Cadha's Rogue (The Highland Renegades Book 5) (18 page)
Read Cadha's Rogue (The Highland Renegades Book 5) Online
Authors: R.L. Syme
Maas followed two of the light-robed monks up some stairs, out of sight, and she heard a door open and close. Valc hadn’t told her much about the monastery, but he had mentioned their propensity for stairs and doors. The other monk stayed near her, likely to keep her from taking the sword in and sitting down on one of the benches.
The trip had tired her more than she wanted to admit. She was ready to be back at home, with her family. Maas would keep her safe, and she would soon be the wife of a ship’s doctor.
There was some peace in knowing this would all soon be over.
Her heart hadn’t stopped hurting since the night Maas had presented her with this sword. If she could find Valc’s grave, she planned to sink the sword into the earth, like the old Dutch war chiefs had done with their weapons when they died. She could leave the sword behind and begin the long process of cutting Valc out of her memory and mind.
She must have looked wobbly, because the monk lurched forward with his arms out, muttering something in English. It wasn’t until he was past her that she realized he hadn’t been about to help her.
He said something a little louder, and the voice that answered back made every muscle in Cadha’s body go numb. Forgetting the sword, she ran around the corner, through the door, and into the chapel.
Just inside, wobbling down the aisle, was the man who made her heart beat wild with desire. She blinked and dragged in one long breath after another.
She called his name. “Valc.”
He looked up, holding on to the monk’s shoulder for support. When his brown eyes met hers, he shook his head and blinked right back.
“Cadha?” His voice cracked. “Cadha, what are you doing here?”
She rushed forward as the monk stuttered some words she couldn’t understand, and her arms were around Valc’s body before she realized that he was collapsing against her. She tried to stand with him, but he could not stand.
He fell back onto the bench and the monk helped him. He waved the man off and said a few sentences. The monk took enough steps back, Valc had some space to breathe.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, touching his legs, his stomach, his face. “Maas told me you were dead. That you gave me your sword. That Auden brought you here to bury you.”
“And so he did.” Valc winced and pushed himself to the side of the bench. He stretched. “The last thing I remember was giving my sword to Erlan to send back to you, and then… nothing. Black. I awoke yesterday in the hospital here, with Auden at my side proclaiming a miracle.”
Tears crowded her vision and she kept touching him. He didn’t seem real. He was dressed in a light robe, like the other monks, and his hair had been cut short, like Auden’s. But it was him.
“I never expected to see you again, Cadha.” A sheen of tears wet his eyes. “I thought you’d marry Erlan and have a thousand babies.”
“I needed to see you. See your grave. Know for myself that you were dead.” She launched at him, catching his mouth in a kiss. The heat burned through her that had been missing when she kissed Maas. As much as she’d tried to convince herself she would grow to feel this, she just couldn’t imagine feeling for anyone what she felt for Valc.
She kissed him like she’d rather breathe him in than live. But he did not kiss her back. He stayed stone-still and tolerated her ministrations.
“I may not be dead, Cadha, but I am not alive.” He put a hand to his side. “I am injured still, and I do not know if I will live, or for how long.”
“I don’t care.” She pulled at his hand and put it on her cheek. “Don’t you see? I’ve come after you, even in death. I’m never going to stop coming after you.”
“Then I’ll go somewhere you can’t find me.” He put his hand on her shoulder and made to stand.
Cadha bounded to her feet and held him. “Valc, don’t do this. Not when I’ve lost you once already.”
He motioned to the other monk, who came to offer him balance. Valc pushed off her arm and walked away.
“Please. You can’t leave me.” She glanced up at the ceiling and offered up her quick prayer.
Please, make him see
. “Valc, why are you doing this?”
Valc stopped and motioned for the monk to step away again. He leaned on the door and turned back to face her. “It’s for your own good, Cadha. You don’t know this now, but you’re going to hate me if I let you leave Erlan behind. You have someone who loves you, who you have loved for years, who wants to be with only you. You’re going to regret leaving that behind.”
Cadha’s throat itched and she swallowed against the tears. “Valc, I know about Greta. You don’t have to protect me from that.”
