Highlander's Bride: Medieval Romance (The Fae Book 1) (14 page)

“You need to be Rand MacKenzie once more.” Duncan clapped a hand on his shoulder. “My brother would certainly have to be blind no’ to notice the similarity and he’d question it if I said you were a Matheson. That I cannae have.”

“Then Rand I shall be.” He had no issue with Duncan’s choice and as they neared the landing, Jeremiah’s two men gripped the sides of their vessel and brought them up against the sea-gate.

Duncan jumped onto the stony platform and stormed toward Jeremiah.

Ronan bounded from the galley and followed. He’d never allow his cousin to stand alone, not in any way.

“I come in peace, Jeremiah, unlike you did to my shores,” Duncan snarled, his war coat flapping against his legs. “I ask for your hospitality this night. We’ve traveled far and all to ensure Kyla’s safe arrival.”

“Hospitality?” Jeremiah snorted and shook his head, his red hair gleaming under the torchlight one guard held behind him. “Dinnae try any trickery with me, Duncan. Kyla holds fae flood and you and Coll have had your chance to wed her, could so easily have done so while she was with you at Carron. You can be assured I will make her my wife, that I have our father’s permission to do so as well. This night she’ll be mine.”

“She’ll never be your wife.” Fury slammed into Ronan and he shoved forward, wanted to wrap his hands around Jeremiah’s neck and wring it.

“Stand down, Rand.” Duncan hauled him in behind him and Ronan gritted his teeth and forced his hands to remain at his sides. Aye, stand down he would. They needed to secure Jeramiah’s hospitality, to get inside those walls if possible.

“My, my.” Jeremiah narrowed his gaze on him. “Why is it you look so very similar to Coll, even more so than his own twin does?”

“Rand is one of my most trusted men.” Duncan stepped nose to nose with Jeremiah. “I demand to see Kyla and I willnae be leaving here until I’ve done so.”

“I’ll never permit you entry into my keep, but if you insist on seeing her then I’ll have her brought to the ramparts, right after she and I have spoken our vows.” Jeremiah gestured toward the battlements up high where a good score of warriors stood guard. “If you wish, I’ll even consummate our union while you watch on, then you’ll know for certain she’s my wife, and that you’ll never get her back.”

Pure rage burned through Ronan and Duncan shot him a look of warning over his shoulder. Never had he been so angry, yet this was exactly what Jeremiah wanted, to taunt and tease them, and if he succumbed to the man’s goading, then one wrong move would see him lose the chance to get inside that stronghold to reclaim his bride. He wanted her returned to him, and he wanted her back now. Only careful thought and planning would see that done.

“Be gone with you all.” Jeremiah flicked a hand at them as he backed away. “You’re to leave the moment you’ve seen Kyla on the battlements, or else I will carry out my threat and flip her skirts afore you. That I give you my word on.”

“No clergyman will ever wed you to Kyla, no’ when she must still do so of her own free will and I know my sister well. She will never utter vows with you.” Duncan spat on the ground. “Touch Kyla in any way, and I’ll gut you with my sword. That I give you my word on.”

“Strong words, brother, but meaningless all the same.” Jeremiah gave them his back, his warriors closing in behind him as he marched up the sea-gate stairs and inside, the portcullis clanking into place once all were well within.

“I want to do more than gut him.” Ronan paced back and forth along the landing. To Duncan’s men surrounding him, he muttered, “Make yourselves busy along these rocks. Scatter about as if you’re stretching your legs or whatever else comes to mind. I willnae be leaving here without my wife, which means we must find a way inside, and damn soon.”

“Follow his order, as if it were my own.” Duncan motioned to his men to move out then eyed Hamish. “Tell me you ‘see’ something.”

“No’ as yet, but I’ll be waiting and watching.”

“As will I.” Ronan bounded onto the rocks and crouched in the dark, his chest aching and his frustration burning fierce and hot. Find a way in, he would. Or perish trying. There was no other choice.

Kyla’s heartbeat thumped as she stood beside Fiona at her window. “I’ll no’ wait idly by for Ronan and Duncan to attempt a rescue. We have to find a way out of this place afore my chosen one loses all reason.”

“The only way in and out is through the main gate.”

“What about from the top of the tower? Can we get upstairs, sneak through the window and use a rope to scale down?”

“Should we fall then we’d end up a bloody mess on the rocks.” Fiona closed the shutters over the window. “What of your fae skill? ’Tis said those with the mind-walker ability can sway another’s intentions when within their mind. Has your skill ever grown to that level?”

“I’ve never attempted—oh.” Memories surged, of the time when she’d been down in the dungeons with Ronan following his initial capture at Duncan’s hands and she’d unknowingly used force against him when she’d issued her command for him to eat. His words flowed through her mind.

“
Cease using force against me.
” He’d taken a hearty swallow of the water, her mind entrenched within his. “
I can sense your fae skill, your subtle yet clear push within my mind to make me obey your orders.
”

“
I have no idea what you speak of.
” She truly hadn’t at the time, having never used force before.

