Highland Sparks (Clan Grant #5) (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Logan helped Iona mount her horse, then followed her into the woods. They rode for some time when he shouted to her. “How much farther is it?”

Iona grinned at him and spurred her horse to go faster. She flew away from him, a wicked laugh echoing through the forest.

Logan had a bad feeling. He didn’t think she had any intention of bringing him to Lily. He prayed she wasn’t so daft that she didn’t remember where she was, and he prayed even harder that she was still alive. If Lily was out there, he would find her.

Iona raced at a frantic pace. He took off after her, dodging branches and tree limbs along her path. They came into a small clearing and she laughed harder, pushing her horse even more. Logan could tell her horse had tired. She probably never thought to feed the poor beast.

At the edge of the clearing, a downed tree limb came out of nowhere and Iona didn’t see it in time. The horse either had to stop in its tracks or it had to leap over it. Doing the latter, he almost made it over, but his hind leg caught on the tree and the horse fell hard, tossing Iona off its back into the soft grass.

She would have been fine but the horse collapsed on a broken leg, forcing it to the ground. He couldn’t land solid and ended up rolling. Unfortunately, the horse rolled over Iona’s legs. The scream was one of agony, and Logan expected to find her dead when he got to her. The horse still flailed and kicked, managing to catch her in her side once before he was able to stand and move away, collapsing on the other side of the meadow.

Logan dismounted and ran to her side. He was almost sickened by what he saw. Her legs were both broken and twisted, one at a grotesque angle.

She screamed and screamed, her pain clearly unbearable. Logan fell on his knees next to her, but he knew there was naught he could do.

“Logan, help me, please.”

“Your legs are badly broken. There is naught I can do for you.”

Her breathing became irregular and her eyes took on a glassy look as she searched the area for something, but he knew not what. She screamed again in agony. “Do something, Logan, please.” Logan scanned the area for her horse, but he was nowhere to be seen.

The only thing that would help her was to drive his dagger into her heart and take her out of her misery, but even he couldn’t do that.

“Logan, I’m sorry. You don’t have to marry me. I was only trying to make my mother proud. Please. There must be something you can do. Help me. Get the healer.” As she continued to talk, her voice weakened.

Logan had seen injuries like this before. The horse had crushed her insides, maybe even with the kick to her side. She wouldn’t live for long. He had to get her to tell him where Lily was before she lost consciousness.

“Please tell me where Lily is.”

“She’s…” Her eyes fluttered shut.

“Iona!” Logan yelled at her.

Her eyelids opened again, and she stared at him.

“Tell me where Lily is. Do the right thing before you die.”

She nodded her head and closed her eyes.

“Iona!”

Her eyes opened for a second and mumbled, but he couldn’t understand a word she said.

He dropped his ear next to her lips.

“What?”

“In the trees.”

Iona took her last breath.

Logan stood up and bellowed like he had never done before.

Where the hell was ‘in the trees?’

***

Gwyneth had ridden her horse for hours, but without finding any sign of Lily. At one point, she had met up with several Ramsay guards, and they’d informed her Iona was dead, but no one knew where the wee lassie was.

Dismounting, she decided she needed to rest her bum and move her legs. Growley had followed her and stayed with her, but though he used his nose often, he hadn’t found anything more than she had. They were moving through a rather thick part of the forest when Growley suddenly barked, his nose pressing to the ground.

Gwyneth halted as a distinctive odor reached her nose. Growley barked several times before she recognized the smell as vomit. Walking in a circle, she managed to determine where the odor was the strongest. Growley sat at a different spot, his tail wagging as he stared at her. She moved over to the spot and there it was—vomit on the ground.

Hadn’t Logan told her how sickly Lily had been before Brenna’s treatment plan?

She scanned the area but didn’t notice anything unusual. She yelled Lily’s name several times until she heard a faint whimpering.

“Lily?” she shouted.

A cry and a weak, “Here.”

Gwyneth moved through the area, but couldn’t find anything. “Keep talking, Lily, so I can find you.”

“Here.”

A faint whimper echoed through the trees, but it wasn’t loud enough.

“Up here.”

