A cheer went up and Marie wrapped her arms around Mary and James. “I’m so sorry this has happened to you both.”
“’Tis no’ your fault. Listen, both of you,” Mary whispered madly in their ears. “At the first sign of opportunity we escape, together. I willnae allow Lachlan to use us against our own clan.”
“Aye, Mother.” James nodded, his eyes narrowed. The lad would soon become a man, his childhood, though, already gone. “Say aye, Marie.”
“Yes.” She kissed his forehead. “Together. I promise we’ll escape together.”
It was the easiest promise to give. Now to see it through.
* * * *
Archie tightened the birlinn’s ropes as he and his men sailed along the coast of Loch Indaal. Last eve he’d ridden with his men as far as he could through the forest then gone on foot. MacLean’s tracks had led west. The Rhinns. MacLean was making a stand, and having taken Marie, Mary and James, it was a devious one.
Half his men trailed MacLean to keep an eye on his movements while he’d returned to Dunyvaig and gathered more men. This war couldn’t be fought without his best warriors at hand.
Soon after, he’d set sail.
John captained another birlinn, their MacDonald flag raised high on both vessels as they’d searched the coastline.
MacLean wished a fight, and he had one.
Marie consumed his thoughts. He never should have allowed her out of his sight. She was his to protect, and if something happened to her because of his failing, he’d never forgive himself.
“Captain. Will stands in wait.”
On the edge of the forest the warrior in charge of the band on land, signaled to them. “To land, with speed,” Archie ordered.
They crested the incoming waves, close to shore. He heaved himself into the waist-high water. Surging through it, he slogged toward Will as his man jogged down the beach to meet him.
John too bounded from his galley and worked his way across. They met together where the waves pounded in and rolled up onto the sand.
“What news do you bring, Will?” It had better damn well be good.
“MacLean has no’ been hard to track, Captain. ’Tis clear he wishes to leave a trail toward the Rhinns.”
“What of the women and James?”
“Mary does no’ appear as if she can walk much farther. Your faerie is aiding her as she can. I snuck as close as I dared for a look.”
Which meant he could delay no more. He faced John. “I’ll anchor here, take my men and come in on his rear. You sail ahead to Loch Gruinart and wait for me to join you with my additional numbers.” He signaled to his warriors to disembark.
“I’ll await your arrival.” John gripped both Archie’s forearms. “MacLean is prepared and this has been a tactical attack. He’ll have more men awaiting him at the Rhinns.”
“Aye, he will. He’s making his stand, but then so are we.” He returned John’s strong forearm hold. “Per mare per terras, by sea and by land.”
“We fight.” John pulled him in then clapped his back. “Take care, brother. I’ll see you at Loch Gruinart.”
“Dinnae advance until I arrive.” He’d fight by his brother’s side. Together they’d hold Islay for their clan. He checked his holstered claymore then jogged across the beach and through the gap in the tree line. His men followed soundlessly in his tracks. A hundred yards in, he picked up the trail and motioned for them to fan out along his flank.
Stealthily, he tracked until he caught movement ahead. Eric and his other men closed in around him.
“How close are we?” he asked Eric in a hush. His best tracker was a massive man, yet had the uncanny ability of slipping in and out of the smallest spaces.
“They rested for a mite of time then continued on.”
Not a long enough rest for Mary’s sake. What was MacLean thinking to take a woman so close to her time? His drive to kill MacLean strengthened. At least his numbers were strong, no matter the disadvantage he faced with the abduction of his kin. He’d have to rescue the women and James first, removing them from the possibility of harm. And preferably before MacLean reached the Rhinns. He couldn’t have them becoming a target during the oncoming battle. “We head out. ’Tis time MacLean met his match.”
Justice would be sought.
His mind was set.
