Ian (21 page)

Just then, there was the sound of thundering hooves and loud voices
. Then the sky outside the stables lit up slightly. Kyla looked across the stable and out the door and realized four men were riding over the drawbridge with torches in their hands.

“We did
na find the girl,” said one of the men.

“Ye fools, ye let her get away and she’s probably alertin’ the MacKeefes te our plans as we speak.”

“I only wish thet were true,” said Ian in a low voice.

“God’s eyes, t
hey’re comin’ in here,” said Kyla, seeing them headed in their direction.

“Keep yer voice down and follow me.” Ian grabbed her hand and hurried to the ladder leading up to the hayloft. He put his hands around her waist and hoisted her up and then followed right behind her. They’d just made it to the top and d
ove into the hay when a group of a half dozen men stopped just inside the stable door. Tearlach was at the front of the crowd and held up his hand to get their attention.

“
Has anyone seen Eigg?” growled Tearlach. “He should have been back by now.”

Kyla tapped Ian on the shoulder and when he turned toward her she whispered in his ear. “Eigg is
in the secret room in the ruins. We tied him up and gagged him.”

“Ye did what?” he whispered back, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

“I got all the women te help me and we attacked him.”

“Great,” he said looking back toward Tearlach. She wasn’t sure if he was impressed or disgusted by what she’d done. “Where’s me hound, Kyla?”

“I dinna ken,” she said. “Kyle was trapped outside the door te the secret room when I went inside.”

“Well, jest keep quiet and I’ll think o’ somethin’ te get us outta this mess ye got us inte.”

“Me? I helped innocent people escape.”

“
And ye tied up Tearlach’s right-hand man. Once he finds him, he’ll go after the MacTavish women and then he’ll come fer us. Like I said – I’ll think o’ something te get us outta this mess.”

Just when she thought things were getting better between them, she realized that once again Ian thought of her as nothing more than a child and not even capable of making a decision that would save them all. Well, she’d show him. She’d handle things in her own way and prove once and for all she was a woman with a mind of her own and skills to match, and that she didn’t always need him to come to her rescue.

“We need some kind o’ distraction te get them away from the stables,” Ian whispered. “And also te slow them down from goin’ te look fer the women.”

“Well, what’s yer big plan, since ye see
m te ken what te do and I dinna?”

“Kyla, stop complainin’ already afore ye
get us killed.”

“Me get us killed?” she asked. “I am the one thet is goin’ te get us outta here alive.”

“Hush now, and let me think. Mayhap I can go out the window and shimmy down te the ground and make me way back toward the dungeon and try te help Dunmor with the men.”

“Guid idea. And tell Dunmor thet since his wife and child are free – thanks te me – he
no longer needs te do what Tearlach commands.”

“
He’s already decided te go against him. Now ye stay here and wait fer me te come back and save ye,” he said and hurried over to the window. He found some rope in the loft and tied an end to a rafter and the other to him. She followed him over to the window.

“I’m comin’ with ye,” she told him.

“Nay, Kyla. Ye’ll jest slow me down. Now stay here under the hay until they leave. Then grab the horses and take them te the women when ye ken they willna see ye.”

“And how the hell do ye think they’l
l no’ see me leading a bunch o’ horses o’er the drawbridge?”

“Becooz. I’m goin’ te start a fire in the hay wagon and they
’ll be busy puttin’ it out.”

“But Ian, if ye havena noticed,” she whispered, “the
y have more men then ye can fight even with Dunmor and whoever he can scrape up.”

“Aye, I ken
thet, Kyla.”

“How are ye plannin’ on fightin’ off all o’ them and still survive?”

“Jest leave thet te me, wee one,” he said, leaning over and kissing her quickly.

“Ye call me wee one again and I’ll push ye out thet window meself.”

“Och, Kyla, ye always were stubborn. Now jest do as I say and ye’ll be fine.” With that, he lowered himself out the window.

