by Fiona Faris
“Och, aye. I dinnae ken if it’s who yer lookin’ for or not, but only one man in this gaol fits that description. A tall, braw ginger. Came in days after th’ battle. He wasnae well. Moaning for his da. Wounded, but not mortally so.” He paused and ripped another chuck of bread. He had no front teeth, and in order to get the bread into his mouth he had to lean his head back, open his mouth wide and rip the loaf from his back teeth. An altogether tedious way to eat, Nathan surmised, but then again he seemed grateful for the bread at all.
“Where is he?” Nathan asked.
“Gone.”
“Gone? Gone where?” Milly was frantic behind him, waving the torch and looking the cells that surrounded them as if by some miracle Gavin would appear.
“The English commander came in two days past and took him out. There was a Highlander with him. One I hadnae seen before, big man, golden, even in th’ dark of the dungeon I could tell that. And thick in the shoulder. Wearin’ a plaid. The prisoner, poor lad could barely walk. I assume they meant tae hang him, but why would a Highlander come? I remember it because it was so odd. Seein’ a Highlander with the English, all proper and friendly like.”
A Highlander? Golden? Who in the hell was Kennedy describing? It had to be one of Elias’ men. But they had only been gone from the keep for less than a week. If Gavin was taken out two days back, that means…
“Holy shite,” Nathan said. “Elias kent where we went. He got tae Gavin before we could.”
Chapter Nineteen
Milly paced the uneven wooden floor of their lodging room, giving no heed to the small bits of splinter that hit the balls of her feet with each step. Her mind was racing with fear threatening to consume her. No, Gavin. They had been able to leave the prison, undetected, with as little effort as it took to get in, and now, back in the safety of the inn, all immediate danger to their persons passed, anger consumed her. Elias! How could he have been on to them that quickly? And the prisoner, the man Kennedy said that Gavin was unwell? Surely, whoever Elias sent back to retrieve him wouldn’t make him travel such a great distance unwell. They had to get back to MacKenzie Castle as quickly as possible. Gavin was ill, or worse, he could already be dead.
She collapsed on the floor, her energy and will seemingly beaten. “Why has Elias done this? What has anyone done to him? Why has he treated my family thus?” She put her head in her hands and let the emotion of the day, nay, the week take hold. There was no use in fighting it. They lost. There was no telling where her brother was taken, or if he survived the journey. How could she have been so foolish to think she could beat Elias? He was too well connected, too powerful.
“It’s may fault, lass, I shouldnae hae underestimated Elias.”
“What do ye mean your fault? None of this is yer fault. This is all yer cousin’s doing.” She looked up at Nathan as he moved from his spot on the bed and crouched on the floor beside her. He leaned his head back in exasperation that she knew they both felt keenly.
“He wasn’t always like this, ye ken. He was a good lad. He even laughed a lot as a boy. It’s my fault he is this way.” Was he insane? How on Earth could Nathan possibly be defending the man who was ruining both of their lives? “We were lads when I fell ill. His mother, ye see. She was a light in the keep. English, that may help ye understand a bit about Elias and his love of the English right there. Got it from his ma, even though her people washed their hands of the woman. They considered her a traitor. Elias has never been able to stop thinking that maybe the grass is greener on the English side of things. So, I was ill. We were ten or there about. I think ye were probably too young tae remember but it seemed like the whole of the Highlands was ill. The MacKenzie keep was hit with the worst of it. That is how we lost my ma. Well, Elias’ mother, my aunt, she dropped everything and everyone tae take care of me. I was the heir. I needed to live. And live I did, but my aunt, Elias’ mother, she fell ill not long after my fever broke. She was dead fast, not even three days. Elias was devastated. He did what any boy would do when faced with that kind of grief. He lashed out, blamed me. He was never the same after that.”
