“Over my dead body he will,” Quinn vowed.

“Her da brought three men here so she could choose a husband. And what does he do? Both you and I would do the honorable thing, marry her and give her a name, babes, and a life. Roderick tups her and will likely saunter off into the sunset, and you know it. That man has no intention of wedding her. If he possessed one honorable intention, he would have left her to you or me, men who would do right by her. I’m telling you, you don’t know him as well as you think.”

Quinn scowled, and the minute Jillian disappeared from view, he stalked off muttering beneath his breath.

The day passed in a haze of happiness for Jillian. The only moment it was marred was when she encountered Quinn at breakfast. He was distant and aloof, not his normal self at all. He eyed her strangely, fidgeted over his breakfast, and finally stalked off in silence.

Once or twice she brushed past Ramsay, who was also behaving oddly. Jillian didn’t spare much thought for it; they were probably still suffering the aftereffects of the poison and would be fine in time.

The world was a magnificent place, in her opinion. She was even feeling magnanimous toward her da for having brought her true love back to her. In a burst of generosity she decided he was as wise as she’d once thought. She would wed Grimm Roderick and her life would be perfect.

CHAPTER 20

“WELL?” RONIN MCILLIOCH DEMANDED.

Elliott shuffled forward, clutching a sheaf of crisp parchments in his hand. “Tobie did well, milord, although we couldn’t risk moving in too close to Caithness. Your son possesses the same remarkable senses you have. Still, Tobie managed to capture his likeness on several occasions: riding, saving a small boy, and twice with the woman.”

“Let me see.” Ronin thrust an impatient hand at Elliott. He rifled through the pages one by one, absorbing every detail. “He’s a bonny lad, isn’t he, Elliott? Look at those shoulders! Tobie dinna exaggerate, did he?” When Elliott shook his head, Ronin smiled. “Look at that power. My son’s every inch a legendary warrior. The lasses must swoon over him.”

“Aye, he’s a legend, your son is. You should have seen him kill the mountain cat. He cut his own hand to bring on the Berserker rage, to save the child.”

Ronin passed the sketches to the man at his side. Two pairs of ice-blue eyes studied every line.

“By Odin’s spear!” Ronin exhaled slowly as he reached the last two drawings. “She’s the loveliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Your son thinks so,” Elliott said smugly. “He’s every bit as besotted as you were with Jolyn. She’s ‘the one,’ milord, no doubt about it.”

“Have they …?” Ronin trailed off meaningfully.

“Judging by the wreck Gavrael made of the Greathall, I’d say yes.” Elliott grinned.

Ronin and the man at his side exchanged pleased glances. “The time is at hand. Get with Gilles and start the preparations for him to be comin’ home.”

“Yes, milord!”

The man sitting next to Ronin raised ice-blue eyes to the McIllioch’s. “Do you really think it’s goin’ to happen as the old woman foretold?” Ronin’s brother, Balder, asked softly.

“Cataclysmic changes,” Ronin murmured. “She said this generation would suffer more greatly than any McIllioch, but promised that so, too, would this generation advance, and know greater happiness. The old seer swore that my son would see sons of his own, and I believe that. She vowed that when he chose his mate, his mate would be bringin’ him home to Maldebann.”

“And how will you transcend his hatred for you, Ronin?” his brother asked.

“I doona know.” Ronin sighed heavily. “Maybe I’m hoping for a miracle, that he’ll listen and forgive me. Now that he’s found his mate he may be sympathetic to my plight. He may be capable of understandin’ why I did what I did. And why I let him go.”

“Doona be so hard on yourself, Ronin. The McKane would have followed you to him if you’d gone after him. They were waiting for you to betray his hidin’ place. They know you won’t breed more sons. They doona know I even exist. It’s Gavrael they’re determined to destroy, and the time is quickenin’. If they discover he’s found his mate, they’ll stop at nothin’.”

“I know. He was well hidden at Caithness for years, so I thought it best to leave well enough alone. Gibraltar trained him better than I could have at the time.” Ronin met Balder’s gaze. “But I always thought that at some point he would come home of his own volition; out of curiosity or confusion about what he was if nothing else, and long before now. When he didn’t, when he never once looked west to Maldebann … ah, Balder, I fear I grew bitter. I couldna believe he hated me so completely.”