Page 46 of Draped in Plaid
Looking my sister in the eye had been easy, as we had once shared a womb, though she didn’t always agree with me, she most often understood me. But Rory… He would not understand. He would not want me to sacrifice myself. He would want to be the one sacrificing, and I couldn’t allow him to do that. There was an entire clan that counted on him. Needed him.
The tiny burst of life within my womb kicked and tears prickled my eyes.
I knew Ranulf and Mrs. MacDonald wouldn’t kill me. But I couldn’t be sure what would happen to my child. That was not something I’d considered before now, before the wee thing made itself remembered. With the child growing inside me kicking, I regretted walking across that field.
Maybe it wasn’t too late to stand up and say never mind. To back away and let Rory do his thing.
But then I heard Saor let out a healthy cry for his momma and my convictions were renewed. My child would not be harmed. I’d not allow them to harm my child. I would find a way. They wanted me, and if I gave in, my friends, Saor, they could all go free, and I, I would break free at some point.
I met Rory’s gaze. He was angry, hurt. Eyes wide with emotion that tunneled inside me. Gutted me. I couldn’t take it.
“Ye canna have her,” Rory said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’ll not let ye touch one hair on her head.”
“Like this ye mean?” At that, Mrs. MacDonald marched forward and plucked a hair from my head, which stung quite a bit more than it should have.
“Bitch,” Rory growled, staking a step forward.
His son held up his sword, keeping Rory from advancing further, lest he walk into the blade. With only a stone, it would be hard to fight. Though, I was certain if he truly needed to, Rory could take that lad out with his bare hands, even against a strong sword.
Rory’s eyes widened, a touch of enlightenment gracing his handsome face. What was he thinking? What had he just seen?
“All right,” Rory said. “Ye can have her. But give me the time key.”
Ranulf grinned. “Done.” He tossed the black box through the air without a second thought and Rory caught it in his hands.
That was a mistake that Ranulf would regret. I was pretty certain Rory would go back in time to try to fix this… but I was unprepared for what happened next...
I blinked and Rory was at my side.
Ranulf was down on his knees begging forgiveness. Eyes wide, he stared up at Rory with a sense of respect I’d never seen before on his visage, not even toward those of his clan whom he did not despise.
“I’m so sorry, laird…” Ranulf choked up. “I seem to have… lost my wits for a moment in time.”
The young man rubbed at his temples and I stared down at him in utter confusion. Rory had gone back in time somehow and changed the future. We’d all made a silent vow not to disrupt time, but in this case, I think we could make an exception. I stared at Rory, then glanced back to see that the rest of our friends, Shona, looked just as confused as I felt. But I could see the dawning understanding on my sister’s face.
“Go back to Shona,” Rory whispered with a wink.
Steve stepped, forward, fury on his face, as he must have also figured out what was happening. “Wait here a minute.”
“For once in your life, shut the fuck up, Steven,” Emma said.
The man seemed too much in shock for the moment to respond.
I backed away slowly, Mrs. MacDonald’s mad eyes staring into mine. The woman was going to attack me, I felt certain of it. But she’d have to go through Rory and the renewed Ranulf.
“I’ll tell everyone, laird father, I’ll tell them all that ye are the rightful one,” Ranulf blubbered on.
Just what had Rory said to him? Shown him?
Mrs. MacDonald let out a nasty growl and lurched forward, but Ranulf, quick through his crying, tripped her. The old woman went down hard, the air rushing from her lungs and her head hitting a rock hard on the ground.
“Oh!” I gasped at the blood pouring from a cut at her temple, and hurried forward, kneeling at the head of my enemy to feel for a pulse in her neck.
Emma
As Moira had crossed the field, my heart had fallen somewhere around my feet. I wanted my baby back, but I didn’t want my friend to be lost to us forever.
I had looked painfully back at Logan, his face stern. And I knew.
