Chapter 6
When Briana first approached her the next day, Elin was determined not to speak to her, but there was something about the company of another woman that made her relent.
She’d always enjoyed spending time with the other girls in the orphanage, searching for a sister she had never quite managed to find.
Beyond that, with women as friends, she always knew that she was safe.
With men, she always knew what they wanted.
“I brought ye somethin’,” Briana said after a few moments. She held out a wrapped package, which Elin cautiously took and opened.
“My dress!” she exclaimed, staring at the fabric in wonder. It was so thoroughly cleaned that it looked practically brand new, the color bright and the hems tidy. “You didnae need tae—that is tae say—”
“Keir told us about yer underskirt as well. I can fix that without an issue, dinnae fear,” Briana told her with a smile. “Ye’ll be much more comfortable in yer own clothes, I’m sure. I ken I was when I first joined the Blades.”
Questions burned in Elin’s mind. How did such a lovely and pleasant woman come to be surrounded by men like these?
Yes, Graeme had proven himself funny and charismatic, and Noah seemed kind and well-reasoned.
Theon, though reserved, had been nothing but courteous, and even Keir, though he infuriated her, showed a strange kind of kindness.
But the difference was that Elin knew for sure that any one of these men wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if they had to.
Their brotherhood mattered before all else.
And, besides, she knew what they were and what they had done. Their pasts followed them.
As did hers.
Briana watched her. “Ye can ask if ye want.”
“Who are ye?” Elin burst out. “I dinnae… I mean, I cannae understand. Why would ye stay here willingly? Are ye really married tae the traitor’s heir?”
“Laird MacKenzie was nae traitor, and neither is Theon. Nor Keir, Graeme, or Noah for that matter,” Briana said. She paused. “But aye, we’re wed.”
Elin leaned forward. “What do ye mean nae traitor? Surely ye ken what they did. The way they betrayed the alliance.”
A sad smile flickered on Briana’s face. “This isnae me story tae tell, Elin. Ye should ask Keir some time. But aye, I ken the stories they tell about the so-called alliance. I grew up hearin’ them from me father, Laird Cameron.”
The world froze around them for a moment. Elin gasped, “Cameron? Ye’re—ye’re the Cameron daughter?”
“I was.”
Shaking her head, Elin said, “Ye cannae be. The Cameron lass is missin’. Everyone is sure she died. Iain told Eamon that himself the last time they…” she trailed off. She studied Briana. Now that she knew the truth, there was something familiar about that face. “Are ye really her?”
“I’m really me,” Briana replied. “And I’m exactly where I want tae be, Elin.
” She reached out and took her hand, which, though surprising, was not unpleasant.
“I’ve seen ye before too, I think. It was a few years ago.
Have ye been Eamon Grant’s lover for that long?
Or perhaps am I confused with one of the others? ”
Elin stiffened and pulled her hand away.
Her cheeks flushed red. “Dinnae talk about things ye dinnae understand,” she said sharply.
“Ye may have been fooled enough tae betray yer father, but I will never do the same tae Eamon. I ken he loves me, and I ken he’ll come and find me before these criminals succeed in whatever plan they’ve come up with. ”
Briana sighed and folded her hands in her own lap. She stared at the low cookfire for a few moments, then nodded to indicate a space behind Elin.
Almost unwillingly, Elin turned, and she was greeted by the sight of the four men, chatting and laughing with each other nearby.
Graeme had his arm around Keir who, despite clearly expressing annoyance, was also grinning.
Noah and Theon both laughed at whatever Graeme was saying.
They looked… well, they looked like the kind of brothers that Elin had spent her life dreaming of.
It was nothing like what she was used to when she’d been around Eamon and his friends.
Those men existed to each other in a whirlwind of bravado and competitiveness.
Eamon’s friends often leered at Elin, or alternatively bragged about how their own lovers would do all sorts of unseemly acts simply for their approval, and Eamon laughed along and often joining in.
It was a very different laughter than the familiar humor she heard now.
She shook her head sharply, pushing that thought away, guilt twinging in her stomach. How could she negatively compare the man she loved, the man who loved her, to these people in any way?
Eamon may not be as casually affectionate as these strange men, but he was good.
And loyal in his own way. And he would come for her.
He would never leave her with the kind of traitors who no doubt killed without a thought.
“Have ye ever thought that ye may have been misled?” Briana asked gently.
“I ken ye have nae family. Did ye ever think maybe Eamon might have told ye only what he wanted ye tae believe about the MacKenzies, the alliance—all of it? Would ye nae rather try tae find out the truth for yerself? Ye’ve been given a chance that very few have. ”
Elin bristled. She turned to face Briana and spoke with icy precision.
“I ken exactly who the enemy is. Perhaps this was yer chance, Briana, but it isnae mine. I willnae be fooled by a handsome face or a gentle smile. When Eamon comes, if ye repent, he may be good enough tae take ye back tae yer father and brother. But if ye dinnae—I suggest ye hide. Because he’ll show nae mercy. ”
With that, she stood and stormed off, leaving Briana and the four men behind her.
The wind blew heavy that night, the clouds covering the moon and rain slamming down on the landscape.
Inside the hut Keir slept soundly on the bench nearby while Elin stayed wide awake, her eyes fixed on the window and the darkness outside.
It must be at least midnight, if not even later, but she hadn’t had a wink of sleep.
She could not stop thinking about Briana’s words.
She tried to distract herself with images of Eamon, but every time she tried to remember his touch, it was replaced by a pair of rough, calloused hands stopping her from falling.
Every time she tried to remember his voice, her memory echoed with someone else’s warm whisper.
When she tried to remember his face, all she could see was a dark figure with impossibly blue eyes.
