The Highlander's Curse (23 page)

“And
what good would it dae tae be killin’ me?”

Donnan
scoffed. “I’ve a price on yer heed, MacKinnon. Ye attacked ma nephew, the son o’
our chieftain. And ye entered ma home wi’out consent, and attacked me. I had
tae fight for ma life, and lost ma bonny wee lass in the process.”

“She’s
ne'er been yer lass, nor will she e’er be,” Cailen gritted.

“She
will be mine!”

“And
what is it ye want wi’her? Why dae ye want her so?”

“Same
reasons ye dae, I expect. I’m no’ a fool. I saw the way ye looked at her. It’s
no’ often men like us come across a lass like her, is it?”

He had
no idea.

Donnan
continued, “She’s unlike any other woman I’ve met. And best o' all, she’s no’
tied tae any clan. Nae one will fight for her—‘cept for ye, it seems—and nae
clans will be at odds for me takin’ her. A lass like Elizabeth demands power.
Any who meet her desire her, respect her—”

“And ye
think that forcin’ her intae marriage wi’a man she doesn’ae want is
respecting
her?”

Cailen
gritted his teeth as the words he spoke caught up with him. It was the very
thing he’d done to her.
He
had forced her into a marriage she hadn’t
wanted. When she’d asked him for any other option, he’d refused to even discuss
it, and told her she had to marry. Bile rose into his throat. For the first
time, he felt like he and Donnan MacDougall were very much alike in that sense.
And it rankled.

There
was one difference though: Cailen wanted to correct his mistake.

Donnan
stood and stalked over to him, glaring into his eyes. “Aye. Makin’ her ma wife
will mean she’ll ne’er want for anythin’. She’ll be a woman o' status and
respect tae all her ken her. What could ye possibly offer her more than that?”

If
she were mine, she’d one day be the Lady o’ Ardmoir. And she’d hae the man who
would love her more than any other could. And I’ll spend the rest o’ ma days
provin’ it tae her.

Elizabeth
was his lass, and though she was about to become another Scot’s wife, she’d
forever be his. She’d staked her claim on his heart, and he’d keep it for her.
Until his last breath and beyond.

“That’s
what I thought,” Donnan spat, evidently taking Cailen’s silence as having no
reply, and forcing his thoughts from the one place they wanted to be. He
stepped back from him, returning to the chair he’d spent most of his time on.
“I’ve grown tired o' yer lies. For two days, ye’ve done naethin’ but deceive me
about her whereabouts.” Crossing his ankle over his knee, he peered up at
Cailen. “I’ve warred wi’myself on what’s tae be done wi’ya, but I ken now that
ye’ll ne’er give the lass up. I’ll no’ waste another minute on ye. Angus,
string him up.”

“If
there is a price on ma head, then I should be tried before yer chieftain.”

MacDougall
shrugged. “Ye didnae come wi’us peacefully and we were forced tae take
immediate action. Right Angus?”

“Aye.”

Cailen’s
throat sank into his stomach, and he worked fitfully at loosening the ropes
that bound his wrists. He was mostly suspended, only the tips of his toes
touched the straw stacked on the ground. Twisting his wrists and attempting to
wrench them apart made absolutely no difference in the rope. It held as tight
as ever, feeling somehow tighter as Cailen watched Angus throw another rope over
the truss above him. He made a noose.

No, he
couldn’t die like this. He couldn’t leave this world kenning that the last
words between Elizabeth and him had been in anger.

Angus
approached, looping the noose around Cailen’s neck, not slowing despite his
thrashing. The binds around his wrists were slashed and he tried to rush away,
only to be stopped by the big bastard.

“I
trust ye’ll take care o' this,” Donnan said. He stepped to the wide door
leading outside. “Ye ken I dinna like tae witness such things.”

Angus
smiled cruelly before Cailen was whipped backwards, his feet leaving the ground
as he was raised into the air.

