Highland Harmony: Avelina and Drew (Clan Grant Series Book 8) (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Drew felt like he was losing his wits. He’d searched in five different directions, through lightning, a torrential downpour, and heavy winds—all for naught. There was no sign of Lina anywhere.

Aye, he had tracked a group of horses for a distance, but the rain had wiped out every hint of a track.

He forced himself to continue, because if he didn’t, he’d surely be ill. If he stopped this very moment, he would jump off his horse and heave into the nearest bushes, but he knew he couldn’t. He could not stop until he found Avelina Ramsay. The thought of her in the hands of Lachlan Burnes was sheer torture.

Sweet memories of his time with Avelina kept rebounding in his brain. Visions of her creamy flesh and sumptuous lips, of how she was with her nephews, and of the night she listened to his tales with such compassion continued to haunt him. Hellfire, but he was in love with Lina, and he was glad to admit it.

Why hadn’t he agreed to marry her? If he had, this would not be happening. He’d allowed memories of being locked in that chamber to sour him. He’d made the same mistake as his parents by allowing the past to cloud the present and future.

Then his mind shifted. Thoughts of Lachlan Burnes on top of Lina in the grass, of her beautiful face bruised, lit a fire under him, forcing him onward.

Three guards rode with him, and he had sent others off in various directions. He saw a group of horses headed toward his group, so he slowed until he could identify them. When he saw that the riders wore the Ramsay plaid, he finally released the breath he’d been holding. He almost cheered when he recognized Logan and Gwyneth.

Now he had true assistance.

“Have you discovered aught?” Logan asked.

“Nay, I’ve sent guards in five directions at this point, but there is no sign of them. And you?” He knew that Logan Ramsay would overturn every stone in the entire land to find Lina.

Just as he would do.

“Nay, but we’ve only just arrived. We followed the golden aura after the storm. I believe ‘tis where Lachlan caught up with Lina. She must be with him. I hope she has kept the sword in her possession. ‘Tis her only bargaining chip. We did find two of his guards turning tail back to England. My Gwynie,” he paused to give her a wink, “convinced them to talk. They had deserted the group. Said they thought Lachlan was daft. The only other information they gave us was that he had a lass with him he planned to marry. That’s all they knew.”

“Has he hurt her?” Drew asked through a clenched jaw.

“Nay. They said he’s afraid of her.”

“Lina’s smart. She’ll keep the sword. The question is, where would he find a priest?”

Gwynie replied, “According to my brother, there are not many in the area, but if Burnes is truly daft, he’ll find anyone to marry them.”

“You know this land well, Menzie?” Logan asked.

“Aye, ‘tis not far from my own.”

“Where would he take her? He’d have to keep her well hidden.”

Drew thought for a moment before replying. “There are two main areas with large caves, but in two completely different directions. I’ll send you in one direction, and I’ll head in the other.”

“He’s got more than four score guards in total. You’ll need more than what you have.”

“I’ll meet up with the others and then we’ll have at least a score. I’ll not wait any longer. Time is of the essence.”

Logan nodded, taking his measure. “She’s more to you that just Jennie’s friend, is she not, Menzie?”

Drew took a deep breath before answering him. “Aye. I hope you will consider my request for her hand in marriage if this is ever settled.”

“If you find a priest, and Lina agrees, marry her. Do not wait for us.”

Drew nodded, explained where the two caves were, and headed off to gather his men. There was no time to waste.

***

Lachlan instructed Lina to wait by the entrance to the cave and then headed out to survey the surrounding area on his horse. He knew Lina wouldn’t stray. There wasn’t far for her to go on foot. The cave was small and dark, and his men had the perimeter surrounded.

He spoke to Duncan, an Englishman he had placed in charge of the others. “Where’s the priest?”

“My men are out searching for one. The one on your land was not in the chapel or your keep, so I’ve sent some to search for him. We’ll have one here by dusk.”

