Highland Legends 04 - Captive Highlander (10 page)

Chapter 14

As they got closer to Katie’s
father’s chamber, the sound of rapid footfalls echoed through the passage
behind them. Rowan Rannoch burst around the corner followed by ten of his loyal
guards. Katie stepped back from Ian.

“Well, what have we here?”
Turning to Katie, he grabbed her arm and squeezed until she gasped in pain.

“Let her go,” Ian railed. “If you
want to hurt someone, hurt me.”

Rannoch threw Katie into the arms
of one of his men. “The Innes heir inside our keep, how can that be?”

Katie drew in a deep breath. “He
is my prisoner.”

“Pray tell, how is it he now
walks by your side without benefit of chains?”

“I convinced Katie to let me
speak with her father,” Ian interrupted. “I wanted to negotiate a peace.”

Rannoch turned his dark eyes on
Ian. “Brian Blackburn is little more than a lifeless shell. My men and I will
escort you back to the dungeon.” Rannoch glared at Katie. “We found the cell
where you kept him. Is that where you were when I searched for you? Off
capturing Ian Innes.”

He grabbed her face and forced
her to look him in the eye. “Aye,” Katie said. “Keith and I took Ian on his way
back from the gathering.”

“Why did you not tell me about
your prisoner?”

“’Twas my idea and I didna want
others to suffer Laird Innes’ wrath if I failed.”

“Liar! You sought to negotiate a
peace without my knowledge or consent.” Rannoch screamed. “Now you will see
what your folly has wrought. Take both of them,” he ordered. The men took hold
of Ian and the group made their way to the cell where she kept Ian.

Rannoch walked over and fingered
the empty manacles. “Twould appear Lady Katherine didna have you secured
tightly enough.”

“Milord….” Katie interrupted.

“Shut your mouth.” He turned back
to his men. “Hang him up,” Rannoch ordered.

The guards locked Ian in the
manacles, lifted him into the air, and hooked the chain on a hook in the ceiling
above. Then they secured his dangling legs in the leg irons. He hung several
feet off the floor and a few feet from the wall.

“I believe you offered yourself
up in her stead,” Rannoch said.

“Aye, I did,” Ian replied. “Do
what you will with me, but dinna harm her. She is young and foolish. Lady
Katherine didna ken the consequences of her actions.”

“Draco, give the Innes heir what
he has requested.”

“Let him be,” Katie shrieked. “He
is my prisoner.”

“You no longer have a prisoner,
Lady Katherine. You brought him into Duntaigh Castle. Now you will see the
import of your actions.” With an evil leer, he turned back to Draco. “Beat
him,” Rannoch ordered.

Draco began pummeling Ian with
his massive fists. Each blow sent Ian’s body slamming against the stone wall of
the dungeon. Draco sent his fist right between Ian’s ribs. The impact made Ian
groan as his back once again hit solid stone.

“Stop,” Katie cried. When they
ignored her, she sought to hide her face. Rannoch pulled her hands away and
slapped her hard. His man jerked her head around and held it in place. Katie
closed her eyes. “I wilna watch.”

“Aye, you will. Or I will have
him beaten until he is dead,” Rannoch threatened.

Quaking, she opened her eyes.
Ian’s gaze met hers for a brief instant between blows. She observed in
astounded silence. When Ian tried to fight back, they took a metal rod and
struck him. One blow landed against the side of his head. Ian went limp hanging
from his chains. Blood from the head wound ran down his face and dripped onto
his chest.

“Have mercy,” she whispered
through parched lips.

Rannoch took a metal rod and
landed some well-placed blows across Ian’s ribs. “What is that you say, Lady
Katherine?”

“Have mercy,” she repeated. “He
is of no use to us dead.”