Up? Gwyneth looked up through the glorious tree tops, many leaves still clinging to their boughs, hanging on until a swift wind would come along to drop them to the ground. Sure enough, a large wooden board sat amid the branches, to the right of the tree trunk.

“Lily?” She stood directly under the board. “Are you in the trees?”

“Aye.”

“Climb down. I’ll catch you.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” When she asked the question, a chill ran up her spine. Please God, nay.
Don’t make me. I can’t climb up there. Please help me find another way
.

“She tied my hands to the tree. I can’t move. And Iona made me eat bread so I’m sick. I don’t know if I could climb down.”

“Lass, are you hurt anywhere besides your belly?”

“Nay, but I want my mama. Please come get me, Gwyneth.”

“‘Tis fine, Lily. I’ll get you down. Give me a few minutes to figure out a way.”

“Hurry. Please Gwyneth. I want to get down. Is Iona there?”

“Nay, sweetie, she won’t hurt you again.” Gwyneth’s gaze searched the area as if something would jump out at her. Finally, she walked over to Growley and petted his head. “Go, Growley, go find Logan. He can climb up there. Go get him.”

Growley stared at her, his tail wagging. Gwyneth scowled at him. “Some help you are.” She glanced up through the branches again. It seemed like an easy climb, as long as she didn’t look down.

Precisely the problem. If only she could climb without looking down. Sweat broke out across her forehead at the mere thought of how high the board was off the ground. She paced in a small circle, willing herself to overcome her fear.

“Gwyneth, please. I have to go in the bushes.”

Hellfire, why did she let her fears eat at her so? She was once again completely powerless. She had sworn to herself Duff’s death would secure her freedom, but it had not. Fear held her captive.

Growley brushed her side and nuzzled her hand, giving her a little push. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she swiped them away.
Change your thinking.
That’s what Rab had taught her.

Taking a deep breath, she stared up through the tree limbs. “Lily, you hang on. I’m coming for you.” She began to recite a litany of prayers Rab had taught her and set her bow down before placing her foot on the first branch and tugging herself up.

“Lily, talk to me, honey. I need to hear your voice.” She would draw strength from the lass. Visions of Lily fighting to survive when she was too weak to lift her head from her bed, of Gracie and Ashlyn staying strong in the hands of the vile brutes who’d held them captive, flooded her mind. Three verra strong lassies battling unbelievable adversity drove her forward—one hand over the other and her feet would follow.

A quick glance below told her she was moving up, but her stomach roiled and her foot slipped. Heights made her dizzy.
Don’t look down
. Her father had told her that very thing when she was younger.

“Gwyneth, where are you?”

A feeble voice beckoned her. “I’m on my way, sweet. Keep talking.” She closed her eyes until the dizziness stopped. She could do this. Another deep breath. The pounding of her heart thundered in her ears. She glanced up to see how much further she had to go. Not much.

She leaned her head against the rough bark of the tree and thought of Logan, of how much he loved Lily. The thought of him made her stronger. She envisioned his leg under hers and his arm under hers, the same way he had helped her with Duff Erskine. Lily needed her.

Tiny sobs reached her ears, and she squared her shoulders and stared up at the board a short distance away. One hand reached up and grabbed the next branch; her other hand and her feet followed.

Before she knew it, her head was level with the board and she peered at Lily.

The lass peeked at her and said, “I love you, Gwyneth.”

She grabbed the next branch and propelled herself so she sat next to Lily. She made it with a thud and said a quick prayer of thanks.

Chapter Thirty

Logan rode his horse for a mile before he caught up with his brother.

“Quade,” he yelled to the group of guards.

His brother whistled, stopping the ten guards with him. He glanced at Logan with such a hopeful expression, but he couldn’t give his brother what he wanted, not yet. “Iona’s dead, Quade. Her horse fell on her after a jump and killed her.”

“And? She took you to Lily or told you where she was?”

Logan shook his head. “Nay. I tried to get the information from her, but the only thing she told me was ‘in the trees.’”

“Then Lily is alive somewhere. But what did she mean by that?” He stared at the sky, lost in thought. “I don’t understand that. I don’t picture her putting Lily in a tree somewhere. At least we know she is alive. That’s something. We’ll find her.”

Logan hung his head, upset that he couldn’t give his brother better news.

