It Happened One Bite Read Free

pleaded, his face finally serious.
    Blaire frowned. She would like to think that her brother could accept her as she was after all this time. But he was forever trying to change her into a laces-and-fripperies kind of lass, when hunting and shooting ran through her blood. It was a shame those sorts of accomplishments weren’t highly regarded as particularly feminine. Perhaps someday she would find a man who could accept that she would always best him at manly arts and not be afraid of her strength and power. And perhaps all the stars in the sky would turn to diamonds and rain bracelets and earbobs across her path, too.
    No, she was doomed to live a solitary existence. She refused to endure the sort of life her mother had had, settling for a bitter drunkard who could never accept her gifts, hiding her true self, and dying a little more each day. They’d all suffered from that situation, and Blaire would never willingly live that way again. Being alone couldn’t possibly be worse.
    The coach hit a bump so hard that Blaire bounced from her seat to knock her head on the roof of the carriage. She groaned and pressed a hand to the offending lump that quickly grew at her hairline.
    “Are ye all right?” Aiden asked as though he was suddenly concerned for her well-being.
    “Aye, I’m well. But I will be quite happy when we arrive so I can stretch my legs.” She lifted the curtain and looked out the small window. “Look at that, Aiden.” She nudged his leg.
    “What is it?” he asked as he sat forward.
    The golden sun was setting behind a large stone structure, and it looked like a beacon of light that was guiding them home.
    “That’s Briarcraig Castle,” Aiden breathed in awe.
    “Let me see!” Brannock cried as he edged himself in between them. “ That is yer castle?” He sat back with a disappointed huff.
    “Well, it’s no’ a pile of rocks,” Aiden said brightly. “At least it’s still standin’.”
    “Barely,” Brannock sniffed.
    Blaire shot him a look, and the boy immediately sat up and removed the scowl from his face.
    The stone structure was surrounded by a low rock wall that opened to a courtyard, and what might have been gardens at one time were now covered in thick weeds and vines, even in the dead of winter. If she returned in the spring, Blaire would need to bring Sorcha with her. The youngest witch could enchant the plants, encouraging them to bend effortlessly to her will and making at least the outdoors hospitable.
    The castle itself was a huge monstrosity, probably born of some wealthy laird’s imagination. But even Blaire had to admit it looked quite pretty with the setting sun and shimmering loch in the background. Almost enchanting in its own right.
    Their coach rumbled to a stop on the bumpy drive, the stillness of it a bit ominous after such a long journey. Aiden stepped out quickly, followed by Brannock. Neither of them waited to hand Blaire out, and she didn’t expect them to. She was perfectly capable of vaulting out under her own strength.
    She stretched tall, extending her arms over her head to lengthen her long body. That she was a half inch taller than Aiden had always been a source of contention for her older brother. And Aiden was taller than the average man. She’d grown accustomed to looking down at most of the men she knew.
    The low stone wall that surrounded the property had a rusty iron gate in the middle. Aiden gave the gate a quick push, and it promptly fell from its hinges. Even still, the look of boyish wonder never left his face.
    “It’s beautiful, is it no’, Blaire?” he asked over his shoulder.
    “Aye, it has a bit of charm,” was all she could manage.

Two
    Aiden slid a polished key into the bolt, but the lock refused to click. He rattled the key until Blaire felt certain it would break. She cleared her throat, and when her brother looked over his shoulder at her, she raised her brow expectantly. “Would ye like me ta give it a try?”
    He scowled but