Chapter 6
Only once night had finally fallen in a dark blanket around the Keep, did Hannah move.
Taking the original English dress that she had worn in the dungeon and was left in rags, but still returned to her from the staff once it was washed, she stuffed some of the items that Magnus had gifted her into the fabric.
She wasn’t sure what she would need, what was right to take and what wasn’t, but her body moved with urgency and lack of logic.
All that mattered was getting out of there before she became the wife of Laird Black.
She folded a blanket around the items and tied the fabric tightly, her makeshift bag complete.
Hoisting it to her shoulder, she looked to the door and let herself feel the heavy thumps of her heart.
That anxiety, knowing that once she stepped outside of that door with that bag, it would be clear to anyone who saw her that she was leaving.
All that truly mattered once she went through those doors, was that fate was on her side.
Her hand hesitated on the door knob, her head bowed and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
Please, please… Don’t let the doors be guarded, she prayed.
Her fingers trembled against the metal knob no matter how much she prayed and tried to muster up her bravery.
There in the Black Keep, she had been through hell.
It felt like she should have been unafraid to go up against anything at all, that she had been through the fire and now all anything could do was burn her instead of scorching her alive.
But it was all still so unknown, Magnus and his motives.
What would happen to her if he caught her.
But she had to try. Hannah wasn’t sure she could live with herself if she didn’t.
And whatever came after, well, that was her fate.
After taking several deep breaths to steel herself, Hannah pried open the door and stepped out without taking a look, knowing she would only retreat if she did.
She had to dive into her escape like unknown waters, even when it felt like her heart could burst out of her chest. Her feet struggled to find an unhurried pace, trying to see as though she was just going for a stroll, even with her pack slung over her shoulder.
Much to her relief, however, the Keep was quiet.
Maids passed by, though didn’t seem to pay any attention to her, and the corridors were lit dimly with wall-mounted torches, giving her a guide to find her way through the Keep.
The torches made the shadows dance and stretch with their flickering flames, and each shadow out of the corner of her eye made her jump and her breath caught in her throat.
Each step filled her with terror, waiting for someone to leap from the shadows, grab her, and drag her back to the dungeons.
And in spite of it all, the song of freedom in her heart sang louder.
Even though she was scared out of her mind and hadn’t any idea what awaited her after she left the Keep, she knew it was better than a fate forced upon her by men playing games with lives they cared nothing about.
She couldn’t believe her luck that she hadn’t seen a single guard yet. What could they possibly be doing at that hour other than patrolling? It didn’t matter, she just needed to go.
The descent down the stairs was quick, her feet pattering each step with more speed, thankful that no one was lingering to ask where she was going.
If there was anyone talking around her, she couldn’t make them out from how loud her heart was racing in her ears and her own shallow breaths.
Her eyes whipped around the staircase, studying every shadow and holding her breath at the slightest of creaks.
Reaching the bottom floor, she steadied herself again before taking a cursory look around.
An older maid with gray hair at the roots emerged from a narrow door and Hannah pressed her back against the interior wall of the staircase to stay out of sight as the maid went on her way, carrying an armful of towels.
After a few moments, she peered back around and noticed that the maid had left the narrow door open.
A servant’s door, perhaps? Those were often little alleyways within the walls of castles, and would let her navigate her way through the Keep without Magnus seeing her. So long as she was quick…
She lurched forward, practically diving into the servant’s corridor.
Her body turning sideways just to fit down the skinny pathways.
It was dark, the only light being from the glow of doorways that led to the main corridors.
When she passed by a patch of darkness that had a cool draft blowing in through the cracks, Hannah paused and reached to the part of the wall holding that difference.
It was wooden—a door. One not lit by the corridor torches.
An exterior door? It had to be. Taking a deep breath, her trembling hands felt along the wood until she found a door handle. She grasped it and pushed it open.
She couldn’t believe that her feet were on grass and up above, a night sky that was full of stars and a bright, full moon.
It had been months since she had been outside.
Back in London, she had never been a person to frequent the parks or stroll around town, but in that moment she felt like it had been time wasted.
Breathing in the fresh air, she let it fill her completely and she drank in that little moment, feeling it was a moment she had to savor so that she never took the outside world for granted again.
Was this fate? To leave so easily? Was destiny finally carrying her to a soft landing that she had been too hopeless to even pray for since her arrival at Black Keep?
And then the moment was gone and her feet hurried through the tall grass, hurrying for the nearest tree line to finally make her escape.
A little voice in the back of her head urged her to keep going.
Just a little further and you’re free, the little voice chanted.
Hannah clung to it like a friend, trusting in that little voice—because it was all she had.
She ducked below the low hanging branches at the tree line and hurried through, not even registering as thorns and sticks snagged at her skin or dress.
Droplets of blood were worth her freedom.
Trekking further in, a shiver ran up her spine at the distinct sound of a wolf howling in the distance.
Frantically, her eyes searched the darkness, looking for the telltale flicker of predator eyes in the shadows.
Hannah willed herself forward, not wanting to waste any time on fear.
It was fine. It was the woods, there were going to be creatures.
So long as she was smart and alert, she would be okay.
And yet, with each step forward, she couldn’t even hear the crunch of leaves under her feet because of how loud her heart was in her ears.
Her hands shook with fear, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the dark and the task ahead, even though she kept forcing one foot in front of the other.
And then, arms. Strong, thick arms wrapped around her ribs and a hand clamped to her mouth to keep her from screaming.
Her mind went blank, flooding with sheer terror and the gut feeling that it was none other than Alan that had taken hold of her; immediately convinced that he had been hiding in those very woods, waiting for this moment.
And her first thought was that she hoped he would end her instead of making her bear another night of his cruelty.
And like a dam breaking, the fear subsided and instincts took over.
Her nails dug into the arms of the assailant and her legs kicked wildly to try and wriggle free of the sturdy body that was containing her.
Even her teeth grazed the skin of his palm against her mouth, but she couldn’t get a good bite.
It only made her nails dig deeper into his flesh and her body thrash more violently.
She wasn’t going to let whoever this was just take her.
And if they managed to, she would make sure they had to work for it.
“I knew ye’d run,” a gravelly voice whispered in her ear. “Dinnae scream unless ye have a wish to be a wolf’s supper. Though considering the headache ye are causing me, perhaps I should let ye. Now stop scratching me.”
Her eyes darted to the side of her, seeing the face of the man who had held her—she went rigid.
It was Magnus, his eyes dark storms of agitation and something more complex.
He was almost looking at her expectantly, like he knew this moment was going to happen…
and yet he was still angered by it. Even though he might have been saving her from wolves at that moment, it looked like he too was ready to eat her alive with the serious furrow to his brow and the annoyed sneer on his lips.
He leaned into her ear then, whispering to her. “I will let go of yer mouth now, lass, but dinnae make the mistake of thinking that there is anything in these woods scarier than I.”
Her blood ran cold, watching him closely as he let his words sink in before finally taking his hand away from her mouth.
She studied him like a new horror brought to life before her very eyes, realizing that all of her initial fears about him were true.
All of the kind gestures and words of encouragement from the staff had all been in a feeble attempt to cover up his true self.
The man before her wasn’t a man that was trying to fix a lairdom fallen to ruin because of his older brother—he was a man of his own motives, desires, and cruelties.
“You’re no better than your brother,” she spat. “If anything, at least he is upfront about his vile heart! You have been treating me kindly just to coax me into staying. Telling me you wouldn’t stop me from leaving, and yet here you are!”