Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)

***

Taylor and I set off at first light, heading north again, although this time we were heading for the small MacQuarrie Clan Lands near the east coast. This wasn’t going to be a particularly dangerous venture and my old mentor’s presence effectively killed two birds with one stone. Because of Taylor’s age or gender, Tipsania was more likely to listen to him than she was to me ? and she’d probably require some persuading to go along with Byron’s fake wedding plans. Plus, Taylor’s presence appeased the others. Speck, in particular, seemed to think that as soon as I was let loose in the wild blue yonder I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from running full pelt back to Byron and conceding my wits, personality and independence to him with one simple kiss. Given his relationship with Lexie, he ought to have known better.

I’d made a half-hearted attempt to get Bob to come along with us but he’d huffed so much about being dragged away from his latest boxset, not to mention about being left to wait around in the dark while I had ‘thrilling, dangerous sex’ – his words, not mine – that in the end I left him behind. I wasn’t going to be gone long and I certainly had no intention of using up that last wish, no matter how often he dropped it into the conversation. It was rather nice to get some time alone with Taylor. I’d missed our chats. All in all, things seemed to be looking up.

Not long after we hit the main road, when I finally managed to get a signal on my phone, I rang Morna. ‘How’s it going?’

‘Well, dear,’ she answered, slightly caustic, ‘you spend time alone in close proximity with Tipsania Scrymgeour and you tell me how you think it’s going. I swear the MacQuarrie Chieftain almost took his father’s sword and lopped off her head the other night.’

I winced. ‘Is she being difficult?’

‘That girl won’t give me a moment’s peace. And every time I suggest to her that good manners are a boon, she spits fire.’

‘Uh…’

‘Things are fine. We’ve relocated away from the main castle and we’re in a cottage near the border. I’m working on placating the MacQuarries, too.’

I took a deep breath. ‘That’s good of you but you don’t have to worry about it now. I’m on my way up. It’s kind of complicated but I’m going to take Tipsania back to her father. You won’t have to worry about her for more than another hour or two.’

There was a pause. ‘Could you perhaps make it three or four hours? She’s cleaning the cottage and I’d hate to pull her away from that. If she keeps it up then at least the MacQuarries will get something out of all this besides my flowers.’

I laughed. We all enjoyed the fact that Tipsania was a bit of a neat freak. ‘Sorry.’

‘Are you quite sure about this, dear? Returning her to the Bull will undo all the progress she’s made. The man is a buffoon. He’s bound to rub off on her again.’

I grimaced. ‘He certainly is a buffoon but it won’t be for long. I’ll explain what’s going on when I get there. It’s probably best if you don’t mention anything to her in the meantime.’

‘Anything for a quiet life,’ Morna replied cheerfully. ‘Is this going to save Scotland?’

I considered her question. If everything went to plan, it just might. ‘Who knows? I still don’t think we should put too much credence in the prophecy. No one else does.’

Morna snorted. ‘That’s because they’re too afraid.’

I didn’t have anything to say to that. Hanging up, I settled down while Taylor threw me an arch glance and sped up to overtake a trundling tractor that seemed to be dropping more hay than it was actually carrying. ‘Is she still harping on about the prophecy?’ he asked.

‘Yeah.’ I nibbled my bottom lip. ‘Maybe this plan of Byron’s will mean that we stop Aifric and get him locked up. Then Scotland will be saved.’

‘Then why isn’t Golden Boy named as the one?’

I thought about it. ‘Because he’d never have believed the truth about his father if it weren’t for me,’ I said eventually.

‘Right,’ Taylor drawled.

‘It might not even be me. It says the one Adair will save Alba. That could be my child. Or my grandchild. Or any number of descendants.’

‘Do you really want that burden to be on someone else?’

I sighed. ‘No.’

‘And since when were you planning on children?’ His shoulders shot up as a thought struck him. ‘You’re not pregnant, are you?’

I smirked. I could have a little fun with this. ‘We never did have that conversation about the birds and the bees, you know. I’m not sure I know how it all works.’

Taylor’s cheeks reddened. ‘I asked Bella to talk to you.’

I nodded. ‘She did. She told me never to charge less than fifty and to make sure they paid up front.’

He seemed to go even redder. ‘She said what?’

‘Byron did mention something about…’ I wrinkled my nose as if trying to remember. ‘Con … dom? I told him I was good enough at conning for the both of us and that I didn’t need Dom to help me.’

‘Tegs?’

‘Mm?’

‘You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?’

I grinned. ‘Yep.’

‘That boy doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into,’ he muttered.

‘He’s one of the good guys, Taylor. No matter what happens, remember that.’

Taylor was silent for a long while. ‘How often do the good guys win?’

‘Sometimes it might take them a while but they always win in the end.’

‘How do you know?’

‘George Lucas.’ Taylor hissed through his teeth. I shrugged. ‘What’s the bet that the prophecy is actually about rescuing a haggis called Scotland from the clutches of a grumpy troll called Sorley?’ Taylor opened his mouth to answer and I realised what I’d said. ‘Whoa ? no actual bet. It was a figure of speech.’

It was his turn to grin. ‘Yeah. You’re backtracking because you know the good guys win in the end.’

I laughed again and reached over to give him a quick hug. ‘Amen to that.’

***

It was still fairly early when we reached the MacQuarrie border. Taylor parked carefully and we both got out and walked up on foot. ‘If you didn’t know that Morna was visiting these Lands,’ I said wonderingly, ‘you could certainly work it out.’

Taylor put an arm round my shoulders and drew me close as we gazed in front of us. ‘She’s definitely something,’ he agreed.