He
gasped as the rope dug into his neck, closing off any hope of breath coming in
or leaving him. He fought it the only way he could, by forcing his fingers between
his skin and the rope, and he inhaled a tiny bit of air before it tightened
once more. Angus spoke, but Cailen couldn’t see or hear anything clearly any
longer. He couldn’t even mutter the name he longed to leave his lips before the
world faded away, and he felt no more.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Are you sure this is it?”
I laid in the grass alongside Conall and Cameron, peering up over the tall
grass the same way they did.

Conall
lowered himself closer to the ground and flicked his gaze at me. “It must be.
They said this is where their farm was. I dinna think they would be mistaken.”

“But
there’s nothing here,” I argued. “When we were taken to the MacDougall camp
before, they were in a little town with a tavern and small houses.”

“There’s
plenty here. They have more than enough space tae hold someone. And besides,
they wouldn’ae want tae take o’er an entire village. Two people are much easier
tae o’ercome than a town.”

“I
still dinna think Scarlett shouldn’t go,” Cameron said, speaking for the first
time since we’d spotted the small farm. He’d voiced his opinion plenty of times
on our way.

I
lowered myself again so I was eye-to-eye with Cailen’s brother. “And I’m not
about to let anyone go into this and get more people hurt. Donnan is after me.
If I can get Cailen out, then I will.” Even if I had to offer myself to him to
get Cailen free, then I’d do it. I’d do anything for him.

“But
what if Cailen is already deed?” the young Scot asked. “He’ll be fair upset wi’us
for sendin’ his lass tae his enemy for not.”

“Dinna
assume he’s deed,” Conall grunted. “Cailen’s a smart lad. He’ll dae what he
must tae survive.”

I
looked back and forth between the two guys. “We’re not discussing this anymore.
And no, you’re not ‘sending’ me in. I’m going because I choose to. Just give me
a weapon, and let me go and see what the hell is going on.”

Both of
their mouths gaped open, but Conall reached into his sporran, extracting a
small knife very similar to the one Cailen had in his. “Ma sghian dubh. Hae ye
e’er used one, lass?”

“No,” I
replied, shaking my head as I took it from him. “Cailen let me hold his during
that boar attack, and my dad made me gut a fish once, so I know my general way
around it.” Peering at the knife, I ran my fingers over the detail. “This looks
just like his.”

“Aye,
it would. He made them. Put that somewhere ye can reach it easily. And dinna
stick yerself,” he warned. “One last question for ye then.”

I
shoved the pointy end of the knife down into my stocking, just above my shoe. “Okay.”

Cailen’s
dad’s gaze clashed with mine. “Could ye kill someone if the occasion called for
it?”

I didn’t
look away from him. I simply stared into the man’s eyes, weighing his words. He
was trying to talk me out of going. “For Cailen, I would.” I rolled slightly,
putting most of my weight on my elbow. “I can do this. I know I can. I’ve
played video…”
No, wait.
“I’ve trained for this. I know how to remain
hidden. I can be stealthy.”
In theory.
“I can stay calm—”

“Can ye
keep breathin’?” Cameron asked doubtfully.

“I have
to,” I replied, rolling again so I was on my stomach, looking back and forth
between them. “I have to do this for him. If I need help, I’ll find
some way
to let you know.”

“I
should go.”

I
looked at Conall. “You’re too valuable.”

“But he’s
ma son.”

“Your
clan needs you. Your family needs you. If something went wrong, what would
happen to Ailsa? To Ardmoir? And Cameron, what about you? You’re fourteen years
old, you haven’t even started your life yet. We don’t know who saw you on the
beach that night? They could kill you just from recognition alone. But they won’t
kill me. I’m our best bet. I’ll search for him, and if I can’t find him, I’ll
come right back. Please, just let me do this.”

“All
right.” The older Scot’s eyes saddened. “Just…dinna go for the doors. Ye’ll
likely be seen, so stick tae the shadows and see if there are other ways
inside. And dinna go inside if ye hear anyone.”

I
nodded. “Got it.”

