Page 2 of Highland Spirit

“Alana,” her mother whispered, pushing up to her knees. Alana put her arm around the woman and leaned over to hear her soft voice. It seemed to take most of her mother’s strength just to speak. “Yer uncle died to protect the secret. So will I, if need be.”

“What?” asked Alana, thinking she’d heard her mother wrong, bending closer to her so she wouldn’t miss a word. “Forgive yer faither, and protect yer siblin’s when I’m gone.”

“Blethers, Mathair, what do ye mean? What is goin’ on?”

“Welcome to hell, lassie,” came a low voice and chuckle, causing her to turn her head. A dark-haired man about twenty years her senior walked down the pier and boarded the boat. He was followed by a few other men. “Set sail, quickly,” he told his crew before turning back to Alana. “My name is Diarmad and ye are all now my prisoners.”

Alana’s heart sank as the ship set out to sea with them on it.

“Who are ye and why are ye doin’ this?” she screamed at the man, cradling her mother’s head on her lap. She heard Kirstine and Finn crying behind her.

“Yer faither trusted the wrong man, and then he crossed me. But now that I’ve got ye all together, one of ye can tell me where to find the treasure. If no’, ye’ll all end up dead like yer uncle, or beaten like yer mathair.”

Alana recognized Diarmad now. He was a man her father brought to live with the clan recently. She always felt he was no good and now this proved it. Diarmad’s men surrounded them, providing no means of escape.

“I dinna ken about any treasure,” she told him.

“Alana, if ye ken where yer uncle hid the Templar treasure, tell them,” her father urged her in his slurred speech. He was either soused again, or possibly near dead.

“Nay! Never tell them,” said her mother, Gavina. She held on to the bulkhead of the ship and got to her feet, looking as if she barely had the strength to stand. “Alana, we must keep it safe.”

“But Mathair, I dinna ken where any treasure is hidden.” She snuck a glance at Diarmad from the corners of her eyes. She’d known her mother and her Uncle Freddie used to whisper about keeping a treasure safe until someone came to get it. But she never understood what it was all about.

“I’m dyin’, Alana. Come give me a hug and a kiss guidbye.” Her mother held one hand under her cloak and reached out to Alana with the other.

“Nay! Dinna die, Mathair. I need ye.” Tears dripped down her cheeks and she moved closer to her. “Mathair, I am pregnant with Ethan MacKeefe’s baby.”

“What?” growled her father. “How could ye do such a fool thing?”

“I’m happy for ye,” said her mother, reaching out and taking Alana’s hand in hers. “Ethan MacKeefe is a guid man. He can help ye . . . find the answers.”

“Enough!” commanded Diarmad, moving toward them as the ship got farther from the shore. “Now someone better tell me where that treasure is, because I’m no’ releasin’ any of ye until I get what I want.”

“I am the only one who kens where it is,” said her mother. “My husband and children ken naught about it.”

Alana kissed and hugged her mother, and when she did, her mother slipped something into her hand and whispered in her ear. “It is all up to ye now, Daughter. Never give up. Find the madman. He will help ye.”

Alana looked down to see a small metal key in her hand with a Templar cross engraved in the middle. She quickly hid it from Diarmad, dropping it into her pocket. She was about to ask her mother what she meant, when her mother pulled a hidden dagger out of her cloak. She pushed Alana aside and lunged at Diarmad.

“Nay!” cried Alana as she stumbled and fell to the ground. She watched in horror as her mother tried to kill the evil man. But a guard jumped in front of him with his sword drawn and stabbed her mother right through the heart.

“Mathair!” screamed Alana, frozen in fear. Her mother’s hand opened and the dagger hit the wooden deck. Then her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground at Diarmad’s feet. “Nay!” shouted Alana, getting up and trying to run to her, but another man held her back. Kirstine and Finn held each other, watching in horror and crying.

“She’s dead,” announced the guard, pulling his sword out of her mother’s chest. “I saved yer life, Diarmad,” he said proudly.

“Ye fool!” shouted Diarmad. “She was our last hope of ever findin’ that treasure. I didna want her dead! Ye’ll pay for this.” In anger, Diarmad drew his sword and killed the guard. The man’s body crumpled in a heap, falling atop her mother.

“Get them out of here,” commanded Diarmad as it started to rain. He sheathed his sword and walked over to Alana. Alana struggled against the man who held her.

“Yer mathair said somethin’ to ye about the treasure, didna she?” he asked. “Tell me. Where is it?”

“I wouldna tell ye even if I kent!” she spat.

He reached out and slapped her across the face. Alana had been numb because of what she’d just witnessed, but the pain made her feel the anger welling within her, making her feel alive again.

“Ye killed my wife!” shouted her father, pulling at the ropes that bound him. “I’ll kill ye for this, Diarmad, I swear I will.”

“Nay, ye’re wrong.” Diarmad turned to look at her father. “I didna kill her and neither would I have. It was the foolish mistake of my guard. And as ye see, he’s paid for it with his life. And before ye accuse me of killin’ yer brother-by-marriage, his death was an accident when he fell and hit his head tryin’ to flee.”