“Logan, we’ll find her. You’re the best tracker in the Lowlands, if not among all the Scots. We’ll find her. My Lily is strong, and whatever has happened to her, Brenna will fix her.” He divided his guards up and gave directions for their search. “Meet back here at dusk.” His gaze searched his guards. “When you find her, bring her back to my wife first. Then come for me. I want you in pairs.” He sent them in different directions except for two he held back to stay with him.

Before riding off himself, he stared at Logan, who was still sitting motionless on his horse. “What is it?”

“I failed you, brother. I’m sorry.”

“Nay, you didn’t. You found Iona. If she had killed Lily, she would have gloated. My daughter is still out there.”

“I don’t know if I can find her.”

“God’s teeth, you’re giving up?”

Logan shrugged. “I feel the same way I did when they were sickly. I don’t know what to do. I have no control over this situation. Iona was in my hands and I handled it all wrong.”

“My daughter is counting on you. Are you just going to walk away?”

Logan paused for a few moments before shaking his head. He knew what he had to do, but the threat of failure or the possibility of finding his niece dead felt like more than he could handle.

“Logan, get control of yourself. I’ve never seen you like this. Be strong.” He glared at his brother, but his gaze softened after a moment. “I need you, Logan. Together, we’ll find her, but I can’t do it without you.”

He ran his hand down his face. Quade was right. He couldn’t give in to his worries. He had to stay strong for his wee niece. “Nay, I’ll track her.”

“Good. If we’re lucky, Gwyneth has already found her.”

Logan stilled. “Gwyneth? I sent her back to the keep to protect Torrian.”

“She’s out there with Growley, hoping the dog will pick up her scent. Don’t be upset. Mother encouraged her to go.”

God’s teeth, Gwyneth was out there, too? A fist punched him square in his gut. He had two people to find. “Then let’s move. It’ll be dark soon, and our chances of finding her in the dark are slim. The fact that Growley is with Gwyneth gives me hope.” There were two people he loved out in the forests. It was time to find them.

Quade agreed. “Lily is afraid of the dark. I want her found before that. Let’s split. I’ll send one guard with you and keep one with me.”

“Nay. I travel alone, Quade.” He grinned, feeling a bit like his old self. “You should know that by now.” He grabbed Paz’s reins and took off.

***

Gwyneth scooted over next to Lily, but the board moved underneath the lassie. She stilled, waiting until it stabilized. “Lily, we’re going to have to move fast. I don’t trust this board.”

As soon as she was able, she slid close to Lily, leaned down, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “You are unhurt, my dear?”

Lily’s tears slid down her cheeks. “Aye, but I keep heaving. I don’t feel well. How will you get me down?”

“One step at a time, lass.” Gwyneth leaned over and cut the bindings on the wean’s hands. A dark fury grew inside her belly when she saw the raw marks around Lily’s wrists. She took a deep breath and peeked over the side of the board, then shut her eyes tight. This was going to be much more difficult than she had anticipated, but she had no choice. Aye, it was a long way down, but the only way out was down.

She helped Lily sit up and move her limbs. “Can you hang onto me, Lily?” The poor thing had dark circles under her eyes and cracked lips from all her heaving. Gwyneth brushed her hair back. Oh, how she wanted to hug her tight, but she didn’t trust the board to stay in place.

“I think so, but I am verra tired. ‘Tis not so far down, is it?”

Gwyneth grabbed her hand and tugged her close. “Don’t look down. It won’t help.” She helped the girl crawl to the edge of the board, inch by inch. “I think I’ll have you climb on my back. You can hang onto my shoulders and wrap your legs around my waist. Then you’ll have two places you can hold on.”

“I’ll try, Gwyneth. Just get me down. I want my mama and papa.”

“I’ll get you to them. Are you ready?” She gave Lily a big smile, hoping the wee lass wouldn’t detect her fear.

“Aye.” Lily got behind Gwyneth and grasped her shoulders.

“Here, lass. Let me grab hold of the tree and you can rest on the edge of the board to wrap your legs around me.” Gwyneth stepped on a branch and made the mistake of looking down. A wave of nausea roiled through her and she swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut.

