But he had heard them, too. And for the first time since finding the Earl of Buchan, Iain glanced at her—away from his enemy.
Fear seized her—Iain was engaged with Buchan, and Duncan would surely capture her. “It is Duncan, Godfrey, one more,” she gasped, raising her sword to defend herself.
The Earl of Buchan snarled, “You’re finished now, Highland dog.”
But Iain did not hear him. Either that, or he did not care. He leaped away from Buchan, rushing toward Alana at the door. Clearly his intention was to defend her now.
Buchan rushed after him, sword raised. His expression was vicious, his eyes murderous. It was déjà vu—it was her vision come true.
“Iain!” Alana screamed in warning.
Iain turned and met the blow with his own sword, so hard, that Buchan’s sword was driven from his grasp, and it fell, clattering across the floor. Iain ran to her just as Duncan came into striking distance. Duncan snarled, the sound animal-like, thrusting his blade toward her. From behind, Iain roared, leaping in front of her and deflecting the blow. Their swords screamed.
Alana watched the two men strain against one another, and knew this was a different match entirely—Duncan was a seasoned soldier, unlike her uncle. But Duncan also had Buchan and the other men to help him bring Iain down.
She turned. Buchan had just staggered to the doorway, sword in hand. But Alana saw blood on his sleeves—he had been wounded in the earlier fight.
There was no time for any sense of relief. Godfrey suddenly turned and pushed his blade against the throat of the soldier behind him. “Alana, go, go now!” he shouted.
Alana froze, realizing what Godfrey was doing—he had trapped his father’s soldier against the wall so she could flee. She looked back at Iain, as he and Duncan parried violently another time. Iain’s blow was so powerful that Duncan was propelled back into the wall. Iain struck again and Duncan’s sword arm shot back into the wall, and he released his sword, which tumbled away.
Iain turned to look at Buchan. Her uncle raised his sword, staring back.
Alana knew what he meant to do. “Iain!” she screamed. “We must flee!”
She knew Iain had heard her, and that he understood fleeing was the best course of action at this moment. But determined as he was, he reacted instantly, savagely striking at his enemy. Buchan was driven from his feet, but he managed to hold on to his sword. And there was no more time; they had to escape. Iain leaped past Duncan, took Alana’s hand and they were flying as if on wings, past Godfrey, past the soldier and down the hall and stairs.
They fled through the downstairs, past awakening housemaids and soldiers, and through the hall. In the next corridor Alana saw her two sisters and Joan, slipping outside. They ran after them.
Alice cried out when they reached them. Iain took the lead and they hurried after him, across the back courtyard. Two boys with a wagon filled with wood gaped at them. And then someone shouted out in warning from the ramparts above.
Ahead, Alana saw the small side door that they had used last night to enter Elgin. A pair of Iain’s Highland warriors stood there guarding it.
“Who goes there?” Someone shouted from the ramparts above them. “Identify yourselves!”
They were but strides away from that door. While Buchan’s and Duncan’s men were atop those walls, Iain’s men were outside them.
“It is I, Lady Comyn, Sir Alexander’s wife,” Joan suddenly shouted, slowing down as she did so.
Alana did not know what to do, and did not have to decide. Iain seized her and dragged her to the door and pushed her though it.
“Sir Alexander is dead,” Joan cried loudly. “The Earl of Buchan is wounded. And Duncan has just been defeated.... We are fleeing Elgin, as you should!”
Alana heard her every word and gasped, as Iain shoved each of her sisters in turn through the small door. “Lady Joan!” he barked.
She came running to him then, while a commotion began on the castle walls. Dozens of soldiers appeared, staring down at them in confusion. And then Joan and Iain, followed by his two men, were safely outside. As they ran from the castle, a dozen of his mounted warriors galloped up to them to protect them from Elgin’s archers. But no arrows were fired at them.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
WHENTHEYWEREsafely in the midst of Iain’s men, dozens upon dozens of mounted soldiers between the women and the enemy soldiers atop Elgin’s walls, Alana sank to the ground. She began to shake wildly.
Sir Alexander was dead. She would never see him again. But he had told her that he loved her, and that he always had.
Buchan had almost succeeded in abducting Alice, in her own stead. Alana and Iain were so very fortunate to have escaped Elgin with their lives. As she realized that, she heard the battering ram striking the castle’s front gates. Iain had renewed the siege.
Swarms of arrows whizzed in the air as the archers upon the ramparts began firing back at Iain’s army.
A man screamed as he was struck.