Kyla was furious by the time he got to the ground and made his way over to the hay wagon. She realized if he could pull this off, it just might work. After all, she could see that the guards atop the battlements had come down to join the rest, and though there was a group of men just outside the stable door, they were all off their horses. Since their horses were closer to the gate, she decided to just take theirs that were already saddled.

She took a deep breath and released it, feeling the blood pumping through her veins.
She could do this. She would do this. And she’d show Ian that she wasn’t the helpless child he thought she was.

“Fire!” shouted a man from the courtyard, and she could hear the men rushing around to put it out. She peeked over the edge of the ladder, and when she realized no one was there, she quic
kly made her way down to the ground. Then she sneaked out of the stable, quickly collecting a few horses. That’s when she saw Odara stepping out of the shadows toward her.

“Odara!” She stopped in her tracks.

“Dinna worry, lassie. Ian sent me o’er te help ye. Now come on and lets get these horses te the women afore Tearlach realizes they are gone.”

They managed to collect
five horses and miraculously get them over the drawbridge without anyone noticing, since there was so much chaos in the courtyard. Ian had not only set a fire, but he’d let the livestock loose from the inner ward and scared the animals with more fire, causing them to dart around in a frenzy. And he’d cut loose a stack of wine barrels that were now rolling through the courtyard. The soldiers were jumping over them, trying to herd the animals and put out the fire at the same time. Kyla was impressed that Ian was so good at distractions after all.

They made it to the woods and stopped when they got in front of the ruins.

“What are ye stoppin’ fer?” asked Odara from atop the horse.

“I’m no’ goin’ with ye,” she said, slipping out of the saddle and to the ground. She started tying her horses to Odara’s.

“What do ye mean, lassie? Ye are no’ plannin’ on actually goin’ back te the castle, are ye? We have a chance to escape and save the women and bairns as well. Ye canna leave now.”

“Just
head west and keep te the water’s edge and ye’ll find them. Also, look fer Ian’s wolfhound while ye’re out there as he can lead ye right te the MacKeefe camp.”

“But what are ye goin’ te do, Kyla?”

“I’m goin’ back te help Ian.”

“He told me thet he wanted ye outta the w
ay and I was te make sure ye didna come back.”

“Just go, Odara, as I’m countin’ on ye. And dinna fash yerself aboot me, becooz I am able te take care o’ meself. And I’m aboot te prove te Ian MacKeefe thet I am no’ jest the wee sister o
’ his guid friend, but I am someone he can count on in situations like this.”

“If ye’er sure, lassie.” Odara took the rope with the horses tied to it, nodding and heading away in the dark.

“I’m sure,” she said, watching her go. Then she heard the guttural call of the raven in the tree above her head. The raven always symbolized death and she knew this wasn’t a good time to hear it. “I hope I’m sure,” she added, turning and heading back toward the castle.

Chapter 24

It had been a good hour since Ian started the fire and caused havoc, and he was sure Kyla was safe by now, as he’d sent Odara to help her and make sure she stayed the hell away from here. He knew with the head start the
y had, plus the fact that Tearlach didn’t know the women were missing yet, they had a good chance to make it back to the MacKeefe camp after all.

When Ian realized there was only a handfu
l of men who were going to be standing up to Tearlach and the MacGillivrays who now worked with him, he realized it would end in death for the MacTavishes. And these men had wives and families inside the castle walls that needed them. He couldn’t let that happen. That’s why he told Dunmor there was a change in plans.

“All right,” he said to Dunmor,
who was standing behind him now with the men from the dungeon. The MacTavish men who no longer wanted to follow Tearlach as well as their families were waiting with more horses outside the postern gate. “Were ye able te get horses fer the men from the dungeon also?”

“Aye,” said
Dunmor. “I told Tearlach we were goin’ out te look fer Eigg so he didna question it.”

