Page 20 of Highlander’s Vengeful Seduction

If that meal happened to have something to help them sleep, then that was a different story.

Vanora made her way to the rooms of the clan’s healer, Ian MacMillan, and opened the door to his study as quietly as she could, praying that the man would not be there. She had only seen him a quarter of an hour earlier, drinking and laughing with her father. With any luck, he would still be at their table, enjoying his meal.

She made her way down the few stairs that led to the main part of the room, stepping on her tiptoes, light as a cat. Once she reached the end of the stairs, she remained still for a few moments, ears wide open to hear any noise that would indicate that there was someone else there, too.

There was nothing but silence.

Vanora let out a breath that she did not even know she was holding, and she allowed herself to walk normally to the far end of the room, where the wall was completely covered by a large cabinet. There were stacks upon stacks of drawers, each of them labeled with a small tag over the handle, which told Vanora what she could find inside them.

Her eyes scanned the drawers for what she was looking for, and her fingers brushed over the dark-stained wood in search of the right herbs: tetterwort, valerian, and poppy syrup. She found each of them and grabbed a little of each, just enough to make sure that the guards would fall asleep fast, and that their sleep would be deep and undisturbed, but not enough—hopefully—to send them to an early grave.

It was a sleeping draught that the healer would never give her, mainly because it was hardly a sleeping draught, but rather a sleeping aid and two very potent substances. But then again, the healer was not there to tell Vanora what she could and could not do.

Vanora grabbed a mortar and crushed everything into a paste before scraping it up in a small jar, which she proceeded to hide under her garments. She then cleaned up as well as she could, and began to make her way towards the door, eager to get to the cells.

It was at that moment when the door opened, almost sending Vanora tumbling down the stairs. She managed to catch herself at the last minute, holding onto the wall with trembling fingers.

“Vanora!” Ian said, just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. “What are ye doing here? Are ye alright?”

Vanora could do nothing but stare at the man for several seconds, mouth agape and eyes wide like a pair of saucers. In the end, she schooled her expression into one of politeness, a smile stretching over her lips.

“Aye, I’m alright,” she said. “I didnae ken ye widnae be here…weel, I’d better be off, then.”

“Were ye looking for me?” Ian asked as he made his way down the stairs, walking by Vanora and deeper into his rooms. “Do ye need something?”

Vanora was left speechless once more. She wished that he would simply let the matter go, but if there was something that she knew about Ian, it that was that he never let anything go. So, Vanora had to say the first thing that came to mind.

“Aye! I need…weel, it’s that time…ye ken, of the month,” she said, her cheeks burning like fire as she flushed in embarrassment. “The monthlies…the—”

“Aye, aye,” Ian cut Vanora off, and with a wave of his hand, he began to search through his cabinet, finding what he was looking for much faster than Vanora could have ever hoped to find what she had been looking for. “Say no more, we’ll have ye fixed in no time.”

Vanora watched as Ian prepared the herbs for her and accepted the pouch that he gave her with a grateful smile.

“Let it steep in boiling water and drink twice a day,” Ian said. “Ye’ll have no pain, and ye’ll sleep like a wee bairn at night.”

“Thank you,” Vanora said, already retreating towards the stairs, walking slowly back to the door. “I must go now. I must give some tae my sister, too.”

It was barely an excuse, but it was enough for Vanora to escape. Once she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it, letting her head thump against the hard wood. Her heart was racing, and her lungs felt as though they were being deprived of air. Her hands trembled, and she curled them up tightly into fists as she tried to catch her breath.

It was fine, she told herself. Everything was fine, and no one had figured out her plan. All she had to do was walk to the kitchen—something that, at that moment, was easier said than done.

Vanora forced her legs to cooperate with her, and she put one foot in front of the other, walking to the kitchen. Even though her steps were unsteady, her head spinning from the rush of blood and adrenaline, not only did she make it there, but she also managed to put on a smile for the women in the kitchen.

“Didnae ye have supper already, lass?” Mrs. Gallach asked her when she walked in. “What are ye doing here?”

It seemed like everyone was asking Vanora the same question that night. This time, though, she had an answer ready.

“I came to get some supper for Auley and Edan, Mrs. Gallach,” she explained. “They havnae had anything to eat all day. I thought they would be verra hungry by now.”

“Good lass,” Mrs. Gallach said before ordering one of the other women to fix two plates for the guards. “I didnae even remember about them. I must’ve lost ma head! Tis a good thing we have ye here tae remind us. Otherwise those poor lads would’ve starved tae death. Weel, ye can go and rest now. I’ll send one of the lasses to bring the food to them.”

“No!”

Vanora shouted much louder than she had anticipated, drawing everyone’s eyes on her. She could feel the gazes of the other women in the room, burning holes where they stared.

Vanora cleared her throat, her smile returning to her lips. “I mean, that’s alright, Mrs. Gallach. I can do it myself; it really is no trouble.”

When Vanora saw that Mrs. Gallach was looking at her with those narrowed eyes, scrutinizing her, she leaned closer to her and whispered, as though she didn’t want the rest of the women to hear.