Highland Blessings (6 page)

Bryce took a deep breath and dove under. The rain poured harder, and the dark loch prevented him from seeing under-water. When he thought his lungs would burst, he came up for air. If his lungs were paining him, surely hers would have run out of air by now. With that thought, he dived in after her again.

She could not have gone far, his mind reasoned; she simply hadn’t had enough time. He stretched his hands out, reaching for anything within his grasp. His fingers gripped her floating hair. She was already lying on the bottom.
Oh, God!
he prayed.
Please let her live!
He tried to pull her to him, but she was tangled in wild vegetation.

Bryce worked rapidly to release her, realizing that the constricting gown was part of the problem. It felt as if it weighed a ton. He could see how it would have pulled her under and kept her from resurfacing. He should have demanded she strip to her undergarments before entering the water, but he had not wanted to embarrass her. He’d been too busy trying to be conscious of her reputation—and teasing her.

Quickly, he wrapped her in his arms and swam to the top. He dragged Akira’s limp body onto the bank and turned her over, pushing on her back. No response. He pushed again and again, until a horrible sound broke through her lips, and she spit up water and dirt. He pushed on her back several more times to get as much water out of her lungs as possible. He hoped Akira would not pay with her life for his carelessness.

“Akira? Akira, answer me,” he demanded.

A weak groan escaped her pale mouth.

“Akira, can ye hear me?” He rolled her over on her back. She groaned, catching a deep breath and breaking into hysterical coughs. He realized something must still be lodged in her throat, so he settled her over his lap and pounded on her back. She coughed up more water and dirt.

“Stop hitting me,” she struggled to say in the middle of another coughing fit.

In the midst of his fear, he hadn’t realized how hard he’d been slapping her back until that moment. He wanted to slam his shaking hands into a rock. Instead, he settled for clenching them into fists.

“Are ye better?”

“How am I … supposed to be … after nearly drowning?” She gasped for air.

He recognized anger in her weak voice. That was a good sign. The guilty burden in his chest eased. Bryce helped her into a sitting position, but she waved him away. He ignored her, checking her over for signs of other injuries.

Akira pushed at him again with what little strength she had left. Unwilling to let her have her way, he reached for her again, but she evaded his grasp.

“Leave me alone,” Akira hissed between chattering teeth. Slowly, she crawled from him and collapsed a few feet from him. She looked completely devoid of strength. Her face contorted with each labored breath as if her lungs pained her. Akira turned on her side and shivered in the cold rain.

Bryce watched her for a moment, but his heart skipped a beat when she lay too still.

“Akira?” He crawled over to her and nudged her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered.

“Sleepy,” she murmured.

The area around her mouth looked blue, and the grayish color of her skin wasn’t a good sign. He gathered her in his arms.

“My gown,” she protested groggily.

He realized she worried about leaving her gown at the bottom of the loch. They didn’t have a choice. It was a matter of life and death. Besides, she wore enough undergarments to cover her. “Shush. I know. I’ll wrap ye up.” He pulled the wet furs from Ahern’s back and wrapped her cold body, wishing he had something dry and warm. “It might serve as a covering, but it won’t provide any heat.” Bryce deposited her on Ahern’s back and mounted up behind her. He nudged Ahern into a gallop, needing to get her out of the cold rain—and fast.

Bryce’s men had unsuccessfully tried to build a fire. They managed to get a small one going, but it quickly sputtered out before they could draw any warmth from it. The task would be impossible with the ground soaked and a lack of dry wood.

With Akira no longer conscious, Bryce feared for her life. He decided to keep going and ordered his men to pack. If they pushed hard enough, they would be home within a day. Then Akira would be in the finest hands possible, where Finella, his childhood nursemaid, could nurse her back to health.

The thought of returning home brought to mind another unpleasant matter that awaited him at the castle. He’d have to face Evan, his brother. Not looking forward to the meeting, Bryce sighed as the rain continued to pound them. Evan would certainly be displeased that Bryce had taken Akira, but once Evan met her, Bryce felt certain he’d change his mind about not wedding her.

They traveled all night, and it was evident by morning that a fever burned in her body. The rains continued, slacking up here and there, but never enough to allow the sun out for a significant amount of time to dry the land.

He rode his men hard, only allowing short breaks. Akira never completely woke. She thrashed about in her fevered state, calling out names in tormented sobs. Bryce held her against him and tended to her as if she were a wee bairn, dripping water into her mouth and forcing her to swallow.

The long ride provided plenty of time for thoughts as Bryce found himself missing Akira’s sharp-witted tongue. He squinted from fatigue and worry to see through the light drizzle. They passed familiar cottages and lodges, marking MacPhearson land. Eager to know that all was well and that the MacKenzie clan had not beaten him home, Bryce increased their pace. He needed to be the first to confess his deeds to Evan.

Things appeared normal. People paused long enough to wave a greeting. Some pointed, curious about the bundle in his arms, while others paid no heed to Akira’s hidden form, covered by furs from head to toe. Bryce didn’t want anyone to know of her presence among them until he’d spoken to his brother.