Milly reached out and placed a hand on Nathan’s knee. She couldn’t believe that such a simple act of kindness, caring for a sick lad who had just lost his ma, would cause so much hatred from Elias. Nathan was right, she was too young to remember the illness that swept through their lands, but over the years she had heard the stories. Her clan had also lost a lot of people, good people, men, women and children. Illness was not particular, nor was it specific. The fact that Nathan survived at all, being so young, was a godsend. A chill ran through her at the thought that he might’ve died so young.
“Elias never grew out of his rages. His father, my Uncle William, was at a loss. He dinnae ken how tae help th’ boy. My da decided that sending him away tae his relatives in the south may be the only solution. Since Elias was so convinced England was the better option, he was sent to a cousin, a titled man in England. My da said it was tae let the lad see how the other half lived, maybe it would help give him some peace. Of course, ye remember what he was like when he was home. I assume he was given every possible advantage and education, as when he returned he was learned.”
“Aye,” Milly said. “He was sullen and always cross. I never much wanted tae be around him, but he’s always been a smart lad.”
“Och, no one liked tae be around him,” Nathan continued, smiling at Milly. She remembered Elias always hanging around the edges when the children would play. He never wanted to join in. Never engaged. “He will stop at nothing tae get what he wants. You and Gavin are just pawns to him, and I will always be sorry that ye’d been dragged intae this mess. What Elias wants is ruin. He wants tae ruin me, ruin the clan, and ruin everything that we stand for. He never got over his mother’s death. He blamed my da, his da, and most of all he blamed me. I was foolish that I dinnae see it more clearly before.”
Wet, hot tears fell down her cheeks. It was a sad story, made more sad that it was happening to them. She didn’t want to weep for the man Elias was. She hated him with every fiber of her being. But she wept for the lost boys that Nathan and Elias were. She wept for Nathan now and her brother. It seemed she would not be able to stop weeping.
Nathan wrapped her into his arms and rocked her back and forth as she cried. His warmth felt good, but nothing would be able to reassure her now. “This is all my fault.” He dropped feather light kisses in her hair and along her cheeks. It wasn’t a romantic embrace. It was something so much more. An embrace of comfort, and Milly allowed him to hold her. She felt good in his arms. He was wrong of course, none of this was his fault. Nathan was as much a victim of Elias and his greed as they all were. Nathan took her lips gently in his own. She fell into him. If they had lost hope, at least they still had each other.
“At least we can stop looking,” she said, pulling away from the kiss, defeated.
“Nay, lass. I won’t ever stop looking. We ken Gavin is alive. He’s either on his way back tae Mackenzie Keep or already there with Elias. We’ll leave at first light an’ head back tae th’ keep. With any luck, we can catch up tae whoever took Gavin on the road. If he’s ill, as Kennedy indicated, they couldn’t travel as fast as you and I with two horses.”
Milly appreciated everything Nathan had done for her since they left Mackenzie Keep, but she feared the worst. She turned away from him. She feared this whole exercise had been for naught, and she was going to lose her brother anyway. Nathan placed a finger under her chin and turned her back, locking his gaze with her own. “I willnae rest until we find your brother, and Elias pays for his crimes. I vow it to you.” There was only determination in the blueish grey of his eyes. She loved him for that determination. She lifted her head and placed a light kiss onto his mouth. A kiss for young Nathan, a kiss for her Nathan who had been through so much, but still found a way in his heart to help her.
* * *
Nathan lost track of how long they sat on the floor holding each other. Finally when
the tingling feeling of pins and needles in his legs became too much to bear, he moved Milly to the bed. The feel of her in his arms was a delightful torture, but she had been through too much for him to take advantage of his desire. The stronger part of his will was content to hold her and keep her near. He moved her so that she pressed up against him. With his arms wrapped around her, he reveled in how perfectly they fit together. His desire for her was stronger than for any lass he had ever known. His vow to find Gavin and make Elias pay was as much for her peace of mind as his own. When he thought of the torture his cousin put Milly through, a fresh white rage consumed him. It wasn’t for his clan that he would fight his cousin to the death. It was for Milly. He held her as she fell into a restless sleep. He knew come morning everything would change. He’d meant what he said about leaving at first light and she would need all of her strength if they were to ride like the wind back to the keep.