Chapter 6
The scent of the sea disappeared as Marie trekked through the thick undergrowth. MacLean’s marauding party had taken a fork in the path and veered away from Loch Indaal. Not a good sign. Loch Gruinart now lay directly ahead, perhaps five to seven miles, no more. If they were to escape, they needed to do something soon, and before they arrived at MacLean’s camp and joined the remainder of his fighting force.
“Halt,” MacLean called out, one hand raised as he stopped in a small clearing. He motioned two of his men forward then left with one of them to scout ahead.
She gripped Mary’s clammy fingers. “How are you doing?”
“I need to tend to my needs.” Gruffly stated as she shot a daggered look at the warrior guarding them. He should wash his face. There was sticky brown stuff on the pointy end of his whiskered goatee. Smelly too, like meat juice, likely from whatever he’d last eaten. “If we’re simply standing here for a while, then it should be safe enough for us to take a moment,” Mary snapped at him.
The warrior scrubbed his hand over the deep scar cutting across his cheek. “Once the chief returns ye can ask him.”
“I cannae hold on any longer.” Mary jabbed a finger into his buckskin-covered chest. “You try carrying a babe and having the mite kick a storm on your—” She threw her hands into the air. “Oh, why am I trying to explain this to you. Those bushes will afford me the privacy I need. Marie, a hand if you please.”
“Coming.” She followed as Mary toddled around the brushwood.
“James,” Mary called. “See to your needs as well. The trees yonder will be fine.”
“Hold. ’Tis I who is in charge.” The warrior grabbed James by the collar then addressed one of the other men. “Take the boy while I watch the women.”
“You’ll no’ be watching us.” Mary’s lips pinched together as she snarled. “Unless you’re afraid a woman in full bloom could possibly outrun you and all these men.”
He growled under his breath. “You’ve a sharp tongue, my lady. A few minutes. No farther than those bushes.”
“Aye, a lady. And dinnae you forget it.” Mary snorted as she led Marie around the copse then hunkered down. “I spied Eric,” she whispered wildly.
“You did?” She clutched her chest, her heartbeat a loud hammer in her ears. “The trees are so thick. Where? What do we do?”
“We wait and—” She glanced in the direction James had been taken. “Did you hear that?”
“No, hear what?”
A man slithered through the underbrush toward them, a dirk dripping with blood in one hand and a determined grimace on his face. Archie had come for them. He must have nerves of steel to do so while so many MacLeans surrounded them.
“Lass, dinnae look so surprised.” He kissed her, hot and hard, and not nearly long enough. “I said you were no’ to go into battle.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“You do now.” He tipped his head toward Mary. “Eric has James. Stay as low as possible and follow my path. I have to get you two out of here afore I can give the signal for the others to attack. We’ll weaken their numbers here, and you must be away so I can.”
“Lachlan isnae here, and he has more men waiting at Gruinart.”
“John already sails ahead. I’ll deal with MacLean. You must go.”
Mary nodded, hoisted her skirts over her knees then crawled as fast as she could away.
“Your turn.” Archie nudged her to follow.
“You can’t kill MacLean. Please. I know you don’t believe I’m from the future, but I am.” Goodness, he had the most beautiful molten gold eyes and they were focused solely on her. “You have to be
careful too, or I won’t be happy.”
“You’re here to aid me in my war against MacLean, not partake in it. His death is imminent, a mere matter of time.” Those stunning eyes narrowed.
How would she get him to believe her? She was running out of time. “I won’t leave you until you give me your word he won’t die.”
“Nay. You’ll go as I command. I need you away from here. Now.”
“Are ye ladies finished?” The warrior was close, and no, she wasn’t even halfway done. As it was, there were far too many hotheaded men in this clearing. Any upcoming battle would be brutal.
“Go, or you risk bringing danger down upon Mary and James’s heads by your actions. Do you wish that?”
“No.” Damn it. And Mary had stopped to wait for her. She couldn’t endanger her or James. Whipping back, she faced Archie. “You don’t fight fair, and we will have a stern word about this the moment you get done here. An argument I’m going to win. You got that?”
