Reclaimed (A Highland Historical Trilogy) (The MacKay Banshees 1-3) by Kerrigan Byrne Page A
Authors: Kerrigan Byrne
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this?” he demanded. “ Kathryn. ”
“What’s happening?” Katriona asked.
“Can’t you feel it?” Cliodnah condescended. “Magic.”
Kathryn opened the door and Albert strode in, balancing a tray with a pitcher and two goblets. “From his own kitchen, my lady, with the cook’s blessing for the merry couple.” His sneer turned Katriona’s veins into rivers of ice and she hurtled herself into their midst with a mighty keen.
Albert walked through her, his spine shuddering from a chill, but nothing else about his smug demeanor registered her presence. He set the tray on the bedside table and advanced on Rory.
Kationa screamed at him again. “Touch him and you die,” she threatened.
No one turned to look at her.
“Kathryn, release me,” Rory ordered, his muscles straining and bulging, but not moving one whit. He eyed his sword belt lying helplessly against the far wall as though salvation rested with it.
“Did I not tell you that my presence keeps you hidden from them?” The Queen asked.
“Please!” Katriona begged. “Do something.”
Cliodnah shook her head. “This is none of my concern, I’m here to collect you.”
Kathryn was pouring the wine into the two goblets.
The night sped toward the witching hour and Katriona knew she was running out of time. “Leave me until eleven. Give me long enough to scare them away.”
Cliodnah pouted. “But I’m curious to see what unfolds.”
“ Please! ” Katriona shouted.
The Queen held her hand up as though to silence an unruly child.
Kathryn pulled a vial out of the long sleeve of her lovely lavender dress. With a sickly sweet smile, she poured it into the goblet closest her. “I took a risk prompting father to let me marry you on the mere rumor that you were An Dioladh. ” She stirred whatever foul concoction she’d added to the deep red liquid. “Imagine my delight when your survival of your Banshee confirmed it.”
Rory bared his teeth in a snarl at a taunting Albert, who bravely nicked his skin with the point of a sharp dirk. “’Tis a small man without honor who would wound an opponent who couldna defend himself.”
Albert returned his sneer, opening up a small cut on the meat of Rory’s shoulder. “Men with honor are rarely men with power,” he countered. “And I owe you blood for each time you touched my woman.” His next nick to Rory’s shoulder was only deep enough to draw a welling of blood. Rory didn’t so much as flinch, but his eyes burned with promises of retribution.
Helpless panic raced through Katriona. Each wound on Rory’s flesh was relatively small, and still they stung her.
“I beg of you, my Queen!” she dropped to her knees. “Intervene and I shall do whatever you ask.”
Cliodnah barely spared her a glance. “You’ll do whatever I ask, regardless. And I am enjoying the spectacle.”
“Aye, but… but…” Katriona quickly flipped through her childhood memories, trying desperately to find anything her father had said about the Fae and their mysterious ways. “Have mercy upon him, I love him. Dear Gods I love him so much, I can’t bear to see this.”
The Fae Queen’s eyes softened on her. “I am sorry, but I promised another long ago that I would not interfere in the matters of mortals here in the Highlands. If I do, I’ll owe him a boon.”
“Interfere? But what about us ? You turned us into Banshees,” Katriona argued.
“Ah, but that was a deal struck by your mother who summoned me. A different situation than this.” She motioned to the bed.
Katriona rushed to Rory, reaching for his straining hand but grasping onto nothing, a gut-wrenching, helpless fear overtaking her. “Then I must merely watch them kill him?” she sobbed.
Cliodnah shook her head, but did not move. “Maybe the nether will be kind and take you before then.”
Chapter Ten
“I doona understand.” Rory fought to stay calm, but frenzy crawled like a wild thing through his veins. He’d hated and feared being
“What’s happening?” Katriona asked.
“Can’t you feel it?” Cliodnah condescended. “Magic.”
Kathryn opened the door and Albert strode in, balancing a tray with a pitcher and two goblets. “From his own kitchen, my lady, with the cook’s blessing for the merry couple.” His sneer turned Katriona’s veins into rivers of ice and she hurtled herself into their midst with a mighty keen.
Albert walked through her, his spine shuddering from a chill, but nothing else about his smug demeanor registered her presence. He set the tray on the bedside table and advanced on Rory.
Kationa screamed at him again. “Touch him and you die,” she threatened.
No one turned to look at her.
“Kathryn, release me,” Rory ordered, his muscles straining and bulging, but not moving one whit. He eyed his sword belt lying helplessly against the far wall as though salvation rested with it.
“Did I not tell you that my presence keeps you hidden from them?” The Queen asked.
“Please!” Katriona begged. “Do something.”
Cliodnah shook her head. “This is none of my concern, I’m here to collect you.”
Kathryn was pouring the wine into the two goblets.
The night sped toward the witching hour and Katriona knew she was running out of time. “Leave me until eleven. Give me long enough to scare them away.”
Cliodnah pouted. “But I’m curious to see what unfolds.”
“ Please! ” Katriona shouted.
The Queen held her hand up as though to silence an unruly child.
Kathryn pulled a vial out of the long sleeve of her lovely lavender dress. With a sickly sweet smile, she poured it into the goblet closest her. “I took a risk prompting father to let me marry you on the mere rumor that you were An Dioladh. ” She stirred whatever foul concoction she’d added to the deep red liquid. “Imagine my delight when your survival of your Banshee confirmed it.”
Rory bared his teeth in a snarl at a taunting Albert, who bravely nicked his skin with the point of a sharp dirk. “’Tis a small man without honor who would wound an opponent who couldna defend himself.”
Albert returned his sneer, opening up a small cut on the meat of Rory’s shoulder. “Men with honor are rarely men with power,” he countered. “And I owe you blood for each time you touched my woman.” His next nick to Rory’s shoulder was only deep enough to draw a welling of blood. Rory didn’t so much as flinch, but his eyes burned with promises of retribution.
Helpless panic raced through Katriona. Each wound on Rory’s flesh was relatively small, and still they stung her.
“I beg of you, my Queen!” she dropped to her knees. “Intervene and I shall do whatever you ask.”
Cliodnah barely spared her a glance. “You’ll do whatever I ask, regardless. And I am enjoying the spectacle.”
“Aye, but… but…” Katriona quickly flipped through her childhood memories, trying desperately to find anything her father had said about the Fae and their mysterious ways. “Have mercy upon him, I love him. Dear Gods I love him so much, I can’t bear to see this.”
The Fae Queen’s eyes softened on her. “I am sorry, but I promised another long ago that I would not interfere in the matters of mortals here in the Highlands. If I do, I’ll owe him a boon.”
“Interfere? But what about us ? You turned us into Banshees,” Katriona argued.
“Ah, but that was a deal struck by your mother who summoned me. A different situation than this.” She motioned to the bed.
Katriona rushed to Rory, reaching for his straining hand but grasping onto nothing, a gut-wrenching, helpless fear overtaking her. “Then I must merely watch them kill him?” she sobbed.
Cliodnah shook her head, but did not move. “Maybe the nether will be kind and take you before then.”
Chapter Ten
“I doona understand.” Rory fought to stay calm, but frenzy crawled like a wild thing through his veins. He’d hated and feared being
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