Highland Scoundrel (Highland Brides) (42 page)

Terror roiled in Shona's stomach. Twas two to one. Surely twould be safer to take them on one at a time.

Without another thought she unwound the plaid from her hips and stepped around the corner.

The standing guard snapped to attention as his gaze caught hers. She smiled. His jaw dropped, his gaze skimmed her body, the tunic that exposed one ivory shoulder, the shocking amount of leg that showed beneath its hem.

"Who are ye?" he rasped.

"Me name is Cara."

The second guard awoke with a snort and a jerk. "Who the hell is she?"

The first guard grinned. "Her name is Cara."

The men glanced at each other and grinned.

"And what might ye be doing here, maid?"

She pulled up her tunic slightly and looked them boldly in the eye, first one, and then the other.

"I just come from Laird William. He says the two of ye have had a long shift and I'm to relieve your boredom for a wee spell."

They blinked at each other.

"We're to leave the door unguarded?"

"God, yes!" said the bearded man.

She chuckled. The sound was low and suggestive. She hoped they could not hear the panic in it.

"In me vast experience, men are not usually so loyal to their posts when I am around." She shrugged, exposing a bit more shoulder. "But Willie said ye were to come with me one at a time."

The tall one nodded. "Me first."

"I've been here longer," argued the other.

She laughed again. Dear God, she had no time for this. If they did not fall for her ploy, Dugald would grow impatient and attack them on his own.

"A Munro is coming to relieve ye in a bit," she said. "Till then I'll save plenty for ye," she assured the bearded man. "Come, Longshanks."

She stepped away. The tall guard hurried after her and turned the corner. Dugald stepped forward. The guard's eyes widened, but he had no time to scream as Dugald grasped his head in both hands.

The tall man was dead before he hit the floor.

Shona stepped back, horrified by her own deeds. But Dugald caught her gaze with his own steely eyes.

"I'm here then," he said, quickly understanding her ploy, his voice loud enough to carry to the other guard.

Shona struggled with her senses, trying to do what she must. But her gaze slipped away to the man on the floor again.

"What room do I guard?" Dugald asked and reached out to shake her by the arm.

She came out of her trance. "Just to the left," she said. "Tell the bearded one to join me soon."

Dugald nodded at her then stepped forward to disappear around the corner.

"Bout time," said the guard.

"Yah," grunted Dugald.

There was a moment's pause, a shuffle of feet, and then all was quiet.

Shona closed her eyes and forced down the bile in her throat as she turned the corner to the guarded door.

"Is he dead?" she asked, staring at the body on the floor.

"Else I'm losing my touch," Dugald said and stepped toward the door.

He put his ear to the timbers, listened for a moment, then lifted the bar and swung the door quickly open. Light streamed into the otherwise dark room.

"Who...who is it?" rasped a small voice.

"Kelvin!" Shona rushed inside. He was sitting on a small cot, his eyes wide and his hair tousled. In a second he was in her arms.

"Ye came for me!" he rasped.

"Of course, lad. Of course we did," she crooned. Relief rushed through her.

"But how did you get through? How’ll we get out?"

"Not to worry," she soothed, and pulled him tighter against her as Dugald dragged one of the guards into the room.

"Lord William took me. And the wizard!" Kelvin shuddered. "He looked right through me, but I did not tell them, Shona. I did not say. It's so dark. But when they left me..." He paused, his arms tight about her. "I lay down and dreamt of ye."

"And your dreams called me to ye," she whispered.

Dugald reappeared with the tall guard. Lifting him onto the bed, he turned him over on his back, and whipped the covers over him so that only a bit of hair showed.

"What is he doing?" Kelvin asked.

"Shh." She hushed him as she stroked his hair. "Shush now."

"Are we ready?" Dugald straightened.

"Aye."

In a moment they were out the door. Dugald closed it behind them.

"How will we get out of the castle?" Kelvin asked again.

"Shh." Shona hustled him along.

"The front gate will surely be guarded," Kelvin said.

They hurried down a flight of steps.

"We've a friend there," Dugald said.

"Someone's coming!" Shona gasped, but it was already too late.

