Archibald did not answer for aminute, and Marion could see his jaw clenching and releasing. Finally, he said,“Nay. It was accidental.”
She blew out a relieved breath.“That must have been awful for him to be accountable for his own brother’sdeath.”
Archibald shrugged and kicked abranch out of the way. “I dunnae ken. He never talked about it. And when I wasold enough to ask what had happened to my father, Alistair refused to speak ofit. And he’d ordered everyone else to nae speak of it, either.” He motioned herto continue walking.
“Then how did you learn of it?” sheasked, glancing to her right and over the same ledge Bridgette had fallen offthe day before. Her stomach clenched with the thought of what could have been.
Archibald held his hand out to herto help her up a rocky embankment. For a moment, she hesitated, and he laughed.“I vow nae to tell yer husband ye took my hand if ye dunnae want.”
She scowled at Archibald as she sether hand firmly in his. “Iain is not the jealous sort.”
The Scot howled with laughter, andhe continued to chuckle until they were off the embankment and headed up thesteep incline. He released her hand and then spoke. “Iain MacLeod may have naebeen one to be jealous afore, but I can assure ye, he is now. One but has tosee his face when he’s lookin’ at ye to know that.”
“What is it you think you see,Archibald?” Marion didn’t particularly care to discuss Iain with this man,though she wasn’t quite sure why. Perchance it was his claim to know so muchabout Iain.
Archibald didn’t look back at heras he walked. “Possession burns in his eyes and wavers in his voice. I neversaw or heard that from him afore. I dunnae think he even knows about it himselfyet.”
If Iain was jealous, it meant he careda bit. Yet, why would he be jealous over her but had not been over Catriona?Marion bit her lip. Did that mean Iain didn’t trust her to be true?
“I’m sure,” she said slowly, notwanting to appear as if she were searching for answers about her husband, thoughthat’s exactly what she was doing, “Iain showed jealousy over his first wife.”
“Nae that I ever seen,” Archibaldsaid. “But then, he and Catriona knew each other all their lives. Ye ken?”
No, she didn’tken. What didthat have to do with jealousy?
She clamped her mouth shut, notwishing to talk anymore. Her mind swirled as they walked in silence, thoughtsof how she’d never compare to Catriona rising up to torment her. Heavens, shecould not be jealous of a dead woman! It was pathetic, and she knew better thanto compare herself to Catriona. They were different, as Iain had said, butnevertheless, by the time they reached the seer’s cave, Marion’s stomach was abig bundle of tight knots.
The old woman came out from thecave before they could even call for her. The woman’s gaze narrowed onArchibald, and her nostrils flared. Marion turned toward him and was surprisedby the guarded look on his face, as if he had secrets he thought the seer mightdiscern.
The seer motioned Marion to comecloser, and when she was within arm’s length, the woman grabbed her hand andpulled her even nearer. “Did ye have any more questions for me today, my lady?”
Marion was about to say no when aquestion popped into her head. She leaned even closer to the woman so Archibaldwould not overhear. “You said yesterday that Iain would fly the Fairy Flag, didyou not?”
“Aye,” the seer responded in a lowtone, releasing Marion’s hand.
“Can you tell me what the FairyFlag is and why it’s flown?” She had been too embarrassed to ask yesterday whenBridgette was present; Marion hadn’t wanted to appear as if she knew nothing ofher Scottish heritage, even though she didn’t.
The seer motioned for Marion tomove even farther away from Archibald, and when they stood inside the cave, shespoke. “The Fairy Flag is the most prized possession of the MacLeod clan. Theirhonor and the very existence of their clan depend on the preservation of theflag.”
“Where did it come from?” Marionasked.
The seer smiled knowingly. “It wasa gift to a MacLeod chief from his fairy wife. She was allowed to marry the manon the condition that she had to return to the land of the fairies after twentyyears with him. When twenty years came and she had to go, the fairy gave theflag to her husband. She told him that if a grave time of need came and he wereto wave it, help would come—but only on three occasions. She warned him that onthe third waving, either the clan would have total victory over their enemiesor would be destroyed.”
Marion’s stomach pitched to theground at the implications. “How many times has the flag been waved?”
“Twice,” the seer answered in a lowwhispery voice.
A chill raced down Marion’s spine.Twice!“The flag must never be waved again!” she said, eyes wide with panic. Shecould not let him risk his clan for her.
“If the danger is great, then thelaird may decide the risk is worth taking.”
Marion’s heart stuttered. “If yousee Iain waving the flag in the future, does that mean there will be danger tothe clan?”
“The need will be of the one afore themany.”
Bridgette was right. It was utterlyannoying the way the woman spoke in riddles. “Will the clan be in danger ornot?” Marion demanded, her breath coming out in a puff of white fog.
The seer slowly cocked her silvereyebrows. “Aye,” she cackled. “And ye will be the cause of the danger thatcomes to MacLeod land.”
