Cassian (The Immortal Highland Centurions #2) - Jayne Castel Page 0,6
slinking away like a beaten dog, and he was very concerned about me.”
That made Heather’s smile slip. “He was?”
“Aye … it’s not that strange.” Aila drew herself up, chin tilting. “Perhaps he will dance with me this eve … it is Beltaine after all.”
Heather drew in a slow breath, her expression growing serious. “I do hope ye aren’t pining for him, Aila … it won’t do ye any good.”
Aila’s breathing hitched.
Her sister had no idea how she pined for him. He was the first thing she thought about each morning when she awoke, and her last thought before she drifted off to sleep at night. She looked forward to those times, to the quiet moments of the day, for they allowed her to daydream of what life would be like as Cassian Gaius’s wife.
“Why won’t it?” she replied, her tone sharpening. “Ye speak as if he’d never be interested in the likes of me.”
Heather shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. Ye are lovely, Aila … and one day a man will sweep ye off yer feet and make ye his wife. But Cassian has never shown any interest in taking things further. It’s unwise to give yer heart to someone who doesn’t want ye in return.”
Aila drew back. “What makes ye think he doesn’t want me?”
“Has he ever encouraged ye?” Heather’s tone was gentle now, her eyes shadowed.
However, her concern merely angered Aila. She was tired of being patronized. “He takes his role as captain seriously,” she shot back. “And I respect that. But ye should have seen him today … he was protective and concerned about my welfare.”
Heather huffed. “He’s a decent man … but that doesn’t mean he has any interest in ye. If he had, he would have courted ye.”
Once again, her sister’s words cut deep. Aila stared back at Heather, her throat thickening.
Damn her, I won’t cry.
“I don’t know why ye say such things,” Aila finally managed, hurt squeezing her ribs like a mailed fist. “I’ve only ever championed yer cause … but ye cut me down before I have a chance to go after my own.”
Heather’s eyes widened, red spots flaring on her cheeks. “Of course, I want ye to be happy. It’s just that—”
“Lady Gavina will be awaiting me,” Aila cut her sister off. Her tone was cold, yet it was merely a shield to hide the hurt that burned underneath. Heather was no different to her parents. Everyone treated her as if she was some fragile, goose-witted lass who needed to be shielded from life’s harsh realities.
She’d had enough of it.
Without another word, Aila turned on her heel and stormed from the solar.
When the door thudded shut behind Aila, Heather loosed a heavy sigh.
She wanted to go after her sister, to explain the reason for her caution. But she couldn’t betray Maximus, Cassian, and Draco’s secret to another soul—not even to her sister.
Aila was clearly besotted.
Heather had noted the signs from the first day she’d returned here. She’d caught Aila staring at Cassian when they joined the laird and his kin in the hall for meals.
But until today, her sister had always denied Heather’s teasing accusations.
“God’s teeth,” Heather muttered, twisting her hands together. “She’s about to get her heart broken.”
Heather knew Cassian Gaius couldn’t love her sweet-natured sister. Like Maximus, he was immortal—but unlike her husband, Cassian had walled off his heart.
Maximus had told Heather that Cassian once loved a woman deeply. He’d lived with her for many years, and the pain of losing her had nearly driven him mad. He’d sworn then and there that he’d never bind himself to another again.
It was a lonely choice—and not so different from the one Maximus had made.
But Cassian and Maximus were different men. Unlike his friend, Cassian’s past still drove him. She’d noted how aloof the man was, how little he gave of himself to others. Maximus said that when he, Cassian, and Draco spent time alone, the shield came down a little—but Heather had never seen it.
Heather’s belly tightened. What a cruel fate that druidess had given them. It had been a risk to give herself to an immortal, and to wed him, yet Heather had known that whatever happened, she would always love Maximus. It sometimes worried her that if they didn’t break the curse, he would one day suffer the same fate as Cassian. She didn’t want him to watch her age and wither while he stayed forever young. She didn’t want to see such grief in his eyes.