“What’s wrong, Gwyneth?”

“Naught.” She opened her eyes, feeling resolve harden inside her. She had to do this. Finding the two branches she would use, she placed her feet and leaned toward Lily. “Go ahead. Climb on and wrap your legs around me.”

As soon as Lily put all her weight on the end of the board, the piece of wood teetered and Lily screamed.

“Grab onto me, Lily!”

Lily got a good grip on her just as the board tipped sideways in the branches. Clinging to Gwyneth, the lassie buried her face into her shoulder.

“Lily, ease up. Grab my shoulders, not my neck,” Gwyneth gasped. As soon as she could breathe, she glanced at the board, still dangling from the branches close to them and decided she needed to move as fast as possible. “That’s better, Lily. Now hang on. We’re going down fast.”

“Watch out for the board. It might hit us.”’

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

Gwyneth struggled to find her next footing since her view was blocked, but she found it and moved down the tree. She said another prayer and thought of Logan and Rab, and continued down the trunk, sweat dripping down her face as she moved.
Keep going, keep going.
She thought she would heave, and prayed the sensation would hold off until she was on solid ground again.

“Hurry, Gwyneth, I don’t know how much longer I can hang on.”

“Lass, you’re doing great. Keep your legs tight around me.” Down they went, slow but steady until they neared the bottom. A crash above them echoed in the air and Gwyneth looked up in time to see the board hurtling toward them.

Lily screamed and Gwyneth clutched at the wean’s hand and leaned to the left side of the tree in a last ditch effort to keep the board from colliding with them. Lily’s legs fell away from Gwyneth’s waist and she screamed again, swinging to the left of the tree while still managing to hang onto Gwyneth’s shoulders. A sharp pain shot through Gwyneth’s right leg as the board caught her on its way down, but she wouldn’t let go.

“You’re bleeding, Gwyneth. It hit you,” Lily cried.

“We’ll be fine, we’re almost there.” She gritted her teeth as the pain in her leg grew, but she managed to straighten on the tree again. Her leg hurt, but at least it had missed both their heads. “Wrap your legs around me again, lass.”

Once Lily was in position again, she continued down the tree. When they finally reached the bottom, Lily collapsed as soon as her feet hit the ground, and Gwyneth lowered herself to the ground next to her. She grabbed the lassie and hugged her tight. “We made it. We made it.”

Tears of joy fell as she realized what she had accomplished. Lily was here, safe, and she had faced her biggest fear. She laughed as she patted Lily on the back. Growley joined them and licked Lily’s face.

“Gwyneth, look. You’re bleeding.” Lily moved back to gaze at Gwyneth’s leg, Growley’s nose sniffing her wound.

When Gwyneth saw the amount of blood pouring from her leg, she ripped part of her tunic and tied it around the wound. A wave of dizziness assaulted her, so she scooted over to lean against the tree trunk, trying to calm her breathing. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she pressed the bandage against her wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

Gwyneth glanced at Lily. Now that they were no longer at risk of falling from the tree, she noticed how weak Lily was, her wee hands trembling as she petted Growley. “Lily, go to my horse and get something to drink. I might have an oatcake for you.”

Unfortunately, her horse was grazing a good distance away. Lily tried to walk, but she stumbled twice, finally crumpling to the ground with tears in her eyes. Gwyneth pushed herself to a standing position, but was shocked by how badly her body trembled when she tried to move. She made it over to Lily, but fell down beside her.

She sighed as she tugged Lily onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her. The temperature was dropping and Lily’s wee body shivered.

Lily glanced up at her and said, “Gwyneth, I’m cold. What are we going to do?”

Gwyneth glanced up at the treetops. It wouldn’t be much longer until the sun dropped completely. She sighed and kissed Lily’s cheek. “We wait. Uncle Logan and your da will find us.” She hugged Lily as tight as she could, trying to give her what little warmth she had left in her body, but she knew she didn’t have much left of her own. “Growley, come.” She patted next to them and Growley sat. Lily snuggled up to Growley’s heat and Gwyneth covered her with her arms, covering her as much as she could.

She hoped they would be here soon, because she was tired, very tired. Her head dipped onto Lily, but the wee one had already fallen fast asleep.