The stone fortress came into view. His chest always filled with pride when he saw it. He looked forward to the day it would be completely restored. The castle was at least two hundred years old; the west wing had suffered severe damage from age and weather erosion. The outer wall needed repairs for a better defense, and it would be his main concern now that he’d returned and the promise to his father was nearly complete.

The idea of warm, dry clothes and a full belly appealed to him. His brothers, Evan and Sim, waited in the courtyard. Apparently, they’d been alerted of their return.

As soon as Bryce drew to a halt, Evan marched over, grabbing Ahern’s reins. “Is that her? Did ye really take the lass?”

Bryce knew from experience that Evan was on the verge of exploding and sought a more private place to converse. “May I please dismount before ye begin yer assaults?”

“’Tis true then? Ye did bring her? I won’t do it, Bryce. I meant it when I said nay before. I’ll not wed a MacKenzie. Never.” He emphasized the last word with finality, slicing his hand through the air.

“I suppose that means nay,” Bryce commented dryly, rolling his eyes as he turned to the other side of Ahern and slid down from his horse. He kept Akira’s feverish body close.

Evan was not deterred by his action and strode around to the other side of Ahern. He pointed to the swaddled furs in Bryce’s arms.

“What’s wrong with her? Did she faint from the rain? I canna believe this. To even think I would consider wedding a MacKenzie … and a feeble lass at that.”

Bryce felt honor-bound to defend her since it was his fault she was ill. He gave Evan a dark, impatient glare. “Ye know absolutely naught about her or what she had to go through to get here. This lass showed more courage on this trip than ye’ll ever see in a lifetime!” His wet hair clung to his neck. He felt tired, hungry, and worried that a fever still blazed in Akira’s shivering body.

Evan stepped back from his brother, obviously a little surprised at the vehemence in Bryce’s voice. Then he smiled. “Bryce, what did ye do to her?” Evan knew him well enough to know when he harbored some kind of guilt.

Holding his temper, Bryce veiled the irate expression that he knew burned in his eyes. Giving Evan no further time to decipher his feelings, Bryce turned and carried Akira inside.

Akira’s hands and arms lashed out in front of her. She thought she fought Bryce, but she could not tell for sure in the darkness. Her own strange voice shouted in the distance, and yet she knew her own voice could not be in the distance.

“Shush, lassie. Yer just havin’ a bad dream. ’Tis naught to worry yer wee head ’bout. Shush.” The unfamiliar voice of a woman soothed her. A gentle hand wiped a strand of hair from her sweating forehead. The woman’s soft voice crooned to her again. Akira slowly calmed. She realized Bryce was not around, but her whereabouts were still unclear. Could her father have come for her after all?

“Da?” She reached out for him.

“Shush. ’Tis all right, lass. Yer da isn’t here.”

“Did he come for me? Da!” She tried to open her eyes, but as soon as she did, a dizzy spell hit her, and her stomach churned. She groaned, gulping for air, but she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. What was wrong with her? Had they poisoned her?

Gentle hands pushed her shoulders back. “There now. Yer not ready to get up yet. Ye haven’t the strength.”

“Gavin? Where’s Gavin? Where’s Elliot?”

“Lassie, I dunno who ye speak of.”

That comment made her realize she was not at home and that neither her da nor her brothers had come for her. Disappointment assailed her, but her heart still held hope and confidence that it wouldn’t be long now before they came for her.

“The Lord won’t fail me,” she muttered hopefully. “God will send them to me. He won’t let them desert me.”

“Ye must get yer rest,” the woman coaxed. Akira felt a warm hand on her forehead.

Akira didn’t want to rest. She wanted to know where she was and why she felt so terribly weak.

Determined to learn more about her surroundings, she opened her eyes and again fought the sick feeling that rose up in her stomach.

Squinting, Akira could see the dark room, lit only by a fire that illuminated an elderly woman bending over her. Her gray hair was pulled back into a tight bun, leaving her face open to view. A slight smile and a missing front tooth made her look more affectionate than unappealing and lifted the wrinkles around her soft brown eyes, giving her a wise countenance.

The woman gently took Akira’s hand and tucked it under the furs with the rest of her body.

“Are ye hungry? Ye’ve not eaten in a few days.”

Days? Why had she not eaten in days? “Where am I?”

“Yer in a guest chamber at MacPhearson Castle, but ye’re not to leave this room alone. ’Twill be locked.”

“May I have some water?” Her throat felt swollen.

“Aye, lassie. Indeed, ye may.” The old woman brightened and hustled over to the pitcher, sitting on a nearby dresser. She turned to see Akira struggling to raise her head and rushed back to her patient. “Nay, lass. Don’t overdo it the first day.” She gently reached behind Akira’s neck, supporting her head to drink.

Akira was quite thirsty, more than she had originally thought, and drained the goblet of its contents. Water had never tasted so sweet. “More, please?” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The kind woman hurried to refill her goblet and assisted her again as she drank.

“My name’s Finella. I’ve taken care of ye since they brought ye in.”

“Who brought me in?” Akira sighed, handing her the empty goblet, and leaned back to watch her nurse closely.