Chapter Thirty-One
Earlier, in the field in front of the tavern, Keegan had snatched a Murray guard’s sword, then bested Graybeard, leaving him with several cuts, but spared his life.
He’d sent the next one who’d challenged him running away with a deep slice to his sword arm.
And now, another of the men who’d invaded their room over the tavern charged him with a sword.
He parried and thrust, then drove the other man back several feet.
Keegan darted a quick glance around the field at the crowd of onlookers and noticed Chief Murray a hundred feet away, scowling this way and that, murder in his eyes.
Where was Seona? He must not have found her in the room.
Rebbie stood not far from Murray, looking pale and dazed, his forehead and doublet bloody, but he held a sword in his hand. Keegan was glad he’d awakened.
Fraser, on horseback, rode in behind him, leading Curry. He motioned Keegan forward.
He landed one final blow and sent his opponent’s sword flying, then he hastened toward Fraser.
“Haldane took Seona,” Fraser said in a low tone.
“What?” A sharp blade of fear and outrage sliced through Keegan. “When?”
“A short time ago. Her sister showed up and told us. Haldane kidnapped her first, then released her when he lured Seona out.”
“Which way did they ride?”
“East.”
Dermott approached on his horse, tossed Keegan’s boots to the ground in front of him, then handed him his sporran and sheathed dirk. “I found these behind the tavern.”
Last time Keegan had seen them, they’d been in the chamber. “Seona must have dropped them there.” Fear for her life making his hands unsteady, Keegan pulled on his boots then swung into the saddle. “Let’s go.”
“Lady Talia said they went this way.” Fraser took the lead, kicking his mount into a gallop; Keegan and Dermott followed. Hunched low in their saddles, they rode past boulders and into the forest.
Keegan would kill Haldane. To imagine someone harming Seona was like a dagger to the gut. The roughed-up tracks through the leaves and pine needles were easy to see, but when they came onto a muddy road, thick with tracks which forked in two directions, they drew up.
Hoof beats pounded behind them. Keegan glanced back. Rebbie? Surely, he was not up to this.
When he halted beside them, Keegan asked, “What in blazes are you doing here? You’re injured.” Indeed the earl still looked pale, blood matting his hair.
“’Tis naught. When I saw you lads riding like the devil, I knew something had to be wrong.”
“Aye, Haldane abducted Seona.”
“Saints!” He glanced along the two roads. “North or east?”
Keegan examined the tracks on the muddy ground. “Fresh tracks go both ways. Two of us take one road, and two the other.”
Rebbie nodded and rode off toward the east, Dermott following.
Keegan and Fraser traveled north, their mounts charging at full speed. A pistol shot fired somewhere in front of them.
“Who the hell is shooting?” Keegan said between clenched teeth. He prayed Seona was not in the line of fire.
Two horses waited beside the road up ahead, one shifting about anxiously. Behind a stand of bushes, swords clanged.
Keegan pulled back on the reins, leapt to the ground, and drew his sword. He was aware of Fraser following on foot, but he kept his attention focused forward.
Sticking his head through the bushes, he found McMurdo fighting a younger man with a bushy brown beard. Another man lay on the ground, blood pooling around him. What the devil was going on? Where was Seona?
A scream sounded in the distance, ahead but to the left. A female. It had to be her. He raced forward, the prickly gorse bushes snagging his clothes and scratching his skin.
Up ahead, a red-headed man had someone wearing black thrown over his shoulder. Haldane. Rushing closer, Keegan saw ’twas indeed Seona he carried. She kicked, elbowed him in the back, and fought to free herself. Even though her hands were tied, she yanked his hair.
“Ow! Damn you, lass!” Haldane bent forward, attempting to dump her to the ground, but Seona held onto his long hair.
Haldane glanced his way just before Keegan reached him. He shoved Seona away and lifted his sword.
She did not appear to be injured, thank the saints.
“Let me have her, Haldane.” Keegan forced himself to use a reasonable tone.
“Nay!” He sliced the blade through the air. “Back away.”
Seona’s ankles were bound as well, but she tried to roll away from Haldane.
“Don’t force my hand, cousin.” Although Keegan could not say he and Haldane had ever truly been close, they had trained together since they were lads and eaten many a meal together at Dunnakeil.
“You are not my cousin since you are loyal to that imposter you call a chief,” Haldane snarled.
Haldane knew good and well Dirk was no imposter, but Keegan wasn’t going to argue the point.
“Why did you kidnap Seona?” Keegan knew why, but he wanted to distract Haldane.
“That is none of your concern.”
“Aye, ’tis, considering she is my wife.”
“Your wife? Ha!” Haldane’s pale green eyes glinted with feral energy and he bared his teeth. “Well, if that is true, I can easily make her a widow. She was to marry the MacKay chief, which I will be since Dirk is dead.”