Conall
patted me on the back, smiling at me in a way that reminded me of my own dad. I
realized in that moment that I really did care about Cailen’s family. I wanted
to keep them safe, just like I wanted Cailen to be safe. I didn’t want anything
to happen to Conall or Ailsa, and I wanted Cameron to have a long happy life.
Even Kieran’s memory was so much a part of the family that I prayed he found
his way home, and I thought that, just maybe, I’d forget about the whole ball
kicking thing.

“Yer a
brave lass, and yer just as stubborn as Ailsa. Ye dae both ma son and yer da
proud.”

Tears
prickled my eyes, and I cleared my throat. I wondered just what my dad would
think if he saw me now. He wouldn’t let me go for Cailen, that’s for sure. And
Jason…we’d have to tackle him to the ground to keep him away. But they weren’t
here. Conall and Cameron were. These men were more than just my friends. I’d
grown to love them like family.

“Okay.
You guys stay here. I’ll flag you down if I need help. Otherwise I’ll be right
back.”

“Scarlett,
be careful, aye? We’ll be right here, or closer if we can. Ye’ll no’ be alone.”

I gave
them a confident smile and crawled through the tall grass, keeping as low to
the ground as I could. It was tall enough now that I could have practically sat
up without being seen, but there was no telling who was watching the fields. I’d
reached a tree before I heard two Scots talking to each other. Keeping as
silent and still as possible, I waited until they were far enough away that I
dared continue on.

More
army crawling, more stopping to listen. Another man spoke now, his commands
were short and clipped, and the other men responded, jumping to every command.
I popped my head up and saw Donnan standing in the doorway of the house. One of
his men stalked from the barn and stepped up to the door beside him. The two
spoke for a few seconds before disappearing inside the home. I shuffled forward
again, changing course slightly as I crawled toward the barn. I reached the
edge of the grass and peered around, searching for any sign of someone who
could potentially see me. It felt like an eternity before every Scot in sight either
turned away or disappeared around the house.

I ran
for it, bolting to the side of the barn, leaning against it as I listened for
any sign that someone had seen me. No pissed off Highlanders came barreling
around the corner with guns or knives, so I peered at the decrepit building,
searching for any way inside. This was built differently than the homes I’d
seen since my arrival in this time. I thought it looked a lot more comfortable.
The barn was built with slats of wood, and unlike the houses, didn’t have a
single window. I didn’t dare check the side of the barn closest to the house,
so I snuck to the front and checked around the corner. Nope, no Scots in sight.

Here
goes nothing.

I lifted
the skirt of my tartan wedding dress and shot around the corner, dodging
through the barn door. I startled the animals inside and skidded to a stop as I
turned and shut the door as slowly as possible. It creaked, and I prayed anyone
in earshot would assume it closed from the wind.

Resting
my forehead against the wood, I released a long breath. Dear God, I hoped no
one was inside. I turned, looking around the barn, my heart sinking as I saw
that I wasn’t so lucky.

And
neither was Cailen.

He was
hanging by his neck, the rope strung tight between him and the rafters. His
head was cantered to the side, his eyes closed and his mouth open. My
Highlander’s entire face was beaten and bloody, the evidence of his torture ran
from head to toe, leaving drops of crimson in the hay below him. His right hand
was at his neck, probably from when he’d tried to pry the rope loose.

It was
a sight I’d never forget.

I didn’t
realize I’d moved my feet until hand brushed over his kilt. Tears fell, and my
throat felt as though someone had strangled me the way they had my sweetheart.
I cried for him. Cried for the mess I’d made of his life. Cried for what could
have been. For how I’d treated him.

How
could life be so cruel? Why would fate drop me into his lap only to have him
die?

I
wrapped my arms around his legs, hugging the only part I could reach. This wasn’t
how it was supposed to be. We should have been together, not apart. I pressed
my cheek to his shin as I hugged him, letting all my pain flow into the last
connection we’d ever have.

Could
angels feel anything like that?

His
skin was still warm, and the thought that I’d barely missed him brought on a
fresh wave of agony. He’d died at the hands of a monster because of me. And
because I’d acted like a child, I hadn’t been there to save him. Or to even
make sure he hadn’t died alone.