Chapter 18
Killian tried to find Fletcher amongst his men as he lifted Lily from the ground and into his arms. She was bleeding from her head, and her petite body grew colder in his arms with each passing second.
He broke the arrow that had pierced her back in half, lifted her into his arms, and made his way past the cluster of soldiers each struggling to survive in battle. His joints ached with each stride. There was a large cut on his arm and thigh, but none of that mattered.
Killian’s physical pain was nothing compared to the ache tearing at his heart. The thought of losing Lily like this drove him insane with anger.
I shouldnae have brought her here. This is my fault… I did this.
The bitterness at the back of his throat and the harsh bile spiking to the surface all contributed to his panic. It clawed at him, twisting the pit of his stomach into tight knots till he felt a raw ache consume him.
“Dinnae die,” he chanted as he made his way out of the mass and headed for his horse. “Dinnae die… Help!” he yelled at the top of his lungs as he neared the villagers. “Any healer… I need a healer.”
Most of the children and women stayed silent as he wandered around with Lily in his arms. He found an empty shed and laid her down on the ground there. His hands shook as he took out his dirk, cut a large piece of his kilt, and wrapped it around her bleeding head.
Killian rushed away from Lily for a few minutes and returned with some herbs he had gathered from the fields. The fire had burned down most of the plants here, and the only way he was certain she would survive was if he took her back to his castle.
But that means abandoning my people here… leaving them to fight on their own.
Torn, he crushed the herbs in his hands, applied some to the wound on her head, then flipped her over and pulled out the arrow in her back. Blood gushed out, and his heart bled at the sight of it.
He covered her wounds with the herbs, hoping they would stop the bleeding, then he checked her pulse again.
She’s alive.
But her pulse was barely there.
Killian saw Fletcher and some of his men prance towards him on horseback some minutes later while he sat there with Lily in his arms.
“They retreated,” Fletcher reported as soon as he reached Killian and dismounted his horse. “Is she…”
“She’s breathin’,” Killian answered when he saw the terrified look that flashed in Fletcher’s eyes.
Fletcher motioned for the men to stay put, and then he drew closer to where Killian sat with Lily in his arms. “We must take her to shelter and find the village’s healer.”
“These people willnae help me,” Killian whispered in a pained voice as he remembered shouting for help earlier. They had watched him without offering to help, and he did not blame them.
Since he had become laird, he had been so consumed with his plot for revenge that he had forgotten what really mattered—protecting his people.
“There is a cabin here in Wehnthor yer brother used when he was alive. I can take ye there. Hopefully, it hasnae been destroyed in the raids. Ye must also treat yer wounds, m’laird… Yer health is important.”
Killian looked down at Lily’s pale face again and felt another pang of guilt hit him.
“M’laird,” Fletcher urged again, reaching forward to lift Lily from his arms.
Killian gathered his strength, pushed his worry aside, and rode with Fletcher and his men to the cabin near the Wehnthor cliff.
Hours later, when the healer Fletcher had brought had finished tending to Lily’s wounds and his, Killian sat outside by the cliff and watched the waterfall on the opposite side.
It was a beautiful sight, peaceful even, and it reminded him of the years he had spent traveling beyond the Scottish Highlands. He tried not to worry about Lily, as the healer had mentioned she would be all right.
Once she recovered, he would send her back to his castle and make sure she stayed there, where she would be safe.
I will not be responsible for her death.
When Killian heard footsteps behind him, he sprang to his feet and turned to see Fletcher dragging a prisoner along.
“M’laird, we captured him before the other men retreated at their leader’s command,” Fletcher called, shoving the man to the ground before drawing his sword and aiming it at his neck. “Speak!”
Killian stared hard at the prisoner. His jaw clenched along with his fist.
“Laird McLennan sent us,” the man said as he coughed and spat out blood. “He asked us to raid the village and kill every man we can find. He doesnae care for the lass ye took. He only wants war, and he will come for ye soon.”
Fletcher took out his sword, lifted it high, and drove it through the man’s heart before he said anything else. Killian reeled with anger at the man’s words, and he struggled to keep his composure.
“We cannae let him get away with this,” Fletcher spoke. “He brought war to us, and we must—”
“We shall do nothin’,” Killian ordered. “I believe Laird McLennan is innocent in all of this.”
“Because the lass defended him?” Fletcher asked almost immediately. “M’laird, ye must nae let her blind ye from the truth. She only seeks to protect her laird, to whom she is loyal… She isnae our ally, m’laird.”
Killian saw Fletcher’s brows furrow together, and his expression slid into a frown. “M’laird.”
“Ye do naethin’ until I command it. Right now, we re-group and help the villagers here recover from their loss in any way we can. Send word to the castle and have the workers in the main village send carts of crops—as many as they can manage for the people here.”
Fletcher seemed displeased with Killian’s decision. He hesitated before sighing and bowing. “Aye, m’laird.”
Killian watched him march away, and then he walked back to the body of the dead man and searched him for any clues. A second later, he pulled out a dirk from the man’s pocket.
It had the same markings as the one found on his brother’s body years ago. He stared at it hard, remembering Lily’s words and her conviction of Laird McLennan’s innocence.
What if she is right? What if I’ve been chasing the wrong shadow all along?
Sighing, Killian went into the cabin and found Lily still unconscious. He went to her, knelt by the side of the bed, and took her hands in his, linking their fingers so he could warm her cold skin.
She risked her life to save mine.
He brushed the tendrils of hair stuck to her sweaty forehead away, then kissed the tip of her nose and her cheeks. What she had done was brave, and it was also the reason why he could trust her.
Whatever happened next, he was only certain of that one fact. Lily was his ally. He could trust her with his life. She had proved that to him when she had taken the arrow to save his life.
Even though it was incredibly stupid and risky.
Killian felt tears prick the back of his eyes as he held her hand to his cheek. He realized right then how terrifying the thought of losing her was.
If it ever happens, I dinnae think I would survive.
That one thought stayed with him as he watched and nursed her.
Somehow, this woman had managed to creep into his heart, and he could only hope that his growing feelings for her did not blind him from the truth.