Icy cold slithered through Keegan. To imagine Dirk dying was like enduring a strike to his vitals. The man was like a brother to him.
“Dirk is not dead,” Keegan assured him.
“How do you know?” Haldane smirked. “You haven’t seen him in several days, have you?”
“He’s recovering in a safe place.”
“You hope. But what if he got a grave fever from that arrow wound?”
Dirk had endured a minor fever, but seemed improved last time he’d seen him. Keegan was not going to worry over him now. Seona was his main concern.
“Release Seona before you injure her.”
“Nay.” Haldane advanced, sword in guard position. “Back off or you will cause me to hurt her. If she dies, ’twill be your fault.”
Fraser stepped from the bushes behind Haldane, snatched Seona from the ground, and kicked Haldane forward. He stumbled to his knees but quickly leapt to his feet, looking about wildly. But Fraser had already disappeared back through the bushes with Seona.
Keegan charged forward, ready to kill Haldane in one-on-one combat. ’Twas not what he wanted, but something he had to do in order to protect Seona and to ensure Dirk’s safety.
A glint of fear flashed in Haldane’s eyes and he bolted, fleeing through the gorse.
Nay! Keegan chased him. “Coward!” He shoved through the thorny branches after Haldane, running, dodging in and out of the bushes. But after a few moments, all was quiet and still up ahead. He paused. No movements around him. Only the sounds of swords clashing far behind him.
“Haldane!” Keegan shouted. “Come back and fight like a man.”
Silence met his ears.
“Bastard.” Keeping his sword in hand, he took out his dagger, too, as extra protection should he be ambushed, and proceeded back through the gorse bushes.
Where had Fraser taken Seona?
At the spot where McMurdo had been fighting another man, three scruffy outlaws—he assumed Haldane’s recruits—lay on the ground, apparently dead, given their wounds and the blood surrounding them.
Keegan was disappointed McMurdo was not among them.
Dermott and Rebbie stood nearby, catching their breaths.
Dermott held a cloth against a cut on his upper arm.
Seeing they were well, Keegan hastened away in search of Seona and Fraser.
He found them in the narrow road by the horses.
Upon reaching Seona, Keegan sheathed his weapons and drew her into his arms, her slight, curvy frame conforming perfectly to his. Thank God she was alive. “Are you well? Did Haldane hurt you?”
She shook her head against his chest. “Only a few bruises from his rough handling, I think.”
“That bastard.” Keegan glanced at Fraser. “I thank you for helping her.”
“My pleasure.” Fraser gave a slight grin.
Seona pulled back but kept her arm around Keegan’s waist. “Indeed, I appreciate the help, both of you. Did you see my sister?” she asked Fraser.
“Aye, the bonny lass was hiding in the brush behind the tavern. She resembled you so much, I knew she had to be your sister.”
“Was she hurt?”
“Nay. After she told me you’d been kidnapped, I asked her to wait there with one of the trusted MacKenzie guards protecting her.”
“Oh, I thank you.”
Rebbie emerged from the bushes, Dermott following. “Did you kill Haldane?” Rebbie asked.
“Nay.” Keegan wanted to kick himself for not accomplishing what he needed to. “He ran like the vile rodent he is.”
“Coward. He always flees.”
“Aye.”
“Next time. McMurdo got away, too. He took off when Dermott and I showed up.” Rebbie strode toward his horse, then hoisted himself into the saddle.
Keegan glanced down at Seona. “Why did fighting break out among Haldane’s men?”
“One of his new recruits decided he… wanted me and attacked Haldane.” Seona’s face reddened. “Haldane shot him, then his friends joined in the fray. I took advantage of the situation and ran, but Haldane caught me and tied my hands and feet.”
Keegan’s stomach knotted when he imagined her in such a precarious situation. “Are you certain he didn’t hurt you?”
“Aye. I thank you,” she said, darting a quick glance from his eyes to his lips and back.
He leaned down and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her mouth, grateful she wasn’t injured.
“Where is my ‘thank you’ kiss?” Fraser teased.
Seona pulled away, smiling and blushing.
“Shut your gob, Fraser,” Keegan muttered, trying to hide his grin.
A multitude of hoof beats approached from the south, drawing Keegan’s attention and darkening his mood. He knew who they were even before he saw them.
A moment later, four of Murray’s guards reined in their mounts and surveyed the scene. “We’ve come to escort Lady Seona back to her father,” their leader said.
Keegan stepped in front of her. “I’m taking her.”
Smirking, the head guard shrugged. “As long as she goes back to her father, I don’t care who takes her.”
Seona tugged at his clothing.
He turned to her. “Aye?”
“You stay here,” she whispered. “I’ll go back with them.”