“Can you hold off all of Cameron’s men?”

“Aye, no problem. Only about twenty of them. But we’ve lost a few men…”

“How many are left?”

Duncan thought. “I’ve called all our men together, even the ones on the other side of Cameron land. With all my men in the field, including the ones looking for the priest, I’d say we have around eighty.”

“Good. ‘Twill be enough to contain the others until the lass and I are married. The Ramsays will be here soon. Have you seen any other clans?”

“Nay. How would I know it was Clan Ramsay?”

“When our men start dropping from arrows, ‘twill be the Ramsays. They have the finest archers in the land, including Logan Ramsay’s wife.”

Duncan chuckled. “A lass? As an archer? ‘Twould love to see that. I’ll keep watch for her. Bet she’s a feisty one.”

“Take my word on it. You do not want to go near her or she’ll tie your bollocks up in knots and then stomp on them. She did almost that to my sire, just missing his bollocks by a hair.” Lachlan couldn’t help but twitch when he remembered how she had almost shot his sire between the legs. He’d thought it impossible until he’d seen it with his own eyes.

Duncan instinctively covered his privates with his hand. “Shite. A lass would do that?”

“Aye, and more. Run if you see her coming. She’ll put an arrow between your eyes before you get near her.”

“Well, I have seen a few scouts, but not enough to cause us any trouble.”

“Keep it that way. And if we’re attacked by more than fifty guards, I’ll double everyone’s coin to keep fighting until the lass and I are married. Once the priest is here and the deed is done, naught else will matter.”

“Aye, Chief.”

“Move along and keep me abreast of all.”

Once Duncan had departed, Lachlan returned to his lovely bride-to-be, who was presently sitting and leaning against the side of the cave with her eyes closed. Her hand was near the hilt of the sword. If he could just get close enough to grab it, he could have some fun with her before they were married. His mouth watered just looking at her fine shape. Once he got that sword in his hand, the first thing he would do was slice the ribbons off her bodice so he could see those tits for real. He’d have to be careful not to cut her skin though. She already had a wound on her arm.

Though she was still beautiful, of course, she didn’t look too good. Her color was pale, and her hands shook as if palsied. He had almost reached her when her eyes flew open and her hand grabbed the hilt of the sword.

“Stay back. I said I would marry you when the priest arrives, but you’ll not touch me before.” That same haunting glow that had surrounded her after she created the storm welled around her now.

“Suit yourself,” he spat out. “I’ll be ripping through your maidenhead and planting my seed in you before the night’s out. I can wait.” He found a nearby rock and sat on it to await the priest’s arrival. It couldn’t be much longer.

A few moments later, the rumbling of hooves met his ears. He jumped on his horse and rode out to ask his guards who approached.

As soon as he reached them, he cursed. Now there’d be trouble. “You tell all your friends I’ll triple their coin if they stay until we’re married. We just need to delay battle. All I want is to marry her, then I’ll surrender.”

Alex Grant and some hundred and fifty guards were lined up opposite his hired men. He recognized the Grant and his brother at the forefront of the group, but they were with another man in a plaid he did not recognize.

“Are all our men here yet?” Lachlan spit out.

“Aye, all but the five gone for the priest. I have four score here.”

“Whose plaid is that?” Lachlan snarled, tilting his head toward the newcomers.

“That’s Micheil Ramsay in the Drummond plaid,” one of his cronies replied.

Hellfire, the Grants
and
the Ramsays were here.

***

It was near dusk, and Drew was feeling defeated. His men had searched everywhere, to no avail. There was no sign of Lina or Lachlan. They had only run into one small group of Lachlan’s marauders. It had been easy enough to take them out, but he’d caught one sword edge on his leg.

“Menzie,” Boyd said with a whistle, “you should get that wound sewn up. You’re losing too much blood.”

“Aye, you may be correct, but I’ll not take the time to stop. The bleeding has slowed. I’ll survive until I can get to a healer or to Cameron’s abbey. A monk there’ll sew it up for me.”

