"It should’ve been me," he whispered, his voice choked with guilt and sorrow. "I made a vow tae keep ye safe, tae protect ye from harm, and yet, here we are. Ye had tae... tae sacrifice yerself tae save my life." His voice dropped, and he spoke so softly she could hardly hear him. "And I wanted tae see ye one last time, tae tell ye... but... Claire, my love... oh, my love."