down the length of the middle table, waving the smoking wand back and forth. Halfway toward the end of the table, he started coughing and thrust the smoking plant out at arm’s length beside him. “Go in peace, spirit. Leave this hall and go to the next stop on your journey. Be at peace.”
“Be gone with ye, ye foul bogle!” Fiona echoed.
Not to be outdone by Fiona, Ian waved his plant a little more ferociously. It was a wonder his bundle was still smoking, with all that waving. “Aye! Get the hell oot, ye demon spawn!”
Red stopped his progress toward the end of the table and put his hands on his hips, glancing at both Fiona and Ian. “There is no need to be so nasty.”
Ian put his free hand on his hip and swished the plant back and forth, still rather quickly in front of his face, and then he too coughed. After a few moments, he waved the smoke to the side. “We want it gone, dinna we? If ye are nice tae people, they want tae stay.”
“Aye! We want the foul beasty gone.” Fiona stomped to the end of the table on the right, farthest away from Ciaran.
Foul was right, but it wasn’t a beast that was bowfing. Ciaran waved his hand in front of his face, trying to get rid of the smoke smell.
“They are all candidates for Bedlam, if you ask me,” Louisa whispered beside him.
With his eyes watering, Ciaran glanced at her, wondering how the smoke wasn’t bothering her. “I’m nae sure what that means?”
“It means they are crazy.” Her lips twitched along with her nose.
Ah, so the smoke was bothering her. “Aye, I think they might all be aff their heids.”
Louisa chuckled, and the three wee bampots stood on the tables, debating whether gentle kindness or force was better.
“What are they doin’?”
“Bannon read that burning sage helps purify. It was either that or reading bible scripture, and he broke out into a cold sweat when I suggested it.”
“Aye, I canna see the mischievous Timothy liking the church.” Ciaran grinned.
“Oh he loves God and all, just not church. The last time he went to church, he ran out of the confessional and nearly knocked down the Earl of Humfries.” Louisa turned toward him, her eyes twinkling… or were they watering? “Timothy is claustrophobic. Besides, Bannon has never been one for studying, so he couldn’t remember any bible verses.”
Mirth bubbled up inside Ciaran until it spilled over with laughter. He couldn’t seem to help himself. Och, but Red made him happy. Everything about him—his bravery, his tenacity, his strange sense of honor that kept him from hunting, and most definitely Timothy.
Louisa studied him for a moment, then joined in the laughter.
The three on the tables had walked themselves back to their end of the great hall. They all stood there with hands on hips, looking like lopsided chimneys, with scowls on their faces.
“Ye are disrupting our ritual,” Fiona accused.
Still chuckling, Ciaran glanced at the others.
A blush covered Ian’s face, and he grumbled something under his breath. After jumping off the table, he walked over, and handed his plant to Red. “’Tis stupid. The bogle isna going tae leave. It’s been here since I was a lad.” He was still a lad, but Ciaran decided not to point that out. The lad was embarrassed enough.
Red took the smoking sage, holding one in each hand. He looked at them and promptly started coughing again.
Ciaran took pity on him and strode forward to relieve him of the sage. He took one and ground it on the table, then held out his hand for the other.
Fiona sighed loudly from her table. “Ye are ruining our exorcism, Ciaran.”
Ignoring her, Ciaran ground the other sage and extended his hand to Red. He could not quite help the smirk, but Red didn’t seem to mind. He smirked back and took Ciaran’s hand. Maybe it was because last night was still so fresh in Ciaran’s mind, but his hand seemed to warm and a feeling of contentment filled him. “I thought ye were getting nails.”
The grin fell right off Red’s face. He smacked his forehead with his free hand and groaned. “I got sidetracked.”
Ciaran chuckled, suspecting that was a common occurrence. Red’s brain was just too active for it to be otherwise. On the bright side, it was probably a good thing, because it must mean he was becoming comfortable being here on Skye.
Without giving him a chance to climb down from the