“Suit yourself. Which direction now?”

“I think we go back to the area where we sent the Ramsays. There’s a good chance ‘tis where he’s keeping Lina.”

A golden butterfly flitted in front of him and landed directly on his forearm. He scowled at it and tried to send it away, but it returned to his arm. Then the butterfly took off in one distinct direction before returning to him and fluttering right in front of his face.

“What in hellfire?”

He used his hand to push it away, but it returned.

“Boyd, what the hell do you make of this butterfly?”

Boyd laughed and said, “It must be a lass who thinks you handsome.”

Drew sent it off again, but again it returned. Then a memory intruded. The butterfly that had landed on Lina and Gregor was this same color, was it not?

Boyd frowned, “Didn’t Lina say something about a yellow butterfly? Or mayhap ‘twas you.”

Drew thought for a moment and said, “Aye, there is something special about this creature.” He stared at the butterfly, which almost seemed to be beckoning to him. He held his hand up and the butterfly took flight in the same direction it had indicated before. It was also, he noticed, where he had sent the Ramsays and their guards.

“I think we should follow it,” Boyd said, quirking his brow at him. “Mayhap ‘twill lead the way to Lina.”

“Mayhap you are right.” Though he still had his doubts, Lina was special, and since he believed in that, in
her
, he needed to start believing in her power. “Lead the way, butterfly.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lina’s strength was waning. She had slept little the night before and hiked until her feet were covered in blisters, all without eating, but she would not go down without a fight.

She prayed Lachlan would not find a priest before someone came to her aid. She didn’t argue about marrying him because she had to believe she would be rescued first. The only thing that concerned her was when her time would truly run out. She’d tried to decide exactly what day, what hour, but she could not. If he held her until tragedy started affecting her family, she would give in. She could see no other recourse. But she would fight for as long as she could. Her eyes closed and she drifted off, dreams of butterflies and a certain dark-haired warrior rescuing her filling her mind.

Moments later, something startled her and her eyes flew open. Lachlan was gone, but she heard a rumble not far away. She scrambled to her feet, her gaze following the sound, and in the distance she could see Lachlan, his second, Duncan, and a couple of others watching the landscape. There was still a group of guards around the periphery of the cave.

A smile crept across her face as she realized the cause of the rumble. Someone had come for her. Immediately, she recognized the Drummond plaid in the forefront of the group. Micheil. Thanking God for sending someone, she closed her eyes, only to snap them open a moment later.

The loudest rumbling came not from Micheil’s guards, but from a sea of horses headed in their direction from a greater distance. A towering figure rode into view—Alex Grant, the most imposing warrior she had ever seen besides her brother Logan. Flanked by his brother and five other guards, he rode toward Lachlan. There were scores of warriors behind him, she realized with relief. Her heart soared at the possibility of freedom.

Off to the right, she saw more movement. Another smaller group of warriors, Quade’s warriors, flanked the Grant guards on the right, while the Drummond clan sat to the left. Logan rode his horse up next to Alex. Lachlan flicked his reins and headed out to meet them.

Finally, this foolishness would come to an end. Lachlan had to see the futility of trying to make a stand against the combined power of the Grants, the Drummonds, and the Ramsays.

“Where’s my sister, Burnes?” Logan’s bellow could be heard over all else.

“Your sister will be mine soon. We have the power of the sapphire sword behind us. You’ll not stop us. She’ll be my wife and we’ll control all.”

Lina could not believe what she was hearing. He was willing to risk his life against all these warriors? She hurried forward, waving toward Logan, because she had to be certain they knew she was present. As soon as she moved into her brother’s line of sight, three guards raced to her side and pulled her back, so she screamed to make sure she’d been seen.

As they dragged her back toward the cave, Logan yelled, “Fight, Lina, and be aware!”

