A Time Apart: Time Travel Historical Highlander Romance (7 page)

“Open it,” Donald ordered.

The touch of the sword in her lower back made Jenny comply. The area outside was bathed in bright sunlight and she was forced outside towards the low wall at the edge of the turret. The shaking of her legs made her collapse before she got there.

“You get on your feet or I’ll kill you right now,” Donald threatened and pointed his sword straight at her.

The sobs wracked Jenny’s body as she managed to get back to her feet. The vicious shove on her shoulder sent her towards the wall and she crashed against it to find herself looking down to the ground far below. The fate that was about to befall her was one she didn’t deserve, but as she turned to see the murderous intent in Donald’s expression, she resigned herself to the fact that she wasn’t going to survive the encounter with him.

Chapter Seven

Jenny’s scream split the air as her hair was grabbed to make her look at the ground far below the castle turret. It was a long way down and there was no way anyone falling that distance would survive it. She sure of that and the terror of the situation gripped her as Donald’s snarling words came out.

“Your bastard leaders will get here to the sight of your smashed and broken body down there,” he told her as he forced her head further out over the wall.

“They’re not my leaders,” Jenny said through sobbing gasps. “This has nothing to do with me. I don’t…”

“You’ve ruined us,” Donald interrupted in a menacing tone and his voice grew louder. “But you won’t survive to take any pleasure in it.”

“It’s not true,” Jenny yelled, but knew she was wasting her breath.

Donald didn’t want to hear what she was saying. He’d made up his mind that she was a spy for his enemies before he even met her for the first time and he wasn’t going to believe anything she said now. From the time he first saw her at the meeting of the clan council in the Great Hall he wanted to kill her and his threats were about to become a reality. All he was doing now was waiting for the moment he saw the Glennet clan approaching to throw her over the wall to her death.

“You would happily see every one of us dead,” he went on as his accusations against her continued.

Jenny knew there was no point in protesting and remained silent. It seemed her fate was sealed and that she was taking her last breaths. She still tried to struggle against the painful grip on her hair, but she was no match for the strength of Donald.

“But you won’t get the chance now,” he said in a mocking tone “You’re the one that’s going to die a terrible death.”

He went quiet as he stared into the distance and listened. The faint sound of a horn echoed across the glen a few times, but it eventually stopped. An ominous silence surrounded them that lasted for a few minutes, but it was eventually broken by the thundering noise of hooves that gout louder as it closed in on the castle.

The despair was overwhelming and Jenny closed her eyes as the grip on her hair tightened even more. She was about to be thrown to her death and there was nothing she could do about it. Her muttered prayers were quiet as she said what she thought would be her last words.

“Shut up bitch,” Donald growled aggressively. “Prayers won’t help you now.”

The tears rolled from the corners of Jenny’s eyes as she went quiet and waited for the end.

“What the…”

She heard the surprise in Donald’s voice and was aware of his grasp loosening. It made her open her eyes and she saw the men heading towards the castle were swathed in green tartan. It was the Dungannon clansman returning from the battle. She looked to the countryside beyond in the expectation of seeing an enemy coming after them, but there was none.

“Open the drawbridge,” a cry went up from down below.

The men raced towards the caste entrance and the drawbridge was raised after all of them crossed it. The loud noise of their entrance to the courtyard came up to the turret then all went quiet. Jenny kept her gaze on the open space of the glen to watch for others approaching the castle, but after a minute or two it became clear that no one else was coming.

The sound of the door crashing open caught her attention and her eyes opened wide as she looked towards it.

James,” she screamed as he walked towards them.

He didn’t acknowledge her as he stared directly at Donald.

“Let her go,” he told his older brother

“You’re…, you’re dead,” Donald let out in a hushed voice. “I saw you being struck and falling from your horse.”

“Knocked out,” James replied. “Not dead.”

Jenny put her hand to her mouth as she stared at his injury. Blood stained the side of his face and the tartan on his shoulder, with the gash on his head being the damage caused by the glancing blow of a weapon. Tears streamed down her face.

“What happened out there?” Donald asked as he narrowed his eyes.

“The horns you just heard were the sound of a retreat,” James told him. “Cameron Glennet is dead and his clan fled after it happened. When I came around after being struck I rallied our forces with father and victory is ours…, so let her go.”

Donald looked at Jenny and she saw straight away that he wasn’t going to do it.

“NO,” he cried. “How many of our compatriots have died today because of her? How much suffering has she caused to our clan? She must pay the price.”

“She had nothing to do with this,” James replied. “The feud with the Glennet clan was always going to spill over to war.”

“NO,” Donald shouted again. “If she lives it will only be a matter of time before they return for her. She dies today to end it.”

“Killing her won’t end anything,” James said. “Your paranoia just won’t let you admit you were wrong to think she was a spy or anything to do with the Glennet clan at all.”