Now that Nathan knew Gavin was truly alive and that his cousin was behind his imprisonment, Nathan started to form his plan of attack. Something about Gavin being taken from the gallows, and Elias being two steps ahead of them the whole time, wasn’t sitting right with Nathan. He figured that Elias would be able to gather rather quickly that Milly had left with him, and it would not take any genius on his cousin’s part to hash out where they were going. But why would Elias risk everything he wanted by bringing Gavin back to the keep? Surely there were those in the clan, not loyal to Elias, who would see Gavin in the dungeon. There was no way the council would allow Elias’ claim of Laird if it came to light that he had abducted a fellow Highlander and friend to the clan. Unless Elias had infiltrated the clan further than Nathan realized. He only needed proof to push the council to revoke Elias completely. If he found Gavin, he would have all that proof.
Milly stirred in his arms and he could tell she was dreaming. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She was something of an amazement to him. He smiled as he thought of her sweet English accent at the gallows, and how she was firm yet charming with the idiot guards, gaining them the access they needed. She didn’t back down in the face of danger, yet she was still fragile when it came to the pain and suffering of others.
Bringing her back to the keep was a bad idea. If he and Elias were to finish this, and they were, one of them was not going to survive. Nathan would be damned to hell for all eternity before he would allow Milly to be placed in the crosshairs of the inevitable battle with his cousin. He couldn’t bear the thought of her fate should he lose. Elias couldn’t be trusted. Nathan wanted Milly nowhere near him. Now that he knew where Gavin was likely to be, if they didn’t catch up to Gavin and his abductor on the road home, Nathan had no choice but to leave Milly back at Cadney, in her home, where he could be assured of her safety until Elias was dealt with.
Millicent MacGille was very quickly becoming the most valuable thing in Nathan’s world. Before man and God, he would protect her with every ounce of soul in his being. She rolled over and wrapped her arms around Nathan’s waist. Her eyelids fluttered and she let out a light sigh. Nathan hugged her tighter to him. Elias, cousin, your time is up. This ends now, he thought before allowing sleep to overcome him as well.
Chapter Twenty
Road Back to MacKenzie Keep
So far the road back to the keep had been smooth and uneventful. Over the last two days, Milly had been impressed by the time they made, but they still hadn’t come upon Gavin or any other travelers at all. When she began to fade or allowed her mind to wander to any dark place, Nathan kept her occupied with adventures of his time as a bounty hunter and stories of their youth; endearing himself more to her than she’d ever thought possible, and helping her stay focused. They stopped only briefly during the day to feed themselves and the horses, and at night they slept under the stars. The weather was unusually warm for January, and for that Milly was thankful. Although the nights were still cold, and she didn’t mind huddling next to Nathan for warmth. She felt safe in his arms. That was something unexpected, but she found it would be difficult to live without it when their lives returned to normal. Ha, she thought. What was normal, really?
Nathan had been riding a little further ahead than she, and Milly couldn’t help but admire his fine form on the horse. He was strong and sure in everything he undertook. She was confident he would be a great Laird. She only wished she could do something to give him some of her own confidence in that regard.
He circled back to her. “Lass, it’s well past noontime, I think we should stop ahead at those trees to feed ourselves and the horses.”
As if on cue, Milly’s stomach gave a hearty growl. There was no denying she was hungry. They hadn’t broken their fast, and the ride was hard. “I see ye agree, then.”
“Aye.” She blushed as Nathan gave a chuckle.
The sun was warm on her cheeks as she settled on the plaid. She tried to put thoughts of Elias and Gavin out of her head, choosing instead to pretend they were on a warm winter’s day picnic.