Once the guards had pulled her back to the caves, she took a moment to assess the situation. She knew what Logan had been telling her. Sure enough, off in the trees she could make out Gwyneth and two other archers.

Give up, Lachlan, please.
Her belly churned as she listened to the negotiations taking place in front of her, but suddenly she became unsettled over one fact—
she
still held the sword.

Aye, if she had been correct in her assumption that tragedy was about to befall her clan because she was still unmarried and still in possession of the weapon, perhaps an even bigger tragedy was about to unfold. This time, when her gaze roamed the sea of warriors in front of her, images of dead men lying in the dirt flashed before her eyes. She could only pray that it would not come to pass.

Both of her brothers sat open to attack at the front of the group. From behind, she noticed Lachlan send a signal to Duncan, and Duncan in turn motioned to his guards. She screamed, hoping to warn her brothers, and the men surrounding her dropped their hold and took off toward Lachlan.

Thus, the battle began.

War whoops came from all three corners—the Grant call, the Ramsay call, and the Drummond call—and the previously unmoving sea of men turned into chaos.

She thought she heard someone yell, “Lina, get back into the cave!” She backed up, but kept her hand on the hilt of the sword, watching in horror as men fell screaming from their horses. The clash of steel was so loud that she covered her ears and closed her eyes, not wanting to hear the reminder of the fight in front of her. Men were about to die because of her,

Aye, if the dead were all Lachlan’s men, she could deal with that. They were unscrupulous men for hire. But what of the Ramsay guards, the Drummonds, the Grant warriors? How many would die because of her? This was all her fault, all because she had taken the sapphire sword.

***

From a distance, Drew could tell the fighting had already begun. Flashbacks to the skirmishes on Cameron land fueled him forward. This time, he fought for the lass he loved.

He led his men into the chaos and was pleased to see not only Logan and his men, but also the Grant warriors, Quade’s men, and Micheil Ramsay and the Drummond guards. Surely, they would win. They must outnumber Burnes and his men by three or four score. The good would triumph on this day.

He swung his sword arm overhead, lunging toward one warrior after another, clashing his weapon against the mercenaries, taking many of them down as he moved through the melee. But as soon as he dispatched one, another took his place. One came so close to his side that he yanked out his dagger and sliced the man across his neck, sending blood spurting over his shoulder.

He yelled and spurred his horse forward, dodging some of the Grant men as they finished off Lachlan’s fighters. He fought his way toward the cave, delivering one jarring blow after another, doing all he could to get to Lina, whom he supposed to be inside. Steel against steel rent the air as he clamored his way closer to his goal. He came so close that at one point he thought he could hear her sobbing, but he forced himself to ignore it to focus on the battle in front of him.

Drew watched as Alex Grant’s warhorse reared up on its back legs to allow Alex to rearrange his sword to do more damage. The two were incredible to watch. The man fought with a deadly patience, his smooth strokes taking out warrior after warrior in his path. How Drew wished he had the Grant’s stamina.

Lachlan’s numbers dwindled as they moved closer to the cave. Logan’s wife had to be hidden among the trees, for Drew noticed men dropping with arrows lodged in their neck or hearts. The lass had a dead-eye with her bow.

He nearly pitched off his horse when his sword caught the last warrior in his belly, so he decided to battle from the ground. Just as he landed, a sharp pain hit him in the thigh. Drew spun around, catching his attacker across the chest and felling him to the ground, but unfortunately, he was a wee bit late. Blood spread across his breeches, indicating the lout’s sword had indeed connected with his thigh, the same one previously injured.

Drew would not allow a couple of wee cuts to deter him. This was for Lina. Gathering all his strength, he moved on and cut down a man who was about to attack a Drummond warrior.

Drew’s gaze searched the area, hoping they were near to the end of the mercenaries. Many of his motley group had fallen off their horses, but they continued to fight on foot. They seemed to appear out of the bushes and attack at aught they could.

