“Like hell, we will,” Sutherland said. “And I’m no’ a damn pup, ye condescending bastard.”
“We all go,” Duncan interjected. “Or none of us go, aye?”
“God’s bones, every last one of ye pains me.” But his brothers filled him with pride. Alexander held Graham’s shoulder tighter and pushed himself forward. “Come then. Mother bore us all years apart but if we die today, we die together.”
An icy gust of wind swooshed into the tunnel just as Alexander spotted daylight winking in the darkness up ahead. They’d made it through the keep. If what MacIain had said was true, the tunnel opened a few yards out at the mouth of a shallow ravine. He’d said a burn was nearby and ’twas sheltered by a thick stand of pines. Water from the burn would be most welcome about now. Alexander swallowed hard, his mouth dry. He’d relish one last drink before he died. If he had his druthers, whisky wouldha been his first choice, but water would have to do.
He and Graham pushed their way through the ramshackle door. A circle of dense spiky hedging concealing the exit of the tunnel greeted them. Alexander stumbled, then cursed under his breath as the wicked gorse and its relentless spikes tore across his flesh.
A horse snorted and grumbled just beyond the barrier of thorns.
“Christ Almighty,” Alexander said in a strained whisper as he grabbed hold of Graham and pulled them both down into a low crouch. He hissed out a barely stifled groan with the effort. “We’re found.”
“Ready yourselves.” Alexander lifted his dagger. Faint shuffling sounded behind him. The metallic shushing of drawn steel. The click of pistols armed to fire.
“If ye shoot me or cut me, I’ll no’ save your sorry arses, I grant ye that.”
Relief flooded so hard through Alexander that it staggered him to one side. He clutched at a gorse branch for support. ’Twas Magnus. His closest friend. “Magnus, ye wily bastard. When the hell did ye arrive and how in the name of all that’s holy did ye know of the tunnel?”
“Ye can see the black smoke as far as Fort William. I got here as fast as I could.” The branches of the stubborn gorse bushes rattled as they shook then gave way as Magnus de Gray, dubbed ‘Ghost’ due to both his stealth and his looks, hacked them aside with his sword. “And never underestimate what secrets ye can discover about a keep by befriending lovely maids with a bone to pick with their former master.” Magnus grew quiet as he reached Alexander and Graham still crouching at the heart of the bushes. His mouth tightened into a grim line when he saw their wounds. “Hurry. From the looks of ye, we’ve no’ much time and rumor has it there be at least two more regiments coming to ensure there are no survivors and that no one escapes the glen from either of the passes.”
“There’s a cave. Higher. Above the northern rise.” Alexander winced, and a groan escaped him as Magnus and Graham helped him to his feet.Ignore the pain. Must make it to the cave.Darkness whirled around him, knocking him off balance and making him stumble to one side. “Shelter in the cave. Higher. Must go higher into the mountains.”
“Ye’ll ride my horse. The stables are nothing but smoldering ash and no’ a beast in sight. The rest of us will have to walk.” Magnus took Graham’s place under Alexander’s arm. He, Duncan, and Sutherland hefted Alexander onto the horse.
“I owe ye a bottle of the best whisky in Scotland,” Alexander said as he sagged forward in the saddle. It felt good to sit, or at least as close to good as he could get right now through all this worrisome pain. If he could just remain upright until they reached the cave, then he’d lie down and if anyone disturbed him, he’d damn well shoot them.
With more effort than he thought he could muster, he hitched forward in the saddle, breaking out in a cold sweat as the need to retch washed across him. He swallowed hard and pulled in deep breaths against the nauseating pain. “Put Graham behind me. He’s wounded as well and mighty Stoic can haul us both.” He leaned forward and patted the great horse’s shaggy neck. “Ye willna mind toting us both, will ye, Stoic?”
At the sound of his name, the large black horse tossed his head and responded with a friendly grumble and a stomp of one of his great hairy feet.
“I can walk,” Graham said in an insulted growl.
“Ye think I’m being generous but I’m not, dear brother. With your arse in the saddle behind me, ye’ll block that icy wind and keep me warm.”
“We must go,” Magnus advised with a concerned look around. Dark smoke billowed from every orifice in the once grand castle behind them and flames licked out around the blocks of stone. Unmistakable sounds of pillaging and men on the move grew closer.
“Verra well then.” Graham feigned a bow that ended in a flinching grab of his wounded side. With Magnus’s and Duncan’s help and a great deal of cursing, Graham pulled himself aboard the huge horse and settled in behind Alexander.
Alexander grunted as Graham shifted behind him and wrapped the length of his kilt around them both. The slightest of moves pained him. Perhaps staying warm wasna the best idea. At least if he grew cold, he might grow numb as well. As if in answer to this thought, a sudden gust of icy wind cut across him and huge clusters of snowflakes filled the air. Snow. A double-edged sword. It could hide their tracks or grow so deep they’d founder.
With a hard wince that stole his breath, he hunched forward in the saddle and urged the horse into a faster trot toward the cover of the dense thicket of pines. Magnus, Duncan, and Sutherland fanned out, dashing into the woods on either side of the horse.
“God be with us,” Alexander whispered, a pained grunt escaping him and his breath fogging in the frigid air. Agony pounded through him with every jolt of the horse’s gait. He blinked hard, head swimming and vision fading in and out of focus. He peered up into the murky sky, not even bothering to blink as the heavy, wet snowflakes plopped into his eyes.
“God get us to safety—or at the verra least, save my brothers and Magnus.” His breath steamed across the frosting folds of the kilt bunched at his throat. He dragged the sign of the cross against his chest then sagged to one side, the world around him fading into a fog of darkness. “Please…”
