Highland Blessings (22 page)

He tilted his head forward as he watched her carefully. “And the dream ye just had, was it a divine warning?”

Akira looked down and tossed her plaid on her other dresses. “I believe it could be,” she mumbled truthfully.

Bryce breathed deeply, and Akira turned back to her armoire, feeling uncomfortable with where she knew this line of questioning would lead.

“And why would this dream make ye want to go home so suddenly?” His smooth voice remained persistent.

She grabbed the rest of her clothes and slowly turned to face him with a resolute expression. “I dreamed that something happened to Sim, and it upset me.”

At first, he didn’t move or speak. After he had a few minutes to digest her words, he stroked his chin and gave her a concerned look. “I want ye to tell me about it.”

She told him all that she could remember. He sat and listened in silence, asking questions to clarify his understanding. When she finished, he pondered upon his thoughts, rising to pace across their chamber. Uncertainty and myriad emotions flashed across his face. He turned toward the window, then suddenly whirled to face her. A stab of guilt pierced her chest as his eyes darkened with pain.

“If ye know of some treachery the MacKenzies are planning against me and my family, tell me the truth, now. I’ll not allow ye to conjure up this dream thing to warn me. Speak plainly, woman!” His voice sounded rough with anxiety.

Akira gazed at him in despair, the spark of hope that he would understand slowly extinguished. “I know of no one plotting against ye. I spoke true of this dream. I’m concerned for Sim. Please believe me.” Akira struggled to hold onto her already thin fiber of nerves that threatened to unravel.

Indecision flashed across his face, and he looked away from her, rubbing his eyes with his fingers as if he fought the onset of a headache. “I’ve never heard of anyone having dreams that come true. While I may not be an overly religious man, I’ll have naught to do with sorcery, not even from my own wife. I believe in God, and I do not wish His wrath to come down upon me and my household.”

It was like a knife twisting in her gut for him to attack her faith, even if out of ignorance. “It hurts that ye would even suggest such a thing when I love the Lord so dearly.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she stubbornly clamped down on her jaw until she could trust herself to speak again. “In all the time that ye’ve known me, have I ever said or done aught that would suggest that I engage in sorcery?”

His eyes reluctantly met hers and something flickered in them that she couldn’t quite decipher. “Nay,” he said, shaking his head, “but neither have we been wed overly long.”

“True, but I’m yer wife. Look around. This is the home where I grew up. Why would I be so eager to leave? Mayhap I should be trying to find a reason to stay?”

Mayhap he only needed reassurance from her. She inched close to him and touched his arm. “Bryce, I promise that I know of no treachery being plotted against ye. I simply had a dream that scared me. I want to go home and see for myself that Sim is okay. Have ye never had a dream that bothered ye?”

He looked down at her with his dark hair framing his handsome face. “Aye, after I witnessed my father’s death, I dreamed of it for several years afterwards,” he said gruffly, as if holding a raw emotion in check. “But, this is different.” He lifted his hands in frustration. “Ye’re claiming to have a dream about something before it happens.”

Akira closed her eyes.
Dear God, how can I reach him?
It was then that she felt a gentle whisper in her heart.
Tell him about Me.
Suddenly, she knew what to do and how to approach him. “Bryce, has anyone ever told ye about the ancient scrolls that are now translated into Latin? How much do ye know of God’s Word?”

“What does that have to do with Sim?” He sounded exasperated.

“Do ye know of Jesus?” she asked.

“Aye. I’m not a fool, Akira. He was the Christ, the Son of God.”

“His father Joseph had several dreams before Jesus was born. Ye see, Jesus’ mother, Mary, was pregnant and Joseph had not lain with her. So he could only assume ’twas by another man. He purposed in his heart to put Mary away, but an angel came to him in a dream and told him that the Holy Spirit of God had placed the seed in her womb.”

“Aye, that is why she is called Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus.” He paused in thoughtful silence and frowned. “But, I don’t recall the part about Joseph having a dream.”

“Aye,” Akira nodded. “And after Jesus was born, King Herod decided to kill all the male bairns age two and under in the attempt to thwart the prophecy of Christ’s birth. Joseph had another dream. An angel of the Lord came to him and warned him to leave the place where they were staying. That’s how Jesus was saved.”

Bryce gave her a look of hope. “If that’s true, then mayhap yer dream is a divine warning from God. I don’t know what to believe anymore.” He shook his head as if to clear the confusion muddling his brain. “There doesn’t seem to be any other alternative. For Sim’s sake, I must believe ye.”

Akira tried not to flinch, but his disbelief hurt nonetheless. “Bryce, we have to first prepare. No one knows of our departure this morn’. I’ll talk to my da. He’s familiar with my dreams, and he’ll understand.”

Akira turned from him and continued gathering her belongings while Bryce dressed. “Aye, I suppose yer right. I’ll have Balloch and Kian prepare the men.”

“Bryce, do ye believe Father Mike to be a man of God?” She hated how her voice trembled across the chamber.

“Aye, where are ye going with this, lass?”