Nathan split their loaf of bread in half, offering her the slightly larger piece. She couldn’t help but notice they were almost out of the meager rations the innkeeper had generously packed for their journey. How much longer would they be out in the wilds, away from people, and food before they were back on MacKenzie lands?
“Nathan?”
“Aye, lass?” He was layering a thick spread of butter along his bread. He looked like a boy sitting there with half of his tongue out, concentrating on ensuring every visible piece of the loaf was covered in the creamy spread. She couldn’t help but smile, even through her worry.
“We are almost out of food… how much longer in the journey?”
“Dinnae fash, lass. We will be upon Cadney by nightfall.” He crammed a large chunk into his mouth and smiled at her. Her ears must have deceived her because she clearly thought he said Cadney and not MacKenzie. Displeasure began to creep into her thoughts as she realized the sheer gall of the man sitting before her. Of course he meant Cadney, but she meant to make him say it. He owed it to her to be honest.
“Surely you mean MacKenzie? I thought we were going straight to your keep to confront Elias and find Gavin?” She watched intently, her eyes never leaving his as he swallowed and set down his bread. His eyes losing their humor as he became serious.
“Aye, but first I intend to drop ye at Cadney and speak tae yer brother, Lucas. Ye need tae be safe, lass. Elias has already proven himself to be untrustworthy and dangerous. I’ll not put ye in harm’s way. It’s already been selfish of me tae bring ye this far.” Of course, she should have realized. The road looked different from when they’d traveled to Perth. They hadn’t passed any of the same cottages where they’d taken shelter. Somewhere along the way, Nathan had guided them into a turn that would bring them first to Cadney before MacKenzie Keep. Anger not only at his words, but at his trickery, welled up inside her.
“Selfish of you? Nathan, I want tae see this finished just as much as ye. Ye dinnae force me tae be here, I came tae ye for yer help, remember? I’ll not go and hide while ye risk yer life for me an’ my brother.”
He stood up and ran his hands through his dark hair. She stood up as well to meet his gaze and battle word for word. How dare he lie to her and pretend they were in this together. It seemed now he planned, the entire time, to firmly deposit her at home, banishing her to her rooms like a petulant child. She absolutely refused to allow it. “Ye can want me gone all ye want, Nathan, but it’s for naught. I plan on confronting your cousin and putting a blade in him myself.”
“Are ye daft, Milly!?” He was raising his voice and moving toward her with a force that caused her to back into the tree behind them. But she would not be cowed, especially not by him. He had shown her that he was the last person who knew what was best for himself in this fight with Elias. She was what was best for him. He could not go it alone against his cousin. She wasn’t about to back down. He placed his massive hands on either side of her. She was trapped, but not beaten. His breath
ing was as heavy as her own, but he lowered his voice to a near whisper. “He’s dangerous, Milly. Deadly. I couldnae live with myself if… if he… if something happened tae ye.” She was so very angry with him, but couldn’t deny the emotion in his words. How could she make him realize she was more of an asset standing alongside him, not locked away in her childhood home like some poor wilting flower in need of saving.
“That’s not enough, Nathan, and you ken it. We’re in this together, you and I. I’ll not leave.” She dug her heel into the ground and placed her hands on her hips for emphasis. His only response was a rolling of his eyes which only fueled her more, refusing to be seen as weak.
“Why are ye so stubborn, woman? This it tae keep ye safe!” His voice was louder than she expected, his proximity causing her to flinch at the sound and harshness in his tone. He was so close to her now, she could feel the heat coming off his body through the thick layers of her cloak. He took a finger and pushed an errant lock of hair from her face. “Och, that damn piece of hair,” he growled, and she felt her breath catch before he continued on, pleading with her. “I need tae protect ye, and leaving ye at Cadney is the best way. Elias wouldnae dare come after ye in your family’s keep. Once I find Gavin and deal with Elias, I’ll return for ye. I promise.”