Five soldiers stepped around a corner less than rod away. "Who goes there?" one of them called.

"Tis just me," Shona said, her heart in her throat. "A simple maid and my son."

There was a moment of heart-rending silence, and then the soldier stepped toward them. "What the hell are ye doing up and about at this hour?"

"Lord William said to fetch him some ale."

"The hell ye say. I was just with the duke." He drew his sword out with a metallic twang.

"Run!" Dugald shouted.

Shona delayed a moment, but already Dugald was lunging toward the soldiers. There was nothing she could do but spin away and drag Kelvin with her.

They galloped down the hall.

Grunts and moans and curses followed them, but it was the sound of running feet that made Shona twist about to look behind.

Dear God! A soldier not a hundred paces behind them! And Kelvin was already slowing.

They careened around a corner. Which way to the gate? She was all turned around.

But there. They'd come that way before; she remembered the odd shape of the garderobe door.

But that meant they had a long stretch ahead of them, and soldiers behind.

"Here!" She grasped Kelvin's hand harder, dragged him toward the latrine, and shoved him inside. "Down the shaft!"

"What?"

"Down the shaft," she whispered. "It'll take ye to the burn."

"Nay! Not without ye."

"Kelvin!" She shook him by the shoulders. "I have sworn to protect ye. Now ye must do as I say. Down the shaft." Dragonheart felt heavy as a log about her neck. "Here..." Whipping Dragonheart from her neck, she slipped it over his head. "Tis magical, lad. It brought me to ye. Twill surely bring ye to freedom. When ye reach the water, follow the flow. I will find ye. I swear I will."

His eyes were wide with terror, his fingers like claws on her hands. "Ye will come for me?"

"I will come," she vowed.

He leapt atop the latrine. Dragonheart glowed like a beacon in the darkness, but she had no more time to watch.

"Run!" she shouted, as if he were ahead of her, and lunged away.

She heard the soldier sprint around the corner after her. And though twas terrifying to hear him come, still twas a relief, for he had not stopped at the garderobe. She could only pray that Dugald was safe, for there was nothing she could do now but save herself. On and on she ran with the soldier drawing nearer. Another corner. In a moment she would be out of sight. She'd find a place to hide.

Shona leapt around the corner.

Three men stood in quiet conversation.

She skidded to a halt. The men turned toward her.

"William!" she gasped.

"What the devil!"

The soldier careened around the corner behind her. She heard him jolt to a halt, but didn't turn toward him, for William held all her attention.

"So, ye have come," William smiled. He took a slow step toward her, and she saw now that his left arm was bandaged.

"Where's the boy?" the soldier gasped, still out of breath.

"What boy?" William snapped.

"The one that was with her."

William turned slowly toward Shona and smiled. "So ye managed to free the lad, did you? I fear I underestimated ye, my dear. But the boy doesn't matter now that I have you."

She backed away, but there was very little room.

“Did I not tell you the lad would draw her, William? They have a bond."

Shona turned toward the speaker. "Magnus," she whispered.

The old man pushed back his hood. "Some call me Warwick, lass."

Terror speared through her. Mayhap against William and his thugs she would have a chance, but not now, for already she could feel the oppressive terror of the wizard's presence. He had been the evil she felt by her door at Dun Ard. She was certain of it suddenly. And now she remembered every moment of her struggle against him in Dugald's room, as if he had somehow clouded her memory.

"So what is the boy to you?" William asked.

She shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Your bastard, I think, though Warwick disagrees. Twould be kind of ye to settle this dispute for us."

She swallowed, trying to calm her nerves, to think.

"Mine? Ye think Kelvin is mine?"

He stepped closer still as did his solders. She moved against the wall. They were closing in.

"In truth, lass, I dunna care if ye have lain with every man in Christendom. I only want one thing from you."

"What?" She shook her head. "What do ye want?"

Warwick stepped forward, his opaque eyes eerie in the flickering light. "Give me the amulet."

"Dragonheart?"

"Ye could have saved yourself a good deal of trouble if ye had handed him over when I asked,"

William said. "Greed is a terrible thing. Still, tis a sin I can understand."