She looked up at him, unable to hide the trembling that shook her body from the inside and out. “Ye sound as if ye still don’t believe me. I’d appreciate yer taking the time this morn’ to pay him a wee visit before we leave. He has one of the few Latin copies of the Bible. I’d like ye to see it for yerself.”

A flutter of excitement swept through Akira when she first saw the MacPhearson Castle standing so strong and erect, welcoming her home. The gates loomed above them as they edged closer to the drawbridge over the moat. A flag of MacPhearson colors waved over the stone fortress. She wondered how she could feel such pride seeing it hoisted in the air like a crown in the sky. The mansion no longer seemed dreary, but exuded a secure feeling. A sense of belonging nearly overwhelmed her, and she breathed deeply of the fresh heather and pine surrounding the front entrance. It really felt like home.

“’Tis a welcome home,” Kian said as if reading her thoughts. He pulled up beside her and allowed his destrier to travel at her mare’s pace. “They always fly the MacPhearson banner when they first see our return. It lets us know all is well.”

Akira glanced at him. “What do they fly when all is not well?”

“The MacPhearson flag carrying our crest.” With a flick of his wrist he pulled his sword from his side and extended it to her, handle first. Akira accepted the heavy sword with both hands, using her thighs to keep her balance on her mare. She fingered the cat crouching on what appeared to be a tiny golden plate and then ran a finger along the blade.

“I’d like a sword this magnificent,” she said in awe. “Mither thought it improper for a young lady to learn the art of wielding a sword, but Da thought ’twould be useful. So first he saw that I was trained, and then Mither took over teaching me the female arts, sewing and running a household.”

“Where did ye get that sword?” Her husband’s voice sliced through the air. Akira remembered that Bryce had not liked Elliot talking about her prowess with the sword and wondered if he still felt the same. He sat upon his mount like a glorious warrior with his back upright and his shoulders blocking most of the sun. “Where did ye get that sword, Akira?”

She stiffened at the sound of his clipped tone.

“I was showing her the MacPhearson crest,” Kian spoke up. “She was intrigued by the MacPhearson flag.” He pointed to the castle ahead. “She’s been a MacPhearson bride much too long not to know the sight of the MacPhearson crest.”

Bryce’s jaw twitched. “She doesn’t need to know the sight of it. We only fly it during battle, at which time she won’t be present.” He looked down at Akira from Ahern’s great height. “Give that sword back to Kian and forget about having one of yer own.”

Akira sighed with frustration as she handed it back to Kian. “Thank ye so kindly, Kian. My husband is a wee bit overprotective at times, but I choose to believe that he means well.” She glanced in Bryce’s direction for emphasis.

The sound of the drawbridge lowering caught their attention and they turned at the noise. When it slid into place, they rode across. Sim and Finella waited on the other side with a handful of servants to welcome them.

Akira slid from her mare and eagerly pulled Sim in a tight embrace. “I missed ye so much!” Ever since her vision, she’d been beside herself with worry for him.

“Akira, ye’ll suffocate him.” Bryce slapped him on the back with a wide grin in a brotherly greeting.

She ignored Bryce and leaned back to inspect Sim from head to toe. He looked healthy and appeared to be happy to see them. His eyes went to Bryce’s momentarily, and he nodded in greeting before turning back to Akira. Sim motioned to them that they took long enough to return. Akira apologized, and they turned to enter the castle, communicating with their hands.

“I believe Sim requires yer wife’s attention for the moment,” Kian said to Bryce as they led their destriers away.

Bryce sighed. “What’s a man to do?” He turned to Kian with a grin, leading Ahern’s reins. “If he were a wee bit older, I might be jealous.”

Kian chuckled. “I’ve never known ye to submit to that emotion.”

Bryce didn’t answer. He hated to admit to a weakness, and jealousy was the worst kind of weakness a man could own up to. “She’s had some unsettling dreams of late, and Sim happened to be in one of them.” They entered the stables.

Balloch followed behind them, leading his own horse. “Aye, m’lady told me about them,” he said.

“She told ye about them?” Bryce couldn’t help being surprised that Akira would mention them to anyone else.

“Aye, when it was my turn to keep watch over her, she told me about some of the dreams the Lord gave her.”

Kian burst into laughter. “Bryce, I believe ye may be in for more than ye bargained for.” He gave Bryce an affectionate slap on the back.

Bryce glared at him and turned to Balloch. “I’d appreciate it if ye wouldn’t mention her dreams to anyone.” He turned to Kian and said, “And that goes for ye. I think ye might’ve misunderstood her. We’ve all had a few unnerving dreams at one time or another.” Akira’s dream of Sim came to mind, and he pushed the mental picture away. For the most part, he managed not to think about it. The morning they left MacKenzie holdings, Bryce spent time in the chapel praying that Akira’s dream wouldn’t come true, and that God would send a legion of angels to protect his brother from any harm.

Bryce saw to the care of his horse and then went in search of his wife. He found her lying on the edge of their bed. She had fallen asleep fully clothed in her traveling attire. She must have been exhausted. Gently, he scooped her up and placed her closer to the center of the bed and covered her with a blanket.