A Rogue and a Noble Lass (Rebel Highland Brides #11)

Chapter 1

Two decades ago…

“Calm yerself, Logan. There, see, naething bad is happening,” Abigail cooed softly.

Logan blinked and opened his eyes. His breathing was heavy. Sweat pooled at the base of his neck and upon his temples. His throat was raw from the frantic, helpless cries.

“I dreamt of Ma again,” he said.

His voice was a brittle, forlorn thing. Abigail sidled along the bed, getting closer to him. She smiled and ran a hand along his neck and shoulder. She didn’t seem to mind the clamminess of his skin. Her hair framed her face and the candlelit glow brought light to her cheeks.

“Ye are always dreaming of her. I ken it’s hard, but ye need tae let her gae.”

Abigail had barely finished uttering these words when Logan wrapped his yearning arms around her and squeezed tightly, clinging to her like the gnarled vines clung to the castle’s walls. He buried his face in her rough dress and closed his eyes, trying to hold the sobs back.

“Dinnae leave me,” Logan whimpered.

“Just remember that nae matter what happens we are family,” Abigail said as she reached for his hand.

She pressed their palms together and then slid her fingers between his. As they laced together she brought her fingers down, squeezing his palm tightly. Logan mirrored her movements. He started to breathe a little more easily.

“Let me read ye a story,” Abigail added.

Logan gulped and rested his head against her shoulder. She picked up a book she’d brought with her, a tattered, dog-eared story that had been read time and time again.

The story was a simple one. A dragon attacked a village and carried a princess away. A noble knight volunteered for the dread mission of rescuing her.

“Ye are gaeing tae be like him one day,” Abigail said, raising the book to the candlelight.

The knight was standing over the slain dragon, its black wings draped on the ground, its tail coiled like a whip. The knight’s armor gleamed and his sword was raised triumphantly. Abigail pointed to him.

“Ye are capable of great things, Logan. Just remember tae listen tae yer heart. Dae the right thing. Slay the dragons of this world.”

She smiled and squeezed him.

Logan stared at the pages. He wasn’t sure he could live up to her lofty expectations. He wondered if he had more in common with the dragon.

“Logan, I want ye tae promise me something,” Abigail continued.

“What?” Logan asked, still staring at the pictures.

“I want ye tae promise that ye will always remember who ye truly are, even if we are separated.”

“Why would we be separated?” Logan twisted his head and stared at her, his eyes heavy with bewilderment.

Abigail pressed her lips together and took a heavy breath. “There is something we must discuss. I should hae done this sooner, but I was scared. We are running out of time.”

Logan felt an uncomfortable itch at the back of his neck.

His breaths became shallow and he realized that something was wrong.

He angled his body towards Abigail, his eyes filled with questions.

They were interrupted by a stern knock on the door.

It swung open before either of them offered an invitation.

“Yer Da wants tae see ye,” the stone-faced guard said, directing his words to Abigail.

Logan stirred, but Abigail placed both hands on his shoulders, directing him to remain on the bed.

“Stay here and rest, Logan. We shall talk more in the morning. I dinnae mean tae worry ye.” She kissed him on the forehead. “I love ye.”

She held her head high as she exited the room, but Logan felt the tension shift. Being summoned by their father was never a good thing.

The door swung closed, but Logan wasn’t content to remain. He slithered off the bed. The book dropped to the floor, the pages falling shut. He glanced towards it and glimpsed the image of the dragon breathing fire over the village before the book closed.

He crept through the Keep, following Abigail and the guard from a distance. His footsteps were light and he kept to the long shadows. There were plenty of them. His home was a nest of shadows.

Abigail strode into the Great Hall. A while ago, Logan had found a loose pile of stones that covered a hole in the wall.

He pushed them aside and crawled into the hole.

He could see Abigail standing before their father, hands clasped behind her back.

Their father rose from his chair, clad in his customary black cloak, leaning forward slightly, beady eyes and hooked nose making him look like an old crow.

Abigail had warned him never to taunt their father.

Laird Warnock was not a man who tolerated jokes.