“Guid. Now sneak the men out the postern gate and
take the women and children te safety. Ride te the closest clan ye’re aligned with and find help. Then come back here and I’ll make sure te have the drawbridge down and let ye in, and we’ll take back this castle once and fer all.”

“Ian, why are ye doin’ this? Ye’re riskin’ yer life fer the MacTavishes when ye dinna have to.
Especially after the things ye found out today.”

“I canna say I’m happy aboot some o’ the things I found out, but ye and Odara have risked yer own lives te help me. So
I canna turn me back on ye.”

“But ye could die in the process.”

“And ye coulda died too by helpin’ me. Ye’ve looked after me as if I were one o’ yer kin. Thet means a lot te me.” He flashed a smile. “Also, I am a Madman MacKeefe, and am expected te do anythin’ thet is crazy.” He dug into his pouch and pulled out the MacTavish clan badge and handed it to Dunmor. “As far as I’m concerned, ye’er the chieftain o’ this clan, no’ Tearlach nor Eigg. Take this and wear it proudly, becooz ye deserve it. Now go. I’ll stay in hidin’ til ye return. Tearlach is already suspicious after all those distractions, so be careful.”

Dunmor t
ook it from Ian slowly, then smiled and nodded his head, pinning the badge on the shoulder of his plaid. “How will we let ye ken when we’re back?”

“Give me a signal.” He thought about this, but it was going to be hard to get a signal without Tearlach and his men being alerted. “I ken. There’s always a murder o’ crows thet sit in the trees by the ruins. Scare them inte the air
. I’ll hide atop the battlements where I can see it. When I see them fly off, I’ll ken ye are back. I’ll make certain Tearlach hasna locked the postern gate and let ye and a few others inside. Then we can lower the drawbridge fer the others.”

“Guid luck, me friend,” said Dunmor clasping his hand and slapping Ian on the back with his other hand.
“I hope we can pull this off.”

“Luck is on our
side,” he answered with a smile. “After all, Kyla and the lassies are on their way te safety and ye and the men are protectin’ yer women and children and bringin’ back an army. What could possibly go wrong?”

* * *

Kyla laid hiding in the grass outside the castle, watching for Ian to emerge. She’d seen Dunmor and some of the MacTavishes sneaking away through the postern gate, so she knew Ian had to be right behind them. She made her way closer, wondering what was taking him so long, knowing he wasn’t going to be happy to see she hadn’t listened to him again. Still, she couldn’t leave without him. No matter how much they aggravated each other, she still cared about him and didn’t want to lose him.

Aye,
she loved him. And love made a person do things that at times were stupid or crazy. She only wished Ian would love her enough to see her for who she was – a woman with needs and hopes for the future. And she wanted him to be a part of that. She thought about what her brother’s wife Effie had told her. That sometimes men were slow to come to terms with their feelings and you almost had to knock them over the head to make them realize they did have feelings for a woman after all.

She hoped this was the case anyway, as her brother seemed to have no trouble falling in love with a girl he’d only seen in a dream. And Onyx fell in love with a girl who was his enemy. She’d known Ian her entire life and spent most her days at his side. She knew him better than anyone, and now she realized mayhap that was the problem.

He was too close to her to be able to back away and see things from a different perspective. But hopefully when this was all over and they were back to the MacKeefe camp, she’d be able to show him that they could have a wonderful future together. Ian had told her that he wanted to pick up where they left off, and was going to tell her brother about them if they made it out of here alive. She was going to make sure that happened.

She had just decided that she’d sneak
even closer to the postern gate and mayhap go inside and see if she could find him, when she heard a snap of a twig from behind her.

She jumped up and turned around, grabbing for her dagger in the process.

“Didna expect te se me, did ye, bitch?” Eigg was standing there with a very red face and fire blazing from his eyes. He swung his fist through the air at her. She dove out of the way and fell to the ground, losing her grip on her dagger. She grabbed for it frantically, but Eigg stepped forward and pinned her wrist to the ground with his foot. Then he scooped the dagger out of her hand in one motion.