Highland Dream (Book 1)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Isla was already up and about as Cam reached her door. She had not slept well. She was expecting Hamish to batter down her door at any moment through the night. Worry was also eating at her, and eventually she had given up on a full night’s sleep. Though Cam coming to her meant either Aislinn was well enough for him to feel safe leaving her, or the unthinkable had happened. And judging by how clam he was before her she hoped that it was the first rather than the latter. Because a clam Cam could be the most dangerous if things had gone wrong.

Corey had kept watch from the end of the corridor, all night he had watched Hamish act the immovable wall in front of the door. He needed to know how Aislinn had fared. He knew what had poisoned her but had no idea as to how she had managed to ingest it. He had kept it locked in a chest, that chest in a niche in the little house he stilled shared with his family. On he and his mother knew what belonged in that chest.

He had checked its location before the evening meal. As always it had stood untouched. But after the poisoning had been confirmed, and Camdyn had removed him, quite forcibly, he had run to make sure that chest was where it belonged.

Only it wasn’t. And he had yet to find out where it had gone. For if someone had already used it, and it had gone wrong, what else was that person capable of. He could not logically think out the problem before him, until he knew how the girl, who he had meant no harm, fared.

As Cam walked towards where he was hidden, he knew he would not be seen, but unless he moved closer he may not be able to hear any conversation, for it was obvious he was heading towards Isla’s room. He knew he needed to keep his distance for now or Cam may actually kill him, but this did not mean he couldn’t figure out how to learn all he needed. It would also give him time to find the culprit. Hopefully, if he could find the guilty for Cam and it would finally mean he could claw his way back into both his and Hamish’s good graces.

Her entire body ached. Almost like the winter she had had the flu. Her stomach revolted, her throat burned and her mouth tasted awful and fuzzy. Almost like some small rodent had died in there. Eyes burned behind eyelids lit red by the sunlight coming in through the open shuttered window. She wanted to tell someone, anyone, to close the shutter, it was just one more pain to add to the list.

Trying to stay as still as possible, her head pounding as her muscles ached. She heard faint breathing from someone in the room. She was sure that if they were alert she had not moved or made noise enough for them to have noticed. She hoped so, for if they started talking her head may just explode. She was sure she had felt Camdyn sleeping behind her at some point, but she was sure if the one in the room with her was Cam he would be touching her in some way. Even if it was just holding her hand. Or was she hoping for too much.

The light in front of her dimmed, and she could feel the fuzziness take over. She settled back down and fell back into sleep.

Hamish could go days without sleep. In fact, he had done on more than one occasion. Sometimes battles and hunts had called for it. Two years ago, a search he would rather forget had meant four days of his life had passed in a blur. But it had taught him that his body could take a lot, and he was in his prime. One night without sleep for his friend, well more a brother than friend, was nothing on what he could actually take.

He had sat in the chair by the fire. He had turned it so he could see both the door and the woman on the bed he was sure had stolen his comrades’ heart. He should know. He had lost his, and it had been taken with her as she had gone. This girl was not going to die, for if they lost her, they lost Cam. He had survived, but Cam was built differently. He very rarely let people in, but when he did they were kept close and protected. Hamish had been open before, easy to get to know, but had learnt to be hard since. Can could not get any more closed off to those he did not know. He could, however, cut himself off from those that he actually cared for. That, Hamish could not allow.