Rannoch arched a dark brow at
her. He walked closer and put his hand on Ian’s manhood. “Did you find him to
your liking, Lady Katherine? Is this why you kept him locked away? Is he your
consort? A slave you took to your chamber at will for entertainment. ” The men
behind Rannoch chortled. Coming over to her, Rannoch gazed into her eyes as he
ran his hand beneath her skirt, feeling her womanhood. He stepped back with a
snort and sniffed his fingers. “I canna tell. Perchance he didna have you
today.”

“Hoary bastard!” Katie cried. “You
wilna touch me again. I am Laird Brian Blackburn’s daughter. This man is my
prisoner.”

“Then you wilna care if I cut it
off,” he said, motioning to Ian’s member.

“Laird Innes will gut you and
hang you from the walls of Cairngorm Castle if you geld his heir.” Katie’s
heart pounded wildly in her chest. She caused this.

Rannoch drew his blade and moved
to Ian. “I am sorely tempted.”

“Robert the Bruce would not
approve.” Seeing him pause, she continued. “I canna be responsible for this. If
you do this, I will see you punished by our king. He holds the Innes clan in
high regard.”

Rannoch walked over to her again.
“An empty threat from a frightened girl,” he said. His stale breath almost made
her choke. “What else can you offer, Lady Katherine, anything that would make
my decision easier?”

Katie bit her lip hard to keep
from crying. A deep calm overtook her and she gazed up into his eyes. “I will
marry you if you leave him intact.”

Rannoch roared with laughter and
sheathed his blade. He looked at Ian, then back at Katie. “I accept your
offer.”

Katie cast a wistful glance at
Ian’s limp body as one of the guards led her out of the dungeon. Ian hung from
the ceiling with gashes and bruises covering his torso. Was this to be her last
vision of him?

Rannoch stayed with Draco as the
guards dragged her out.

Katie looked up as Rannoch
entered her room carrying a set of manacles attached to one another with a
short chain. He closed the door, bolted it, and then walked over to her
dangling the cuffs in front of her.

“Where can I secure you, Lady
Katherine? At least I have chosen your chamber and not the dungeon.” Gazing
around the room, he looked over at the tall, four-poster bed that dominated one
section of her chamber. The posts rose to meet the wood-framed, curtained top
of the structure providing him with a sturdy bedpost to attach his restraint.
He walked over to the bed and wrapped the chain around the bedpost at the head
of the bed.

Suddenly his eyes grew wide.
Rannoch smelled the bedding. Wheeling around, he turned on her. “You had him,”
he accused. “The scent of such things lingers.” Examining the bed more
carefully, he found a few spots of blood and held up the sheeting. “Ian Innes
is a lucky man. He was first to take you. Do you deny it, Katie?”

“Nay, Milord.”

Rannoch walked over and grabbed
her face with one hand. “I offered you marriage and instead you let your
prisoner take you.” With a derisive snort, he let go of her jaw. “He wilna be
the only one to take you, Katie. You will ken me well before this is ended.” He
stopped and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But since you are already ruined, I
will marry Brianna. She seems more willing to please me. The Blackburn sisters
will take turns in my bed, or even come to it together.”

Katie lunged at him, shoving him
hard in the chest. “You are a sick man!” she screamed. “I saw what you did to
Sorcha.”

“You what?”

He came close, gazing at her with
menacing eyes. “You little bitch. You spied on me.”

“Ian made me suspect you of foul
play. I went to see for myself and saw you with Sorcha.”

“So that is how he charmed his
way beneath your skirts. Tell me, Katie, what did you see?”

“I ken you are lovers. You did
things to her….”

“I didna do anything to Sorcha
she didna want. She enjoys a little pain with her pleasure.” He moved closer.
“Had a little pain with your pleasure, did you not?”

Katie stepped away and glared at
him. “There is no comparison.”

Rannoch grabbed her wrist and
jerked her over to the bed. He threw her down on the soft ticking, secured her
wrists with the cuffs, and chained her to the bed. Rannoch pulled down her
bodice and ran his hands over her exposed breasts in a roving exploration. Then
his hand went beneath her skirt touching her.

