The wind picked up, sending a deeper chill through her and clouds rushed over the darkening night sky. She suddenly felt vulnerable there among the whispers and the fear in peoples’ eyes. Or was it that she felt trapped, trapped by the curse, as all those in the clan did?
She hurried her steps, anxious to reach the safety of the keep, though wondered if there was any safe place here at Clan MacBridan. Or had fear so imprisoned the clan they could see no other way?
A large shadow stepped out of the darkness that seemed to have fallen with sudden heaviness over the village. She gasped and halted so abruptly she almost toppled over as the shadow loomed over her like a giant prey about to devour her before realizing it was her husband. She stood staring at him, her heart beating wildly. All but his striking green eyes were concealed as they had been when she had first met him. He had been hiding then. What was he hiding from now?
Her thought spilled from her lips. “What are you hiding from, Odran?”
“Not you. Never you,” he said and spread his arms, his cloak flaring out like the wings of some mighty bird of prey.
Did she dare step forward and be devoured by him? She hesitated, but he didn’t and in one swoop he swallowed her up in his arms.
Chapter 24
Odran carried his wife to the keep and up to their bedchamber. He was glad no one was about. His da had retreated to his bedchamber, Dorrit alerting him to how upset Lady Margaret was when news of the day’s events had reached her ears. She feared the curse intended to claim them all.
His men had tried to quell the rise of the whispers that his return had brought the power of the curse full upon the clan. As soon as one fearful person painted a symbol of protection on his door—it was too late. The whispers were like fire to kindling, spreading so rapidly nothing could stop them. What troubled him was how they had gotten started when all had seemed relatively calm after Cowan’s death.
Odran didn’t want to release his wife when he entered their bedchamber, fearful she would scurry away from him and allow whatever divide he sensed between them grow wider. And he would not see that happen.
He lowered her feet to the ground, though kept hold of her arm.
Elysia tilted her head to look up at him.
“Do you fear me?” he snapped and scowled, annoyed at hearing anger in his voice.
“Should I?” she asked and shook her head bewildered by her own question. As soon as he had scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tight, all her fear and worries vanished. She was safe and even more than that she was reminded of how much he loved her. “I am sorry for not thinking more of the consequences of bringing Crissa into the keep and forcing you to take a stance that resulted in the aftermath that followed.”
Odran never expected his wife to think this all her fault and to offer an apology for it. She laid no blame on him or on the curse only what she perceived was her failure. He silently berated himself for thinking that a divide could exist between them. He was the one who had failed to count on the one thing that would never change between them—their love.
His hand cupped her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. “Having failed to defeat me in battle, Cowan came here looking for an excuse to fight me. If it hadn’t been his daughter, it would have been something else. He was determined to put an end to me and claim victory over the Clan MacBridan. Whatever reason, he would have met his death today. You, wife, are in no way responsible for what happened here today.”
His need to kiss her, to lose himself in her and forget everything existed except the two of them and their love, overpowered him. He lowered his head to kiss her and silently swore just as his lips were about to touch hers when his wife’s name was shouted from outside the door.
“That’s Lendra. I’ve been worried about her, not having seen her since earlier when Bram refused to see her,” Elysia explained quickly.
The crinkles around his wife’s eyes warned of her worry and Odran went to the door and opened it.
Lendra flew in. “Thank you, thank you, my lady, for helping Bram and for being so good to me. I will tell Bliss how well you do and that she has no need to worry about you. I’ll be ready to leave with Bram in the morning.”
“You’re not going with Bram,” Odran ordered.
Lendra’s joy vanished from her face in a heartbeat. “He needs me, my lord.”