"Tis just a pendant," she gasped, still backing away. She was fast running out of room. "Why do ye want it?"

"Why?" William laughed. "In truth, tis the wizard who desires it so. I would suggest ye do as he asked, for I fear he will go to great lengths to get it. Indeed, it seems he intended to crawl up the tower to your room, but your brave Dugald distracted him."

"The dragon is meant to be mine," Warwick murmured. "I have waited an eternity for it. It calls to me. I can feel its power even now."

Her throat felt tight with fear. "So twas ye who placed the wolf in the woods?" Shona asked, trying to stall, to give herself a few more moments. "Did ye hope that it would kill me?"

William chuckled. "Ye wound me with your low opinion of me, Shona. I planned that scene exactly as it happened. I knew how attached ye were to the lad, so when I learned he would be riding with ye, I realized how ye would idolize me when I saved him—enough to marry me, surely, thus granting me full access to the amulet, not to mention your family's power."

Warwick was close now, nearly within reach.

She shrank back against the wall.

"Ye should have gone through with the wedding plans, Shona," William said. "Certainly I would not have let Warwick harm my bride. But now...I fear he holds a bit of a grudge against your kinsmen. It seems one of your own damaged his arm rather badly when last he tried to take the amulet."

"Give me the dragon," Warwick said. His voice was soft, but his eyes were not, and pulled her in like a cold current.

"I dunna have it," she rasped.

Warwick stopped.

But William only tsked. "I know better. Ye never remove the amulet."

"I dunna have it," she repeated, and wrenching her gaze from Warwick's, pulled her tunic aside.

No chain hung about her neck.

Warwick recoiled as if struck. "Where is it?"

"I gave it away."

"Ye lie!" William snarled. Yanking out his sword, he leapt at her. She pivoted away, but too late. He grabbed her by the tunic and pulled her back. Spinning her about, he ripped at her shirt. It tore down the shoulder seam, baring part of one breast.

She tried to cover herself, but William jerked her arms away.

"Damn ye! Where is it?” he roared. "Who has it?"

Not Kelvin! Not Kelvin! But who? "Liam!" she lied. "I gave it to Liam."

"The Irishman?" snarled William.

"Liam!" rasped Warwick. "Tis Liam's presence I feel." He stumbled backward as if struck, then lurched away.

"Where are ye going, old man?" bellowed William.

"Liam is at the gate!"

"What the hell are ye talking about?" William roared, but Warwick was already gone.

The castle went quiet but for the harsh sound of Shona's raspy breathing.

"So my bonny maid, ye gave it away did ye?" William asked, turning his attention back to her.

She nodded, barely able to achieve that simple motion for the terror that seared her.

"You gave it to another after refusing me?" he asked, and ran the edge of his sword down her cheek.

She shuddered and shut her eyes.

"That wasn't very nice. But ye know what I think?"

She dared not look at him.

"I think ye lie, Shona, my love. But I believe a bit of steel applied to the right place will help ye tell the truth."

He drew back his sword. She bit her lip and tried not to scream.

"William!" someone yelled.

William yanked his sword up. Dugald threw his knife, but a soldier had already lunged toward him and now caught the blade in his shoulder. He screamed in agony and staggered back.

Another soldier lurched forward. Dugald spun about and kicked him, sending him sprawling into William's sword.

Shona leapt to her feet and hurtled past them.

Dugald gave the dying soldier another shove. He went down in a heap, dragging William with him.

Dugald spun away, grabbed Shona's hand, and leapt around the corner.

"Get them!" screamed William.

The sound of scrambling feet echoed in Dugald's brain. He had to get her out, find a way to safety. A door appeared ahead. They raced away and swung it open.

A troop of soldiers, alerted by the yells, scrambled in the narrow passage, fighting to wrench their swords out.

Shona shrieked. Dugald slammed the door shut. They leapt away, but William was already in sight, tearing down the hall after them. They lunged to the right.

Which way to the gate? It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered but to stay alive, to get her free.

"Surround them!" William screamed.

And suddenly, as if by command, more soldiers appeared up ahead.

Dugald skidded to a halt.