Highland Magic Ch. 23

The wooden door swung open with a loud thud, hitting the wall behind it. He didn't see her at first. Stepping cautiously into the room, his breath caught in the back of his throat. She lay on the ground, a crumpled dirty heap, unconscious.

A bellow of rage fell from his lips as he rushed toward her, picking her up gently. She sighed gently. Cien took a deep ragged breath. She was alive. He crushed her to him, holding her close and rocking her gently.

Guilt rushed over him in a hot scalding wave. If he hadn't taken so long, she would already be back at the keep. Warm, clean and safe. "I'm sorry Regan..." He felt the burning sting of tears behind his eyes and blinked furiously. He would not cry. He had disappointed her, practically left her for dead. That gave him no right to cry.

But the tears fell anyway.

The tears fell on Regan's face, making small clean streaks down her pale face. After a few moments, he forced himself to stop his womanly ways. Lying her back down on the sad excuse for a bed pallet, he took inventory of her. Her face was dirty and bloodied on one side. It looked like old blood, but he wasn't quite sure how old the blood was.

She had bruises on her arms and he assumed she would have them on her legs as well. Anger fresh, consuming and scalding bubbled up inside him. He smiled grimly. Anger he knew all to well. Anger he could deal with. Anger at the MacPhearsons' and his bastard cousin Alex.

They had been beating her.

As far as he could tell, they were trying to beat her into submission, not to death, or she would already be dead. He stood and looked down at her for a moment. He heart sang that she was alive, and that he had found her. His Rose, or Regan, what did that matter, she was alive!

Anger burned a hole deep in his gut. He ground his teeth together and yelled for Hamish. Hamish appeared at the door a moment later, wringing his hands together as if he had known he had been summoned to his own demise.

"She has been beaten."

"Aye, Cien."

"Why?"

That seemed to catch Hamish off guard. He stared at Cien as if waiting for him to answer the question for him. After a minute, he blinked and looked away, down to Regan. "We were trying to get her to confess, Laird. Confess to dancing with Lucifer himself." He nodded as he spoke as if trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince Cien.

Cien didn't look convinced.

"We heard her not a sen-night ago singing praises to the devil himself. She was up here dancing with the devil, singing to him when we found her. Two of the soldiers tried to set her down and banish the beast, but she only laughed in their faces." Hamish paused and looked back down at Regan. "They may have gotten a wee bit rough with the lass, but the devil's wench she is any how. Wouldn't admit to her crimes, she wouldn't. Your cousin, Alex, he said to keep her alive until she confessed. To beat it out of her." He gave a small smile as he looked to Cien. "Thought she would give in early, confess to all and be left to die, Alex thought. But not this one. The witch 'ere wouldn't confess at all. Told 'em we should burn her to purify the castle of her evil charms." He shook his head as if he couldn't understand why. "Wouldn't have it."

Cien looked at the portly man and shook his head in disgust. "Get her cleaned up."

"Laird?"

He stared at Cien stupidly, not quite understanding. "Get yer sorry arse down to the kitchens, and order the lady a bath. NOW. And bring my cousin to me. He and I are of need of speaking." Hamish stared at him for a moment, until Cien made a move toward him.

He scrambled out of the chamber and down the stairs like a frightened mouse.

Turning down to Regan, he pushed a lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes back. He eyes gave a small flutter, and her breath caught. Cien leaned back on his heels and watched her wake slowly. Her eyes were that beautiful hazel he remembered, shining and bright with she laughed.

Slowly, her eyes fixed on him, and a small smile appeared on her face. "I knew you'd come." Her eyes shone at him with all the love in the world. Cien felt his eyes begin to swim with his own tears again.

"Aye, I'm here now, lassie. I'm to take ye home."

"Inverlochly castle?"

Cien looked down on her and sighed. "Nay lass." The pain of what he was going to do cut through him like a hot knife through butter.

"Then where?" Confusion was present on her face, not quite understanding what he was leading up to.

Cien watched her carefully for a few seconds, then sighed. "To the future."