When the man didn’t seem to want to talk, Aidan reached out and grazed his arm with the sword, drawing blood.
“Ahhhh!” the man yelled. “Fine, they’re taking the stone to Liddel Castle on the border. But you’ll never catch them, as they’ve taken a trail that the gypsy told them about that no one uses anymore. You’ll never find them.”
“The gypsy?” He figured the man was talking about Effie and this made him even angrier that she would tell them how to get to the border unseen.
“Ye bluidy bastard, I should kill ye right now fer what ye’ve done.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“Becooz I want ye te suffer. Ye’ll ne’er make it with a wound and no horse and all alone in the Highlands, and I think ye deserve it. Now dinna try te come after me or I swear I’ll kill ye.”
He punched the man again, then headed for his horse. He was just about to mount when he heard the man running up behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see the man with a dagger raised and eyes wide, lunging right for him.
“I warned ye,” Aidan mumbled, turning quickly and raising his sword. With the man’s movement forward, the sword was impaled in his chest. His eyes bugged out and he fell to the ground. “If ye woulda jest stayed where ye were, ye may have had a chance o’ livin’.”
He retrieved his sword, and wiped the blood on the dead man’s clothes before unfastening the belt from the man, and taking the scabbard. When his sword was in place, he took the man’s dagger as well as the pouch of coins at his waist.
“Thanks fer the information.” He got atop the horse and headed away. He knew the exact path the English had taken now. It was an old road that he and Onyx and Ian had often traveled on when they were younger. It went right along the east side of Loch Lomond, and that’s where they were probably stopping for the night. With any luck, he could be there before sunup. He dug his heels into the sides of the horse and sped through the darkness, wondering how surprised Effie would be to see him show up and take back the stone that she’d worked so hard to steal.
* * *
Effie tossed and turned inside the wagon, not able to sleep a wink all night. She felt awful for what she’d done to Aidan. She knew how much the Stone of Destiny meant to him, and also that he considered himself the guardian of it.
The guards were sleeping around the fire and Tasgall was lying atop the wagon seat. She was in back with the rock. The sides of the wagon were high and the English had draped a covering across it to hide the contents within it. They’d also covered the stone with a blanket.
Effie scooted out of the wagon, and her feet had just touched the ground when someone pulled her backward and held a dagger to her throat, covering her mouth with their other hand.
“Dinna scream or say a word, do ye understand, me blackhearted traitorous angel?”
Her eyes opened wide when she heard the voice in her ear, knowing Aidan had found them. She nodded, and slowly his hand came away from her mouth.
“Aidan!” she whispered, turning toward him, but he put his hand back over her mouth and scowled. There was light from the moon, and she could see the anger in his eyes and also the disappointment on his face.
“I said te haud yer wheesht,” he ground out, and she heard malice in his words. It was a side of him she’d never seen before. He dragged her quickly out of earshot of the guards and into the thicket. He moved so fast that she tripped. His arm shot out and yanked her upward.
She looked up to him, facing him now, and wanted more than anything to fall into his arms and hug him. Then to her dismay, he released her quickly, and when she reached out to touch his arm, she could feel the tightness of his muscles beneath her fingers. She dropped her hand to her side, knowing he had the right to be angry with her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didna want te hurt ye.”
“Enough o’ yer lies already. I canna believe ye bedded me only te find the stone so ye could turn it o’er te the English.”
“It’s no’ like thet,” she said, but he kept on talking.
“I trusted ye and brought ye inte me clan. I told ye aboot the stone, and I believed ye cared aboot it as much as I did.”
“I do.”
“Ye ne’er cared aboot anythin’, no’ even me, though I said I loved ye.”
“Ye say thet te all the lassies ye bed.”
“What?” He crunched up his face and his eyebrows angled. “I dinna ken what ye’er talkin’ aboot.”
“Kyla told me thet ye say thet to a lassie and then ye go yer separate ways in the morn.”
“This isna aboot us, Effie. This is aboot the Stone o’ Destiny and how ye betrayed no’ only me but all o’ Scotland.”
“I had me reasons.” Angered by his words, she raised her chin in defiance.
“No reason is guid enough.”
“They have me sister prisoner in a cage and will kill her unless I bring back the stone.”
He stopped and looked at her oddly, and for a moment she thought he almost cared. Then he just took her arm and dragged her back toward the wagon.
“I dinna believe ye anymore.”
“Ye’ve got te trust me.”
He stopped quickly and she crashed into his back. He turned around and looked down at her, and the fierceness on his face was nothing like the gentle, caring, man who’d brought her flowers, cooked her food, and given himself to her as a present.
“Ye betrayed me and tied me up and hit me o’er the head with me own sword, and led the English right to the stone. Dinna e’er say I have te trust ye, becooz I willna trust ye e’er again.”
That cut her to the bone, but she knew she deserved it. All he’d been to her was kind, but yet she’d caused him some of the worst pain of all.
“What are ye goin’ te do?” she asked.
“I’m goin’ te take back the stone, what do ye think?”
“And how are ye plannin’ on doin’ that with a half-dozen men guardin’ it?”