A sharp scream caught his attention because it sounded like Lina’s voice. He turned to his left and noticed Alex Grant was raising his sword to command silence from his men. Was it over? An eerie silence spread through the group.

The men who still lived turned their gazes toward the cave. Finally, Drew understood.

Lina.

Lina stood in front of the chaos sobbing. “No more, please, stop the killing.”

Lachlan had a dagger pressed to her throat and her arm wrenched behind her back so she couldn’t grab her sapphire sword. She screamed again to stop the killing, tears flooding her cheeks.

Logan moved toward his sister.

“Do not take another step or I’ll kill her. If she’s dead, I’ll have the sword,” Lachlan ground out.

Logan laughed, mirth in his eyes. “Burnes, even you know better. My sister is a chosen one. You’ll be haunted until the day you die if you kill her.”

“Nay, if I let her life’s blood decorate the ground, then I’ll have the power. She’ll be naught but ashes in the wind.”

Micheil yelled out, “You are as addled as they say if you believe that. Have you not heard my sister can command butterflies to do her will?”

Lachlan guffawed. “And what could butterflies do to hurt me?”

Logan stared at his sister, “Lina, lean your head to the side so my wife can take care of him.”

Lina finally spoke. “Nay, Logan, please. I’ll do what he wants if it puts a stop to the bloodshed. I’ll marry him. I can’t bear to watch any more die. I must marry soon, ‘tis the legend.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Drew noticed a priest on horseback was pushing his way through the Grant guards.

Lachlan must have seen him at about the same time. He laughed and said, “Father, come marry us. It must be done now.”

The priest’s horse was being led by one of Lachlan’s men. He made it to their side and dismounted. “Lad, I cannot marry you to someone who cannot willingly take her vows.”

Drew watched Logan Ramsay and Alex Grant. They were planning something, but daft Lachlan kept moving and his dagger had already pierced Lina’s soft skin once.

“You will marry us, Father, or I’ll cut the lass’s throat right in front of your eyes, and you’ll be the cause of it. Do you want such on your conscience?”

Lachlan’s few remaining guards built a circle around him, helping to keep Gwyneth from hitting her target easily. Now the priest was also in her way. Aye, Drew had seen two other archers in the trees, but they were not close enough to do any damage.

“Nay. Please, lad. Do not do this.” The priest kneaded his hands in front of him after mopping his forehead with a section of linen.

“Start, Father, or I’ll do it.” He dug the tip of his knife into Lina’s skin, and fresh blood trailed a path down her neck.

The priest held his hand up in concession. “All right, lad. No reason to hurt the lass. I’ll do it.”

“Lina, do not agree to this marriage,” Logan shouted.

Drew could tell Lina tried to see exactly who surrounded the cave, but she could not see the periphery at all. He guessed she surely knew her brothers’ voices. With a knife at her throat, what choice did she have? If her brothers could have done anything to stop this, they would have by now. They never hesitated to take action. Sweat dripped down Drew’s back as he watched the spectacle in front of him. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Lachlan would cut her throat and take the sword back. Time had run out.

Lina said, “Go ahead, Father. I wish to end this bloodshed. Do it quickly.”

Lachlan grinned. “See, Father, my wife-to-be is quite agreeable.”

Micheil yelled, “Nay, Lina. Do not do it.”

A look of desperation and despair flooded Lina’s eyes, but she only shook her head slightly, not enough to jar the dagger.

“Go ahead, Father.” Lachlan pushed Lina toward the priest.

Drew wiped his forehead, his vision dimming as he stared at Lina. What the hell was she thinking? “No more,” she whispered. “’Tis all my fault.”

“Do you…what’s your name, lass?”

“Avelina, Father, now get on with it.”

The priest cleared his throat and said, “Do you, Avelina, take this man, Lachlan, to be your husband?”

Lina nodded her head.

“Nay!” Drew shouted, just as his knee gave way and he fell to the ground.