“Aye, lass. I look forward to battling with you.” He tipped her onto her belly then raised his dirk. “Stay low, and dinnae make a sound as you go.”
“Don’t kill MacLean. If you do, I’ll be really angry.” She scuttled after Mary. Angry, and perhaps even dead.
She crawled, trying hard not to slap her hands down. Yuck, was that blood? A trail led to a body half stuffed underneath the brush at the side. It was the warrior who’d guarded James, his eyes now glassy with death. A chill raced down her spine. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be back home and strolling her Gold Coast beach. She’d be guaranteed no death and disaster awaited her there.
No. She could do this. She had to keep moving.
“Marie, this way,” Mary whispered as she motioned her forward. “Dinnae look, only move.”
She met Mary’s firm gaze and found the remainder of her strength. She kept crawling until a warrior with thickly furred boots stepped out from behind a tree and scooped Mary into his arms. It was Will. Mary was safe.
As she made the same tree, another warrior drew her to her feet. Eric. What a sight to behold. She clutched his shirt and swayed into him. “Eric, I love you.”
“Thank you, lass, but dinnae tell the captain, or I shall be in more trouble than it’s worth.” His bushy red eyebrows fringed determined blue eyes. “You’re safe now, as are Mary and James.”
“Yes, but I left Archie alone.”
“Dinnae worry about—”
A fierce battle cry rang out. Archie had been discovered.
“Hold tight, lass. The captain needs to be assured of your safety. You can no’ be here.” He slung her over his shoulder and her belly thumped into his rock hard shoulder as he raced them away. She clutched his pumping arms and tried to search for Archie. The trees were too thick.
Archie had to survive this battle. He couldn’t fight the sheer number of MacLean’s men in that clearing on his own.
The ground blurred, make worse by the speed Eric moved as the trees whizzed by.
“I smell the sea,” James cried out as he sprinted alongside them.
“We’re almost there, lad.” The warrior cleared the tree line then halted on the beach. He lowered her to her feet.
Everything spun and she squeezed her eyes shut then shoved them open again. The stunning blue-green waters of the loch glistened. Freedom. And Archie’s birlinn anchored offshore. She would rejoice, except— “Mary.” She spun around.
“Here.” Mary wriggled out of Will’s arms then grabbed James. “We’re all safe.”
“I left Archie alone.” Marie stumbled across and hugged the two of them. “How could I have done that?”
“Our men were close.” Mary patted her back. “Dinnae fret.”
“I still left him.” Tears misted her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. When had Archie come to mean this much to her? Her heart squeezed tight. “I shouldn’t have left him, no matter what he said.”
“Nay. He’ll be able to fight without fear now we’re all away.”
“He’d better.” He damn well better.
The battle raged so close, yet too far away.
“Be safe, Archie. Come back to me.” She sent her wish flying free.
* * * *
Archie lifted his sword high and blocked the warrior’s swift blow. Their claymores clashed dead center, steel ringing loud against steel. With a roar, his warriors tore free from where they’d hid and met MacLean’s men as they attacked.
The warrior Archie fought bellowed to another and his kinsman jumped the low brush and came in on his other side. Two against one. This would be interesting.
“What have we here?” The second attacker twirled his blade. “Archie MacDonald, the MacDonald chief’s second. This is a boon.”
“Where’s MacLean?” Archie rocked on his heels.
“Ahead, although ye can be assured he’ll be disappointed he missed this.”
The two men advanced from opposite sides.
The first warrior mouthed to his kinsman, “Three, two, one.”
Their blades descended.
Archie spun his sword high and blocked both well-timed blows with one swing. He dropped low, kicked the first warrior off balance then swept his other leg out and kicked the second man.
They both fell forward, their blades sliding down each other’s and impaling their chests. Blood gurgled from their mouths as they fell into a heap on the ground.
In the heart of the clearing, the battle raged. He had almost two warriors to one of MacLean’s, but ’twas the man himself he wanted. MacLean should have heard the battle and returned by now.
