The Highlander’s Witch (39 page)

Doug’s reply came from the background. “Pin or Fin something or other, too hard to make out.”

“Finley?” Skye asked.

“Yes! That’s probably it.”

Skye shook her head at Doug’s excitement when she was obviously a prisoner.

“Do you know what that means?”

“Sorry, sis, yer gonna have to spell that one out for me.”

“The story reads that the invaders were pretty much annihilated, but this Finley guy gets away, somehow you bring him back.”

There was a low comment made and Sarah snapped. “Bring, brought, whatever.” Sarah turned back to Skye. “Sorry, not getting much sleep lately.”

Nodding in deep thought, Skye frowned.

“Maybe he comes here and I use the spell that brought me back to Aiden and we both appear back at the keep.”

“Oh! That might be it. There is nothing saying you appear, but there are little references to witchcraft anyway.”

There was a pause as they both thought about the possibilities, Skye keeping an eye out for either James or Riona.

“You need to change the wording just a bit Aunt Gladys says.”

Skye groaned.

“No, listen. Take away the ‘I’ in the beginning and say ‘us’ or something so that whoever you are touching will return with you . . . hopefully. Then, at the end, instead of ‘return to where I belong’ make it ‘to whom I belong.’ Your heart will take you to Aiden.”

“Oh, that’s good! I can do that.”

“Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. They don’t seem intent on doing anything to me until Finley gets here so get some sleep. I’m really pushing it keeping in contact with you this long.”

“Well, I’m not gonna sleep well with you imprisoned again so I’ll keep an eye on you while out of site . . . Doug says we’ll take turns.”

“Can you help with the ropes a bit before you leave? They’re too damn tight.”

“Stand still”

Coming to stand closer to the flames, Skye held out her hands.

“Not too much, just enough to help me get them off when the time is right.”

A flame flickered closer to her before a few embers landed on the twine, singing it loose.

Nodding her thanks, Skye looked away from the flames and began to work on the cords around her wrists.

*     *     *

Aiden and Collin’s men hid in various places, waiting for an attack while the women and children were removed from the perspective battle scenes as covertly as possible.

It was early evening. About an hour before the sun was to set, it began to rain and that was when they watched the Reivers sneaking up to the main entrance of the passageways.

“I count around three score enterin the tunnel.” Collin whispered.

“So did I.” Keir affirmed.

Keir received a nod from Aiden and passed the information on via hand signals. The word would get to their men before the enemy could get to the end of the passageways and to the rooms they opened up to.

Aiden knew they had fewer men around the chambers but, no matter how cautious the Reivers were, they had the element of surprise on their side.

Two of the older boys were stationed on separate towers, they would ring bells to tell everyone when the fighting had begun on the inside of the keep so that their men on the outside wouldn’t begin the battle too soon and alert the others with the clamor of fighting.

“I doona see Finley or his man.” Collin whispered.

Aiden nodded. “Neither do I.”

“Tis likely the coward be hidin til it be safe.” Keir pointed out.

Aiden clenched his teeth. “Or he be the one keepin Skye prisoner.”

“What do ye want us to do?” Keir asked.

Aiden struggled with that question before answering.

“Ye stay an fight. If there be anythin wrong with Skye, her sister has the power to help her. If tis truly bad, me mother will send one of the lads to me.”

The plan was simple; Years ago his father had prepared for such an occasion and had flour sacks taken apart and resown flat to reach from twenty feet into the passageway to where the tunnel broke off to go to the other chambers, then a fine layer of sand and flour was poured on top. The sand would damage their vision while the flour would cause any torches used to flash, causing pandemonium.

Rope was fastened in such a way that when pulled, it would release the sand. Men, on both sides, would get those stumbling out on either end and the rest would be dealt with easily enough.

If all went well.

*     *     *

Skye sat huddled before the fire as the rain fell, thankful for the covering James had tossed her when he’d brought her over to the fire, wishing it would keep her warm as well as dry since she could not use her bound hands to rub her arms.

Riona had thrown a fit when they hadn’t sought more reliable shelter and had stomped to the tent James erected and disappeared inside, snatching the ends closed as a final show of anger.

It had only been a few minutes since her aunt had checked on her and whispered that Doug was trying hard to read what Elizabeth had written about the invasion, but time had eroded much of the words and he wasn’t very optimistic. However, he was convinced about the references to Skye showing up with Finley.

She knew they were telling her this to keep her from becoming scared over what might happen to her while in captivity but they refused to tell her anything other than the immediate future, explaining that any knowledge about what might happen could change things and not for the better.

