When she tried to pull her hand back, Lachlann’s grip tightened. “Ye said ye would not leave me.”
“I’ll fetch ye some water.”
“Ye’ve said that before.”
Great tears slid down her cheeks despite her struggle to remain strong and calm. “I have only just arrived, Lachlann. They’ve kept me from ye, but I promise to return. I will see to ye just as I did before.”
“What a sight ye are, Ethne. With yer proud stance and yer fiery eyes.” Lachlann sighed and continued his rambling. “In better times, who knows—?"
“Ye need to release my hand so I can go and get the water.”
“So soon ye would leave me?” With slow, deliberate movements, he opened her hand and kissed her palm. “The sweetest hands, working too hard for others.” He nuzzled her. “Ye smell like flowers.”
“Please, Lachlann,” she said, struggling to keep her fear in check. “Let me bring ye some fresh water and a bit of bread.”
“Mmm, and a kiss. Would ye give me a kiss as well, dear lady?”
A strangled sound came from somewhere deep inside her. She cleared her throat. “Of course, ye know I will. Just a moment now.” She pulled against his hold. “I promise ye.”
With his eyes still closed, he heaved his shoulders in a great sigh of resignation.
“I promise ye, Lachlann. I’ll see to ye.”
He glanced at her then, his eyes bright with fever, and offered a sad smile. “If I thought killing Uradech would have made ye mine, I’d have done it at the first.”
When he slumped down the rest of the way, she scraped her shoulder trying to grab him.
“Lachlann. Lachlann. Wake up. Ye’re too close to the flame.” It took three tries before she freed herself from the narrow crevice and ran toward the ridge that hid the entrance. She didn’t see Niall until she bumped into him and he steadied her. She couldn’t get his hands off her fast enough.
“Where is he?" she demanded.
“Who?”
“Lachlann. Help him.”
But he wasn’t reacting. He just stood there.
“He’s going to catch fire!” She screamed the words at him. “Help him.”
Niall glanced beyond her shoulder, as if trying to make sense of what she was saying. She clenched her jaw and yanked away, continuing toward where she now believed the entrance to the pit to be. Unable to contain herself and knowing full well he couldn’t hear her, she screamed, "Lachlann!"
Pausing only long enough to assess the distance between the two caves, she dropped to her knees and frantically searched the ground. Niall grabbed the back of her gown and yanked her away.
“Stop. Ye’ll hurt yerself.”
She struggled against him, but he tossed her aside as if she weighed nothing, yanked a small ladder from beneath a nearby shrub, and dropped it into the opening that was an arm’s length from her side.
“How did ye find that?”
“Aldred and I have been searching. That Thomas is a suspicious man.” The ladder groaned under Niall’s weight, and he jumped off halfway down. “That whoreson didn’t even see to him before leaving for the burial ceremony.”
“Then why weren’t ye here with him now?”
"We couldn't find the damned ladder." Niall looked up at her just as she was putting a foot to the top rung. “Do not! Get water! Go!”
Ethne nodded, her mind frantically racing with what to do next. She heard Niall speaking to Lachlann and prayed he’d been quick enough as she raced to the rain barrel. She grabbed the bucket to fill it and started back all in one motion, but turned back into the cave to grab some hard bread.
“Lachlann.” She gasped for air. Somewhere in her mind she believed if she kept calling him, he would be okay. “I’m coming. Here! I have water.”