“MacDonald.”
He spun around, and a MacLean warrior struck his ribs with his blade. Pain ricocheted through him as he staggered back from the brutal sword blow. Hell. He should have been paying attention to the fight and not MacLean. ’Twas lucky he’d caught the flat of the man’s weapon. No blood spilled.
“You killed two of my kin.” The warrior raised his claymore. “You’ll die for it.”
“They killed each other, and you’ll die for taking my kin.” He circled the warrior. They matched each other in height and breadth, although that was no equal standing for the battle lust storming through his body. This was his land, his clan, and they’d taken his faerie. Archie landed several hard blows, then with one powerful strike of his claymore, knocked the man’s sword away.
The warrior grabbed his dirk and aimed between Archie’s eyes.
Archie swung his blade across the warrior’s throat and ducked the dagger as it flew.
The warrior’s eyes rolled as he toppled to the ground, his hands twitching as death took him.
Alert this time, he whirled, searching for MacLean among the warriors. No MacLean. Where the hell was their leader?
More than a half a dozen bodies littered the forest floor, thankfully none of his men. The odds were in their—
An ear-piercing whistle shrilled then Maclean’s men turned tail and ran. Nay. He wasn’t done with them.
“Captain.” Gregor bounded across to him. “Do we give chase?”
Marie, Mary and James would be safe, but there was no certainty unless he had them secured behind Dunyvaig’s walls. They came first.
“John awaits us at Loch Gruinart and with MacLean unaccounted for, we’ll take the battle there.” He pumped his fist in the air, shouting to his men, “We’ve won this fight and we will win the next.”
A roar went up.
Aye, he would fight MacLean soon, and face to face. For now though, he wiped his sword across the grass then holstered it.
“To Loch Indaal!” He stormed down the trail and through the forest, his men pounding after him until he burst onto the beach.
Marie stood at the edge of the surf, her white-blond hair a tangled mess and her beautiful blue eyes fastened on him.
The tightness in his chest eased.
“Archie.” She ran toward him.
He opened his arms and caught her, barely planting one foot back in time to stop
them both from tumbling to the sand. “Lass, you seem rather eager to see me.”
“Are you hurt?” Her hands darted all over his body. “There’s a spray of blood.”
“’Tis no’ mine, although my ribs took a beating. ’Twas the luck of the fae I had with me.” He snared her face between his hands and brought her gaze back to his. “What of you?”
“I’m fine. Mary’s fine and so is James. They didn’t hurt us. Let me see this beating.” She clawed his shirt up and gasped. “That looks bad.”
“’Tis naught but a bruise. It’ll heal.”
She tentatively touched the spot then glared toward the forest. “Who did this to you?”
“One of MacLean’s warriors caught me off guard. It willnae happen again.” Aye, resilient and feisty. She was all he’d ever dreamed of in a woman.
“It better not happen again. We’re going to have a talk about this too. What of MacLean?”
“He never returned and once it appeared they would lose, they retreated.” He stroked her cheek as longing to hold her rushed through him. “From now on, you dinnae leave my sight.”
“That works for me, and I’m going to make sure you don’t forget what you just said.” She lifted onto her toes and inspected a scratch on his chin then another along his jaw. “You need to take more care. I couldn’t stand leaving you the way I did.”
“I would no’ have been able to focus had you been there.” Hell, the danger she’d been in this past day had driven him to the edge. He’d had to get her back.
“What do we do now?”
“We return to Dunyvaig. Mary and James are my responsibility, and I must ensure they are kept safe.” He tugged her toward the birlinn.
Mary and James were onboard, as well of most of his men. A few still took dips in the water before climbing aboard. The salt was good for the wounds, and the water cleansed away the overpowering stench of blood.
At waist-depth, he turned Marie by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Would you care to take a dip?”
“Absolutely.” She plucked at her shirt. “I’m sorry about the stains on this. You’ll probably never loan me clothing again.”
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