“
Trust me, you hold a fae skill whether you wish to acknowledge it or no’, although it likely lays buried somewhat inside you since you have no’ had the chance to be guided by our people in the full use of it. I too am part fae and can sense your ability.
”

She grinned and cleared her thoughts. “Fiona, I’ve used force once afore. I’ll try to do so again.”

“Good, then dress and we’ll be away.”

She tossed her drying cloth aside and donned the shift the maid had left folded on the end of the bed. From the ambry, she whipped out a gown of the darkest color, one which would aid her in blending in with the night. With the mountainous folds of blue-black fabric in hand, she eased the velvet over her head and the layers slithered down her body and brushed the polished floorboards. Front laces pulled together and tied, she slid her feet into the slippers the maid had brought then ran her fingers through her damp locks. “I’m ready.”

“Then we leave, now.” Fiona looped one arm through hers and tugged her toward the door.

With one last deep breath to firm her resolve, she stepped into the passageway and with as much force as she could muster, thrust inside the guard’s mind. “
I wish to
leave, along with Fiona, and you will offer us your aid, immediately. Am. I. Understood?
”

“Aye, my lady.” A haze clouded the guard’s dark blue eyes through the slits in his helm.

“I—I—” Fiona stared at her in astonishment. “Demand something more. Ask him his name.”

Within the guard’s mind, she issued, “
Give me your name.
”

“Cedric,” he mumbled, his gaze still cloudy.

“Oh, that’s perfect.” Fiona clapped. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

“
Cedric, listen to me well. What is the best route for us to get outside, without anyone being any the wiser?
”

“The servants’ stairwell winds down to the kitchens.” Eyes still hazed. “There is a back door in one of the storage rooms that leads to a small rear courtyard.”

“
Show me the way
.”

“Of course.” He tramped down the darkened passageway then opened a door within a shadowed nook, one she hadn’t even noticed on her way up.

“I should have considered the servants’ stairwell myself.” Fiona hurried through the door Cedric had opened, her forest-green skirts swishing about her.

“
Follow me, as quietly and quickly as you can,
” she issued to Cedric as she rushed after Fiona. Oh goodness. The servants’ stairwell was so cramped and dark, lit only by a single candle on the landing just below them. Hands bunched in her skirts, she negotiated the tight turn of stairs with Cedric stooped over behind her. His shoulders brushed the gritty stone walls and his head scraped the low beamed ceiling. Musty air clogged her airways and she fought to drag in each breath.

“We’re almost there,” Fiona whispered from below as she hurried down the last few steps then halted next to a heavy wooden door and touched the knob. “The kitchens lie right beyond this door.”

“Allow me to see.” She shuffled past Fiona and creaked the door open an inch. A serving maid bustled about the steamy kitchens and another lass scrubbed pots at the basin. A fire burned in the ovens and the aroma of fruit tarts wafted through the air.

Another maid hustled in, her hands stained red by some kind of berry. She removed the fruit tarts from the ovens, set them on two trays, handed one to the closest maid and picked up the other tray herself before the two of them walked out the door with the pastries in hand.

She closed the door with a
snick
and caught Fiona’s hand. “There’s one maid remaining, whom we need to get past. Do you think you can get her to leave without raising any questions?”

“I could.”

“Or I could.” Raspy words from Cedric. He removed his helm and scrubbed a hand through his short black hair lying hot and slick against his scalp, his blue gaze now clear.

Damn it. She no longer held any control over him, had somehow allowed it to slip free.

She nabbed ahold of his mind again and he held up a staying hand, his gaze narrowed. “Nay,” he uttered. “You dinnae need to make any more demands of me, or force me to your will. I am of more use to you with my thoughts as my own.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Coll has my allegiance, given to him during his recent visit. I remain in Jeremiah’s stronghold for one reason only, to keep an eye on Coll’s wayward brother. I listened in at the door while you both spoke. I too hold a touch of fae blood and Coll has always known that. I am at your service, will always remain loyal to our clan’s next chief.” He removed his wrist dagger and handed it to her hilt first. “’Tis time for the fae to live.”

“You’re truly loyal to Coll and Duncan?”

“Aye, the fae blood I hold is four generations removed, and although I hold no skill, my younger sister does. The path I’ve chosen in joining your brothers’ cause is to ensure my sister’s future. She shouldnae have to live in fear of Colin or Jeremiah and their devious desires.”

“I believe you, and call me Kyla. All my friends do.” She pushed Cedric’s offered dagger back toward him. “Please, you must help Fiona and I get safely away. That is all I ask of you.”

“Once I dispense with the maid, I’ll see you directly to the sea-gate entrance myself. Few are aware of it, but there’s a deep underwater tunnel that flows from the sea-gate into the keep, one a solitary man can swim through, provided he know where it lies. I do.”

“What are you suggesting?” She brushed a cobweb from her arm.

“You both need to be prepared for a swim. I’ll sneak you out of here myself through that tunnel.”

“Well, ’tis a lovely night for a swim.” She grinned at Fiona. “Wouldnae you say?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then wait right here while I see to the maid.” Cedric eased past them in the cramped space, flung the door open and closed it to within an inch.

Nose to the inch gap, Kyla held her breath.

