Page 52 of Taming the Highland Beauty

Gille’s heart pounded with hope, but as the final note faded, she opened her eyes. Despair washed over Gille as she realised the song had failed to break the curse. Minerva remained in the form of an old woman, and Lady Janet remained a ghost.

“What about ‘The Fairy Lullaby’?” Callum offered, his voice tight. “You had wanted to sing the two songs together.”

The memory flared, and Gille cursed herself for not remembering sooner. She turned to Gwendolyn. “Will you sing with me? The tune is the same, only the words are different,” she pleaded.

Gwendolyn nodded, her eyes filled with a flicker of hope. “Aye,” she replied. “It is worth a try.”

Callum reached for his mandolin and prepared to play. With a nod of gratitude, Gille and Gwendolyn began to sing as Callum played the melody, their voices blending in harmony. The ancient words of the selkies, combined with the lullaby given to the MacLeods by the fairies, and Callum’s human ability to play, echoed through the night.

When the song ended, a hush fell over the shore as those gathered watched Gille, Minerva, and Lady Janet with expectation. Their anticipation was rewarded as Lady Janet’s ghostly image began to fade, her ethereal form slowly dissolving into the mist. A collective sigh of relief escaped the MacLeods as they realised their mother’s time in the human realm had finally ended.

“Mother,” Alastair said, his voice trembling as he and all her children gathered around her. “It is finally time for you to leave us. You deserve peace.”

His siblings nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with tears. They had grown to love their ghostly mother, but they knew she belonged in the afterlife.

Lady Janet smiled sadly. “I know, my children,” she replied. “But it is difficult to leave you now that the moment has arrived.”

“We will miss you,” Rowena said, her voice choked with emotion.

“But you must go,” Tormod insisted.

Orrick grabbed Keiran and Callum’s hands, holding them tightly. “You deserve to be at peace.”

Lady Janet nodded, her features fading further into mist. “I will,” she said. “But before I go, I want you to promise me something.”

Her children gathered closer, their attention focused on their mother.

“Promise me that you will always remember me,” Lady Janet said. “And that you will carry on the traditions of our clan.”

Alastair, Tormod, Orrick, Rowena, Keiran, and Callum nodded solemnly. “We promise,” they said in unison.

Lady Janet smiled, her ghostly form beginning to fade. “I love you all,” she said, and with a final wave of her hand, Lady Janet vanished into the mist, her spirit finally free from the earthly realm.

Her heart in her throat, Gille watched as the ghost disappeared. All their efforts had been worthwhile. Lady Janet was finally at peace.

A cry of joy from Minerva shifted their focus to the selkie as she stepped from the edge of the water and onto the beach. Her hair, once green, had transformed into a flowing cascade of silver. Her eyes, which had always been dark and mysterious, changed to a pale blue. And, her skin no longer glowed, taking on a pale, unblemished cream beneath the seaweed dress that covered her breasts and hips.

“It worked,” Minerva declared, her voice filled with wonder. She turned towards the loch to see the pod had gathered there. Lottie lurched forward, coming to rest at her mother’s newly human feet. “I can leave my worries to you, my dear.” She reached down and stroked her daughter’s silvery pelt. “With the changing of our roles, the selkies will have newfound protectors in the MacLeods.”

“I understand, Mother,” Lottie said with a catch in her voice. “But I will miss you.”

“Miss me?” Minerva laughed. “I will be with you every night when you transform and come upon the shores of the loch.”

“It will be different,” Lottie said sadly.

“Aye,” Minerva replied. “But this is what is best for you and for our people.”

Lottie nodded, then scooted back towards the others in the surf. They lifted their heads and barked a final farewell before disappearing into the water.

Minerva smiled, then squealed as she raced across the beach, displaying her newfound freedom. A gasp sounded when she stumbled over a rock and fell. Keiran hurried to her aid, lifting her to her feet.

Minerva paused, holding on to Keiran’s arm, as she looked down at her knee. A small trickle of blood appeared on her skin. She smiled. “I am human.”

“What will you do now?” Keiran asked, leading her back towards the others.

“I was hoping to stay with you all so that I can remain close to my family.”

“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Alastair said, as a cheer went up.