He closed his eyes against the memories. “You don’t know what it was like, Cadha. Thinking she loved me all those years, that I was something special.” His mouth opened and hung there. “You don’t understand what that’s like.”
“I can only imagine.” Cadha stepped toward him, but he held up his hand.
“It would be so much worse to see that regret in your eyes.” He leaned his head back on the door. “Besides, you came here with Erlan, no doubt, so you can leave with him. He will give you safety.”
“I don’t want safety.” Cadha crossed the distance between them and pressed her body into his. “Love is brash and wild and unpredictable, like the sea. It might swallow you whole, or carry you on your journey. But when you decide not to brave its waters, that’s cowardice.”
A tear slid onto his cheek and his jaw muscles rippled. “It’s protection.”
“I don’t want you to protect me.” She slipped her fingers against his cheek. “I want you to love me.”
Valc bowed his head and rested his forehead against hers. Just when she thought he would speak again, he dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her, hard and deep and long. His hands were in her hair, on her back, over her body. He slid his tongue between her lips and her knees forgot to be knees. She sagged against him and he winced.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You never will mean to.” His words were drawn, resigned. “But I will heal.”
Loud steps pounded near the door and Cadha heard Maas shouting for her. “Cadha! He’s alive!” His red face soon appeared, his smile wide with glee. He took in the scene, Valc’s arms around her, her face no doubt flushed with the desire that pooled in her body. But his smile did not break.
He offered a hand to Valc. “My friend. It is good to see that the rumors of your death were wildly exaggerated.”
Valc accepted the handshake. “Careful with the resurrection talk. They’ll think you want to form another religion and arrest you for heresy. Only one person gets to rise from the dead around a monkery.”
Cadha laughed. “Monastery.”
Valc responded by kissing her forehead. “It’s not your average, everyday monastery. Auden and I have much to tell you.”
Maas retrieved the sword from outside the chapel and put it in Valc’s hand. “You have everything back that belongs to you.”
The note of sadness in his voice lanced Cadha’s heart. She reached for him. “Part of me will always belong to you, Maas. You know that.”
“Ah, but I am Maas no longer.” He squeezed her hand. “I am Erlan once more, and I have a sister who will soon have a family in Scotland, which is my home. You will always belong in Hoorn.”
“Or on the sea,” Valc and Cadha responded together, then traded laughter.
Valc kissed her head and rested against her, his arms still threaded around her body. Cadha imagined that she could sit like this forever and be perfectly happy. With the two men she loved, one with her past and one with her future. She would never stop loving Maas, for the boy he had been when she needed him. But she would never stop loving Valc, the protector, the lover, the partner.
Never.
Before you go…
From the author
: I hope you enjoyed
Cadha’s Rogue
. Thank you for joining the adventure. Would you consider
posting a review
of the book on Goodreads or your favorite bookstore? Thanks so much!
-R.L. Syme (also w/a Becca Boyd)
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er (historical romance), first in The Highland Renegade series and
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Have you read the rest of the
Highland Renegades Series
of Medieval Historical Romance?
The Outcast Highlander
(2013)
The Runaway Highlander
(2014)
The Pirate Highlander/Malcolm’s Return
(2014)
Lachlan’s Revenge
(novella—2015)
Cadha’s Rogue
(novella—2015)
Or the
Line of Fire
series of romantic suspense novels, set in Somewhere, TX, R.L. Syme writing as Becca Boyd?
Fire Away
(2014)
Fire Fight
(2015)
Fire Up
(coming in 2016)
As We Dream By the Fire
(2015)
Catch Fire
(coming in 2015)
Open Fire
(coming in 2016)
Contemporary Inspirational Romance from Pelican Books:
His Wounded Heart
(2013)
http://facebook.com/bighopesbigheroes
Copyright © R.L. Syme, 2015
All Rights Reserved.
Published by Hummingbird Books
Bozeman, Montana, USA
No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, in any language, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale.
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and coincidental.
Cover Design and Interior format by The Killion Group
Edits by Helen Nazzaro of One More Time Editing and Corrie Lavina Knight
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