Resolved to discuss this refusal to pass information with her sister and Doug later, Skye watched and waited, still exhausted and feeling the effects of the emotional upheaval she had experienced since waking up.

Fantasizing about having an umbrella to keep the cold rain off her, Skye was startled out of her thoughts when someone came crashing through the woods towards them, James already on his feet, sword in hand.

Finley drew his horse to a cruel stop before the fire, leaping off with angry determination.

Skye took in his disheveled appearance while ignoring the furious demands Riona screeched when the girl found out it was her brother who woke her.

It wasn’t the wet and torn clothing or the blood smeared on the side of his face that made her stand but the way he kept his eyes on her as he approached.

Grabbing her upper arm, Finley yanked her roughly to him causing her to stumble and loose her balance as she crashed into his chest and clutched his shirt to keep from falling.

“Ye will be my vengeance.”

She so didn’t like the sound of that.

“Concentrate!”

Finley swirled around, keeping a firm hold on Skye as he glared at James.

“I am concentrating! I have been focused on nothing else since I escaped the battle those bumbling fools got us into.”

James looked confused but held his tongue. Skye looked into the flames, saw her sister, and knew she was the one who spoke out.

“Ye lost?” Riona squealed. “God’s blood, ye should have kept to the original plan!”

“Shut up! Ye lost any chance of that the moment ye started yer caterwauling in his study.”

“I did not! I was trying to make him feel like he needed to protect me, protect my virtue. Since you couldn’t get him into my bed, I had to do something!” Riona spouted as she poked him in the chest.

Softly, so as not to be heard over the angry exchange, Skye began her chant.

“Through
time
and
distance,
let
us
arrive
without
hindrance.

To
right
the
wrong
so
I
may
return
to
whom
I
belong.”

She was on the third repeat when she felt the queasiness begin. It was also when Finley hollered for James to take his sister out of his presence and focused back on her.

“What are ye rambling on about?” He demanded, gripping her tighter in his anger.

Skye looked up, a smirk on her face. “This is why you don’t fuck with a witch.”

Then she seized Riona, and because James was grabbing her, they all vanished together.

Chapter Fifteen
 

A
s soon as they appeared inside Aiden’s study, Finley dragged Skye to the floor as his legs gave out.

Her ears were ringing with the piercing screams of Riona until they were suddenly cut off.

Someone pried Finley away from her and then she found herself held in a tight embrace. Taking a deep breath, she was surrounded with the smell of everything that was Aiden and gratefully gave herself over to his strength as the commotion surrounding them told her the other three were being taken prisoner, Riona protesting her innocence.

“Be ye alright,
mo
leanabh
?”

“With you holding me, how could I not?”

Feeling his chest rumble with laughter, she smiled for the first time, free from her troubled thoughts.

Aiden’s hands smoothed over and down her hair before cupping her chin in his hands and raising her face so he could look at her.

“How did ye do that?”

“I did the same chant as the one in the forest, with a small twist and, since the others were linked to me, they came too.”

“Ye took a great risk, lass.”

“Please, Aiden, please don’t be mad. I couldn’t handle that right now.”

“Nay, lass. Neither could I.” He smiled down at her.

Suddenly, there was a cry from far away and Aiden lost his smile.

“Who is that?”

“Tis Anna, the bairn be comin.”

Skye twisted in Aiden’s arms to look at Collin. “It’s still early.”

Collin nodded his face ashen.

Pushing away from Aiden, she grabbed Collin by the hand.

“Come on, we need to go.”

“What? Nay, I can do nothin but wait here.”

She frowned in confusion at the man. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Ye must go though, ye can help them.”

She lowered her brows and pursed her lips. “Yes, I can, but you are coming with me.”

“Tis no me place up there.”

“Bullshit. You started this. You will be there to finish it. Now come with me or I don’t go at all.”

Skye stood firm in her resolve of ensuring some medieval mentalities would change.

“Ye would deny Anna’s safety?” Collin asked in amazement, looking from Aiden and back to Skye.

“No, Collin. But will you deny her the comfort only the man she loves can give her in one of the most stressful things she will ever go through?”

“I doona ken.”

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she grabbed his hand again. “You will. Now, come with me.”

They raced up the stairs, Skye saw Finley, Riona, and James being hauled around the corner to the same dungeon she’d been forced to suffer in and could not squelch the moment of satisfaction that brought her, even as she shivered with memories.

They entered Anna’s bedroom right after Anna cried out again.