outside me room,” she revealed.
“It may have been a guard,” Kenneth pointed out.
“That’s what I thought.” Leana nodded. “But I’ve heard them more often since then, and there’s never anyone in the corridor when I step out. I thought that…”
“What? Ye thought what?” Kenneth asked.
Leana’s cheeks flushed slightly. She didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she said, “I think maybe it’s Hunter I hear outside me room at night. Maybe if he sneaks out…”
“To go to the coast?” Kenneth asked.
Leana nodded. “Aye. Maybe he sneaks out to meet someone. Someone from his past.”
“And he’d do that without tellin’ anyone?”
Leana’s words may or may not have made sense, Kenneth didn’t know, but his anger was spiraling into a red-hot rage.
“Can ye nae think of anyone, me Laird? That person could be hurtin’ him—” Leana continued.
“Ye’re sayin’ that someone is tryin’ to kill me braither? I’ll kill him. He’ll pay for this!” he growled, interrupting her.
His rage was so out of control at that moment that he snapped, even when Leana asked him to calm down.
But he couldn’t calm down. He thought of his little brother and all the sacrifices he had made to keep him alive. And now Leana was telling him that someone was trying to kill him?
Whether they meant to or not, that personwouldpay for their actions. Kenneth would make sure of it even if it was the last thing he did.
Without thinking, he kicked the table in front of him hard, and all the supplies on it scattered to the ground.
“Kenneth, stop it! Please, calm down,” Leana begged, rushing to his side.