“She’s tricked you, bewitched you,” Donald accused his brother. “She’s in league with our enemies and we need to kill her.”

James slowly drew his sword and held it at the side of his leg. It was an ominous sign that the day’s fighting might not be over. He took a deep breath then lifted the sword to point it directly at his brother.

“Let her go,” he said. “NOW.”

“You’re going to fight me?” Donald said in an incredulous voice. “Over a spying witch that isn’t fit to wear our tartan.”

His attention was focused on his younger brother and his grip loosened even more on Jenny’s hair. She knew she needed to do something to help save herself and wrenched herself away from him. Her scream pierced the still air as she threw herself to the side to avoid the violent swing of Donald’s sword and she desperately tried to roll away from him. He came after her and swung his sword again, but it clashed against metal as James came to her rescue. He battered his shoulder against his older brother’s chest to knock him away and they faced up to each other with swords outstretched in front of them.

Jenny sprang to her feet and backed away from them, but kept James between her and Donald. The two brothers circled around slowly as they sized each other up and she moved towards the door that led back to the lower floors. It was her way to escape and the impulse to run filled her mind, but she couldn’t do it. She shouted to James, but he ignored her call as he continued to move his feet and watch the sword of his brother.

“I’m going to kill that bitch,” Donald said.

“Then you need to kill me first,” James replied quietly.

“Get out of my way,” Donald threatened.

James simply shook his head. Jenny recoiled at the loud sound of the clash of steel as Donald lunged forward then backed off.

“I’m serious,” Donald went on. “You need to get out of my way right now or I’ll take it that you are conspiring against the clan.”

“Listen to yourself,” James accused him. “You think you’re the only one with the best interests of the clan at heart, but you’re going too far.”

“I won’t hesitate to kill you to get to her,” Donald warned.

He lunged for a second time, but James was ready and their swords clashed again before they backed off.

“A similar comment was made to me not long ago,” James said. “But when Cameron Glennet tried to come through me to get to father, he found it wasn’t so easy.”

“You killed Cameron?” Donald asked.

“Someone needed to since you ran from the battlefield,” James taunted his brother.

“I was injured,” Donald roared.

“So was I,” James went on. “But I didn’t run like a coward.”

Donald’s cry of anger was loud as he threw himself forward to a furious assault. His heavy blade slashed through the air time and again, but James managed to parry the blows as they rained down on him. The power of them made him back off and he was forced towards the wall that circled the turret. There was nowhere else for him to go when he banged against it, but he continued to defend himself as his brother’s onslaught became more intense.

“James,” Jenny screamed as the fight seemed to go against him.

She watched as Donald lifted his sword high and crashed it down. James managed to get his own blade in the way just in time, but it was close to his chest and as the weapons remained locked together they were forced nearer to his body. He used all his strength in an attempt to repel the attack and just about managed to do it as he shoved his brother back a few feet.

There was no respite as Donald’s blade crashed down again and the struggle for supremacy continued. Jenny heard the sound of footsteps and panicked as someone else came up the stairs. She moved away from the door in fear for her life and saw the clan chief burst through it.

“STOP,” he shouted, but his cry had no effect.

He moved in the direction of his two sons as Donald raised his sword again. James was almost hanging over the turret wall as the blade swung at his chest. He managed to move enough to the side to deflect the blow and it caused his brother to lose his balance and topple forward.

Donald crashed against the wall and his momentum carried him over it. He reached out desperately with his damaged arm and his fingers grasped at stone in a desperate attempt to stop himself from falling to the ground below. The pain of the injury shot through his body as his weight pulled him down.

“Donald,” James yelled as he reached out…, but it was too late.

Donald lost his grip and the fear showed on his face as he started to fall. He let go of his sword as he tried to grab at the wall, but it was useless and in seconds he crashed to the ground. His father looked over the wall and put his head in his hands as he saw his elder son’s dead body.

Jenny raced across to James and threw herself in his arms.

“I thought you were dead,” she cried as she pressed her head against his chest.

“I said you wouldn’t lose me” he replied.

They looked at each other and there was no stopping their lips coming together as their relief and passion for each other welled up. They held in a tight embrace until the sound of the voice came to them.

“James.”

He looked to his father, who moved towards them

“I’m sorry for what’s happened,” he said.

“Donald brought it on himself,” his father replied and the two men embraced.

Jenny looked over the wall and down to the broken body of Donald lying far below. A cold shudder ran through her at the thought of how easily it could have been her in his place. She took no satisfaction from his death, but felt no sympathy towards him either. He deserved what he got.

“Let’s go,” James said as he put an arm around her shoulder.

“Your head,” she let out as she looked at the blood on his face and shoulder.

“It’s OK,” he told her and smiled. “Everything’s going to be OK.”