Demon Laird (Legacy of the Mist Clans) (42 page)

“You hang at dawn.”

****

Ronan
, with Aidan beside him and a handpicked group of men, pushed their horses hard in the dead of night. He was grateful for the full moon and the stars shining like frosty diamonds in the black sky. His war stallion never turned down a good run and stretched himself long and low, his stride swallowing the miles. He knew exactly where le March would take Lia. A terrifying voice haunted him… le March’s voice. Ronan couldn’t explain how he knew, but he knew he had to get there before dawn.

He was appalled and ashamed of himself for believing the worst about Lia. Every experience he
’d had with her denied le March’s claims. But le March’s words had hit him where he was most vulnerable, and because Lia didn’t deny his claim, Ronan did the unthinkable and believed the words of his enemy.

Now le March had the woman Ronan loved. What would he find when he arrived? A vision forced itself upon him, Lia broken and bleeding in the same cell that had housed him. He growled a curse and asked his horse for even more speed. He would not allow her to suffer the same agony he had known. He would reach her in time. He had no choice.

Finally, they broke from the trees and descended into the Lowlands. The prison wasn’t far now. He spotted the great hulking, damaged structure. It appeared as if no attempt at repairs had been made to it after his escape. He prayed it was so, for he would be able to enter the prison the same way he got out.

They crested a rise and Ronan veered his horse sharply for a copse of trees. He pulled his blowing mount to a stop and gazed over the rolling berms he had crawled over in his desperate bid to escape.
Gooseflesh pricked his skin and he shook the sensation away. Aidan and the others soon joined him.

“Wait here,” he
growled as he dismounted. “The trees will keep ye hidden.”

“Ronan, let me go with ye,” Aidan said. “If le March discovers ye—”

“If le March discovers me, I will kill him.”

“Damnation, Ronan, listen
tae me. Right before we left, Gordy returned. He found his evidence.”

“What is it?”

“MacFarlane betrayed us long ago. Campbell lured him into an alliance with great sums of gold. MacFarlane sold the blighted grain through MacLaren intentionally. He had hoped the sickness would weaken us sufficiently that Campbell could destroy us and take our land. But then ye were captured and that only strengthened his plot against us. Ye be walking into a trap.”

Fury shot through him
, making him see red. He had been such a fool to trust MacFarlane so blindly. He stopped and shook his head. “I ken that, Aidan, but I also canna allow Lia tae suffer the agony of what happened tae me. I’ll get her out. Ye just listen for my whistle. If ye hear it, then ye come running.” He tossed the reins of his horse to Aidan.

“There’s one more thing, Ronan. I was told we should expect
tae have a very special visitor—”

“I care not,” Ronan snapped. “I’ve got
tae get Lia out before dawn.”

Aidan bit back his retort and nodded.

Ronan wrapped his cloak around himself and pulled the cowl low. Without another word, he vanished into the darkness.

“I hate it when he does that,” Connell said
, pushing his horse next to Aidan’s. “I ken he is not the Demon Laird but when he does that…” He paused and shivered.

Ronan’s soft laugh echoed through the night.

****

Ronan found the void
he had escaped through with relative ease. Apparently, no one else had discovered it. Some dirt had fallen into it, collapsing the sides a bit, but it had not been filled in. A strange sensation whispered through him as he forced his way back into the crack in the earth. He was willingly returning to the place where his suffering had given birth to the Demon Laird. But he forced the sensation down, telling himself it was the stench. He had to get Lia out. She had not betrayed him. Instead, he had failed her. He prayed she would forgive him, although he knew he didn’t deserve it.

The muck and slime were as thick as before, the stench growing worse with each step. He fought not to gag as the bile rose in his throat. Dear God, how had he managed to get through this the first time?

He reached the end of the crack and looked up, seeing a faint glow above him. He stretched his arms up, and fortunately, his long reach allowed him to grip the edge. Sucking in a deep breath, and instantly regretting it, he hauled himself upward, biting back curses. The crack seemed even smaller than before. He managed to make it through and froze when he heard a noise. Silently, he moved into the blacker shadow of the corner. While he was anxious to free Lia, he didn’t want to turn the corner and stumble into a guard. He slowed his breathing and listened intently.

The soft sound of weeping reached him
, and Ronan’s heart twisted into vicious knots. He squeezed his eyes closed.
Nay, my sweet, bonny lass, dinna cry. I am here. I have not abandoned you.

“Shut up, whore!” a hard voice snapped.

Ronan froze, hatred replacing his sorrow.

Lia quieted as the guard continued his patrol. It seemed to take forever for his footsteps to fade
, but slowly Lia’s sobs returned. Ronan cautiously moved enough so he could peer around the corner. No sign of any other guards. Then his gaze fell on Lia.

She was fighting her manacles, the same that had chained him. Her wrists were torn and bloody
, but she was attempting to use her own blood to slide her hands through. She wept against the pain it caused her but did not stop. Unfortunately, while the manacles were too large for her slight wrists, it wasn’t enough, she couldn’t free herself.

Ronan quickly looked around again
, but there was no sign of any other guards. Remaining in the shadows as much as he could, he silently crept into her cell.

****

Lia heard the scrape of a boot on flagstone and nearly vaulted sideways. She took a breath to scream as hands reached for her from the darkness. One covered her mouth.

“Nay, Lia,” Ronan’s deep whisper murmured in her ear. “’Tis only me.”

The moonlight from the tiny cell window high above her head fell on his cowl. As he stepped forward, it fell on his face and his agonized steel-gray eyes. For an instant, she was reminded of the night she had first met him.

“I ken the truth. James showed me
yer journal.”

Relief and joy washed through her and she sagged against him. She felt his strong arms wrap around her
, and she buried her face against his massive chest to muffle her sobs.

