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I have to get back to Humphreys at once.And once she got there, she had no intentions of letting anyone ken she returned. Not until she had left this time completely.

34

The next time Jack opened his eyes, he realized he was in a dark room and the atmosphere smelled of sage. He coughed and pain spilled through his side as he tried to sit up on the bed.

“Dinnae move,” a soft voice said to him. “If ye do ye will make the pain worse.” He blinked and tried to understand what was happening.

His head pounded like it would split in two, and his throat was sore.

“Wh—”

“Ye were injured in a fight. It seemed like the man was about to kill ye and I couldnae let that happen.”

Jack looked at the woman properly. She had fiery red hair, and her eyes were mismatched colors of blue and green that made her look—

Strange.It was the only word that came to mind, so he described her with it. He lifted a hand to his throat and rubbed gently. “Water, please?’

The woman moved around the chamber, then returned with a quaich. She helped him sit up, then fed him the water. Jack wiped an arm over his lips, then focused on her again. she was staring back at him with hawkish eyes, and it made him uncomfortable.

“Thank ye,” he said. “For savin’ my life… I am indebted to ye, My Lady.”

“I am nay lady,” she answered. “I am a healer for the seamen.”

“The Calloways?”

“Aye,” she replied. “I couldnae let them kill ye on my faither’s property, so I killed the man instead.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line, then said, “I hope I havenae killed the wrong man. Ye are innocent in whatever must have happened are ye?”

“Aye,” Jack replied in a heartbeats. “Ye dinnae make the wrong choice and I will reward ye properly once I get back to my Clan. I must ask though that ye help me return.”

“Yer clan?” she asked.

“Humphreys,” he replied, but didn’t add more since he didn’t want to give up his identity to her. She got on her feet and paced around the chamber a bit, then returned with more herbs and balms for his wound. “Ye have a lot of wounds, so I implore that ye rest for a bit.”

“I cannae afford rest at the moment,” Jack replied as he remembered Murdock’s words.

He swallowed hard and breathed out deeply.If Elliot really is dead then—

He didn’t want to complete the thought. Jack couldn’t imagine his brother hurt or dead. It would ruin him. He pushed back the horrid thoughts that had entered his mind away and adjusted himself on the bed.

“I intend to stay only until dawn and then I must leave. Give me whatever ye have for strength. I promise to reward ye with anythin’ ye may want once I return home.”

The woman assessed him closely. Her eyes wandered over his face, and he sensed her hesitation. If she was loyal to the Calloways, then she could mention that she had saved him, and that could be dangerous.

Jack had no idea who wanted him dead yet.

Could it be the Calloways? Or some other clan enemy he had incurred?

He had tried his best to lead a peaceful Clan, so why would anyone want to kill him by sending assassins.

“All right,” she said after a while. “Drink this.”

He took the quaich she offered and drank deeply from it. Whatever was inside tasted like chalk, and he instantly hated it.

“Thank ye,” Jack told her even though his throat burned from the liquid. She nodded once, then got on her feet and walked to the door.

“May I ken yer name?” he asked once she touched the doorknob.


Tags: Maddie MacKenna Historical