“There are tracks heading to the treeline. Hurry!”
Magnus was counting the distance in his head. It was under a mile to the edge of the island from here. If the man was swift, he might already have taken her across the water.
“MacDoon Bay,” Kenneth shouted, pointing ahead of him again. “It’s the only place with a beach on this side of the island. The rest is sharp rocks. He couldn’t have moored up anywhere else.”
They galloped through the woods, the horses panting and sweating heavily. Magnus had always loved the woods, but now he cursed them, as their way was barred by thick branches, and they had to negotiate around dense trees.
If anything had happened to Leah, he would kill every man responsible.
Suddenly, he heard a high-pitched scream, and he spurred his horse in the direction of the sound, leaving Kenneth in his wake.
As the trees became thinner toward the edge of the island, he could see the beach, such as it was, only a whisp of sand against a promontory of rock.
Just visible over the brow of a small hill was a woman’s skirt held high over a man’s shoulder, her feet kicking wildly as she fought against him.
Magnus leaped from the horse and then sprinted through the undergrowth and out into the open, seeing Leah held aloft as the man tried to deposit her in a small boat at the edge of the water. Her hands might be bound, but she was kicking at him like a demon.
As soon as she saw him, she screamed, and her attacker turned as he followed her gaze, scrambling for his dirk as he dropped her into the boat and turned to face Magnus as he charged at him.
The man was half his size and lanky. Magnus did not pause as he continued to run at full pelt, plowing straight into him, taking great satisfaction in knocking him to the ground.
The man bellowed, falling backward and onto the sand as Magnus loomed over him.
“Who sent ye?” Magnus demanded, holding his sword to the man’s throat.
The man’s eyes narrowed with hatred as he looked up at him, a cruel smile on his ugly face. “M’Laird says ye should have learned yer lesson the first time,” he spat.
Magnus raised his sword and plunged it swiftly through the man’s heart, killing him instantly.
He stood back as the man let out a quiet sigh, the light leaving his eyes as his body went lax on the sand.
A whimper sounded from the boat, and Magnus turned to see Leah lying awkwardly where the man had thrown her, half in and half out of the tiny craft, her skirts submerged in the water, her body bent painfully over the side of the boat.
He ran to her and then lifted her out of the boat and into his arms, holding her so close there wasn’t any space between them. He pulled away in time to cut her free, and her arms went round his neck instantly. They stood like that, molded together, until Kenneth arrived, leading the horses behind him, a look of relief on his face.
“Are ye hurt?” Magnus asked her.
She shook her head, but he could see a bruise on her cheek where she had been struck. If he hadn’t already killed the man, he would have done it again.
“Deal with the body,” he said to Kenneth. “Try to find out where he hails from. I’m takin’ Leah back to MacWatt Castle.”
“Aye, M’Laird,” Kenneth replied softly, handing him the reins of his horse as Magnus helped Leah up into the saddle.
Magnus looked back at the beach, at the little boat that was still floating in the water. He looked across at the far shore and tried to think who could have planned to do this, a heavy weight on his heart that he had brought old wounds into Leah’s life.
They rode back to the castle in silence, Magnus holding her tightly against him, feeling the warmth and safety of her body, never happier to see anyone alive.
They did not speak, Leah dozing against him after her ordeal. The afternoon sun cast long shadows behind them as the clouds rolled in above their heads.
As they reached MacWatt Castle, Magnus dismounted, leaving Leah on the horse, leading them slowly through the gates and waving away the servants who approached them.
She was dazed and tired, and he lifted her down from the horse gently, taking her hand and leading them inside to Betty’s chambers.
When he knocked on the door, Iona opened it, and her eyes went wide as she saw Leah.
Betty bustled forward, gripping her hands and pulling her inside, giving Magnus a meaningful look. “Come, come,” she said, drawing Leah to the fire and seating her where she could be warm.
Magnus stood at the far corner of the room, watching the proceedings, still feeling rage in every muscle of his body at what had almost happened.