“I…
would… never… hurt… you,” she said, fighting to speak. “I didn’t do anything.”

His arms tightened around her and he tried
to soothe her. “My sweet lassie, I ken ye love me as much as I love ye.” He lifted her chin and lightly touched his lips to hers.

****

Ronan intended only a light kiss, still worried over her state. But she responded to him with an intensity that stole his breath and healed his heart at the same moment. His soul, so terribly torn asunder, was once again made whole, and joy chased away his agony.

Then his wits returned. What in the hell was he doing? He had
to get her out. He ended the kiss but still struggled to catch his breath.

His gaze landed on the manacles around her bloody wrists still chaining her
to the wall. “I see they never determined how I escaped.”

“What?”

He sighed. He didn’t want to do this, but he had to free her. “Lassie, these manacles, the locks arena well made. I can open them, but I fear it will hurt ye.”

She swallowed hard but nodded. “Do what you must.”

He braced her arm against the wall and held it firmly. “Forgive me,” he murmured and slammed his fist down on the manacle. She sucked in her breath sharply but her wrists were smaller than his, the manacle did not clamp down quite so tightly. With a soft click, it opened.

“I only freed myself by striking the locks repeatedly on the floor.
Hurt like bloody hell after a while, but I continued until they opened.” He moved to her other arm and again brought his fist down. The second manacle opened and she staggered into his arms. “Forgive me,” he said again. “But we canna delay. Can ye walk?”

“I’ll bloody well walk out of here.”

His lips tugged upward at her returning fire.

“Come, but I’ll warn ye, the passage out is a struggle.” He wrapped his arm around her and guided her quickly from the cell.

****

Lia squeezed her eyes closed as Ronan hauled her out of the muddy crack in the earth. She clung
to him, not wanting to release him… ever. Pain throbbed through her body in time to the beating of her heart, but it could not touch the joy that sang in her soul. He knew the truth, he knew she had not betrayed him, and he risked his life to free her… he loved her.

“Forgive me, Lia,” his soft voice murmured in her ear. “I ken ye are spent
, but we have tae keep moving.”

She nodded
, sagging against him. Had it not been for his arm around her, she would have collapsed. “This… this is how you escaped?”

“Aye, lassie.”

He led her down the steep motte. Lia’s mind could scarcely comprehend the reality of it all. That he had been able to escape in such a way despite the wounds he had borne… Lord have mercy, the fire in this man’s soul was amazing. She could only embrace it into her own heart and hope hers was worthy of it.

Ascending the rise from the bottom of the motte was a struggle even with Ronan’s help.
The pain in her damaged knee became too much. Lia tripped and fell, but before Ronan could help her to her feet, she felt a strange vibration.

“Ronan—”

Ronan whistled sharply through his teeth, the loud noise causing her to jump. “Move, lass, now!”

L
ia lurched forward but Ronan hauled her back just as a horse slid to a stop, barely missing her. She blinked, struggling to focus her vision but could not make out the rider. Ronan drew his great claymore, keeping her behind him.

She clung
to his cloak, wishing only that she could crawl inside it and hide. Horses surrounded them and Lia’s terror surged. Ronan would be hard-pressed to defeat them on his own, but doing so while trying to protect her at the same time—tears burned in her eyes. Her presence would hinder his fighting abilities, and she might even get him killed. She choked on a sob.

“There, there, lassie,” Ronan murmured, his voice unusually light. “This be no’ as dire as ye believe.”

Her vision finally cleared enough for her to see six riders surrounding them. Her gaze focused on Laird MacFarlane with his retainer next to him, and she screamed in fury. “You bastard!” She lunged forward. Ronan barely caught her and shoved her behind him again. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you for what you have done.”

MacFarlane
looked at her as if she were nothing more than an annoying gnat. Then he looked at his retainer. “Are ye sure ye want her, Fionnlaoch?”

His words brought Lia up short.

“Now that gave the Sassenach pause,” MacFarlane said. “I offered tae reward Fionnlaoch for his service tae me. He, in turn, asked that he gain the woman. That’s why we’re here. We were just arriving tae negotiate with the baron when I saw ye crossin’ the berm.” He paused and looked up at the sky. “A night with a full moon be no’ a good night tae attempt this.”

A new horror cut through her. If they slew Ronan, she knew exactly what they would do
to her. She much preferred death by hanging. But that only made her angrier.

“And I can think of a thousand ways
to kill you before the sun rises. Would you prefer your cock falling off as you rave like a madman at the moon, or your skin turning black as you regurgitate your own entrails?”

Ronan’s head snapped around and he stared at her a moment, his eyes wide. He quickly returned his attention
to the men before them, but not before she saw his bright grin.

“I admire my lassie’s creativity
, but on this night, ye shall die with my blade in yer gut.”

“Bold words from a man outnumbered six
tae one, MacGrigor,” MacFarlane said. “But I expected nothing less from ye.”

“I see ye still canna count.” He drew a deep breath into his lungs
and brought his claymore on guard. “MacGrigor!”

Men and horses exploded over the edge of the berm, responding
to Ronan’s battle cry. MacFarlane’s men were forced to scatter to face this new threat. She spotted Aidan galloping toward them, leading a riderless mount, Ronan’s warhorse.

Ronan did not engage with the enemy
; instead, he pushed Lia in Aidan’s direction, keeping his sword on guard in case someone attacked them. Aidan galloped past them and dropped the reins, then he drew his sword and exhorted his mount to greater speed.

“Ho there!” Ronan barked.

The warhorse slid to a stop, its eyes rolling wildly. For a moment, Lia feared it would continue after the others, but it obeyed its training, although it danced in place as Ronan approached. Ronan seized the reins and the horse quieted. Ronan returned his claymore and extended his hand.