Lightning crashed outside and the wind howled. The windows rattled and then, with a sudden crack, the door blew inward. Elin stared, unable to believe what she was seeing for a long moment. She glanced over at Keir, who had mumbled and rolled over but otherwise not reacted at all.
The door was open.
Her guard was asleep.
Without stopping to think, Elin sprang out of the bed and shoved on her boots, grabbing the overcoat that hung over the end of the bed and quickly pulling it on.
It was Keir’s, but she could not worry about that now.
He’d soon have a lot more to be angry about than a missing coat, anyway.
She paused only briefly to look back at his sleeping form, then she raced out of the hut and into the storm.
She was instantly soaked, glad for the thick coat as she hurried through the camp, the mud sticking to her shoes and pulling her down as if the world itself was trying desperately to stop her.
Elin stumbled several times, but she pushed ahead, determined not to fall.
She reached the edge of the forest and paused, turning to stare at the stables.
If she could grab Nightwind, not only would it be easier to flee, but Eamon would be so happy he’d forget to be angry she’d allowed herself to be taken in the first place.
Elin nodded to herself and made her way toward the small stable, the rain hammering against her with every step.
Her cold hands shook as she raised her hand to the latch, and her fingers slipped a few times on the wet metal until she was able to grip it enough to open.
As the door swung open, though, she gasped in surprise to see a tall, imposing, shadowed figure inside.
She yelped, then her racing heart slowed only a little as her vision settled and she realized it was Keir who stood before her.
He must have slipped past her when she was heading toward the forest and entered to wait for her here.
How had he known she’d come to the stable?
She shivered, cold in a way that went through her skin and pierced her bones. “Keir… I… I…”
“Goin’ somewhere?” he asked with the deadly promise of a wolf cornering its kill.
“I… I suppose I’m nae,” she replied, wiping the water from her face, feeling a chill that had very little to do with the icy rain. She shrank back between the dark look in his eyes “I just… I…”
Keir snorted, though the sound carried no humor.
He stepped out of the stable into the storm and took her arm,dragging her back toward the cabin with enough force that it hurt.
“I kent ye couldnae be trusted,” he growled.
When she tripped, he did not stop, simply wrenched her arm to pull her back upright.
She winced, but trying to pull away just tightened his grip.
“Ye didnae truly think I’d just let ye escape, did ye? ”
The anger in his tone was probably meant to cow her, but it had the opposite effect, sparking something hot inside of her. “And if I did?” she said, challenging him. “Would ye have chased me down? Would ye have killed me?”
He glanced down at her. His fingers tightened so hard on her arm that she was sure it would leave a mark. “Do ye really want the answer tae that?” he hissed, his voice so quiet the storm almost stole it away.
She shivered, retreating under the darkness in his gaze.
He wouldn’t really hurt her. Would he? Elin glanced up at him again and saw only fury there.
There was none of the gallant Keir who had rescued her from evil men, only the Broken Blade now poised against her throat ready to strike her down.
A cold certainty filled her and her eyes filled with tears.
This was where she died. Perhaps she might survive physically, but her life was gone.
She’d been foolish to believe that she could ever regain it.
She tried to think of Eamon to bolster herself, but she couldn’t seem to draw his image to her.
“Why nae just kill me?” she asked quietly. “Why go tae all this trouble?”
Keir grunted, but that was all the answer she got. It didn’t matter. Whether she lived or died, he’d been right. Her life was his now to do with as he pleased.
They reached the cabin and he shoved her inside then turned to fix the lock.
She shrugged off her soaked coat and hung it, suddenly feeling unaccountably embarrassed.
When she turned back to face him, the door was bolted closed, and he had peeled his wet shirt from his torso and discarded it on the floor.
Her eyes traced that lean, muscular chest, and that same urge to touch him and to feel him close almost overwhelmed her.
The wound on his side had closed, but it was still an angry red scar, and it somehow only highlighted his strength.
He cleared his throat and she looked up and met his eye. Embarrassment flooded her as she realized he had caught her staring. It was impossible to tell from his expression what he was thinking, and so she quickly diverted her thoughts.
“How did ye ken tae find me there? How were ye there so quickly?” Elin asked quietly. “Ye were asleep when I left.”
His responding laugh was devoid of humor. “Ye may be good at identifyin’ plants, but stealth is clearly nae an art in which ye possess any talent. Perhaps ye should stick tae findin’ flowers and buyin’ the pretty frocks ye’re so fond of, eh?”
Elin pursed her lips but refused to rise to the attempted insult.
Keir seemed to thrive when they were arguing, and she was letting it distract her.
It was the reason she kept making stupid moves and she knew it.
It was time to play it smart, just as she had had to learn to do for her whole life so far.
“Perhaps,” she agreed. “Or perhaps, if it is an art, it’s one which ye can teach me, nay?
I ken Briana has learned from ye all how tae hold her own.
Perhaps ye can help me improve in the skills I so clearly lack? ”
Keir tilted his head, obviously taken aback. “Ye’re askin’ me tae teach ye?”
She folded her arms. “Aye, I suppose I am. After all, if I’m tae be stuck in this hell for the foreseeable future, I may as well learn somethin’ from it and make meself useful while I’m here.”
Something shuttered over Keir’s eyes and he turned away. “I’m nae fool enough tae hand ye the tools tae help ye escape,” he told her in a flat voice. “Ye’ll take none of our skills back tae the Grants. Go tae sleep.”
“But—”
But he threw himself down on his bench, his back still to her, and Elin knew that she’d lost. She fell silent, then sighed, moving back toward the bed. She considered changing out of her damp dress, but decided that it didn’t matter and flopped down.
After all, she wouldn’t be getting much sleep that night.