Page 83 of Once Upon A Haunted Castle
The ghost began to twist her hands and rock side to side. His question had agitated her greatly.
“I beg your pardon for asking such a thing of you,” Alex said. “No one should have to think on their own death.”
Her response was unexpected and almost gleeful. The tears stopped and she smiled at him. She would have been a fine looking woman in her lifetime. Alex could almost see the color of her hair and her eyes.
“Ye heard them scream like bairns then?” she asked.
“Aye, we heard them.” Alex nodded. “How many were there?”
“Nigh to a dozen.” An eerie smile lit her features. “I separated them, each one from the others, and let them see their own deaths. They will not bother ye again.”
His breath whooshed out at her words and Isabel startled. Agneis made a small gesture with her hand and whispered something that caused Isabel to sleep more deeply. Alex looked at Agneis, alarmed by this power.
“She needs her rest, ye ken?” Agneis came closer and touched Isabel’s head. Gently. Carefully.
“Why did you help us?” he asked. “Can you never leave this place?”
“I couldna help my bairn. It happened so fast, there was not a thing I could do. But, I swore with my dying breath that I would help protect another’s bairn if I could.” Agneis smiled softly and shrugged. “I kenned she was carrying as soon as I saw her. Someone had to protect the babe.”
“Well, you have my thanks, Agneis,” he said. The calmness with which he sat speaking to a creature of legend amazed him. “I wish I could do something for you.”
“Och, no matter. I am here until the Almighty says otherwise.”
Then, before he could say another word, the sound of a baby floated into the chamber. One old enough to walk and laugh and play, from the sound of it. Agneis heard it, too, and she spun around looking for the source.
“That’s my wee bairn!” she said. “That’s my Robbie!” More childish laughter echoed and Agneis looked towards the corridor. “Could he be here?”
Her form disappeared and a few seconds later, Alex heard peals of laughter from upstairs. He eased himself away from Isabel and followed the happy sounds until he reached the top storey of the keep. All that remained was part of the wall and the bottom of a window.
The window where she had dropped the babe in her charge.
Now, as the sun rose, Alex watched two misty figures dancing there—Agneis held on to a child tightly and spun in circles.
“Ah, my boy! I hiv missed ye so verra much!” she said and then she kissed the boy. The boy laughed, grabbing Agneis’ hair and letting her have her way. Agneis clutched the babe to her once more and smiled at Alex.
“Hiv a care for yer son, Alexander MacDonald. Yer family comes for ye now.” Agneis nodded to the north, towards Kilmalaug Bay.
They drifted up over the keep, becoming harder and harder to see in the sun’s brightening light. Soon, they were nothing more than wisps of mist in the sky above. Alex stood staring, unable to believe what he had witnessed.
“Alex?” He turned and found Isabel there.
“Are you well?” he asked, sliding his arm around her shoulders and bringing her close.
“I woke and thought I heard you speaking to someone up here.”
“I was.” He nodded above them at the now empty sky. “Agneis is gone now.”
“Agneis? What happened?” He guided Isabel away from edge and back to the steps and below.
“Her name was Agneis MacDonald and a bairn in her care died. The father cursed her soul.” Alex smiled at Isabel. “I think that by protecting our child, she broke the curse and her soul was released.”
“Did she tell you that?”
“Aye, while you slept. It was the most wondrous thing, Isabel. We heard the sound of a child laughing and she went to him. They were together at last.”
Then he realized the bit of news Agneis had given him in her parting words. He would keep that to himself and tell her later when they could savor it. Now, they needed to get to the bay and meet Brodie and the others.
“Come,” he said, gathering up their belongings and holding out his hand to her. “Our journey is almost at an end.”
