The Broken Highlander by Laura Hunsaker Page B

again.
    Nevin tipped her face up to his to take a
good look, and to ensure she was well.
    “How old are ye, lassie?”
    “Seven and ten,” she said, her voice clear as
a bell.
    ““Your family is sure to be missing you.
Come, I’ll take you back to your people.” He paused. “Are ye a
Sinclair, then?”
    “Aye, m’laird, Caitriona Sinclair.”
    At her wide-eyed statement, Nevin went cold.
This innocent lass thought him a laird, an honorable man. He was
neither. And she needed to know that.
    “I’m nay laird. Come”
    If she heard his change in tone, she showed
no notice of it, going so far as to grip his biceps in her small
hand.
    Nevin would see her home and disappear into
the darkness of the trees. That’s where he belonged. This lass
represented all that he could no longer have. She was light and
youth and deserved a chance at happiness. He would ensure she lived
long enough to have it.
    Caitriona kept up a steady stream of chatter,
most of it thanking him for saving her. Nevin grunted here and
there, hoping to dissuade her from thinking him a hero. Still she
continued to look at him with her light blue eyes full of
adoration.
    By the time they entered her village, many
were standing around with torches. It seemed her disappearance had
not gone unnoticed. The angry glares they received told Nevin that
he was right, and they’d been organizing a search party.
    “Caitriona!”
    A woman broke from the crowd, her skirts in
her hands, as she ran towards them. Embracing Caitriona and
smoothing her hair from her face, the woman both scolded and hugged
the girl. Nevin figured her for Caitriona’s mother.
    “Mum, all is well. He saved me.”
    Once more, all eyes turned to Nevin. One man
stood out from the crowd. Pushing his way to the front, he glared
at them both, but turned his cold stare to Nevin. “Is this
true?”
    “Aye, ‘tis.”
    “Father, he rescued me,” Caitriona tried to
help, but he turned his steely gaze to her.
    “Lass, we’ll get to you. Doona think I dinnae
ken you’d sneaked out of the village.”
    The girl had the grace to blush and drop her
eyes.
    Turning back to Nevin, he ground out, “Ye
have my thanks, because I’ve a fair idea of the fate ye saved her
from. As she’s my only child, I canna thank ye enough. But you’re
nay welcome here.”
    “Father!” she shouted, stepping forward to
protect Nevin.
    He waved her back, “Your father is right,
lassie. You doona ken what kind of man I am, and as you saw how
quickly evil can find you, you should nay trust me.”
    “I ken what you are, Demon.” He nearly spat
the word at Nevin. Then his voice changed, softened. “You brought
my daughter back to me. I’ll give you my thanks, but I repeat,
you’re nay welcome here. I willna tell them what you are, and in
return you’ll leave without bloodshed, aye?”
    “Aye.”
    Without glancing behind, he left.
    He shouldn’t have been surprised. He
shouldn’t have been, but he was. Well, shite, what had he expected,
fanfare? His humorless laugh scared what animals lurked in the
bush. He whispered, “Aye, run wee beasties, I’m your nightmares
come to life.” With that grim thought, he trudged back to the loch
to once more scrub blood from his clothing, something he was
getting too good at.
    He had to leave this territory. Caitriona’s
father may have been lenient, but who knew how long his goodwill
would last?
    Nevin would find a small clan, mayhap see if
they needed a blacksmith, and at least attempt a normal life.
    He sighed.
    A normal life where the blacksmith worked
only at night? It was impossible. Unless…
     

Chapter 3
     
    Nevin looked at the small cottage he’d built.
It had felt so good, so right , to be creating once more.
He’d set his smithy to the back. It wasn’t much to look at, built
mostly underground with a sod roof. It blended into the grassy hill
as if it were a natural structure.
    He would sell his wares each night around
sundown at local villages. His