Chapter 45
CHAPTER 45
I t had taken the better part of two days, and they’d had more than a few close calls with Fairfax’s men who continued to scour the countryside looking for them, but Magnus had finally led Ciara back to Dunvegan safely. After they’d cleaned themselves up and gotten a hot meal in their bellies, Domhnall called them to his salon.
Magnus sat with his arm around Ciara almost protectively, her body pressed closely to his on the sofa before the hearth. Together, they soaked in the warmth they had been denied over the last couple of days. One of the serving girls brought them cups of hot, mulled wine, which they accepted gratefully. Magnus took a long swallow, letting the liquid warm him from the inside.
Domhnall sat in a chair, the flames from the hearth making his eyes glitter as he studied them over the rim of his cup. The air in the salon was thick with anticipation. Magnus glanced at his brother who seemed to be practically bursting at the seams with tension. Ciara’s head bobbed onto his chest, and she sat upright, startled that she’d drifted off to sleep while sitting there. Magnus gave her a gentle smile as she stretched.
“Why dinnae ye go tae bed?” he asked softly. “Ye look exhausted.”
“I am exhausted.”
She got to her feet and gave him a chaste kiss then turned away quickly, her face growing scarlet as Domhnall cleared his throat.
“Goodnight, Laird MacLeod?—”
“’Tis Domhnall,” he replied with a warm smile. “And goodnight, Ciara.”
Magnus watched her go as she left the salon, quietly closing the door behind her then turned back to his brother.
“Ye two look like ye’ve grown close,” he said.
“We have.”
“’Tis good, braither. She seems tae be a good woman,” Domhnall said warmly. “Ye need a good woman in yer life.”
Magnus said nothing as he stared down into his cup of wine, unable to keep the smile from curling the corners of his mouth. He never realized just how much he needed a good woman in his life until Ciara stormed into his. And as hard as it was for him to admit, now that she was rooted firmly in his heart and mind, he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
“So? What news?” Domhnall finally asked.
“The news is that we’re well and thoroughly buggered,” Magnus said. “Fairfax has an army in the valley big enough to wipe us all out and then some.”
Domhnall sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Bleedin’ hell.”
“It gets worse?—”
“Worse? I dinnae ken how it can be worse.”
“I heard MacDougal sayin’ somethin’ about having a plan to get Ciara,” Magnus replied.
“Why? If they’ve got an army big enough tae overrun us already, why daes he need a plan? What’s the point?”
Magnus shook his head. “I dinnae ken. All I heard was them sayin’ Ciara’s the key tae all their plans, so they’ll be comin’ fer her,” he said. “If I had tae guess, I’d say they’re goin’ tae use the chaos of a full assault on the castle tae slip in and snatch her up. ‘Tis probably what I’d dae if she was me key objective.”
Domhnall sat back in his chair and stroked his chin as he considered Magnus’ words. While his brother thought, Magnus drained the cup of wine, then held it out for the serving girl to refill. As she did, he offered her a nod of thanks.
“There’s somethin’ else we need tae consider,” Magnus said.
“What’s that?”
“We cannae hold all the villagers in the castle,” he replied. “Once the attack starts, they’ll be slaughtered.”
Domhnall frowned. “What’s yer thought on that?”
“We send them up intae the Highlands. They can hide there until the fightin’ is done.”
“Aye. Seems reasonable,” Domhnall replied. “And if they’re after Ciara like ye think they are, it’d probably be wise tae send her with them.”
“Might as well try tae stop the sun from risin’ in the east,” Magnus replied dryly. “She’ll never go tae the Highlands.”
“Well, ye’re goin’ tae have tae convince her. Once the fightin’ starts here, I cannae afford fer ye tae have yer mind elsewhere.”
Magnus knew there was wisdom in his brother’s words. He’d considered that himself. But he had no idea how he would convince Ciara to go. She would rather fight and die than slink away to hide out where she would have to continue looking over her shoulder, waiting for the day they came for her again.
“I’ll figure somethin’ out,” Magnus said.
“Good. Dae that,” Domhnall replied. “We’ll all gather in the mornin’ tae figure out how to start gettin’ all the villagers intae the Highlands and plannin’ the defense of Dunvegan.”
Magnus nodded and got to his feet. “All right,” he said. “Get some rest, braither. Ye look weary. And ye’re goin’ tae need yer strength.”
“Aye. Ye’re nae wrong,” he said. “Ye should get some rest tae, Magnus. We all need tae be on our game.”
Magnus nodded and headed out of the salon, his mind spinning and his belly tight. The fight was coming, and he feared they were not ready for it. They had been spending more time on getting Dunvegan ready for Yule than for the coming fight and he felt they were woefully unprepared. They would need to call in their men-at-arms from the far corners of their lands, which would take time, time Magnus was not sure they had.
After the encounter at Fairfax’s camp in the valley, he feared they would accelerate their plans. He had posted scouts who would report the army’s movements and for a body of men that size it would take some time to get to Dunvegan, but he was keenly aware of the sand slipping through the hourglass. Time was running short.
Magnus rounded a corner then took the flight of stairs up to the floor where Ciara’s bedchamber was. He wanted to talk to her and hopefully start convincing her of the necessity that she travel with the villagers into the Highlands. He knew this was going to take longer than any other preparation they had to make, so he wanted to start that process early.
When he reached the landing, he frowned and looked around. The guards he’d had stationed on the floor were nowhere to be seen. Knowing some of the men were fond of the mulled wine on cold nights, he shook his head, the anger inside of him flaring. He would give them a striping unlike any they’d ever had for leaving their post.
Irritated, Magnus turned and was about to head down to Ciara’s chamber with something on the stone floor caught his attention.
“What the bleedin’ hell?”
On the floor at his feet was a small crimson pool with several drops spattered on the stone around it. His stomach turning over inside of him, he knelt down and put his finger into the small puddle then looked at his fingertips. His heart immediately leaped into his throat as he looked at the blood on the tips of his fingers.
Magnus sprinted down the corridor and threw open the doors to Ciara’s chambers and let out a howl of rage. The room had been turned upside down and things were scattered everywhere. She had obviously put up a fight, but the room was empty. Ciara was gone. Taken.
Swallowing the lump in his throat and fighting to gain control of his emotions, Magnus turned and ran back down the corridor then pounded down the stairs, running back toward his brother’s salon. The door slammed into the wall behind it with a resounding crash as he threw it open and stepped inside. Domhnall jumped to his feet.
“What is it, braither?” he asked.
“Intruders,” Magnus cried. “She’s been taken.”
Domhnall’s face blanched then darkened as rage boiled within him. “Rally the men. We’re under bleedin’ attack.”