His voice was rasping and cruel. It was as cold as the wind that blew through the Keep. Logan moved his hand and curled his fingers around a rock. He wasn’t entirely sure what good it would do, but he felt better for holding a weapon.

“Ye hae failed, lass.”

Each word was as heavy as a blacksmith’s hammer upon an anvil.

“I am sorry, Da.”

“Sorry?” Warnock spat. “Dae ye think I care about that? We should hae been celebrating good news. Ye should be Ryan Knox’s bride, but instead he took another. He thought someone better than ye, my daughter. Dae ye ken how much of an insult it is?”

He started to pace around.

Logan’s brow became knotted. That must have been what she intended to tell him earlier. He choked on emotion.

What was he supposed to do without Abigail?

“I tried my best,” Abigail countered.

“Ye should hae tried harder!” He waved a dismissive hand in the air. His fingers were more like talons.

“I cannae control a man’s heart,” Abigail said.

Warnock stopped pacing and laughed. The sound echoed through the Great Hall.

“Aye, ye can. This Caroline found a way. She hae everything that should rightfully belong tae us.”

He abruptly grabbed her chin. Abigail’s body arched and she gasped with pain.

Logan grit his teeth and his grip tightened on the rock. Then, Warnock released his grip, pushing her away. He turned his back to her.

“This is a dark day for the Highlands. Alliances will be forged and we will nae be a part of them. Ye carry the blame. Yer worth was in yer obedience but I see ye are as useless as yer Ma.”

“I apologize for disappointing ye, Da. Please tell me how I can make it up tae ye,” Abigail said.

Logan hated how frightened she was. She should never have been put in a position to leave anyway. Her home was here.

“Och, ye will still be married. There’s an old ally of mine.

Unfortunately he hae some bad luck when it comes tae wives.

” He thrust a hand out and grabbed Abigail’s arm tightly, enough to make her gasp in pain.

“And ye will dae anything he requires, anything at all. Ye failed me once. It will nae happen again.”

Warnock pushed her away and gestured for the guard to escort her back to her chambers. The guard had a mean look on his face as he took hold of her arm, dragging her away. Abigail tried to wrest her arm free, but the guard wasn’t releasing her, and she was suffering because of it.

Logan couldn’t take it. He emerged from his hiding place and with all his might he hurled the rock through the air.

“Leave her alone!” Logan thundered.

The guard wasn’t expecting it at all. The shock and fury took him by surprise. The rock hit him square in the nose. He clutched his face and blood poured between his fingers.

Abigail turned in horror, shaking her head. The color drained from her face while Warnock cackled with laughter.

“Och, and why are ye here?”

He crossed the room, and Logan suddenly realized that he did not want the attention of his father.

He started to back away, but Warnock’s reach was too long. Warnock grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and clipped him with the back of his hand. Pain bloomed over Logan’s cheek and tears filled his eyes.

“That’s for spying.” He then brought his hand back and struck Logan again, this time on the other cheek. “And that’s for attacking a guard.”

Warnock released Logan this time, and the force behind the strike was enough to send Logan crashing to the floor.

“Nae!” Abigail yelled, but Warnock flung an arm in her direction. The guard ignored his bloody nose and hauled her out of the room.

Logan didn’t know it in that moment, but it was the last time he would ever see his sister.

Warnock carried him outside. The wind was howling and the clouds roiled. Warnock threw Logan into a deep pit.

“I will nae tolerate this behavior from the nothings of ye,” he spat.

Then he turned.

Logan threw himself against the sides of the pit, but it was impossible to find any purchase. He slid back down, getting his clothes and copper hair stained with dirt. In the end he resorted to hammering his fist because there was no other way to release his anger.

And then the rain came.

There was no use calling out for help. Anyone in the clan knew better than to go against Laird Warnock’s wishes.

“Get up. I hae something tae show ye.”

A rope was thrown down. Logan grabbed hold of it and struggled up.

The sun had barely risen when his feet sank into the soft mud and he had to be careful not to lose his footing. He clambered up and rolled onto the ground.

Warnock’s cold eyes looked down at him. He nodded for him to follow.

They walked towards a ridge. Warnock’s step was stiffer than usual. The ground below disappeared into a jagged valley, where sharp rocks protruded and thorny shrubs were nestled against the grim terrain.