“Well, why dinna ye tell me how to do it? After all, ye seem te be the devious one who kent how te steal it in the first place.”
“I willna help ye steal it, if thet’s what ye’er thinkin’.”
“Ye will do exactly thet if ye e’er want me te trust ye again. I dinna want ye alertin’ the guards either.”
“Thet stone is me sister’s future.”
“It’s also the future o’ Scotland. Now are ye goin’ te help me or no’?”
“I canna,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Fine. Then I’ll move it meself. But I swear if ye alert the guards, there’ll be a battle and I canna guarantee anyone will walk away alive. Including ye.”
She watched Aidan replace his dagger and sneak up to the back of the wagon and push the blanket off the stone. He was strong, but moving that stone was more than any man could lift alone. He didn’t care. He hoisted himself up onto the back of the wagon and bent down and started pushing it. His face turned red and his muscles bulged beneath his leine, and the stone moved forward slightly.
“Ye’re ne’er goin’ te move this yerself,” she whispered, her eyes searching to make sure the guards were still sleeping.
“Then hop on up here and help me, lassie. Thet’s the least ye can do,” he whispered back.
Aidan wasn’t going to stop until he had the stone, and she knew it would be virtually impossible to move it without the guards hearing. Tasgall shifted from the front of the wagon, obviously having felt it move. Then to her horror, he lowered himself to the ground and started to come their way. They both stopped and looked at each other and They were about to be discovered.
“Give him some mountain magic,” said Aidan, handing her the sheep bladder.
She grabbed it without thinking and rushed to the front of the wagon to give it to Tasgall.
“Have a drink,” she told him, directing him toward the fire and the other guards who were sleeping. The man took it eagerly, and had only one sip before he leaned back against a t
ree and started to snore.
She heard the creak of the wagon, and when she looked back she could make out the form of Aidan standing on the ground and lifting the stone off the back of the wagon and dropping it right in front of his feet.
“What’s that noise?” asked a guard, opening his eyes.
“It was me,” she said quickly, bringing the whisky to him as well. She managed to keep the guards from knowing what was going on, and when they were asleep again, she rushed back to the wagon to find Aidan lifting another large stone into the wagon instead.
“What are ye doin’?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“They’re goin’ te notice if the wagon is empty.”
“They’re also goin’ te notice thet the stone ye just put in here is no’ the same one.”
“No’ if it’s covered and ye keep them from lookin’ at it.” He flipped the blanket back over it and wiped his hands on his clothes.
“Where’s the Stone o’ Destiny?” she whispered.
“It’s right there.” He pointed to the ground nearby. “I need some rope.”
“There’s some in the front of the wagon,” she said, “but what are ye goin’ te use it fer?”
“I canna carry the rock back te the Highlands,” he told her. “I’m goin’ te drag it with me horse.”
“What horse? Where did you get a horse? I thought it was lame.”
“I borrowed it from an English guard who tried te kill me.”
“Was he wounded?” she asked.
“Until I killed him, he was.”
“I shot him with an arrow, Aidan. Thet should prove te ye thet I am no’ a traitor. No’ really.”
“Thet proves nothin’. Now get back o’er there while I get the stone away from here. Dinna let them look at the one in the wagon. With any luck, before they notice, they’ll be back te Liddel Castle and I’ll be far away from here with the real stone.”
Far away? He sounded as if he wasn’t coming back. Effie didn’t want to believe he wasn’t going to help her.
“Then ye’ll come fer me and me sister, right?” she asked.
By the look on his face, he didn’t have to answer for her to know he had no intentions of helping her after what she’d done to him.
“I’m sorry, Effie, but I canna help ye.”
“If ye dinna help, me sister will die.”
“I still dinna believe ye even have a sister. It’s probably jest one o’ yer schemes te get me inside the castle gates so they can torture me and try te get me te tell them what I’ve done with the stone. Well, I tell ye, it willna work.”
“Nay, I swear, what I’m tellin’ ye is true.” She felt the tears welling in her eyes.
“Guidbye Effie. I’m sorry it canna be different, as I really thought ye were the one fer me. Now I can sadly see thet ye are no’ me angel.”
Their eyes interlocked for what seemed like eternity. She felt the burning gaze of his stare down to her very soul. Disappointment shadowed his face, along with hurt because of her betrayal. She wanted to reach out and throw herself into his arms, and kiss him and feel safe in his protective embrace. She also wanted more than anything to hear him say he loved her again, even if he did say it to every girl he met.
“I am the one fer ye, Aidan. Please. I wanna be yer dream angel again. I . . . I love ye.”
She swallowed deeply, holding back the tears. She had hoped professing her true feelings for him would make him see that there still could be a future between them. But he didn’t reach for her like she’d hoped. He didn’t lean over and kiss her gently, nor did he take her in a punishing kiss. He didn’t even say a word.
Aidan just turned to finish the job he’d come to do, looping the rope through the handles on the stone, then securing it to the saddle of his horse. Then he mounted his steed and dragged the Stone of Destiny behind him slowly as he made his way through the woods. In the moonlight she saw his back as he kept on riding away from her, never once turning around. And it was at that moment that she knew she’d lost Aidan forever.
