The men glanced at each other. “Stop who, my laird?”
“The spellweaver! She just walked right past ye!”
The guards’ faces paled. “But… we didnae see anyone, my laird.”
Arran let out a string of curses. Damn the woman! Was she trying to get herself killed? Clearly she’d used her magic on the guards. What was she up to now? He’d wring her neck when he got his hands on her!
“Stand aside!” he snapped, pushing past the guards. He grabbedthe handle of the postern gate and yanked it open.
“My laird!” one the guards cried. “Wait and we’ll form a company to accompany ye!”
“No,” he replied. “Go back to yer posts. I willnae be long.”
Before they could reply, he pulled the gate shut behind him and stepped out onto the road. There was no moon and the darkness was almost absolute, with only the faint starlight to light the night. He paused, letting his eyes adjust, and the outline of the village and landscape beyond slowly came into view.
There was no sign of Jenna.
Biting back a curse, he knelt and examined the mud. It did not take long to find her footprints, but to his surprise they did not lead down the road but rather cut around the outside of the keep and turned across country—in the same direction in which the anchor stone lay.
She’d been withdrawn when they’d returned to Dun Tabor, and had spent the rest of the day sequestered in the library, studying the texts Merrick had dug out for her. She’d retired early from the evening meal, taking one of the books up to her room, saying she’d wanted to study it some more.
Had she really been hatching a plan to sneak out and return to the stone alone? What was she thinking? Had she not listened to a word he’d said to her? Did she not realize how dangerous it was to go wandering the wilds alone? Reckless, headstrong, stubborn woman!
He broke into a jog in the direction she’d taken, stopping every now and then to check he was still following her footprints. She couldn’t have gotten far so that it wouldn’t take long to catch up and when he did, he’d be giving her a piece of his mind she wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
But Arran didn’t catch her as quickly as he’d imagined. Even though she was traveling in the dark, through a landscape she was unused to, she seemed to be moving far more quickly than Arran would have expected, as though she knew exactly where she washeaded and was sprinting for all she was worth. Was she using magic to aid her flight?
Arran didn’t know but hedidknow that he had to find her and bring her back before some calamity befell her.
Yet try as he might, Arran was unable to gain on her. He ran as fast as he dared through the darkness, moving more quickly now that he was sure of her destination, but he caught no sign of her on the trail ahead. By the time he reached the rise that they’d climbed earlier, his lungs were on fire and sweat was pouring down his forehead, plastering his hair to the sides of his face. He staggered to the top of the rise above the beach and leaned on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
The tide was out and the anchor stone rose up from its spot on the beach like an accusing finger. Jenna was on her knees in front of it and her voice floated to him through the darkness. She seemed to be arguing with it.
“Look, if this is gonna work, I’m going to need your help. And it’s no good staring at me like that, all moody and brooding, because I’m not going to fall for it. We both know you want me to fix you, so how about you give me a break, huh?”
Arran stepped forward and a piece of driftwood snapped beneath his boot.
Jenna spun around. “Who’s there? Come out right now! I’ve got a gun and I’m not afraid to use it!”
She didnothave a gun—muskets and wheellocks were a rarity in the Isles—but Arran had to admire her spirit. He walked towards her, holding his hands out to either side.
“It’s me, lass.”
Her eyes widened and damn him if he didn’t feel an involuntary little clench in his gut. Relief flashed across her lovely features and for a fleeting instant she looked as pleased to see him as he was to see her.
“Arran! What are you doing here?”
“What amIdoing here? What areyedoing here, woman? What in God’s name possessed ye to come out here alone in the middle of the night? Have ye lost yer senses?”
“I haven’t lost anything,” she snapped back, that familiar look of defiance flashing across her features. “And I think it’s pretty obvious why I’ve come out here, isn’t it?” She gestured at the stone rising behind her as though he might have missed it.
Arran scowled, crossing his arms. “I seem to recall us having a conversation about the dangers of this place and I also seem to recall ye agreeing to not go anywhere without an escort. Or did I dream that?”
She flushed. “A conversation was it? It was more of a lecture from where I was standing! I remember you laying down the law and expecting me to go along with it!”
“Aye, I expect ye to go along with my orders when they are designed to keep ye safe!” What was wrong with her? Did she not realize what could have gone wrong? Anger flashed through him. “Dear God, woman! Do ye have any idea the danger ye have put yerself in?”
Her eyes flashed in the gloom. “I can take care of myself!”