Cedric strode to the lass and ordered, “The laird’s betrothed needs more clothing. Find the seamstress and have her take bolts of cloth to the blue chamber.”

“Aye, right away.” The lass rushed out the door.

Kyla bounded into the kitchens and hurried to Cedric’s side, Fiona one step behind her. “How quickly will she find the seamstress?”

“The seamstress left earlier this eve for the village five miles to the south. The lass will take some time to run that errand. Follow me. I’ll no’ lead you astray.” He walked into the storage room set to the side, opened a tiny door that creaked terribly then closed it after them as they all snuck outside.

In the dark of the night, the fresh sea air swirling all around, they flattened themselves to the keep’s stony wall, just out of the sight of the guardsmen patrolling the battlements high above. Cedric edged along until they reached a small nook where stones surrounded a fish pond sloshing with water and the odd lily pad floating on top. He knelt, removed several rocks from around the edge and murmured, “This is where the sea-gate’s underwater tunnel begins. It leads directly outside to the rocks near the landing.”

“Oh, how clever.” She never would have guessed a tunnel lay directly below them.

“I’ll go through first, discover Duncan’s exact position on the other side of the wall then return for both of you.” He rose to his feet. “I overheard you say you hold a merged link with your chosen one. Reach for him along it. Tell him I’m coming.”

“Of course.” In the future she’d need to take great care if a guard stood outside her door, that he couldn’t overhear her, although Coll had already told Cedric the truth, which meant her brother trusted this man implicitly. Since Coll did, so too would she. She opened her link, followed the pathway to Ronan’s mind and sank into sheer mayhem when she did, his thoughts a tangled and frustrated mess. “
I have good news.
”

“
Speak it.
”

“
Fiona and I have found a guard who gave his allegiance to Coll during his visit here two months past. Cedric holds a touch of fae blood, even has a sister with a skill. He aids us now.
”

“
Are you certain of his loyalty? This could be a trap set by Jeremiah in the hope of capturing us and bringing your rescue to an end.
”

“
I’m certain, and we’ve made our way outside via the servants’ stairs and are standing within a quiet nook where few tread. Where are you?
”

“
Along the rocks near the sea-gate, discussing exactly how Duncan and I will make our way in. Hamish has seen naught yet, unfortunately.
” A sliver of moonlight streaked through the stormy, darkened clouds above and she looked through his eyes and found him crouched with Duncan, the sea crashing in and spraying over them, a coiled rope and grappling hook in his hands.

“
The guards will be able to see you should you scale the curtain wall, whether ’tis dark or no’. Jeremiah will be awaiting just such a move so he can attack without any recrimination.
”

“
We’re well aware, but we have little choice. I’m no’ leaving here without you. You’re my wife and where you are, is where I need to be.
”

“
I will never allow any harm to come to you because of me.
” She grasped Cedric’s mail-clad arm. “Ronan and Duncan are on the rocks next to the sea-gate landing. They’re close.”

“Tell them to stay right there. I’ll come to them.” He laid his helm on the ground then removed his chainmail, weapons, and chunky boots. Standing in only his leather pants and black tunic, he snuck his dagger from his wrist sheath and murmured, “I need to ensure the tunnel is clear of any seaweed and debris afore I allow either of you any entry. Disrobe as you can. The current will be strong so the less you’re wearing, the better.”

“That we can do.” She loosened the front stays of her gown and shoved the velvet down before slinking back farther into the darkened shadows in her white shift. “
You must stay where you are, Ronan. Cedric is coming to you through an underwater tunnel that leads directly outside.
”

Beside her, Fiona removed her forest-green gown and rolled it into a tight bundle, her brown shift blending in well with the dark.

“Here, you’ll need this.” Cedric hauled his black tunic off and handed it to her. “Your shift will be a bright beacon out on the rocks. Don my tunic instead. It should reach to your knees.”

“Thank you.”

“Give me a few minutes. Wait right here for my return.” Hunkered down, he removed an iron grate from under the lily pads and carefully propped it against the wall, rolled his pants to his knees and sat on the edge of the hole. Water sloshed as he maneuvered himself down, the rim barely wide enough to allow him to fit through. “Keep to the shadows and dinnae draw any attention to yourselves.”

“Of course and there is something I must tell you.” She knelt next to him. “Ronan looks eerily like Coll, so you should find him with ease. Take care as you swim.”

“I shall.” Shoulders scrunched, he sank and disappeared within the murky dark. Bubbles rose to the surface then nothing.

She pulled his tunic on and underneath it, shimmered out of her shift and tucked it within her gown and set her bundle next to Fiona’s clothing behind the grate.

“This is probably no’ the best time for me to remind you of this”—Fiona clasped her shaking hands together, her bottom lip wobbling—“but I’m still no’ overly fond of tight spaces clogged with water, no’ since that time we went swimming in the loch and I dove down deep and my foot got trapped between two rocks. You remember that day, dinnae you?”

“Aye, but ’twas so long ago. You must set that fear aside.” She scanned the courtyard and shrank back even farther into the shadows against the wall. “Coll and Duncan freed you without any issue that day, and I’ll be with you in the tunnel.”