AIDAN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It rained on and off for the next few days, and Effie was cold and tired and felt as if she wanted to die. If her sister’s life hadn’t depended on her, she wouldn’t care right now if her life ended.
She’d wronged Aidan. Even if she’d had her reasons, she should have told him the truth in the first place. Mayhap if she had told him what she was going through, he’d still trust her right now. Or he’d still love her.
But now Aidan was gone, and she’d never see him again. Once the guards discovered the fake stone under the blanket and relayed the information to Lord Ralston, both she and her sister would most likely lose their lives. Still, Aidan just rode away, never looking back. He no longer cared.
The guards hadn’t thought to look at the stone under the blanket. Thankfully, because of the rain, they’d decided to keep it covered. Travel had been slow over the muddy, rocky path, but at least they kept hidden from the Scots, so there hadn’t been any trouble. One of the guards had always foraged ahead, and when he saw travelers, they had taken cover. Once they were past Glasgow they had made good time, having gone back to the main road, heading for the border.
She hadn’t spoken much to any of the guards or Tasgall for the rest of the journey, and they hadn’t tried to talk to her either. Once or twice the guards seemed interested in possibly using her for their manly needs, but oddly enough Tasgall had seen to it that she wasn’t touched.
She saw the castle up ahead now, and knew this was the end. She felt a sinking sensation in her gut as she wondered if her sister was still alive or what they’d done to her while she was gone.
The rain had let up, but the day was still gloomy. She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth as they rode across the drawbridge and into the courtyard. She saw her sister immediately, hanging in the cage from the front of the keep. Her heart about broke when she saw how wet Coira was from the rain, and how thin she’d become. Her sister was curled up in a ball on the bottom of the cage and lifted her head slightly as they approached.
“Coira!” Effie jumped from the cart and ran across the bailey, stopping directly under her sister’s cage. “Sister, I’m back,” she said.
Her sister’s thin hand grabbed on to the iron bars and she raised her head slightly to see her.
“Effie?” she asked in a weak voice. “Please tell me ye found and brought back the stone.”
“Dinna worry,” she said, trying to reassure her though she knew all hell was about to break loose. “I willna let anythin’ happen te ye.”
“We’ve got the Scottish Stone of Destiny,” said one of the guards proudly as Lord Ralston hurried across the courtyard to meet them.
“Good, let’s see it. I can’t wait to give it to King Edward. I’ll send the missive inviting him here at once.” The man smiled and rubbed his hands together. “The king will be begging me to join him at court after this.”
The guard pulled away the wet blanket covering the stone and gasped. Effie just closed her eyes and tried to breathe and didn’t even turn around.
“What in God’s name is this?” said the guard aloud.
“That is no Stone of Destiny,” snapped Lord Ralston. “What are you trying to pull? I may not know what it really looks like, but any fool can tell that is just a river rock.”
Effie turned around then, spying the round stone covered with moss and bird droppings that Aidan had used to replace the true stone. It was smattered with mud, and dead leaves clung to it. It was only half as big as the true stone and smelled bad.
“Thet’s no’ the stone we stole,” said Tasgall, and then he looked over to Effie. “Do ye ken anythin’ aboot this?”
“Me? Nay. I dinna ken where the real stone is.”
“She betrayed us!” shouted the guard. “She must have told that Highlander to come and exchange the stone while we slept.”
“You left a witness alive?” growled Lord Ralst
on. “What were you thinking? Especially a Highlander. You know you can’t trust them. I’ll have all your heads for being so stupid!”
“Kill her, not us,” said the guard, pointing at Effie. “After all, she shot your best soldier with an arrow.”
“She shot Dempster? Where is he?” asked Lord Ralston, looking around.
“He came back early since he was wounded,” said the guard. “Didn’t he arrive yet?”
“You idiot, he’s probably dead.” Lord Ralston swiped his sword at the guard and managed to sever the man’s finger. The soldier cried out and fell to his knees.
“She made fools out of us,” shouted another guard, pointing to Effie. And then they all started shouting and moving toward her. Effie backed up toward the wall of the castle and held out her hands, wishing she had a weapon. But the guards had seen to it that all the weapons were kept far away from her.
“I’ll fight te the deith,” she shouted. “Do whatever ye want, but I swear I’ll take down whoever comes fer me.”
“Kill her,” said Lord Ralston with a wave of his hand. “Kill her sister as well. I don’t want to see any MacDuffs in my sight ever again.”
One of his guards pulled his sword from his scabbard and walked forward. Effie felt her heart beating furiously and wished she had at least thought to try to at least steal back her bow and arrows from the cart before she’d hopped off. Her sister cried in the cage above her head, and all Effie could think of was what would her grandmother have done in this situation? Then an idea came to her, and she called out to Lord Ralston.
“Stop! Ye dinna want te kill me. Becooz if ye do, ye’ll ne’er find the Stone o’ Destiny. But if ye set me sister free, I’ll tell ye where it is.”
The guard looked over at Lord Ralston who was walking away, but stopped in his tracks when he heard what she said. His head raised and he turned around toward her.
Then he walked back to her slowly, and with a wave of his hand, dismissed his guard.
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