But Logan saw none of that.

All he could see was the woman strewn across the rocks, her legs bent at an unnatural angle, the stone stained with her blood, her hair hiding her face. He would know that woman anywhere.

Abigail.

Logan felt so many emotions at once that he froze. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to fall to his knees. He ended up doing none of these things.

“I ken I am harsh on ye because of yer half blood, but I want ye tae be strong. The world is far crueler than I am, Logan. I tried with Abigail, but her heart ruled her. This is because of Ryan Knox. The news of his wedding ruined her. It’s because of him that she died.”

Logan stared at Abigail’s corpse. His green eyes stung and fury filled his heart. Warnock placed his hand upon Logan’s back.

“He hae taken something dear from us and now he must pay. There’s only one thing ye need tae dae in this life, Logan. One goal to achieve. Kill Ryan Knox. And avenge yer sister.”

“Would ye look at that? A thing of beauty, is nae it?” Brody gasped in awe.

He and Logan stopped for a moment, drinking in the sight of the Knox Keep. It was tall and proud. The subject of so many stories of glory.

But while Brody looked on in awe, Logan grit his teeth.

“Aye, but I would nae stand there and admire it too much. If I must, I will burn it tae the ground,” Logan rasped.

Brody rolled his eyes. “Och, can we nae hae a wee bit of fun before ye take yer revenge? I heard that the lasses here are the finest in all the Highlands,” Brody wiggled his eyebrows.

Logan glared at him.

“I hae waited long enough.”

“Aye, but what ye will dae after the deed is done?” Brody asked.

Logan glowered. Brody slapped him on the shoulder and laughed.

“I suppose that will be left up tae me, again. Dinnae worry, Logan. Somehow ye will get away with killing a Laird. I dinnae ken how, but ye will.”

Logan shrugged off his hand and gave him a warning look. “It is nae wise tae speak of such things openly.”

Brody didn’t seem flustered at all. “Naebody will take us seriously. Come.”

He followed Brody to the training fields with a scowl where a number of guards were practicing drills. They were watching for a while when one of the captains came up to them, waving them away.

“This is nae a performance. Gae away,” he said.

Brody pouted. “Really? I thought ye could use any able-bodied men given the circumstances. There are battles raging everywhere. I promise ye will nae regret it.”

“If ye want tae sign up, there is a process,” the captain said, preparing to turn on his heels and stride away.

That wasn’t swift enough for Brody, however.

“Ye will want tae make an exception for us. Just duel with my friend here.” Brody slapped Logan’s bicep. “If he defeats ye, ye welcome us straight intae yer ranks. If nae, then ye will at least get tae wipe the smile off my face,” Brody said.

He could be charming, but he could also be insufferable. Logan wouldn’t have him any other way, however.

The captain seemed to think that this was a fair bargain. “What is yer name?” he asked, looking at Logan.

“Grimhand,” Brody said before Logan could reply.

Logan stared at him. That was a new one.

The captain led him to a small area where they could duel. Brody had already succeeded in gathering attention. It never took him long to make friends.

Logan unsheathed his sword as the captain came rushing towards him. As with every fight, Logan’s focus narrowed. He sensed his enemy’s presence in a strange way, as though he were a wolf sniffing blood in the air.

The captain was a skilled fighter, but not without his faults. He favored his left leg, so Logan assumed that he suffered from an injury in his left. He waited for the captain to stride forward and then feinted, darting down and kicking the captain’s knee.

The captain howled in pain and fell to one leg, clutching his injured knee.

Logan showed no mercy and threw a fist across the man’s face, the force of the impact shuddering up his arm.

He then drove his knee into the man’s chest and followed through, raising his sword above him, ready to deliver the killing blow.

If only it were Ryan Knox.

The captain of the guard held up his hands.

Logan turned to see Brody collecting some coins from grumbling men.

“This should make our stay a wee bit sweeter,” Brody said.

Logan nodded as they made their way back to the courtyard. He gazed at the tallest tower of the Keep, imagining Ryan Knox sitting inside, completely unaware that he was about to face justice… even if it was long overdue.