“Stop it,” she shrieked striking
at him and kicking him repeatedly as she twisted beneath him. Finally, he left
off his assault and stood to tower over her.

“You wilna be so high and mighty
when I take you. I will wait until I am sure you dinna carry his bastard.” He
grinned at her expression. “I see you didna think of that in the heat of the
moment. Dinna fear, when the time comes, I will teach you to please me.” He
went to the door then turned to look back at her. ”Just wait and see.”

He left her chamber with a
resounding slam of the door.

She could hear him barking out
orders to his men. “One of you will guard her at all times. Lady Katherine is
not to leave her room.”

Quivering Katie sat up and heard
the rattle of the chain. Would he come again to shame her with his insolent
touch? She had no doubt. Only her joining with Ian kept her from rape moments
ago. With one hand, she adjusted her gown to cover her breasts and leaned back
against the headboard. Her secrets were out and now she must find a way to
help Ian. Without care, he could die in the dungeon cell. She did not believe
Rannoch would spare him because of her offer of marriage. In fact, now that he
knew what she had done it was likely he would kill or maim Ian.

First, she must free herself from
the damned manacles then she could figure a way out of her chamber. Slipping
one hand beneath the ticking, she pulled her dirk from its hiding place.
Perchance she could pick the lock that bound her to the bed.

After working for hours trying to
make the narrow blade spring the lock, Katie slumped back in the bed. All
seemed hopeless. She slept off and on through the night. Each time she woke,
she worked to free herself from Rannoch’s cruel trap. Eventually, she drifted
into an exhausted slumber.

When she woke again, the first
rays of the morning sun were shining through the narrow windows in her chamber.
A disturbance in the hallway drew Katie’s attention. She could hear the guard
challenging someone outside her door. The conversation stopped and the door
opened. Tessa walked into the room and turned back to the guard. “A few moments
of privacy with my sister if you dinna mind.”

Surprisingly the guard nodded and
pulled the door shut. “Tessa, what are doing here?”

“You need me and I am here,” she
said simply. Tessa walked over to the bed and withdrew a key from a small,
velvet sack that hung on her belt. She held it up for Katie to see.

“How….”

“Dinna ask.” Moving closer, Tessa
freed Katie from the manacles.

Rubbing her wrists, Katie looked
at her youngest sister in amazement. “You ken I have trouble believing your
claims of foresight.”

“Someday you will be convinced.
Until then, I accept that all the family would deny my gift.”

“We find it frightening because
we dinna understand it.”

Tessa nodded. “If I didna live
with it daily, I wouldna believe it either. That is a conversation for another
day. My time here is short. The guard wilna allow me to visit with you very
long. The keys to Ian’s cell are in the anteroom outside his chamber. I ken you
will find a way to save him from Rannoch.”

“Aye, so,” Katie murmured,
hugging Tessa to her chest.

Tessa pushed back. “You must get
past the guard Rannoch placed at Ian’s cell.”

“Any advice?”

Tessa looked pleased. “The guards
have a keg of ale. Any of them who are on duty partake often. I procured some
of Sorcha’s potion to aid your cause.” Drawing a vial from her velvet pouch,
she handed it to Katie.

“You ken Rannoch is having Sorcha
poison father?”

“Aye.”

“How did you….”

“I heard them talking then I
watched. Sorcha gives this to father in very small doses. If you were to put
the whole vial in the ale, I think it may have the desired effect.”

“How did you get these things?”

“The potion was easy. I took it
from father’s chamber and replaced it with one filled with water.”

“Clever girl, but what about the
key?” Katie asked.

Tessa smiled. “I see things in my
mind’s eye and I am also a clever spy when it becomes necessary. Rannoch
confides in Sorcha. I overheard them and learned much. While she had his
attention, I got the key.”

“Please tell me you didna see
them together in his chamber.”

Tessa laughed. “Nay, Katie, but I
am a bit of a pick pocket when I need to be. Rannoch and Sorcha spoke in the
hallway. He told her what he had done to you and Ian. I was around the corner.”